Betta bug can break your heart too!

OK the Betta bug has got me good time!!

After having Honey'nut minx' and Flame aka 'fruit loop' in the house and seeing how a Betta should be I realise that Blue eyes was really ill when I got him and my job was to be there for him as he went to rainbow bridge.

My point is that now I understand the nature of these little creatures I want to bring everyone that I see home! I am feeling guilty that I can't. I saw Male yesterday in a store in a tank with Barbs. Part of his Caudal fin had gone ( it didn't look like it had been nipped, more of a rip damage) I stood and watched for ages, the barbs weren't interested in him. He came over and was watching me, so sweet it broke my heart!

I had called in for Blood worms ( didn't have them) so talked to the owner of store about the 'fighter' ( many uk store i've been in don't know the Betta name) He was completely ignorant about their wellbeing. I explained as much as I have learnt from you guys, told him about Betta pellets and they are carnivours etc and all he said was ' they are fine with flake food'!!!!
I am gutted that I am not rich enough to bring home all of them on the wirral ( where I live) but as my mum pointed out I have 2 dogs, 2 house rabbits, a horse, 5 cherry barbs, 4 checkered barbs, 4 minnows, 5 otos, 6 guppies, 2 armano shrimps ( a million snails LOL ) and honey ( Flame if mum not around) so I need to have some cash left after bills for back up if they need it.

I know she is right, what if my established babes need meds but the funds aren't there. Horse bedding alone is ?10 a week ( cost of 2 Bettas!) However it still hurts to see those little 'help me' eyes. I could say ok, this is the last one but I know me! The next one will be the last one too! At the end of the day there is the electricity bill aswell. It's difficult!

HOWEVER my birthday is 2 weeks before christmas so i'm sure you can imagine my wish list!!!

 

yea.. every time we go by the betta cups we want to bring them home.. then we have to go buy them a tank, heater & everything.. :;br

 

owning them is bitter sweet!

 

owning them is bitter sweet!

yea, it is sometimes.. but I think we'll always have a bunch of them.. they're great pets and our little special-needs guy has gotten himself spoiled and he likes to lie on one of his broad leaves and look at me while i'm on the computer - waiting for me to give him attention. lol.. he's spoiled already.

 

lol



HI Dave, Taz's mum here. Been dragged in to the Betta world. Flame (I have now had the courage to name him) also likes to lie on the leaves and look about. Panicked at first thought he was dead but now realise that he is playing.

Waiting for my registration e-mail and will chat further then, if that's okay with you.

In the meantime, have a lot of reading to do which keeps being thrust upon me by you know who.

Had to stop her buying another Betta yesterday that was obviously not being looked after properly in the shop but I had to tell her we cannot buy all the Betta we see (although we would if we could). Taz is the same when we see Rabbits in a shop I have to drag her out and be strong otherwise we would be overrun.

By the way, my name is Jacqui

 

Good on ya, Michelle, don't let JacquI drag you out of there!

Funny that, Jacqui, my mom would say exactly the same as you: cats, rats, dogs, you name it... If it's unhappy, I have to try to do something about it.

 

Welcome to fish forum, Taz's mum ( or mom). We are all crazy wonderful here. My guys ( Neptune, Storm and Wink Jack Sparrow) and I all wish you many happy hours with your betta..........once bitten.

And remember, although they can break your heart..........." It is better to have loved and lost " and that can be applied to these funny little fish. To rescue and give them a home for however long they are meant to be there means loads of love in return and a lot of good karma built up!!

Val -- Crazy Canadian cat/fish lady....

 

They can indeed break your heart but they can make your heart sing too, when they let you know that they recognize you the first time or they do that little dance (you know the one), or when they rush to the front of the tank when you come into the room and follow your finger across the tank or sit there and listen to you give them a talking to and you just know that they understand every word.
Those knowing little eyes and that beautiful body with the lovely fins and the graceful way they go through the water when they are swimming and they do not have a care in the world make all the pain or the worry or the cost totally worthwhile.

