Surprise! New Betta! :)

Well I wasn't going to get a betta for two more weeks, when I could move my neon tetras to my new 29 gal. However, I was at the fish store today and saw this really cute guy, and I had to take him home -- he really just caught my eye. He looks *really* young, and pretty spunky yet, but I knew in two weeks he would either be gone and left to waste in someone's "betta bowl" or he would be dying in his little cup.

So he's acclimating in his bag, then he will live in a mesh breeder in the 10 gal to give him time to adjust to a (buffered behind the mesh) current and to protect him from the tetras. It's still bigger than that little bowl, and he'll have well filtered and aerated water.

I'll try to get some pics, but I gotta go to my parent's to load them since I don't have the proper card reader for the camera (it's theirs). He's a little long-finned guy, as far as I can tell he has just the normal fins (not double or crown or whatever). He's kinda pineapple colored, with dark orange-red spots on his fins. He looked really mad at the world, but he's cheering up a bit already I think, looking at all the decorations from his bag. We'll see what he looks like after he gets all settled in.

So any suggestions for taking care of this little guy? When he gets released into the main area of the tank I'll take out the two plants that may catch his fins -- everything else is smooth. There's smooth, gravel substrate. I'm going to pick up the tiny betta food tomorrow (realized I forgot as I left the store, but figured he wouldn't eat today anyway), along with anything else you guys notice that I overlooked.

Oh, and I'm working on a name -- considering Tsunami at the moment (his grumpy expression reminded me of an Akita named Tsunami I used to know). Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

Erm, okay, first betta scare...I slowly acclimated him over 2 1/2 hours, then moved him to the breeder net. He was swimming around slowly in the bag, but when I netted him (gently) he freaked out, and when I released him into the net he kind contorted to one side.

Now it's like he's stuck. his body is twisted into a sideways U and he's staying that way, feebly moving his fins to propel himself around. What's going on? What can I do to help him??? :-(

 

It sounds like temperature shock, but I know that's not the case if you let him float in the bag for 2-1/2 hours.

It could be shock from differences in the water chemistry. By "slowly acclimated him over 2 1/2 hours," did you just let him float in the bag to let the temps stabilize, or did you slowly replace the water he was in with the water in the tank a little at a time until the bag was almost all tank water? If you did all that, very slowly, the only other thing I can think of is that he injured himself when he freaked out.

Maybe he'll pull through, but to be frank, this doesn't sound good. Please be sure to let us know what happens.

 

He had about 3 cups of water in his bag to start...I added about 1/2 cup every little while after letting the temp stabilize for 30 minutes as well --ended up with about 6-7 cups of water in the bag when I netted him out...I did the same with 2 Otos in a different bag at the same time and they are happily sucking on a zucchinI already in the main tank...and I thought Otos were generally much more delicate than bettas.

I added a few pea-sized dark stones to the bottom of the mesh in case all the white was making it hard for him to tell which was way up. He's a bit less twisted now (more a right angle than a U), but he's just hovering in the middle rather than swimming around...

 

Well he straightened out now, and is checking out his new (and currently very boring) home Hopefully this means he's going to be alright now!

He's going to be one dramatic guy, I can see -- maybe I should name him Hollywood instead!

 

I'm glad he's recovered. He sounds like a beauty, can't wait for pics

 

Well he's looking much less grumpy and stressed -- following the tetras a bit when they swim by and just generally getting acquainted with his new home Thanks for letting me panic on you guys -- I was really worried about him there -- he really looked like he was in pain. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing (swimming?) from here on out...

 

WOW, what a scare hope the night is less stressful for you both

 

Peach with orange/red spots huh? Dalmation betta, you lucky person!! Dalmation betta!! They are gorgeous!!! I am so jealous... I can hardly wait for pictures. They are just the prettiest things. I just love them.

You are such a lucky parent to find a lovely little fellow like that. I would say that it is unheard of but some have been showing up lately and some other members have found them. They are fantastic!

Congratulations to you both. HI'm for finding a wonderful home and parent and you for finding a fantasticly wonderful boy with a lovely color pattern and A DALMATION ... WOW!!!

Rose

 

Thanks for the congrats and all! I'll have to get some pictures tomorrow and show you -- the lights are all off at the moment to help the fish settle, plus I can't upload the pics here anyway, sadly. He's pretty entertaining, though he's definitely bored with this breeder net already -- wants to explore the rest of the tank. He'll have to hang on for about 2 weeks though; he already scared me once, I'm not willing to chance setting him loose when the tetras are still in there. I might put a tiny silk plant in with him to give him something to swim around.

