# A little vain when it comes to betta's



## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I found out that I am a little vain when I get my betta's. I got Raja since he had blue on his pink body, now that he lost it, I found out that I don't really look at him that much. Am I a bad mommy?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You will eventually accept him eventually.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

It's not that you don't like the fish, you just don't like his color. Lol


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

It's a fish.

If you feel that way about your firstborn child THEN you gotta problem :lol:


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

I know exactly what you mean, Shaina. Both my HMs have changed considerably since I first got them. Neither is as attractive as they were, and they've both gotten lazy and less entertaining. 

Considering I bought them for their looks, as well as my entertainment and amusement, I feel somehow cheated. I know it's not their fault, but it's certainly not mine. 

So I feed and maintain them and admire them for what they are. And every now and again I sigh and look at old pictures and try not to resent them, or feel guilty because I do.

Thanks, User. Perspective always helps.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

registereduser said:


> It's a fish.
> 
> If you feel that way about your firstborn child THEN you gotta problem :lol:


Fish are living creatures.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

registereduser said:


> It's a fish.
> 
> If you feel that way about your firstborn child THEN you gotta problem :lol:


Lol, I will probably think of my kids that way until they are a few months old. :lol:


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## katrina89 (Jul 16, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Fish are living creatures.


 yea but they dont care if u think theyre ugly


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

All they care is proper care. I don't care if other people think I am ugly.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I am totally that way with my male rescue. I think he is the most boring color fish on the planet. If my roommates weren't going to flush him and/or hadn't been taking terrible care of him I would have never chosen this fish. That being said, his care is just as good as my beautiful dalmatian female. I am more attached to her because I raised her up from such a tiny fry, but I wouldn't neglect him because of that. To neglect my fish would be to neglect my plants.

I would like to suggest Vita-chem to get some color back in your fish. It might help him develop his colors stronger. Or maybe not. It would be worth a try though!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am a chocolate betta fan. There colors are not as interesting. http://www.google.com/search?q=choc...w&biw=768&bih=878&sei=P9mvUJKyG-O0yAGu7oHIDg#


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## Fin Fancier (Aug 11, 2012)

I gotta agree with you. My male went from a beautiful multi to almost now solid blue with a green iridescence. He's still pretty, but he was so unique looking before and now he looks pretty common. He's still just as quirky/grumpy, though.


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## Bsalem05 (Oct 30, 2012)

I choose Mochi mostly for how fierce he was in his lil cup.. just lucked out that hes a cutie too! lol


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Chocolates seem to stay the same color. It seems my pet store fish don't change color. Many seem very healthy.


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

I kind of felt that way when I discovered that my fish that was supposed to be a dragonscale male was probably a plakat female. But now that I know she's a girl, I don't feel so bad about her dull coloring (except when you shine a flashlight on her, then she's absolutely gorgeous with her purples and reds). She also has the most incredible personality, so that definitely makes up for her lack of fancy coloring. 
When I got my new male, I was worried that I would like him better because he's flashy and fancy, but he is seriously lacking in the personality department, so my girl is still my favorite. Don't get me wrong, he still gets excited when he sees me and swims over to say hi and get fed, but he doesn't seem quite as intelligent as her, and he's certainly not as feisty as she is.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I am happy I am not the only one lol,


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I love the look of marbles when they are predominately white or cellophane with a smattering of colour over the top.

Therefore, I always fall in love with these types of fish, and then cry to myself when they inevitably marble out. A

I don't really like owning ugly animals. Call me vain but I have a thing about balance and symmetry. It's why I stopped purchasing HMs. Could not stand it when their fins got damaged or they got older and stopped being able to carry their finnage as well. 

Another of my pet hates, is having to deal with sickness in fish for any period of time. I am having difficulty getting rid of velvet in a couple of my tanks and it is getting to the point I just want to cull the infected stock and start afresh. 

Of course that then makes me feel like a murderer if I went ahead with it.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Compounded by the fact that they're Betta, somewhat smarter than "just fish," with a certain cute anthropomorphic personality which we relate to. 

And then there are our expectations of the animal, both in behavior and appearance.

Is it harder for mammal owners? I've never owned one---just wild birds and reptiles.


