# The Problem with Bettas



## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Well I've never written one of these before so here it goes...
[this post is kinda long![

I've mostly decided to start this "betta journal" because 1) it will help me keep track of what is up with my fish at the moment and 2) because I love them so darn much they need a place to call their own on the site 

First, I am Sunstar. I am majoring in Animal Science in college. I want to get my PhD in Equine Reproduction/Genetics. I know...big plans lol. Right now my heart belongs to my fish:

Leonardo (Leo): my blue veiltail boy...he is the first serious fish I have ever had and it is mostly a trial-by-error experience. He's a tough little guy.

Isis: The biggest of my Albino Cories- about 2.5" long! I can tell her apart because whenever she is not eating, she sits on the gravel with her whiskers tucked in like a lady lol.

Jazzy: She is sister to Isis, about the same size, and they came together. She is very energetic and kinda quirky, always getting into Leo's business. She likes to push around the little jewels I have in their tank.

Phoebe: my roommate named her. She has grown so much in the month since I have had her. She came to me as a 1" baby and has grown a whole inch! (I know...I'm so thrilled lol). She is chubby, an "easy keeper" as they say in the horse world.

Jade: my smalled cory. She is the smallest, barely 1" long. She can hold her own though! I thought she was a boy at first because of her size (before I could compare their size to full-grown Jazzy & Isis) and so for a whole month she was named Midas (like King Midas...I love mythology lol). When I got her, she only had 2 whiskers on her left side. Her right ones have never grown back; it looks like someone took scissors and snipped them (just to explain how they look, there's no jagged edges or anything).

All of my cories are beautiful beige-gold color and have long flowy whisker  they love to each take a piece of an algae or Hikari round and hide it away to nibble on it. I have to break up their food so Leo will not eat the whole thing himself. I make sure to give Jade the biggest piece, hoping she will grow. Maybe she is just small!

I have a 10 gallon tank with all of them in there. Except for right now, Leo is in a 1 gallon hospital tank....

Why is Leo a "problem betta"?
As much as I love my betta boy, I have to say, he is a handful. I got him September 4th and since then he has had: ammonia burns, salt burns (didn't know you were supposed to dissolve AQ salt beforehand...), fin tears, bloat from stress, bloat from eating too much, inflamed gills, fin rot, tail biting and now he has a parasite.... But he's a tough little guy who was sent to me to teach me how to be a good Mommy and I love him to death. If you could hug a fish I'd squish him with hugs <3

The thing I love the most about Leo is how peaceful he is. He even let a ghost shrimp hitch a ride on his back!! And he stares at himself in the mirrored tank wall...doesn't hardly ever flare (once in a while if he scares himself), just stares. Conceited :lol:

So that is the beginning of my betta blog...right now Leo is fighting off a parasite that I'm almost positive is the beginning of velvet so I hope he is still strong enough to fight it off!!!

And I know it is technically Friday but...hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

~~Sunstar~~
[I am going to begin posting pictures once I get back to school on Sunday]


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Also...I believe that my two lost babies deserve a mention.

Lucky: It would have been almsot 2 weeks since I rescued him...he was the skinniest, saddest little fish I'd ever seen. He was a purple-gray color...he didn't even have colored scales! He was a Halfmoon Doubletail and had a severe case of Velvet and malnutrition. The poor boy only lived with me for 4 days but I hope that in those last days he got a chance to experience love (I know, kinda sappy but I really do love all my animals!). At least he got to have some warm water and a taste of bloodworms!! My first little rescue 

Skye: my poor little Crowntail girl. She lived 2 days with me and I feel as if it was/is my fault she died. She was so little...she had to eat the baby pellets I had bought for Lucky (who could also not eat a whole pellet). I have come to the conclusion that she most likely died from the ammonia levels in our tap water..0.5 ppm!! She was a cutie, loved to zip around her tank. She was so tiny I could only fill the tank up halfway. I hope she knows I wish I had done differently, done something so the water wouldn't have been so toxic to her little body. My first female betta ever  

~~Sunstar~~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I named my Cory with Scolosis Obama because the Cory is twisted and bent.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Aw! Haha that's a good one (Republican, whoop).
I think the Albinos are cute, especially after they eat you see the food in their stomachs it's funny lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I love how they can move there eyes. Obama is my healthiest Cory out of the 5.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

It's pretty cool lol. They are all healthy. I just worry about Jade because she is so small but honestly I think she is just meant to be small. But she can eat just like her big sisters lol


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## lexylex0526 (Dec 27, 2011)

Haha good one choc!

And Leo does sound like a little fighter, he is definitely a strong betta! Your corys sound adorable as well! I have some corys also (points to pro pic) lol. 

Good luck to little Leo fighting off that parasite!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I keep my cories with guppies they are found in trindad and other areas.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

@lexiylex: he is! he's gotten a lot better, what with being in distilled water (my parents insisted) and Maracid medicine. He's looking good now, in the clear (;

So, yes, Leo is doing better! I think catching it early, hitting it hard with Maracide, warm water (82*) and the fact that it is from the water softening tap (no ammonia, yay!) is helping!! Going to buy a few gallons of distilled water for back home to keep up the treatment, he doesn't need the ammonia to battle as well as the nasty bug.

