I had no plans to get another
betta but in browsing through Petsmart the other day (I really need to stay away from there) I noticed they had set up a BiOrb tank as a display and put 3 female Bettas in it. A Cambodian, a red and a blue female. They had just set it up that day and I noticed the girls seemed to be getting along okay and no one had stress stripes. No chasing or nipping. I was relieved. I went back the next day to check on them and saw the red and the blue had fin damage that was not there before and they had paled out and had stress stripes. The Cambodian had no fin damage and was obviously the Alpha female. I did not have a good feeling about this. I went today to see them again and was horrified to see the Cambodian had bitten the blue female on the belly and wouldn't let go. She was dragging her around like a rag doll. Then the red female decided to get in on this and started biting the blue female's fins and shredding them more. I banged on the tank and they let her go and she just floated motionless to the bottom. She had a little blood coming from the wound on her belly and another bite on her head. I thought she was dead and I was heartbroken!
I put my finger on the glass near where she was and suddenly she started moving and slowly approached my finger and put her mouth against the glass right where my finger was. She looked at me with such despair it felt like a knife in my heart. I could not leave her there. I would have felt like a monster walking away from her. She had made a connection with me and I knew she was meant to be mine.
I didn't even have a tank for her and very little money but I picked up a 2.5 gallon glass tank with a glass lid for very cheap and had some spare heaters at home and a small Whisper filter. I got the lady who runs the fish dept and asked her to take out the blue female for me. I told her what I had witnessed and she said she would take out the remaining two and put in something else like maybe guppies. I suggested a single male or female Betta so at least one would get out of the cup but begged her to not put female Bettas together anymore. I don't know if it will help but it helped in this case at least.
The blue female had been a gorgeous deep blue when I first saw her in the tank at the store but after being bullied for two days she had turned a light gray with thick black stress stripes. She did not even look like the same fish. I got her home and set up her little home. I was worried the 2.5 gallon tank would be so small but after setting it up and putting her in, it actually looks like a very suitable home for a female Betta. She LOVES her new home! She swam around like crazy exploring and within 10 minutes, when she realized she was safe, she lost her stress stripes and became a brilliant blue again. Her tank is right next to Niles and he is beside himself with joy over having a pretty girl neighbour! He's been prancing around with his fins spread out and furiously making a bubblenest right in front of her to impress her. It's so cute what a flirt he is!
She loves the attention too.
I am medicating her a little because she has bite wounds and shredded fins but she seems healthy and active otherwise with an unholy fascination with her thermometer. She even ate a little.
Here are some pics of my new blue girl (note the shredded anal fin) and some of the hopelessly smitten Niles.
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Best of luck with her and we look forward to hearing her progress as she heals up.
