This is my first betta ever. Betta tank was cracked (you may be able to see the silicone seal to the left of the heater) and heavily scratched, and came with ugf and ugly black trim ($1 find at a garage sale). Tank was smoothed/sanded as much as possible and started with plants trimmed from another new (cycled) tank. Dust from substrate is settling -- I figured a cloudy tank with good chemistry is better than her cup. Pic shows the mug dedicated for daily water changes and the cup the betta came in.
She's a very beautiful fish and I've had my eye on her for some time. She was active and curious in her cup, checking out plastic trimmings that were also on the bench, and quickly gobbled some bloodworms. Her color is wasted in these pics, a yellow/orange body to pink head, and blue red-tipped fins. After long acclimation (~6 hours of periodically adding to and changing cup water, she went from pH 7 to pH 7.6), I put her in with a pair of ghost shrimp, who discovered a partially hidden PVC cave the day before. I figured the ghosts would not only provide plant clean-up but company (I have kept a ~2" Blue Gourami with Amano and Cherry shrimp for a week). Even with what I've read about individual fish personality, I did not think a female betta would be more aggressive than a male Blue Gourami, based on profiles. After introduction, I watched her brake for shrimp while checking out her enviornment, much like the Gourami did while using it's "feelers." Something came up and I was away from the tank for about two hours.
Upon my return, I found one dead ghost shrimp in the tank and another barely breathing outside the tank, covered with plastic shavings on the bench. I euthanized the out of water shrimp with a book. It must have jumped out of the tank? The betta was flaring at me with the tank's dead shrimp between us. It was so interesting, almost like a threat, I had to take a picture. As I type this, she's alternating between flaring at the cave and flaring at me.
I did not expect her to be so territorial and aggressive to animals that look nothing like her. She's already removed some of the shrimp's exoskelleton, and seems very intelligent to me because of it. I'm leaving the shrimp in for now but am watching to see if the exoskeleton poses a threat. (She killed and "skinned"part of the shrimp, and it seems unfair to take it away just because ghost shrimp are more expensive and cooler than bloodworms.) I feel bad for the shrimp and won't make the mistake again with her, but wow...
She's a very beautiful fish and I've had my eye on her for some time. She was active and curious in her cup, checking out plastic trimmings that were also on the bench, and quickly gobbled some bloodworms. Her color is wasted in these pics, a yellow/orange body to pink head, and blue red-tipped fins. After long acclimation (~6 hours of periodically adding to and changing cup water, she went from pH 7 to pH 7.6), I put her in with a pair of ghost shrimp, who discovered a partially hidden PVC cave the day before. I figured the ghosts would not only provide plant clean-up but company (I have kept a ~2" Blue Gourami with Amano and Cherry shrimp for a week). Even with what I've read about individual fish personality, I did not think a female betta would be more aggressive than a male Blue Gourami, based on profiles. After introduction, I watched her brake for shrimp while checking out her enviornment, much like the Gourami did while using it's "feelers." Something came up and I was away from the tank for about two hours.
Upon my return, I found one dead ghost shrimp in the tank and another barely breathing outside the tank, covered with plastic shavings on the bench. I euthanized the out of water shrimp with a book. It must have jumped out of the tank? The betta was flaring at me with the tank's dead shrimp between us. It was so interesting, almost like a threat, I had to take a picture. As I type this, she's alternating between flaring at the cave and flaring at me.
I did not expect her to be so territorial and aggressive to animals that look nothing like her. She's already removed some of the shrimp's exoskelleton, and seems very intelligent to me because of it. I'm leaving the shrimp in for now but am watching to see if the exoskeleton poses a threat. (She killed and "skinned"part of the shrimp, and it seems unfair to take it away just because ghost shrimp are more expensive and cooler than bloodworms.) I feel bad for the shrimp and won't make the mistake again with her, but wow...
I also have a female .... she is vicious , she has killed a ghost shrimp within 20 minutes of intro, several small young ramshorn snails and flares alot.... comparatively she is far meaner than my two males
