# Petco Betta Fishies



## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

I have never had horrible experiences at Petco, and they usually have at least moderately clean betta water. The bettas aren't usually super spunky, but they flare and have their fins out. My latest experience there was the worst. 2 weeks ago today, I got a betta at petco. I should have waited for the build a betta thingy, but I didn't want a veiltail, so it wouldn't have worked very well. Well, I was looking at the bettas and I saw this poor little "Delta Tail" in a cup in the corner. His water was very cloudy and I could hardly tell what color he was. I picked up his cup, and then he turned super speedy and started swimming really fast in circles. I thought he would be stunning if I fixed him up, so I bought him. After the hour car ride home, he was looking worse. I cleaned a little tank very quickly and put him in. He was doing better and he kept his fins out a little more, but I wasn't sure if he was going to get sick or not. Well, 2 weeks later he has a new tank. As you can see from my avatar, he is no Delta tail. He was a mislabled BFHM. He has recovered very well and is a happy fishy, blowing bubble nests.  I would like you to tell me what you think of my little rescue. Worth it? Here are some before and after shots.  The first 2 pics are befores, the second 2 are afters.


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## BettasForever (Jan 18, 2011)

Grr! You have the same iPod I put in the washing machine! (By accident,same color too...) Gorgeous fish, how big is the tank? (gal.?)


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

LOL, bummer! My old Ipod was stolen on a train. I love this fish, he is so stunning! That tank is 1.5 gallons. I just put a heater in this morning because we had a cold front and his water went down to 69 degrees, yikes! I would have a filter in there too, but his fins are so big the little filter I have just pushes him around, and Butterfly hates it.


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## BettasForever (Jan 18, 2011)

Oh goodness, I just realized you're the person I was talking with. Woops. :3 I didn't see you're avatar, I was like, "This fish looks like bettaluver4evers's...."


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

LOL, it's all good! Hehe. I know, there are so many people on the forum! It's great though.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

He's gorgeous, as you already know. c: 

You should put some live plants in there, like anubias nana or a java fern. He'll love them, and in my experience natural plants make bettas' colors look brighter!

Nice rescue! And hey, a HM for the price of a delta? I'd take that!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

Petco gets some nice bettas in. i'm happy that when i went to my local petco yesterday, the cups were clean, the bettas were active, and i totally fell for this DTHMPK, but he is $15! Dx

your boy's stunning. :3 i've noticed alot of pet stores get Deltas and HMs mixed up. x3


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hehe, thanks so much, FuulieQ, hehe. I would love live plants, but they scare me because I've heard sooooo many stories about bettas getting Ich from contaminated plants. I've lost 2 battles with Betta Ich before, I am scared to risk it again. I know, I am blessed with a good eye with Petco bettas. Luimeril, I can't believe the number of mixups lately! I spent $13 on a betta labled Halfmoon a year ago that was a simple delta, and now I got a HM for $7.50 that was labled Delta. I really don't think these people know their bettas! Hehe. And thanks! Butterfly is so spoiled with compliments.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

Really?  I've never had a problem with it. Conveniently, though, Petco sells sterilized plants in tubes - actually, they offer the two kinds I recommended to you. They're snail free and totally clean! No bleaching required! :> Java ferns are called tropica ferns on the package, though - oops. :I 

It's really nice, they're low-light plants that don't require fertilizer, so they're quite easy.


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## Abby (Jan 13, 2011)

-sly look- if he were to mistakenly go missing ....... Don't come search my tanks -whistles innocently-


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## LucyLoofa (May 30, 2010)

He is gorgeous.  I'm very glad he's found such a great home.


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hehe, he better not go missing! Rats, I should have used a lame, awesome betta pun... he betta not go missing. Hehe. LOL. Well, he is doing well with his new heater and filter, which is good. And I am getting betta bulbs for my VT Dumbo, because he is in a 1.2 gallon vase. I kinda gave him to my mom, and she wants one of those plants, so hehe, I'm gonna get her some. I've spent alot of money on my bettas... my dad thinks it's stupid, he thinks fish are some of the most boring and stupid animals ever, especially as a pet... god made them for us to care for, so I try to do a good job. I don't think god likes seeing little bettas dying all over the world from cruelty. So mine are spoiled rotten.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Bettaluver4evr,

Butterfly is beautiful! You both got lucky when you found him.


