(no subject)

[senoritafish]

RIP Mr. Blooberry Betta Tester. I looked in his tank last night and discovered he was gone. Our house had been fairly chilly lately as the thermostat stopped working and we can't turn the heat on, and I think the cold may have been too much for him. He was getting to be an elderly betta though. We've had him for a year and a half, and before that he belonged to a second grade class at my daughter's school - the teacher gave him to us in June as she was going to be gone over the summer and couldn't take care of him. The average life span for a male betta seems to be about 2 years, so it may have just been his time.

Above, he's meeting Sackboy from my photo group's project. That was the day we brought him home. Hard to see, but he was a very pretty metallic blue with red fin membranes.

Comments

[nugatorytm.livejournal.com]

Aww, poor little guy. I hate it when pets die. :(

I used to have a betta that lived in my oversized brandy snifter. Maybe I'll get another one, to go with the new place.

I wonder why the pet stores always put the bettas in those little cups? Seems inhumane to me.

[senoritafish.livejournal.com]

I think it's because they can, since bettas get oxygen not only with their gills but with their labyrinth organ, which sort of functions like a lung, so they can breathe air. The stores can cram a lot more on a shelf to sell than keeping them in an aquarium.

They're not meant to stay in them, but I think a lot of people don't know that. They really need the same kind of stuff regular tropical fish need. Our little tank had a filter at least, but it was really too small for a heater.

[zimon66]

They got a rat's lifespan (2-4 years). Such a damn shame since betas have, for a fish, lot of personality. Other fish just pretty much ignore you. Betas make eye contact.