He's actually a little more yellow than peach, but I think that might be from the stress? He was the only betta there who wasn't blue, purple, or red -- and was stuck off to the side as a result. Some little girl was like "Dad that betta's ugly, it's spotted!", so I had to go take a look and next thing I know I'm at the checkout counter -- now I know how you guys end up spontaneously taking fish home with you! His eventual tank will have dark smooth rocks/gravel on the bottom and a dk blue background, so he'll look really bright and handsome by comparison

 

Well, Day 2 of Hollywood's new life. His soon-to-be home is up, decorated, and cycling. Hopefully it won't take too long since I had his bubble filter running in my old tank for the last few weeks, so it should be all bacteria-filled, and I filled a mesh bag with gravel from the older aquarium and put that in there as well. It'll just be him and either 3 Otos or 3 Corys in the 10 gal. I would really like the Corys but I fear algae, which makes me lean toward Otos...

He's definitely a Veil Tail (opened up a bit more), and he ate both HikarI betta pellets and bloodworms today, so it looks like I don't have a picky eater . When I went to the store (not the one from which I bought him), there was another dalmatian betta there! Again, mostly red and blue veil tails and crown tails, but there he was -- I was surprised since chickadee said they weren't very common.

He was following the otos progress along the outside of his mesh area with interest, but didn't flare or seem aggressive: just curious. Hopefully that bodes well for the chances of him accepting a few bottom-dwellers in his castle.

Anyway, just wanted to give you guys an update -- I took a few pictures but you can't see him well since they are all from above. Taking pictures through the mesh sides proved impossible...

 

Fabulous news! I'm so glad Hollywood seems to have pulled out of the "bends." It sounds like he has a wonderful and relatively mild-mannered personality -- very nice for the tank mates you're considering. And he certainly sounds beautiful and unusual-looking! Congrats! Looking forward to the pics and please keep us posted in the interim.

 

Well I was going to upload the pics I do have, but my parents-in-law went out of town for the day and I have to go to their house to upload, so no go.

In the meantime, Hollywood was looking really bored in his blah mesh house, so I went out and got him a blue transparent tee joint of a hamster set and floated it for him -- now he either swims in and out all the time, or rests on the bottom w/ his head partially sticking out the end.

 

If his sponge filter has been running in the cycled tank for weeks then it is cycled and ready to be used NOW and will cycle the tank immediately upon being put in the new tank. His tank is cycled now. He can be moved any time it is in there. It will take a little time to make the gravel and any other surface covered with bacteria for a backup but the filter will begin to work immediately. I use them all the time for hospital and quarantine tank filters and they do the job alone on a moments notice..One of them will do the quarantine tank for MartyIII when he gets here and it is bubbling away in Io's tank as I am writing this. Diablo's tank is going to have a new filter and be cycled with Turbostart700 that I have in my fridge as I want to use the data from the tank cycle from his tank to write a product reveiw on this product for the May issue of the Fishlore.com Magazine. Otherwise I would do the same with another sponge filter with him.
It only takes about a week to 10 days depending on the size of the sponge filter for them to cycle in an already cycled tank of you let them just bubble away in the background. Just be careful not to disconnect them for more than a couple of minutes between tanks. Have the connections ready to just slip them on to the filter and then go take it out of the tank and move it quickly. The cycle begins to die quickly when it is removed from the water.

Rose

 

That sounds perfect -- I actually moved the sponge filter earlier. The two tank are only about 4" apart, so I just held a piece of plastic under the sponge and moved it straight over without even unplugging it, so hopefully that works well. I threw a pinch of fish food in the tank as well, for an ammonia source so the bacteria doesn't die -- was going to test the water tomorrow to see how things stood. Looks like I might be okay to move him over tomorrow if I got lucky.

Thanks for the info!

 

He sounds like my Mr. Peach or my Sebastian who is pineapple color.
Congrats on the great find. Yes they do like to worry us sometimes.

 

Congrats on your new dalmation betta.

 

Well, checked my water and I have both nitrates *and* ammonia...interesting. Waiting for that to settle down before I move Hollywood&crew. I think I put too big of a pinch of food in there to "feed" the bacteria in the filter and it backfired a bit -- I took any extra food I could find out so now I just wait.

Here are a few very shoddy pictures of Hollywood -- I'll get better ones when he's in his real tank. Can't shoot through the sides of the mesh bag, and it's hard to get a decent angle from the top. And the camera's old and only autofocuses--and not well.