Disappointed, couldn't go to the petstore yesterday to check out the Black Friday sales...but apparently they only had VTs on sale and I've been wanting a halfmoon or a plakat (also a king betta...but $12 is kinda ridiculous). And I have to say, I definitely like critter keepers. Nice and sturdy lol.After my cat nearly knocked Leo's cage off the table..bad kitty.

Get to go back to my dorm tomorrow and see my cories [: I hope they forgive me for leaving them lol. They'll get a helping of Hikari tablets when I get back so hopefully they won't be too upset with me. Been thinking about what to do with their tank...I already have 4 cories in there and it is a 10 gallon tank...thinking I might get a female betta and once she is out of QT, I'll add her in there. Leo can't stay in the big tank anymore because he gets stressed, "glass-surfs" (as I like to call it, where he obsessively patrols the front of the tank), and tail bites. Since he has been in his 1 gallon temp/hospital tank he has been much better, no signs of tail biting all week. Over Christmas break I'm going to bleach his plastic 3 gallon, the gravel, the filter, heater, plants...everything! Because that is where the parasite began and that is also where it will end. But at my dorm there is not a reliable sunlight source (we face away from the sun all the time) and I'd rather have it sit outside in full sunshine at my parents' house. Just a little note on my plans

Speaking of Christmas...put up our Christmas tree today!! And almost all of our ornaments...we have a Hallmark Ornament tree and there are so many!! 4 boxes full and we only used 2 boxes and the tree is full. Just hoping my cat doesn't go climbing in it like she did a couple years ago, tipped the tree into the window and cracked the base. But so excited for the holidays!! (mostly because it means a whole month away from college lol).

Speaking of my cat (sorta)....I turned around to give Leo his flakes (Omega One betta buffet...yum) and turned back and the cat was on the table eating them!!!! :shock: Didn't realize that "whole salmon, black cod, krill and rockfish" would be so appealing to her...kinda gross haha.

So did any of you get some really good Black Friday deals??? 

Hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday!

~~Sunstar~~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Also, just wanted to add that I am now officially a Bone Marrow donor!! 

~~Sunstar~~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Yay you are a saint. The only problem is tank size and the fact they need groups of 5.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol I figure I have enough in my body that I can give some to someone who really needs it, just crossing my fingers and hoping for a call! <3
And yeah, I know I should have a bigger tank (might get a bigger one for Christmas) and am hesitant to add more. I meant to only have 3 but Jade slipped in when I was choosing Phoebe and I was like "sure, what the heck?". But they seem pretty happy, eating well and zipping around the tank and up tote surface. They like to play in the filter current lol. If/when I get a bigger tank I want to bump their number up to 6.

Leo is doing much better! He has some scarring on his left gill covering but other than that he looks better, still finishing the treatment with Maracide and keeping him in the QT tank (btw, Petco small aquatic critter keepers are amazing for this purpose lol, hold a little less than a gallon and easy to medicate). He has ceased tail biting for now and that is a good sign, don't have to worry about fin rot setting in! Though I can still see a couple betta-sized bites taken from it lol.
I got a new betta! He is a Delta tail, so pretty. A "Happy (early) Birthday" to myself haha. Saw him and couldn't resist. He's like sea-green with red on his fins, close to his body, and has black dots on the rays of his fins. The lower half of his face is peach colored and looks cute lol. He is in a 1.5 cube tank (I know, should be 2 gallons but I'm really only supposed to have one tank in my room, max of 10 gallons and already having Leo's QT tank outside of my 10 gallon is pushing it. And my new boy is pretty small right now.). He loves to stare at himself in the tank wall and flare sometimes lol. He's so cute!
(I will post a pic of my new boy tomorrow, my iPad is not cooperating. I also have his pics up in my album on my profile page).
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

~~Sunstar~~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

*Pictures!! *

Here are the pictures I promised!! 

Leo! He doesn't normally look like this...this was taken right after he stole a big chunk of the cories' food.

















My new boy!! The first picture is of his home...it's kinda bare right now lol. 








I can imagine him saying "Who is that handsome devil staring back at me?"
















My cories! From left to right: Jade, Isis, Jazzy, Phoebe.









~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I love your twenty gallon.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks! It's a 10 gallon though- hoping that I will get a bigger one soon though! All the plants are kinda uprooted because I took the pic w/ the cories right after I used the gravel vac.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am glad you are upgrading maybe when you take the bronze cories out add pygmy cories.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I would because they are really cute but the only ones they sell around here are green/emerald, albinos, featherfin, juli and sometimes peppered. I want to get the bigger tank and then maybe use my 10 gallon for a sorority (still thinking about it, not sure yet) or divide it for my two boys. Still a ways down the road but I've been saving my money (it's not easy or fun being a broke college kid haha). I am going to ask my petstores though if pygmies are like a seasonal pet, sometimes they do that, like they had a couple clown plecos for about 2 weeks and they've never ordered them again so we'll see!!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Bobs tropical plants sells pygmies.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I will have to look into that

My new boy, Tobias (Toby, for short) built me a a little bubble nest! So cute! Leo has only ever built me one but it got destroyed by the filter. So proud of my little man!

