SUPER excited to introduce Bamboo!

Kiwibird

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So I know I've mentioned before that I really wanted to set up a small aquarium. In fact, I bought this aquarium several years ago and just never got around to setting it up. I was planning to do some kind of high tech nano setup but decided to go with something a bit less complex to maintain. Instead I decided on a nice fish for newbies- a veiltail Betta! I've been looking for/prepared to bring a Betta home so he wasn't an impulse purchase, but we stopped in Petco on our way home from Christmas shopping and they had just moved all the cups to a cart for cleaning. Unfortunately for the employee, I went through all of them and ruined his neat stack of cups:p and found the most interesting colored Betta on the very bottom. I loved his pale peachy color and while he appeared healthy and responsive, he also wasn't 'hyperactive' and freaking out like some of the others. I named him bamboo because when I got him home, I set him on my bamboo coffee table tray and he was very close in color to the bamboo wood. His tank is a bit sparse right now, I am still researching plants to add but I did get him some 'Betta balls' so he does have something alive in there with him. So without further rambling on, let me introduce Bamboo!

temp_hash-fbeb2c84d4f47a93136274dbb7ff8112-jpg.510790


He seems to be settling in. He was swimming all over/exploring yesterday and even hung out in his little cave for a while He refused to eat the first night and didn't eat much yesterday either, but this morning he ate all 3 of his pellets so I guess he must be hungry/getting used to his new home/new food.

And this his Betta mansion:D
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My husband says that it's really big for one fish, so once there is sufficient plants in there, we're going to add some shrimp and maybe some kind of small nano fish but not sure on that. We'll see how he does with shrimps first.
 
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ChristaNL

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oke, I want to be Bamboo's first parrotforumfan :)
 

Allee

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Welcome Bamboo! He's beautiful, so is his new home! Looking forward to watching Bamboo's environment evolve.
 

Terry57

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Bamboo is gorgeous, and what a lucky guy to live in that mansion now! I want to be his 2nd Fan!
 

Inger

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Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
I’m fan #3! He’s gorgeous!


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riddick07

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Pretty! Looks like a great size for one betta really. If you do get shrimp make sure they are big enough since Bettas are know to eat their small shrimp tankmates lol Etsy actually has a few sellers that sell various Anubias that are a good size. Any floating plants may introduce worms...I had that problem after adding floating plants. I crashed my tanks cycle to get rid of them since they freaked me out!

Don’t be surprised if he changes color on you. The lighter ones are known to do that. If you remember the blue and white guy that I shared before...he is know mostly a beautiful dark blue color.

Etsy seller for plants that I have used. A little pricey but a good size, healthy plants, no extra creatures, and not one dead leaf on them when they came in.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AquariumPlants
 
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LaManuka

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i miss having a betta around - I used to have one named Rama after the King of Thailand... with your permission I would love to "own" one vicariously through you please!
 

bill_e

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GaleriaGila

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Fish and birds are a great combination for many, huh? I'd love to get into it. That one's fabulous.
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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Pretty! Looks like a great size for one betta really. If you do get shrimp make sure they are big enough since Bettas are know to eat their small shrimp tankmates lol Etsy actually has a few sellers that sell various Anubias that are a good size. Any floating plants may introduce worms...I had that problem after adding floating plants. I crashed my tanks cycle to get rid of them since they freaked me out!

Don’t be surprised if he changes color on you. The lighter ones are known to do that. If you remember the blue and white guy that I shared before...he is know mostly a beautiful dark blue color.

Etsy seller for plants that I have used. A little pricey but a good size, healthy plants, no extra creatures, and not one dead leaf on them when they came in.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AquariumPlants

Thanks for the link and the 'tip' about the floating plants.

I actually read that some will intensify in color once in a proper environment/on a proper diet. I will be interested to see if he does as he is really pale. He was in a cup marked with a picture of a red Betta but I'm not sure if it was a stock picture or if he's actually 'suppose' to be red.

i miss having a betta around - I used to have one named Rama after the King of Thailand... with your permission I would love to "own" one vicariously through you please!