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

I actually find it fascinating to see my Bettas change colors. My VT was a pale pink, opalescent when I bought him & now he's really darkened & changed more to a burgundy. He hasn't slowed down, I enjoy watching him swimming around with his flowing fins. My CT isn't nearly as active but I still enjoy watching him, his coloring isn't as bright but to me he's still beautiful. Not sure how my newest 2 males will change but I'm excited to the changes.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

What a wonderful accepting attitude, even adventurous. I bought my fish because they looked the way I wanted. When they unexpectedly changed to something else, well.....

I would not have chosen either of my HMs had they looked like they do now. So now I'm "stuck" with them. And this thread has, for the first time, allowed me to say that out loud, err....in print.

In fact, out of the 5 Betta that I currently keep, I only really, really like one---and he's terminally ill.


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

LOL. The good thing is the Bettas won't read it & take offense.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

sainthogan said:


> I kind of felt that way when I discovered that my fish that was supposed to be a dragonscale male was probably a plakat female. But now that I know she's a girl, I don't feel so bad about her dull coloring (except when you shine a flashlight on her, then she's absolutely gorgeous with her purples and reds). She also has the most incredible personality, so that definitely makes up for her lack of fancy coloring.
> When I got my new male, I was worried that I would like him better because he's flashy and fancy, but he is seriously lacking in the personality department, so my girl is still my favorite. Don't get me wrong, he still gets excited when he sees me and swims over to say hi and get fed, but he doesn't seem quite as intelligent as her, and he's certainly not as feisty as she is.


 What kind of stuff does she do? Carter is so active.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

shellieca said:


> LOL. The good thing is the Bettas won't read it & take offense.


 How do you know I am not a Betta or there is a secret society of Bettas reading this:lol:?


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

I love all my fish, love their colors and fins and personalities. Even the girls are all different in many ways. But I do have my favorites ;-)

Hal, did you never want a dog?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would trade the dog for a new Betta.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Hallyx said:


> Compounded by the fact that they're Betta, somewhat smarter than "just fish," with a certain cute anthropomorphic personality which we relate to.
> 
> And then there are our expectations of the animal, both in behavior and appearance.
> 
> Is it harder for mammal owners? I've never owned one---just wild birds and reptiles.


Yes. A betta is going to pass away in X years whereas most mammal species I own will pass away in XX years. If the animal is hard to live with, that can be a really long time of "insert annoying habit here". Of course it depend on the species as well. Dogs I feel have a lot more potential to be exactly what you want them to be. They want to please, and you can capitalize on that fact. My rabbit and cat? Nope. While there is limited training I can do with both, they pretty much come the way they are going to be. Grumpy rabbit is grumpy, and needy cat is needy. And of course these animals are not limited to a few gallons of space in your home, they likely need at least a room (even if in the case of the dog they are crate trained. You can't keep them locked up in a crate all day every day).

Then there are looks. Overall I have some pretty nice looking animals. However, I am potentially getting a puppy that is the ugliest little thing I have ever seen. Quite frankly, at 6-7 months she looks like a fetal pig. She is wrinkly, you can see her spine because of the way it curves, and her tail is a curly-cue. But what can you do? Personality wise she is challenging too.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Bettas have been recorded to live 10 years.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> How do you know I am not a Betta or there is a secret society of Bettas reading this:lol:?


Psh, you know that betta's are just acting dumb but are actually smarter than us.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

So true when we walk away they are probably planning global domination.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Bettas have been recorded to live 10 years.


But 99.9% will not. And even still, they are in so many gallons of water, not free range in my house. My dogs and cat could easily live into their 20s.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> So true when we walk away they are probably planning global domination.


They are. They give off a pheromone that infects people to buy more betta's so they can telepathically plot our downfall together


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Or when they are in the breeder place they plot are downfall.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

registereduser said:


> Hal, did you never want a dog?


No, User, nor children. And I made darn sure I had neither.

I did want birds of prey, so I partnered with a couple of Kestrels and a couple of Red-tailed hawks and a Cooper hawk. "Kept" is not the right word; "owned" is even further from the mark. But they are not pets or permanent companions. Only for a season, they are never kept over the winter (not the wild-caught ones, anyway). And the falconer is not responsible for his charge until death, like it is with "pets." It's a much different relationship.

