The Life Of Riley

PrairieSunflower

Fish Gatherer
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
2,763
Reaction score
4
Location
GB
Before I launch into "The Life of Riley"... I just wanted to post a picture of my first ever betta, Jimmy.  I bought him only a couple weeks ago from Pets at Home and he only lived 1 week and 2 days.  He was a really awesome and relaxed little guy for that short time I had him.  He would greet me at the front of the tank, didn't flare a single time, and would react to me waving from across the room.
 
Jimmy.
 
 
"The Life of Riley"
 
I didn't wait as long as I had thought I would before finding Riley... My daughter named him Riley the moment I mentioned maybe we'd get another betta.... she named him Riley after a horse she rode on for her birthday. 
balloon.gif

 
I got Riley from a private individual who breed bettas.  I just didn't trust Pets at Home to be the source of my next betta.  I had gone in to see about a replacement or refund and the lady working there couldn't even find the bettas she said were there... then basically shrugged and said their next shipment arrived Wednesday and I could come and get one then.  I took the refund instead.
 
Riley is about 3/4 of the size that Jimmy had been... so I imagine that makes him just a bit younger than full grown.  Riley is.... full of beans... 
flex.gif
... I think that would be a good expression to describe it.
 
Time for a photo!
 

 
Riley is a blue pearl betta.... I swear he isn't pink... well... he sort of is... at least, I have yet to figure out how to take a picture of him to show that he isn't pink.... 
rofl.gif
   His scales are like blue pearl... but the thing is... I think it is more a sheen and often the light hits it a certain way (and apparently every time I take a photo as well) and he seems to get a bit transparent and you see the pink underneath.  So... if you saw him "live" you'd see his color sort of shifts and dances on him rather than remains the same... if that makes any sense!
 
Riley is endlessly looking at something and noticing things...
 
Look!  A snail!

 
And for the first 3 days... he flared nearly constantly at shadows on the wall... he is mellowed a little bit now and only does it occasionally.  Surprisingly... it was really hard to get a picture of him flaring as he relaxed every time I came to take a picture.... so this slightly blurred picture is the only one I managed.
 

 
I bought him a ping pong ball yesterday.... well, I bought a pack of 12 but he only gets to have one... so we shall see if he figures out what to do with it.  So far, when I put it in, he followed it around for a minute or so and went back to watching shadows. 
 
Anyhow... I am quite nervous the second time around with a betta since Jimmy went downhill so fast and I'm not entirely sure why.
 
I'm hoping "The Life of Riley" will be a long one.
 
I am feeling much better about my second betta now.  We have now arrived at the 1 week and 2 day period where we lost Jimmy... and, Riley is still doing awesomely well.  So, I am gaining my confidence back.
 
I removed the cabomba from his tank a few days ago as it up and decided to just fall apart and look a mess... so he has been swimming around a little bit lost.  Today his new plants arrived and are tall enough to fill his tank nicely.  Riley clearly likes the new plants and enjoys hiding in them and swimming around them.  Strangely, the new plants have also knocked him off kilter a bit as the "evil wall shadows" seems to have caught his attention again and he has been flaring today... though, not as much as the first 3 days that I had him.
 
:rip: Jimmy
He's gorgeous!
What type are the new plants? That's interesting that he was flaring at shadows, good that he's calmed down now.
Have you noticed him playing with the ping ping ball much?
 
I got hygrophila polysperma and 2 hygrophila something like australia sounding... I forget now what it was exactly!  LOL
 
He has shown no interest in the ping pong ball so far when I put it in.  But today he was moving a leaf around that had come off one of the new plants.
 
Interesting. Have you considered a background for his tank? It would stop the shadow problem, I think. He's very pretty though.
 
I might.  At the moment it is just a blue sheet at the back... seems the evil shadows are partially on the back left corner and partially on the wall next to it.
 
I have been wanting a background for my community tank too but can never find a strip long enough in the print I want!  LOL
 
I think I can officially say Riley is doing well.  He has gotten used to his environment and us.  Riley clearly knows the difference between me and the children as he always comes enthusiastically to see me but may sometimes ignore the children.  HAHA
 
His color has change a little bit, nothing drastic but he seems to have developed some black spots, I imagine this must be a development in his coloring as his health is great and it isn't on the edges.  I shall have to post a new picture of him in a bit.
 
This one shows the spots that have developed.
 
Is it just me, or has he filled out a bit in the fins?

 
 
 
 
Another thread I appear to have completely missed!

Prairie what a beautiful boy! Can you upload a video so we can see his colour shimmer? Riley is fantastic :D
 
Video time!
 
I was struggling to get him to look right in a video! LOL  So, first half is him with the tank light off and a lamp pointing at the tank... second half is regular tank light.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0PvSLyMf7M&feature=youtu.be
 
Fantastic, he is just stunning! Looks a fabulous tank set up too :D

Thanks for sharing :)
 
I caught him asleep for the first time.  Back a bit ago I was debating getting a betta hammock (never did) and it turns out... Riley likes the hammock idea.  I caught him asleep in some crossing leaves at the top.  I will have to be careful no not trim that bit so he can continue sleeping there at night.  :)
 
Well phooey!  I have woken up, turned on Riley's tank light and.... he has bitten the far end of his tail!  I have heard others post about this happening to their bettas... a bit sad mine has done it.  I hope it doesn't happen again... all the growth he had since I got him is gone at the far end.  I am hoping it isn't because that bit got long enough that he attacked it.
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top