# for the betta lovers; my fishies :)



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

im very much into betta since a few years now. 
had quite a few stunners, sold them on, got more lol
had a few amazing females, which are rare enough :mf_dribble:

use to have a 32gallon divided tank for 6 males and a 30gallon sorority. but after cutting down on males and females i sold the tanks. currently im back to my original setup with 2.5gallon tanks, each heated. they work best imo.

my current fish (5 males) and setups;









my newest guy, strato. single ray crowntail multicolor









Chilly, my super red veiltail









Edward, my royal blue halfmoon









Salmon, bicolor halfmoon









Maehk, my blue & white red wash butterfly superdelta

















some of my past;
Draco, bicolor dragon superdelta









Lava, orange veiltail female









Japan, cambodian veiltail female









the old tank setup;









hope ye like my fishies :flrt: i love them all.
also, anyone looking for betta info, just ask me or check out *Betta Fish and Betta Fish Care* ! my username is Neelie :2thumb:


----------



## southpython (Feb 18, 2010)

Damn i miss my betas, i had over 70+ at one point, Many halfmoons and super deltas too.

I might get another one just for the rep room. 

Ill try and get the pictures of the old fish room, literally 50+ tanks, lol.


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

southpython said:


> Damn i miss my betas, i had over 70+ at one point, Many halfmoons and super deltas too.
> I might get another one just for the rep room.
> Ill try and get the pictures of the old fish room, literally 50+ tanks, lol.


OMG pics pics pics pics!!!!!!!!!!!! :gasp::gasp::gasp:
you should always have one. they are the best fishies ever! plus you shoud know you cant loose the addiction totally haha. they always come back into your life at one stage lol


----------



## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

Well you betta peeps are often weird, just as i would say like tarantula keepers with many many small tanks with each fish in each of them :lol2:

amazing set-ups Eileen, and lurv the fish too :2thumb: you dont keep filters in there do you?


----------



## jordkil (Sep 1, 2006)

Refreshing to see some bettas that don't have droopy finnage! Very nice I used to get mine over from atison in Thailand very nice fish amazing quality had all sorts plakats half-moon crowntail butterfly coloration and some nice wild types


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

abadi said:


> Well you betta peeps are often weird, just as i would say like tarantula keepers with many many small tanks with each fish in each of them :lol2:
> 
> amazing set-ups Eileen, and lurv the fish too :2thumb: you dont keep filters in there do you?


ha ha :crazy: we no weird....
thanks : victory: no the 2.5g dont need filters. way too many cables... and it promotes bubblenests the size of the whole tank haha. my guys are crazy nest makers.... it breaks my heart to have to destroy them every couple of days lol



jordkil said:


> Refreshing to see some bettas that don't have droopy finnage! Very nice I used to get mine over from atison in Thailand very nice fish amazing quality had all sorts plakats half-moon crowntail butterfly coloration and some nice wild types


mine are all from UK. i like veiltails BUT they have to be extraordinary.... otherwise they dont catch me... :blush: chilly was my mum's pick. she fell for him and he turned out to become a stunner of a veiltail lol. i luve my halfmoons though. never had a chance to get plaks.... unfortunetly.


----------



## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

Beautiful, I love Betta, miss my little Hermes


----------



## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

nice  what kind of dividers did you have in the big (Juwel?) tank? i miss my fighters


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

xvickyx said:


> Beautiful, I love Betta, miss my little Hermes


thanks : victory:



daftlassieEmma said:


> nice  what kind of dividers did you have in the big (Juwel?) tank? i miss my fighters


yeah its a juwel tank. i bought crafting mesh online and made them myself. they looked totally professional. i liked the tank but have no stand for it anymore and no room lol... the sorority is long gone... was a sad day...


