Betta Addicts Anonymous

Part One: Tank requirements. So you've decided you want a fish.  Where are you going to put it? Well, first we'll address the idea of fishbowls, small tanks, and unfiltered systems. These are just too small.  These bettas will not only die early, but they'll be unhappy and depressed the entire time. But even the bigger fishbowls, such as 1 gallon bowls, are a bad idea. Why?  Well, lots of reasons. 1.  They can jump. And they will  jump, if they have reason to.  Coming home to find your fishbowl empty and your betta dead on the floor isn't super common, but it does happen.  Your tank needs a lid. 2.  It's too small to keep them healthy.   I'm going to get into water values and things in a later post, but for now you need to know that all fish produce ammonia, which is unbelievably toxic to them.  The smaller the tank, the faster that ammonia builds up.  A one-gallon, unfiltered bowl needs 50% water changes twi...

I'm so happy to see new growth on Grim's tail.  It's been a few days with the daily water changes, salt, and JFC tabs, and I'm encouraged to see that it's working. Fin rot can absolutely be deadly, and this is the most advanced case I've ever seen in person.  With his other health issues, it's entirely plausible that this could've killed him. He's still not out of the woods, though.  The hell that his poor little body has endured for so long weakened his immune system, weakened his ability to fight off bacteria and infections like fin rot.  The smallest lapse in vigilance can bring it back.  It's not always easy to treat when it's at this stage. Especially since he's in such a small tank.  Smaller tanks build up ammonia faster, are harder to keep clean, and just make it more difficult all the way around.  As soon as I scrape the money together, I'm getting him a 5 gallon and maybe using this one as a backup or emergency or ...

So it's been almost 3 weeks since I brought Grim home, and he's a completely different fish.  Animated, funny, completely interested in everything that goes on around him, and excited to see me. I've always known that bettas are remarkably intelligent for fish, and that they can recognize faces and develop bonds, but I also know that a big part of that bond is because they happen to like being fed. With Grim, it's different.  He seems genuinely happy to see me, he knows his routine now, so he knows that when the food jar goes back into the drawer, feeding time is over.  However, his interest remains. He's doing well.  He's put on weight, he has so much more energy, and so much exuberance.  I love watching him. He's still in his 1.5 gallon tank.  With finances being what they are, I simply don't have the money to get anything bigger right now. Especially with noticing what I noticed when he started opening his fins. So every knowledgeable...

Betta fish are probably the most popular pet fish, eclipsing even the trusty goldfish.  Remarkably intelligent, with big personalities and a wonderful inquisitive nature, it's not hard to see why. And of course, they're just stunning to look at. But so many of them are doomed to terrible, short lives, not because of cruel people, but because of good people who have been misinformed. So where is all the misinformation coming from? Alright, so I was talking to my ex boyfriend the other night (we parted ways amicably because of distance a couple months ago), and mentioned Grim and all his health problems. My ex made the comment, talking about the bettas he's had with his spawn, "we always either get one that lives forever or dies quick. There's no in between." I started to reply, but he said, "sometimes we can get them to live like 3 years." ... Wait, what ? 3 years is living forever? I told him most of mine live...

Nephthys and Osiris are my twin halfmoons.  They live together in a 10 gallon divided tank, where they've lived ever since I bought them as babies about a year ago. Their colors are blue and red/orange, so I designed their tank to sort of complement that. They enjoy their home, but there was something that bothered me. Some way, some how, Neph was sneaking into Osiris' side.  Regularly. As in, at least once or twice a week. And I had no idea how she was doing it. Of course, as soon as I saw it, I would have a mini heart attack, immediately scoop her up, and put her back on her side.  And that would work for a couple days.  Until she'd go back over again. I mean, I guess it wasn't a huge  deal.  Osiris will flare and charge whenever he sees another male, but he was always gentle with her.  Of course there was the occasional nip or chase, that's to be expected.  It was his territory, not hers, and bettas are jus...

On May 5, 2017, I found myself at the house of an acquaintance, when I noticed a murky tupperware bowl in the corner.  I moved closer and was appalled by what I saw inside. In the tiny plastic bowl, in about three inches of filthy brown water, was a listless, dying betta.  I was speechless. The "gentleman" noticed me looking at the fish, and must've seen my facial expression.  He said, "Yeah, he's not going to be around much longer.  He stopped eating months ago.  He's pretty old, so there's really not a lot you can do." He then continued to "school" me about how bettas only live 2-3 years and that they do fine in dirty water, and it's totally not straight-up abusive to keep the fish like that. I asked if I could have the fish.  He was surprised at that request. "Why do you want him?  He's going to die any minute." "That's fine.  I want him." "Well, are you willing to pay for him?" ...