# So...I Went To Walmart



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

So I knew I had to get root tabs eventually for my plants and I wanted to get some Flourish for the other tanks while I was at Petsmart. I looked around at the Betta's while I was in Petco first (it was closest so I stopped anyway).

There was a beautiful orange VT boy with cellophane butterfly pattern and boy if I had room for more males I'd totally would have bought him! But I was looking at the females to see if anything interested me. There were a few cute ones but none of the colors appealed to me and neither did any "speak to me"

Now normally my Petco is alright with their Betta Care. Usually just a few are clamped and a bit lethargic, not normally many with fin rot or anything like that, but I ended up picking up a "Baby" Betta cup and I looked inside and my jaw literally dropped! This horrible poor baby was almost full grown meaning it had spent about 2 months in that store and his tail fin was gone, just completely gone and the rot was eating at his body. I could literally see his spine and ugg I almost vomited at that. I made sure to put him out front on the goldfish display tank they had out there so that all could see this poor boy! I didn't have room for another male and even though I wanted to save him, I don't think I could have.

But then I went to Petsmart are leaving the poor boy there. Now Petsmart is the one where all the Betta's are pretty much dead or dying. It's a shame too because they had some beautiful males there! And now they're selling Moss balls in a cup lol I went to look down and was utterly confused when I saw a giant green moss ball instead of the females that are usually there XD

So there was one CT girl that interested me but I decided not to get her and got my root tabs (half the price of my LFS thank god, ugg), Flourish and got some more Stress Coat+ while I was there. So I decided, why the heck not, let's go to wal-mart!

So this walmart isn't the normal one we go to that's 12 minutes from my dad's house, but this one has live fish. The tanks actually didn't look have bad either and I actually ran into the same couple that I saw at Petsmart beacuse it was closing time so we went to Wal-Mart XD I thought that was funny and we chatted a bit while I looked at the female Betta's.

Most of the males were either red or blue and most actually were CT's only like two VT's were there. Then almost all the females were varying sizes of what looked to Plakat girls. All were black with some sort of iridescence on them. Some had red irid, other blue, other's green. I picked up the most clamped girls and looked at her, she had breeding stripes and was huge!

I saw another girl who was feisty and had to debate, the smaller girl had blue irid and was really pretty but she didn't look as nice as the bigger girl who just kept looking at me.

So without further ado, I introduce to you Shadowcat! I'm fairly certain that she has some Giant blood in her, I haven't properly measured her yet but she's bigger than Mystique my VT alpha girl! She's definitely plakat mix and beautiful! I acclimated her two hours last night and finally got her over to clean water in her cup. I'm not at my dad's yet till Wednesday (that's where all my tanks are) so she'll be in her cup for now but I have a desk lamp on her for the day to help keep her cup a little more heated (not direct light) and so far so good!

She ate 3 pellets this morning after seemingly a big debate with herself about them haha but she was very eager to eat two more pellets and I decided not to overload her with them so it wouldn't stress her out. She's still had breeding stripes and looks a bit eggy still but that's totally fine. I also realized that I forgot my camera battery at my dad's so I had to use my cellphone so pics are no good! But I'll get more pics up once Wednesday comes :-D

She also seems to have this stripe going up from her face to her dorsal, not sure if I should be concerned about that or if it's just because she's stressed out and lost some color? Either way, first two are Shadowcat and the last boy is the one I saw at Petco, forgive any gruesome imaging!


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## Canis (Apr 15, 2013)

Lovely girl!

That poor baby D: I am absolutely disgusted that they make so much money but can't spare a tiny bit of salt to help out the poor fish.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Better that they don't use salt and just change water more frequently to prevent that. I'm sure half of them don't know that salt can cause liver/kidney failure (dropsy) when used in long periods of time. But yes it's disgusting and I felt so bad for him. I'm going to ask how I can get a fish free as a rescue but I would love to at least try and then if he does end up passing I'll know it was in a better place than in a horrible cup!

But thank you! I can't wait to see her under better lighting. She's got wild-type coloration, her tail is red and tipped in blue like normal and her dorsal is completely blue with the wild spots on it, so cute!! She's going to have a giant personality as well haha


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Oh, no, the poor boy! ): If I lived closer, I might broken my own limit again and gotten him. 

Shadowcat is a lucky fish.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Thank you! Any idea's on how to persuade employee's that the fish should go to me for free? I might make another visit tomorrow to see if he's still there to argue for him. I do have another QT tank that I can use for him just not a permanent home but I'm sure someone on here would be willing to take him if in fact he did live!


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

I'll take him if you can get him and he makes it.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Sounds like a plan! I can only go back tomorrow and I really actually hope he's still there! I'll keep you updated!!!


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Yay! I really hope he is. He deserves a chance to live.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

If the person in charge of the fish dept tells you no, ask to talk to the manager. Tell them they're taking a loss anyway, as the fish is dying, and in the meantime, it's making their store look bad.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

+1 Riverotter (EDIT: All this time, I've been reading the name as "Rivertrotter"...)

Use more logic, less emotion. If you talk business with them, they are more likely to respond positively than if you argue with them. Although some people have gotten their way by complaining... But that should be a last resort.


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

LOL, when I typed it in, I typed RiverOtter, but it changes it when it accepted it.

It always helps to try sweet reason before you pitch a fit, especially if you're a younger person. It impresses people.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Actually I went there today looking for him and he wasn't there!! I can only hope that he's passed on to the rainbow bridge. I looked to see if anyone else needed rescuing but there was no one that needed rescuing or true rescuing at least. Of course I'd like to "rescue" them all haha

I went to Petsmart and there was a beautiful emaciated boy there that had a red under color with this gorgeous green blue dragon scaling and red fins but when I asked about discounting him they said they wouldn't, they just take them to the back to "treat" them. So no luck getting him for discounted but they were having their sale and he was only 5 dollars something. I'm sorry I didn't get a pic though.

