BETTAS!!!!!!

I have sad news: I came home to find Ilana dead at the bottom of the sorority. Her fins were shredded and she was missing an eye. 

SO NOW I HAVE TO ANALYZE HOW THIS HAPPENED so I know how to prevent it AHHhhh. 

• I just introduced everybody to the sorority on Sunday, with one fish missing (Baby) and one fish who was new (Donovan)
• Ilana had had her fins clamped when she was in the cup but other than that showed no other bad signs, and she opened up when there was food and stuff
• I don’t know if its relevant but the eye that was missing was the one that she got popeye in, in which the swelling/cloudyness never fully went away after she healed up
• Donovan was looking a little stressed in the sorority but mostly kept to herself, hiding under the filter and whatnot
• Donovan doesn’t have any ripped fins or wounds on her body, but her color is pale and her stress stripes were INTENSE
• Cranberry (who has been in the sorority from the beginning) has a shredded caudal fin

WHO IS THE CULPRIT???

DID ILANA DIE NATURALLY AND EVERYBODY JUST NIBBLED ON HER FINS AND EYE?

DID DONOVAN KILL HER?

DID CRANBERRY?

DID DONOVAN DO IT AND ALSO NIP UP CRANBERRY?

help pls!!! I cupped both Donovan and Cranberry but that only leaves three girls in the sorority and I can’t do that, what if fighting breaks out between them?? Its dark in there, sleepy time.

wellpoopstoyou:

bettabutts:

Oh my goodness, Donovan is bigger than Ilana! Ilana is surely older than her— Right?

I wonder if this pet store stocks their bettas at an older age, or if Donovan is like, a little giant.

She is so big, she totally reminds me of Fezzic.

aaaaaahhhh I love big bettas, she’s so inquisitive, she followed Ilana around all peacefully and stared at her like wat. 

Size isnt a great way to judge age, so def. dont go by that.

Bettas, when young, emit a hormone that stunts their sibling’s (and their) growth, so when a breeder is raising fry, it’s really important that they change the water frequently to get good sized fry. Super great foods and really well changed water gets fish a really nice, adult size by 3 months (av. sell age of most bred fish and aquabid fish), but most petshop fish arent grown this way.

If your fish was from petsmart/co or walmart, it’s a thai fish (aint that some shit, eh?) and it’s imported. They churn the fish out fast so the fish isnt Becuase, when you think about it, it makes little money sense to keep the fish any longer than needed, you know? So they’re probably the same age, but one was grown in better conditions than the other or has a larger breeding line of stock.

Well, my two big girls now are muuuuuch bigger than most of the other females which were from Petco/Walmart. However, I got Ilana off of aquabid, and Donovan from a small local pet store that probably gets its bettas from one of the multiple farms here in Florida. In fact, the Petco/Petsmart back in central Florida (in my hometown) actually got their bettas from this huge local farm, but I haven’t asked around up here… 

It’s probably a larger breeding line of stock, as all their females at this local store were the same size as Donovan. I just hadn’t realized how big she was until I everybody was swimming together! Hehe.

Oh my goodness, Donovan is bigger than Ilana! Ilana is surely older than her— Right?

I wonder if this pet store stocks their bettas at an older age, or if Donovan is like, a little giant.

She is so big, she totally reminds me of Fezzic.

aaaaaahhhh I love big bettas, she’s so inquisitive, she followed Ilana around all peacefully and stared at her like wat. 

ITS REALLY

REALLY

REALLY TIME CONSUMING.

But man, there’s been this slimey, clearish gook that’s been gathering along the surface of the water, on the dividers, and on the plants in my tanks (the worst is my divided 10g). I showed a photo of it to the guys at the pet store and they had no clue! Their main question was whether or not the plants are made for aquariums, which they are.

I think its something in the water up here. I’ve never had this problem in any of my tanks at home. So I’m filtering all the water alongside my usual treatments. :/ 

All I’ve accomplished is cupping everybody, draining all the tanks, and setting up the two 1gs.

Next step is the next smallest, the 5g. Bleeehh procrastinaaatttiinnngg xD

Cupped all the girls so I can do the 100% water change.

Basically, everybody is getting a 100% water change, since I’m moving downstairs and can’t carry 10gs full of water. But they need it the most and I am thinking that their cups of fresh water will do them some good. Ever since I put Baby back in, everybody has some rips and tears except Ilana. I think they try to pick on her and she totally fights back. Cos Baby is stress but Baby is a total badass. Sorority life may not be for her, she gets stressed pretty easily, but if she’s not in the sorority then I have to set up one of my 1 gallons for her. ._. We shall see.

Tomorrow I’ll cup everybody else and drain the tanks, and then Tuesday I move downstairs. 

My room is such a disaster, lmfao, I have a lot to do tomorrow.

I hope she submits pictures, lol.

When she calls back I’m going to walk her through betta basics, for whatever she hasn’t picked up on watching me with my fish for the past year. 8D

When I stick my finger in their tank, they all circle my finger like tiny but vicious predators. Ilana attacks while the others work up the nerve to bite.

Golly gee wizz they are so ADORABLE.

Cranberry couldn’t leave the vacuum alone! She just kept followin’ it around, I was so worried she’d get sucked up!

By about, I mean I’ll do it when I’m not cleaning my room.

BUT IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT!!!

All the girls are in the sorority. Its been a couple of hours by now, and they are looking good. A few minor rips on Ilana’s anal fin, and a couple of nips out of Baby’s caudal, but otherwise no problems! Primrose is so illusive, she doesn’t want any of that territorial crap affecting her! I think the culprit of the nipping is Cranberry, she’s feisty. I got names for everybody! All the girls I bought today are named after fruity things. Booberry (blueberry), Cranberry, and Marmalade. And then there is Primrose from yesterday and Ilana and Baby.

Also got the other 10g set up with Dom, Crisanto, and Miracles. There’s a section in it for Lillybeth, but until his swim bladder problem gets better it shall remain empty. In the meantime, he is set up in a 1g in the bathroom, nice and shrouded by an old black tshirt.

I’LL POST PICS EVENTUALLY. ITS SUCH A PAIN WITHOUT WIFI, I SHOULD REALLY BUY THAT ROUTER, UGH.

I got all my girls today.

They’re all veil tails, look at all the fucks I give. I got one little girl from Petco, she’s Booberry (blueberry), and two older girls from PetSupermarket. I had originally bought three girls from Petco, but the girls at Supermarket were older and looked happier, not to mention prettier! 

Tonight I got three females, totally up to six for the sorority. My girls that I’m gonna put together are Ilana, Baby, Primrose, Booberry, and then I haven’t got names for the girls from Supermarket yet. I will though! Gosh, they’re so pretty.