New Fishie
December 5th, 2007 09:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skroberts
This is Mike, my new Betta. He's named after my current Discovery Channel crush. *g*
He is a spunky little fish. Despite how he may seem in this photo, he's actually pretty small, about half the size Jubal was. I guess he's a baby. I got him as a new friend for Jubal, but my poor boy never got to know him. *sigh* Anyway, he seems to like his new home as he's build a HUGE bubble nest. :)
Welcome to the family, Mike.
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Date: December 6th, 2007 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 05:14 am (UTC)Is it easy to take care of bettas? I see a lot of them here in the pet shops and I always think of you and your fishies (may their fishy souls rest in peace) when I see them. I've always wondered if I can have them on my desk at work.
What do you feed them and how often? Do you have to have separate tanks/bowls for each one? Are they really that combative?
Sorry for the 20 questions....
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Date: December 6th, 2007 05:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 05:41 am (UTC)Well, it's easy in that they seem to have more of a memory than most tropical fish and are happy to see you (sometimes) for reasons other than "She gives me food." They also are pretty hardy, so missing a feeding isn't going to kill them, and they're less likely to die when your friends are watching them for you.
I've always wondered if I can have them on my desk at work.
Many people keep them in smallish bowls or vases in a bathroom or such, so I could see them on a desk. I worry about keeping them in something so small (because I'm like that), so I allow at least one gallon per fish.
What do you feed them and how often?
There are many options here. I feed mine Betta food in both pellet and flake form to give them variety. But there are also live foods. Anything with "Betta" in the name should be acceptable.
Do you have to have separate tanks/bowls for each one?
This is where they may be considered hard to care for as there can only be one male fish per tank, though you can put several females together.
Are they really that combative?
YES. While each fish is different, and you may find two males that can live happily together, it is not recommended to try. (I've seen the results at pet stores that don't know what they're doing. *sadness*) So, one male per tank. I have a divider that separates a two-gallon tank into two nice habitats. So, they can be near each other, but they cannot actually live together. (Even with a divider, they sometimes nip at each others fins. Silly fish.)
There's a lot of things I could tell you, but look! Someone has already done it: http://www.healthybetta.com/ ... This site has lots of information, though it seems to be more breeder-based than for people just having them for pets. Breeders are much stricter about conditions and such, so if you'd like one as a pet, some things may not be necessary. I suggest starting at the "Articles" section. :)
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Date: December 6th, 2007 06:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: December 6th, 2007 04:58 pm (UTC)I'm going to get myself a beta too. I don't like being at home all by myself - I need a little buddy I can talk to. :)
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Date: December 6th, 2007 05:07 pm (UTC)I miss her horribly...may she rest in peace.
So yeah...my point was...I highly recommend a fishy companion at work! :)
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Date: December 6th, 2007 06:06 pm (UTC)