~~Sunstar~~

P.S.: off to the pet store..again haha.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Its cute but doesnt mean anything.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol I know wish it did though! Maybe it is because he can see Leo next door, not completely sure. It is still cute lol.
He is being a picky eater right now, i tried to give him a bloodworm but he ignored it...I'll try again in a couple of days. He likes his pellets though, which is always good lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Carter will eat anythinmg except food that is below the surface and flakes. He gets many pellet food 4 brands maybe 3.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol that sounds like Leo! He loves to eat...he even sometimes makes a snack out my friends goldfish's "sun dried baby shrimp" (she had put a couple in a plastic bag and gave them to me, thinking he might like them). I give them to him as a treat and it keeps him busy, takes him a bit to tear it apart lol. They are pretty small though, perfect betta size. He also gets pellets, omega one flakes and the bloodworms. I try to change up his diet so he doesn't get bored lol. Toby loves his pellets though he is not too keen on the flakes yet...he'll get there lol.
I have a feeling that betta fish are some of the most spoiled fish around! Not that there is anything wrong with that haha- in fact I love to spoil my boys. :lol:


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Sounds like great little nutrient rich snacks.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

They are. I ended up getting a little thing of them myself. They definitely don't smell pleasent when you open it up though lol. They are nutritious in that there is nothing else added to them, only the baby shrimp. If they are a little big I break them up and give him the 2 halves.

So I have a question...does anyone else have yucky little white worms in their tanks? In my 10 gallon, last week when I was vacumming the gravel, I noticed some litte white stringy things floating around in the water and thought that maybe they came off the new silk plants I had put in there...well then I looked in the clear bucket I use for water changes and they were worms!! Does anyone else have them? I looked them up, they are harmless but apparently they can come as a little "surprise" in Tetra Brand flakes (not completely sure! Just what i read on other forums...) and mainly show up when you overfeed...but I don't overfeed..but I am very diligent in my tank cleanings (it's cleaner than my room haha) and the cories eat up anything that falls. Needless to say, they make my skin crawl!!! Should I just step up the water changes even more? (I do two 30% changes every week, mostly consisting of vacumming, and every other week I replace one of the 30% with a 50-75% change...that's what my dad taught me lol).If anyone has any idea as to how to get rid of them I'd appreciate it.

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

BBS have more nutrients than Brineshrimp. Might want to lay off light blue. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233 If you fill this out we can get a clear picture.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

(sorry about the light blue lol I thought it would be darker, I usually type and then chose color).
So I did more reasearch...and basically more gravel vacs and cleanings can get rid of them. *sign*. I guess that's what I get for using free stuff haha.
So, I know it has been a couple days since an official update but here goes:

 Leo is recovering beautifully!! In a couple days (probably the weekend) I will bleach and clean out his 3 gallon tank so it will be extremly clean and will kill off any little bugs that might be hunkered down in there. Leo will be staying in his 1 gallon for the time being, because in 2 weeks I will be packing everyone up and going home for the holidays and he will be living in their anyways. And that will give the 3 gallon some time to soak and for the bleach to be completely removed. So happy he's getting better! 
Toby is doing great! He loves his little tank, he likes to sit in the leaves of his silk plant and sometimes I can't find him and I worry lol. His colors are brighter and he is beautiful! He and Leo are neighbors and sometimes Leo sees him and feaks out and Toby is just like "hi!" lol it's funny to watch them interact with each other. They are both on my nightstand and it brings a little something to that corner of my room lol.
Okay so don't chew me out for this!! I checked with my dad and he said it was fine, that as long as I am diligent with water changes and have a good filter I'll be fine. I got a dwarf gourami for my 10 gallon tank. He's at his max size and stays up near the top of the tank. Apparently they do some kind of "confrontation" dance when they see another male and curl into a "c-shape"...well I didn't realize that is what he was doing whenever he saw his reflection so I thought he was sick!! His name is Armani and he loves to play with the cories lol.
I've been trying to fix the ammonia in the water, since gouramis are very sensitive to ammonia. I bougth some Prime (smells awful) and an umbrella plant yeserday...and found out the umbrella plant was actually a peace lilly! So I returned it today and got a moss ball instead...named Giorgiio lol (now i have Giorgio Armani in my tank haha). Thought I was start off with something simple first lol. All my fish were starting at it like "what the heck?" but they've accepted it lol. I can imagine them saying:
"Isis...why isn't that big fuzzy green fish moving?"
"I don't know, Jazzy....maybe we should try to eat it?"
Needless to say, they have since left it alone haha.
Only 3 more finals to take before I'm done for the semester!!
And my birthday is tomorrow, yay lol. I usually don't make a big deal out of it but this is the first birthday I'll be spending away from my family lol.
Hope you all had a wonderful day!

