I got a new betta yesterday! I had been using my 5 gallon to quarantine my new corys, but it had been almost 4 weeks with no problems, so I moved them into my big tank (now they're trying to school with the danios... they don't seem to realize they're BOTTOM FEEDERS). So I set up a homemade diver in my 5 gallon tank, put in all the decorations and went to PetSmart to buy some java fern (no one else around here sells good plants!) and 2 bettas.

I only found one betta that I really liked... or maybe all of the other ones looked so boring after I fell in love with this guy. It's rare to find a crowntail for $2.99... and he looked so healthy and active! He's enjoying his new tank, and liking the Hikari Betta Bio-Gold (although he likes freeze dried bloodworms more).

I held a mirror next to his tank to see if he would flare... but I think he's either so peaceful that he doesn't care, or he's a genious and knows it's his reflection.

Pictures of the little guy here.

I'm going fish shopping again today for another one, so watch for an update!

beautiful colors!

Well, I did buy another betta... this one is red, blue and teal, and it's a split-tail. He's adorable too.

Pics

But last night I discovered that my divider wasn't quite good enough... betta #1 jumped over it, and I found them hanging out together in betta#2's side of the tank, their fins ripped to shreds. I quickly moved them, lowered the water level A LOT, and they look pretty healthy overall. (Of course this was after my hysterical sobbing... I'm lucky my boyfriend puts up with me.)

The divider went right up to the top of the tank, but there's a little room on either side of the light bulb in the hood, so I guess I'll just have to add on to the divider, or always keep the water level 2 or 3 inches below the top of the tank.

I took pictures this morning of the poor things... betta#1 got it the worst, because he's a slower swimmer due to his long fins...

betta #2

yahmake shur u have a lid on one of the bettas tank seranrap works realy well just on half of the thank though so air can get in. the betta with the smaller fins is a female. even though they r bothdiffrent sexes dont think they wont fight (###### urs had quite a match.0 ###### 2 tbls of salt to the tank and some bettafix its like malfix. to help clear up the fins. the fins will grow in moast likly clear. to help get some coler back in the tails and fins feed them 3 times a day and a wide veriaty of foods at least 3 kinds. betts pelits,bloodworms(freez dried perfurably because frozen ones carry bacteria)and eather flake food(tropical or betta) fruit flys or live brine shrimp. feeding them both this way will make the female have eggs in about 2 to 3 weeks she will get realy fat and there will be stripes on he frome he head to tail. thats wen u no she is ready to breed, but if u dont want to breed them she will just lay the eggs and that will be that. wen a male wants to mae there will be a HUGE bubble nest somwere in the tank and he will be around his nest and trying to get the females attenchion alot.

Actually, the one with smaller fins IS a male (unless the lfs lied to me). Most split-tails have those shorter fins (and of course shorter tails). Maybe I should have gotten a female... they might not have fought as badly.

There is a lid, but it's curvy with a lightbulb inside, and the only space was a tiny bit on either side of the light bulb, and I didn't think a fish would even see that space... guess I underestimated my little guy!

Neither of my bettas are too fond of the Hikari Betta Bio-gold pellets... but they both love the freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp.

I bought Melafix and I'm using 1/4 of the recommended dose (since Bettafix is just 1/5 of the dose, and 1/4 is easier to measure). It's insane how expensive BettaFix is for just being watered-down melafix.

Haven't decided yet if I'll just keep the water level lower, or I'll find some way to extend the divider into all the little crevices in the hood.

In case anyone has read this, I'd just like to say that my fishies are looking good! I woke up this morning to 2 happy little bubble nests!

Lovely pictures