Enjoy! I'll post pics and commentary occasionally just like I do about my little newt.

Fish and birds are a great combination for many, huh? I'd love to get into it. That one's fabulous.

I think most small animals work well in bird homes. They don't pose a threat to the birds most aren't as needy or difficult to care for as as birds either. Kiwi is already LOVING this tank. I rolled the office chair over there next to it and he's just sitting there all ruffled up watching Bamboo swim around. This tank is on a bookshelf along with pens, paperclips etc...so Kiwi is being held off at a safe distance. He does enjoy scuttling around on Mr. Newt's tank stand though, following him as he moves. Not aggressively or anything, just super curious.

Be sure if you get a fish to get a secure lid or the RB will almost certainly end up going for a swim at some point:eek::D
 
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riddick07

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Yeah they can get very pale and grey from stress and I’m sure you guy will brighten up even more! I was talking more about the marble gene in Bettas. Not sure if your guy would have it or not. They can completely change color over the course of a couple months when they have the marble.

Example from my guys. Top is from the marble gene and the bottom is from getting lost in the mail for a week.
gET9gKb.jpg
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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WOW! That is some dramatic color-change.

I will be really interested if mine changes dramatically or just deepen in color a bit. I don't know anything about what color he's suppose to be- if more intensely colored or this is close to his actual healthy coloration. I know some branches are bad, but our local Petco where I found him appears to take decent care of their animals and I never see filthy enclosures or sickly looking animals there, though I'm sure he wasn't pleased living in a cup for who knows how long.

He seems to be super active and alert. Appears to very much enjoy swimming all over his tank. He's already picking up on the food package when I shake it at him and swam up to the surface this morning when I took off the tank cover. A lot of personality for a fish!
 

EllenD

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Wow, those are some gorgeous looking Bettas! I didn't know that they could change colors according to the marble color in their tanks...

Bamboo looks very healthy! Petco is usually pretty good when it comes to fish and aquatic plants, I have gotten a lot of my fish, snails, frogs, shrimp, and plants there and haven't had any issues with bacterial infections and such...And I LOVE the Marimo Balls!!! I don't know if Bettas eat them, but that's the only issue with the Marimo Balls with some Tropical Fish, they eat them quickly and leave nothing but drifting remnants all over the tank...Littler jerks...they ate my "Banana Plants" too...

***I didn't look to see if your tank has a lid/cover on it, but just look-alive if it doesn't, because Bettas notoriously do the suicide-jump onto the floor...
 

RavensGryf

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Congratulations April! Bamboo is beautiful! I’d have done the same thing at the store... go through every single cup to find the most interesting or prettiest one! That’s one lucky fish. You give exemplary care to every animal you ever have :).
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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So sad news with poor Bamboo. His heater went out in the days running up to Christmas (I noticed on xmas eve after stores had closed) and he developed fin rot. Despite a new heater and every other day water changes and adding Indian Almond leaves, it appeared to be getting better then got much worse overnight Monday. I've had him on bettafix all week, but it has gotten horrible now, his tail is almost gone and his fins are falling away. I have asked on a fish forum about what to do next (open to advice from you guys too) but I sadly do not know if he will make it. He's still eating and swimming around/active but if I can't stop this I don't think he'll be able to swim much longer.

I feel HORRIBLE:( Perhaps the suicidal goldfish I had a child should have been my clue I'm not good at keeping fish.
 

clark_conure

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awww sorry kiwi....
 

RavensGryf

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Oh no April! Sorry to hear this about Bamboo :(. Crossing my fingers that he’ll recover.
 
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Kiwibird

Kiwibird

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Thanks. I hope he recovers too. At the recommendation of an aquarium forum, I ordered Kanaplex (as no where locally sold it) but it won't be here until Tuesday. Until them, I will try to just keep doing daily 50% water changes, add more Indian Almond leaves and hope he'll make it until the medicine arrives. Fortunately, he does still seem active enough and is eating well. I've been giving him an extra pellet at each feeding (I was feeding 3 but now giving 4) and hope the extra nutrition gives him extra strength.
 

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