# This is a Girl Crowntail right?



## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

So I recently went to Petco to buy a betta fish for my boyfriend. Who wants a betta fish, however we feels like he wont be able to care for it due to his third shift job. (I understand his concern, and in all honesty this is MY fish but in order to keep it, I had to say it was mine... >.> 

ANYWAYS...
I got a baby betta fish. I love crowntail bettas sooo much, I wanted a full grown male but all of the one's at PETCO didn't really give me that instant connection that I felt with my VT Po... So I went for the babies and I found, maybe 2 that were crowntails. At the time of purchase the other one looked too small to be able to tell what it could be. 
This one looked like it could be a male (at the time) its anal fin was longer than its tail, but now they are around the same size so I am 99% sure its a girl. :/ 

I looked for an egg spot, and I thought I found one but it ended up being its butt. 
My bf named it Merc... and I just wanted to confirm my suspicions.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yes! it is a Baby girl CT ^_^ do you need any tips on Baby Betta care? They aren't the same as taking care of an adult, just a reminder


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Yes! it is a Baby girl CT ^_^ do you need any tips on Baby Betta care? They aren't the same as taking care of an adult, just a reminder


Isn't she just the cutest fishy ever?!  ahhh <3 around what age can I expect to see her full color ? And size?


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## JaniceAndFred (Nov 5, 2013)

I have that same glass for my gold fishies. Lol.


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

JaniceAndFred said:


> I have that same glass for my gold fishies. Lol.


It isn't my ideal home for her but I won't be able to afford a 2.5 permanent home for Merc until January


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Traceuse24 said:


> Isn't she just the cutest fishy ever?!  ahhh <3 around what age can I expect to see her full color ? And size?


Full color can come in anytime from 2 months of age to 4 months and then they usually fill out completely up to even a year. Size, they usually become mature around 3.5-4 months of age given the proper care of course! Since she's already been through a large trauma of shipping and being stuck in a cup, Expect her to mature slower than females bought already of age. It's the bad thing about PetCo babies because they've been through so much trauma with shipping and with those cups and only being fed every other day that they either tend not to live long or they are stunted and never fully mature. There's a whole bunch of factors.



JaniceAndFred said:


> I have that same glass for my gold fishies. Lol.


Err, I hope you aren't serious....you do realize that goldfish get like 6-8 inches and sometimes more depending on it's type? one Goldfish requires at least 20 gallons of water and very high filtration because they are so messy....


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Full color can come in anytime from 2 months of age to 4 months and then they usually fill out completely up to even a year. Size, they usually become mature around 3.5-4 months of age given the proper care of course! Since she's already been through a large trauma of shipping and being stuck in a cup, Expect her to mature slower than females bought already of age. It's the bad thing about PetCo babies because they've been through so much trauma with shipping and with those cups and only being fed every other day that they either tend not to live long or they are stunted and never fully mature. There's a whole bunch of factors.
> 
> 
> 
> Err, I hope you aren't serious....you do realize that goldfish get like 6-8 inches and sometimes more depending on it's type? one Goldfish requires at least 20 gallons of water and very high filtration because they are so messy....


Nooooo I want her to grow up and be big and strong. I wish you could see her. When I startle her, or she catches eye of my VT Po she turns this BRIGHT red color and just swims around like she's ready to attack but otherwise, she's so curious and friendly. The way she swims, you could swear this bright little creature is 6 inches long! 
She has gotten darker and bigger since she has been here. I guess I can only hope for the best. 
Maybe when she gets a new 2.5 gallon tank she will be happier than a cucumber in vinegar and grow.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Traceuse24 said:


> Nooooo I want her to grow up and be big and strong. I wish you could see her. When I startle her, or she catches eye of my VT Po she turns this BRIGHT red color and just swims around like she's ready to attack but otherwise, she's so curious and friendly. The way she swims, you could swear this bright little creature is 6 inches long!
> She has gotten darker and bigger since she has been here. I guess I can only hope for the best.
> Maybe when she gets a new 2.5 gallon tank she will be happier than a cucumber in vinegar and grow.


lol, that's adorable! I miss my little ones, I have two "babies" right now although they're pretty much full grown and sexually mature now haha but I had two other boy's which started it; Steve and Tony, they both died within two weeks of each other. Super sad. But your girl looks healthy and strong! She looks much older than some of the babies that we get at my PetCo so she shouldn't be as bad off as they were!! I was just saying that most don't because they're shipped when they are only 3-4 weeks old!!! She looks like she's at least 7-9 weeks old ;-)

The tank should be totally fine for her, just not for Goldfish!!!


