I've seen several threads regarding "Baby Betta" for sale at PetCo. I wanted to start this thread for all discussion about PetCo selling Baby Betta, pictures of your new fish or what you've seen at your local stores, and stories of our success and failures.
I am really not sure how I feel about Betta being sold so small. I know that in the hands of your average fish keeper most do not have a chance. Those that do survive to adulthood will probably spend the rest of their lives in cold water in the 1/4 gallon "tank" they have stocked with them in the display.
Regardless, after hearing about petco selling true "baby" betta, I had to go take a look. Sure enough, I saw no less then 30 colorless, unsexable almost-fry less then the size of my thumbnail, fins included.
I had no intention of actually buying one of these poor fish, but then I saw one that was slightly larger then the rest in the baby cups. This one had started to show a blue and red mix of color and was clearly a double tail. Sure enough I walked out of the store with a miniscule but potentially beautiful new fish at the low low cost of $1.99.
I brought him home on Saturday. He is in M1's old 1 gallon corner tank. My apartment is running at a cool 80 degrees and his tank is holding solid at a comfortable 78. If he makes it to be large enough, I will add him to the empty section of my divided 10 gallon. He currently eats crushed hikari and frozen bloodworms.
Not going to get too attached to his fragile little guy just yet, but my fingers are crossed.
Anyone else fall victim to this cuteness trap? Post your pictures and tell your stories.
I got 2 new babies today.
I am pretty sure one is a VT (hopefully male) an the other is a CT (possibly CT) female.
I originally was only planning to buy a single one, whichever looked the most male, but I couldn't help myself with the "girl". It wasn't doing very well in the store, severely clamped and had a hard time getting air.
They have been floating in the main tank all day while I was in class till I could get them better situated. She looks so much better after 6 hours of having her home. Hopefully she can pull through the stress of being stuck in a cup in a really busy store for god knows how long. :/
Planning to post some updated pictures of my other 2 "babies" along with the 2 new ones once they get more accustomed to their new homes.
So they are definitely male and female, just can't determine tail type for sure yet.
The red is obviously the boy, the grey with red fins is my girl.
Leaning toward VT male and CT female... But it could definitely change...
Here's a few pics of him showing off and her striping up
I'll post updated pics of my 2 older girls tomorrow.
Young juvenile bettas may develop what looks like stress stripes, they won't go away until adult size if they do. I could find no reasons that my baby betta was stressed, but when she finally grew up they were gone. I assume after some mild initial stress they develop these stripes but keep them not for stress but for camouflage at least until they are older.
I have read that verticals can be a sign of aggression, in addition to breeding. My big girl got vertical when she saw my baby betta that was clearly immature... unless she's a cougar!
So Friday marked Day 14 of life with a baby Betta ... and it sure has been interesting. This little guy/girl seems to grow and change by the day, and I'm almost sure he's a boy - since he got a new neighbor (Suma, my female crowntail who I brought home last Wednesday - she is in an separate tank but they can see each other) he's been flaring a lot and I think I can see a little tiny beard.
Also, it is killing me to know what tail type he or she is and I don't know if it's just that he's (she's) too little or whether I am just too inexperienced, but I can't figure it out. I thought maybe delta tail, but now I'm thinking maybe halfmoon? I don't really care ... I just want to KNOW! Any ideas?
Ok, so I was getting really aggravated with these terrible iPhone pics because they were always so blurry, so last night I got out my Canon and took a few shots. Here are two that really show his/her tail and I'm hoping one of the experts here can tell me what tail type I've got here.
looks like a veil tail to me with some very unique coloration. The end of the tail will likely close up more when it gets older. My baby looked almost like a crown tail until she got older.
Thanks, Xeek! A veil tail? Really? That is the one tail type that I wouldn't have guessed! I guess maybe because I've only seen adults? That would be just fine with me, since my first Betta is a veiltail and I think he is stunning! This baby's coloring is a bit unique, I think - in that he sort of changes colors depending upon the light. The picture I posted last night was taken four days ago with my iPhone 4s and in that picture he looked mostly reddish, which isn't the case. When viewed with the aquarium light on he has lots of other colors - green, turquoise, etc. as well as the red. I think some of what you're seeing in the picture here as far as colors is due to the flash, but not all. It's certainly fun watching him grow up and change - which he does on a daily basis it seems like. Anyway, thanks for your input!
