#wanted to make her a betta but they are freshwater fish

[craske]

no silly, its the sirens that eat people, at least usually!

... but the twolegs dont have to know that shhh

#persona 4 #persona 5 #ryuji sakamoto #futaba sakura #yukiko amagi #kanji tatsumi #naoto shirogane #teddie #kuma #my art #fanart #digital art #mermaid au #oh btw kanji is a bluefin tuna and yukiko is an unspecified reef fish #wanted to make her a betta but they are freshwater fish #so for now shes unspecified

[enter-the-performapals]

@arcvmonth Day 18 D/D/D- Different Dimension Day!

Even though its a little late (because I wanted to color these lol) I wanted to talk about my Mermaid AU- concepted while I drew my big piece for Mermay this year! I was originally going to turn it into a series basing them on the En cards, but I didnt have time (maybe next year?)

This is a high fantasy AU, of course, and each of the stories happen around the same time-which Ill get into later. All of the Bracelet Girls, Dragon Boys and Zarc + Ray are in their 20's here, with romantic interactions between the expected couples (Fruit, Apple, FallenAngel, Predator, Genesis). All of the stories are unrelated but take place around the same time, with the the exception of the Genesis which takes several decades before.

Just slapping the word 'Mermaid' on a character and not basing them on a sea creature has never been an option for my autism brain, so I based the girls off of sea creatures I thought suited them!

Yuzu is based on a Betta fish- the only freshwater mermaid out of the five- mainly because I think theyre gorgeous with their lovely flowing tails, but also because theyre highly territorial, which I will get into later.

Rin-Rin is based off of one of my favorite sea creatures, the Lionfish. Bright and beautiful, but venomous and a ruthless predator. She's also Siren.

Ruri is based on a Parrotfish. Beautiful, iridescent scales and placid nature who live in coral reefs. Also, bird pun becuase I couldnt resist.

Serena is a Human-Mer hybrid whose based off an Angler fish. Scary creatures who use beautiful light not to illuminate their surroundings, but to draw in prey. She requires more oxygen than a normal mermaid, so like a mudfish, she can chill out near the surface of the sea and take in oxygen when she needs to.

Ray is based off of a Sea Angel, which is apparently a sea slug. It's pretty and I dont know much about it, which is the exact same thing I can say about my girl Ray.

Under the cut ill get into my thoughts for each of the AUs! Including a minific which kind of adds a little context to my piece from Mermay!

Ill go over all my ideas for the different storylines - marked by their ship- and at the end is minific! Sorry for any punctuation/spelling mistakes!

Genesisshipping:

Zarc is an apprentice boatsman on his first voyage on a big ship. After smashing into rocky bluffs, the boat he's on capsizes and falls into the ocean. Almost drowning, he is rescued at the brink of death by Ray, who takes him to an uninhabited island to bring him back to life. Over a year or so, the two fall in love and while Zarc does want to escape the island he beleives its futile and doesnt even try. Eventually a ship does come to rescue him, and he promises Ray that he'll make it back to the island one day to be with her.

After hes back on land, people ask him what happened, howd he survive, ect; he eventually lets slip that a mermaid saved him. This makes it around, and eventually wealthy prospectors hear. Entranced by money and power wished to him, he leads hunters to the island to capture Ray.

Thinking that hes back to start a life with her, Ray's shocked when other people come from the boat and try to capture her. Realising Zarc had sold her out, she escapes to the sea, never to be seen again. Realising the error of his ways, Zarc decides to stay on the island after the disgruntled hunters leave in an attempt to attone for his greed and to hopefully see Ray one more time.

Appleshipping:

Hugo had always heard tales about sirens in books and wanted to if they were real or not. After attempt of humours faliures to become part of an actual reputable ship crew, he falls in with some pirates who decide to take him out to the seas. On his maiden voyage, he is so nervous that he cant fall asleep on his first night. Thats when he hears it. A siren's song in the distance.

The rest of the crew asleep, he steals a rowboat to find the source of the singing. He finds it- the most beautiful girl hed ever seen, singing the most beautiful song hed ever heard. He falls head over heels for her at first sight.

While Rin just wanted a meal, she now has to put up with idiot pirate trying to woo her. She is severly displeased about it, and makes it known. Then she realises- this dude is a grade A idiot with the luck of god on his side and now has to live with a human taking up her favorite rock. Ridiculousness insues

FallenAngelShipping:

Ute grew up in a port town that had a great relationship with the fellow merfolk. He and Ruri grew up together, and eventually became a couple. One day, the village was raided by hunters, who both killed and captured the humans and merfolk, burning the town to the ground.

While hed somehow escaped from the raiders, he knows he has to break in to the enemy camp as they transport prisoners and set everyone free.

After weeks of planning and watching them from afar, he finds the perfect moment and storms the encampment, setting everyone free, including his best friend Shun and his lovely Ruri.

While they are displaced, remaining survivors help rebuild the city, and they try to rebuild their lives. Now with round the clock border security :)

Predatorshipping:

Joeri is a wealthy buisness man who found success selling various snake oils in his teens. Feeling bored of scamming people out of their cash, he goes to a beah town in an effort to refresh, regroup his thoughts, and figure out his next buisness move.

While walking a beach in the dead of night, he notices a glow coming from a little cave in the distance. Sneaking a peek, he notices Serena stting, resting, and his mind races. Mermaids are uncommon, but not unheard of but most people havent seen one, so what if he could show her off?

Practically smelling the money from the buisness opportunity, he approaches her. She startles, and draws a weapon on him. That night he tries to talk her down and using all of his sales knowledge and charisma, tries to get her to warm up to him.

While it ends up in faliure, the next night she is in the cave again. And he makes up his mind to convince her to join him, whether that be by convincing her with his words, or bribing her with anything he can get his hands on. He has a goal and wont stop until it's realised.

Fruitshipping:

Feeling wanderlust in his early teens, Yuya decides to dedicate his life to becoming an adventurer to see all the beautiful sights hes read about in his beloved father's old travel diaries. After about a decade of seeing what the continent has to offer, he takes a wrong turn (not the first time) and accidentally stumbles into a serene clearing blanketed in cherry tree blossoms nestled in between foothills. In awe, he explores the adorable little field, picking wild dasies as he goes, and spots a lake fed by mountains. As he investigates, he is jumpscared by a mermaid who warns him to leave immediately or face the consequences.

After a breif moment of shock, he starts to laugh. Yuzu is flabbergasted, as most humans would have fled at that point. He tells her that meeting a mermaid was always on his bucket list and that hes pleased to make her acquaintance, which leaves her even more shocked.

While she is standoffish at first, Yuya sets up camp near the water's edge to really drink in the scenery, subbornly telling an annoyed Yuzu that it was the best vantage point in the clearing.

While he'd oly planned to stay for a couple of days, as he talked to Yuzu- her sharing enchanting stories about the depths of the lake and the merfolk who lived there and in turn, her avidly listening to Yuya's travel stories- he decided to stay through the end of spring... and then summer... until eventually autumn's chill prompts him to eventually- begrudgingly- forces him to start packing up his temporary home.

Over the months the two talked and talked and became best friends. Through the wilting daisy chains they made, to the silly splash fights they shared on hot days, to almost sombre monitoring of deciduous leaves starting to fall as the lake theyd made memories in starts to slowly develop its winter shell, baring the aquatic from the terrestrial.

As they say their goodbyes, Yuya noticing Yuzu shivering slightly as she sits above the water, he promises her to come back in the spring with even more travel stories, handing her one of his earrings in a jesture of his vow. And she is overjoyed.

As they part ways, he catches her tightly gripping the blue crystal of his earring before she slips below the water, and he wishes that winter would just leave and never come back.

Over the winter, Yuya can't stop thinking of his time in the clearing. The curiosity that Yuzu would have for the camp meals he'd cook. The sparkle in her eye as he'd describe one of his adventures. Her concern over even the most miniscule of old wounds hed accrued over the years. Her witty remarks that never failed to get a laugh out of him. That no matter where he went, he'd always wonder what Yuzu would think if she'd been there with him.

As the weather started to turn from hail and snow to bright skies and sunshowers, he practically made a mad dash to the little clearing tucked away on the forgotten road near the foothills, hoping that the ice had melted in the area- if not for the whole pond, at least around the crude dock he'd put together to sit with Yuzu on, so close to where he'd set up camp.

As he approaced the sea of sakura, the blooming daisies, the grass rejuvenated after it winter hibernation, he noticed a figure waiting where she always was early in the mornings before he awoke, brushing her beautiful magenta tinged hair, facing toward the mountains in the distance.

He grinned and picked the prettiest of the wild daisies he could see on the bushes around him.

He was back home and couldn't be happier.