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> lol, that's adorable! I miss my little ones, I have two "babies" right now although they're pretty much full grown and sexually mature now haha but I had two other boy's which started it; Steve and Tony, they both died within two weeks of each other. Super sad. But your girl looks healthy and strong! She looks much older than some of the babies that we get at my PetCo so she shouldn't be as bad off as they were!! I was just saying that most don't because they're shipped when they are only 3-4 weeks old!!! She looks like she's at least 7-9 weeks old ;-)
> 
> The tank should be totally fine for her, just not for Goldfish!!!


My friend Stephanie is a goldfish freak and she is waiting to transfer her goldfish from their now 20 gallon, to a 55 gallon tank. 
When I got her she looked to be entering week 7. She was still a little transparent. Her tail wasn't as crimson, and she had some facial stripes. She's going into week 8 (got her a week ago). 
When I brought her home, I made the mistake of leaving her within view of Po and she went from semi translucent to beet red! I put her away and she turned a little back to normal. Every day that passes her fins get redder and redder. Its so cute...

I thought she was a boy the way she was ready to go head on with Po so I needed to clarify this...


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ah yeah, nope females can be very aggressive too lol. That's why you really shouldn't but males and females in the same tank unless breeding, they can be in view of each other or next to each other; eventually they will realize that they can't get at each other and will give up. You can also place a card/paper between the tanks and then just take it away for a few minutes a day to exercise them in flaring. That's healthy too 

But yes, she will gain her colors as she ages. It's normal for them to become vibrant when flaring at another Betta or other fish/itself and then dull down while sleeping at night. They can change colors in a flash basically so no worries about that, it's all normal! ^_^


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## JaniceAndFred (Nov 5, 2013)

Traceuse24 said:


> It isn't my ideal home for her but I won't be able to afford a 2.5 permanent home for Merc until January


Tell me about it im getting a 3 gal for christmas.


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Ah yeah, nope females can be very aggressive too lol. That's why you really shouldn't but males and females in the same tank unless breeding, they can be in view of each other or next to each other; eventually they will realize that they can't get at each other and will give up. You can also place a card/paper between the tanks and then just take it away for a few minutes a day to exercise them in flaring. That's healthy too
> 
> But yes, she will gain her colors as she ages. It's normal for them to become vibrant when flaring at another Betta or other fish/itself and then dull down while sleeping at night. They can change colors in a flash basically so no worries about that, it's all normal! ^_^


Thank you so much! You have really addressed some of my concerns for raising her. I'm not doing too bad. 
I wasn't sure how females displayed their aggression. Now I know. I didn't know females flaring was healthy, I knew it was for boys. 
Then again my Po has the biggest personality on any fish I have ever met. 

He will flare if you take away his leaf hammock, flare if you scare him, flare if puff your face at him, or generally ignore him. He will let you know he doesn't like you.


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

JaniceAndFred said:


> Tell me about it im getting a 3 gal for christmas.


If only it was free!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

lol Poseidon sounds so adorable! And yup, females will flare their gills out as well the same as males. Their beards aren't as big but they still do so don't be surprised if she flares too haha. ^_^


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## hmburkle (Oct 16, 2013)

I look at the babies every time I am in Petco and find dead ones. I gave the last one to the sales associate and she said a lot of them die =( The lack of concern of concern is appalling. I pointed out four fish with not enough water to swim in and she filled them, then gave me the "we change their water once or twice a week.....

On a positive note, your baby is alive and sounds like she will get the good care she needs and deserves. My smallest female, a dainty little thing is the mother of my first spawn, so size isn't everything. I think it is great you rescued them.


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## Traceuse24 (Dec 3, 2013)

hmburkle said:


> I look at the babies every time I am in Petco and find dead ones. I gave the last one to the sales associate and she said a lot of them die =( The lack of concern of concern is appalling. I pointed out four fish with not enough water to swim in and she filled them, then gave me the "we change their water once or twice a week.....
> 
> On a positive note, your baby is alive and sounds like she will get the good care she needs and deserves. My smallest female, a dainty little thing is the mother of my first spawn, so size isn't everything. I think it is great you rescued them.


I got to speak to the PETCO HQ people not to long ago because this thread made em realize how much care baby bettas need. I am happy I am well equipped to handle the responsibility, they arent. I wish I worked for them just for the bettas. I know I cant change the fact they are in cups but I could change the way they are treated in the cups and what care they get. (I would just bring all my medicine from home and love all the bettas). 

The manager of the PETCO I got my VT at called me for advice. Once more, I am so happy I had this thread. I told him that the main reason why they die in there is starvation. Babies need a lot of protein and they need it 2-3 times a day. A LOT OF WATER CHANGES. He admitted he was a new manager and he honestly did not know the first thing about betta care. If he knew more, he would instruct his workers to care for the fish a certain way. 

Now that Petco will be doing daily water changes of the baby bettas and feeding them crushed pellets instead of whole ones. Twice weekly bloodworms. Its not a lot, honestly it isnt, but it's better than before. So its a start.


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