Beth_Laubenthal
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- Jan 29, 2012
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Hi. This is my first post here. Yippee. My name is Beth. I am the proud "Mom" to 3 cats and 7 fish. Pics can be viewed here: http
/s1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd368/Betheny_Laubenthal/
I am a passionate raw feeder. Started with my cats and me loosing my springer spaniel mix due to canine diabetes. Did not realize fish could also be raw fed until I got the most picky betta possible. I was not planning on getting a fish. Yeah, I thought they were pretty, but me? Fish keeping? Nahh.... The work it takes...Plus, you cannot exactly cuddle with a fish...
Then one day, I was at the grocery store getting cat litter. To get to the cat litter, I had to walk past the fish section. This gorgeous betta kept swimming to the front of his cup, flashing his fins up at me. Awesome display. But no thanks. Walked by again. Again, he swam to the front of his cup and flashed his fins up at me. Walked away again. Walked back to get some forgotten cat toys. Again, this betta swam to the front of his cup and flashed his fins up at me. Okay!...That does it! In my cart, carefully he went. So did a 3 gallon vase, some river rock, 5 different types of food and some water conditioner. Right there, I named him Flash. He (despite what the photos show-icky camera) is dark purple on the front and blue in the back. Traces of sea-foam green and bits of red. The fish bug bit me. The next purchases included a bubbler, a heater, and some raw frozen food (after trying every single trick in the book to get him to eat regular fish food).
A month later, I invested in a goldfish starter tank, 10 gallon and two ottos: Itsy and Bitsy. Had the hardest time getting the tank cycled over the span of 2 months. Nearly killed them (and I feel so bad for that). Ended up taking the fish out. Put Flash in a deep and large tea pitcher. Put the ottos in another similar container with the heater and bubbler. Got the 10 gallon tank cycled within 2 weeks with the aid of bacteria and plenty of the "rejected" food. Glad it served a purpose.
Once I got it cycled, I added Flash, Itsy and Bitsy back in. Waited a week. Constant water tests (which, you will find out, I am freakish about. I MUST have control). Everything was great. Went and got two sunburst plattys (Sunrise and Dusk), a black mollie (Charlie-named after my dad's black molly Charlie who literally starved himself to death chasing girls) and a dalmatian molly named Spot. I looked at my husband after we put them in the tank that Friday evening. "Hon, either Spot is very fat, or she's pregnant." No less than 16 hours later...I get fry! So far 9 of them have survived. They are 8 days old.
So, this is me. This is how I got started.
--Beth
/s1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd368/Betheny_Laubenthal/I am a passionate raw feeder. Started with my cats and me loosing my springer spaniel mix due to canine diabetes. Did not realize fish could also be raw fed until I got the most picky betta possible. I was not planning on getting a fish. Yeah, I thought they were pretty, but me? Fish keeping? Nahh.... The work it takes...Plus, you cannot exactly cuddle with a fish...
Then one day, I was at the grocery store getting cat litter. To get to the cat litter, I had to walk past the fish section. This gorgeous betta kept swimming to the front of his cup, flashing his fins up at me. Awesome display. But no thanks. Walked by again. Again, he swam to the front of his cup and flashed his fins up at me. Walked away again. Walked back to get some forgotten cat toys. Again, this betta swam to the front of his cup and flashed his fins up at me. Okay!...That does it! In my cart, carefully he went. So did a 3 gallon vase, some river rock, 5 different types of food and some water conditioner. Right there, I named him Flash. He (despite what the photos show-icky camera) is dark purple on the front and blue in the back. Traces of sea-foam green and bits of red. The fish bug bit me. The next purchases included a bubbler, a heater, and some raw frozen food (after trying every single trick in the book to get him to eat regular fish food).
A month later, I invested in a goldfish starter tank, 10 gallon and two ottos: Itsy and Bitsy. Had the hardest time getting the tank cycled over the span of 2 months. Nearly killed them (and I feel so bad for that). Ended up taking the fish out. Put Flash in a deep and large tea pitcher. Put the ottos in another similar container with the heater and bubbler. Got the 10 gallon tank cycled within 2 weeks with the aid of bacteria and plenty of the "rejected" food. Glad it served a purpose.
Once I got it cycled, I added Flash, Itsy and Bitsy back in. Waited a week. Constant water tests (which, you will find out, I am freakish about. I MUST have control). Everything was great. Went and got two sunburst plattys (Sunrise and Dusk), a black mollie (Charlie-named after my dad's black molly Charlie who literally starved himself to death chasing girls) and a dalmatian molly named Spot. I looked at my husband after we put them in the tank that Friday evening. "Hon, either Spot is very fat, or she's pregnant." No less than 16 hours later...I get fry! So far 9 of them have survived. They are 8 days old.
So, this is me. This is how I got started.
--Beth
