A new baby girl!

[Phloxface]

Well, the little blue male I saw at Petsmart was already gone by the time I had money to buy him. I just hope he went to a good home and gets treatment for his finrot. I had already gone into Betta rescue mode before I got there so I just couldn't leave without one. I tried, but I couldn't do it. My eye caught a tiny little speck of a female in a cup. She reminded me so much of Karma. She called out to me and I picked her up. She was clearly badly constipated with a long poo hanging out of her that wouldn't fall off and she was hovering with her head facing downwards (another sign of constipation) her belly is a little bloated. She also has a bad case of finrot with her analfin being rotted away almost to her body in one spot! She was very paled out with stress stripes. She is so tiny, about 1/4 inch including her tail. She seems to be about 5 weeks old. She will probably change a lot in the coming months and develop a lovely color. She has a hint of teal on her back in strong light and red stripes in her tail.
I'll try to get pics of her later when she gets settled. I've gotten her into the 4 gallon tank in clean warm water and she has a new Whisper internal filter. No gravel yet as I need to see if she starts pooping normally. I'm treating her finrot with Triple Sulfa. I dropped a piece of pea in her tank and she found it on the bottom and ate some so that should help. I'm not feeding her any pellets until I see her pooping normally. She'll get peas everyday until then. I'm sure she's never been fed pea before and I was told she's been eating frozen bloodworms only. No wonder she's so blocked up!    She loves the pea now so hopefully she's on the road to recovery. Now I just hope her finrot isn't going to be stubborn.

I also bought a little Gold Mystery snail for Aenara's tank. I have been fighting a war with algae there for months and I'm losing big time. That snail has quite a buffet waiting for her once she gets enough nerve to come out. Aenara is torturing the poor little thing! I hope the little snail doesn't end up as food. Why are Bettas so fascinated with snails? I wanted to get some Otos but I doubt they'd survive the curiousity of my girls. Not to mention my ridiculously high Ph level (around 8.5)

 

[COBettaCouple]

aww.. poor little thing. I wouldn't have been able to resist her either.. Try mincing the pea really tiny for her, our little Angel likes it that way. I wish you the best with her, great job on rescuing her from dying in the store.

LOL on Aenara.. Bettas just seem to be so curious about a new snail buddy.. hopefully she'll get over that soon and let the little snail get to the algae.

 

[Phloxface]

The new girl (I haven't come up with a name for her yet) ate quite a lot of pea, more than she probably should have but she seems content. She's swimming around and her stress stripes have already disappeared. She is now a beautiful pale teal color with red fins. Amazing how different they become as soon as you take them out of that cup and store environment. They seem to "know" that they now have a loving home and that they will be alright now. I look forward to seeing how much she changes. Her pelvic fins are SO tiny I almost thought she didn't have any! It's so cute! She looks exactly like Noelle did when I first got her and now Noelle looks like a completely different fish! She's a dark teal on her body with black head and red fins. Noelle's fins have grown so much bigger and her rounded tail has grown out in two separate sections. She seems to have a double tail and it's still growing.  She started out really pale, almost transparent just like the new girl. It wouldn't surprise me if they were genetically related. (I wonder if the new fish will have a double tail too?)They come from the same breeder.  They are right next to each other and really seem to like each other. Noelle is staying on that side of the tank and staring at the new fish. Maybe they know they are sisters... 

The poor females always get passed over because they are so drab looking in the cup. People don't realize that very young females don't have their adult coloring yet or their full beautiful fins.

 

[Bonochick]

Aww, she's lucky you saved her!

 

[voiceless_kat]

Best wishes to you and your new betta girl, Phlox! That is such a kind gesture.........I pray all will go well on her road to recovery in her new loving home. Val & Neptune

 

[nmwierman1977]

Aw, congratulations phlox on rescuing he little girl. I'm sure she knows how lucky she is that someone as caring as you found her and picked her up. Natalie

 

[chickadee]

Congratulations, I do hope all goes well for her and you. It is always lovely to have new babies.

Rose

 

[COBettaCouple]

The poor females always get passed over because they are so drab looking in the cup. People don't realize that very young females don't have their adult coloring yet or their full beautiful fins.