----------



## abadi (Jul 25, 2010)

if you dont run filters, what cleans the fish tanks? i mean how often do you change water and what amount?

thanks


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

abadi said:


> if you dont run filters, what cleans the fish tanks? i mean how often do you change water and what amount?


you need filter if you cycle a tank. they dont physically clean a tank as such. they only remove ammonia, and if its a carbon filter, they remove chemicals in the water 

i change water 100% every 4-5 days with the 2.5g and i have a 5g that i do once a month 100% and once 50%. its work but its the best for my fish. the 32g was no work at all nearly ha... i dont miss them though... :whistling2:


----------



## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

eileen said:


> you need filter if you cycle a tank. they dont physically clean a tank as such. they only remove ammonia, and if its a carbon filter, they remove chemicals in the water
> 
> i change water 100% every 4-5 days with the 2.5g and i have a 5g that i do once a month 100% and once 50%. its work but its the best for my fish. the 32g was no work at all nearly ha... i dont miss them though... :whistling2:


I disagree that filters don't physically clean a tank. How would you define the term "mechanical filtration"? Why do people add filter wool as a pre filter?

They remove ammonia, nitrite and potentially nitrate. A build up of solid waste can cause bacterial infection and fluctuations in ph, so a well chosen filtration system is extremely important.

I'm adding this post as yours could seriously confuse newbies into thinking an unfiltered aquarium is a good idea. 

To remove solids from the water......


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

^^^ i have yet to find a filter that removes poop and i think thats what was meant with "keeping tank clean" (hence why i went on about my water changes in the same post). yeah they keep water clear and filter out some solids but not poop. a gravel vaccum cleaner is needed fot that.
i would use a filter for a 3g+ no question but defo not 2.5g...  
thats what i replied to.


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

They are gorgeous Eileen, I have never kept fish but seriously thinking about getting a betta.


----------



## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

eileen said:


> ^^^ i have yet to find a filter that removes poop and i think thats what was meant with "keeping tank clean" (hence why i went on about my water changes in the same post). yeah they keep water clear and filter out some solids but not poop. a gravel vaccum cleaner is needed fot that.
> i would use a filter for a 3g+ no question but defo not 2.5g...
> thats what i replied to.


I can think of a couple of internal power filters that would be small enough for a tank of that size. However Bettas don't particularly like living in a jacuzzi........


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

garlicpickle said:


> They are gorgeous Eileen, I have never kept fish but seriously thinking about getting a betta.


they are lovely fish. have a very strong character believe it or not and its amazing how much contact you can have with them (finger chasing, jumping for food etc). just dont listen to pet shop employees saying they dont need heaters. they need heaters and a tank with at least 2g and conditioned water. :2thumb: your fish will fly it then!



Mynki said:


> I can think of a couple of internal power filters that would be small enough for a tank of that size. However Bettas don't particularly like living in a jacuzzi........


no need for it sure.... 
only uses electricity and i trip over cables.

haha i had a betta long ago that loved current! 
i still havent figured out how or why :hmm:


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

eileen said:


> they are lovely fish. have a very strong character believe it or not and its amazing how much contact you can have with them (finger chasing, jumping for food etc). just dont listen to pet shop employees saying they dont need heaters. they need heaters and a tank with at least 2g and conditioned water. :2thumb: your fish will fly it then!


He would definitely need a heater in this house! :lol2: To begin with I thought i would use one of those plastic tanks like yours. I keep tarantulas so I have quite a few tanks in the loft, plus a little 25W heater, and see how I get on with that before investing in a nice glass tank.
Would that be OK, do you think?

How do I condition tap water? I am a complete fish noob so sorry if any questions sound silly. 

What do you feed them on? Do you buy the mini betta pellets or do they have things like bloodworms?


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

garlicpickle said:


> He would definitely need a heater in this house! :lol2: To begin with I thought i would use one of those plastic tanks like yours. I keep tarantulas so I have quite a few tanks in the loft, plus a little 25W heater, and see how I get on with that before investing in a nice glass tank.
> Would that be OK, do you think?
> 
> How do I condition tap water? I am a complete fish noob so sorry if any questions sound silly.
> ...


well the cheapest way to keep them is probaby the way i have them simply caus the equipment is all smaller. Best tank would be a 5gallon but my 2.5gallon are good too. You'll need a heater, as you said a 25watt is wat you need for the 2.5gallon.

Water conditioner Is a chemical you buy to remove chlorine and other harmful substances in tap water. Just follow the instructions on the bottle for dosage.

