Color Id

[loraxchick]

Ive been trying to decipher what my new guy is...i KNOW i pic would be helpful to all but dont have the proper means atm...i was just wondering, what qualifies a betta as mustrad gas?

 

[newfishy]

I have heard some people say its only a true mg with the green and yellow coloring, but I think most fish with the yellow on the fins like the fish below also are called mg.

 

[modaz]

Any betta with blue and mustard in it as a wash throughout the body and fins is called a blue and mustard betta, any with white in them is called a Bi-colour. The true MG has a blue body that blends into the fins, this then either blends roughly or has a clear banded mark into mustard.

 

[loraxchick]

Thanks for the replies and info...
hmmmm. the new boy i got a few weeks ago seems suspiciously like what you describe ( esp. Modaz' description of blue into mustard fins). He is interestingly colored and is a VERY picky eater (all he'll eat is bloodworms even though i offer loads of different stuffs for him...he will even suck it into his mouth and then spit it out-as if to say "hey, you're not bloodworms so im not going to eat you". he is still pretty small so maybe just young? he is driving me crazy being so finicky!!! i really dont want a "high maintenance" fish! but he is pretty!!! ill have to get pics up.
THANKS!!!!

 

[Netty]

If he's still a youngster, it may be that the breeder didn't wean him onto dried food. You could maybe try mashing the bloodworm and soaking the pellets in it for a while before feeding or try to pick out the smaller pellets for him

 

[loraxchick]

If he's still a youngster, it may be that the breeder didn't wean him onto dried food. You could maybe try mashing the bloodworm and soaking the pellets in it for a while before feeding or try to pick out the smaller pellets for him

im fairly certain he's still young. he is only 2/3 the size of my other guy (whom ive had for almost a year)...not quite as filled out and his finnage looks like it has some growing to do, esp. his little ventrals. they are small but growing nicely.
i am very grateful for the mushed bloodworm/pellet soak trick...ill give that a go...i have not been feeding him much as i dont want to constipate the little lad with all tose bloodworms and he wont touch peas-ive tried twice thus far to no avail. is it bad to feed bloodworms every or everyother day until i can get him to eat something else? I'VE BEEN OFFERING VARIOUS FOOD EVERY DAY TWICE A DAY AND HE WONT TOUCH THEM GENERALLY...UNLESS YOU COUNT THE SPITTING THEM BACK OUT...oops, sry bou the caps. so i give bloodworms like 2-3 times a week since ive had him. he is VERY active and inquisitive, so i know he's healthy. i just dont want to overstuff him...but i kinda feel like he needs to eat almost everyday, not every third or fourth day, as im convinced he's still young and has some growing to do (therefore needs lots of food).
again thanks for the info...truly appreciated!!!

 

[Netty]

It shouldn't hurt to feed him live for now, just make sure not to over do it. We feed our juvies alot of live food while they are growing and slowly wean them onto pellets. All ours including juvies are on pellets now but we do have one or two that still struggle with them and we crush the pellets for them, gradually reducing how much we crush until they can take small pellets.

If you can get hold of live brineshrimp too that would be a good change from the bloodworm. They love to chase food that moves and it would help to widen his taste to different foods and just before each feed tried a crushed pellet.

If he's active and inquisitive then I wouldn't worry too much at this stage but obviously keep a close eye on him.

Good luck

 

[loraxchick]

It shouldn't hurt to feed him live for now, just make sure not to over do it. We feed our juvies alot of live food while they are growing and slowly wean them onto pellets. All ours including juvies are on pellets now but we do have one or two that still struggle with them and we crush the pellets for them, gradually reducing how much we crush until they can take small pellets.

If you can get hold of live brineshrimp too that would be a good change from the bloodworm. They love to chase food that moves and it would help to widen his taste to different foods and just before each feed tried a crushed pellet.

If he's active and inquisitive then I wouldn't worry too much at this stage but obviously keep a close eye on him.

Good luck

CHEERS for that...a very good lfs here has live brine shrimp...will be getting some tomorrow then...thnks again! (and DUH-why didnt i already think of that?).

 

[loraxchick]

so the pellet in the bloodworm juice trick didnt work...again, he ate it then spit it out...grrr...but ill keep trying.
btw, he looks similar to newfishy's second pic of the boy in the chimney...just not quite such elaborate finnage.
thanks again

 

[Netty]

No probs......just keep at it and if he doesn't start eating them, then a few days without food won't harm him either. Maybe if he's hungry enough he'll gobble them up.

He sounds gorgeous, even if he is a fuss ass lol.....can u get a pic of him?

 

[loraxchick]

i will try to starve him for a few days and then try the bloodworm-soup-soak-trick again. with my first two bettas it was easy-they ate pellets and flake right away, but they were older-i can tell from the size. and i can get pics. its a matter of taking them and uploading them...have a hectic schedule but will try tomorrow...but still going to get some live brine shrimp tomorrow. for treats for everyone. Thanks for all the advice Netty- i KNOW you are a very wealthy source of info and am privileged to have your advice.
CHEERS!

 

[tibby25731]

I find that picky bettas will eat ANYTHING after a few days of refusing pellets! lol. I would just keep trying the pellets, fishing them out after he has ignord them... I bet by about day 3 or 4 he eats them anyway!

 

[Netty]

Thanks for the lovely compliment Loraxchick but believe me, I'm still learning all the time. What I know comes from experience and advice from others in the past when we were just starting out with Bettas.

We had a female that arrived, that was very young and beautiful, but quite sickly and she refused food for a couple of months. We got alot of useful tips from people here and she did eat the occasional thing. Unfortunately she didn't survive but we've used all those tips since and they have worked on various others Bettas. It's just trial and error sometimes.

Another tip is soaking pellets in garlic juice, so if the other things I've mentioned don't work then maybe try that too