# my self control = absent



## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Well... Yesterday I was naughty and brought another pet home, this time its another betta/siamese fighting fish. I had a funny feeling when I left to go to the shops that I'd find a betta I'd like and buy.. and I did.. *sigh*. surprisingly I didnt get into trouble for it either!

Its a little crowntail boy, metallic purple (the photos show him as blue but he is really a full on purple) photos do NOT do him justice, he is absolutely stunning in person, I find it hard to believe he's real.. In the photos you'll probably just think he looks like a drab bluish betta.. but he's not!

anyway I'll shuttup now.. though when he's settled and I get him to flare I'll mayb post a few more pics, his tail looks awesome when spread out, unique



















Sorry for the crappy piccys!


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## reptilegirl_jordan (Feb 3, 2009)

thats the best looking fighting fish i have ever seen!!
im about to get a few fighters myself,i think they look awsome
thanks for sharing ur cute boy


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Hehe I rekon he's awesome  Still shy at the moment, but my other boy casper was to start with too, though now as soon as he see's me he swims over really quickly and follows me, takes food from my finger etc. Such awesome personality!

Casper has been spoilt rotten since I got him.. now both are gonna be spoilt lol. The new boy is currently only in a little 5L tub and casper in a 10L tank, but in 2 weeks they'll go into a divided 2ft tank with just the two of them, will have live plants, heaps of things for them to investigate which i'll rotate to keep them interested..

I'll shuttup about my awesome little fish now


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## Ristof (Feb 3, 2009)

I had one like that but my tetras nipped all his fins


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## coz666 (Feb 3, 2009)

if you want a girl let me know


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

I'm tempted to try breeding bettas.. Don't think I could try it with casper though because he is extremely aggressive. What type female do you have coz?


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## thals (Feb 3, 2009)

Nice little ct boy you have there. Hoping to get some more hm's soon myself 8)


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## Snowman (Feb 3, 2009)

why would you get into trouble? and who from???? aren't you 19?


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## Chris1 (Feb 3, 2009)

damn, nice fish!!


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Anyone got any pics of their bettas? feel free to post!

Snowman, its cause for part of the year I'm still at home (though most of it is up in townsville.. I leave on the 17th and if I come back itll only be for a few weeks) though it doesnt affect my parents as im taking the fish, cats and my turtle to townsville anyway.. I was told I wasn't allowed any more pets


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Ok just so he's not left out, heres a picture of my other boy, Casper. Had him for.. a year in April I do believe it is. He's grown a bit and his fins are a lot longer now, this is an older picture 

Come on guys, If you have bettas please share some pics!


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## Chris1 (Feb 3, 2009)

for some reason i was expecting Casper to be white,.... 

their colours are incredible,..!!


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Haha I'd love a white betta  nah casper got his name because at the college if something went wrong I'd always blame "casper" (before I got this fish) but of course there wasn't really a casper.. so.. when I got casper, I just.. erm.. called him casper! lol


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## thals (Feb 3, 2009)

a few of my lil dude 'Gillie"

as always, his colours are much better in real life.


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## Kitah (Feb 3, 2009)

Ooh, pretty boy! Its a pitty (and i find it very frustrating) that its impossible to get a photo to look exactly like the fish does in real life.. they always look so much better in person! 

Thanks for the photos  feel free to share any more, and if you get some HM's!


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## thals (Feb 3, 2009)

haha thanks, will do!


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## draqonfly (Feb 3, 2009)

nice fighters there, like the colours and the big mouths... good for biting and ripping off scales when they fight.

in me high school days, me and me mates bring our fishes to school, leave it in the lockers, then at lunch time we meet up at the school oval, and have our fishes fight. chunks of scales went missing, flesh was visible, mouth was torn after jawlocks... was pretty fierce fighting short tailed fighting fishes. 

a time to remember... how i wish i can be back in high school again... was the best days ever.


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## shlanger (Feb 3, 2009)

don't you mean you got a better betta!


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## Kitah (Feb 4, 2009)

few more pics of him for anyone that may be interested


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## Bax155 (Feb 4, 2009)

Great looking fish xshadowx!!


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## dailyskin (Feb 4, 2009)

Wow they are stunning!! Where do you get such nice ones?! The ones at pet stores always seem kinda tired looking...

Are you really supposed to keep them in those tiny bowls?


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## daniel1234 (Feb 4, 2009)

dailyskin said:


> Wow they are stunning!! Where do you get such nice ones?! The ones at pet stores always seem kinda tired looking...
> 
> Are you really supposed to keep them in those tiny bowls?