Rose
:;a2

 

Hello Jacqui,
Once you enter the Betta world.. you're never heard from again.. :;z :;a You'll find Flame to be full of playful curiosity - and try to watch him sometimes when he doesn't know you are.. lol, you'd be surprised how they love to be sneaky when they're doing something they know you don't approve of.

LOL.. it's hard to not buy more bettas when you see them.. we're planning on Betta #10 (not counting the wild Betta babies) after we move to Denver. Good to see you on and welcome to the betta bug club! =)

Like Rose said, they are a joy to the heart and I could type pages about the funny things ours do as each one is different and they all are wonderful little pets.

 

My friend and Mom and I were just gathered for Saturday morning coffee, tea or whatever and AJ took the time to be "sneaky hunter" and stalk all the other fish in the tank and nip at them. He knows he is not supposed to do this but he has already learned that I do not scold when other people are around because I am busy so he knows just when he can get away with being naughty. THE SCAMP!

Rose

 

that's pure Bettaness there!

 

I've created a poll to see how many of us have the betta bug!;D

 

I know everyone here has gotten the betta bug at some point lol

But now I try to stay away though I will only get one unless I get a show quality betta

Chris
Edited

 

The only fish I own is a betta

 

LOL!Maybe someone hasn't caught it yet LOL!

 

Don't get it, don't got it, don't want it

 

Just wait you'll get it!

 

Everyone will get it. It spreads faster then the common cold

 

Yep!Then all the bettas will be saved once the whole world gets it!

 

never had it, never will. 1 is enough

 

That's so sad.

 

I have it bad! we now have 7 betta's

 

Yay.

 

never had it, never will. 1 is enough

That's so sad.

That's not a fair response - if you only wanted to hear yes, then you should have made the choices "yes" and "YES".

As a collecter, there is no need to keep more than one betta.

 

I have owned Bettas, and even spawned them a few times, but they're not really my thing. I don't own one now, and probably won't again.

 

A collector ???

yes, I have a mild case of the betta bug... its only 2!

 

Yes, a collector. At the moment I have more than 150 fish (41 species). When I buy fish, I'm either filling out a school or adding another species to the list.

 

I voted no.
I have owned a betta in the past, might buy one for the office at some point, but definitely don't find them more desirable than other species.

 

then you should have made the choices "yes" and "YES".

That would have made for a funny poll. ;D

 

I wonder if it's more of a girl thing to want multiple bettas......

I have 4 boys. I love them. I love that they are so responsive to me. plus you can get many different colors and tail types. it's not like they all look exactly the same. or even behave the same.

I would like to somehow get more lol. but not too sure how i'd pull that off, my hubby wouldn't think that is sane. he thinks multiple tanks, of anything, are crazy. but that doesn't stop me

 

Hey, jeri, you have 1000 posts! Congrats.

No, it's not a girl thing. I'm a girl and don't have the betta bug.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Hey, jeri, you have 1000 posts! Congrats.

No, it's not a girl thing. I'm a girl and don't have the betta bug.

thank you! congrats on your 6000

well I meant if the people who have the betta bug are mostly girls or boy.....you're not in the group of betta buggers

 

Yes!

 

I think I'm getting it. Lately I've been looking at the bettas at petsmart, and some look really sweet, and would love to get one, but just can't.

 

I have it. And I'm a man. But I'm a girly fish man.

 

So today after catching up on Akari's 5 gallon blog, I got bit by the betta bug!!!!!

I went to Petco to only pick up root tabs, but instead I came out of the store a proud new owner of a halfmoon double tail. He's purple and blue in color with a really cool design thing on his tail. I'll post pictures when he settles into his new 2.5g home.

 

You're welcome ;D

 

Haha he is amazing, but a bit stressed at the moment -_- Hopefully it's just because he's not used to all the space. lol I hope to upgrade him to a 5 gallon at some point.

 

I think the Betta bug has been passed around a few times. I seemed to have caught it a couple months back.