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hehe, thanks so much! I'm very lucky to have him. I was so worried no one was going to buy him when I went there, because he was lethargic and then freaking out, and there were a few dead bettas. I can't believe he went from that poor little guy in a cup to what he is now. He's a happy boy. All of my bettas are, I think. My happiest is my crowntail, though. He loooooves watching people, blowing bubbles at them, flaring at them, getting food from them. He's like a puppy dog who loves meeting new people. Hehe. He only stops swimming when he sleeps. He is sleeping on a leaf right now, I see his head poking out. I'm sure he says hello, but seeing as he is both asleep and a fish, it is hard to tell...


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Here are pics of my other Petco bettas, Liberty my CT and Dumbo my VT.  I don't know how or why I got as lucky as I did with these guys, but I'm so glad that I did!  And sorry the crowntail looks kinda bad, I assure you he is very healthy, but his fins are just having problems lately. :/ It's getting better though, they are starting to grow back in...


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

FuulieQ said:


> Really?  I've never had a problem with it. Conveniently, though, Petco sells sterilized plants in tubes - actually, they offer the two kinds I recommended to you. They're snail free and totally clean! No bleaching required! :> Java ferns are called tropica ferns on the package, though - oops. :I
> 
> It's really nice, they're low-light plants that don't require fertilizer, so they're quite easy.


 
SSSooo not true aboute being snail free!!!! I have one in my tank now From one of those tubes!


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hehe, funny stuff. I didn't get live plants for everybody, just some betta bulbs for Dumbo's vase. My other 2 fishies got the spongebob ornaments. Hehe. I am like, totally obcessed with bettas, I think about them all of the time. Betta fever or something.  Anyone else have this disease? I have it bad, I mean, I've rescued 3 bettas in the past 7 months! Would have gotten another one yesterday if my mom didn't stop me.  EEK! Don't worry, I'm controlling it now. This is the only betta website I go to now, and I have plenty of supplies so I don't need to go to Petco for a while, so I'm not tempted. Plus all of my bettas are healthy and happy.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

ChicagoPete said:


> SSSooo not true aboute being snail free!!!! I have one in my tank now From one of those tubes!


Really? That's weird. It says snail-free on the package, and I've never gotten one... oh no, my snails most definitely came from somewhere else... >..>

Your snail must be a mutant that survived the chemical treatments or something. Super mutant snail. Good luck getting rid of that thing... XD;


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Hehe, lol! What exactly do snails do in an aquarium? I've always been curious. They aren't beautiful like the fish, so I am assuming it is benificial to the tank or something... like, does it eat the waste and help keep the tank cleaner?


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Im keepin the little sto away if he doesnt become lunch by Herb or one of the shrimp first haha. They eat algae witch is starten to grow on stuff on my tank so he will deffonetly have plenty to eat! ^.^


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Oooooh! Hehe, cool. Thankfully, I never have algae, so I guess I'm not getting any snail buddies for my bettas.


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## Kestrel (Jan 17, 2011)

You definitely are lucky with that beautiful HM for the price of a delta! And he's gorgeous to boot. Don't worry, a lot of people get the betta fever, even me for a while. Though I had to resist because it's just too expensive. Now I'm having fun setting up a beautiful community tank though, so I suppose the fish bug hasn't completely gone away. =] And it's still fairly expensive, argh.


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks so much! He is so pretty, he is just loving all of these compliments, I keep telling him about them, and he is gloating and flaring. Hehe. And I know right? Hehe. Luckily, I have only paid for 1 tank ($20), conditioner ($15 total so far), 1 plant ($4), betta bulbs ($4), 1 ornament, ($10) food ($4) and a heater ($12). I also paid for 2 of my bettas. ($4 and $7.50) That is the total amount of money I have spent on my fish in 7 months! The rest of my plants, tanks, gravel, filter, another ornament were gifts. Even one of my bettas were a gift from my mom.  I don't think this is too much money, especially when bettas give so much fun, personality and beauty back.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

FuulieQ,

"It says snail-free on the package"

"Snail free" must be a typo. What they really meant to say was "Free Snail"!

