Ghost shrimp close up, originally uploaded by octopus.gallery. Q: CR wrote, I have a general aquarium question I hope you can help me with. I recently had what I think is a pH crash that quickly killed off my ghost shrimp and several small catfish. I can’t figure out what lead to this and would [...]

Madness? THIS IS FISHBOWL!, originally uploaded by hackett. Q: TL wrote, I recently heard that seeding your tank with gravel from another tank will help the cycling process go faster. Is this true and is there anything special I have to do to seed it? A: When we cycle our aquariums we grow and sustain [...]

Photo provided by original emailer.If abdominal bloating doesn’t subside after a few days of fasting, the diagnosis may turn to Dropsy. Q: AC wrote, I think i have a problem, for the last month my betta has been getting fatter and fatter. Until recently I thought it was just a bit of overfeeding. Then I [...]

TWO NIPPYFISH BETTAS FOR ADOPTION: SEE PHOTOS BELOW FEMALE BETTA FOR ADOPTION Hi Readers, As you may know I am moving across the country this weekend from Washington, DC to California. I am currently looking for good homes for two wonderful pet Bettas. One is a male Pineapple Crowntail and the other is a beautiful, [...]

Q: KB wrote, I am writing you just to say that I love your site and the blog. It’s so informative and it’s great that there is someone out there who can provide correct information about bettas. I just recently logged on to check out the blog for updates and I saw that you used [...]

Q: SM wrote, I have a question about my tank…I told you in the other email what I have in my tank. I just want to be assured that when I add all the fish, I cannot change the tank,until I meausre the water and the ammonia is really up , then the bacteria starts? [...]

maybe, originally uploaded by Silent Bright. Hi Readers! Wow, I can’t believe all the amazing emails I have gotten full of great questions. You guys sure do keep me on my toes and thinking about all aspects of betta care and aquaria. To make things easier I am putting together some helpful guidelines. These guide [...]

Firefly, originally uploaded by BettaBerries. Q: CBN wrote, ,/b> Hey Chistie, I need your urgent advice again. After a great recovery, Titan made a bubble nest and all (his 1st one) I was really happy. 4 days after that, he suddenly stopped eating and became a bit lethargic, less active. He now seems to have [...]

MaxEffect.jpg, originally uploaded by Pteropus. Q: MC wrote, Hey Christie, I’ve looked all around for an answer to my question and can’t seem to find it. I hope you can help. I have two beautiful betta fish. One came from an oriental themed store that I couldn’t help taking home because he was close to [...]

Betta bowls on an angle…., originally uploaded by Leysta Kay. Q: SH wrote, Christie,I’m sorry if this email question is a nuisance, I just thought I’dask….. How do you exert self control when going to your LFS and not take all their Bettas home!?! Since my last email to you….I adopted another beautiful Crowntail and [...]