I think a crown tail would have much more obvious crowns, this one does not. The small curves in the tail could make you think it is, but those will smooth out when it gets older.
I'm not sure I would call this one a baby? Looks like it's getting up to it's young adult size actually. My baby was smaller with big baby eyes, this one has more proportional eyes like an adult.
Hi, Xeek. I think maybe these photos are making him look bigger than he is. IRL he is maybe an inch long now nose to tail. I've had him about two and a half weeks (Friday was 14 days) and this is how he looked on Day 1:
SO I don't really know - but based on the little research I have done I was estimating him at about two months old or so. What do you think?
Really? Interesting. I thought girl at first but in the last couple of days I have felt like I definitely saw a beard when he/she was flaring. Ah who knows? Lol!
She has the belly of a female, where the eggs will be, but young male bettas and present that and confuse you until they get closer to their adult size. If she shows a bit of white under that belly or some vertical lines it would be definite on the female answer.
My baby also ended up as female, which was fortunate! She fits in well with the sorority and never presented a problem of aggression. I suppose it's because she grew up in a transparent breeder box in the sorority tank - she automatically went to the bottom of the pecking order without any fights. Anyone that chases her will realize how a gold medal Olympic swimmer she is! She is small and super fast for a betta.
Two month update..to those who said she wouldn't survive with me using only a desk lamp as a heat source >
First got her at ~3/4"
Now she's almost 1 1/2"...
I want to raise another one, but i went last week and they had no more babies on the shelves, asked if they stopped selling and was told there were mmore coming..gonna go check later this week. I want to raise a male!!! lol
So I FINALLY got batteries for my camera. It's been something like three weeks, and everyone is undergoing some serious changes. I tell you one thing, though- raising bettas can be really, really confusing. I've been back and forth on gender, tail type, what have you. I finally gave up and just decided to enjoy the ride, and I'm thinking Marley and Floyd are finally beginning to show their true types/genders... hopefully. =P
So without further ado... picture time!
Elvis is still teeny. Haven't had to move him out of his 3/4 gallon kritter keeper, he still looks to teeny in comparison. Finally beginning to color up, though, and look a little less like a guppy!
Jagger has me riddled with curiosity. I don't have much experience with reds, do the have a tendency to have a pale body before they brighten up? Sometimes he looks maroon, other a brilliant crimson. Those strange iridescent spots showed up the last couple days. I'm still pretty certain she's female, although I'm just going by body shape and her egg spot. I think Marley might be proof that it's not always an accurate way to figure it out. =P
Floyd is rapidly approaching the 4 month mark, and despite my earlier beliefs, I'm starting to believe s/he's actually female! Her body is growing, but her fins aren't, and those ventrals are starting to look short and fat. I don't know if I see an egg spot or not, I kind of see something there but my untrained eye can't really focus before she swims off. I'm also thinking she's a veiltail! That tail is really crinkling and flowing. Very cute surprise. =]
Out of curiosity, should I be worried she seems to swim with her ventrals to one side? Doesn't seem to impede her at all. Is this common is bettas, or a weird quirk?
Marley is really becoming my pride and joy (don't tell the rest). His egg spot completely disappeared, and his fins went CRAZY. I've heard a couple opinions on the type, from delta tail to round tail to half moon (Although I doubt that, because he only has two rays within the rays). His colors are really changing, and his fins are beginning to tint a steel blue color. I definitely think he was an awesome Petco find, especially considering the colorless runt he was when I first got him! Now he's bigger than Floyd lol.
I love these guys.
Any thoughts, guesses, comments much appreciated. =]
Im angry at Petco. I go there today to find that they are participating in this poo. im planning on rescuing one. They were unmoving even when I tapped the plastic cups. Temperature was not nearly high enough. THESE FRY ARE SICK!
My baby Spark looked similar to Elvis in body at first, but has almost the same coloring as Jagger. Spark is a lot smaller than my first baby Prize, who is blue and looks similar to your Floyd..so I think you're right that Floyd is female. I reallllly love Marley though, he/she looks marbled which is awesome! I've always wanted a marble. To me they all look female except for maybe Marley. Only time will tell though. I've had my babies since the end of December/Early January and still Spark is very small compared to Prize. I think sometimes they're the "runts" of the spawn and also their growth gets stunted from being in the cups for a long time.
@JBonez, all your babies are gorgeous! I can't imagine how much fun it is watching them grow and change. I can hardly believe the metamorphosis my little one has undergone these last three weeks.
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