OT: Anyone own pet fish?

[YoungJRNY]

My girlfriends birthday is coming up and I caught her many times in her saying she would like to have fish one day and a nice aquarium. (She had goldfish when she was little and it lived for like 5 years.)

I decided to get her two fish at the pet store, and I picked out the 2 best looking ones in the tanks. I named them Lois&Clark.

Turns out, they are two Oscar fish, so I read up on them. These fish are going to be monsters, and grow up to over a foot! I'm overwhelmed with this, and was just expecting 2 easy fish to take care of. There is all kinds of stuff to do with the tanks as far as water element is concerned, and disease, and filter systems, so it can get pricey. I just bought a lousy 1.5 gallon tank at the moment (they are about 2-3 inches right now) and have a filter running. The tank I got at Wal-Mart was $20.00. I had them for 3 nights and they seem to be doing fine right at the moment, but I'm afraid they aren't going to get the right enough oxygen and I end up killing them because of my ignorance towards fish. I got someone on stand by for an aquarium that runs at 55 gallons. I've been on Oscar boards, and they are concerned about them and want me to take them back, but they are hanging in there. If they die, then I'm thinking maybe 2 goldfish which they are easier to take care of, but I want these guys to live.

Anyone have any experience with fish?

[Babyblue]

Not sure about fish.But good luck and maybe someone here will know.

[SP Fan in Oregon]

My girlfriends birthday is coming up and I caught her many times in her saying she would like to have fish one day and a nice aquarium. (She had goldfish when she was little and it lived for like 5 years.)

I decided to get her two fish at the pet store, and I picked out the 2 best looking ones in the tanks. I named them Lois&Clark.

Turns out, they are two Oscar fish, so I read up on them. These fish are going to be monsters, and grow up to over a foot! I'm overwhelmed with this, and was just expecting 2 easy fish to take care of. There is all kinds of stuff to do with the tanks as far as water element is concerned, and disease, and filter systems, so it can get pricey. I just bought a lousy 1.5 gallon tank at the moment (they are about 2-3 inches right now) and have a filter running. The tank I got at Wal-Mart was $20.00. I had them for 3 nights and they seem to be doing fine right at the moment, but I'm afraid they aren't going to get the right enough oxygen and I end up killing them because of my ignorance towards fish. I got someone on stand by for an aquarium that runs at 55 gallons. I've been on Oscar boards, and they are concerned about them and want me to take them back, but they are hanging in there. If they die, then I'm thinking maybe 2 goldfish which they are easier to take care of, but I want these guys to live.

Anyone have any experience with fish?

I had an Oscar for 3 years. They get as large as fish you catch in a lake. We had to use a regular fishing net to catch him and clean out his tank. He ate MEAT balls. They get HUGE.
Yes, you should take those two back and buy her ONE Beta Fish. You can only have one per tank, but the small tank you purchased will work just great and you don't need all the filtering and crap.
Beta live in cloudy water, but you will have to do periodic partial water changes so the water stays fairly fresh, not toxic. Goldfish get lots of diseases.

Goodluck.

[portland]

My girlfriends birthday is coming up and I caught her many times in her saying she would like to have fish one day and a nice aquarium. (She had goldfish when she was little and it lived for like 5 years.)

I decided to get her two fish at the pet store, and I picked out the 2 best looking ones in the tanks. I named them Lois&Clark.

Turns out, they are two Oscar fish, so I read up on them. These fish are going to be monsters, and grow up to over a foot! I'm overwhelmed with this, and was just expecting 2 easy fish to take care of. There is all kinds of stuff to do with the tanks as far as water element is concerned, and disease, and filter systems, so it can get pricey. I just bought a lousy 1.5 gallon tank at the moment (they are about 2-3 inches right now) and have a filter running. The tank I got at Wal-Mart was $20.00. I had them for 3 nights and they seem to be doing fine right at the moment, but I'm afraid they aren't going to get the right enough oxygen and I end up killing them because of my ignorance towards fish. I got someone on stand by for an aquarium that runs at 55 gallons. I've been on Oscar boards, and they are concerned about them and want me to take them back, but they are hanging in there. If they die, then I'm thinking maybe 2 goldfish which they are easier to take care of, but I want these guys to live.

Anyone have any experience with fish?

