Day 237: Meet the newest member of the family, Peony the Betta. But before we continue any further, I'd like to make sure you are not mispronouncing his last name. I've noticed that these days, even pet store personnel say "BAY-ta," which is incorrect. "Betta" said properly has a pronunciation very similar to the word "bettor" as uttered by someone from Boston: "BETT-uh." Now that we have that straight, you may continue reading as long as you promise to correct yourself whenever you say "BAY-ta."
Bettas are easy-care fish, showy but undemanding. They are happy in room-temperature water, and although it's easier to keep them in a tank with a filter, they can be kept in a bowl if the water is refreshed at least every other day. The males have luxurious fins (some "specialty" species are more exotic-looking), but they must be kept in individual apartments because they are very aggressive. Males and females should only be put together to mate; males will eat the young fry, and may even attack the females.
I've kept one or more bettas ("BETT-uhs") off and on since I was in my early 20s. They tend to live about four years, although I had one white one which lived to be over seven years old. I've generally taken a break of a year or so between bouts of pisciculture, but the top of the kitchen bookcase always looks empty to me unless there's an aquarium on it. Peony is quite content in a one-gallon "mini-bow" tank where he'll receive color-enhancing food daily, supplemented by an occasional treat of bloodworms.
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