I feed them pellets. It's the easiest and they love them. I use hikari micro wafers. they rock. Bloodworms are a nice treat indeed. but its up to You.


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

Possibly getting a betta soon  

Tell me what your thoughts are of 1 female betta in a community tank.
Her neighbors would be
9 Cardinal Tetras
2 Dwarf Gouramis
2 Cory Cats
2 swordies
2 male and 3 female guppies - might be considered a no no but apparently it has worked before

Thanks


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

ashrussell4190 said:


> Tell me what your thoughts are of 1 female betta in a community tank.
> Her neighbors would be
> 9 Cardinal Tetras
> 2 Dwarf Gouramis
> ...


ok generally speaking females are just as aggressive as male bettas. thats why sororities often dont work out (like mine). which also means they may attack colourful fish like your guppies. i wouldnt consider them.

cory cats are schooling fish, meaning they'll need more than 1 mate... ideal is 4+. i had 2 and they did ok BUT i was very lucky as i know that usually doesnt make them happy. id recommend 4 or 6 or 8... even numbers.

tetra's can bite other fish's tails. if you have a colorful female with a lot of fins it can happen they will bite her. also, they are group fish also and you will need a bunch of them...

gouramis; no good. i've always known them as being a lil aggressive.

having said all that dont take my word for it caus im not the most knowledgeable with other fish *yet* lol. if you want i can put up a thread on my forum and ask around : victory:


----------



## d'janiero (Dec 5, 2010)

Hi Guys,

Sorry to thread jack.
I'm new to the forum and on the hunt for an unique coloured male betta fish.. something pink or possibly opaque

http://www.siamsbestbettas.com/images/opaqueFeb9_2005_small.jpg

love bettas breed bettas | learn something new every day

Does anyone know of any reputable breeders?

Thanks :2thumb:


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

d'janiero said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Sorry to thread jack.
> I'm new to the forum and on the hunt for an unique coloured male betta fish.. something pink or possibly opaque


no problem! 
uummm aquabid is the best place ever for betta:flrt:


----------



## d'janiero (Dec 5, 2010)

Cheers for the quick response.

I just had a breif look at the site. Is just an ebay like site for fish?

I see many of the sellers are from the US. How safe is it to import one over i.e. is it not too traumatic for the fish?

Thanks again


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

^^^ yeah its an online bidding site. alot of ppl import fish from thailand from that site and apparently it all works fine. of course you have to check the seller's rating and reviews etc to make sure its a responsible seller. i did think there were UK sellers on it too tho... did you check for uk?


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

> ok generally speaking females are just as aggressive as male bettas. thats why sororities often dont work out (like mine). which also means they may attack colourful fish like your guppies. i wouldnt consider them.
> 
> cory cats are schooling fish, meaning they'll need more than 1 mate... ideal is 4+. i had 2 and they did ok BUT i was very lucky as i know that usually doesnt make them happy. id recommend 4 or 6 or 8... even numbers.
> 
> ...



ah well better not chance it! 

I have a separate tank still... I was aiming to get a male crowntail but no one seems to have any for sale up here!

As for my wee cory cats I did have 3 to start off with. One got stuck in one of my plants. I dunno how long he was stuck for I came in looked at the tank saw him there so I took him out of the plant and he sadly died later


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

ashrussell4190 said:


> ah well better not chance it!
> 
> I have a separate tank still... I was aiming to get a male crowntail but no one seems to have any for sale up here!
> 
> As for my wee cory cats I did have 3 to start off with. One got stuck in one of my plants. I dunno how long he was stuck for I came in looked at the tank saw him there so I took him out of the plant and he sadly died later


females are a lil bit strange alright... :whistling2: if you really like females though you COULD try getting 4+ lovely females (same size) and see if they get on.... sororities dont always fail. they will sort out a pecking order for a few days... :devil: 
i love cory cats. they are charming lil things.... so cute faces, dart around and search the floor dfor food together its so cute :blush:


----------



## shiftylou (Apr 27, 2008)

lovely betta's! wish I could take a decent photo of mines lol.