I had an Oscar for 3 years. They get as large as fish you catch in a lake. We had to use a regular fishing net to catch him and clean out his tank. He ate MEAT balls. They get HUGE.
Yes, you should take those two back and buy her ONE Beta Fish. You can only have one per tank, but the small tank you purchased will work just great and you don't need all the filtering and crap.
Beta live in cloudy water, but you will have to do periodic partial water changes so the water stays fairly fresh, not toxic. Goldfish get lots of diseases.

Goodluck.

I was going to suggest a beta too - they are a pretty fish and there are plants that you can put in the tank with it...only one fish per tank as SP fan said, but they live for a long time and don't take a lot of care. Hope this helps!

[Rick]

I agree with SP fan in Oregon. Betta fish are really pretty fish. They're also called Siamese Fighting Fish. As she said, you can only have one, because they are territorial and will kill any other fish. You can, however use partitions to house more than one in an aquarium. They're one of the easiest to take care of as well. You'll need food and dechlorinating drops, used when you change out the water.

[Ehwmatt]

It's fun to watch those fuckers fight though.

[Rick]

It's fun to watch those fuckers fight though.

[Ehwmatt]

Whatever you end up doin, she'll love the gift. Scores big on the thoughtful scale. They should have warned you about the adult size of the fish at the place you bought them tho...

[SP Fan in Oregon]

I agree with SP fan in Oregon. Betta fish are really pretty fish. They're also called Siamese Fighting Fish. As she said, you can only have one, because they are territorial and will kill any other fish. You can, however use partitions to house more than one in an aquarium. They're one of the easiest to take care of as well. You'll need food and dechlorinating drops, used when you change out the water.

This looks like a female Beta, short fins................ Although it does have more color than most females. The MALES are spectacular.

If the "add image to post" was working for me, I could post a picture of the fancy tail beta..

[Rick]

I agree with SP fan in Oregon. Betta fish are really pretty fish. They're also called Siamese Fighting Fish. As she said, you can only have one, because they are territorial and will kill any other fish. You can, however use partitions to house more than one in an aquarium. They're one of the easiest to take care of as well. You'll need food and dechlorinating drops, used when you change out the water.

This looks like a female Beta, short fins................ Although it does have more color than most females. The MALES are spectacular.

If the "add image to post" was working for me, I could post a picture of the fancy tail beta..

Is this one?

[Voyager]

How about a cute little piranha?

[YoungJRNY]

haahahahaha, that's hilarious, Voyager.

Thanks for the response's guys, and I was actually going to look into getting the Betta Fish, but wanted two of them like one for me and her. I wish I knew more about fish/Oscar's before I bought them but instead read up on them after. The size of them are going to be unreal, and best interest should be to take them back. I like the two bastards, but it's going to be best for overall length of life.

I think two Female Bette's can co-exist, but they are ugly. Think I should go after Betta? What CAN go in the tank with a Betta? Or can't it be w/no other fish, PERIOD?

[The Sushi Hunter]

I agree with SP fan in Oregon. Betta fish are really pretty fish. They're also called Siamese Fighting Fish. As she said, you can only have one, because they are territorial and will kill any other fish. You can, however use partitions to house more than one in an aquarium. They're one of the easiest to take care of as well. You'll need food and dechlorinating drops, used when you change out the water.

Yeah Betta's are really cool, they live in very small surroundings, not sure what one would do in a 55 gallon tank. My wife had one when we were just dating. The fish would get really excited when I would come over cause I was the one who used to care for it the most like clean out it's tank, test the water and feed it. The only fish I had as pets myself were salt water. You want to talk about high maintenance, high expense and time consuming, salt water tanks are all that and more. One of the fish I had was a salt water betta or commonly known as a Marine Betta. Very beautiful fish and loves to hide out in live rock. It would come out when I would drop a half dozen glass shrimp in there for it. When the fish would get scared for whatever reason, it would stick it's body head first into a rock crevis and have it's tail sticking out. Doing so, other fish think the tail is the head of an eel sticking out of a hole in the rocks cause salt water betta's have a white dot on the end of their tail that looks like an eye. Very interesting fish. Nothing compares in beauty to that of a salt water tank in your house if your going to have a tank at all.

[Deb]

I agree with SP fan in Oregon. Betta fish are really pretty fish. They're also called Siamese Fighting Fish. As she said, you can only have one, because they are territorial and will kill any other fish. You can, however use partitions to house more than one in an aquarium. They're one of the easiest to take care of as well. You'll need food and dechlorinating drops, used when you change out the water.