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Carter got an IAL leaf today.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Carter is a very lucky fish 
Do you only have Carter or other bettas as well?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I used to have Betty but she died I only have carter and in my twenty 5 cories and a guppy colony. Carter tried to eat his IAL.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Aw I'm sorry! And I bet the cories and guppies together are pretty!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So I am going to return my gourami today...I will be going home for a whole month (leaving in 2 weeks) and I can't leave my fish here. And I don't plan on taking my 10 gallon (glass, heavy..not a good plan). And I can't afford for him to have a critter keeper or small tank to himself for the time i am home, I've thought about it for a long time and decided it would be best for him to go back to the store. Bye Armani...
But I am finally disinfecting my 3 gallon tank! (I need to clean it so it had time to sit out, that's where the cories will be staying at my house. Don't worry, I am going to be doing water changes every day to deal with the ammonia and this will only be for a couple weeks). I've got the Clorox and plan on sanitizing it and everything else I used while Lucky and Leo were sick. I'm getting all new gravel...I'm afraid it will absorb the bleach and then leech it out in the tank. That would be bad! Would it be okay to soak the silk plants and the filter (not the cartridge) in the bleach? It'll only be soaking for about 20 minutes since bleach will/can corrode stuff away. I'm going to let it sit right next to the window for about a week or so and do lots and lots of rinses with hot water!

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Are you saying your going to keep Cories in a 3 gallon?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Yes, I have to as there is no other way. It will only be for 3 weeks and I know there will not be as much room but I am not going to tear down my 10 gallon, haul it home and put it back up. We don't have room at my house right now. I plan on doing water changes every day and they will have their heater and air stone. Basically my fish are limited to one desk in the kitchen, which already has a 10 gallon turtle tank on it. I have Leo in his 1 gallon critter keeper, Toby in his 1.5 gallon cube and, yes, the cories will be in a 3 gallon. I cannot keep them here at school. I wish I could, it would SO much easier but they are not allowing any aquariums to run over the holiday. I've asked over and over but those are the rules. I don't mean to make you mad, Choclate, and I wish I had some other way to keep them in a larger space but for now that is all I can do. I still have 2 more weeks so if I can find another way, I will. But that is the plan for now.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Glad its only for 3 weeks. I am concerned that you have a turtle in a ten gallon.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Sorry I meant to write 20 gallon! I was thinking "10" for my fish and wrote it down by accident. She's a small red eared slider we rescued about 9 years ago, she eats like a pig and is not too big but she does grow.
We also have a bird, a cat and a dog...our home is a zoo lol


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Spoiler alert! Nothing special really happens when you turn 19 lol. Or, as my mom told me, I am/was 1000 weeks old today lol. Aced my Animal Science exam and did awesome on my Equine Care quiz! Wish I could have spent my birthday with my family today but that's okay...plenty of time to celebrate after finals are over with!! 

~Sunstar~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

*More Pictures!*

Took a whole bunch of pictures yesterday and today, wanted to share
Toby's bubble nest is a little bigger today!!


My 10 gallon tank, taken today. All but one cory were hiding from the camera lol.









Jade with the moss ball and new El Nino Fern (tied to a piece of driftwood)









Toby and his Bubble Nest. My favorite picture









Toby too close to the camera lol 









Toby and his bubble nest


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

sunstar93 said:


> Aw I'm sorry! And I bet the cories and guppies together are pretty!


 They are espically Albino bronze Cories.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I bet the contrast between the bright guppies and the pale/gold cories is really cool. My cories are more yellow-gold because they are maturing, which I think is pretty cool lol. I'm slowly collecting some plants to give them a bit more cover and I think they will be extremely happy. I was actually at the pet store the other day and was thinking about your guppies and cories lol. Didn't get any (otherwise I would have kept my Gourami) but it was a good thought lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My guppies are very special in a unique way.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol are they giant or something? because you said unique!

Couldn't help it....got a little yellow female for 99 cents!! Though i think she has a mild case of SBD (or constipation) so I'm gonna go to the drug store and get soem Epsom Salt...pics to come later!

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I have heard yellow is uncommon.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I think so! She's been at petsmart for almost a week and a half and i couldn't stand to leave her haha. Hmm maybe it's not SBD...I think I'll wait to do any treatment and let her get settled and then decide. Right now she's following one of th cories and is fascinated but them haha. She's got a blue-ish rim around her black eyes, it's so cool!!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

sunstar93 said:


> Lol are they giant or something? because you said unique!
> 
> Couldn't help it....got a little yellow female for 99 cents!! Though i think she has a mild case of SBD (or constipation) so I'm gonna go to the drug store and get soem Epsom Salt...pics to come later!
> 
> ~Sunstar~


 They are dwarf Red tail black bodied guppies. They dont eat there fry. Netting the wild type is impossible they jump out of the net.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol they sound pretty though. Did you breed them yourself?

Here's my new little girl, Aria. But her fins seem much too long for a normal female VT and yet she has an eggspot...young male maybe?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Yes I randomly mixed a bunch of guppies.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol they sound pretty cool!

So the tank cleaning is almost done to my 3 gallon...I was stupid and bought "clean up with bleach" to disinfect it (after velvet parasite). That's basically fancy title for soap that smells like bleach...so now it is soaking in vinegar and hot water. I'm gonna do lots more rinses tonight and then let everything dry out. And then when I get it all set up, I'll test it on a feeder minnow or something. (I'm not gonna plop one of my bettas in there, mean as it sounds. I'd rather pay 13 cents for a test fish). Hoping everything goes according to plan!