#wow that took longer than expected #fun to do some writing again #hopefully i can do more with this au in the future #ygo arc v #yugioh arc v #arcvmonth #arcvmonth2023 #original art #doodle #chibi art #sakaki yuya #hiiragi yuzu #zuzu boyle #yugo (arc v) #rin (arc v) #yuto (arc v) #kurosaki ruri #lulu obsidian #yuri (arc v) #serena (arc v) #zarc arc v #akaba ray #mermaid au #genesisshipping #fruitshipping #appleshipping #fallenangelshipping #predatorshipping

[didyoutrydynamite]

After the latest of JNRZ's patrols, Jaune was given a Beta fish. However the girls, for one reason or another, don't want him to keep it. While thinking about what to do with it, he recalled Penny saying she liked looking at them but wasn't able to own one growing up; which for some reason she refers to as her testing phase. So being a good friend, decides to gift her the Beta fish. How does Penny react to her new pet?

Me: *Reading this* Man these these are getting oddly specific. But I can rework this. *Cracks knuckles*

~O~O~O~O~O~

Reese: Yo Penny!

Penny: Friend Reese! *Awkwardly throws up gang signs* How is the bacon shaking?

Reese: Are you trying to ask "What's shakin' bacon?"

Penny: It was my attempt to, but I detected an unacceptable number of grammatical errors, so I adapted as best I could. Yo.

Reese: *Snickers* The bacon shakes well. Anyways I got you a surprise!

Penny: I love surprises! Except enemy ambushes. Those are not quite as fun.

Reese: Well then you're getting the exact opposite then! Prepare for friendlies incoming *Reaches behind her back*

Penny: I am ally ready!

Reese: *Pulls out a plastic bag with vibrant, colorful fish.*

Penny: *Gasp* A Betta Splendes!?

Reese: Dude! Exactly right! How'd you know?

Penny: When ever I first obtained knowledge on water life, I had became especially fascinated with this species of freshwater fish!

Reese: That's perfect! You see, I got this guy shortly after we had to let go of Sir Leopold Carolus the Third after that whole poachers fiasco, buuuuuuuut somebody is a big jealous baby who doesn't understand that I'll always love them most!

Ollie: *Appears with as sorrowful a look a manta ray can muster, making even sadder bubble noises*

Reese: So now I need to get this little lady a new home. You wanna keep her?

Penny: That would be glorious! I will provide all the care and sustenance this fish requires! *Takes fish* What is her designation?

Reese: Up to you now! What do you feel like calling it?

Penny: I shall name her... Pixie.

Reese: Neat! Why Pixie though?

Penny: *Staring happily at her new fish* The way she swims, it's as if she's a little blue fairy. *Gasp* I just made an appropriate simile!

#jnrz ask #penny polendina #reese chloris

[herefishyfishy236]

A New Journey

Y'all, I'm so excited to start my journey in the world of freshwater aquariums and aqua scaping! I started out with a 5 gallon tank with some Neon Tetras when I was a kid, then grew out of it for several years, and now I'm getting back into it. I have been wanting a Betta for a while now and was in the process of budgeting for a 10 gallon aquarium setup with live plants and everything when my fiancés great aunt was getting rid of her 5 and 10 gallon tanks and everything that came with them! I had hit the jackpot!

So I got everything back to my house and set up (with the help of my wonderful fiancé) and high tailed it to the nearest pet store! I went to PetSmart in our town and was looking at all of the Bettas. I had done so much research on them from water temp to food source and decided what variety of Betta I was looking for.

I knew I wanted to have a community tank and first thing I wanted to do was pick put my Betta and let him decide who he wanted to live with rather than picking out some fish and him accidentally eating all of them 🙄. Anyway, I'm looking at all of the Bettas in the store and this one catches my eye. He's red, white and black with the most beautiful pattern on him. I look at his ID on the cup and he's a Copper Koi Betta! He's following me around and interacting with my fingers, so I pick him up and take him around the store.

I'm FALLING for this Betta fish and I name him Jeffery (yes after Jeffery Dahmer, I have a messed up sense of humor). I take Jeffery up to some of the other community fish and he's flaring his fins, buffing out, and making himself look like a big bad fishy 🥰. I get some Platinum Guppies for him and take everyone home. I honestly thought he was going to kill the guppies, but he eventually took a liking to them and just chased them around for fun.

Now, Jeffery and the Guppies sit on my desk while I'm doing school work and watch me while I study my butt off for Finals Week.

Join me, Jeffery and my Guppies on our journey through this thing called aquatic life!

#justkeepswimming🐠

#petsmart #betta fish #planted aquarium #fluval #topfin aquarium #guppy fish #fish tank #here fishy fishy

[quickspinner]

Shifting Tides

A little offering for MerMay! @mangoes-n-cream​ threw out the idea some time ago of a merman Luka based on a betta fish, and we tossed ideas around and this is what I came up with. Betta fish have an extremely strong bite force for their size, so I translated that to physical strength. I still enjoy lionfish mermaid Marinette, so we’re just going to ignore the fact that betta are freshwater fish and lionfish are saltwater fish. It’s magic, just go with it.

Marinette had known Luka, not forever, but for a long time. He’d been her confidant as a confused, frustrated youngster in the throws of first love and unexpected responsibility, and though she’d never been able to read him as well as he read her, she’d learned a lot over their years together. She knew his patterns and how they shifted with his moods, she knew his habits, and she knew when he was putting up a front.

So when he asked her in his gentle, unassuming way if she would spend the day with him, but wouldn’t tell her why or what they would be doing, she had known him well enough to see the thread of tension in his body, the faint suggestion of stripes along his face that weren’t normally visible, the slight tightness around his eyes, though their expression was as soft and admiring as ever. 

It sent a thrill through her that she couldn’t entirely explain and didn’t want to examine too closely, she also knew how still looked at her, even all this time, when he thought she didn’t see, or wouldn’t mind. And lately, she was minding less and less. Marinette teased him for a bit in their usual way, and then agreed to meet him at morningtide. 

When morningtide came, Luka still wouldn’t tell her what was going on, but when he asked her to follow him, she did so with only minimal complaint. Just enough to keep up appearances. 

Really, she would have followed Luka anywhere he asked with even less information than he gave her, but he didn’t need to know that. Not yet, anyway. 

She was close enough behind him that she almost crashed into him when he stopped and turned to face her. He flitted out of her way with an indulgent smile that became a grin when she made a face at him. A quick flip of his tail sent him circling around her. 

“We’re almost there,” he said, possibly more excited than she’d ever seen him. “Will you close your eyes?”

Marinette gave him a suspicious look but he just shot a hopeful, excited one back to her. “Please?” he said softly, floating near. “You can trust me.” 

It was more a question of him trusting her, actually. Luka was many times stronger than she was, but much less likely to accidentally injure her with his strength than she was to injure him with her venomous spines.

She did trust him, though, to know what he was doing, and he trusted her to mind her spines as best she could. 

Tucking her spines close, Marinette closed her eyes. She felt Luka take her hands and place them around his neck, his back bumping into her chest. “Just hold on,” he told her. “It’ll only take a moment.” Marinette joined her hands and let him tow her, trying not to think too hard about the brush of his fins against hers or the rhythm of the current he sent against her as his tail drove them both through the water. His hands stayed on her forearms, strong and reassuring, thumbs rubbing lightly over her skin. 

She could feel the sun through the water and knew they must be fairly shallow. The warmth felt good. Luka stopped and removed her arms from around his neck. “Wait here one moment, I just want to make sure no one’s here that shouldn’t be.” 

Marinette suppressed a smile at this typical territorial caution, though she didn’t like being left behind like this, blind and vulnerable. Luka placed her hand on something—it felt like a rock formation. He’d placed her on its sheltered side so the current didn’t push her. “I’ll call to you when I come back,” he said, and Marinette took this as her cue to let her spines rise into a defensive position, which made her feel a little more comfortable. She set her senses to feeling the water about her, but it was calm and she felt no danger. 

“I’m coming back,” Luka called from somewhere slightly above her, and she flattened her spines again. In moments she felt the press of water from above, and felt Luka’s hand cover hers again. “All clear.”

“I’m shocked,” she teased. It took a special type of brave, or a special type of stupid, to invade Luka’s territory. He was sweet and gentle and relaxed most of the time, but fierce when his family or his territory was threatened. 

“I’m coming behind you,” he warned, and she flattened her spines a little further until she felt his warmth behind her and his hand settle on her waist, just above where her scales ended. HIs touch made her shiver and his hand shifted immediately a little higher, away from the sensitive spot. “Sorry,” he said, but his voice went a little deeper and Marinette didn’t completely believe him. Lips twisting in a slight smirk, Marinette let him guide her toward whatever it was he was so intent on showing her. He was a tactile person, but rarely as openly flirtatious as he had been today, and she was very much intrigued. 

She felt the difference in the light and the change in the current as he lead her inside a shelter of some kind, though she didn’t brush up against any barriers. 

They were in a sort of cavern, but the ceiling was broken in several places, sending shafts of light filtering down through the water. In the spots of sunlight dotted on the walls, the natural outcropping and shelves of the cavern were piled with sea glass, reflecting the light in many different shades of green and gold and white and blue and making shifting patterns of color against the rocks. 

It was a sculpture of light and it was beautiful. 

“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice warm and low and not...hesitant exactly, but tense somehow.

“I do,” she said fimly, and then turned towards him, lifting her hands to his face. “It’s lovely, Luka.” 

“Good,” he said, covering her hands with his own, and the relief in it was palpable. 

