Amore is my first betta, but he's, in reality, my third. There were two others before him that died. I got him on November 15 2001. This was after my other betta-who didn't have a name-passed on from dropsy(I think). I saw him and thought; "He's big and red and look at those pectoral fins!" (The ones up by there face that are usually clear) they were red! I thought he was just beautiful, hence the reason I got him. So-when I got him home-I dumped him in a big 2¼-gallon octagonal tank and he was thrilled! I had him for a while before he earned his name "Amore" it really did just kind-a come to me though. I almost named him "Starry Eyes" cause of the sparkly blue dots in his eyes, but I decided on "Amore", it fit him so well.

When I had had him for a little while I decided to add a snail to his tank, I named the snail "Napoli" (Napoli has since passed on) and put it in his tank. He was a little disturbed by the way it would detach it's self from the wall and almost land on him, but they got used to each other. One Friday night, I looked at him and he was on his side, I thought for sure this was the end of "Amore." But I was wrong the oxygen supply in his tank was turned down and he propped himself rite back up and went on with his day-to-day. Amazing. I still think, to this day, that he was drugged up, too much oxygen for a betta. He's weird that way.  In about January or December I added a black moor to my collection and Pasta Fazool, a golden mystery snail (he is still with us).  Amore and Plopty (Plopty, who is no longer with us) got along well at first, eventually I had to take Amore out of the big tank and put him in a betta holder, cause he was bighting Plopty's fins. I added Volare to my collection on December 20^th 2001.  Amore had company next to him now, either was too thrilled about this. Around the last few days of 2001 I got my ten-gallon aquarium. Plopty was happy-at least-about this. Amore and Plopty were the first to enjoy the bigness of it. Then the next day I added Volare, taking Amore out. Amore kind-a sulked that I'd been so mean as to put him in something smaller. Then around January I added Roma and Loday to my tank and Roma wouldn't allow bettas to co-exist with him, he'd pick at their fins. So both Amore and Volare went out.

Once I was preparing him for spawning and I overfed him. He was back to normal about the over feeding very quickly, thank goodness.

I got Volare on December 20^th 2001. I just thought he was the cutest thing and he is now my only blue male. He is soooo cute! His name means "To Fly" in Italian. I just thought he was so unusual of a betta. His little pectoral fins were colored, too.  He wasn't a very large betta and didnt have a whole lot of fancy fin work, but something about Volare just caught my eye. I almost named him "Amor" a take off from my other betta's name Amore but I realized that Volare was more fitting. And all the sudden Volare arose! He's almost the exact opposite of Amore in personality. He's not real aggressive and never wants to cause anybody any harm, just wants to co-exist peacefully. Of cores he would love to get his fins on my other bettas but, as far as the goldfish go I only took him out cause the goldfish were beating up on him. He's really nothing spectacular when he flares, but he's my Volare!

One time during a water change I was ladle-ling him out to put him in his new water I drained the ladle down to low and little Volare flopped out onto the counter. It was kind-a scary I didnt really know what to do, I just knew I had to pick him up and get this fish out of water back in some water. Then some how he kind-a flopped into my hand and I put him back in his bowl. Woo wee! That was close! He didnt seem to be fazed by it, though. Hahaha He definitely is tough! The day I got my ten-gallon aquarium my little 2-¼ tank cracked and I had to get Plopty the black moor, Volare the Betta, Napoli the black mystery snail, and Pasta Fazool the golden mystery snail, out of this little aquarium. Well Plopty and the snails came fine, but Volare was terrified of the ladle. I thought that he might try and swim away but never do what he did. This was urgent I had to get him out some way and I had to use my ladle. The filter I had in there was a kind-a triangular in shape and it was mashed all the way down to the gravel.  As I tenderly pursued him in the tank he decided to go under the filter, or more like under the gravel!  It scared me half to death and I pulled the filter up and he popped out just fine and then proceeded into the ladle.  This was rather disturbing for me and I bet it was for him, too.

But as you can see my little Volare and me have gone through a few little fishy trials together and made them through alive. But sadly our last trial we didn't make through alive. Volare died on July 3rd 2002. But for the good times: Volare, Oh! Oh! Oh!

Ah Ha, D'Amour!

I got D'Amour on April 4^th 2002. I think I was attracted to him because of his fin work. It was kind-a "Ripped" as I call it. He has such a metallic purple body and just gorgeous red fins.  His pectoral fins are colored red, also. 

During a water change I was pooring out the water into another canning jar, from D'Amour's half gallon jar that he no longer resides in. He was still in it and I gave it a jolt to get him to swim out. We were rite beside the sink and "Plop" he sure enough swam out but not into the jar, into the sink! I truely freaked out. I didn't know what to do so I just covered the hole in the sink with my hand and said "Help!" in a high tone until my dad came over and saved the day, plopping D'Amour back into his water, and he is still alive today!