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Whats gonna happen to the test fish?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

If it dies...a burial at sea. It if lives....turtle food.
Sad but true :/


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would find it a good home if ot lives. Things like goldfish are bad for turtles plus it might get loaded with dangerous chemicals.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I live in a dorm and so far nobody I know owns fish besides me....and I surely can't keep it. This is also the turtle that attacked a crawfish and ate it up lol. Which is why I might just get a minnow...the goldfish are pretty big.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Please keep Leo in your thoughts....he's going round two with Velvetl. He's gonna kick that parasites butt! Fight on, little man.

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I dont get it?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Don't get what?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Nevermind. IAL help stop Parasites. You might want to figure out the stresser.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

He got it because I (stupidly) thought I had cleaned the tank well en


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

He got it because I (stupidly) thought I had cleaned the tank well enough after housing little rescue in it. The rescue died and he had velvet and I thought that just hot water would fix it....but Leo still got it.
I cranked up the heat to 86 degrees, using maracide, 2 taps AQ salt and keeping his QT tank dark with a towel


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You sound like a good Betta owner. You figured out the problem. I sometimes forget water changes.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks! I'm just worried about him now since it has spread to his ventral fins and past his gills...I feel bad leaving him in the dark but it's best right now!
Lol I sometimes forget too...and then hurry up and do extra haha.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So yesterday and today were very sad days...
First, please do not think bad of me for doing this. I begged my parents but they wouldn't budge...
I had to give away my four cories ):
I don't really want to go into detail (kinda private, sorry) but basically there was no way I could keep them after my parents put their foot down. So I went to Petsmart, where I am friends with one of the employees, and asked if she knew anyone who could give them a good home. Well, she called one of her friends, a former manager, who said she would take them. So, at 1:00 today, I relinquished my four little girls over to her....but I met the lady who agreed to take them and she was really nice and I liked her right off the bat. She is putting them in a huge 45 gallon community tank that also houses 2 peppered and 2 green cories...it has sand substrate and lots and lots of plants. So as much I hated (and still hate!!) to give them away...knowing that they are in a wonderful new home kinda takes some of the sting out.
Also, after the departure of my four girls, I decided to do a major overhaul of my 10 gallon. I got a divider (which, btw, is a pain in the neck to install!) and put Toby on one side and Aria on the other. I released Toby first while I was still floating Aria, so that if he found a hole somewhere, he wouldn't end up fighting with her. But now they are completely settled in. They still flare through the divider sometimes- Toby is gorgeous when he flares!! (I'll have to get a picture up). And Aria flares at everything now: her reflection, her food, me..it's insane lol. She puffs out her gills and flares her fins. But I lined the silk plants along the divider to help break up the line of sight and it's helped. They don't really seek each other out anymore, they just flare if they happen to see each other lol.

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Carter for some reason does not flare.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry you had to give up your cories but at least you know they went to a good home.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks DQ...it was very hard..but they are in a better home now.
Choc: he's only ever flared after I put him in the divided tank lol only Aria will flare at herself in the tank wall but nobody else will.

So a little update on my betta trio...sorry for going MIA for a few days lol, craziness with finals coming up and having to move out of my dorm.
First, Toby, the little sneak, chewed a big chunk out of his tail. So I'm divising a plan to take care of that... Second, Aria is still kinda bloated but I'm hoping that maybe it's just eggs or something? I'm not too familiar with females. And do females blow bubble nests??
Lastly, sadly, my poor little Leo...his ventral fins are basically strings. His tail has finally grown out!! But I'm afraid the parasite is winning...my poor little fighter boy...I'm not sure what to do anymore. I've graduated him to 2.5 tsps of dissolved AQ salt but I've had to stop the Maracide for now...I feel like an awful betta mommy. I won't give up on him!! I'm just afraid he won't win this battle 

~Sunstar~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I know it is a little late but I just want to say I'm proud of our Johnny Football!! He's the first freshman QB to win the Heisman and I'm proud to say he's led our Fightin' Texas Aggies to win 10 out of 12 SEC games....our first year and we're showing them how we do it here in Texas!! 

[ps...I'm not really a football fan *sacrilege in texas lol* but I love the spirit of all the teams in our conference and can't wait to see everyone play again next year!!]

~Sunstar93~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Maybe I can try the mirror trick?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Possibly!! I know it works for a lot of people! My two boys don't fall for it though lol. Leo (when he was in my 10 gallon) would just check himself out all day and not flare one bit. And Toby only flares when he sees another live better- no tricking him lol. Aria is the only one the mirror works for and she loves to flare at herself in the mirrored wall of the tank. So it may work for Carter! It's pretty cool when they finally flare though lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Wow he seems very intelligant.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol I think it's just his personality...but maybe he's smarter than the average Betta haha. I think I just get ones that have calm personalities. Aria, who flares at herself and everything else, is a little firecracker so maybe that's why she flares easily lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Few species can recognize there reflection.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Yes, humans and dolphins are a couple of the only ones. There are studies being shown that horses and the great apes can recognize themselves. But in my opinion, fish don't understand that they are looking at themselves when they look in a mirror. I think it is because they have a limited brain capacity, capable of really only understanding feelings like pain and content, instincts and recognizing routines (which is why they act excited when they are fed). But that is just my opinion lol


