# The Ugliest Fish in the World



## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Alrighty, well, I've ended up with another girl betta quite by accident. I ran by the fish section at Walmart to grab a few plants for my aquarium (a reward to myself for getting a paper done) and this poor girl was on her last legs. She was basically colorless--just shades of brown--and was floating almost sideways on the top of the cup, which was, of course, disgusting. I barely had time to set up my old half-gallon as a temporary solution and get her settled before I ran to class, and when I got back, she looked infinitely better. Two days later, she's still doing well, but she is, as the title suggests, the ugliest betta I've ever seen. She has some tints of turquoise on her fins and a little bit of iridescence that she didn't have when I got her, so I guess I'm just wondering... Any chance she's ever going to look significantly better than she does now? I hate to name her "Lumberpile" preemptively. 

As soon as I move home (Saturday), she is going to be moved into a 2.5 gallon with a heater and filter, so I expect she will look at least a little better then. There were a few others I wish I could've gotten, including a crowntail, but I just don't have the space. He was pretty enough to possibly get picked up by someone, anyways, and this girl was toast.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

Oh wow... a brown betta o.o" I'm sure she'll color up!! At least her fins are in tact and nice!


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## Jennyinurmouth (Apr 6, 2010)

aweh, she is cute to me


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Jennyinurmouth said:


> aweh, she is cute to me


Haha, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I think she's hideous. I mean, objectively, she kinda is, but I think she's adorable in a weird way. She's very active in her half-gallon, but likes to just sit and stare at me when I start talking.


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## Zenandra (Nov 14, 2009)

does she have any yellow in her fins? She might be a variation of a pineapple. I've seen them before with brown bodies and yellow fins. She also may have some wild in her, they tend not to be as colorful... or with a good diet and clean water she might eventually develop some more color. THough I dont think she'll get much more colorful


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## newfishmom (Mar 26, 2010)

Ohhhhhh, name her Sparrow!


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Zenandra said:


> does she have any yellow in her fins? She might be a variation of a pineapple. I've seen them before with brown bodies and yellow fins. She also may have some wild in her, they tend not to be as colorful... or with a good diet and clean water she might eventually develop some more color. THough I dont think she'll get much more colorful


Nope, no yellow--just a little bit of what looks like pale bluish-gray. And I was thinking she might have some wild or something else in her. You can't tell so much in the picture I posted because she's turning away, but she's very long and slender compared to my other girl.

And, aw, I really like the name "Sparrow" for her! Never would have thought of it myself, but it's very cute and very appropriate. If she doesn't color up any more in the next few days, Sparrow she shall be!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Aww she's so cute! It looks like he color is called Chocolate. Here's a link you can look at. It has a whole list of colors:http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=29868


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## BettaSquirt (Jun 2, 2009)

Shes cute  (But not really digging the color either ;]) But I tend not to judge a betta on their color or fins, I just judge them on their personality. Like Squirt, he's a mutt from Petco, multi-colored, just a plain veiltail, But he has the most amazing personality out of all bettas  (in my point of view) Hehehe, Its so funny how he adores being pet by my finger. :] Hopefully she'll get a little color in her! Good luck with her, also


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

That body shape doesn't strike me as B. splendens. Perhaps it could be mixed with a spendens, but the lack of good color and the body shape remind me a little bit of B. pugnax.


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## nobleduck (May 2, 2010)

I'm so glad you saved her! I'm sure she has a nice personality!


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

She's a cutie! I second the name Sparrow.


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Mister Sparkle said:


> That body shape doesn't strike me as B. splendens. Perhaps it could be mixed with a spendens, but the lack of good color and the body shape remind me a little bit of B. pugnax.


Well, I googled it, and she looks even more like that in person than she does in the picture. No bother to have her, though--she'll be something very different from my other girl! And I guess that mean she's officially "Sparrow," too. It's an appropriate name for a "Forest Betta."

Thanks so much to everyone for all the answers and encouragement. I shall pass the good wishes and compliments along to her.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

I don't blame you. I LOVE the wild-type betta species!


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

She can't be mixed with a wild type. You can't breed two different species. She looks like a splendens to me. I seriously doubt a wild type would end up in a walmart. Those fish are not cheap and the fry of them would not end up at a pet store.. much less death-mart.