This looks like a female Beta, short fins................ Although it does have more color than most females. The MALES are spectacular.

If the "add image to post" was working for me, I could post a picture of the fancy tail beta..

Is this one?

Yes, I love Betta's. Beautiful fish and very easy to care for. Our cat would watch it for hours, lol it was like kitty tv for her. Not only can't you have more than one in the same bowl/tank........don't hold a mirror up to the bowl either. A friend showed me that, and they actually think it's another fish and puff right up.

[YoungJRNY]

I went with my gut, and I wanted the Oscar's to live, so I took everyone's advice, returned the Oscar's, and got a Beautiful Male Bette. He's Red and Blue (Had to, color of Superman) and named 'em Clark. I couldn't be happier with him. Even looks like he has a red cape, haha.

Here's a picture of Clark.

[G.I.Jim]

I went with my gut, and I wanted the Oscar's to live, so I took everyone's advice, returned the Oscar's, and got a Beautiful Male Bette. He's Red and Blue (Had to, color of Superman) and named 'em Clark. I couldn't be happier with him. Even looks like he has a red cape, haha.

Here's a picture of Clark.

What an ugly little bastard of a fish! Just kidding man...don't make me bust out the kryptonite!

[Rick]

I went with my gut, and I wanted the Oscar's to live, so I took everyone's advice, returned the Oscar's, and got a Beautiful Male Bette. He's Red and Blue (Had to, color of Superman) and named 'em Clark. I couldn't be happier with him. Even looks like he has a red cape, haha.

Here's a picture of Clark.

A few care instructions I cribbed from a website:

1. Prepare your betta's home. Here are some points to consider:

_1. Choose a home. In the wild, bettas inhabit Thai rice paddies. Hence, they are fitted to living in relatively shallow but spacious environments. However, consider giving your betta a decent sized tank to help prolong its life, since waste can build up very quickly. Naturally, more water is better, but a 5 gallon tank is acceptable. If keeping your betta with other fish or aquatic animals, then use a tank of at least ten gallons.
* Larger tanks will enhance its quality of life.

_2. Decorate your betta's home. One of the betta's distinct features is its ability to breathe oxygen in air and water, so aeration is not required. Decorate their home with gravel/colored stones, silk plants, and a small cave-like structure to hide. A creative home is a happy home! Add a gentle filter and small heater.
* Avoid jagged rocks or decorations, as they tear betta fins.
* Avoid hard plastic plants, as they can be rough on the fins. Use the 'pantyhose test': If a plastic plant will snag a pair of pantyhose when rubbed against it, then it will damage your betta's fins. Be safe and buy silk plants instead.
*Anubias nana
While live plants aren't necessary, they are a great addition to betta tanks. They're prettier than fake ones, and bettas love lounging on the leaves and hiding in them to sleep.


2. Prepare the water. Use a water conditioner before putting fresh tap water in the tank, as chlorine and chloramines can harm bettas. Older sources may suggest aging the water (standing it for a time) but it's best to use a water conditioner, as aged water removes chlorine but not chloramine and heavy metals.


3. Fill your tank. If your tank is without a top cover, fill it about 80% high to ensure your fish won't leap out. Bettas are very active and can jump over 3 inches when motivated!
* If your tank is without a top, use a mesh cloth on top to discourage jumping. Your betta will be much happier with the extra water and access to surface air.


4. Test the water temperature. Your tank must be maintained at a constant 78-82 degrees. A small heater is smart, as the water temperature is often much cooler than room temperature, and fluctuates easily.


5. Cycle your tank. This step is important to the health of your fish.


6. Purchase your betta. Here are some considerations.

_1. Visit your local pet store or the vet. You should have a general understanding of what to look for before buying.

_2. Observe the available bettas. Several qualities are important when choosing a betta fish:
* Color. Is the betta's color bright and vivid, or is it very dull and pale? Bettas come in a variety of colors, but blues and reds (dark colors in general) are most common.
* Receptiveness. Does the betta respond to your movement at all? Does it swim around rapidly when seeing you, or does it merely sit at the bottom and sulk? Don't repeatedly tap container as it agitates them, try moving your finger in front of the betta instead. Don't be afraid to buy a somewhat docile betta, though. They generally have many encounters with other people during their day, and may simply be resting.
* Overall health. Are its fins in good condition, or are they torn or otherwise damaged? Are the betta's eyes in good shape? Do you see any odd lumps (parasites) on its body? If you see anything highly out of the ordinary, consider another betta.
* The right one. Sometimes, the fish will choose you, not the other way around. If there is one betta that you look at, set down, move on from, but are drawn back to repeatedly, consider buying it. Even if it is not completely healthy, buy the fish you feel connected to, rather than the healthiest one there. He will likely heal up once out of the tiny cup and in warm, clean water.