You know, like the cereal boxes in days of old... comes with a FREE surprise.

Just be glad in came in the plant and not in your cereal!


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

Congrats that boys awesome!!!!


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## Biomess (Jan 1, 2011)

(Lol @ Here Fishy) He is a very beautiful boy BetteLuver!
And...I never had any problems with thos "snail free" plants from Petsmart, though I did get a free snail with the purchase of my fish. Two actually, they got scooped up with the fish from a little aquarium shop. They are not the type of snails I would keep in a tank, only because they reproduce so quickly and eventually they overrun the tank. I will only get Mystery Snails if I have a choice.


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

I will have to look into it then! Do you guys reccomend live plants? As I said, my VT just got live betta bulbs, so he should be covered. Should I get some for my other two? Not neccessarily the bulbs, but live plants? And thanks so much, he is so sweet.


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Oh yah live plants!!! I really like them alot now that I am using them!


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

What do you have to do differently for live plants than fake plants?  I don't want fertilizers and chemicals involved, and if it makes my water dirty and cloudy, I don't think I want them either... I want something clean and beautiful, and good for my fish.


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

If you dont want to use chemicals for your plants youd have to change your substrate to this meathod using potting soil. It even really helps with water changes too! If someone else nows this method do shair it please cuz I wanna try it too!


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Soil? How could I clean the tank...? Sorry, I have no knowledge when it comes to live plants. Bettas, I know soooo much. Plants, nope. Nada. Hehe. I think I will just stick with silk for now, at least for a few more months until I make sure Liberty, my CT is okay and everything. I posted a thing about his fins in another post... but thanks you guys. I will definitely look into live plants.


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## lilchiwolf (Jan 10, 2011)

All but my Goldfish, Pleco, 3 of the 4 females and my butterfly CT (those were from petsmart) are from petco. They get some nice fish in. I know many pro breeders that breed for show say "Don't get fish from pet stores" and I think thats bull. Just because most of them are mutts and not "pure lines". Thats dog show crap. Even when I showed horses I never had the "pure one", but I still kicked everyone's butt!:lol:

I think it is possible to start your own line from a pet store fish. It might take a long time to get just the right one to where you can show it, but I can be done! Really when you think about it in the animal world and what we have done to create new and cool looking colors, shapes and so on.....everything is pretty much a mutt in its own way, even us humans!

Sorry for the short rant. Sometimes "standards" make me a little irritated.

Here are some photos of my babies ^_^


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Perdy Fishies LilChi! And to BettaLuvr according to who started this method with dirt Id beleave it to be easyer and you dont need a filter after its all established too because of the ecosystem you create!


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## ChicagoPete (Dec 27, 2010)

Walstad Method is what I just looked up to what its called! ^.^


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

I saw a post on that yesterday, I think... put "walstad method" in the search bar and you should pull up some threads on it...


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Okay, I'll check it out. And my oh my, what lovely bettas lilchiwolf!!! Love your Super delta/delta. Very pretty. I have never done any breeding, but I love some of the bettas I have seen at petco. I wouldn't mind breeding some crowntails or deltas from there.  But I have no experience, no place for the fry, and no homes to give the end result to. Thus, breeding is not for me.


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## lilchiwolf (Jan 10, 2011)

*more petco boys!*

Petco HM's


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Wow, those all came from Petco? Amazing! I looooove them all, they are so gorgeous! Beautiful. Hmmm... I think Rosebud is the prettiest.


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## lilchiwolf (Jan 10, 2011)

I do love rosebud ^_^ I will take video of them soon and post it.


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## Bettaluver4evr (Jan 21, 2011)

Yay, video! Fabulous.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU GET YOUR INFO ON WALSTAD TANKS.

I started one and had to completely tear it down two days ago because it wasn't working. I followed the instructions from the first link that comes up, and OFL said they were totally wrong. :c


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