Peas On The Moon

About a year ago I bought my first Betta fish, Phyllis . Phyllis recently celebrated her first birthday. She's about doubled her size and is as crazy as ever. She no longer fits comfortably into a shot glass. Happy Birthday Phyllis!

Since the purchase of Phyllis last year I have also added Mouse to the family. Technically Mouse lives at the Shoppe but she's still part of my betta family. She almost makes Phyllis look sane.... almost. Mouse likes to be the center of attention and will even do some tricks.

Today I added yet another member to my Betta family. Meet Squishy.

Squishy lives in her own tank on my desk like Phyllis. So far she's settling in wonderfully. Phyllis is intrigued by her. Theoretically I could put them together as female Bettas have been known to live in groups (unlike male bettas who would kill each other), but Phyllis prefers her tank to herself. So now i have two of my girls at home, and one at work.

I realize here i sound crazy... people keep telling me they are "just fish", but they keep me company and i look more sane talking to my fish than myself. Plus, they are my fleet of feminist fish. They betta world is a very patriarchal world. Males are bred to be long finned and flashy. The majority of the Betta's sold are males. The males are also the poster fish for advertising bettas. Females are mainly for breeding purposes though they too are fairly colorful. They get the short end of the stick. Pet shops still sell the females though, to people like me who realize that these girls have a ton of personality and though they are small, they are mighty.

Edit (01/13/07): Mouse had been fired from her job and is now living at home with me. She's a bit depressed and the car ride shook her up a bit so she's not her usual energetic self, but i'm sure she'll bounce back in no time. Just call me crazy Betta Lady.