# Sad Decision



## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

So I think I'm getting out of breeding for a while.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately (hence my absence) and I just don't think I can keep up with this anymore. Last semester I found myself just stretched too thin what with raising fry, keeping my adults, school, work, and volunteering. Its one thing to have a full time job and a hobby... it's another to work 30+ hours a week, go to school full time, volunteer, and still have enough time and energy to do millions of water changes daily. It wouldn't be so bad but I just don't have the space to have the set up I really need to do this properly.

I've been back and forth and back again but I really think this is what's best for me and the fish.  I want to nip this in the bud before it begins to affect the fish. 

I still want to breed and I still have my goals laid out, I just think I need to wait until I have more space and am more settled. I'll still be around here all the time, learning and posting. There just won't be any of my lovely spawn threads for a while.

So once it gets warm enough I'll be selling off my babies and maybe my breeding fish too. Right now I have 30 fry (15 that are small but about 3 months old and 15 that are 1 month old). I'll also be adopting out some pet fish also. My goal is to get down to at most 5 tanks (including my non-betta community tank). That leaves at most 4 bettas to keep, one of which will be General Lee so I have to choose three out of the remaining 9.

I don't know how I'm going to choose, y'all know how much I love my fishies. It's going to be extremely hard giving up breeding, even just temporarily but I think its the mature thing to do, you can't grow fish effectively only doing a few water changes a week and feeding once a day.

Anyways.. there's some of my fry I'm really hoping go to breeders (Biggun and the Multi BF male especially) and if I can manage to part with my adult breeders I want them to go to responsible breeders as well so if your at all interested please get in touch with me. I won't even consider shipping out until it warms up (so probably March at the earliest) but I would like to start lining up homes now.


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## beat2020 (Dec 31, 2009)

Sorry to hear you're leaving the hobby for a while... 

I MIGHT be able to take your light colored marble male,once he's ready to go....


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm still interested in 2 babies. I'm sorry you won't be breeding anymore for awhile but you need to do what's best for you. You don't want to end up getting run down and making yourself sick.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I was wondering where you went. I was starting to worry! Frankly, I don't know HOW you kept up with all that. You gotta do what you gotta do. I think it's a responsible decision. Don't wear yourself out. At your age you should be having fun, fun, fun. Well, as much fun as one can have working and going to school.


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## JaspersANGEL (Oct 12, 2009)

Sorry to hear that  And I hope everything settles soon.

I would love to adopt a fishy pet from u, but I have no available condo's at the moment *lol*


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I also might have a few marble females although none of the babies have really changed that much. The male seems to be marbling out because he's losing the little color he had. He's not HM and won't flare for me for anything. The two males I was keeping are coming along nicely and I think may go HM if I keep working with them. 

I have some females who are looking REALLY nice.. there's three of them that it's gonna kill me to get rid of because I had big plans for them. I also have a few who I think are males but still aren't showing much aggression at all.. nor are they eggy so who knows.

DQ.. I have a couple of fish in mind I think would do good with you. One is a male (I think) who has swim bladder problems if he eats too much. Otherwise he's fine but I'm still going to give him away instead of selling him. Then I have some females who I don't think are really breeding worthy.


Getting rid of the babies is heartbreaking... I had a lot of plans for the pairs I had selected. I have to keep telling myself that keeping them is not what's right... it still sucks.

ETA.. Glad to hear I was missed  I just needed a fishy break. I sort of had a mini-meltdown during/after finals which is what made me realize I needed an overhaul. I guess my juggling skills aren't what I thought they were.


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

I am sad to hear that you are taking a break from breeding for a while. I hope you return to breeding bettas later. Breeding/raising bettas can be quite time consuming if you do it right.


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## beat2020 (Dec 31, 2009)

I might be interested in a marble female or one of those really nice females as well.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I'll get pictures soon. One of the marble females is light bodied with splotchy red fins, the other looks like she's turning dark and has orangy-red splotchy fins.

I have two big pastel/yellow females and one absolutely gorgeous steel blue/yellow (MG) female that I had selected to breed with Biggun.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I can most definately take a pair or two off your hands 

Sorry you're getting out of breeding....I hope you get back into it eventually!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'll be glad to take the guy with swimbladder problems. What does he look like?


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm going to try to sex the remaining fry in the grow out. There's some that I'm pretty sure are males but they aren't showing aggression. I still can't decide which of the adults I'm going to keep.

Once the younger spawn is big enough to safely be shipped I'm going to try to sell them all together.. maybe like a raise your own spawn type deal. I am going to need to get the fish rehomed as soon as possible once it's warm enough so I won't be trying to grow out the younger spawn then sell them individually.

I'm still going to keep all my tanks and equipment. I'll store them at my parents house until I'm ready to get back into breeding. I'm definitely not giving it up for good.

ETA.. The guy with the swim bladder issues is a purpley multi-color, he's very similar to Bowie. I'm still not sure if he's a male or a female. He doesn't show an egg spot but he's not aggressive either. He's almost a butterfly. He has a very slight white edge on his fins and his pectoral fins have white edges which are very cute.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Maybe someone might like to buy a group of females for a sorority.


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## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Sorry you have to temporarily give up something you really love. I hope it won't be long before you're back into it all. 

Best of luck.


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## Martinismommy (Dec 2, 2010)

That is a shame but I know how life takes twists and turns....You have to do what's best for you......

Let me know when you are ready to start placing/selling.....I may be able to help you find good homes......


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Thanks, I will.

I'm really hoping it's just going to be a couple years. It sounds like forever but during that time I'll be graduating and having to figure out where I'm going for grad school so hopefully it will go by fast. I'll probably be moving around a lot and I want to avoid having to drive/ship hundreds of fish across state lines if I go out of state. 


I'm looking at it as taking a sabbatical, not giving it up. I just wish I could keep my adults, which I'm still considering doing.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

So glad you are back...and yes you were MISSED (I missed you and was starting to worry)we need you around here......we understand....life happens and we have to make hard choices...but once settled with more time and space you will enjoy it more......
Happy you are back......


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Thanks OFL.. and congrats on the Mod position!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Ooh, purpley with a slight butterfly pattern! He/she sounds beautiful!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

S/he is very pretty... I was actually considering keeping it back to breed back to Bowie if it ended up being female because I really like that color. I'm going to try to get pictures up soon but it probably won't be for another week because my Mom has to mail my camera cord to me from home.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

sorry to hear you're having to rehome your babies, and having to stop breeding for now. :< people on Ub have wondered where you went.

by the time things warm up, if things go my way, i may have a wonderful place for one betta. my betta living conditions have improved greatly lately, and i'm rooting for getting a job at my local pet store(gotta go stalk the manager for a bit).


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I can't wait to see pics!


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## PeggyJ (Oct 15, 2010)

I wondered why I didnt see you pop up in awhile. Even though it was a hard decision, it sounds like it was well thought out. You love your fishies so you will get back to it when you have the stamina and the time. Working and going to school is hard enough! Get that education.. you wont regret it.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

DQ.. that purpley guy is definitely a male. Saw him flaring the other day along with another one. Looks like I have a couple more males who need jarring.

I'll post pictures of everyone (including the walmart rescues Zombie and Wisp) on Friday or Saturday.


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## beat2020 (Dec 31, 2009)

Looking forward to pics.


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## NIB BETTA (Apr 21, 2010)

I just wanted to let you know that you have been so helpful and informative. Hopefully things will work out and you can get back to breeding a lot sooner than you think.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh, good, it's a male. Now we can look at the females.


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