# baby Shark grows up



## cxjtc (Jan 2, 2013)

2012.12.04 (day one)

i went to Petco to look at mice because I was considering getting one. As I browsed the store I came to the betta display. They had cups labeled 'baby betta' and until i picked it up and looked from underneath they seemed empty. I had told myself going into the store that I wasnt going to buy anything but I couldnt resist. I thought that if I was going to buy a fish I would get one that had little chance of survival in the store or as a childs first pet. All the babies looked similar so I took one at random.

I bought a .5 gallon tank kit which seemed like enough for something so small. I took set it up on my dresser and gently poured the fish in. I did not know the gender, color, or tail type. It did very little besides hanging out at the bottom of the tank not moving. I did not name it yet because I didnt know its personality or features. I called it Fish when talking to it or the fish when talking about it.










within a few days I noticed that each time I went up to the tank, the fish would swim up to me. It would hover for a bit then swim back and forth at the front of the tank. I decided it was time to give it a name, but I did not feel like being creative so I called it Shark, because I wanted it to have a god complex.

Not knowing much about how to raise a betta, I fed Shark entirely too much and it became bloated. Luckily after posting a pic on this site I got some good advice. I started to see some red in the fins although they were very thin. A crown tail began to appear. After a few weeks I saw an egg spot confirming that Shark is a female.










2013.01.02

Although still tiny, Shark had doubled in size since I got her. I bought her a 3 gallon tank and some decorations. She was stressed at first, but soon she was exploring. She seemed to enjoy the extra space and new places to hide. 










2013.01.04 

Shark celebrates one month at home.


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## cxjtc (Jan 2, 2013)

2013.01.11

Shark continues to darken. A blue horizontal stripe has appeared on her upper body. It is only visible when you look close and otherwise her body remains unchanged. She is about 1" long. Her fins are still thin. Im concerned her growth has been stunted. She seems significantly smaller than the females I see on this site. I have no idea how old she is though. She is healthy, active, and curious.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

She's really lucky to have someone like you! She's also very pretty. My female, who I bought as a baby from petco is about the same size as your Shark. And I even picked the biggest baby they had, so I wouldn't worry too much. I've had some delicate little ladies, and we currently have this big squishy cow, who started off about an inch long when we brought her home.

Good luck!


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## cxjtc (Jan 2, 2013)

2013.01.12

Yesterday there were a few bubbles in the tank. Today there are a lot. It doesnt seem like she is trying to make a bubble nest, because they are all around the edge. Each time I pass the tank there are more and I see her blowing them. She does not seem sick and I dont have a male that would excite her. Is this normal?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Shark is so cute!


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## cxjtc (Jan 2, 2013)

2013.01.16

Shark is sexually mature. Her horizontal stripes have faded and she now has faint vertical breeding stripes.


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Yah for shark!


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