That's true. I love looking at the females though.. they're my favorite. I'm glad your new girl is coming along so well and look forward to her being all healthy.

 

[Phloxface]

She still hasn't pooped even after all the pea she ate.    She's still hovering with her head facing downwards so she's still constipated. I'll continue fasting her today and give her some more pea in the morning. I have no doubt she'd have died in the store due to constipation because they just keep feeding them and don't really watch them closely for signs of illness. With about 30 Bettas in cups and many other fish to take care of, the employees don't always have time to sit and observe each fish for subtle behaviours that indicate sickness. Having had seven Bettas already I know a sick one when I see it. If I fed her bloodworms she'd probably eat it even though it would make things worse. Just because they're eating doesn't mean they are healthy.
I'm pretty sure I can get her finrot under control but having constipation at such a young age worries me. I will have to make sure she never overeats and gets pea at least 3 times a week for the rest of her life. She'll be far more prone to constipation from now on.

 

[COBettaCouple]

hmm.. i'm sorry to hear she's still constipated. does the spinach route work with Bettas?

 

[Phloxface]

She has pooped a little this morning. I gave her some more pea.
I've got a couple pics of her (excuse the blurriness and water spotted tank. She was in the one gallon holding tank while I was preparing her 4 gallon home) In the pic on the right you can sort of see how the finrot has eaten away the bottom of her analfin and left a chunk missing in the middle.
For comparison I added some before and after pics of Noelle. The new fish looks a lot like Noelle did when she was her age. You can see how much Noelle has changed in four months! I think they will look similar except the new girl will probably have a lot of red on her fins. She was a drab gray-brown with two black horizontal stress stripes in the store. Within 30 minutes of coming home she was showing brighter color and no stress. She's going to be a beauty when she grows up! Now to decide on a name...

 

[COBettaCouple]

yea, noelle is a different fish now. Your new girl is going to have a beautiful color for sure as you get her into top shape.. funny how you have a female named noelle and your new girl is Christmas colors. Maybe she could be "Cindy Lou Who".

 

[Phloxface]

I named Noelle that because when I first got her she was pale green with a reddish/salmon colored belly. I thought her belly would stay that color but it didn't. She became dark green and very dark brown/black on her head. Her tail shape changed from round to a partial (so far) double tail. If she were bred she could produce some double tailed babies. Her tail is still growing and the split in the middle keeps getting longer. (It's definitely not damaged, it's growing that way)
It's hard to say what "new fish" will looks like as she gets older or what type of tail she'll have but she'll probably become a darker more intense green and red. Should be beautiful!
Whisper is becoming a gorgeous fire engine red crowntail with some long rays already sprouting out of her tail and dorsal fin.

 

[COBettaCouple]

That's cool about Noelle and a beautiful name for her. I'd love to get a double tail someday. (along with like 100 more bettas )

My wife would love Whisper - red Bettas are her favorite.

 

[chickadee]

Lovely and so lucky to find a double tail. Keep up the Peas!

Welcome Noelle and Whisper! I am sure my boys would love you both!

Congratulations.

Rose

 

[Phloxface]

The new girl is doing good. I still haven't had time to think of a name for her... too busy trying to tend to my sick Lava.
She is no longer constipated and is eating her baby pellets. Her color is getting brighter every day! She's a beautiful green with deep red fins. I've never seen that color combination on a Betta before. Very unusual. She was a drab gray with black stress stripes in the store. No color at all. I wonder how many people passed her over thinking she was not very colorful. She just wouldn't show her true colors until she had a happy home. Her finrot is healing up nicely. She is swimming around her tank and seems shy and sweet but not afraid of me. She comes to the side when I put my finger on the tank. She loves her bridge and is swimming through the bottom and going across the top and up and down the stairs. 
My MTS is so bad I had to go out and buy a tank stand to put her on since every other available space is used.  :  I now have 5 tanks and 7 fish...  In the next 2 months I will be buying a 20 gallon long tank and splitting it for 4 fish and then getting rid of one of my 10 gallon tanks and one 5 gallon. I'll be able to house all seven fish in three tanks and reducing my tank maintenance time and freeing up some space in here! This place is starting to look like Sea World!

