J.M.S.
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- Jun 16, 2011
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I have a HM betta named Elliot. Most people think I am obsessed with him... and I most likely am... but with good reason. This fish has managed to get into the hearts of nearly everyone who has seen him... even changing others' views on fishkeeping. So I decided to tell the story of Elliot... for myself and for others.
I recently decided that I wanted to start keeping fish again. It had been nearly a year since I had any tanks running and I was beginning to miss them. I mentioned wanting to set up my 10g Tank to my dad who said no, he would prefer I didn't. So I asked about setting up my 2.5g Minibow and getting a Betta. He wasn't really for that either, but since it was only 2.5g he agreed.
I went to the store and picked up some clear glass marbles, a wine glass, and some flowers, then came home and set up the tank:
Now it was time for me to pick out my new Betta. My father reminded me that I was to get one fish... I was not to do what I did last time and come home with 5 (I had them in 2x2.5g, a 5g, and a 10g Divided) because I couldn't decide on a single fish.
Knowing I could only get one Betta made the decision very difficult. I refused to get just any Betta... it had to be one that really spoke to me. My mom (who knows nothing about fish, but enjoys coming to the store to look in all the tanks) decided to come along for the "major expedition." We went to 3 pet stores before I found two Bettas that I really liked. One was a HM Betta with white on the edges of his tail and fins, red on the remainder of his tail and fins, and a blue body. The other was an almost all white Betta with a few specs of blue on his body in a tiny cup with hardly any water. He was trying to swim, but could barely manage it because the water was so low. The first Betta was gorgeous, but the second Betta was trying to be active and unable too in the poor conditions of his cup. So, the second Betta won.
I took him home and began acclimating him to his new home:
When he was finally released into the tank he was super active! Investing and flaring at everything. He even became quite attached to his wine glass:
The following day I came downstairs to feed Elliot and found my dad standing in front of the tank watching him. He turned to me and said, "I would really like to see him in the 10g Tank so he can spread his fins."
I looked at him, at a complete loss for words. This had been the man who forbid me from setting up the 10g Tank.
Now I was very excited. I had wanted the 10g all along! I went on eBay and ordered a massive amount of live plants and that night dragged my boyfriend to the petstore with me. While I was buying black marbles and two new wine glasses (larger ones this time) my boyfriend turned to me and said, "I assume when we get married we're going to have fish tanks?" Of course I told him yes. And he responded, "Would it be okay if I set one of them up for you? I don't know how to do the maintenance, but I would like to decorate it."
Again I was shocked. Up until this point my boyfriend never showed any interest in fish.
A few days later the tank was set up and Elliot, along with the filter cartridge from his old 2.5g were moved into the 10g Tank.
Now, because of this one fish, my father allowed me to set up a new 29g Tank and my boyfriend helped create the background for it using photoshop and clear contact paper.
My mom is constantly watching Elliot and telling everyone how much of a ham he is with the camera. In fact, a few minutes ago she came upstairs to tell me she took a few dozen more pictures of him.
He is also starting to show his true colors now. There are stripes of blue all throughout his fins and tail and his body has many more blue speckles in it.
After a few weeks in the 10g the wine glasses started to get disgusting, so some major changes took place.
So one little Betta not only managed to capture my heart, but my mother's heart, my father's heart, and my boyfriend's heart in just one week!
I recently decided that I wanted to start keeping fish again. It had been nearly a year since I had any tanks running and I was beginning to miss them. I mentioned wanting to set up my 10g Tank to my dad who said no, he would prefer I didn't. So I asked about setting up my 2.5g Minibow and getting a Betta. He wasn't really for that either, but since it was only 2.5g he agreed.
I went to the store and picked up some clear glass marbles, a wine glass, and some flowers, then came home and set up the tank:
Now it was time for me to pick out my new Betta. My father reminded me that I was to get one fish... I was not to do what I did last time and come home with 5 (I had them in 2x2.5g, a 5g, and a 10g Divided) because I couldn't decide on a single fish.
Knowing I could only get one Betta made the decision very difficult. I refused to get just any Betta... it had to be one that really spoke to me. My mom (who knows nothing about fish, but enjoys coming to the store to look in all the tanks) decided to come along for the "major expedition." We went to 3 pet stores before I found two Bettas that I really liked. One was a HM Betta with white on the edges of his tail and fins, red on the remainder of his tail and fins, and a blue body. The other was an almost all white Betta with a few specs of blue on his body in a tiny cup with hardly any water. He was trying to swim, but could barely manage it because the water was so low. The first Betta was gorgeous, but the second Betta was trying to be active and unable too in the poor conditions of his cup. So, the second Betta won.
I took him home and began acclimating him to his new home:
When he was finally released into the tank he was super active! Investing and flaring at everything. He even became quite attached to his wine glass:
The following day I came downstairs to feed Elliot and found my dad standing in front of the tank watching him. He turned to me and said, "I would really like to see him in the 10g Tank so he can spread his fins."
I looked at him, at a complete loss for words. This had been the man who forbid me from setting up the 10g Tank.
Now I was very excited. I had wanted the 10g all along! I went on eBay and ordered a massive amount of live plants and that night dragged my boyfriend to the petstore with me. While I was buying black marbles and two new wine glasses (larger ones this time) my boyfriend turned to me and said, "I assume when we get married we're going to have fish tanks?" Of course I told him yes. And he responded, "Would it be okay if I set one of them up for you? I don't know how to do the maintenance, but I would like to decorate it."
Again I was shocked. Up until this point my boyfriend never showed any interest in fish.
A few days later the tank was set up and Elliot, along with the filter cartridge from his old 2.5g were moved into the 10g Tank.
Now, because of this one fish, my father allowed me to set up a new 29g Tank and my boyfriend helped create the background for it using photoshop and clear contact paper.
My mom is constantly watching Elliot and telling everyone how much of a ham he is with the camera. In fact, a few minutes ago she came upstairs to tell me she took a few dozen more pictures of him.
He is also starting to show his true colors now. There are stripes of blue all throughout his fins and tail and his body has many more blue speckles in it.
After a few weeks in the 10g the wine glasses started to get disgusting, so some major changes took place.
So one little Betta not only managed to capture my heart, but my mother's heart, my father's heart, and my boyfriend's heart in just one week!
I would definitely definitely have bought Elliot,- he's a total stunner!! 