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So my little girl Aria died today  I came home from the university and went to look at her side of the tank....and she was resting in her plant. But then I moved the plant and she had already passed away. I think she had some kind of tumor or something, she had a big black bulge underneath her skin on her right side..my poor little girl :'(

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

European magpies pass the mirror test.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol birds are pretty smart creatures too. I forgot to name them as well. There are a lot of animals that can recognize themselves...but in my opinion, fish are not one of them. :\


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So Aria's presence is very much missed...my poor little fishy. Although Toby doesn't seem to care that his tankmate from across the divider is no more. All he knows is that he has a huge home now!
Leo is....frustrating. I'm trying my best!! I've decided I won't give up as long as he won't! His ventral fins are sorta starting to grow back. Except he's scratched his head so much he has patches of missing scales. :\
Also!! Thinking about getting a couple of hermit crabs after the Christmas break (; gonna turn my 10 gallon into a "crabitat" for the hermies and gonna either put Toby back in his 1.5 gallon or maybe get a 5.5 gallon from petsmart.

~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I saw a video of a crow sledding.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Cute!

I've been MIA for a while again, lol. So much going on! But Christmas shopping is done (got some very special presents for my parents this year, since they've been amazing helping me get adjusted to college and just supporting me). An update on my boys....
Leo isn't doing well at all. I'm thinking his time might be coming to an end and I'm very Upset about it  but I hope that he knows I've tried my best! I'm going to keep him comfortable until the end. He's having a hard time knowing where his food is, and if it sinks to the bottom he doesn't even care.
Toby, on the other hand, is pretty much the picture of health! His fins are growing back and I caught him sleeping on one of the moss balls earlier. Cute! He knows when it is feeding time because he sees me lift up the flap on the hood. He also likes to snack on the little Planaria worms that are in the tank. They aren't harmful and he has a good time chasing them lol.
I'm hoping to get a king betta after the holidays. Gonna devot my entire 10 gallon to him! And not sure what I'm gonna do with Toby...maybe divide the tank and give him like 2 gallons worth? Not sure yet but I'll figure something out, I've got time!!
If I don't post soon...have a Merry Christmas
~Sunstar~


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Are you still using distilled water? Distilled water is essentially void of minerals, causing it to be prone to rapid pH fluctuations that can kill fish. Most important, however, is the effect that this purified water has on fish: the fish is essentially living in a very hypotonic solution, which means that the water will constantly be rushing into the body through osmosis in the gills and other exposed areas. This puts immense strain on the kidneys, which must produce copious amounts of very dilute urine to maintain a proper internal osmotic balance.

That being said, with an ammonia reading of .5 ppm, I would continue to use the distilled water with the addition of a mineral supplement (which nullifies the aforementioned problem). In fact, I'd probably use in in all the tanks unless they are cycled - prime will only detoxify ammonia into ammonium for a limited time, so if beneficial bacteria are not available to use the ammonium, the water will eventually become toxic again.

I hope this helps you out and that your fish recovers soon!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would stick with tap and fill the tanks to the top with plants and semi aquatics in filter.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Kim said:


> Are you still using distilled water? Distilled water is essentially void of minerals, causing it to be prone to rapid pH fluctuations that can kill fish. Most important, however, is the effect that this purified water has on fish: the fish is essentially living in a very hypotonic solution, which means that the water will constantly be rushing into the body through osmosis in the gills and other exposed areas. This puts immense strain on the kidneys, which must produce copious amounts of very dilute urine to maintain a proper internal osmotic balance.
> 
> That being said, with an ammonia reading of .5 ppm, I would continue to use the distilled water with the addition of a mineral supplement (which nullifies the aforementioned problem). In fact, I'd probably use in in all the tanks unless they are cycled - prime will only detoxify ammonia into ammonium for a limited time, so if beneficial bacteria are not available to use the ammonium, the water will eventually become toxic again.
> 
> I hope this helps you out and that your fish recovers soon!


No I was only using it at school until I could bring them home for the Christmas break. The water at my parents house is much much better so I don't have to use distiller water. And my 10 gallon is cycled and has 2 moss balls in it so I use prime as conditioner. Thanks for the info though! I put my little guy Leo in the kitchen and decided to enjoy him while he is still here. Stopped all meds and just want him to go peacefully!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So excited that it is Christmas Eve tonight. 
So I woke up the other day, went downstairs to check on Toby, and he had a huge tear in his dorsal fin! No idea how it got there, there's nothing sharp and all plants are silk....it was kinda disturbing! But it's starting to heal, so I'm happy about that. He built a huge bubble nest the other day! It was cute lol and it's still there, he keeps adding to it.
I moved Leo into the kitchen so he can be around everyone and in the light. I figured if he's not getting better to at least enjoy him while I can! He seems happier already about not being all by himself in the study, which is where I put him because it was dark. I haven't gone down yet today, just got up, but if he was acting like he was last night, he will be very active and swimming around! He's so weird...acting sick most of the time but then having little spurts of energy!