 

[COBettaCouple]

Glad to hear how well the new girl is doing. I know what you mean.. angel's 5 gallon hex is sitting on top of a towel cabinet and I look for a space where another tank could fit.

 

[Phloxface]

I still haven't come up for a name for my new fish but she is doing very well now. She's been pooping normally and her fin is healing up nicely. I don't need to keep an eye on how much she's pooping anymore so I set up her tank with gravel and plants (it was bare floor before). I sat and watched her for an hour. She was so happy exploring everything. They just find joy in the simplest things.
Here is some pics I took after I set up her tank (I took them before I installed the heater so it wouldn't ruin the pic)
The last pic is the cupboard/stand I had to buy because I have no more space. The fish have so overwhelmed this place they need their own furniture! ;D The inside cupboard is filled with buckets, hoses, fish meds and all their "things". Nothing of mine is in there, it's all for them.
Now that Whisper is gone I will be moving the new fish into her side of the 10 gallon tank but not for a couple weeks. I need to finish treating Karma and make sure there is nothing contagious or funky going on in that tank. After the new fish moves to her other tank I'll put Noelle's 5.5 gallon tank on the stand and put away this Kritter Keeper for future use as a hospital tank.

 

[voiceless_kat]

Phlox what is that root looking thing in Noels tank, (before & after pics) posted on this thread, but last week...it is so neat. Those bettas can have loads of fun exploring and playing around that. May I ask where you got it? Is it big? ( Looks pretty big). Thanks. Val

 

[COBettaCouple]

Phlox what is that root looking thing in Noels tank, (before & after pics) posted on this thread, but last week...it is so neat. Those bettas can have loads of fun exploring and playing around that. May I ask where you got it? Is it big? ( Looks pretty big). Thanks. Val

If i'm right, that's a very nice bridge from Petsmart.

She's looking good and I'm glad to see her progress from the sad state she was in when you rescued her.

 

[cherryrose]

Your new baby girl is going to be absolutely gorgeous when she finishes growing and gets her true colors. She is already very beautiful. They do change so much after we move them out of their tiny cups. Congratulations!

CherryRose

 

[Phloxface]

Phlox what is that root looking thing in Noels tank, (before & after pics) posted on this thread, but last week...it is so neat.  Those bettas can have loads of fun exploring and playing around that.  May I ask where you got it?  Is it big?  ( Looks pretty big).  Thanks.  Val

The tree root is from Petsmart. Here's a link to it:

There are three sizes. The one I have is the smallest (called medium). It's the one on the top right in the pic. The other two are much too large unless you have at least a 30 gallon tank. The one I have fits in a 5 gallon tank and even in a Hex tank although it does take up quite a bit of space. My Bettas LOVE the tree root. It has so many arches and things to swim through and hide under. One thing though, it is hollow at the top and Bettas can get stuck inside. If you get one just make sure you fill the top with gravel to keep your fish safe.

FLBettaCouple: Yes the bridge is also from Petsmart. It was Lava's beloved bridge but he can no longer have it as he can't swim to the bottom anymore and if he does I'd be afraid of him getting stuck under the bridge and drowning, so I gave it to her. She loves the bridge and hides under it and sleeps on the top sometimes. 

 

[COBettaCouple]

LOL.. I forgot about the tree root further up in the thread.. our Sora is the only betta with a bridge and he likes to sleep on the one side of it or on it, depending on his mood.

 

[Phloxface]

I got Daphne and Karma set up together and I turned my back for less than a minute to wash my hands and found Daphne on Karma's side of the tank. They were swimming around together peacefully...  I put Daphne back on her side and checked everything and could NOT figure out how she got there. There is absolutely no space for her to get through.  ??? I went to wash my hands again and came back and found Karma on Daphne's side!  They were exploring the tank together again. I put Karma back on her side and checked everything again. I discovered a small crack between the divider edge and the tank wall. This must be how the little devils were getting through. I pushed the divider flush with the side of the tank and they've stayed on their own sides now.
I'm glad they like each other and seem to be friends already. I really wish I could trust them to be together but sooner or later there would be trouble.

 

[COBettaCouple]

lol.. they're smart little fish for sure. it's cool they get along so well.. maybe they should get a room.