7. Be gentle.
Add your betta. Float the bag with the betta inside it as you purchased it in the tank water for 5 minutes. This allows for the temperature to adjust. Then pour some of the aquarium's water into the bag every 5 minutes. Finally, with a net, put the betta in his new home. Don't pour pet store water into the tank, as it could be contaminated. Use a brine shrimp net to avoid damaging your betta's fins. Be gentle!


8. Freeze-dried blood worms. Handle blood worms with tweezers. They are mosquito larvae and skin contact can cause an allergic reaction like a mosquito bite.
Freeze-dried blood worms. Handle blood worms with tweezers. They are mosquito larvae and skin contact can cause an allergic reaction like a mosquito bite.
Feed your betta. Your betta's diet should consist primarily of pellets. For special occasions feed frozen or freeze dried brine shrimp or blood worms
* Clean up any extra food that your betta does not eat. Similarly, watch your betta to see if he spits up any food.
* A diet high in protein yet varied is important. Flakes, live food, freeze dried, pellets, whatever works best for you, but vary it. Without varity, it may become constipated, which resembles swim bladder disease; the betta can't maintain its balance. All is not lost. Cook a pea until squishy, peel it, and break it up into betta-bite-sized pieces. Feeding this three times a day and then nothing at all for 1-2 days should clear up the problem.
* Though live food may be exciting to watch, freeze dried products still work great. They are safer and free from potential parasites.
* Don't overfeed your betta, no matter how hungry or cute he or she seems! Remember, your betta's stomach is about the size of its eyeball!


9. Clean your betta's tank at least once weekly, depending on the the tank size.

_1. Do not remove your betta from the tank.

_2. Clean the tank. Clear up any buildups on the sides.

_3. Replace some of the water. Don't change all the water at once, as the abrupt shift in the environment can harm fish. You should only change about 25%-50% of the water in the tank at a time. For the other portion, use clean water of about 78ºF. Don't shift the water temperature too drastically when you reintroduce your betta to the tank, as it may affect him. Remember: add your water conditioner.
* You should do at least 20-30% water change once a week.

[YoungJRNY]

I went with my gut, and I wanted the Oscar's to live, so I took everyone's advice, returned the Oscar's, and got a Beautiful Male Bette. He's Red and Blue (Had to, color of Superman) and named 'em Clark. I couldn't be happier with him. Even looks like he has a red cape, haha.

Here's a picture of Clark.

A few care instructions I cribbed from a website:

1. Prepare your betta's home. Here are some points to consider:

_1. Choose a home. In the wild, bettas inhabit Thai rice paddies. Hence, they are fitted to living in relatively shallow but spacious environments. However, consider giving your betta a decent sized tank to help prolong its life, since waste can build up very quickly. Naturally, more water is better, but a 5 gallon tank is acceptable. If keeping your betta with other fish or aquatic animals, then use a tank of at least ten gallons.
* Larger tanks will enhance its quality of life.

_2. Decorate your betta's home. One of the betta's distinct features is its ability to breathe oxygen in air and water, so aeration is not required. Decorate their home with gravel/colored stones, silk plants, and a small cave-like structure to hide. A creative home is a happy home! Add a gentle filter and small heater.
* Avoid jagged rocks or decorations, as they tear betta fins.
* Avoid hard plastic plants, as they can be rough on the fins. Use the 'pantyhose test': If a plastic plant will snag a pair of pantyhose when rubbed against it, then it will damage your betta's fins. Be safe and buy silk plants instead.
*Anubias nana
While live plants aren't necessary, they are a great addition to betta tanks. They're prettier than fake ones, and bettas love lounging on the leaves and hiding in them to sleep.


2. Prepare the water. Use a water conditioner before putting fresh tap water in the tank, as chlorine and chloramines can harm bettas. Older sources may suggest aging the water (standing it for a time) but it's best to use a water conditioner, as aged water removes chlorine but not chloramine and heavy metals.


