# Sunstar...impulse shopped... betta



## Sunstar

Oh boy... Just, keep me from LFS please. I know this poor creature will need a larger space, I wish to let my tanks get their treatment, unless Ameekplec suggests I put the poor betta in with the others and hope it works out. Right now he's going into a vase, similar, identical to the ones the shrimp live in on my desk. 

its sterile from my tanks... What did I get into?  I am so dead. 

he's sort of peacock feather coloured. blue-green with "purple" in the fins.


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## Sunstar




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## ameekplec.

Oooh, very nice 

I like to see that you have the leaf litter in there. Now get that water tannin stained and that betta will really pop!


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## Sunstar

I really want to get the fish a bigger tank. its in a little vase rihgt now, but should do until I can get ahold of something nicer. Looking to make it more biotope like. Looking up almond leaves. The fish will be taken care of. you know me


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## Ciddian

he is very handsome sunstar! <3


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## twoheadedfish

good looking fish. my betta has similar red "bangs", those two little things that hang down by the face. sure is pretty.


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## Julian

nice i like blue bettas i just happened to end up with a red one this time


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## Sunstar

I got him betta food but he's more interestedin blood worms than it. he takes the pellets than spits them out. is there something else he might like?


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## Ciddian

what kinda did you happen to pick up? I've fed daphnia, mysis... chopped earthworm and krill. Everyone seemed to enjoy them


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## Sunstar

tetra betta, floating mini pelets. He spits them out. Then he watches the cherry shrimp in the bowl a few inches away.


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## Ciddian

They can be picky for sure. Keep trying the pellets, or even try a different brand. 

If he was getting the bloodworm all the time its no wonder he wants to eat nothing but that. *giggle*


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## ameekplec.

Sunstar said:


> tetra betta, floating mini pelets. He spits them out. Then he watches the cherry shrimp in the bowl a few inches away.


I'd spit out anything made by tetra too...not that I've ever had any in my mouth for any reason

I find all my fish love everything, except most prepared foods. Spoiled little buggers.


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## Sunstar

I brewed some peat tea, ameekplec. so his water is a little browner. 

if he does not eat it, I drop it into the shrimp bowl.

couple shrimplets died in moulting, I dropped them into the bowl and he went after them. Dropped calcium tab fragments into each shrimp tank. the shrimp are having some of that. seems to help wiht moulting. I hope Kaon doesn't just want to eat my shrimp, although I have enough to do that... >.>


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## Sunstar

Unfortunately, my apple snail died, smells pretty funky. So I took it back. I will get two tomorrow perhaps.

Well petsmart got a new shipment of bettas in, loads of females. I got a pretty girl with a nice overall form. She has some fin rot on the anal fin, but other than that, she's a sort of royal blue. 

So Kaon now has a bride.... Polyhex


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## Ciddian

I really love those girls myself  Are you going to do up a new fancytank for her as well?


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## Sunstar

I was wondering where did you get your tanks. She might inhabit the main tank if she's a good girl.

More of Kaon, none of the girl yet. his colours show.


















Building Bubble nest. (white thing is a toy of his)










Edit: I got pics of Polyhex now


















fin rot damage in her anal fin thing. I am hopeful that can be fixed with tlc.









True Colour, and the break is clear.

Think she'll be okay?


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## Ciddian

I think she will be just fine with some of that good ole TLC you deal out 

My tanks? My girls are in boring ole tubbareware for now..  (separated) But i do have my guys in 1.5 -2.5 trimless. A bit of a pain in the butt for waterchanges and things like that.


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## Sunstar

hmmmmm that might work.


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## Sunstar

Impuse rescue:

I spoke to the staff at petsmart to see if they'd give me a deal on the betta who was laying on his side floating. They made me sign adoption papers and gave him to me.

