Beta Fish...update

[Kiwi Phil]

A while back there was a thread on Fish in Tanks.<br />I asked for advice...Hayden wanted a "fish".<br />Well FSHKPR he took your advice, in the end. <br />He bought the tank, and 2 goldfish, as they were $1 each and the Beta (we call them Siamese Fighting Fish) were $8.<br />Well they died at 14 days and 18 days respectively. <br />So he got a Male Beta, which was so much fun, then he went and got a female, which ment in the middle of the night i am out in the shed cutting down an old window-fly-screen to divide the tank in two.<br />Since then he has bought a filter and a heater and all sorts of bits and pieces,<br />and is enjoying them, <br />Told him he had to pay for the lot, so he raided the lime trees every saturday and took them around the sunday flea market, 5 for $1.<br />Thanks for the advice and the site.<br />He is very pleased with himself.<br />Cheers<br />Phillip

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Beta Fish...update

We call them both Beta and Siamese Fighting Fish, too. Popular with kids.<br /><br />How to keep goldfish: get a big bucket, put it out back in the shade, throw in a couple 10-cent feeder fish, add water. Those little feeder fish will grow into 5-lb+ monsters if they have the room.<br /><br />A while back I saw an interesting show on goldfish. There is only 1 species of goldfish, a.k.a. pond comet. All of the weird looking ones (black moore, ryukin, fantail, lionhead, bubble eye, oranda, etc) are mutations of the common goldfish. The scales on any goldfish only come in red, white, yellow and black. What we see as gold (orange) is a red scale under a yellow scale. Years ago the Brits really got into the goldfish thing and bred some weird mutations that look blue, actually a combination of black, white and clear scales.<br /><br />Sometime I'll tell you about the time we were putting a koi pond in back; dug a hole 35-ft long, 8-ft wide, 6-ft deep. The city went crazy, told 'em it was a mass grave pit for lawers. Btw, if you go for a koi pond, the Brits have good how-to info. The Japanese just dump them into a hole.

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Beta Fish...update

Have him put a small mirror up to the male betta's tank. They think it's another fish and get all "flexed" up.<br /><br /><br />spots

 

[WardenJ]

Re: Beta Fish...update

I've had a male betta since February. Sometimes I wish I had his life...swim around all day, wait for food to be dropped from the sky, someone to clean the house for you, and if you're tired of the world, go hide behind a rock....thats the life right there.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Beta Fish...update

When I was a kid, we had these Siamese that wasn't like most of the Beta sold in pet store. They have blue body and black back and short tail and fins. The black part on their back turn pale when they're stressed or fear for their life. Two male Siamese with same size and ferocity will fight for hours and eventualy one would run from the fight. They would tear each other apart, you can see part of their tail, fins and scale falling off their body during the fight. It just like a **** fight except the fighters are fish. Most of the Beta I saw have the black body with large red tail and fins. I had those kind of Beta too but they were not much of a fighter more for show then anything. The reason they get all "flexed up" when they see their image in the mirror is that they think it's another male and they want to go to war. They will attack the mirror and hurt themselve. The really mean one will get flex up even when you're just putting the tip of your finger on the tank. I used to have several of them and I kept them in glass jar with a piece of paper in between the jars. To get them all work up without putting them in an actual fight. I just pull out the paper seperating the jars and they will just go nuts.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: Beta Fish...update

thats great! they are one of the most interesting fish. if you can get the two to breed its very interesting. first the male builds a bubble nest at the top of the tank. thats why a filtering system that does not cause a current is best. then the two mate. and as the female drops the fertilized eggs the male picks them up and puts them in the bubble nest. after she is done dropping eggs it is best to remove her as the male will beat on her and try to driver her away. the male will then tend to the nest. and the fry once they hatch. its really very interesting. glad the site help and he is enjoying them. keep an eye on him tho the hobby can be very addicting.