I kept a Columbian red-tail Boa constrictor. But he was more living sculpture than a true "pet" that one can rrelate to.

These fish are my first real pets and I'm at loss as to how to handle their deaths and how to relate to their lives when they don't meet my expectations. You see, only the breeders of wild-types, who specialize in threatened or endangered species, can say that they keep them "for the fish." The rest of us, if we're brutally honest, will admit the we keep them for what they can do for us, aesthetically, emotionally, ego-fulfillment or vanity.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Hallyx said:


> nor children.


I can't even imagine having kids, glad I never did. We have no control over how they will turn out no matter how hard we try.:shock::shock::shock:

Can't imagine a life without dogs, tho!:-D



Hallyx said:


> I did want birds of prey, so I partnered with a couple of Kestrels and a couple of Red-tailed hawks and a Cooper hawk. "Kept" is not the right word; "owned" is even further from the mark. But they are not pets or permanent companions. Only for a season, they are never kept over the winter (not the wild-caught ones, anyway). And the falconer is not responsible for his charge until death, like it is with "pets." It's a much different relationship.
> 
> I kept a Columbian red-tail Boa constrictor. But he was more living sculpture than a true "pet" that one can rrelate to.


 I am so not a bird or reptile person



Hallyx said:


> These fish are my first real pets and I'm at loss as to how to handle their deaths and how to relate to their lives when they don't meet my expectations. You see, only the breeders of wild-types, who specialize in threatened or endangered species, can say that they keep them "for the fish." The rest of us, if we're brutally honest, will admit the we keep them for what they can do for us, aesthetically, emotionally, ego-fulfillment or vanity.


I think pets of any type fulfill our need to take care of something.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My Betta has more personality than my dog.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

ChoclateBetta said:


> My Betta has more personality than my dog.


I feel bad for your poor dog. Do others in your family like the dog?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I love the dog and so does everyone else just Carter is more interesting.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

That's good you said you would trade the dog for a betta and that made me wonder.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would trade my dad and sister for a Betta.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

ChoclateBetta said:


> I would trade my dad and sister for a Betta.


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: good answer!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

These fish are my first real pets and I'm at loss as to how to handle their deaths and how to relate to their lives when they don't meet my expectations. You see, only the breeders of wild-types, who specialize in threatened or endangered species, can say that they keep them "for the fish." The rest of us, if we're brutally honest, will admit the we keep them for what they can do for us, aesthetically, emotionally, ego-fulfillment or vanity.[/quote] 
If I did not buy Carter he would be dead. I keep Carter as a pal.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I keep wild species (a couple of mine are on the red list so critcally endangered in the wild) and first and foremost they are my pets because I find them beautiful and love just watching how they behave and interact with me and each other. 

Successfully breeding them is secondary to that. When my rutilans got sick, I was more worried about losing my original pair who are two years old rather than their juvenile and adult offspring. They were my first wild bettas and I love them for what they are - a pet. 

I squandered a *lot* of money on buying pretty fish that I really didn't care for once I got them home. Nowadays, I buy only fish that I actually want as both a pet and potential breeding stock no matter what. That way I don't get disappointed if something comes up (such as one part of a pair dies) later down the track.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

What are all the species you keep? I dont get this part? 
Nowadays, I buy only fish that I actually want as both a pet and potential breeding stock no matter what. That way I don't get disappointed if something comes up (such as one part of a pair dies) later down the track. 
__________________
Can you please explain it again?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i can understand your feelings. i got Blitzkreig as a pineapple CT but he lost 30% of the black spot darkness. now hes gaining orange/red dalmation spots on the interior fins, black edges on all fins and black spots on pectorals. Grimmjow was a turquoise ct but i looks like his fins are destined to go white, 50% have gone white though its not uniform. it shocked me when grimmjow lost some of his blue but ive come to anticipate more white on the fins. Blitzkrieg does have a blue/black spot on the leading base edge of the dorsal and various iridescent blue lines on his body.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I think somepeople think a Betta has to be colorful to be nice but look at my avatar. He is a chocolate from what I have read they are not very common.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I keep nine separate species aside from my two splendens. 