I have 2 male plakats bought them as females then their fins grew alot more and well they bred with my females lol.

I havent kept betta's long but have a fair few and successfully bred a few aswell  

i have black betta's aswell.

Will try take some photo's to post


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

I have found a guy only a few miles away who breeds his own Bettas, I'm going to get the tank set up this week and then go and choose one 
I'm excited about getting my first fishie!


----------



## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

bettas are great... easy, cheap, hardy and available everywhere...

i always used tubs for my bettas... no filtration...

breeding them is fun...


----------



## d'janiero (Dec 5, 2010)

eileen said:


> ^^^ yeah its an online bidding site. alot of ppl import fish from thailand from that site and apparently it all works fine. of course you have to check the seller's rating and reviews etc to make sure its a responsible seller. i did think there were UK sellers on it too tho... did you check for uk?


I checked for Uk sellers on there but, they all seem to be over seas.

Would rather buy one from a UK seller in all honesty, but still not having much luck.




garlicpickle said:


> I have found a guy only a few miles away who breeds his own Bettas, I'm going to get the tank set up this week and then go and choose one
> I'm excited about getting my first fishie!


Do you have a contact number for this breeder at all?
Would he willing to deliver.PM me if need be.

Cheers


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

I think he delivers, his site is called BETTA SPLENDENS, BETTAS, BETTAS FOR SALE UK,Betta care DVD,SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH,SIAMESE FIGHTER UK BETTA FORUM


----------



## southpython (Feb 18, 2010)

Im going to get a betta after 6 years of not keeping them. Just the one male, nothing fancy. Miss my old tanks but i dont want to go back as now snakes are my thing and i dont see myself ever changing that!, ever!


----------



## d'janiero (Dec 5, 2010)

garlicpickle said:


> I think he delivers, his site is called BETTA SPLENDENS, BETTAS, BETTAS FOR SALE UK,Betta care DVD,SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH,SIAMESE FIGHTER UK BETTA FORUM


Unfortunately, this is the breeder I contacted originally. He doesnt have any Opaque or bright/unique coloured males in at the moment. He said he may import some over in the new year depending on how many buyers request them.

Thanks all the same though


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

Has anyone kept bettas with crystal red shrimp ?

can they be kept with shrimp ?


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

ashrussell4190 said:


> Has anyone kept bettas with crystal red shrimp ?
> 
> can they be kept with shrimp ?


yeah they can. its a popular choice. they keep the tank nice and clean too. ghost shrimp is the most common combo.


----------



## natsuko (Jan 3, 2009)

awww I miss my bettas, they are gorgeous fish although its hard to find decent quality ones in petshops yet alone anything other than veil tails. I once bought a double tail one. I also used to laugh when on a fish forum people used to say how hard they are to breed and how they had to be conditioned etc. I had two successful breedings from my common vts.

OP yours are simply stunning


----------



## Scarlet_Rain (Jan 16, 2009)

gorgeous! I love that divided tank at the bottom!


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

i had one DBT but he died pretty fast on nothing. no disease, nothing... no idea what happened. all my others were perfect, just he died one minute to the next :whistling2:


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

Scarlet_Rain said:


> gorgeous! I love that divided tank at the bottom!


thank you! :blush: it was a lovely tank indeed. i liked it too. just have no room anymore lol


----------



## Roseanna (Apr 26, 2010)

fantastic betta's! i used to love owning/breeding these but never managed to find any decent breeders who sold the proper nice betta's like delta's, halfmoon etc etc only really bred veil tails! where do you purchase them from?very beautiful :flrt:


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

Roseanna said:


> fantastic betta's! i used to love owning/breeding these but never managed to find any decent breeders who sold the proper nice betta's like delta's, halfmoon etc etc only really bred veil tails! where do you purchase them from?very beautiful :flrt:


well its hard enough to find them, thats true. i was lucky that my pet shop manager called around to various breeders etc to arrange me these special ones lol. they are from the UK! :notworthy: females too. also from uk


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

*Finally got my betta *

Hi 

Since I had posted much earlier saying that I was getting a betta... I thought I would share him  
He is a blue crowntail and is just soo lovely, wish my camera would show his colours better! Anyway here he is  




























Edited to add better photo I managed to get!!