“It must have taken you so much time to collect all this,” she said, looking around again. 

“It did,” he admitted, holding her hand to his face, his fingers curling over his, and when Marinette met his eyes, she felt a wave of heat pass through her body as her heart began to beat faster. “You know I’m not an artist, not like you, but...I wanted to do this for you. You make so many beautiful things and I just...I wanted to make something beautiful for you.” 

“For me?” she asked softly. 

“Always for you,” he answered just as softly, taking both her hands in his and tugging her closer. “It’s always—” 

He paused and looked around, expression suddenly wary. “Something’s wrong,” he murmured, letting her hands slip out of his. “Stay here.” 

Marinette watched him in surprise for a moment as Luka swam to the entrance and stopped just inside of it, fins fanning out in a full threat display that made Marinette’s heart flutter for entirely different reasons than intended. He was stunning with his blue-black fins spread to their full extent, the muscles of his back and arms rippling with tension as he scanned for the threat.  

Marinette shook herself and fluffed out her own fins, unfolding fans of black spots on red that contrasted the bright stripes of her tail, the bold pattern declaring a warning as her venomous spines lifted into a defensive position. Ignoring his instructions to stay put, she swam to Luka’s side, careful to stay far enough away not to risk ripping one of his beautiful fins with her spines. He motioned for her to stay back, but she ignored that too. Luka was strong and brave and beautiful but when it came down to practicalities, she was the best equipped to actually incapacitate an enemy. 

After a few moments Luka sighed, and drifted back to her, though his fins remained flared. “I don’t see or sense anything. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

“You checked for danger already,” Marinette reminded him. 

“Yes,” he agreed. “I’m jumpy, I guess. I’m sorry. This was important to me and I don’t want anything to ruin it.” He turned his attention back fully on her, and Marinette’s pulse, which had begun to slow, jumped back into overdrive again. Luka just smiled, amused, she supposed, by her sudden fluster. He knew her as well as she knew him, after all. Possibly better. He had certainly been watching her longer.

Marinette tried to find somewhere to look that wasn’t at the impressive display of fin and muscle before her. “Aren’t you going to put those away?” she asked, swatting playfully at a streak of blue trailing elegantly from his arms. 

“Not if you like them,” Luka said with a slow smile. “Do you, Marinette?” He flicked his tail, sending a little wave across her own flukes and setting the lovely trailing fan of his tail fin dancing. 

“I like yours,” he added, boldly reaching a finger to stroke along the edge of one fin. 

She flicked it away from his finger and he drew back quickly.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, furling his own fins. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have—I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

“Luka,” Marinette said, flipping in the water and sending a pressure wave across his face. “Shut up.” She circled him once, and then again, close enough for her fins to trail across him, and then swam up to where the light poured in again, admiring his collection of treasures. She turned lazily on her back, and then upended to swim down again. 

“Luka,” she asked, facing him upside down in the water, curving her tail over to block the sunlight from her face so that she could see him clearly. “Are you courting me?” 

“Yes,” he said softly, and the simplicity of it set her heart racing. “Are you going to come down here so I can continue? Or would you rather I didn’t?” 

He sounded perfectly calm but she could see the flutter in his gills, the slight differences in his coloration that let on he was not as comfortable as he wanted her to believe.  

Slowly, deliberately, Marinette completed her loop and twisted, letting her momentum carry her against him. He caught her with the infinite gentleness that had always intrigued her, in such contrast with his strength, and his arms went around her as his forehead rested gently against hers. “By all means, continue,” she whispered, stroking slender fingers down his jaw and across his lips. 

“Marinette,” he murmured, “You know I’ve been in love with you for years. There was a time when it hurt you to hear it—” Marinette tried not to wince visibly, though she knew the way she ducked her head betrayed her thoughts to Luka, who had always seen her so clearly, even when her own vision had been dazzled by blinding yellow fins and an even brighter smile. “ —But I was hoping, lately, that you were becoming...less opposed to the idea of me loving you?” 

“Less opposed,” Marinette giggled. “That’s one way to put it.” 

Luka grinned slowly. “Feel free to rephrase it for me.” 

“Must I?” Marinette countered, and then, softer, feeling the crimson creeping up her face, she added, “You’ve never needed words to understand me before.” 

“No,” he said, his voice lowering as he reached one hand up, brushing the backs of his fingers along her cheek before sliding them into her hair to draw her close. 

Marinette let him pull her near and seal his mouth over hers in a kiss that started off soft but became bolder as she responded to him, pressing close and parting her lips for him. She didn’t dare tell him how long she had been hoping for this moment, when they were both finally in synch with each other and their own feelings, after all her foolishness. 

Lost in his kiss, she began unconsciously to match the rhythm of his lightly swaying tail with hers, and Luka moaned softly into her mouth, his hands slipping down to that sensitive area at her waist. “Marinette,” he murmured, nipping at her lips and down her jaw as he pulled her gently closer, blowing a small stream of bubbles against her neck in a way that made her shiver and giggle all at once. “Would you—” 

Something crashed suddenly through the ceiling of the cavern, and Luka threw his body recklessly into Marinette, driving her back and away from the disturbance even as she screamed and pushed him away, flattening her spines so she wouldn’t kill him by accident.

She surged away to get some distance from Luka where she could defend herself without risking him, and saw the source of the disturbance—a burly figure she knew well. 

“Kim, what are you doing?” Marinette screeched, moving towards him. The brown and gold merman fixed his attention on her and made a feral sort of growl that brought her up short, even more so as she caught sight of his face. 

Marinette had known Kim since they were tiny, and she had never seen the ugly purple pattern that was spread on his face before. Nor had she ever seen him look so...angry. Kim wasn’t the calmest of people but he had never looked like that before.

“Kim!” Marinette gasped, and then yelped as her old childhood friend snarled and leapt at her. 

Marinette was more than capable of defending herself but the surprise and desire not to kill one of her oldest friends paralyzed her for a moment. 

Kim was knocked aside as Luka crashed into him, fins on full display and rage in his face. 

“Don’t hurt him,” Marinette screamed, as Luka drove Kim into the wall of the cavern. “Something’s wrong. He won’t talk to me!” 

Luka gave her a quick look that said he would do his best and then he had all he could handle as Kim fought back. The water inside the cavern churned and seaglass leapt and skittered across the wall and sank as they thrashed and struggled, hitting the walls of the cavern. Marinette flitted about in a panic, wanting to help but not sure how. 

Luka’s eyes met hers as he shot her a desperate look over Kim’s shoulder. Marinette understood his dilemma at once; he couldn’t hold Kim off for long without seriously hurting him. Marinette didn’t want either Kim or Luka hurt, but her own venom was deadly; if she intervened, she would kill Kim. For a moment she hung in the water paralyzed with indecision, not sure what to do as her eyes darted about looking for a solution.

Suddenly she spotted something dark on Kim’s neck, just behind his gills, a fluttering bit of darkness that looked attached to him like a remora. No, it was a remora, but it was pitch black, tinged purple when the sun hit it. 

“Luka,” she called, propelling herself forward. “Luka, hold him still.” She bit her lip, watching for her opening. She was going to have to be quick.

After a tense struggle Luka managed to pin Kim down against a rock for a moment, tail working furiously to hold them there as he glanced back at Marinette with a now what expression.

Marinette darted in, skimming past them and slashing out with the spiny fins along her arms, far closer to Luka’s neck than she really felt comfortable with, but there was no time to think of it. She sliced the remora from Kim’s neck and flung it down onto one of the spines at her waist, pushing off from the wall of the cavern to get away from Kim and Luka before one of them flailed against her and hurt themselves.

It turned out to be a needless worry, because as soon as the remora was gone, Kim went limp, and Luka sagged with relief and exhaustion.

Marinette went to him immediately, spines folding down as Luka cautiously released Kim, who just hung limp in the water, the odd pattern fading from his face even as they watched. Luka turned him on his back and checked him over. “Is he all right? Are you all right?” Marinette asked, hesitating as she hovered around them. .

“He’s alive,” Luka said, leaning his hands back against a rock. “He doesn’t seem to be hurt, other than where that thing was attached. Doesn’t look like it even broke the skin, though, just...stuck there.” Satisfied that Kim was all right for the time being, Marinette moved toward Luka and he smiled as she fussed over him, cupping his face and running her hands over him. “I’m not injured.” 

“Are you sure?” she fretted, looking up into his face, and the soft look he was giving her made her face heat. Luka’s widening grin told her he could see the red flooding her cheeks, bringing out the pale spots that were normally nearly invisible. His own pattern flashed at her in response, jagged blue stripes traveling up the angles of his face, and she wanted to pout that his own markings complimented him so nicely, but the world was just unfair to females. “Thank you for trusting me,” she said, dropping her gaze, idly tracing a finger over his collarbone. “I could have hurt you if you’d flinched.” 

Luka chuckled, and kissed her softly. “You are dangerous and strong and beautiful and I adore you,” he told her. “And I would love to pick up where we left off, but…I think we’ll have to have that talk a bit later.” He looked at Kim, still unconscious. “I think we need to consult your father and the Guardian about...whatever this was.”

