# Scififan's Baby Betta Journal



## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Journal #1:

Week into having the babies (would have started earlier, but wanted to make sure they survived a week). Both in individual 1 gal tanks, but I have a 5.5 gallon cycling. Probably will move them into it after it finishes. Their color is really starting to come in nicely, especially Little Two's. Also able to notice visible growth on their ventral and caudal fins. Leaning toward both being girls. Little one is a iridescent royal blue on body with bright red fins. Little Two looks like she might be a chocolate, but I think I'm starting to see an almost purple sheen on her scales. Still unable to tell tail types. Really hope they are both girls, because then they can go into the Sohma Sorority that I am going to set up this summer. Current feeding schedule is 3 or 4 times a day, frozen BBS for all Sunday feedings, one feeding of frozen bloodworm and another of frozen daphnia on Wednesday, Hikari micro pellets for the rest.
Comparisons :
Little One













Little Two


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Cool! I think it would be fun to get a baby betta and be able to find out the gender when it grows up. Where did you get them?


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

I got them at Petco. Both the ones here (and the one where my sister worked in SD) gets their fish shipment in on Thursdays, so I became a pest and called every Thursday afternoon until they got a shipment of babies in. Wanted to get the little guys out of those cups as quickly as possible. If you do take the plunge and rescue one, make sure you have a variety of foods to offer (some are really fussy and they need higher protein for growth) and a reliable heater.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 2*

Day 9:

Babies are both good... I think LT (Little Two's fins grow some more last night :-D). THe iridescent lavender-ish color also seems to have spread more on the body and onto the fins. Moving them into the 5.5 as soon as I confirm that it's cycled... yeah, that'll be in the other journal... stuff I don't understand makes my head hurt sometimes. Anywho, I'm going to try upload one pic a day of the two of them until July 3rd, then I'll do either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly photos, epending on how much they've matured/have left to mature. Will definitely do a comparison on April 10 2015 (assuming they both make it that long) as a 1 year comparison. And, the pics of the day (1st w/o flash, 2nd w/ flash):


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## Kaffrin (Apr 1, 2014)

Your babies are looking beautiful! ^^ Keep up the wonderful work~


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Looks like LT is going to be a twin tail. 
Ate you going to rename them once you determine the gender?
I also live in the Midwest... Do all Midwest petco stores sell baby bettas? I'm thinking of getting one.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Thanks Kaffin  
Eep Crood, I'm not sure if all of them do. The two in Lincoln, at least one in Omaha and the 1 in Mankato all did, but from looking on the baby threads, so stores refuse to sell them. Best bet is to call around and see if any in your area get them. I know that one of the ones here is very slow to order more, while the other gets an order of babies in each month. Depends on the store


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 3*

Day 10:

Not much to report today. LT insists on scaring me every couple of days. Last week it was listing to the left when swimming. This morning was belly sliding for 30 minutes before fully waking up. Gonna take the plunge and call LT a male. Can't see ovaries behind the stomach. Still no clue with LO. Think I see an egg spot, but doesn't really mean anything until older. Noticed some slivery sheen patches on LT's dorsal fin, ventrals, and body. So maybe people speculating DS (dragon scale) were on to something :shock:. Potential names for LT (if he is in fact a he) are Uo(tani) or Akito

Pics:


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

You should stop posting here for 3 weeks, THEN every three weeks tell us your guess then you'd be more accurate and you'd surprise us and keep us in sususpense :O


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Maybe next time I get a little one. this is partially also to help me keep track of anomalies and changes I make so if something happens, I can learn from it and maybe recognize early warning signs for the next one.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 4*

Day 11:

Moved LT and LO into a 5.5 gallon tank, divided. And, of course, LT decided to point out the flaws in my first DIY divider within the first twenty minutes. Little s*** was on LO's side when I came back to feed them, being harassed to the bottom of the tank. So, he got cupped for an hour while I went out to eat and make another. Both are settling in fine. Eep Crood, I think I'll switch to photo updates on Sunday, and journaling every day.













Oh, and here's their tank. Little Two||Little One


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Oh, I see. This is your first time caring for baby bettas? I think you should give your babies temporary names, until you determine the gender. names like Riley, skylar, Taylor, pat, Austin, names that work for boys and girls.
You said you've lived in the Midwest 99% of your life... How old were you when you moved to the Midwest? I've lived in the Midwest for most of my life... I was 3 years when we moved. But I won't hit 99% until I'm 300


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

9 months old. So, not quite 99%, but all of my memory is of living in Midwest. and yea, first time with babies. Actually, haven't had a betta since I was 5 until a month ago.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

How old are you now?
I don't know which betta is which, but the reddish one (little one I believe) I think will be a female, her body shape looks like a female's


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

24. The input I got on the petco baby page was that they both look like boys. Little Two is the lighter double tail. Lack of ovaries and egg spot, and fin length/shape. Little One is the blue and red one with regular tail. They were saying that they couldn't see ovaries and (s)he is to narrow to be female, but we'll see. If their interaction is anything to go off of, both are boys, with LO being the more dominate one.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 5*