I have named him Tarn.



















he's bloating up again, seems to have gas. Swimbladder disease I think. I fed him a bit of pea, added some salt and bettafix to his water he farted shortly after and had a tiny pooh. lost a lot girth doing that, but he's got girth again and seems to have a tendancy to hang around the top again.

recommendations? he's pretty hungry and has been swallowing air, I think. he takes in a lot of bubbles most come out his gills. that concerns me. I am not sure if that is normal.


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## ameekplec.

Wow, you"re becoming quite the collector of bettas 

No idea on recommendations for the betta, but surface breathing is probably a sign of something attacking/affecting the gills or low dissolved oxygen. Might be a bit of both, from medications lowering the DO and whatever ailing it attacking the efficacy of the gills, so it's relying on breathing air. I'm sure some TLC will bring him back


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## Sunstar

I am going to suspect he has something that is possibly bacterial in nature and or this:

If I don't eat much for a while, and I do this because I'm not hungry, I'll gofor a day or two with a couple light light snacks and my system will purge. then I get major gassy! He seems massivly hungry. 

I am going to sterilise the hospital bucket and put the betta in there for now. See if I can get him a bit happier. I haven't checked yet his condition, too early and all tank lights are out.


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## Sunstar

Could a mod move this to the Photo area? I think I am basically going to use it as a betta photo thread...


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## Sunstar

Impulse agian, well sort of. Had I not picked up the sick tarn the other day, pion would have made it into my tanks.

So yep, another one followed me home.

I got a 2.5 gallon tank and the divider glass. I will speak to my mother see if she can cut some opaque or black glass for me and cut some slots into the edges to provide better water flow.

Sunstar's Bettas

Girls:
Polyhex

Boys:
Kaon
Tarn
Pion (pronounced Pie-on)




























let us know how ehh ehh fairs... poor fishy.

the current setup for the three bettas:

2.5 gallon, not a whole huge amount of room, but not too bad. Better than bottles in any event.










For now the setup is rough. I have spoken to my mother to get some opaque glass cut with slices cut out (she has a bandsaw for glass) so the fish can't see each other and the slices permit better water flow.

I added a hydor mini heater under the gravel. I will monitor the temperature with a digital thermometor.

Kaon is still in his isolation and he will be getting muddy banks as soon as his treatment is done.

Can I put apple snails in these tanks or not? or would I be better off having a ramshorn in each one.


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## Ciddian

It usually depends on the betta on weather it will attack the snails antenna things. Some really dont care and some will keep on a snail and make it stress right out.

I have had good luck with ramshorn myself.


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## Sunstar

I put Pion into the end section of the tank, Polyhex into the middle and all three went into a flaring fit. I put some black plastic against the glass to calm them down. My heater is now on a timer to go on and off every 15 minutes or half hour.


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## characinfan

Sunstar said:


> I put Pion into the end section of the tank, Polyhex into the middle and all three went into a flaring fit. I put some black plastic against the glass to calm them down. My heater is now on a timer to go on and off every 15 minutes or half hour.


Hey, you know, for something like $25, you can get a heater that has a thermostat and only comes on when the water temperature drops below a level you set. I got one a few years ago and it's great. No more worries about the wrong temperature in the tank even if the temperature in the room is fluctuating.


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## Sunstar

the timer seems to be doing the job reasonably well.


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## stack

thats neat
i did not kow a little heater like that exsited.(Hydor Mini Heater) i thought all heaters had a thermostat. i went ahead and read about it but i was wonding
what temp will the water get to if left on? because ive been looking for a heater for a 3g and i could not figer out how to hide a ummm..."normal" one.


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## Sunstar

it gets quite warm as the one I have is a 15 watt. How I managed to keep it around the low 80's is to put it on a timer that I got from ikea and set it on and off every 15 minutes or so. at night I leave the on times longer and during the day shorter. Watching how that goes for now. 