I fell into the trap of purchasing a lot of splendens because I really only liked their colour and nothing else. Then when their colour changed (because I only purchase marbles) I had all these fish I had to dedicate time, money and space to that I didn't really like all that much. 

It's why now I usually only get wild bettas since their appearance doesn't drastically alter, I enjoy having them around, don't mind dedicating time and effort to their care, and if they do spawn for me this is an added bonus. 

Only time I would get a splendens now is if it has exemplary form and a nice colour. Otherwise I won't bother. Costs too much to have tanks running that are filled with fish I don't particularly care for. I shaved a couple of hundred dollars off our power bill simply by closing down half the tanks I was needlessly running.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Are the 2 a pair? What is the fish in your avatar?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

The splendens are just one male HMPK and one female CT. They share a divided tank but otherwise no I don't breed them or intend on breeding them. They get to stay because I like them and their tank requires very little effort to maintain. 

The one in my display picture is a juvenile Betta persephone. It's just starting to get the blue through its caudal and anal fin, which why it does not look like pictures you might see online.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Can you give me a list of your species? Are B.Imbellis easy to care for? What is so special about those 2?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I don't actually like the splendens complex so I don't have imbellis. Used to, but they were poor examples of the species and once they died I didn't bother replacing them. 

Current species are burdigala, brownorum, rutilans, persephone, tussyae, uberis, unimaculata, palangkaraya and ideii. Not all of them are in pairs. Tussyae is a juvenile from my now deceased pair and I am currently growing out persephone, rutilans, a single brownorum, and unimaculata fry. 

Those two stayed because everyone else either died or got sold. Plus they are two of my favourites so I don't mind having them around.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> I think somepeople think a Betta has to be colorful to be nice but look at my avatar. He is a chocolate from what I have read they are not very common.


speaking of your chocolate betta, are his fins brown or orange? my DeT is brown/black bodied with iridescent blue. his fins are dull pumpkin orange, the caudal tail has a smoky grey exterior half. i dont even know if hes a chocolate or an orange type

the thread that i first posted pics of my DeT in
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=110940


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

When I picked out my current betta I actually didn't care about his color that much, I just wanted the smallest one because I thought he was the youngest. I love him so much, but I like the ideas of certain colors and have in mind what I want after he passes. I hate it when they change colors. It actually really bothers me. A lot. I would pick out a betta because I like the color, I don't want it to change ever. And it drives me crazy that you never really know if it's a marble or not...


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

nel3 said:


> speaking of your chocolate betta, are his fins brown or orange? my DeT is brown/black bodied with iridescent blue. his fins are dull pumpkin orange, the caudal tail has a smoky grey exterior half. i dont even know if hes a chocolate or an orange type
> 
> the thread that i first posted pics of my DeT in
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=110940


 Its more of a really light brown like old paper.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Its more of a really light brown like old paper.


thank you, does the orange on mine stray from the chocolate definition? i still havent placed my DeT as a certain colour pattern.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

@fff

Izzy wrote a nice article about that on her _Sitting by the Koi Pond_ blog:
Sitting by the Koi Pond: Color Changes in Bettas


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Hallyx said:


> @fff
> 
> Izzy wrote a nice article about that on her _Sitting by the Koi Pond_ blog:
> Sitting by the Koi Pond: Color Changes in Bettas


Thank you Hallyx, I will go take a look at that.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Just finished reading the article. It was very good! That's the reason I will never buy a "pure white" betta from a pet store. Those white ones are notorious for changing!


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

Oh don't get me started on white bettas. I named Snowy because he was white as snow when I brought him. He changed colors 4 times during his life. XD


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

There's a reason my avatar picture has stayed, even though Ghost himself doesn't look a BIT like that anymore. That's how he looked when I got him, and I loved the colors. But he's a marble (like I knew what that was at the time!) and he swiftly moved on into new colors.

