New Betta...Again

Well, the saga continues...

I decided that maybe getting mulit-coloured Bettas wasn't necessarily a good idea as they were probably crossbred from pure colour specimens so last week, I got a more traditional red Betta. I've waited a week to reveal him to make sure he survives so I hope I'm not tempting fate...again!

Anyway, here he is - I've named him Clancy which is Celtic for "Red Warrior"...he's a beauty and very active so fingers crossed.

He is gorgeous!! Do you have any Betta tips as i have a free tank!

well thats very daring of u, but he looks like a stunner so i hope he does well!

Well since I've had four die on me for various reasons, I'm not sure if my tips would be any good. It all depends on whether or not, he's in a "bachelor pad" or community tank. If the former, then make sure it's heated, filtered and at least 15L. If the latter, then don't mix him with guppies, angelfish or gouramis. Oh and they appreciate a varied diet of flake, bloodworms etc.

I've also discovered that this fellow likes cucumber as he was munching the piece that I'd put in for the shrimp! If you look closely at photo no. 2, you can see a small green lump between his fins. I panicked when I saw this until I realized that he was just pooping out the undigested bits of cucumber...

LOL! It will be a bachelor pad! I just need to clean it and buy all the stuff

Lovely looking fish Mary... fingers crossed here, i wont say much & tempt fate

Well at this stage, M.C., every day it lasts is a good thing. He's as wary of the shrimp as his predecessors though, the big wuss. :lol:

Oh GOOD LUCK with him Mary, he is a lovely looking one that's for sure!

Thanks Diana. I nearly had heart failure last night when I caught Christian spraying on his deodarant in the hall especially after the thread about chemical sprays.

Mary wrote:

Thanks Diana. I nearly had heart failure last night when I caught Christian spraying on his deodarant in the hall especially after the thread about chemical sprays.

I get soooooo paranoid! I always keep my window open to!

I can't cope...the flippin' Betta keeps "playing dead". It lies motionless on the bottom of the tank and it's only when I open the lid that it stirs and swims up to the top of the tank for a look. Little bugger.

Oh Mary, don't! I dont think any of us could take another 'Betta dead' post!

It probably returns to the bottom of the tank chucking and thinking "Yaah! Gotcha!"

Diana wrote:

Oh Mary, don't! I dont think any of us could take another 'Betta dead' post!

Neither could I.

If this one does die then I can only assume there's some pathogen lurking in the tank and I'm going to strip it down completely. :|

Oh I really hope he stays well for you Mary, he's a lovely little fish. We will have to have daily updates from you on his welfare!

My cory plays dead all the time! Gives me a heart attack when i see him, then he swims off!

Found him hiding under the moss ball this morning. I swear I spend half my time just staring at him and holding my breath until I see him move. It's a close call as to which one of us will keel over from the stress first... :lol:

He's doing it on purpose Mary :lol: . How long have the others lasted for by the way - what's the record for longevity?

Lovely looking fish Mary, although not sure about the name!

Fishfan wrote:

Lovely looking fish Mary, although not sure about the name!

What's wrong with Clancy?? Even though Rebecca calls him Nancy Clancy Fancy Pants... :lol:

I've had him eleven days now which is the second longest after my original Betta who lasted four months, the other three were only a week, four days and two days.

Now he's taken to lying prone under the decor...only emerging for food. Me nerves are shattered...

God, I feel like we should be organising a 24hr watch on him! You can do the night shift though! :lol:

Good Luck with Clancy. That's a vivid color! I like the archway in the tank, very cool.
Jackie

Thanks Jackie. I like that too - it's a nice feature and Clancy likes swimming through it. The fishy equivalent of jumping through a hoop! :lol:

Diana wrote:

God, I feel like we should be organising a 24hr watch on him! You can do the night shift though!

Well, I tell you I'm leaving it in fate's hands now. I casually check on him every morning and you'd be surprised how adept he is at hiding in a 15L bowl but as soon as I see any bit of red colour, I think "well, he's still there anyway" but I have to admit that I hold my breath until I see him swimming around. I just bought some "posh" Betta food for him that I hope will keep him as healthy as possible. I have a good feeling about this one though (famous last words!) as I had been eyeing him up for about two weeks in the LFS before I bought him so he's survived at least a month at this stage (and was prob. 5-6 months old to begin with).

Hope he lives a long life with you Mary

Thanks Ant, if he makes it through the first month, I'd say he has a good chance.