Day 12:

Everyone is eating all healthy and quickly and such. Not seeing any stress markings on either of them, so I think this is working. Seems like I slowed the current enough for them. L1 acciently blew a very large bubble when he was eating. Freaked him out. Spent a couple minutes pushing it around the surface until it popped. L2's mostly been hanging out in the shadowy bottom corner of his tank, under the terracotta pot. Still goes and explores but likes that security corner.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

I don't know, little ones body shape looks like a girls


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 6*

Day 13:

Nothing to report. L2's band around fins are getting darker. L1's tail seems to be getting longer. Everyone seems healthy and fierce. Especially with the mirror.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 7*

Day 14:

Little One got into Little Two's side last night right before I went to sleep. So I got to spend a good 30 minutes reinforcing the DIY divider. Nothing really happened today. L1 got lighter today, L2's fins got darker. Both seem healthy. Keep having to fight with the filter sponge baffle. All for tonight.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 8*

Day 15:

L2's name has been changed to Little S#!/. Keeps hiding from me so I think he's on L1's side, plays with his pellets, taunts L1 because he plays with his pellets (swallows them and spits them out repeatedly, even when they're small). Got L1 to do his first full flare. Fins extended, gills and beard out. Super cute. I also think he may have made tiny bubble nest on the tip of the Anubias plant I have floating. Could also be residual bubbles from WC last night. Only time will tell. L1 still likes accidentally making huge bubbles and pushing them around the surface :roll:.


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Yeah it'd be so fun to get a baby betta, guess what gender it is, and watch as it grows. Sorta what my parents did, they didn't want to find out what gender I was until I was born.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 9*

Day 16:

L1 tore apart his pellets with a fury. L2 still plays with them. Both flare like boys, turning sideways and showing off fin. L1 is a bit more aggressive, flaring gills and beard. My two girls both charge the mirror, so the babies definitively flare differently than them. Both are just over 1" in length, which is impress growth considering that when I got them, they were barely an inch including tail.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 10*

Day 17:

Changed their feeding schedule to three meals of 2 micro pellets and a cut up omega one. Starting to do daily flaring exercises for a couple of minutes. L1 has really good form, but lacks endurance (like 2 seconds). L2 still hasn't done a full flare that I've seen apart from the time he was floating in Kisa's tank to keep warm during a tank cleaning, but stays interested and flares longer. Both very active, swimming fine. Fins are definitely getting longer on them both.
Going to guess that they are 8 weeks (growth chart suggests that I got them as either 5 weeks or runty 6 weeks, with the runts being more likely). Pics tomorrow


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Can I see pictures of them???????


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Later today I'll put up a day one vs day 18 pic


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

Glad to hear that your little ones are doing so well.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 11*

Day 18:

Both of them seem a lot happier now that they are in a bigger tank. Nothing really to report.
Pics:
L1













L2













...and some random pics of my cat Luna :twisted:


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## nclnchls (Mar 18, 2014)

L1 is so vibrant!! And Luna is adorable haha


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Thanks nclnchls. I was shocked when I pulled up the comparison for him. He has really brightened up, and it was harder to gauge growth with him. And Luna is such a dork. She loves taunting Kisa


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## RockChalk (Mar 21, 2014)

I love that last picture of your cat! I haven't moved my baby and tank to my house yet, so I have no idea what's going to happen. I have 3 cats. I might not get to move my 2 gallon to my house.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

It depends on the cat. Luna really likes watching them swim and doesn't really bother them... except to drink their water... daily. Like this morning, she was dunking her paw into the babies' water through the hole in the lid for the power cords and licking it off. Such a dork. But Moto (my mom's cat) kept trying to catch my sister's guppies whenever she had the lid off. But Luna hasn't even moved my 1 gallon tanks, so, it just depends.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 12 and 13*

Day 19:

Really nothing to report. Hence the no journal yesterday . That and a very long day. Stupid work.

Day 20:

So L1 jumped a little out of the water because he was getting impatient for me to drop his pellets. Not much, just his nose up to his eyes. Also, they are either very smart or always hungry. Either way, I dropped their floating mirror in and both of them ignored it until I left the room. So, they recognize me, or have just come to associate me with food. But L2 likes to follow my face around the tank, so there's that.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 14*

Day 21:

So much activity. L1 is so anxious for his food, he reminds me of Hatori sometimes. She will literally try to eat to pellets at once. Sometimes I can hear him snapping the food up. And L2 gets really excited every time I go into my bedroom (where their 5.5 is set up). Does really quick back and forth across the front of the tank. Only stops after about 10 minutes of me watching. Everyone seems to really enjoy bloodworm and daphnia day. Not as much as BBS day. L2's body still hasn't really colored accept the lavender-ish sheen has spread more. Still a yellowy-brown color. Oh well. They're still young, and some are just late colorers.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 15*

Day 22:

I now this is a little early to be posting for me but I couldn't contain myself. I got these two exactly 3 weeks ago, and............ LADIES AND GENTLEFINS, WE HAVE A BUBBLENEST!! :-D







It was more impressive before I messed with it. Was checking to make sure the filter wasn't making the bubbles. L1 got so pissed at me. He pouted in the back corner (against the divider) until I gave them food.

