Sam,

Any luck with the MO siamese?

clint

Not yet. Top Betta has some red CT/DT fry but could be a few months before they are for sale. However, seeing how USPS Express Mail takes 2-3 weeks, I'm not really sure I want to take the chance. Once all totalled, it comes to probably around $150 and up for a pair which I can't really bring myself to spend for the bettas.

Just to clarify I was talking about a male BETTA :roll: .......the human males only lasted one season........ :P :lol:

You wont be dissapointed with the fish from Marianne at BC Betta, she has an awesome set up and her fish are TOP NOTCH....

she sells live foods too, daphnia, vinegar eels, etc...

Well I have always thought the standard method of keeping a betta in a small bowl was cruel. But especially with the fancy breeds you wouldn't want them in with any other fish as you would want to protect their fins.

I had this idea for a betta-bowl with hidden filtration. The idea would be a pedestal type piece of furniture with a large (?14" circumference) decorative glass bowl on top. In the centre of the bowl would be a tube which would function as an overflow with a hole drilled in the centre bottom. The wooden pedestal base would conceal a sump with heater and filtration. Return from the sump would be via some tubing inside the overflow tubing.

Anyway this would serve the needs of having a decorative display for your betta as well as treating it to some decent water quality.

Yes thats a great idea, I think it has been done for Gold fish bowls though, but it is still a good idea. I kept mine in 5 gallon tanks that had dividers so there were two fish per tank, I had the tanks drilled and plumbed so the water would flow into a central system and it was returned at a bit more than a gentle trickle out of some air line tube. Thats what they bred in too, I would just turn off the incoming water when the eggs were starting to hatch.

I was at a lfs the other day and saw a betta in a bowl with bamboo in it. The bamboo had roots which would act as a nutrient exporter. The idea has intrigued me ever since I saw the set up.

Anyone using plants, or specifically bamboo, with roots in their betta bowls? If so, how often do you change the water? Do you get algae growth in the bowl?

TIA,

Beverly I've always used small plants in with betta, either Java moss or Java fern or similar small plants. I've even used pygmy swords. I still did the daily water change but only about 50%.

Boy, do I ever need more advice on keep a betta. Can you folks point me to a site or two that covers betta care?

TIA.

www.bcbetta.com she is one of the best suppliers of show quality betta in North America, you may just find the perfect betta too.