“Agreed,” Marinette said, shaking her head slightly as her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “This can’t be good, and people will get hurt if it happens again.” 

Luka hummed ascent, caressing her waist gently and then letting her go as he went to pull Kim onto his back. “Let’s go.” 

“Your nest,” Marinette fretted, looking at the scattered seaglass littering the bottom of the cavern. 

“I’ll build another one,” Luka said, sending a comforting wave of current over her with a flick of his tail. “I wouldn’t feel safe here after this anyway. We’ll make it beautiful together.” He caught himself and the stripes flared a little brighter. “I mean...after we talk. If you want to.”

Marinette returned the smile he gave her over his shoulder, and followed him out of the cavern. “Yes, we will,” she murmured to herself, incandescently happy despite the odd and ominous turn the day had taken. 

#quickspins #across all realms #mermay #lukanette #endgame lukanette #i am lukanette trash i admit it #lukanette endgame #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #miraculousladybug #miraculous ladybug #mermaid au #fantasy au #ml fics

[sir-intxgra]

Does Integra have any aquariums in the Hellsing manor? (May not even be her idea. Could be that Walter wanted to keep some fish or maybe it was part of the estate before she was even born) Roughly, what size tank would it be (small 5 gallon desk tank or large enough to take up most of a wall) and what kind of creatures are in it? (Stingrays, jellyfish, seahorses, frogs, starfish, eels, danios, catfish, bettas, kuhli loaches, plecos, guppies, oscars, tetras, goldfish, sharks, mollies, platies, etc)

Integra doesn’t keep fish, or any pets, aside from horses. She understands her home is a target and doesn’t want to deal with that kind of loss if the manor was ever attacked. The manor is in a more rural part of London (if such a thing exists?), so all sorts of animals come onto the property, such as foxes, deer, owls, ravens, and even bats. Integra is more interested in the ravens and crows but asks her maintenance team to leave feed for said animals. The manor doesn’t seem to have any fountains, so I doubt she has any fish like koi, either. 

Walter, though, does seem like a fish man. I can see him having exotic fish and carefully tinkering with the tank, measuring the pH levels, researching the proper plantlife to make his fish's lives perfect in his free time. He seems like he would like precise and time-consuming hobbies. I bet he’d have a few angelfish in a freshwater aquarium and maybe some dragonets in a saltwater one. 

Integra’s view of Walter’s fish are, ‘Hmm, that’s a fish,’ and move on. She doesn’t really see the appeal unless the fish are on her plate. 

#I love these kind of questions! you're my favorite #anony! #headcanons #I #the mun #freaking love the aquarium #I am this close to being on a first name basis with my nearest aquariums octopus #I follow more pet accounts #zoo and aquarium accounts on social media than I do actual people #Anonymous

[satans-helper]

Amphitrite

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x (F) Reader

Word Count: 1253

Warnings: none; I’m still yearning. 

Requested by a very sweet anon <3 thank you. I don’t think I ever really need to say that Josh fluff if my weakness.

---

As soon as Josh told you his betta fish had died, you grabbed your wallet and your keys and hopped in the car, ready to go get him everything you thought might comfort him. Sure, to many people a fish dying wouldn’t be an event to get so depressed about--let alone have an entire day of mourning--but Josh had that fish for years, for so long you were amazed it had actually died at all. You really thought he might have given it some sort of immortality with the way he talked to it, fed it “special” food, and gave it a nice space with enriching little castles and rocks and plants.

Horrified for a moment, you wondered if Josh had been able to flush the poor fish down the toilet yet. You certainly didn’t want to do that, but you would if you had to.

“Baby, where are you?” you called as you walked into Josh’s place, the door unlocked either for you benefit or because he simply forgot amidst his mourning.

“Bedroom,” Josh called back, sounding more despondent than you’d ever heard him before.

You grabbed the special chocolate you knew he liked--the fancy dark chocolate with chili--from the grocery bag as well as the bag of Milanos and bottle of chocolate milk. Not that eating was the healthiest way of coping but food seemed to work well for Josh when he was upset. 

He was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at the fish tank. You followed his eyes and saw that the blue betta fish was still there, floating, and you stopped yourself from emitting a noise of disgust. Instead you went to Josh and ruffled your hand through his hair as you placed the gifts next to him. 

“I’m sorry, baby,” you said softly.

He rested his head against your waist, wrapping his arm around you. “It’s okay, Y/N. I knew she was gonna go someday.”

Josh’s love for all creatures was something you admired and adored so much. He was so absolutely full of love and seeing him sad made you sad; you would do anything to make him feel better, including flush the fish if needed.

“Do you need me to, uh, take care of her?” you asked, softly again, not wanting to make Josh more upset.

He quickly looked up at you. “I want to bury her.”

Bury...a fish. You nodded--anything for Josh. “Okay,” you said. “Got a little box for her?”

Josh got up and went to his dresser. He took small wooden box from on top and opened 

it, taking out some jewelry. “I made this in woodshop in high school,” he told you. “I don’t really need it. And at least it’s biodegradable.”

After his fish was scooped up and placed in the box, you both went outside. Josh dug a small hole in a patch of dirt next to some violets with a spoon (“I never thought I’d need a shovel” he said), his brow furrowed the entire time, and placed the box inside the hole, scooping the dirt back over it and patting it.

“Rest in peace, Amphitrite,” he said, placing his hand over his heart with a sigh. “You surpassed all expectations. I hope you find a nice, new home in the sea.”

“Freshwater, right?” you asked, nudging his arm.

Josh laughed a little. “Ah, right. Wherever, Amphitrite. You were good company.”

You knelt down and plucked some violets to place on the little mound of dirt. “Bye, Amphitrite.”

Back inside, Josh finally noticed the different chocolate goods on his bed. “Oh, you’re so sweet,” he said, opening the chocolate milk and taking a sip. He was already getting more color back in his cheeks. “You really know what makes me feel better.”

You sat down next to him. “I’m sorry, Josh. She was cute, really.”

He nodded. “She was. I’m sorry, though, I know she’s just a fish--”

“No, don’t be. I love the fact that she’s so important to you,” you replied, running your fingers through his hair. “I don’t love that you’re sad, but--you feel so much, Josh. I love that about you.” 

He smiled at you, a little mustache of chocolate milk on his upper lip. “I love you being here.” 

You tilted his chin up with your fingers and kissed him. “I’m happy to be here,” you assured him, licking your lips. “I’d do anything for you.”

“Can you do me a favor?” he asked, looking at you all puppy-eyed. 

You kissed his forehead. “Anything, baby.”

“Can you put on some music? Anything you want.”

You smiled--you loved him so much. “Absolutely,” you said and got up, going over to Josh’s collection of vinyls and skimming your fingers over them. You chose one you knew Josh loved, one that might be of even more comfort to him, and put it on before getting back on the bed.

I've been lately thinking

About my life's time

All the things I've done

And how it's been

And I can't help believing

In my own mind

I know I'm gonna hate to see it end

He gave you a look, his eyes big and soft and lips pouted a little, and you knew exactly what he needed then. You got on your side and Josh joined you, sighing as you wrapped your arms around him and pressed yourself against his backside, nuzzling the back of his neck. 

“This is a good album,” he said, reaching his hand back and stroking your hair. “You always know.”

“I try,” you replied and smoothed your hands over his chest. “You’re so lovely, Josh. So kind and lovely.”

He kissed your hand. “I try, Y/N.”

You rested your chin on his shoulder. “Need anything else?” 

Josh hummed and sat up, reaching down the bed for the bag of Milanos. You sat up too and moved back against the pillows to prop yourself up, spreading your legs, and Josh sat back against you. You closed your legs around him and he rested his head back on your chest.

“Want one?” he asked you, tearing open the bag. 

“Sure,” you answered and he held one up, which you took in your teeth, making him giggle.

Josh settled back into you, stroking your leg as he chewed. “Thanks for coming over. You’re fantastic.”

You kissed the top of his head. “Are you gonna get another fish?” 

“Maybe. Probably,” he answered, biting into another Milano. “Would you look for one with me?”

You traced your fingertip down the curve of his ear. “Yeah, definitely. Another betta?”

“I think the fish just has to come to me, you know?” Josh explained. He was talking with his hands again--a good sign. “There has to be that connection.”

You stifled a giggle. “That makes sense. Well, we can definitely look, whenever you’re ready.”

Josh turned to you, excitement suddenly beaming across his face. “Would you get a fish with me? They could live together here.”

You couldn’t hold back the little laugh then. “That might be cute.”

Josh gently coerced you down and kissed you. “I think it’d be wonderful,” he said, then nuzzled back against your chest. “Superb.”

You wrapped your arms over his chest and squeezed him a little, more than content to have him cradled in your arms and John Denver playing around you after such a trying day for him. You would bet that if there was an afterlife for fish, Amphitrite was having the time of her life. 