There is a 7.5 watt, which was what I was after in the first place. It says it should get a few degrees above room temp depending on tank size. Also, you'd be wanting a 7.5


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## Riceburner

I have the 7.5 one for the hospital tank. Keeps it a few degrees above room temp. It's on all the time.


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## Sunstar

I will probably get a couple more. they strike me as being very handy to have. Had I known about them sooner, I would have built one into my muddy banks design. 

I am using a reptile one under that tank.


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## Sunstar

Just a couple more pics of those other three. Kaon is still in his hospital so I don't want to disturb him too much. His eye is looking MUCH better, but I will still treat him for a bit yet.

couple more pics of them in thier temporary home. (they will get a 20 gallon to share soon)









Polyhex.

Poor Polyhex. When I got her, she had a bit of fin rot in her anal fin. that is slowly repairing and regrowing.









Pion

Poor Pion, tore his silly tail. He flares so much though. He seems to be repairing it by growing a new ray?? Is that the term? Seems to be bridging well.









Tarn

Poor Tarn, learned to blow bubble nests with his mouth, rather than his aft, and has a tendancy to build large ones. He can see Polyhex, well so can Pion, so they are both trying to show who's her daddy.

Kaon in the mean time, eye looks better.


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## Sunstar

I think my darling Polyhex has developed dropsy. She stopped eating last night and is looking terribly round in the girth. she seems to have slightly raised scales, not the severe pineconing like I had seen on my sister's molly. 

I was wondering if she was suffering from constapation, she does sit with her nose toward the ground. I am worried. help? I added 1/4tsp epsom salts per gallon of water to her tank and a stronger bath for 15 minutes this evening. 

help?!


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## Sunstar

Constipation-Egg Bound-dropsy?

Symptoms of what ails Polyhex:

*not eating, not even peas*: (self enforced "diet")
*Sits in one area*, but swims to get air.
*strong gill and mouth movement*. (I compared with the other 3 bettas and they don't use their mouth except for eating or spitting out air bubbles)
*Sinks like a stone*
*Sits on her belly with tail raised about 35 degrees*.
*Scales slightly raised*, but only in area around her belly. her tail is not swolen or fat, unlike my sister's molly who had dropsy. Scales toward her back and tail are flat.
*Belly is white scaled* and ovipositor protrudes (I understand the latter is normal)
*No stools produced.*

Current treatment:

*2 gallon hospital tank* 
*100% waterchange daily.* Replaced with warm, temp adjusted treated water.
*1/4 teaspoon of epsom for 1 gallon of water*.
*dose of melafix. *(her tail got a little torn yesterday, but it is already healed)
I am aiming *heater at 30c (roughly 86f*)
*offered peas* from time to time.
*2X daily epsom salt bath at 1tbsp per gallon for 15 mins.*


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## Calmer

It seems like you are doing all you can for your betta. Hopefully she gets better real soon.


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## Sunstar

prognosis is looking real grim. I added Maracyn-tc as that is all I have and all I can get hold of until later in the week. I think I am going to lose her.


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## Ciddian

I am so sorry to hear sunstar


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## Sunstar

I am feeling majorly bummed out. She was eating fine wednesday, didn't eat much thursday. Friday I looked at her and wondered. 

I am feeling very bummed.


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## Sunstar

She died, I ahve a migriane, I need to wrap and freeze the body for interment in the spring. I'm bummed


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## Calmer

Sorry to hear that.  You know you did everything you could for her.


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## Sunstar

I did pick up a new girl, but I am not feeling it at the moment. I was wanting a new girl last week. She looks like a crown tail. she has double rays sticking out the tips. I thought it was fin rot, but its too even.


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## Sunstar

New pics of Tarn. I moved my shrimp out the 5 gallon and put htem into the 29 gallon. He's turned into a lovely fish. Much personality too.

Tarn now rules this tank:


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## Ciddian

awee he looks very very happy!


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## Sunstar

I think that's because the poor baby is healthy. Nursed back from his floating on his side and blowing bubble nests with his aft. 