 
Yeh I had an awsome looking beta when I was 16 and never really found good ones since. Not that i am headed down that road but I have had a few aquariums and always have a soft spot for the beta's, it's mainly the territorial thing that kept me away from them.

Looks like he's building a bubble nest. Maybe it is time for a mate.


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## Kitah (Feb 4, 2009)

Both of my bettas build nests, its just a sign that they're happy. I really dont think i could breed my multicoloured CT boy because he's so aggressive, I think he'd kill a female. 

Usually the bettas in petstores seem so 'tired' and kind of 'sad' because theyre in such small containers or cups, and because the water is very rarely changed if at all while theyre there... This new boy (the purple one) was like that, but I recognised his potential and now he's much happier. They seem to LOVE to swim- i used to have casper in a 5L bowl but then upgraded him to a 10L and since then he's blown more bubble nests, swims a lot more, is active, healthy, investigates everything etc. To me thats enough proof that they like their space... so in two weeks my two will be sharing a 40L tank (divided, of course, so they cant see or get to each other)


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## Vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

They don't move around because they give them no heat. They are actually warm water fish and need a heater like a tropical tank, they arent goldfish.

Love that last photo shadow!


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## Kitah (Feb 4, 2009)

Forgot to mention the heat as well, thanks vixen  In an airconditioned petstore its too cold for them, so like with herps they become less active. My guys get a heater when it cools down, though they dont need it at the moment, so long as theyre not in aircon


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## dailyskin (Feb 4, 2009)

So what would the ideal setup be? 10 litre tank, with some heat? What is the easiest way to heat a tank?


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## Kitah (Feb 4, 2009)

They recommend a bare minimum of 2.5gallons/about 10L per fish. for my 10L tank I've got a 25watt fully submersible heater that I just hide behind some plants, and I use a digital thermometer to keep an eye on teh temperature. They like to rest in live plants, and my two love swiming into rock caves etc... Casper often swims into an ornament thats like an old scubadiving mask, where he goes in the front 'face' opening and pokes his head out the top to look around. I've also got the smallest filter from bigW to filter his tank, but to reduce the current and make it less direct I sewed part of a stocking over the spray bar, as bettas hate currents. (dont get the corner filters, theyre even dodgyer than mine!) They do need regular water changes to keep them clean and healthy 

So heater, recomended minimum 10L tank, 25watt heater for when the temps get too low, digital thermometer, live plants OR silk plants (plastic ones arent advisable; theyre prone to tearing the bettas fins, and theyve done it to my boy before) gravel, a cave/ornament to hide in, filter to make life easier. Sounds like a lot but its actually not too bad  cost me about $40 total to set up up


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## dailyskin (Feb 4, 2009)

Could you use a heat mat? Under all or part of it?


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## daniel1234 (Feb 4, 2009)

You can buy really small heaters for tanks less than a litre! I think they make filters with heaters as well now but I guess if one breaks down the whole unit is useless unless you spend good money on one with parts that can be replaced, but a bit much for one or even a couple fish. Heaters last a while anyway, longer than filters. If you actually don't know what they look like they are a sealed test tube with an element inside, and vary in size depending on the wattage.

How would you regulate the temp. By the time you buy the mat and thrermostat it would be much cheeper and compact to buy the proper heater, they're not expensive.

Hey, if he is happy, he might be happier with a female or three


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## Wild~Touch (Feb 4, 2009)

Magnificent fish and magnificent photos...thanks for sharing


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## Kitah (Feb 4, 2009)

Haha I'd love to breed them, I really would, but what would I do with the babies? I wouldn't give them to petstores because I don't think they should be allowed to sell any animals, and how else would I find them homes? lol, rehoming them is the only reason I haven't spawned them yet! (that and I don't have a female... yet...)

In regard to the heat mat idea, personally I wouldn't as you cant regulate the temperature, at least I wouldn't know how you would. The heater I've got for caspers 10L tank is $12, fully submersible and will last for ages (see here, this is the one I have). Also I wouldn't recommend the filters with inbuilt heaters, I've heard a lot of bad things about them e.g. breaking down, thermostat not working properly etc. 

Thanks for the kind words bredlislave


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## thals (Feb 17, 2009)

Here's a few pics of "Ruffles", got him a few weeks back now, ct boy:


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## Hooglabah (Feb 17, 2009)

absolutly amazing there mate thats just an amazing fish.

in referance to self control im about to buy a bhp on impulse so a 10 or 15 dollar purchace in comparison to $695 is some pretty decent self control (help i cant stop buying snakes)


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## Kitah (Feb 19, 2009)

I suppose I'm a bit better than then I spose  Going to another store with bettas today to pick up gear for the air tubes... wonder if I'll be able to stay away.. I want a CT female now! 

nice boy python!