He's probably my second favorite now behind my color stable office pal Chicory, but yeah, I was a little bummed when Ghost stopped being the fish that caught my eye. Being aware of the trait makes me look at colors twice, and twice more


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

so far i only had 3 stable coloured betta. Osiris but then again i didnt have him too long before a bloating sickness took him. my DT Nelliel ie avy has a few more blue body scales and reduced fin coverage slow to grow back. my VT has red on the anal and pectoral but remains royal blue and black for the most part.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

nel3 said:


> thank you, does the orange on mine stray from the chocolate definition? i still havent placed my DeT as a certain colour pattern.


I would have to see a pic.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> I would have to see a pic.


thank you Choclatebetta, here are 2 new pics just taken. the lighting is normal as per the tank setup. 6500k daylight equivalent bulb on the right side ie VT but only 12% on the left side DeT. his tail split in 2 halves before or just after being put in the fish bag moments before purchase. the fins have since healed and are starting to color back up.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Looks like a chocolate to me. It might be a mustard. Does the body have a blue tint or brown color and nothing else?


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> Looks like a chocolate to me. It might be a mustard. Does the body have a blue tint or brown color and nothing else?


Thank you very much, the body has evenly spaced blue tint body scales. The top dorsal has a leading blue edge and there are many blue tints on the rays or just general spots on the grey parts of the fins. There's also some blue tint on the new growth areas. I do vaguely recall some minimal blue tint on the orange part of the fins. The first pic is the lightest orange he gets and the second is the darkest he will get.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You have the uncommon Chocolate. I have read it is Uncommon and that it is rare. It seems rare. But here you see like 3 or 4 always.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

ChoclateBetta said:


> You have the uncommon Chocolate. I have read it is Uncommon and that it is rare. It seems rare. But here you see like 3 or 4 always.


Thank you very much for identifying my betta. I can understand the uncommon vs rare. My double tail wasnt common in my area so I got him on AB. In the following months there was a deluge of similar colours with some red highlights. My pineapple ct is uncommon in the area and my chocolate betta ATM is rare in the area. Don't know if I'll see more chocolate betta but he's the first local one I found.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I have heard some say Chocolates are rare and other say uncommon. Albino Bettas are very rare 1000$ each!


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

1000 dollars is quite a bit though I think it's more about the seller than their actual cost. 

If anything pk are extremely rare here due to costs and consumer interests to the store itself. I did see 20 female blue red mix pk in a 5g tank in 1store. Their missing presence in the store are a mystery. It's only a month or so while they were there. My plan was to wait for a pk to show locally but the det was too nice to pass up but I regret nothing about that.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Its because Albinos are extremely rare.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i do understand they're rare though id think $500 would be more of a starting price than 1k. luckily im not in the market for an albine betta so my wallet wont dry in pain anytime soon.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

From what I have heard they are averaging 1000. They are a lot harder too breed too.


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

After Snowy I don't trust a white to stay white. I would never pay anywhere near $1000 for a color that has changed multiple times in my experience. Grant it, Snowy was a pet store betta with no known genetic past, but I no longer trust that color to be stable. XD


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Albino is not white it is no to little pigment. There terrible vision makes breeding hard.


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

Oh....never mind then. I'm used to albino meaning all white with red eyes in the mammal world. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's different for fish. 

But my initial reply is still true. I wouldn't pay $1000 for a white betta. XD


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

same here for paying 1k for an albino fish. im not that far into the bettas to pay such a price.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would pay 2Gs for 2 to breed them.


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

I think I'm looking at it from the perspective of being a pet owner instead of a breeder. If a breeder wants a pure line of something rare, like albino or pure white, then it wouldn't surprise me if that breeder would willingly pay 2G for a breeding pair. 

However, as a pet owner I wouldn't go that far. I don't need a pet fish that is breeding level. I would get a fish from s place like Aquabid or a LFS to garuantee the fish was raised properly from hatching to selling. That makes my cut off about 30 bucks. XD


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Albino Bettas dont make good pets anyways.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Albinos do... I have a pure white blind betta and I love him 

Just a little bit of extra care is needed, some patience, and you have a good friend just like any other betta. 

Albinos sometimes can be blind, but they aren't any less of a betta - in fact, normally they run for hundreds of dollars when being sold  But overall, yes, albinos make excellent pets!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

White and Albino are different. Albinos are less hardy and go blind very fast.


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