Nuestro Pez

Dale and I have talked about getting a Betta for a couple of years, and, finally, went for it.

We went to PetSmart and analyzed all of the male Bettas, and then we saw him:

We knew right away that he was the one for us! So, we purchased him and a Betta "bowl," and took him home, safe and secure in our car's cup holder. We set up his "bowl" right away, but then had to wait 24 hours so we could make sure the water was dechlorinated and safe for the newest member of our little family.

When we put him in, he seemed a little uncertain about his new accommodations (after all, he'd been living in a small cup for who knows how long), but soon adjusted. We were surprised how pale he became at first, but he eventually went back to his sexy dark coloration.

We named him Kappa, a name with double meaning. Firstly, since he's a Betta, which sounds a lot like the Greek letter Beta, we thought it would be fun to name him after another Greek letter. Then, thanks to a story told in one of Dale's classes, we remembered that a Kappa is the name for Japanese River imps (which are known for drowning people, especially children, in bodies of water, have a fondness for cucumbers, and are extremely polite). There it was, our name!

He's a lot more lively than some Bettas we've seen, and, though he'll hide behind his plastic plants:
he also likes to swim around his tank. After feeding him at regular times for about a week and a half, he also started to wait for his food at the top of the tank!

He'll swim right over to his food, snatch it, then swim down a little and munch it before going for any other pieces. He's fun to watch! :)

We love our little fishy, and he's been a fun addition to our family in Monterey.