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## thals (Feb 22, 2009)

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind comments  Self-control still absent though... lol

Meet Thrasher and Bubbles


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## gravitation (Feb 22, 2009)

Love bettas. Not a fan of how most people keep them though. I've had both male and females, now i'm sticking with a few females in a community tank, don't have very recent pictures but here's a few older ones. Such personality.


Below; My current tank, bit different now. 
My blue female betta who i still have, she's a big girl. Been with me about two years now. 
My first ever male fighter Kevin - died of bloat thanks to my lack of knowledge, I so over fed him. 
Young striped blue female betta, still with me.
Yellow female betta, biggest girl i have, she's the boss. Has her about two years aswell.


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## gravitation (Feb 22, 2009)

And winston! Had him for two years, he died, i'm not sure what he died of, might have just been his time.


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## Slytherin (Feb 22, 2009)

WOW!!! Great Bettas everyone! Now I'm jealous..my goldfish are looking real dull atm!

Gravitation, I LOVE your setup, that's how I reckon they should be kept! You could even have two small tanks like that side by side so two males can see each other and display. Well done! Your females are beautiful.


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## gravitation (Feb 22, 2009)

Slytherin said:


> WOW!!! Great Bettas everyone! Now I'm jealous..my goldfish are looking real dull atm!
> 
> Gravitation, I LOVE your setup, that's how I reckon they should be kept! You could even have two small tanks like that side by side so two males can see each other and display. Well done! Your females are beautiful.



Thanks : D I like it too, the live plants make it. Seeing the difference in keeping bettas in small tanks - unheated and then seeing them heated with room you would swear they were a totally different fish, SO much better off, so much happier, i don't know how this tiny tank mumbo jumbo got so far.

Right now i'm keeping six females in a community tank with a few other species. I want to take some more pictures soon.


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## gravitation (Feb 23, 2009)

Little tiny baby female betta whom i felt sorry for when i went to a petstore to get some substrate.
She's so little and sweet, was getting picked on by her tank mates so i had to bring her home. Then there is my big yellow female again looking a bit dull there though, she's coloured up nicely.

She's a slow eater, has grown now though, bit more colourful.
Think i will take some new pictures tomorrow.


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## whiteyluvsrum (Feb 23, 2009)

xshadowx said:


> I wouldn't give them to petstores because I don't think they should be allowed to sell any animals



why do you buy them from pet stores then? :shock:


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## Viaaf (Feb 23, 2009)

I kept a few betta for a while. I found that I enjoyed looking at photos of them (mainly on 
aquabid dot com) more than I did keeping them. My cat was pretty disappointed when I stopped keeping them.





A friend used to keep them outside during the summer in 5 gallon buckets. He had more buckets than fish so when a bucket got a lot of mosquito larva in it he moved a betta to it. The females would get into great condition for breeding and the males were gorgeous. I've always heard that keeping fish outdoors as conditions permit will let them thrive. For these it really did.
I wanted to add that there are some great photos in this thread. Always better in person, but they are knockouts from the pics!


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## Emmalicious (Feb 24, 2009)

Man!!! I love fighting fish they are gorgeous!


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## Kitah (Mar 12, 2009)

Another boy, this time a DT boy! he was supposed to cost $20, however the lady at the cash register put him through as a female DT so I got him for $7.70 :| thats cheaper than the standard VT boys! 

Any idea of a name? He's pretty little, I think he's rather young. 

























His tank at the moment (will get either white gravel or black gravel)


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## gravitation (Mar 12, 2009)

xshadowx said:


> Another boy, this time a DT boy! he was supposed to cost $20, however the lady at the cash register put him through as a female DT so I got him for $7.70 :| thats cheaper than the standard VT boys!
> 
> Any idea of a name? He's pretty little, I think he's rather young.
> 
> ...




I was going to say merlin because of the colours, but i see you already have a merlin.
Suty? I don't know, lol. Nior is french for black? Like pronounced No-ar.

Here are some more of my girls.

Right now i've got eight females.


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## gravitation (Mar 12, 2009)

More -


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## gravitation (Mar 12, 2009)

gravitation said:


> Right now i've got eight females.




Correction *eleven females now


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## thals (Mar 12, 2009)

NIce fish and setup Grav! That yellow female is my fave


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## Steman (Mar 12, 2009)

i used to keep bettas a few years back but gave up on them after about a year or so. had 12 at one stage and loved them all. i think i had at least one of each tail type at one stage. these are only 2 of the better shots ive got. the pictures were taken about 4 years ago when a good camera had 5megapixles lol

over halfmoon





this guy was always very agro towards the other boys, was always displaying his frill


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