I just wished the tank wasn't total tripe.


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## Ciddian

I like the tank O_O ^^


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## Sunstar

the tank is around 15 - 20 years old. That's how it's tripe.


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## Sunstar

I dare post m ore Pics. I need to get Kaon into better light. He's hiding under an oak leaf, as usual. He sleeps under those.









Perihex is in the cup Pion swims about.

I am trying to induce breeding, but the problem is, my hurricane lamp shade doesn't fit where this tank is kept....
I redecorated this tank, stiched a pair of large scrubby pads together, sprinkled xmas moss over it and stiched a shower puff over that. Suckered it to the back and added some plants, leaves and hopefully, it'll be okay for them.









Pion close up. He's really odd coloured. Pink... come on, pink is a crappy colour but some reason, I liked him for it. I think it was the splotch of blue.









Closer?

he seems to have very full pelvic fins, is that the correct term?









Tarns home.. another shot after it cleared up a bit more. Still very yellow, but the glass is yellow, well plastic.


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## Sunstar

I picked up another female. Red and appears to be a double tail.


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## Sunstar

I have a pic of her, and a name.









Altihex


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## Janz

where do you get all your cool names for your fishes?


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## Sunstar

I've been using cybertronian city names (Transformers)

I might use Vos, Pax and Yuss for a trio of brothers if I get any.


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## Sunstar

I bought a marina betta cube, not to keep bettas in, but as a decent thing to take Photos of bettas and not take up a lot of room.

Anyway, I need to figure out how to get sharper pics, I am still working on it.

Hydrax and his glory. 

















earwig tails...









Motion blurr

Not sure if I showed a picture of Uraya... I bought him as a female...I don't think he is a female.









Flaring at Hydrax









When I got him

See how full his fins have become?

Uraya consented to a Photo op this afternoon


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## Ciddian

oohhh gosh.. so handsome.. :3


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## Sunstar

Uraya is maturing nicely. I bot him(her) and Altihex(female) so I could get a soriety going. But...he's a he and not a she. I scored good with him.


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## Sunstar

Finally a decent pic of Altihex


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## Riceburner

Sunstar said:


> ...Anyway, I need to figure out how to get sharper pics,


faster shutter speed and a really good lens.....or lend 'em to me for a while. 

I should do house calls.


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## Sunstar

You should. 

I am pleased to say, I have introduced Katalyst's Plakat to my soriety. 

All the girls in this one are sisters, and I am hoping they are young enough to accept each other without too much fuss. 

I kept the girl in a guppy breeding trap in the tank I was releasing her in. This gives her time to get to know the inhabitants and visa versa. I am hoping this might forstall any soriety fighting.

The only thing I did was remove the smallest female to another tank. I might have lost the two smallest ones in another tank, I haven't seen them in days and if they died, the snails got them. This smaller female is my only other blue girl. 

So wish me luck. I will post pics of my new pretty soon enough.


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## Sunstar

ignore link









Not the best pic.









the best pic out of nearly 100.


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## Sunstar

I could not resist this girl. the tank I took the pics is is not the best. Poor light and heavily tannined.

I got her today, so she is in an isolation thing until such time as I get... MORE tanks. I just bougth a tank today.... >.>









New girl, with Altihex (red) peeking in.

She doesn't have a name yet but has very transparent fins. I am eager to let her settle in so ican see her true beauty.

The Plakat girl in the above post has changed almost completely white. I think she's a marble something.









Uraya in his planaria free tank. Looking better, he is. His diet has obviously been working. Smaller portions boy.









Perihex looking Stunning!


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## characinfan

Gorgeous! Your new one's a real cutie.


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## Sunstar

Under white light









under yellow light


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## Riceburner

Bettas look great....too bad they can't be in one huge tank....


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## Sunstar

I have 6 females in my 29. they are all related. Mother and daughters.


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