The 10 gal he's in now (he'll be in the 10 gal just to right of this one when the ammonia is gone). It's a mess, I know -- I pretty much just have fake plants thrown in there in a jumble to give the fish cover without worrying if they are pretty. This tank will be torn down and really scrubbed (residue on glass) after all this commotion is over.



Shot 1 of Hollywood: he's gotten more color since then on his body. Hopefully he'll get even brighter after the move.



By his hamster T -- you can kinda see his spots in this pic. Sadly, this is the best pic of him I have so far



Ordered a new camera just last night, so hopefully between the new tank and new camera there will be dazzling pics of him sometime soon

 

Apparently my pictures weren't showing up -- hopefully they work for everyone now!

 

They are fine now and very handsome. Perhaps when you get him situated in the new tank he will be more cooperative. It is hard when you cannot get the right angle. He is very handsome even at this angle. The tank is not a mess. It is a fine tank.

Rose

 

Oh, if I could take pictures from the side he would be perfect, since swims to the front of the tank and turns sideways, then freezes -- he's practically posing.

His fins are taking on an almost pink-ish tinge now, and the spots are kind of purple -- his body is still that cream/yellow/peach mix. It's fun to watch him change

 

I love those Hamster T-tubes.. so will he.

 

Finally some pictures -- water residue still in the way since he's *still* in the quarantine tank...hopefully his 10 gal will be done cycling soon.

Hollywood:






Tankmates:
2 Otos:



2 Albino Corys:



I was worried they would be unhappy as pairs, but they seem relaxed and such, so I'm not too worried.

And finally, their soon-to-be home:



Spongebob Pineapple (I've had this for about...4 years now :rolleyes



Left side -- all plants in the tank are real or silk

 

He reminds me of my Sebastian more yellow, and Mr. Peach who is peachy orange with red spots.

 

Hopefully I'll get better pictures when he's in the new tank which has, you know, *clean* glass

His body's pretty peachy now, but his spots are almost purple? He's pretty small too, so I don't know if that's just how big he will be or if he's just very young.

He's the most enthusiastic eater I've ever seen though...I have to plan my feedings strategically to make sure the Corys get food without letting Hollywood gorge himself.

 

He's a handsome little Betta dalmation!

 

Well he's *loving* his new tank, and takes no notice of his tank mates whatsoever. He just zips all over the place, checking things out. I think being in the breeder net in the other 10 gal let him gradually get used to current since the mesh buffered the flow quite a bit, so he's quite comfortable with the AC20 in his new place.

He also learned to eat out of my hand. Well, really he taught himself, I just held the food, lol. I realized that if I stuck my finger on the surface of the water to point out a bit of food he missed, he'd swim straight over to get it. So I figured if he was that fearless then taking it directly from my hand wouldn't be a problem, and it wasn't

 

;D They're such smart little ones, aren't they? Especially when it comes to food. drool

 

;D They're such smart little ones, aren't they? Especially when it comes to food. drool

Definitely...he's loves watching us too, and gets all grumpy when I'm paying attention to the quarantine tank next door to his place. The only really interactive fish I've have before were Angelfish, but he definitely is much more involved than they ever were.

 

They are jealous little characters aren't they? If any of ours see us giving attention to another betta, they start swimming around like crazy trying to get our attention. They can sulk too, Angel is the queen of sulks.

 

Some Backstory First: I've worked with animals before, but have never owned a fish. Very recently, my roommate moved out and accidentally left her Bettas here. She was unable to come back for them when originally intended.

I've just gotten back into town yesterday, to find they still hadn't been picked up. It's been almost two weeks. While I was gone one of the poor things has died, and one of the remaining two isn't looking so great.

I ran to get them food, and one is eating fine. The other one looks like it's struggling to get to the top of the water, and there's what I think are scale flakes all along the bottom of his bowl.





Movement:




Is this something I can help him recover through? Would it be more humane to just put him down?

I'm determined not to let another one of the die if I can help it, they're my babies now. I need all the help I can get. What kind of kit do I need to help them live the best they can? I'm a student, so I'm on a tight budget, but I'll do what I can.

 

Oh my that poor fish! Did she leave anything other than a betta in a cup, like water dechlorinator?

 

Some Backstory First: I've worked with animals before, but have never owned a fish. Very recently, my roommate moved out and accidentally left her Bettas here. She was unable to come back for them when originally intended.