The are both healthy, active, and growing.







L2 now has a tank mate. At least, I don't think he can switch sides. I stole my glofishes' snail and put him in with L2.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 16*

Day 23:

I discovered a new game. For the middle feeding, I give them an uncrushed OO pellet. They still can fit them in their mouths, but they get to chase it around the surface... or swim with it in their mouths. And then, when it's softened, they tear chucks out of it.

But a sponge that actually fits inside the filter chamber, over the intake part, so the current is way slowed. L1 really appreciates it. He'd appreciate it more if he had food access 24/7, but that's a different story.

Not much else for the little guys.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 17*

Day 24:

Well, L1 is fine, zipping around like always. Giant bubblenest wasn't his, but he has a tiny one under one of the leaves of his plant. That is, before the water change this evening.

L2, on the other hand, has me concerned. Barely at anything to day. Ignored most of the pellets, but did eat the frozen Daphnia. Been hanging by the top of the tank, not moving much, fins aren't what I'd call clamped. Seemed darker colored than usual. Spent most of the day floating on his plant. Not breathing hard. Just no energy. Did get him to flare. Hopefully it's just a bad day, or slight case of bloat.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 18*

Day 25:

Note: Decided that they are now teenagers. Because I can decide things like that . Also, guessing they're nine or ten weeks old, so within a month or so of breeding age.

Well, L2 still seems pretty lethargic. Still spent a lot of time hanging on his leaf. Noticed that he hangs out below the snail a lot, too. So maybe he's just curious? Little more active, I think he ate a bloodworm this morning, and he ate a bit of Daphnia tonight. Really hoping he's sad or bored or going through a growth spur or something. I mean, his fins aren't clamped at all, there are no weird spots or patches on him, no problems swimming at different levels. Nothing but the snail and new water (properly conditioned) have been added, and the snail was in another tank for months with perfectly healthy Glofish, so I don't think he brought anything. Will continue observing him.

L1 is fine, swimming like his same old teenage self. Gets really upset when L2 still has some food after he's eaten all his. Saw something I haven't seen for a while. The teens were having a flare off through their divider. L2 still wins endurance-wise, but L1 has the more impressive display.

And, since today is Sunday, picture time:
L1 being L1







L2 with Buddy














PS, does anybody know what type of snail he is?


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## nclnchls (Mar 18, 2014)

Looks like a tiger nerite snail to me! Glad your babies are doing well--hope L2 perks up soon


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

I do too, he seems better than yesterday. And if it is a Nerite, then I got it for a steal. LFS in my old town sold it as a gold mystery, which were way cheaper.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 19*

Day 26:

And L2 seems to be back to his old self. Thank gods, now I can go back into normal airbreather mom mode, instead of insane, helicopter airbreather mom mode. Ate a couple of pellets during each mirror. Very energetic flare session. Pacing in front of the tank when I'm sitting down near it. So, growth spur, bored, or something.

L1 still attacks everything food near him. And blows giant bubbles and plays with them. He is such a weird fish.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 20*

Day 27:

I swear L2 gets bored. All he does is pace and stare at the snail and play with his food. I think I'll get a lava lamp or glitter lamp and put it by the tank, see what he thinks. He is definitely back to his old self. Still my little endurance flarer. L1 has started to refuse to interact with the mirror, will only flare at L2. Sigh. Teenagers.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 21*

Days 28-30:

Work has been kicking my a$$ recently. They both seem to be doing just fine, and growing into healthy happy betta fish. L2 continues to be my problem child. Moping, waking up very pale, swimming around half asleep and running into things. I swear, this fish is torturing me on purpose.


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Oh, and we've made it past the 4 week mark!


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

You're not going to call them little one and little 2 for the rest of their life, are you? I'd recommend renaming them now that you know their genders


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Are you sure little 2 is a male?


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

No, I'm still not sure of the double tail's gender. I'm going with guy because he is 10 or 11 weeks old, I have never seen evidence of an egg spot, and to my untrained eye, I can't see ovaries. Their names are Hanajima "Hana" or Ritzu (M/F)
and Uotani "Uo" or Momiji (M/F).


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## Eep Crood (Jan 23, 2014)

Can I see a close up of him/her?


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

Sure. Here ya go.













If there were ovaries, shouldn't it be visible right over the anal fin?


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## scififan523 (Apr 5, 2014)

*Journal 22*

> 1 month

Well, I think that this will be the pause on the Baby Betta thread until I get another one. Unless one is a tranie, they are both males, and their names are Uotani (DT) and Hanajima (VT). I will post a 2 month pic on June 10th, and now start focusing on my next projects, the sorority and breeding Yue with Kisa and Ha'ri.

Uo now has a glitter lamp to look at, and they both have a ghost shrimp as a tank mate. Once I get done with the dividers and get it cycled they will move in to a 10 gallon with Yue.




























So, for now, bye on this thread. Will still have sporadic updates in my regular journal. :thankyou:


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