# The Betta Chronicles



## gillandpudge132 (Sep 6, 2018)

Chapter One: An Introduction

Maybe I'll be the only one who will read this, or maybe some of you will tag along on this journey through great waters with me. Either way, I'll be using this thread as a means of keeping track of my little finned friends and their progress through life. 

For now, a brief introduction to the current crew who will henceforth be known as the OBG- Original Betta Gang- if I need to refer to them as a whole. It is also worth mentioning that I work at a PetCo, which is where I obtained all but one of my fish so far. For some reason we have a large portion of our staff who is very passionate about bettas and I caught the bug from them. I have since made it a goal to educate myself as much as possible on proper betta care so I can share this knowledge with our guests, as there is a lot of misinformation still circulating to those who may not be very experienced regarding bettas. I am by no means an expert, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can!

Okay, first up is Pudge, a double tail male. Sweet little Pudge. He is as unassuming as male bettas come. With fins of little volume and scales a subtle, quiet color of blue, he was many people's last choice. While I had fallen in love with the black orchids we had just started carrying, there was something about this boy's pale complexion that made me fall in love. He sat on the shelf, moving from spot to spot for about a month before I decided to take him home. I had an extra tank from my first betta(RIP George) laying around, so why not? I'm glad I made that decision. He brings a unique contrast into the group with his more mild temperament and amiable personality. Many people don't think fish capable of having personalities, but I'll be darned if I couldn't tell my fish apart even if they looked the same. Especially Pudge. He's a cat among lions, and a good guy for it.

Next up is my boy Gill, a black orchid male, tail type halfmoon. I think. We at PetCo do not label our bettas accurately. Anyways, he is a treasure. Nearly all a uniform jet black, accented with a rich royal blue coloration. He truly looks his best in the light, showing off his blooming fins and glossy scales. I like to think he is vain. The little sucker does not hesitate to show of his beauty, and rarely spends time at the bottom of his tank with his plants. He enjoys being front and center, waiting rather impatiently to be fed. There is not a touch of shyness turning his head and he has been known to allow a small caress if he is in a good mood. Even still, after he took a great tumble in a tragic shelf collapse incident. Given my adoration of the black orchid coloring I of course am very pleased with him, but he is a silly fish nonetheless. He may not boast much for brains, however he is in no short supply of confidence, and I respect him for it.

With great excitement I now introduce Albatross, a galaxy koi HMPK male. I think. Again. He is the only one I haven't gotten from PetCo. Instead he came from a local pet store which I greatly respect for their fish care and knowledge, which unfortunately does not extend to bettas. The group was unlabeled besides a rather ambiguous title of "fancy bettas," but of the HMPK part I am certain. His coloring while magnicent is confusing to a beginner such as myself. Any feedback on my identification would be appreciated. I selected Albatross to be my breeding male, as I had a better understanding of how old he was and where he came from. While we have only been together for a few weeks now, I am so overjoyed by his presence. He is glorious, and a spitfire, and I found myself gaining a new appreciation for the plakat fin type that I was once admittedly apprehensive about. It seems he is always angry about something. The first few days in his new tank were something to behold as he darted around from wall to wall, flaring at his reflection. I was worried he'd never stop, he was so bent on seeing blood. Now, well, he is still a very angry little fish, but he takes a break from his battles against his all-encompassing enemies to relax on his silk plant or hang out at the surface biting at bubbles. I really do hope he calms down enough to breed nicely with his lady. I will have to supervise carefully and be vigilant about timing!

Last, but certainly not least, is the currently unnamed lady of the house, a dumbo eared halfmoon female. I chose possibly the most feminine fish I could find, and I'm glad I waited as long as I did. She is not small, and certainly not timid. Her large attitude comforts my growing nerves about the future breeding a bit, as she'll have to go head to head with the wild Alby. Hopefully she doesn't flip things around on him. I'd much prefer to see both bettas come out unscathed. SLOWLY. I will be doing this very slowly. I don't have much to add on girl betta as she is a very new addition, but I look forward to getting to know her.

That is all for introductions for now. Pictures are in the next post to avoid clutter here.

Thanks for reading and happy swimming!


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## gillandpudge132 (Sep 6, 2018)

Alrighty, here are some pictures. I know, they aren't the greatest but these are the best ones I could get. Ever try taking a picture of a very dark black orchid betta in a bowl shaped tank? Well, it clearly doesn't work.

First up, Gill, not that you can tell. I tried to show the spots on his dorsal fin but I did not do a good job. Fish photography is not in my future.








Now to Albatross, the jerk. I took about a million and one photos and only got maybe three good ones because he doesn't stay still. Gill tries his hardest to be photogenic and I fail him, and then Albie doesn't even attempt to help, even a little.
















Okay, Pudge is a little beaten up right now. I had some issues with his tank which is why he is in a cup. I think we may have a case of fin rot, and I also needed to adjust a few things to make it more betta friendly. Hopefully he'll be looking better soon.








Lovely lady no-name looking fine and frilly. She is very photogenic. I got a lot of good ones of her, but these show her off the best.















Name suggestions? I like to stick to a Disney theme, with the exception of Albatross(he's the exception to a lot of things)so hit me up if you have ideas.


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## gillandpudge132 (Sep 6, 2018)

Chapter: A Day In the Life of the OBG

Our routine is a simple one. I get up in the morning and do a sunrise check. The checklist consists roughly of the following: water clarity check, bottom/gravel check, decor check, live plant check, and of course betta health check. I then turn on then turn on the plant light and do morning feeding. 

Albatross gets only pellets. He will not eat anything else. I have not tried frozen shrimp or blood worms due to low funds, but that will be my next endeavor. Gill gets a balance of pellets and freeze-dried blood worms. He enjoys both, as does Pudge, though I encourage more pellets for proper nutrition. As we feed our bettas the freeze-dried blood worms at PetCo, I will have to transition new girl to the mix. Hopefully she will take to the pellets, as some guests who have bought bettas have come back concerned that their bettas won't eat. They usually aren't to thrilled with receiving broccoli after eating only candy.

I usually am off to work soon after feeding, or for afternoon shifts I do a quick check before I leave, just in case I need to get something. For morning shifts, I check when I get home to make sure there were no explosions while I was gone. I sometimes feed a small portion at night, although typically our feedings are once a day. 

Today, Alby didn't eat, so I gave him another opportunity to fill his belly. He did not take it. I'm not concerned as he has been eating fine all other times, but I'll be keeping an eye on him. He seems very angry, so perhaps he is throwing a tantrum. I did get a great picture of him somewhat flaring though, and you can even see his pretty blue eyes!








Gill and Pudge, the gluttons that they are, ate very well. I moved Pudge back into his tank. I hope he likes the new decor. It looks much more pleasant, but that's just my opinion. He's happy to be out of the cup at least, and is exploring. I will have to watch his fin rot condition closely. It doesn't seem too bad; I could have caught it sooner.








All my boys were posing today! I got a much improved one of Gill fanning out for me while I fed him. Small, dark, and handsome!








That's all for today. I will be updating on Pudge's condition and see if Alby's food refusal amounts to anything. I've gotten this far, I'm not taking any chances.

Thanks for reading and happy swimming!


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