----------



## Ccole (Jan 11, 2011)

*Plastic tanks?*

I was wondering if ur current set up of five tanks are plastic and if so do u use standard heaters for them? By the way what a family of betta u have. Quality


----------



## eileen (Nov 17, 2010)

ashrussell4190 said:


> Since I had posted much earlier saying that I was getting a betta... I thought I would share him
> He is a blue crowntail and is just soo lovely, wish my camera would show his colours better! http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/members/ashrussell4190-albums-pets-picture125923-100-1015.jpg


he is LOVELY! the blue is so intense! he has a huge home to himself too. very lucky bugger :2thumb:



Ccole said:


> I was wondering if ur current set up of five tanks are plastic and if so do u use standard heaters for them? By the way what a family of betta u have. Quality


yeah they are acrylic. and yeah just your average 25watt heater : victory: thank you for the nice comment. i did have nicer boys along the way. nut these are my babies. im sure time will get me more fancy boys sometime


----------



## Roseanna (Apr 26, 2010)

eileen said:


> well its hard enough to find them, thats true. i was lucky that my pet shop manager called around to various breeders etc to arrange me these special ones lol. they are from the UK! :notworthy: females too. also from uk


 sounds good.your very lucky :flrt:


----------



## SweetSugarHigh (Sep 8, 2009)

I really want a nice male Betta, but having so much trouble finding a local breeder/seller 

I live in Dorset and the only shop locally that bred them has closed down a while back.


----------



## Myjb23 (Oct 14, 2009)

Lovely set up OP :2thumb:

I use to keep and breed bettas imported from Singapore and Thailand. It just got too expensive and time consuming though so I had to give up.

This was my favourite boy, stunning little guy, lived to about 5 yrs old. Only ever produced deformed fry though.










And some of the random ones I had over the years:


----------



## Roseanna (Apr 26, 2010)

Myjb23 said:


> Lovely set up OP :2thumb:
> 
> I use to keep and breed bettas imported from Singapore and Thailand. It just got too expensive and time consuming though so I had to give up.
> 
> ...


 o my godddd!!!! they are blooming gorgeous! :flrt:
may i ask how much they cost you to have them from thailand?


----------



## Ccole (Jan 11, 2011)

*Wow*

Thanks for info about heaters and WOW they are beautiful little lads - the blue one remionds me of my boy bruno.


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

eileen said:


> he is LOVELY! the blue is so intense! he has a huge home to himself too. very lucky bugger :2thumb:


thank you, was a tough desicion I made when I got him! between him and a red that looked kinda like this one










He is very lucky to have his own huge home but bigger the better and he is one happy boy in there!

: victory:


----------



## Myjb23 (Oct 14, 2009)

Roseanna said:


> o my godddd!!!! they are blooming gorgeous! :flrt:
> may i ask how much they cost you to have them from thailand?


 
They cost £10-£15 imported and delivered :2thumb:

The prices have got crazy now. Some average quality ones on ebay go for £30+ :whistling2:


----------



## Roseanna (Apr 26, 2010)

Myjb23 said:


> They cost £10-£15 imported and delivered :2thumb:
> 
> The prices have got crazy now. Some average quality ones on ebay go for £30+ :whistling2:


 wow i wish i bought some!
£30 +? maybe the royal pythons of the fish world aye? lol


----------



## Postcard (Aug 29, 2010)

My Betta is now well over two years old so thought I'd share him with you -









He looks black but he's got wicked red & blue shiny stripes on his fins and a really grumpy face, love it :flrt:


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

My betta has came on leaps and bounds since I got him, his fins have got much prettier and hes flaring up from time to time - when he catches sight of himself lol!!

Camera flash was on this time so I got much clearer photos of him


----------



## ashrussell4190 (May 24, 2010)

Well it has been over a year now... and sadly that is how long my 1st betta lived with me for 

I now have a new one got him yesterday. I don't think he is as pretty as my blue boy but he is a cracker none the less


----------