She looks like a chocolate VT to me. She'll probably color up once she's in a nice tank.


FYI.. I just found this out recently and thought I'd share. Technically there is no such thing as a Pineapple betta. That color is not recognized by the IBC and all so-called "pineapples" are actually classified as chocolates.


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## newfishmom (Mar 26, 2010)

We have some sparrows that have yellow bellies and some that have red bellies so even if she does show some color the name will still fit!


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

She's pretty, in a way. I wonder if she'll color up a teeny bit?


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> She can't be mixed with a wild type. You can't breed two different species.


Not true. It happens A LOT! Not only that, but I suspect there is a high possibility we aren't even looking at a female! :shock:


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

Just doing a quick look in Google images...

Here's a B. splendens x B. imbellis (most of our bettas actually have some imbellis in them!):









Here's a cross between B. splendens x B. smaragdina:










I don't know if there's ever been much succes in a splendens x pugnax project, but such things are not out of the question!


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Well, with all the dissenting opinions, I will definitely remember to post pictures once I get her home and in a real tank. As far as her possibly not being a "her" goes, I can't see the little white dot--but that doesn't mean anything. My vision's so crappy that my glasses and contacts make it impossible for me to see anything that small up close.

She stress stripes very, very easily, too. When I change her water, she looks almost as bad as she did in the cup, but she also settles down very quickly. She also eats like a pig! I'm not over-feeding her, but she gulps down what I give her immediately. So I guess, all in all, Sparrow's an interesting little fish.

I'm also heading back to Walmart later today to see if that poor CT boy is still there (and alive). He might have to live in his cup until I get home on Saturday, but at least it will be a clean cup. Bah. Alternately, I may fill up a bottle with conditioned water and try and refill some of the cups that are there. I can't buy them all, sadly...


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I can't wait to see updated pictures. I really like the wild look bettas. I agree with Mister Sparkle (<---- every time I see your name I get Simpsons flashbacks). It's really her body shape that's wild looking to me. Like the pictures above.

Stores are crazy. I bought my Corys and they were supposed to be Brochis Splendens. They're so obviously not. They don't even have the right number of rays. They still haven't fixed this at Petco. You never know what you're going to end up with.

Anyway, I think she's VERY pretty!


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

She's not ugly, she is very pretty =) She looks a lot like my Angel, she also has turquoise fins and is beautiful, I'm very protective over her for some reason lol.


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Well, I went back to get that pastel CT male, and he's currently (probably) dying in a one-gallon bowl of clean, warm water. He's basically just laboring at the bottom of the tank. Every once in a while he tries to swim, but he just ends up jerking his body with minimal forward motion. It's a shame, because I can tell he'd be really pretty if he were healthy. I also got a VT male with an absolutely horrible case of fin rot. Sigh. Unless one of these boys runs off with my heart, I'm going to be finding them homes afterward. Sorry for the crappy pictures... Iphone pictures again.

Here's the Veil Teil:

















And the Crown Tail:









I feel kinda bad posting pictures of him... He's just so sad. But I feel worse for not having picked him up when I got Sparrow, because he wasn't this bad then.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Your VT looks like a young dalmation. That's a shame about the CT. Poor lil guy.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

If that VT is a Dal I will take him!!! 

Since Fish died I've been searching high an low for another Dal. I could get an HMPK one but I want either a VT dal or a HM.

I feel bad for the little CT. I would lower the water level so he can breathe.. even if you have to take the heater out.. air is what is important.


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> If that VT is a Dal I will take him!!!
> 
> Since Fish died I've been searching high an low for another Dal. I could get an HMPK one but I want either a VT dal or a HM.
> 
> I feel bad for the little CT. I would lower the water level so he can breathe.. even if you have to take the heater out.. air is what is important.


Right after I took about half of the water out, he swam up and took a nice big breath. And he's moving around a bit more just in general, too, which is definitely not what I expected. I mean, he's not exactly doing backflips in his bowl, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. Thank you for the advice!

I'll keep you updated on the VT, too, though I promised my little sister she could have first pick if she wanted one. And I'm slightly terrified of shipping a fish, lol, but if people have been doing it for years, then I'm sure I can.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Well if your sister wants him by all means let her have him. I'll find one eventually I hope.