Merry Christmas Eve
~Sunstar|


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas
Today I fed my boys a couple of the baby sundried shrimp...Leo attacked his, it was actually kinda scary!! And Toby took a couple of bits and then left the rest. Picky lol. And then I gave them each a bloodworm...basically the same thing, Leo loved it, Toby ignored it this time. Picky boy.
Leo is doing so much better since I moved him to the kitchen! He's eating so well and swimming around all the time. I'm impressed!!
And Toby's got quite a bubble nest going! It's built up around the filter, behind the waterfall, and it's pretty! And he's also got it spread out across the right half of the tank. I added some more water to the tank and he gave me angry eyes and a pouty lip and went to check on his nest to make sure it wasn't disturbed lol. And tonight I caught him sleeping on one of the leaves of the purple silk plant. At first I thought he was dead...but nope, he was just taking a nap
~Sunstar~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Hope everyone is having a good year so far. Hard to believe it is already 2013!!
So after many weeks of worry and some praying...Leo is starting to heal! At least I think he is! Most/all of the rusty patches on his right side are gone! On his left side, there is still a small patch behind his gills and there's still some on his left ventral fin..but it's a start!! I'm going to do another Maracide regiment, since I think it might help.
Toby...his fins look terrible. I don't think he likes to be in the big tank. I think he is stressing out. His tail fin is ragged and torn and it's slightly disturbing. And his dorsal fin has taken a beating. I don't know if it is something in the tank or if it is just him biting the heck out of his fins. But next week when I move back to school he'll be moved back into his 1.5 gallon, which I hope will help solve the fin problem!!
Also, today I fed my turtle a small piece of turkey we got at the store today...not a huge piece, just a bite. She loved it lol.
~Sunstar~


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Was the turkey organic?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

No idea. It was from the deli counter at the store, but it was only a tiny piece.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Bad Idea. The Chemicals are unhealthy to them.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

It's mostly just pumped full of water. But I just wanted to see if she would like it. Usually we only give her bits of lettuce as a snack (in addition to her turtle food) but I just wanted to see if she would like it. She did lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

As long as her snacks organic its great.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

We always buy organic vegetables because we buy them whole (like whole carrots, whole heads of lettuce) and its cheaper and they are fresher, it seems like.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would love to see turtle pics.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I'm planning on uploading some pics of my bettas later so I'll take a couple of the turtle. Whose name is just "Turtle" haha, very creative


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I like that name. Emily seems good too.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

*Pictures!*

Turtle the turtle lol. Sorry, the pic is kinda blurry. It's time to scrub her tank!









My cat, Annie She's a DSH Tortoiseshell, about 10.5 yrs old. [a pic, just because haha]









Toby...a clear picture of his tail biting, the beginning of a bubble nest and the Planaria in his tank..yuck









Leo posing for a picture...the bubbles are from the water change









Leo's QT tank...it's on a towel because the counter gets cold.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Love the turtle. Is she interactive?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Kind of. She only takes food out of my hand (like when I feed her a piece of lettuce I hold it above the water and she takes it. She doesn't do it to anyone else). She follows me around in her tank. Toby's tank is right next to hers and when I'm messin with his tank she loves to see what I'm doing. Right now actually I'm sitting at the table and she is watching me lol. She likes to climb on her turtle perch and "sunbathe" in the lamp we have over her tank to help it get some heat. She's cute though. We rescued her from getting run over on the street


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Name her Emily.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Haha okay. Emily Turtle
In our old house she was in a little temp critter keeper while we were in the process of moving and she pushed herself off the counter! And she only got a small chip in her shell. Don't know how she did it but it's true! Another time she got lost in our house for 2 weeks...turns out she was hiding in a closet and eating cat food hahaha. We couldn't find her anywhere! We thought she had gotten out the back door!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

What did she do when you found her? I would get a heavy duty lid.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

She actually didnt crawl out. We had put her on the floor while we were cleaning her tank one day and apparently nobody was keeping an eye on her! She just wandered off. And she was totally fine when we found her, at the most she was hungry. We put her in the tank and she was happy as pie lol. It was scary though because we thought we had lost her


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

So she just stood there when you found her?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

She started to walk away but we caught her. She was definitely happier once we got her back in her tank!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

What kind of walk away? Scared?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

No, like she wanted to finish exploring haha. She looked at us like "what are you doing? Out of my way". But that was like, 7 years ago lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Did she look at you?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I can't remember. My mom and I found her and kinda looked at both of us. But I picked her up and she still tried to walk away


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Has she ever bitten you?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Nope! I've been bitten by a turtle before but not by her. But it hurts haha. I have to be careful when I give her a snack because she might accidentally bite when she's reaching for the food


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

How big is her shell?


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

You know the size of a bagel? A little smaller than that. When we got her she was extremely small and she's doubled in size since then. We've had her for about 9 years now. But she's also female so she won't grow too much bigger.