I've just gotten back into town yesterday, to find they still hadn't been picked up. It's been almost two weeks. While I was gone one of the poor things has died, and one of the remaining two isn't looking so great.

I ran to get them food, and one is eating fine. The other one looks like it's struggling to get to the top of the water, and there's what I think are scale flakes all along the bottom of his bowl.

View attachment 440975
View attachment 440976
Movement:




Is this something I can help him recover through? Would it be more humane to just put him down?

I'm determined not to let another one of the die if I can help it, they're my babies now. I need all the help I can get. What kind of kit do I need to help them live the best they can? I'm a student, so I'm on a tight budget, but I'll do what I can.

ASAP- Go get a 5 gallon tank, a submersible heater, and a small HOB filter. You will also need a water conditioner to remove chlorine from your tap water. You can get some gravel for the bottom, and a silk plant or two to give him a place to hide and feel safe. Make sure they are silk, plastic plants will tear his fins up.

Rinse the gravel and plants to remove any dust. Fill the tank almost all the way, treating the water with whatever water conditioner you get (pet store employees can help you find them, there are a lot of inexpensive options). Add the heater and filter and get it running. Float his little plastic cup in the tank water, and slowly add water from the tank to the water he is in. After at least 15 minutes (an hour would be better) of gradual acclimation, you can just tip the cup into the tank and let him slide in with the water.

 

ASAP- Go get a 5 gallon tank, a submersible heater, and a small HOB filter. You will also need a water conditioner to remove chlorine from your tap water. You can get some gravel for the bottom, and a silk plant or two to give him a place to hide and feel safe. Make sure they are silk, plastic plants will tear his fins up.

Rinse the gravel and plants to remove any dust. Fill the tank almost all the way, treating the water with whatever water conditioner you get (pet store employees can help you find them, there are a lot of inexpensive options). Add the heater and filter and get it running. Float his little plastic cup in the tank water, and slowly add water from the tank to the water he is in. After at least 15 minutes (an hour would be better) of gradual acclimation, you can just tip the cup into the tank and let him slide in with the water.

I agree however if you do not have the means to care for him please find someone who does

 

PatientStars has a decked out plan for the longer run. Is your roommate picking up the betta fish?

For a student on a tight budget, I'd prioritize getting the 5 gallon tank (or something equivalent/at least 3 gallons if your roommate will pick them up), water conditioner (like Seachem Prime), and a heater first. You'll need to make daily water changes until your roommate picks them up. If you plan to keep them, you'll need the stuff PatientStars recommends.

If the betta fish is too weak to swim up eat, lower/take out some water and get it to eat before leaving to pick up a larger home for it. If your roommate left some water conditioner around, you should treat and pour in more water.

With two bettas, it's double the cost. You'll need two tanks, two filters, two heaters, etc. For now, you can place the healthier one in a large (but not tall) glass container after you bring back water conditioner. Daily water changes for it as well.

Are you planning to keep them?

 

You can also split the tanks or reform them.

 

She didn't leave anything else, to her credit they're in the cups because she was prepping to move them. They just got placed in a safe place then forgotten at the last moment.

She's stated she can come back for them next week, but I'm not inclined to give fish back to someone who would let this happen.

I don't particularly want the fish, but I don't know anyone that wants them -- and I want them to be happy and healthy more than anything.

 

It's grand you replied.

You can ask around the forum for someone who lives near you and willing to take in two betta fish after they've recovered from their dire straits. You might find that you enjoy taking care of them. I'm sure they'd be happy and healthy with someone who cares enough to save them rather than flush them.

In any case, you can follow some of our suggestions to try and nurse them back to health. You can worry about a permanent home for them later. Ask questions if you have any; this forum is always willing to help.

 

She didn't leave anything else, to her credit they're in the cups because she was prepping to move them. They just got placed in a safe place then forgotten at the last moment.

She's stated she can come back for them next week, but I'm not inclined to give fish back to someone who would let this happen.

I don't particularly want the fish, but I don't know anyone that wants them -- and I want them to be happy and healthy more than anything.

You'd be surprised how quickly bettas can grow on you! I got one a year ago as something to concentrate on after losing my mom unexpectedly. He started in a 3 gallon tank.

I now have a 50 gallon, a 29 gallon, and a 10 gallon! Haha fish are addicting

 

Those poor babies! This is how I got my first betta Doug they do grow on you quickly. I wish I was in your neck of the woods and equipped to take them I absolutely would.