3. Fill your tank. If your tank is without a top cover, fill it about 80% high to ensure your fish won't leap out. Bettas are very active and can jump over 3 inches when motivated!
* If your tank is without a top, use a mesh cloth on top to discourage jumping. Your betta will be much happier with the extra water and access to surface air.


4. Test the water temperature. Your tank must be maintained at a constant 78-82 degrees. A small heater is smart, as the water temperature is often much cooler than room temperature, and fluctuates easily.


5. Cycle your tank. This step is important to the health of your fish.


6. Purchase your betta. Here are some considerations.

_1. Visit your local pet store or the vet. You should have a general understanding of what to look for before buying.

_2. Observe the available bettas. Several qualities are important when choosing a betta fish:
* Color. Is the betta's color bright and vivid, or is it very dull and pale? Bettas come in a variety of colors, but blues and reds (dark colors in general) are most common.
* Receptiveness. Does the betta respond to your movement at all? Does it swim around rapidly when seeing you, or does it merely sit at the bottom and sulk? Don't repeatedly tap container as it agitates them, try moving your finger in front of the betta instead. Don't be afraid to buy a somewhat docile betta, though. They generally have many encounters with other people during their day, and may simply be resting.
* Overall health. Are its fins in good condition, or are they torn or otherwise damaged? Are the betta's eyes in good shape? Do you see any odd lumps (parasites) on its body? If you see anything highly out of the ordinary, consider another betta.
* The right one. Sometimes, the fish will choose you, not the other way around. If there is one betta that you look at, set down, move on from, but are drawn back to repeatedly, consider buying it. Even if it is not completely healthy, buy the fish you feel connected to, rather than the healthiest one there. He will likely heal up once out of the tiny cup and in warm, clean water.


7. Be gentle.
Add your betta. Float the bag with the betta inside it as you purchased it in the tank water for 5 minutes. This allows for the temperature to adjust. Then pour some of the aquarium's water into the bag every 5 minutes. Finally, with a net, put the betta in his new home. Don't pour pet store water into the tank, as it could be contaminated. Use a brine shrimp net to avoid damaging your betta's fins. Be gentle!


8. Freeze-dried blood worms. Handle blood worms with tweezers. They are mosquito larvae and skin contact can cause an allergic reaction like a mosquito bite.
Freeze-dried blood worms. Handle blood worms with tweezers. They are mosquito larvae and skin contact can cause an allergic reaction like a mosquito bite.
Feed your betta. Your betta's diet should consist primarily of pellets. For special occasions feed frozen or freeze dried brine shrimp or blood worms
* Clean up any extra food that your betta does not eat. Similarly, watch your betta to see if he spits up any food.
* A diet high in protein yet varied is important. Flakes, live food, freeze dried, pellets, whatever works best for you, but vary it. Without varity, it may become constipated, which resembles swim bladder disease; the betta can't maintain its balance. All is not lost. Cook a pea until squishy, peel it, and break it up into betta-bite-sized pieces. Feeding this three times a day and then nothing at all for 1-2 days should clear up the problem.
* Though live food may be exciting to watch, freeze dried products still work great. They are safer and free from potential parasites.
* Don't overfeed your betta, no matter how hungry or cute he or she seems! Remember, your betta's stomach is about the size of its eyeball!


9. Clean your betta's tank at least once weekly, depending on the the tank size.

_1. Do not remove your betta from the tank.

_2. Clean the tank. Clear up any buildups on the sides.

_3. Replace some of the water. Don't change all the water at once, as the abrupt shift in the environment can harm fish. You should only change about 25%-50% of the water in the tank at a time. For the other portion, use clean water of about 78ºF. Don't shift the water temperature too drastically when you reintroduce your betta to the tank, as it may affect him. Remember: add your water conditioner.
* You should do at least 20-30% water change once a week.

Awesome, Rick. That's more than enough info. Should turn out great in the long run for us. Hope she likes it.

