DISQUS

Betti · 2 years ago

Bettas can be fickle fish; I kept one alive for four years once, most people I know only manage 2-6 months, and my most recent Betta kicked the bucket after only 15 months . . . he developed a "food aversion" which meant I had to feed him live brine shrimp instead of pellets. I don't feel very guilty announcing that I was relieved to find him belly up.

The more I research Bettas, the more I'm convinced that they really need larger tanks complete with water circulation and heaters - badasses may survive in the smaller bowls, but it's not an environment they're likely to thrive in.

Short version: you didn't fail at fish keeping, the general public is just very very poorly eduacated about Bettas, which keeps some Betta breeders very happy to be in business. Peh. :/

puckish · 2 years ago

yeah, the more research i do the more i suspect that he was already sick when i adopted him - he never showed much interest in his food. that led to me feeding him too much (which would been just right for a not-sick fish), which then made tank conditions so that he got sick.

but yeah, i've got a 1.5 gallon tank with a pump and a heat light, so theoretically it was a happy home... just not in reality. i'm trying to figure out what of the setup i can keep without getting a new fish sick off of the old fish's grossness (even after sterilizing it).