---

Tagging: @jeordinevankiszka @mountainofthesunn @bigthighsandstupidguys @camomillacatalina @saywecanart @dreams-madeof-strawberrylemonade

#hold me please #i am weak #i love fluffy josh #josh kiszka #josh kiszka x reader #greta van fleet #greta van fan fiction #josh gvf #gvf fic #josh fic #anon request

[fishiest-fish]

God for Valentine’s Day I just want to hold my girlfriends hand and buy her roses and one of those giant teddy bears that you can barely hold. I want to get chocolates that we can share while cuddling on the couch and watching stupid rom coms all night. I want to kiss her and send her little hand written love notes. I want to hold her hand under the moonlight and gaze into her eyes. But alas, this Valentine’s Day I will be alone and writing depressing poems again.

I offer up my services of reading depressing poems in the hopes that that will cheer your dreadful woes, dear anon

I feel many of us are in the same boat as you anon, alone on valentine day. I myself am in that boat. But it's a good boat

It can speed through the water, and it has a sail. And sure you might not want to be on that boat, but the boat can take you to a new destination, to a new relationship

After all, there a plenty of fish in the sea, and if you don't like any of those gross salt water fish because theyre expensive and hard to take care of and over not fun fish, may I offer you a freshwater fish? Bettas are very nice, although I tend to be a bias.

But don't worry anon, there will always be next year. And even of you aren't in a relationship next year with the girl of your dreams, it's okay.

Being alone of valentine's day is okay. Buy yourself a huge bear, eat over priced chocolates and conversation candies, watch a rom com and make it just another day of the year

[betta-beta]

IT’S UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME!!!

Well, it probably is for a lot of people on here, but probably not for anyone following me. ANYWAY, I know I talk a lot about pet Youtubers, so I wanted to throw out a quick list of the specifically fish-related ones that I’ve come across and have a problem with, as well as why I have a problem with them. This is in no way a comprehensive list of pet Youtubers, it’s just the ones I’ve come across while looking for info/videos about fish and other animals. NOTE: I’m not linking to any of them, because they don’t deserve the traffic, but you’re free to check them out, JUST DON’T HARASS THEM.

ItsAnnaLouise: BAD BETTA KEEPER BINGO!!!! She is what I currently consider to be the worst, of what I’ve seen. She is absolutely, 100% an animal hoarder. She doesn’t think any fish keeping standards need to apply to her, and currently keeps 85 BETTAS in subpar conditions. She's got: divided tanks ranging from 10 gallons to 2.5 gallons; a sorority of at least 6 in a grossly underplanted 10 gallon tank; a betta in a 5 gallon “community” tank with tetras and shrimp; TETRAS IN A 5 GALLON WITH A BETTA; unheated tanks; unfiltered tanks, “quarantine” BOWLS that are a gallon or less and are both unheated and unfiltered; not a single one of her tanks has appropriate cover for her bettas; she frequently “rescues” bettas from pet stores by buying them; SHE BREEDS PET STORE BETTAS; she doesn’t believe in cycling her tanks; I’m pretty sure she’s still not actually testing her tanks; etc., etc., etc. She’s a terrible person who is making money off of KNOWINGLY keeping her fish in terrible conditions.

King Of DIY: Does anyone in the fish keeping community take him seriously, anymore? He’s a bad keeper, all around. He keeps monster fish in tanks that are grossly undersized, keeps incompatible and/or aggressive fish together, and likes to impulse buy. He’s killed a lot of fish in completely preventable ways.

Taylor Nicole Dean: I can’t comment on most of her pets, as I haven’t kept and/or have no interest in keeping most of them, but I can definitely comment on her fish. Despite all of her talk about betta care in the early career of her channel, she keeps a betta sorority, and a really poorly set-up one, at that (I mean, there’s no good sorority, but even among supporters, that’s a bad one). Unless she’s drastically changed since I last watched, it’s grossly underplanted, and I believe there were some other fish tossed in there. Her saltwater tank is also extremely overstocked.

Emzotic: Bred/attempted to breed domestic bettas, which included putting a male and female together in an uncycled tank with one solitary oto catfish, despite claiming that she knew what she was doing. She is also a terrible person, so there’s that.

Lifewithpets and CreativePetKeeping: I’m putting them together because they’re basically the same person. They both keep sororities, keep bettas with guppies, keep bettas in divided tanks, and breed domestic bettas.

Rachel O’Leary: She is definitely an old-school fish keeper. She isn’t the worst out there, but she’s got some laughably small minimums for a number of fish, which includes suggesting schooling fish for nano tanks, and she adheres to the plop-and-drop method of “acclimating” freshwater fish (NOTE: I’ve been told plop-and-drop is sometimes safer for saltwater fish that have been shipped, as using a detoxifier like Prime can actually make certain elements in the water MORE toxic, but I don’t know enough to comment on this, so I’m only going after her for the freshwater fish, which absolutely NEED to be drip acclimated). She also set up a sorority, at one point, and I think is generally pro them.

Solid Gold Aquatics: I haven’t watched her since the wipe-out, to be honest, but at the time, she kept her fish is completely bare pools, and her tragedy was ENTIRELY preventable.

Aquarium Co-Op: I know a lot of people like to think he’s unproblematic, and his sins are definitely MINOR compared to other people on this list, but they’re worth mentioning, none the less. He’s got some extremely small minimums for a LOT of fish. He’s suggested White Cloud Minnows for a 5 GALLON, among others. He’s also potentially pro-sorority, but he’s only had one throw-away comment on the matter, really.

Munchie’s Place: This is the most recent one I’ve come across, and I’m adding this one in particular because it’s a surprisingly common theme in the pet care/keeping community: people actively and passionately advocating for other animals while keeping fish in subpar conditions and showing very little concern for them when someone points it out. She’s got tons of videos talking about and advocating better care for all sorts of pets, namely hamsters, but seems to KNOWINGLY keeps her bettas in sub-standard conditions (and she is a disciple of Lifewithpets). I say knowingly because I saw other people (politely) commenting about the ways in which her tanks could be harmful to her bettas, and she basically responded with “well, no one’s ever been able to show me concrete evidence of this, so I’m going to continue keeping them like this until someone does”. She’s only got 2 videos of her bettas, that I saw, but they’re both bad. One of them is about setting up a divided 5.5 gallon tank, in which she advocates keeping the tanks pretty bare, because “bettas like to swim”. The other is a video in which she talks all about her bettas, including how they all got fin rot, but she can’t figure out how, despite their woefully inadequate and stress-inducing tanks. 

#pettube shaming #bad husbandry #bad betta husbandry

[lernaean-sophistry]

⏳⏳

WHen I was younger I used to actually play in social circles, do all that betta fish style floofing, posturing, nonsense. I wasn't any good at it but I did try. I stayed up on land a while, acting like I was big shit, somewhere around 8 sweeps or so. I made a bunch of what I thought were friends, but, turns out most were just doing that whole 'hey look seadweller friend can you help me get x' sort of nonsense. THat mess is how I met my shitty ex and I already told you that story of how that went down.THat said, after things sort of blew up in my face I stayed hive most of the time, except I'd make diving excursions and pick along the river near my hive, look for cool shit and freshwater fish, which tasted better anyhow. ANd that's how I met Lu, some asshole was chasing her and she fell in the water and I saved her from drowning. SHe was way wilder then and didn't give a shit about social conventions or anything, could just to what she wanted when she wanted. I was sort of jealous? BUt decided, if she can do this mess so can I. ANd we've been basically inseparable since then.

#wicked-honktraband

[alaruine]

RED ROYAL GUPPY FISH TOP BEST Red Guppy Video TOP BEST Red Guppy Edited Video FISH TANK TALK HD : If you like my Videos & you wants More Sub here : https://www.youtube.com/c/Alaruinefishtank?sub_confirmation=1 aquarium fish tropical fish types of fish freshwater fish fish aquarium fish tank fish bowl Relaxing Aquarium Fish The king of DIY FISH Nature Aquarium FISH Breeding of aquarium fish and caring for fish ponds Ornamental fish and their types Breeding ornamental fish for beginners Information on thickness of decorations Breeding of fish in ponds (for beginners) Breeding ornamental fish at home Ornamental fish diseases Ornamental fish Fishes delivery Ornamental fish and their types Fishes delivery Breeding ornamental fish for beginners Information on thickness of decorations Breeding ornamental fish at home Predatory ornamental fish Ornamental fish diseases Aquariums ornamental fish Fish ponds and prices How to make fish ponds Aquariums for sale Prices of fish ponds Aquariums for sale Fish ponds People also ask How do the fish reproduce? Reproduction of fish. The releasing of fish eggs and their fertilization is called spawning. The females lay the eggs and the males fertilize them by releasing their seed over the eggs. Fish seed is referred to as milt or soft roe. Search for: How do the fish reproduce? Which fish are easy to breed? Easy-to-Breed Livebearers. Guppies are one of the most popular freshwater aquarium species. They are highly adaptable fish, and therefore require less care than other species. The females are typically grey, while the males can have stripes or splotches of a variety of colours. Search for: Which fish are easy to breed? How do Siamese fighting fish breed? Part 3 Breeding Your Bettas Remove the divider. Once your male is ready to breed, he will build a large bubble nest which will take 2-3 days. ... Let nature take its course. ... Remove the female betta. ... Leave the male in the tank until the fry can swim around . How do goldfish have their babies? As you may have read in our recent post answering the question “Do goldfish lay eggs?“, goldfish don't actually give birth to “live” young that swim away as soon as they are born. Goldfish lay eggs, which attach to objects in the tank or pond, such as leaves, and stay there until the goldfish babies (or “fry”) hatch. Search for: How do goldfish have their babies? How do salmon fertilize their eggs? In the fall, mature salmon change color, and return from the ocean to the spawning beds from where they were hatched. The amazing process begins with the female digging a hole in the gravel with her tail. A female salmon will lay a few thousand eggs in the hole that will be fertilized by the male fish. How does a fish have a baby? After fertilization, the female can produce multiple batches of babies without a male present. Egglaying is also what the name suggests: the fish lay eggs instead of giving birth to little fish. As the fish grow, they hatch into fry with an attached yolk sac, and then mature into fish. #aquariumfish #tropicalfish #typesoffish #freshwaterfish #fishaquarium #fishtank #fishbowl

#YouTube

[anabantoid]

The Mighty Pea Puffer

Small and intelligent, pea puffers have been gaining popularity within the hobby in recent years due to their charming personalities and relatively undemanding requirements. If you have a betta-sized tank but you’re not really looking to pick up a betta, a pea puffer might be the fish for you.