[StevePerryHair]

I wish I would have read your advice Rick, 3 years ago before I accidentally killed my daughter's beta She named him Swimmy (original, I know, but she was only 7 ) and I got very attached to him. When I watched tv, he'd watch me from inside the bowl I had changed and cleaned the water several times, but after a few months, when I did it one time, he died within a day. I think it's because I cleaned out all of the water at once and he couldn't get used to the new water, but I have no idea why he adjusted other times but not that time! We had to have a "fish funeral" in the yard and bury him because my daughter is SUPER sensitive about death, and I have not had the nerve to get another one yet, though I promised her by summers end, we'd have a fish again. I'll save your advice though, and try again! Wish me luck! Poor Swimmy:(

[Shadowsong]

I'd get the goldfish
They can get big too but it depends on the sizeof the tank
Also they don't need heat & are very hardy so they are one of the easiest fish to keep.

Tell the people the size tank & pick out 2 goldfish...
they come in all colors & some have long fancy tails
the black moors have big black eyes

I love black moors they are very personable fish & will get to know you they are pets

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q ... =233514881

Wow, a 10 gal will do for lil goldfish but they grow big & need 20 gal for a good size fish....maybe you should get the Beta

LOL

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... X%26um%3D1

[Rick]

I wish I would have read your advice Rick, 3 years ago before I accidentally killed my daughter's beta She named him Swimmy (original, I know, but she was only 7 ) and I got very attached to him. When I watched tv, he'd watch me from inside the bowl I had changed and cleaned the water several times, but after a few months, when I did it one time, he died within a day. I think it's because I cleaned out all of the water at once and he couldn't get used to the new water, but I have no idea why he adjusted other times but not that time! We had to have a "fish funeral" in the yard and bury him because my daughter is SUPER sensitive about death, and I have not had the nerve to get another one yet, though I promised her by summers end, we'd have a fish again. I'll save your advice though, and try again! Wish me luck! Poor Swimmy:(

They have a short lifespan, 3 years is about as long as a very well taken care of betta is going to live. When you buy them, they're 6 months old already, so then you're reduced to about 2.5 years of life. So prepare the kiddos for that.

[YoungJRNY]

I wish I would have read your advice Rick, 3 years ago before I accidentally killed my daughter's beta She named him Swimmy (original, I know, but she was only 7 ) and I got very attached to him. When I watched tv, he'd watch me from inside the bowl I had changed and cleaned the water several times, but after a few months, when I did it one time, he died within a day. I think it's because I cleaned out all of the water at once and he couldn't get used to the new water, but I have no idea why he adjusted other times but not that time! We had to have a "fish funeral" in the yard and bury him because my daughter is SUPER sensitive about death, and I have not had the nerve to get another one yet, though I promised her by summers end, we'd have a fish again. I'll save your advice though, and try again! Wish me luck! Poor Swimmy:(

My buddy owns a Betta, he is about 3 years old, and lives in a tiny vase looking thing, that's big at bottom and skinny on top. Not a whole lotta room. He said he changes the water about once every 2-3 weeks, so maybe your Betta was exposed to too much flushing during the process of leaving the bowl when you were cleaning it. They say never let a Betta out of the bowl, and keep an eye on him when cleansing his aquarium, but other than that, they can live in tight situations, as well as cloudy water and what not. They are pretty badass.

[Monker]

It sounds to me like the pet store where you are buying your fish at are not being very responsible. They should always ask you what size tank you have and tell you it is too small for the fish you want and recommend something else. They should not be selling fish where they are being placed in an enviornment where they are gauranteed to die. Even goldfish need a larger tank then you would expect...they can not survive long in a tiny bowl, like some people expect.

A Betta is a good choice for a small tank/bowl....they look nice, are easy to take care of, and may get you into the hobby more then you expect.

My girlfriends birthday is coming up and I caught her many times in her saying she would like to have fish one day and a nice aquarium. (She had goldfish when she was little and it lived for like 5 years.)

I decided to get her two fish at the pet store, and I picked out the 2 best looking ones in the tanks. I named them Lois&Clark.

Turns out, they are two Oscar fish, so I read up on them. These fish are going to be monsters, and grow up to over a foot! I'm overwhelmed with this, and was just expecting 2 easy fish to take care of. There is all kinds of stuff to do with the tanks as far as water element is concerned, and disease, and filter systems, so it can get pricey. I just bought a lousy 1.5 gallon tank at the moment (they are about 2-3 inches right now) and have a filter running. The tank I got at Wal-Mart was $20.00. I had them for 3 nights and they seem to be doing fine right at the moment, but I'm afraid they aren't going to get the right enough oxygen and I end up killing them because of my ignorance towards fish. I got someone on stand by for an aquarium that runs at 55 gallons. I've been on Oscar boards, and they are concerned about them and want me to take them back, but they are hanging in there. If they die, then I'm thinking maybe 2 goldfish which they are easier to take care of, but I want these guys to live.

