I love dogs...and I find cats a bit interesting. If someone is going to be away for about 10 hours a day, what's a good dog to get? It should be affectionate...should not bark a lot and should not be too small or big.

unlucky7 said:

Maybe you should not buy a dog.

KoolEaze said:

agree, dogs are much more emotionally dependent than cats. Also dogs need to be physically stimulated, walks going out to the bathroom etc. if they are not occupied they will destroy anything and everything out of boredom.
And I do think it would be cruel to keep a dog crated for that amount of time.
3 hours is my max, enough to go see a movie.

KoolEaze said:

Are they Dogfish or Catfish

Steadwood said:

Neither. Get a fish.

Spookymuffin said:

trent isn't doing so good. he sulks at the bottom of his tank and his fins are all ragged.

Spookymuffin said:

Right ?

evenstar3 said:

Woah ! Care to elaborate ? Does he have white spots all over his body ? What´s the temperature ( in Celsius ) ? What species ? How often do you feed him ? How much water do you change ? How old is Trent ? Is the water hard or soft ?

evenstar3 said:

Can you post a pic ?

KoolEaze said:

he's a beta fish, no white spots, it's about 24C in there right now, i feed him once a day, he's about 10 months old, i only use bottled water, & i change all the water every few weeks.

evenstar3 said:

I know bugger all about fish except that they taste good with chips

...but just found this

http://www.liveaquaria.co...pcatid=383

If ya don't wanna leave this one at home, just pop it in your pocket...

obsessed said:

Oh No!

Spooky's wet dream...Boxed Cat!

evenstar3 said:

OK. I used to have bettas years ago ( yes, double t, no typo ). Bettas need warm water, 24 C is warm enough, they really like it warm though, 27 would even be better.
Most fish die from overfeeding, they simply don´t know when to stop and their organs, especially the liver, becomes too fat but once a day is definitely not too much feeding. Too much feeding not only makes the organs fat, it also ruins the water quality.
You should never, ever change ALL the water at once...just maybe a third of the water every week with other fish, or every two weeks in a betta tank ( that´s right, bettas don´t need as many water changes as other fish, that´s also because they have a totally different breathing organ...they have a "labyrinth" which enables them to breathe water from the surface. They can even die when the water level is too high and there´s no space for air left. They only use their gills when they´re babies).

Make sure that the water is not too cold when you change it because that is a lot of stress for most pet fish(es), they can feel every degree of temperature, even the slightest change...cold water is really bad for bettas, they love warm water, lots of plants, low water levels ( the tank should not be too high), they don´t even really need a filter ( the other species do need a filter though) if you change the water often enough ( ammonia, nitrate etc.).

Are there any other fishes in the tank that are causing him stress ? Some other species love to bite the betta´s beautiful fins .
The other thing is that bettas have an extremely low timespan, like most other species that love warm temperatures. Cold water species, like goldfish, can live up to 30 or more years but warm water fish die quite young ( they do need the warmth though, even though it makes them age too early).

The average lifespan of a betta is two or three years if kept under perfect conditions.
The legendary steelblue betta called "Mr.G", quite famous among betta breeders, lived more than five years though. Don´t know if he´s still alive.

Most bettas are already a bit old when you see them with fully developed fins at your petshop. By the time you buy them, they are already a year old or older ( or younger, when you´re lucky) , so yours is probably a bit too old.
It´s difficult to give you a precise prognosis of what´s wrong with him but, if you can , make the water a bit warmer, just a little bit, 27 or 28 C.
Sprinkle a LITTLE bit of salt into the water ( no iodine salt) , and only if you have it in your household, it is not really necessary to go and buy some salt but if you happen to have a bit of sea salt there, just add a teaspoon of it into the water, dissolved.
How big is your tank ? Any filtration ? Is the current too strong ?

Maybe he really is just very old.
[Edited 5/17/08 15:08pm]

Steadwood said:

Noooo, boxed pug.

I just had one. The eyes were squishy.

Spookymuffin said:

You mean Pug in a Basket?



You should have taken it back

...the eyes are meant to be crispy... a bit like pickled onion





Picture edit
[Edited 5/17/08 15:18pm]

Steadwood said:

AWWWWW!

Spookymuffin said:

You're mean....plain and simple....

Steadwood said:

And so are you....

obsessed said:

Awwww...

...I'll share my next one with you then

...Can have an each

Steadwood said:

Well, I do like pickled onion, but...well, it just doesn't seem right.

obsessed said:

Oh it'll be fine

...Each Pug in a Basket comes with Vegan chips and side salad too

Steadwood said:

It's sounding better and better, but I have to think it over a bit more.
I don't just jump in to these things full-force.
Ya know what I'm sayin'?

obsessed said:

Ok then

...Tell ya what!...



...I'll throw in some Horseradish sauce too

...Made from premium Horses and first class Raddishes

Steadwood said:

Oooooh yeah, now ya talkin'....nuthin' better than ground horse,
and with premium raddishes....well, let's just say, I can't resist...