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> Well if your sister wants him by all means let her have him. I'll find one eventually I hope.


Just got off the phone with her, and she definitely wants the CT. So, once he's all fixed up, if you still want the VT (I've taken to calling him "Dax"), he's yours.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Let me know when he starts getting better and I'll take another look at him.


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## Starbright (Apr 26, 2009)

Aww your fish are pretty!  It's so hard to resist buying these little beauties, huh? If my mom let me have my way, I'd have 10+!! It's good that youre finding nice homes!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

He could color up beautifully. This is what Tango looked like the day I bought him. Today that's him in my avatar.


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## MozartOwner (Apr 20, 2010)

I love how pretty Sparrow is, it's like an earthly fish.

Goodluck on the fish saving! It's very sweet and kindhearted of you to take them in.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Thats true. I forgot how "ugly' Fish was when I got him. He looked very similar to that. Once he's nice and healthy just let me know how much shipping would cost (or pick up if your in the GA/SC/FL area).


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> Thats true. I forgot how "ugly' Fish was when I got him. He looked very similar to that. Once he's nice and healthy just let me know how much shipping would cost (or pick up if your in the GA/SC/FL area).


Will do! But if you decide you don't want him, I'm sure I can find a home for him somewhere else. I don't want to make you feel like you're locked into it or anything.  And here's a few updated pictures... I had some ones of Dax that were more in focus, but you couldn't see how bad his fins were. The as-of-yet-unnamed CT is also doing better! He's not going to be winning any beauty pageants any time soon, but it's a big improvement over just lying on the bottom of the tank.

Also, Tango is absolutely gorgeous! I never would have guessed that those two pictures were of the same fish.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm sure Dax will be gorgeous. The CT looks like he has good potential to be very pretty once he's healthy again.


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## Sella (Mar 21, 2010)

In your first post you refered to the brown female as toast...which I think is a great name for her.

"Toast the fish"


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

Hahah, Toast is a great name!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I like toast too! Or Toastie! EVERYONE loves toast!


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## lastbook87 (Apr 5, 2010)

Haha, Toast is cute! I've been wondering about the appropriateness of Sparrow considering how she eats, anyways. She goes for things much faster than my other fish, and takes these GIANT gulps just to nab one little bit of food. Still no updates to give on her color, but both Dax and Wash are still doing okay. Neither of them is eating, but they handled their water changes well today and are both getting a little more active, though Dax mostly chills on his plant up near the top of the water.

And I'm calling the CT Wash, obviously. Firstly because he's washed out, and secondly because Alan Tudyk is pale as crap. I know he'll get prettier with time, but the sister will rename him anyways, and it fits for right now.

Does anyone have any advice on how to make these two boys comfortable for the six-hour trip home? I still have the cups they came in, so I'm just going to transport them inside of those, and then put them (with my Fishie, Sparky, and Sparrow/Toast) in a styrofoam cooler that will ride in the front seat. I've also got Stress Coat to add to the water, but if anyone has any extra suggestions, I'd be grateful for them.


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## mysquishy (Mar 12, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> If that VT is a Dal I will take him!!!
> 
> Since Fish died I've been searching high an low for another Dal. I could get an HMPK one but I want either a VT dal or a HM.
> 
> I feel bad for the little CT. I would lower the water level so he can breathe.. even if you have to take the heater out.. air is what is important.


Two of the petstore I go to get dalmations quite a bit. There were two just yesterday. I almost got one but I decided not to.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I never seen Dals around here. I really want another one. I'll just have to wait and see what my tank space is like the near future.

@Lastbook... If you can get a hold of some plastic bags like ziploc bags I would put the fish in those. Just catch the top so the bag is "fat" with air and then close it (don't blow air into the back unless you have an air pump). That just helps because they have soft sides of the bag instead of the hard plastic sides of the cup.

If not just make sure they have lots of air and are kept in the dark and you should be fine.


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## BurnishedOchre (Oct 30, 2009)

Aw, I think she's beautiful! I have always liked the wild types of bettas, and her confirmation and color is a sell for me! Send her my way if you can't stand her any longer, ha ha! *chuckles* I kid, though. In seriousness, I think she is a gorgeous fish.  The longer body feels like a nice proportion compared to the more stubby females of B. splendens. I also love those spots on the anal fin close to the body.


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