Care level: Intermediate, you need to feed them a specific diet of live food only.

Scientific name:  Carinotetraodon travancoricus

Common name: Pea puffer, dwarf puffer, dwarf pea puffer

Habitat: Slow moving and still waters in south west India. This is a strictly freshwater puffer!

pH: 7.0-7.8, they do well in moderately hard, neutral and alkaline waters as opposed to softer, acidic waters, so if you have harder, more alkaline water then this fish might be great for you.

Temperature: 72-80 degrees F/22-26 degrees C

Tank size: 5 gallons would be the absolute minimum for one, some sources disagree and say 2.5 or 3 gallons, but I don’t ever house anything in a tank smaller than a 5 because it’s easier to keep stable water chemistry, which the puffers need. The 10 gallon my single puffer, D.va, is in is ideal.

Maximum size: Tiny! 1″

Setup: A dimly lit, heavily planted tank that provides a lot of surface cover with either plants that grow long, draping leaves such as sag or vals, or using floaters such as frog bit, salvinia or dwarf water lettuce. You can also put in driftwood to add to the decor to fill up the extra space, the more claustrophobic the setup, the better. Since they appreciate still or slow waters, you’ll want to baffle your filter. If you plan to attempt to keep more than one, the most common rule is at least 5 gallons for the first fish, and then 3 for each extra fish, with plenty of added cover to break up the line of sight, similar to a betta sorority. It has not been in my experience that cohabbing these puffers works well, but for others they’ve had a success. It entirely depends on what you are comfortable with and what kind of personality your puffers have. These are solitary fish for the most part and do poorly in communities, so it is not suggested to keep them as anything other than a species only tank. Like a betta, you can try adding in shrimp, be it fancies or ghosts, but keep in mind that, also like a betta, they may choose to snack on their tank mates. For example, D.va killed and mutilated two ghost shrimp the moment they went into the tank, then ignored the other two. I’ve put neo culls into her tank and she leaves them alone, but she eats all of the shrimplets whenever they drop. Pea puffers are highly intelligent fish who will grow to recognize your face and beg for food each time they see you, so keep that in mind when it comes to decor. You can add in and take away rocks, driftwood, safe decor, sinking botanicals, or rearrange the plants in the tank to provide them some stimulus.

Feeding: This is where you’ll encounter the most trouble. Puffers are fussy feeders, refusing to accept any pellet food or even gel food (in my experience) and only opting for fresh, live food. They can also be incredibly shy for the first few weeks that they are in their new homes and you might not see them come up to you at all, so you’ll need to give them food in one designated spot at first that they will find and snatch up, or you will have to daily provide two or four snails to make certain they are eating. You’ll want to have a stable supply of pest snails, such as bladder snails, pond snails or ramshorn snails, you can set up a small filtered tank to accomplish this. There seems to be some confusion about whether or not pea puffers need the snail shells to keep their teeth down, but pea puffer teeth becoming overgrown is rare and almost unheard of, and they don’t even bite the shells of the snails, they just grab the foot of the snail and violently tear them free from their shells. Just plop them into the tank and your puffer will find them, and soon the bottom of your tank will be a snail shell graveyard. Puffers also absolutely love black worms and white worms, so it’s important that you have a supply of those on hand. Black worms can be bought at your LFS if you don’t want to care for your own culture, or you can get a culture of white worms which are far less disgusting in my opinion, as they are harmless, simple round worms that you can house in organic, perlite-free soil, mushroom compost or coconut fiber. They’re easy to care for and you can look up their care here. Some people have been able to get their puffers to eat frozen foods, but so far D.va simply turns her nose up at them, offended that I offered her something dead and limp instead of alive and squirmy. If you can stomach it, puffers will also gladly accept small red wigglers that have been cut up into half inch pieces.

Where can I buy it?: Most LFS sell them nowadays, and they can be purchased online as well. I have not yet seen them in chain stores, and hopefully never will, most likely because of their demanding levels of feeding.

Can they be bred in captivity?: Yes, but it’s uncommon, you would need to get a large harem of females to one male to make it work. They are sexually dimorphic, the females tend to be rounder than the males once mature, and the males display small, iridescent striping behind their eyes and also show a dark line running down their underside.

#fishblr #megs does guides #aquablr #pea puffer #yes i did that little puffer doodle #i'm gunna update all my care sheets with little pixel doodles like that

[chibimonkey]

WISH FISH The list of swimmy babies I would like keeps growing, because nothing I want is compatible with anything I have. TANK 1: Axolotl. My biggest freshwater tank will house three or four axolotl, all different colors. I want one so bad. TANK 2: Dwarf pea puffer. I love their little tiny bodies and huge eyes and downright betta-ness. I would name her Penny. TANK 3: CRUSTACEAN TANK. I am dying to convert the frogs' tank to a crustacean tank once I upgrade them. Orange sakura shrimp, Amano shrimp, ghost shrimp, Thai micro crabs, and freshwater pom pom crabs. TANK 4: I don't even care if anything else goes in their tank or what that anything else is, I just want kuhli/dojo loaches. I love the noodles. NOT PICTURED: Koi. I would love a koi pond, if I ever got a house with enough land. RICH FISH These animals fall under the category "when I start making a lot of money, have my own house, and have a huge amount of space," because they are all saltwater fish, they all require a lot of space, and their care is more specialized. TANK 5: Seahorses. I love seahorses and always have. These delicate tiny babies have been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. They do not always do well in captivity, so they will surely test my "good with animals"-ness. TANK 6: Snowflake eel. I love the little noodles. I know they're a popular wish fish on here and one of the users here even has one. TANK 7: Epaulette shark, aka walking shark. One of my LFS has one and I always drift towards the saltwater section to watch her. This tank straddles the line between wish fish and pipe dream - I would need a lot of time, space (in my home and in the tank), and money to make it work.

#wish fish #petblr #fishblr #aquablr #saltwater aquariums

[raideo]

Man tonight sucked, i got home from visiting the family, and immediately I find that flynn is on the bottom of the tank, face in the gravel, upside down.  I take him out and put him in a cup with some clean water of the same temp, and he’s still very much alive but his swim bladder is really fucked up.  I ran out to the store to get some bettafix for him, work didn’t have any and didn’t have melafix either, had to come back home empty handed, then I did what I shoulda done the first time and looked up the problem.  Turns out some bettas can be prone to getting constipation??? if they eat to fast/are over fed.  I gave my room mate what I thought were totally fine feeding instructions to make it easier on her, but I guess I wasn’t aware that feeding them two pellets at one time, when they are used to getting one in the morning and one at night, might upset the lil bab’s stomachs ;;

reaps and cosmo are 100% (cosmo is a little piggy anyway) but Flynn is having a really hard time with it I guess- I hope that’s what it is, I read that it also could be a bacterial infection or ammonia.  It’s not ammonia, I tested my water and it’s PRISTINE.  I really don’t think its an infection but I did run back out cuz I forgot there was a competitor pet store across the street (lol I feel kinda guilty for buying from them but its an emergency)  I also went back to my work to get aquarium salt.

THEN I FUCKING DECIDED TO QUICKLY RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET TWO THINGS I DIDNT REALLY NEED BUT WANTED TO HAVE ON HAND AND HOLY SHIT WHAT AN ORDEAL.  EVERY PERSON IN NEW JERSEY WAS OUT GETTING LIKE- A MONTH’S SUPPLY OF GROCERIES CUZ THEY HEARD IT WAS GOING TO SNOW 5-10 INCHES.  LIKE THAT’S NOTHING TO SHAKE A STICK AT ESP SINCE OUR SNOW CLEANUP CREWS ARE BAD BUT COME ON PEOPLE WTF WE’RE NOT ALL GOING TO DIE.

god I stood in like 5 fucking minutes behind a customer from hell and finally the self serve line opened up and i ducked out and checked out with that- I feel so bad for the cashier, the woman was SCREAMING at her, because the cashier couldn’t honor a coupon she had on her phone?????

fuck.... so im worried sick about my fish, I get home, do water changes on everyone (they were all kinda due for it and i might as well while I change poor bb flynn’s tank ;c; )

He’s still in his cup though, since he can’t swim right I didn’t think it would be good to put him in his really deep tank, even though he has a little lotus flower perch right under the surface idk how well he’d be able to get to it and be able to breath.  I know bettas need access to the water’s surface to breathe properly :C

I just hope he gets better.... I read a bunch of different sources and they all seem to say that I should definitely do the water change, freshwater salt and melafix, in case its bacterial, but it’s most likely constipation, and given the circumstances I think I agree- it says to not feed him for a day or two and then feed him a tiny bit of a cooked pea? cuz I guess that helps with lil betta tummy problems idk... 