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So tomorrow is the day I get my king betta! So psyched, I've been waiting so long to get him! I'm moving back to my dorm tomorrow and will pick him up on the way there, at the PetCo I usually go to. 
~Sunstar~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

So now I have my king betta, Sparky. And today I fell for a cute little Cambodian Crowntail girl at Petco I had to bring home. I also now have a snail, named Onyx. And yet my mind keeps trailing back to a beautiful pale yellow DTHM boy I saw...he was gorgeous, healthy, very feisty...if only I had more room! But I love my new little girl, named Star. She's got what looks to be either ammonia burns or natural red coloring on her gill coverings. I ended up using the divider in the 10 gallon: about 1.5 gallon side to Toby and the rest to Sparky and the snail. I wouldn't divide it again though, I don't think it'd be fair to them. And Star is in the 1.5 gallon tank. For now it is only filled up halfway because shes small. Not like Petco baby small but I think she can still grow some more. She loves to flare at me lol. And she loves the frozen brine shrimp I got for her..this littler girl is spoiled already! She's also got dark blue eyes. Couldn't resist her!! 
Hoping that beautiful DTHM goes to a good home!!

~Sunstar~


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I know I've been MIA for a while, but now that school is in full swing again, I am busy almost all the time! It it's not school, it's church/bible study, ResLife or studying! I feel like I don't even have time for my babies sometimes!

Unfortunately the snail died this past weekend...I'm not really sure why, he was healthy and active and then the next day...gone. And I know everyone says that dead snails stink.."stink" is an understatement. That smell could raise the dead! I think for the very first time, ALL my fish are healthy!! Toby's tail is growing back (slowly but surely) and Leo is, I am pretty sure, velvet-free! It's such a relief I cant begin to describe how elated I am. Especially for Leo, my little boy has beaten all the odds and everything that has been thrown at him. He is my fighter and I'm grateful now that I didn't completely give up on him.

I have changed Star's name to Sassy...she has so much attitude it's unbelievable. She flares like a male sometimes- even at me! But she is very cute and has grown in the past couple of weeks since I've had her. She loves the frozen brine shrimp- sometimes I will stick a piece to my finger and she'll take it from me. It's cute because then she carries it around in her mouth until its almost all broken apart and then starts to "hunt" her food lol. It's definitely a sight. I finally graduated her up to a full 1.5 tank of water, since she has proved she is a very strong swimmer and she is big enough now. She likes to hang out in her little cave (I accidentally chipped off a wing from one of the bumblebees today during a water change). I also finally decided it was time to test to see if the plants that had undergone the bleach and vinegar treatment we're all clean and safe again...I picked out two smaller ones (just big enough for her little space) and rinsed the off again. They didn't smell like vinegar anymore, so I placed them in the tank and, just to ease my worrying, added twice the amount of dechlorinator (don't know how this would help against vinegar but oh we'll). So far so good! It's been about 3 hours now and she's as happy as pie. I even saw her taking a rest in one of the flowers! It's nice to see her enjoying the plants that I've worked so hard to clean!!

(this might be a longer post than normal!)
I've also decided, after much deliberation and consultation with an experienced friend on here, to make a space for Leo in the big tank. Now, before anyone flies off the handle, let me explain! I plan to give Toby and Leo each about 2 gallons worth of space. The rest (about 6 gallons) will belong to Sparky. I think he's done growing, he hasn't really grown much in the past month or so, and I think it would be beneficial for them all to have other males to exercise with. Overall though, the boys I have are pretty mild mannered. Toby is the one that is most betta-aggressive, but after he learned that Sparky (my gentle half-giant) wasn't really interested in flaring back, he's backed off quite a bit. And Leo has never shown much interest in flaring at other males- in fact he doesn't flare at anything. I'm going to do one last round of medicine, to make sure he is 100% velvet-free, before adding him. I also have to actually make the divider, lol, so it'll probably be at least another week. But my little veiltail will be able to join the "fraternity" tank (as I've started calling it lol..even though it has dividers). I think after everything he's been through he deserves a little company and much more mental stimulus than he has been getting!

I'm glad I could share a big update with everyone

~Sunstar


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

I'm glad Leo's better!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks! Me too! 
He's a little skinny but other than that I think this is the healthiest he's been since I got him


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

That's good! My vt royal (in profile pic ) passed on a couple of days ago. Your Leo reminds me of him!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

I'm so sorry! But hopefully Leo reminds you of Royal in a good way!


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks,and for sure Leo does remind me of the good,cute times!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Well I'm glad my boy can bring you some happiness even after the death of your little one! It's always hard, especially when you've grown close to them! In December I had considered euthanizing him because he wasn't getting any better and was subjected to being in the dark to help combat the parasite...so I moved him to the kitchen, where everyone always is, and that seemed to do the trick! He was happier and much more active. I still kick myself for giving up on him, even for a short while. But he's taught me a lot since then


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## royal (Jan 23, 2013)

That's such a cool and cute story! My little guy was active for the first month,and then was really lazy. He showed no sign of sickness,he just died!


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## sunstar93 (Sep 6, 2012)

Lol it's definitely a miracle...I wasn't really one to believe things like that but I do now. Medicine wasn't working and it was like he was giving up! But now he's happy- the only thing he has to worry about is if he wants to eat the pellets that sink to the bottom or if he wants to just ignore them haha.
 It's the worst when they don't show any signs..it's like they just decide to leave. I had rescued a little girl betta and the next morning she had died. Healthy, as far as I could see, and had even eaten a good meal. I'm sorry he passed- but now he can watch over you and your future babies!


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