Gwenz

I've noticed recently that my lfs doesn't have bettas any more so I went to another two fish stores near me, and they don't have them either. Yesterday I asked the manager at one of the stores why they don't have them any more, and he said that nowhere around here will have them anymore because there is something about the water over here that bettas can't cope/live in, and that all bettas we have over here recently, have died after a few days of them being here. I realy wanted a betta, but doesn't look like I'll be able to have one. Now I have to rethink what I want in the tank with my 3 panda corries. One of the women who work at my lfs told me that she'd been trying to keep bettas for years, but has never succeeded.

Now I don't know what to do.

Gwenz

Boxermom

You could have a lovely dwarf gourami. They come in a couple of different colors and are labyrinth fish like bettas. I love mine, they are very entertaing. My male likes to play limbo with the dwarf sag grass.

chickadee

The only thing I would know of and it is perhaps too expensive to do for you is to order one and keep them in bottled spring water, but as I said Gwenz, that is an expensive way to keep a fish. *Perhaps this is a hard thing to face, but a Betta is just not going to be feasible for you. *I know that they are lovely fish, but they are not the only ones that you can take pleasure in. *Emma swears by her Kuhli Loaches and Butterfly too. *There are some of the members who have Angels and they are very partial to them although I do know that you need quite a large tank for angels. *There are hundreds of species of aquarium fish out there and they are all nice in their own ways. *All you need to do is find one to center your tank around and go from there. *Shop, shop, shop and then read, read, read. *Find out all you can about all the fish who have caught your eye and one of them will tap their fin on your shoulder and whisper in your ear, "pick me!, pick me!" and you will have your choice made. *Then find out all you can about your new friend and tell all of us about him/her and how they live and what you do for them and we will learn something about a new and lovely area of fishkeeping. *How about that?? *

Rose

Gwenz

Thanks Chickadee. Reading that has cheered me up.

I like Angels but I need something I can put in a 7.5 gallon tank with 3 Panda Corries, so I probably won't be able to have one of them. I don't think my mum would let me have another tank.

Boxermom, how big do Dwarf Gouramis get and what size tank do they need? Also do they need to be kept in groups? I have looked into them before when I first got a tank but then changed my mind.

Thanks

Gwenz

Boxermom

A 7.5 gallon would be great for one. Nope, no need for groups. Actually, they are better single, unless you happen to have a m/f pair but females are fairly hard to find. They aren't considered as pretty as the males (I tend to disagree) so its harder to find any for sale. I have a powder blue male and a female that's a lovely lemon gold color with faint red striping. They get to be a max of about 2.5". Very gentle natured, too.

poefox

I agree about the Dwarf Gouramis as well; as she said a single would do just fine, I think it would be perfect for your tank. They are fairly hardy and since your corys are doing okay it should do fine.

Gwenz

OK thanks. I think I'll get a dwarf Gourami then. How big do they get? I've read in some places they get to about 8cm, but in other places that they get to 5cm. Which is right?

Gwenz

Boxermom

2.5 inches max.

chickadee

Bettas are members of the Gourami family and the same type of rules apply to both as far as the breathing at the top so as long as they have a clean surface they should do fine. You will probably find that they are similar in a lot of ways, but they don't have the need for approval that Bettas have because they were never kept in the small bowls in solitary. They are beautiful fish and get about the same size as a Betta.

Rose

Boxermom

Yup, they just look bigger because their bodies are more discus-shaped than torpedo. I just know I love my two.

inari

i know this is kind of pricey but if u get the bottle 5 galln jugs (i hope they sell those in the uk) but when i had Inari in the 1 gallon i used that kinda stuff on him all tho drinking the water here is like liking a rusty swing set so it might not be the same and if u have a filtered and cycled tank u won't need half as much....just a thought....but some other fish might be a good idea i just felt the need to put my two cents in
~Inari