I’m so worried about my baby- and from experience the world is pretty unempathetic when it comes to losing a pet like a fish or a snail, my mom usually yells at me and tells me to get over it, it’s not like it was a cat- but like fuck, it fucking IS to me, ok?  I love this thing just as much as a cat or a dog I’m gonna be god damn upset if i lose it!

ugh... what a fucking night man... what a fucking night...

#animal death #he hasnt died but just tagging for the mention #flynn #rai rants #ujflshkgj #my pets #betta fish #if anyone has any advice please let me know...

[pet4food]

Top 10 Highest Rated Fish Food Reviewed & Compared 2020 | Pet Food

If you want your fish food to enjoy living in the aquarium and thrive then you need to give them the best fish food you can afford. This is basic biology (and common sense), and it’s perhaps one of the first things people learn about keeping any sort of pet (except if you have a pet rock, but then that’s a different thing entirely!). If you’re a newbie, you better stick to freshwater fish first because they’re easier to handle, before you start with saltwater tanks. So you can start with old-time favorites like a betta, goldfish, or guppies. You get Cichlids like tilapia or Oscars. Neon tetras, catfish, and mollies are cool too. Whatever you get, you better know what kind of fish food brand to buy. You can’t just buy the cheapest fish food pellets when your fish specifically needs tropical fish food. 1. TetraMin Tropical Flakes Fish Food It comes in several sizes, so you can take your pick. As the name says, this is best for tropical freshwater fish. The TetraMin also contains the patented ProCare blend: Omega-3 fatty acid so that your fish gets healthy fat and they can grow bigger and have more energy, various ingredients that boost their immune system, and biotin to improve their metabolism.

TetraMin

Pros This German brand is a respected name in the industry.​If you buy online, the price is much better.​The food doesn’t cloud the water.It’s easily digested.It’s good for lots of tropical freshwater fish like goldfish. Cons There’s nothing really wrong with it, although a few contend that the quality of Tetra fish food was much better 20 years ago. 2. New Life Spectrum Naturox Thera-A Medium Sinking Pellet Fish Food You’re better off buying the 500 gram container, the 250 gram container is too expensive. There are also other pellet sizes aside from 2mm. New Life Spectrum (NLS) is also highly regarded in the industry, and their products contain garlic with lots of anti-parasitic ingredients.

Naturox Thera-A

Many fish owners admit to only using this product (along with frozen food) to feed their fish. Pros The price for the 500-gram container is a bargain.It’s loved by many types of fish, including lyretail and fancy guppies, bala sharks, African cichlids, featherfin and angelicus catfish, emerald and panda coris, weather and clown loaches, and several types of gourami. Even the ghost shrimp and the fiddler crabs can’t get enough of it.It comes with a clearly marked 2 year expiration date. Cons There are only two size options. 3. Hikari Fancy Guppy Livebearers Fish Food These come in different colors denoting different ingredients. Red means it contains protein and amino acids, yellow means vitamins and minerals, and green is vegetable fiber. It’s supposed to be semi-floating, for surface and mid-water feeders.

Hikari Fancy Guppy

This is designed for small-mouth tropical fish like tetras and barbs. Owners of cardinals, fancy guppies, and shrimp say their pets love them too. Pros Different nutrients are offered so that the fish gets a balanced diet.Quite a few fish love it. Cons It’s not quite as semi-floating as it ought to be. It may float on the surface for a while, but it won’t sink slowly for the mid-water feeders to enjoy. Instead, it gets to the bottom rather quickly. 4. Tetra PlecoWafers Complete Diet for Algae Eaters Fish Food This is a sinking wafer for tropical bottom feeders, and they contain vegetable nutrients as well as the ProCare blend. The pouch bag can stand up, and is resealable too. These are meant for herbivore fishes, such as goldfish, plecostomus, and corydoras catfish.

Tetra PlecoWafers

Pros The online price is much cheaper than in stores.Tetra is a famous brand name with a sterling reputation.Lots of herbivore fish really go for this stuff. Cons For a few fish, it may take a while before they deign to taste it if you’re introducing a new brand.One customer said that it clouded her fish tank water, although this seems like a very rare occurrence. 5. Zoo Med Spirulina 20 Fish Food This is fish flake food for everyday feeding, and it contains high levels of raw protein from spirulina. It’s meant for fresh and saltwater fish that needs regular protein. It also has lots of major vitamins and amino acids. This is designed for lots of fish types, both fresh and saltwater.

Zoo Med Spirulina

It’s great for African Cichlids, goldfish, Swordtails, Platies, Guppies, Mollies, Saltwater Angels and Tangs. For some reason the 2-ounce container costs almost the same as the 4-ounce! Pros The vast majority of owners who’ve tried it report that their fish loved it.The price is more than reasonable, especially when you consider that it lasts for quite a long while. Cons The flakes are large, and while that may be fine for some fish it may be too big for others. 6. Omega One Sinking Veggie Rounds Freshwater & Saltwater Fish Food  An 8.1-ounce container is rather odd, and it doesn’t make much sense when it’s in grams (230g) either. In any case, have a look at the price. As these are veggie fish food, these are for herbivores but they can be for salt and freshwater fish. They’re made with spirulina (which seems a popular ingredient) and fresh kelp.

Omega One

The manufacturer, Omega One, is actually one of just two companies in Alaska licensed to harvest fresh kelp along the southeast Alaskan shoreline. So they have stores of fresh kelp in stock, which explains why this food seem to have a deeper green color than another veggie (or kelp) products. This food is simply packed with nutrients, and Omega One has no reason to skimp on the ingredients. Pros Those who have reported that their fish loved it include owners of African cichlids, pleco, catfish, clown loaches, shrimp, and snails.They also report having healthy fish, too. Cons Just be careful where you buy them, because some sellers may offer bad samples. 7. Tetra Cichlid Flakes Cichlid Fish Food Once again we’re back to the reliable Tetra brand, and this time the food is for top and mid-water feeders. The 1.75-pound container (roughly 794 grams) is cheap, although you can first try the smallest 1.58-ounce (almost 45-gram) size to see if your fish takes the food.

Tetra Cichlid

This particular cichlids dish it’s enhanced with vitamin C and the ProCare blend. Its nutrients help boost the immune system of the fish so they’re more resistant to disease. Also, these flakes remain firm even when fish strike at them. They won’t disintegrate. Pros The price is more reasonable when you get the large 1.75-pound size. That’s because at that price it’s just a couple ¢ per gram, unlike the smallest size that costs much more.These flakes are large, and they’ll stay intact even when fish strike at them. Cons However, if you do get the large container, that’s going to take forever to finish off! 8. Tetra Cichlid Floating Cichlid Pellet Fish Food This is freeze-dried blood worms, which makes this the equivalent of prime 5-star rated restaurant steak while its competitors are fast food. This Bio-Pure is as close to being fresh food without actually being fresh food. So it really is a special treat.

Tetra Cichlid

Pros It is packed with nutrients.​It’s the cleanest freeze dried food you can buy, prepared with pharmaceutical-grade freeze-drying techniques.It doesn’t cloud the water.The container comes with a nice dispenser top. Cons It’s really expensive, so it’s not exactly realistic to serve this on a daily basis.Freeze-dried food is dry, so they take the time to sink. If you want your bottom feeders to get a taste after the top feeders have had their share, you need to use tongs to bring it to them. You’ll also need to soak them first for a while in the aquarium water so that they’re easier to swallow. 9. Tetra JumboKrill Freeze-Dried Shrimp Freshwater & Saltwater Fish Food Tetra has its own freeze-dried offering, but this time it is jumbo shrimp. They’re ideal for large tropical fish and even hermit crabs and snowflake eels love it. It has the nutrients your fish needs to be healthy and to look healthy.

Tetra JumboKrill

Their colors can really improve with this food, as its ingredients include protein, fat, vitamin E, and carotenoids. The food can stay fresh for a long time, as it comes in vacuum-sealed containers. So go ahead and get the biggest size at 14 ounces, which comes with a cheap price tag. Pros For freeze-dried food, the price is remarkably affordable on a per gram basis.It can really brighten the color of the fish. 10. Tetra PRO PlecoWafers Complete Diet for Algae Eaters Fish Food The price per gram is astronomical. But it really is packed with proteins, essential fatty acids, and lipids which can really energize your fish and keep them healthy. You can use this to feed your tropical fish twice daily, and you just have to serve a sufficient amount they can eat within 3 minutes.

