A 'fishy' introduction

[Silverrealm]

Hello everyone;

I found your forum when researching Betta Fish for my son. I am soon to be 32 years old, and my son will be 10 in June.

I maintained tropical freshwater aquariums through my teen years and have experience with many different types of fish and even incidental live bearer breeding.

I am an animal lover, of all kinds. We currently have a miniature Dachshund named Gambit who is LIKE a fish... pictured here:


And a Homozygous Beige Chinchilla named Mendel (he is 8 years old now):


I started an aquatic ecosystem with my son to show him the hierarchy of the food chain and teach him the value of balance and harmony.

No, I do not want to put a Betta in the ecosystem :).

The reason I joined the forum was; I was visiting my cousin the other day and they have a vase on their kitchen table with a large leafy plant and a Betta swimming around in it. This concerned me as he didn't seem very active, the way mine used to be when I had my 25 Gallon aquarium back when I was a teen.

I know that many myths about Betta fish are false, and I started seeing a trend of these 'decorations' with live Betta fish in them.

I did a bit of research over the last few days and my suspicions were correct. Not a good environment for him without proper care.

So my son started asking questions about Betta fish, and I took him to the petstore to show him what they look like.

Once our ecosystem project is finished, and provided he shows responsibility with the creatures therein, I may consider starting up a tropical tank for him. We had one when he was very young (he didn't even remember) with some guppies and tetras in it.

I thought I would join a forum, to chat about maintenance, get advice, maybe give advice if I get current on my facts.

Thanks for having me, I hope to talk to you all soon!

[sandybottom]

warm welcome to you silverrealm. love the pics of the pets. adorable.

[Newbettamommy13]

Welcome! You've picked a great site, lots of fellow betta lovers who you can learn a lot from, and who are happy to help with any questions you may have! I too found this site by searching the web for betta info! By the way, love the pics of your pets! So cute!

[waterdog]

Welcome to Bettas R Us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You were correct in your assumptions that the vase was not a good enviroment. I had to break my wife of this fantasy also. Just cause bettas travel well in small containers does not mean it is a fit permanent home for them.

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum and (soon) to the wonderful world of Betta keeping....

Nice to meet you....

Lots of different ways to keep, breed and rear fry successfully-its finding what works for you, your breeders (if you plan to breed) and what you have on hand....

Be sure and post questions in the proper section for best response-We have lots of members ready and willing to help....(We encourage lots of questions so don't hesitate to ask by starting a new thread)

Enjoy your stay....