# A Betta Future part 1



## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

Hi everyone, this week I decided to share a project that I've been wanting to start for a long time, (please note I have no claims to this idea although the name "A Betta Future" is mine.) After seeing the appalling conditions that large pet chain stores such as Walmart, Petland, Petco, and Pet Smart 
Houses their bettas in I was shocked.
So I decided to take action and do something about it. After speaking to one of the workers about it, he brushed me off with a lecture about how bettas come from rice paddies and therefore, quote on quote, PREFER these conditions!
(Honestly how can people be this insensitive and stupid!) 
I could see I was getting nowhere.
As I already had a empty, cycled 12 gallon tank at home I decided that the next best thing I could do was save at least some of these poor creatures.
I took 4 of the most misreable looking females, 2 were babies only about the length of my middle fingernail, marched home with them, and transferred them to my tank. Now before I get any hate about how in doing this I am supporting Walmart and thus encouraging them to get in even more bettas, I got these for free because they were in such bad condition and as I reasoned were probably going to die anyway. So Walmart didn't make any profit at all. I hadn't had any intentions to take home a Betta that day, much less four, but hey, with me things rarely work out as they are planned.
Unfortunately I did not take any before photographs, but I will post some photos of how they look now hopefully sometime next week.

When I found them, the smallest one, now deemed Primrose or Prim for short,
Was a translucent white color and was obviously suffering from both finrot and amonnia poisoning. Her cups water was GREEN!
A few weeks later now pastel colors are starting to show and she is turning out a real stunner. Hardly recognisable as the Betta I first saw in the store.

My second Betta,Zoë, who is her sister, was covered in ich and had stress stripes.
Her faded blues, reds, and greens are now more vivid and she is a gorgeous multicolor.

Ember, although not seriously ill, also had stress stripes and was a muddy brown color. I knew she had no hope of ever being chosen as someone's pet, so I had to have her too. She is extremely friendly, loves following my finger, and readily takes food off my hand.

My last betta, Lilac, caught my eye from the start, because of her stunning lavender color. She was very lethargic, just hanging listlessly in her cup, Not moving. She is now the dominant female of the sorority and is very energetic and lively.

Hopefully many new additions will be added to the family soon. 

I think this story goes to show what a little TLC can do, and how with some time and effort, together, one betta at a time, 
We can give these guys,
A Betta Future.

Written by Kirby Yarrell


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## Nox (Feb 22, 2016)

I can't wait to see pictures of your rescues. I feel like too many people overlook female bettas because the males are so flashy. On the bright side in my areas female bettas are kept in tanks instead of cups. They are sorority tanks that aren't always set up correctly, but maybe this is a start and more bettas will start being kept in better conditions


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## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

That's great about your pet store, I agree about the females, it's a pity because they have such awesome personalities


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## Nox (Feb 22, 2016)

Yea I just got my first female about a week ago, and she is so tiny but just as feisty as my boys. I can't wait to be able to put her in one of my 5 gallons, she is in my spare 2.5 gallon while I babysit my friends fish. I am thinking about putting some ghost shrimp in with her so she has some entertainment when she gets her bigger home because my other bettas loved staring at the ghost shrimp as they fluttered around


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## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

Yes, well good luck with the ghost shrimp in my experience her staring at them is probably her plotting to eat them, lol my Betta made a quick snack of my shrimp, Pygmy Corys or a snail might be better but if you want you can give it a go with the shrimp just don't be disappointed if it doesn't work out!


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## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

You can see some pictures of Ember in the album I just made


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## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

Well, let me know how it goes with the shrimp


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## Nox (Feb 22, 2016)

I have had some shrimp before and my bettas haven't eaten them but they do end up dying. I am not sure why. I am pretty sure it is that I don't have enough flora in my tank. For like 2-4 weks they are super active then they just stop and I hardy see them. They look like they stop eating too and I will seperate them from the betta so they can get fod with out my fish eating it but they don't. I am going to get more java moss and some moss balls and a sponge filter for lady fish's tank and hopefully I can get my shrimp to live on


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## Nox (Feb 22, 2016)

Ember is a cutie pie, she kinda reminds me of a little minnow  in a good way of course.


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## A Betta Future (Mar 14, 2016)

Thanks Lol, do you have any photos of your baby girl?


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## Nox (Feb 22, 2016)

I have 2 in an album. She never sits still so it is rather hard to photograph her, probably doesn't help that I am using my phone :-?


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