Tetra PRO PlecoWafers

You’ll have to remove any uneaten food as quickly as possible so that the water remains clear and fresh. Pros It’s extremely healthy for both fresh and saltwater fish.It’s a favorite food among many fish. Cons It’s quite expensive.A surprising number of aquarium keepers say that their fish ignore it.

Types of Fish Food

So what kind of fish food can you get? Actually, there are quite a few options. That’s understandable, since there lots of fish species you can keep, and some fish may not thrive with just the same food every time. (It’s probably like eating the world’s most incredible pizza—after a week of eating just that, even you’d rebel). The first type is dry fish food, and there are several varieties: Flakes: fish flake food is probably the most common option of them all, as pretty much all the common types of aquarium fish will go for it.Crisps: these crisps tend to float for a long period of time. So it’s more likely that the fish will get them before they fall uneaten to the bottom. They also tend to create less waste. These crisps are ideal for small to medium-sized fish.​Granules: these also tend to sink very slowly to the ground, so it’s available to all the fish in the tank. They also come in bite-sized pieces to make them easier to consume.​Tablets: these sink very quickly, so they’re ideal for the bottom-feeders like loaches and catfish.​Wafers: these also sink quickly, but they’re a bit larger.Sticks: larger fish go for this type of food.Pellets: these float and you can get tiny ones for your bettas. There are also larger pellets for larger fish.Supplements and treats: these complement the main diet of the fish. Some types of fish food are designed as blocks, which are meant to be placed inside the aquarium to feed the fish for days on end. The blocks release just small amounts as they dissolve, so the fish can be fed for several days while the owner is on vacation. Some fish food types are frozen or freeze dried which may be necessary to preserve the protein and other nutrients. Then there are medicated fish food servings that deliver medication to the fish, without contaminating the water and environment like a bath treatment would do. And of course, you can also serve your fish earthworms from your garden or any live food.

Drawbacks to Buying Online

Many newbies don’t like buying fish food online because they have to wait for the delivery and sometimes shipping comes with a fee as well. And you can’t get live food online. It can also be confusing to be confronted with so many options and so many reviews. Some beginners just consult their local pet store and get food recommendations from the seller. That makes everything faster and less confusing

Advantages of Buying Online

But there are advantages to buying online too. One main advantage is that online you can just about find any type of fish food except for live food. You’re not limited to what your local seller has in stock. You can buy any type of food including freeze-dried fish food or flakes, and it can be any size available. And what’s more, you’re also not limited to a single person’s recommendations. When you’re online, reviews are pretty much easily available on seller sites like Amazon. You’ll know what other owners have gone through so you know what to expect. You’ll know how many owners report that their fish liked it, and you’ll also find out just how often it’s been ignored by the fish. In some cases, you can get discounts when you buy online when you buy in bulk. So that means you won’t have to pay as much.

Your best bet, if you’re looking online, is to read reviews so that you can get the comments of other customers who have the same fish as you do. It’s also a good idea to pick the food designed specifically for your fish. So if a fish food is branded as ideal for goldfish, then as a goldfish owner you can have it as one of your options. Read the full article

#10bestfishfood #bestfishfood #fishfood #Petfood #pet4food #top10bestfishfood #Top10bestpetfood #Topbestpetfood

[waterworldcraze]

Are Betta Fish Hardy? 6 Things You MUST Do

With their flashing colors and long slinky fins, bettas are one of the most eye-catching fish species you are going to see in a pet store. Besides their good looks, bettas are also known for being resilient and easy to keep, which makes them hard to resist.

But, are betta fish hardy? Yes, betta fish are hardier than many other types of fish. Bettas can survive in water with lower oxygen levels and they need less space than other species. While easier to keep, bettas aren’t low maintenance pets and have to be properly cared for to thrive. Otherwise, they can get sick and die.

Although this is a rather short answer, it will satisfy your curiosity for now. Continue reading to find out the most common betta fish diseases and how to keep your betta healthy and strong.

How Hardy Are Betta Fish?

Although they are one the hardiest aquarium fish, bettas can still get sick and die just like any other less resilient species.

You have probably seen bettas living in vases with nothing except a plant on top to feed them. While it is true that they can survive in these conditions, they won’t be happy or healthy living contained in a tiny bowl or a container.

Bettas need filtration, warm and clean water, spacious tanks, regular feeding, environment enrichment like plants and caves to remain healthy and strong. Even the hardiest betta will be susceptible to diseases and waste away without these basic things.

The most common diseases to affect betta fish are:

1. Fin Rot

Fin rot is a bacterial infection that eats away the fins, leaving a majestic betta looking crippled. In most cases, this condition is the result of poor water conditions that stress the betta and lower her immune system’s ability to fight off the disease.

If left untreated, fin rot will work its way into your betta’s body, and eventually, kill it.

Treatment consists of complete water change and medication for the initial bacterial infection. Furthermore, anti-fungal medications are also used to prevent any chances of a secondary infection.

2. Ich

Ich, also known as white spot disease is one of the most common and persistent parasite infections in freshwater fish.

The first sign of this disease is a few white spots on betta’s body, fins, and gills that look a lot like a grain of salt. However, these tiny spots are actually cysts that contain the immature stage of the parasite known as tomites.

An infected betta will rub against any surface in the tank or clamp the fins as it tries to get rid of the parasites. This condition is highly contagious and deadly if not spotted in time and treated.

Treatment includes rising the water temperature and using malachite green or other ich treatments that will encourage the cysts to detach and burst.

3. Velvet

Also known as rust, or gold dust disease, velvet is caused by parasites found in the tank’s water. An affected betta will look like its covered in gold dust or rust and will start rubbing against anything in the tank.

The treatment for velvet looks a lot like the treatment for ich and includes raising the temperature of the water, diming the light inside the tank, and treating the betta with malachite green.

You should know that velvet is highly curable when diagnosed on time, thus your betta will have a good chance of surviving.

4. Bloat

Bloat, also known as dropsy or edema is a common problem for many bettas. This condition is characterized by a swelled abdomen which causes the scales to stand out.

Overfeeding is the most common cause of bloating, however, bacteria, viruses, and parasites can also be to blame. A bloated betta might have breathing difficulties, decreased appetite and act lethargic.

Treating bloat is relatively easy and includes fasting your betta until the bloating subsides and then adjusting its diet accordingly.

Care Tips For Keeping Your Betta Hardy

As I stated earlier, bettas are hardier than most other aquarium species, but even the heartiest betta will get sick and fade away if not taken care of properly.

Contrary to popular belief bettas are not low maintenance pets, but taking care of them won’t be hard once you get used to the routine.

Here are some tips for keeping your betta healthy and strong:

1. Spacious Tank

Indeed, bettas don’t need a lot of space compared to other fish species, but keeping one in a container is out of the question! To keep your betta healthy, opt for a 5-gallon tank at least. But if possible, bigger is always better. We show you here how you should set up the tank!

2. Keep The Water Clean

While bettas can survive in poor water conditions, they won’t thrive and will eventually get sick. Thus, you should invest in a filter and do weekly partial water changes.

3. Get A Heater

Bettas don’t like cold and their preferred water temperature is between 76 and 82°F. So, unless your home is already heated to this exact temperature, you should consider investing in a tank heater.

4. Appropriate Diet

Bettas are carnivorous and will need a specific diet that reflects that. To stay hardy your betta will need to eat varied foods such as insects, insect larvae, specialized betta food pellets, and freeze-dried grub.

Make sure to feed your betta twice a day and only as much as it can eat in a couple of minutes.

5. Tank Accessories

To keep your betta hardy make sure to add plants and caves inside the tank. Live plants are always better and will create fun places for your betta to explore or hide in.

Caves and other decorations can also serve as hiding spots and will transform a dull-looking aquarium into a cozy and betta-friendly environment.

6. Cycle The Tank

Putting your new betta in an uncycled tank isn’t a good idea, and it will lower its immune system making it susceptible to bacterial, viral, and parasite infections.

Thus, before you bring a betta home, make sure that you have a cycled tank prepared and ready for the new inhabitant.

Where To Get A Hardy Betta Fish: Breeders or Pet Stores?

Bettas got their reputation for being hardy because they can survive in tiny cups. And if you have ever been in any pet store you have probably seen many bettas living this way.

However, surviving and thriving isn’t the same thing!

Bettas that are kept in these conditions can’t stay hardy for long and usually have a lowered immune system. Furthermore, there is a big chance that they are already sick but without any notable symptoms.

In most cases, these bettas can’t live long and will die sooner rather than later even if properly cared for in their forever home.

On the other hand, a reputable breeder is aware that bettas aren’t happy in small spaces and would never subject his fish to any harm. Furthermore, the breeder will know what type of food the betta needs, how to keep the tank clean, and will interact with his fish daily.

As a result, these bettas are hardier, healthier, happier, and will live longer. Of course, they might also get sick, but chances of that happening are significantly lower.

Hence, you might want to consider buying from a breeder and paying a bit more for a fit and lively betta than getting one from a pet store and watch as it gets sick a month later.

#Fish keeping #Aquariums #Pets #Aquarium Tips