# First betta :)



## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Hey all, I'm new here! I'll introduce myself quickly as I hope to stick around. 

My name is Ashley, I live in NJ, am currently 21, and I'm a history major. I've owned just about every pet under the sun... on my 3rd horse, multiple dogs, a stray cat I rescued, 200+ koi, ferrets, birds, guinea pigs, fish, etc. My whole family pretty much consists of animal lovers, lol! Currently we have 3 dogs (lost our 4th in July, unfortunately), 1 horse, a cat, and 200+ koi that live in our pond out front and spawn yearly. 

I grew up with my parents having an aquarium, but it's been disconnected for quite sometime. My sister and I have been wanting to get a fish for our college apartment and wandered into Petco... well, we fell in love with those darn baby bettas. I really don't condone them being sold so young, but considering they've been selling them for so long, I figured we'd try to give them a good home despite our inexperience. I took what the employee said with a grain of salt and did my own research, thank goodness! I purchased a 3 gallon tank for mine, plants, the Hikari baby betta food (mine can eat just fine and has definitely grown in the 4 days I've had him/her), a heater (which actually doesn't work and needs to be returned ASAP), and I know I'm forgetting something.. A friend of mine no longer has fish so she gave me her 2.5g with a filter, heater, conditioners, etc. I've also read about how important water changes are, too. My baby is very lively and has tons of personality despite being temporarily housed in the cold as I cycle my new tank! S/he begs for food in just the 4 days I've owned it. 

Here's a picture of my baby the day I brought it home (Monday, 3/25). When I shine a flashlight on it, a royal blue color is starting to express itself in the fins and some scales. Considering all the red, I kind of assumed that my fish would be, well... red. But alas, my betta is beginning to turn blue in some little specks if I look closely! S/he is really quite the feisty thing and flares very proudly at its reflection if I show the mirror. :lol: The ventral fins seem a little long to me so I'm hoping for a boy, but I really think it's too early to tell at this stage. The little baby is only about an inch long, fins included.










And today. Little bugger had to go back in his small tank as I usually come home from school on the weekends. I don't intend on bringing him home every weekend, but my apartment gets cold and until my heater is up and running and I have my filter set up, I thought he could enjoy the car ride on my lap. I'm such a dedicated betta mommy already!


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

Cute lil bugger! IMO, your little one looks female, looks almost exactly like a female I bought a couple weeks ago at Petco.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Given how much personality she has and how much she enjoys flaring, I'll love her regardless lol. S/he's so adorable!


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

IMO, the females typically have more attitude than the boys. I love my boys but I find my girls tend to be more entertaining.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

I guess the ladies make up for their lack of finnage in other ways! 

It's so exciting - the royal blue color is starting to become slightly noticeable to the naked eye without the aid of a flashlight now! I can't wait to watch my baby grow and flourish.


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

Its fun to see how they'll change. I have a female who when I got her was a pale pink with beautiful purple fins, she now has navy blue fins & a little navy like its brushed over her body. One of my males went from a pale pink head/neck to a burgundy.you just never know for certain what you'll end up with.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Little one scared me last night. I was at Church for a couple of hours and when I came home to feed, s/he completely ignored the food and was very 'dull.' Water temperature is about the same, so I got nervous... but then after the light was on for a bit s/he was just like "Oh, food!" But for a while s/he kept blowing bubbles... not a bubble nest, just sporadically would blow bubbles. Today my little one is quite perky and enthusiastically eating so I feel relieved and water was just changed yesterday. Since I have the small tank while I'm hope for the weekend I'll do another partial change today. I can't believe how aggressive mine can be though - definitely a spunky fish, that's for sure!


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## alwaysaBettaLover (Mar 28, 2013)

Omg!! SHe's so cute!!!!!!!


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Thank you! This is my favorite photo from today!










And here's one to compare growth. Day 6. Anal fin has definitely grown and the little "spikes" on the tail have gotten slightly longer.


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Yay, my little one is back in the 3g with a working heater. S/he must be so happy. :-D


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Photo from today. You can't really see in this photo, but the blue is slowly becoming more noticeable!  I also may pick up another baby tomorrow. The addiction has begun.


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## Jams (Mar 27, 2013)

S/he is so cute! I love these little guys!


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## Jams (Mar 27, 2013)

Or gals


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