He has gotten fin rot wich didn't make his tail look all that good, it used to be so much prettier but now it is kind-a fraziled. He is still a cute little fella though.

Well D'Amour has passed into the wild blue yonder, sadly enough. He passed on February 22nd (I think) 2003. He will be sorely missed, like all. I never do like to "End" any of my fishs' biographies but tis' a fact of life yeah know. But I'll still miss the lil' man!

I got Surriso on the 22^nd or 23^rd of April. Her name means "Smile" in Italian. She is the cutest thing!  I bought her on a Monday with another little female I named "Solo Tu" this means "Only You" in Italian.  But sadly Solo died. Anyway. She has very striking color. Blue/purple. With purple being my favorite color and blue being my second favorite color, this little gal really caught my eye. It was dark in the room I saw her in but once I got her home I saw her true "blue" color! BEAUTIFUL!

During a water change I was washing her jar out and testing her water to match it with the temp in her bowl, well, well, she thought she'd take a little fly! Woof, there she went probably about 1 foot through the air and about 3-4 feet to the floor. How nice! One moment I looked in her bowl and she was there and another she wasn't! I turned around and there was my little Surriso flopping around on the floor. So I bent down and again, really didn't know what to do, but some how she kind-a flopped into my hand and I put her in her new water. Then looked at her and she's still fine just being Surriso. She has such a personality. And the cutest little face! She truly is a little gem! My little Surriso makes me surriso! Hehehehehehe

Well last year, 2003 Surriso died, in April. I can't believe I didn't end this but hey, at least I did now.

I got Crocetti on May 10, 2002. He is such a little joy to have around. Always flonting his fins. He has a very hot temper and thinks he's just all that and a bag of chips. He just can't stand Devi, who really can't stand him either. He always flares and makes a big deal about anything. But one thing he minimizes is water changes. I think he just figures he can get it done faster if he lets me catch him.

He has the most gorgiouse fins, so flowing and colorful. Very cute little face and adorable little pectorals even though they are clear. He hasn't really tried anything funny with me, he's very balanced I supose. He's a CT and boy did I get a steal! $2.87, at Wal*mart for a CTM. This guy truly is "The Man" only taking second to Amore.  He isn't the best looking CT you've ever seen, doesn't have the really developed fin rays on his tail as most CTs do, but he's my CT and I love him! So go Crocetti! 

Ok, so I've since discovered that he isn't a true CT he may have some CT blood in him, but he isn't pure. Currently he has a lump on his side, I don't know how much longer he will make it...but he's still looking rather healthy.

 Well my preciouse Crocetti is gone now. He was the last original. He died a peaceful and what looked like a painless death on March 6th 2004. I am so sad he is gone but all good things must come to an end.

Marina is my second female. Bought her on June 14^th 2002. She is just beautiful, also. When I saw her in the tank at the pet shop I thought she was a real gem for a female. The pet shop had quite a few nice females. I thought I was getting a kind-a banana/red female when I picked her out. She wasn't this color when I got her settled she was so stressed she was turning different colors.L the poor little thing. She was actually this greenish red metallic color. Real pretty when she settled down.

On Sunday June 16^th 2002 I put her in with my other female, Surriso that was in with the goldfish, this was my intent when I bought her. Now this is a ten-gallon aquarium I'm putting her in, I thought this would work just fine; Female bettas are usually community fish, but not Surriso! She was a real brat. Even bit a little of Marina's fin off, well I made sure and took poor little Marina out of that mess, she was again turning a different color and had fear stripes, I thought that she would most likely settle in and become more comfortable with the goldfish and Surriso once she found out they weren't gonna hurt her, but Surriso sure proved me wrong there, she had every intent on making sure that other female stayed out of HER territory, even flared at her, though Marina was the first to flare. Now Marina is back in her jar and has turned back to her proper color, the poor thing!

I got Charger on Friday, October 22cnd, 2004 at my local Wal*Mart. They had a very unusual betta order in that day & I was looking through them & I saw this little guy & knew I joost-a had to have him!! He is one of the prettiest bettas I've ever seen. He's not your usual blue red wash, he's almost what I would consider Mustard Gas!! He is a Veil tale but sometimes you just can't let a gorgeouse betta die just because it's not a CT, HM or DT. I've never owned a betta quite like him before he is one all his own. He is a very energetic little fellow too. He loves it when you stick your face up to his tank & look at him, he starts dancing & bighting at the glass trying to get to you, he's very personable!! LOL He also has the cutest little face, his face is a little reminecent of Amore- very pronounced lips & eyes. His ventrals are even odd, they are very fat, & just a totally different color than any other betta I've ever bought. & the name Charger sure does fit him. His name is after the new 2005 NASCAR Chargers all the Dodge teams will be driving. He's a Charger!!
Dodge has since passed on. He died sometime in 2005 or 2006. It's amazing I didn't post his death...but I didn't so he is in the big blue pond in the sky, now. I miss him, but he was old!