Unfortunately the whole "being young and talking reason" won't help me because I'm not that young XD Of course I'm not old either, but 20 would be considered young to most here. But since I was dressed professional, I looked older than normal ;-)


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Oh. SIP little guy I never got to meet. /: Thanks for trying anyway.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Np! Are you looking for a certain Betta or just happy to get a rescue like that? I'll still keep an eye out for other Betta's like that anyway just to give them a chance to live  they all deserve nice homes before they pass and should never have to pass in a cup!


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Well, I have to reign myself in and draw the line at some point when it comes to new bettas. I am not actively looking for anymore, but for a special fish that catches my eye, I make an exception sometimes. Of course, Ci (Pandoras) also has to be on board.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Beautiful girl! And that's sad that you couldn't save the little fellow. I've seen the baby betta's at my local Petco and every time I go in they stare at me with that sad face, wishing I would take them home. :/


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I'll keep that in mind Feng ;-)

Thank you blueridge! Yeah I almost took home what looked to be a DTVT boy but I already have two babies at home that I need to care for so I left him there even though he kept swimming up to be, pleading me to be taken away from that awful cup! But I also have to reign myself in lol

Shadowcat will hopefully be the last girl I get for a while, I still have an AB girl coming in as well as a girl from another member that I'll be picking up soon :-D So that will make 15 girls in there total, I think that's a good number, especially with the 6 cory's and I'll be ridding myself of the Pleco soon as well.


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Oh dang! A DTVT I would kill to have one of those guys. They are gorgeous! I totally understand what you mean. It's almost like the fish know who the betta people are when you go in. Haha I hear ya about reigning yourself in! I have 13 and I really want a baby betta, but I keep telling myself no. 15 girls  your tank must be stunning!


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks, lilnaugrim. 

Dang, I wanted a DTVT forever too. I never see those though. Ever.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Well there's a possibility that his fin just split making him look like a DT, it was hard to tell if there was two lobe beginnings on the body though, that's half of why I didn't go for him. But yes, they totally know! I swear they all turn to look at me and then beg me with those big pleading eyes of theirs!!

Yeah my tank is pretty awesome I got to say. You can find most of the girls's pictures here: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=201762 and here for the newest ones http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=205010 both have my boy's at the ends as well ^_^


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Yes! I hate the pleading eyes and especially when they start moving their mouths and dancing. Then I am completely gone and buying them.

lilnaugrim your bettas are gorgeous!!! You must be proud to own such beautiful bettas. Your girls are absolutely too cute and your boy Mercury reminds me of my boy Ernie, but Mercury has just a little bit less red then Ernie does.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Thank you so much!!! Hearing that definitely helps with my Chronic Fish Envy that I still have!

Betta's literally are like Pokemon, you've got to catch all 16 different fin types and the 30+ different coloration's plus the mixes and then you have to catch the Legendaries and defeat the Elite Four! Ahhhhh my life is ruined now I think hahah


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

XD Chronic Fish Envy! That's exactly why I don't get on here as much as I did. Yes they are! When my parents shake their heads at me with all my fish I just tell them think of them as potato chips. You have to eat every one. Haha your not the only one whose life is like that trust me.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Haha oh I know I'm not the only one, that's why I'm on here! haha At least here I feel half normal! lol

Oh geez yeah, my mom shakes her head to but I'm just like meh, I could be addicted to crack and she just gives me a look lol dad doesn't care so much, he likes that I have a hobby since what most people consider a hobby is my career; art.


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Oh, no, you compared bettas to Pokemon. It's all over for me now... I _must_ have them all.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh crud! Sorry Feng!!!! or am I.....

I'm totally going to be the best there's ever been, I'm training them as we speak XD


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## Riverotter (May 15, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Thank you so much!!! Hearing that definitely helps with my Chronic Fish Envy that I still have!
> 
> Betta's literally are like Pokemon, you've got to catch all 16 different fin types and the 30+ different coloration's plus the mixes and then you have to catch the Legendaries and defeat the Elite Four! Ahhhhh my life is ruined now I think hahah


Where is the Like button??

LOL, if I let my daughter see this she will want even MORE bettas!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Lmao! The Like button is on TFK site, if your on Bettafish site it doesn't have one unfortunately.


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## Rosencrantz32 (May 12, 2013)

LOL!!! Pokemon reference! I love it!! It's so true...
That completely brightened up my night. Thank you!


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## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Oh crud! Sorry Feng!!!! or am I.....
> 
> I'm totally going to be the best there's ever been, I'm training them as we speak XD


I'm afraid mine only know sulk and the feed-me dance...

Now I need to teach them splash and surf and we will be set.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Taeanna said:


> I'm afraid mine only know sulk and the feed-me dance...
> 
> Now I need to teach them splash and surf and we will be set.


Pssh, splash does nothing XD It's Whirlpool and Waterfall that you want with the Surf! haha


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## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Ah yes but I hope if I make them think they are Magikarp they will transform into a giant sea monster!

But then again that would be a huuuuge feeding bill........


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh geez yeah I could see all the NLS and Omega he'd be eating


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

Haha totally feel ya! I guess the only reason I don't have to come on here as much is because my room mate is obsessed too. If we go and look at the fish together one of us will normally cave in and buy one; it's like we feed off the energy from each other lol.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

New Pictures of Shadowcat!!! Yaya

Yikes okay, pictures were too big so I'll have to figure out how to resize them but for now here are the links :-D

https://imageshack.com/i/jtbrjzj
https://imageshack.com/i/joebx7j
https://imageshack.com/i/0bb2emj
https://imageshack.com/i/nlyt7nj


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