Anyone have any experience with fish?

[stevew2]

I wont, it s to easy

[S2M]

I think the ownership of 'pets' is a horrible practice. How would you like to be captive as someone's pet? Animals were meant to be free.

But if it brings you joy to own an animal, go ahead....

[wednesday's child]

Used to keep Bettas as a kid (I keep a reef tank now).

Bettas can and will jump when spooked, so make sure the tank has a decent lid.
Because they are partially air-breathers, they can tolerate filthier water than most fish,
but you have to have either a decent filter, or change the water every so often (gotta
let tap water stand for 24 hrs before using it, to get rid of chlorine).

If you note a cluster of snotty bubbles on the water surface, relax...
Probably just the male, practice-building a bubble nest for eggs.

-wech

[StevePerryHair]

I think the ownership of 'pets' is a horrible practice. How would you like to be captive as someone's pet? Animals were meant to be free.

But if it brings you joy to own an animal, go ahead....

someone has watched Finding Nemo one too many times think of it as more of a rescue from a horrible pet store for better care. It's not like we can take a beta back to it's real environment

[Arianddu]

Something your girlfriend might like to know is that bettas will feed from your fingertips, if you are gentle and use food they really like. For a real treat for them, in summer, look for mosquito wrigglers (larvae) in ponds, etc (I just leave a bucket of water out) and spoon in a dozen or so. Mine would go crazy for them. He loved adult mosquitos too, and would jump out of the water to catch them. Nearly lost him a few times that way.

BTW - if you do decide to get him a girlfriend, get an opaque partition for the tank or a second tank so most of the time they are seperate (bettas males will literally kill themselves from breeding exhaustion if the females and males permanently share territory as the females will come on heat every other week or so when in such close proximity) and take the gravel out of the male's side of the tank. The males build bubble nests, which they put the eggs into and then guard and care for the eggs and the very young fry. The eggs do fall out and the males will go hunting for the eggs to put them back in the nest. The males also don't eat when they are nest guarding. When you have gravel at the bottom of the tank, the eggs get lost and the males can kill themselves with exhaustion from hunting for them. If the bottom of the tank is smooth, they find the eggs without any issues and become much less worried and exhausted.

They are gorgeous fish. Hope Clark does well and brings her a lot of joy.

[WiseOldTabbyCat]

I think the ownership of 'pets' is a horrible practice. How would you like to be captive as someone's pet? Animals were meant to be free.

But if it brings you joy to own an animal, go ahead....

Thats a bit of a dumb statement, considering cats and dogs have lived beside man for thousands of years and we originally didn't keep them as pets. Dogs were kept for hunting and protection and cats were kept to keep food storages safe from rodents, in return they recieved free food and bedding and they enjoyed the attention they got. And they still do.
They obviously enjoy human company. If they didn't like it, they wouldn't keep returining to the same house, they would run off.
Cats are also the only species that man did not tame. They came to man on their own accord.

There are plenty of wild and stray cats and dogs roaming about the place, in cities and towns. They often starve to death, or get captured and put down. Is that better than living in a nice safe house?

[bluejeangirl76]

I think the ownership of 'pets' is a horrible practice. How would you like to be captive as someone's pet? Animals were meant to be free.

But if it brings you joy to own an animal, go ahead....

someone has watched Finding Nemo one too many times

Maybe he never got the puppy he wanted and now he's harboring resentment against people who have the pets he never got? Or maybe it's the Nemo thing...

Dogs and cats have become domesticated... nothing wrong with giving a small animal like a dog or cat a nice home. My cat is a housecat only, and she likes it that way. She isn't captive, she's spoiled rotten and treated well and believe me, she lives the good life. She lays around in all her favorite spots and refuses to be without a human companion. SHe was rescued from a pet adoption center where they adopt out unwanted cats and strays. She's too friendly to have been stray. I believe someone gave her up and dumped her off. I rescued her and she very much enjoys living in a home and she soaks up all the care and love she gets like a sponge.

I wouldn't have birds or fish though. I think birds belong outside. They're supposed have skies to fly in, and fish are supposed to have ponds and lakes and oceans.