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Looking Great!
Will you be doing raised scales?Yes I will.
I’m very interested to see the process you use for scales. What kind of scales are you planning? Reptilian, fish, a mixture or something else entirely?
I would like to do scales like on a fish, but I need to study a bit and catch reference for dinner one night. 😉
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comLove the details with the fins, it really looks like it’s coming along great! 😀 I’m bad at posting updates too haha.
Check out my finished artwork at http://falcolf.deviantart.com/ and my sketch/studio blog at http://rosannapbrost.tumblr.com/
Excellent!
She got back to me and wants scales like goldfish or in particular a beta. I have been given a legit reason, as an artist to get a Beta fish. ^_^ Only a reference for a commission of course, and to entertain Harriat after that right? 😉
I am also using a variety of scale refs:
Anyone got a link to a good beta care site?
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comShe got back to me and wants scales like goldfish or in particular a beta. I have been given a legit reason, as an artist to get a Beta fish. ^_^ Only a reference for a commission of course, and to entertain Harriat after that right? 😉
I am also using a variety of scale refs:
Anyone got a link to a good beta care site?
Last spring there was a thread here about bettas:
-laughs- Guess you don’t have to eat your reference now! Betta scales…that should be really nice. Do you know if the coloration will also be betta? I wish I could steer you in a good direction for Betta care, but alas I have no info on them. You could try checking out a local library to see if they have any care books. Sometimes you can get lucky with that.
You can check out my work on dA & Redbubble!
https://prezaurian.deviantart.com/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/prezaurian?ref=artist_title_nameI used a book called Aquarium Care of Bettas. It’s easy to read and gives you the basic information you need to take care of your fish. It also debunks a lot of common myths. http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Bettas-Animal-Planet-Library/dp/0793837634 (link)
Hope this helps!
[i]Keeping an eye out for fantasy gryphons and test paint dragons.[/i]
I did a ton of research on beta’s yesterday to see how to *properly care for them. I got really nice, round two gallon tank for my single male beta. He is a really pretty veil tail with shimmery, iridescent scales, he looks silver under some lighting but when he turns in the light his scales shimmer across the spectrum mostly falling on pale pinks, vibrant violets and an easter green. Reminds me of the color shift curlies! I’ll have to get pics, and his scales are very well defined, a perfect reference. He is happy in is new home, and already swimming around enjoying him self. Sometimes he’ll just hang out in the silk plants I put in there, but he really likes swimming clockwise laps around the tank. He does it every time the cat walks by, “like hey, look at me” Weirdly, he seems to like Harriat, when she is near is swim little circles around and follows her. He doesn’t show any aggression of any sort. I **may try adding a small fan tail pleco to the tank later on to help keep the tank clean, but it depends on how this guy is and if he wants a pleco in there, but two fish would be the most in his tank. His is Gorgial. (gor-jhal)
*the petco guy was like, betas are puddle fish, just put him in a flower vase or goldfish bowl *snort, i don’t think so.
I have yet to find out if it will be that coloring, but it would be cool to do one in Gorgial’s colors and then a grey dappled appaloosa with some of the fin iridescence across the main and foot fluff. We’ll see what she want though. 🙂
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comComing in late and Gorgial sounds gorgeous! Maybe a dragonscale from the description? A two gallon tank can be good for him but I would not add any other fish- it really isn’t big enough, and Gorgial will probably be happier without. Besides, the filters on those little tanks usually isn’t adequate for more even if the room was (and at only two gallons it isn’t truly), and plecos are DIRTY fish.
He might appreciate a few hardy live plants- I’d suggest Java fern or anubias as tough types that can handle low light and will not outgrow you quickly. Always clean new live plants thoroughly, they often have snail eggs and you don’t want to be overwhelmed by them. Never use soaps around anything that will be in a fish tank, I run them under the tap rubbing them gently then put them in a bowl with a handful of salt, chlorinated water, and a couple ice cubes for about 15 minutes, then rinse them well again and put them in.
Bettas do best if kept at 80′ or as close as you can get- he’ll start to stress around 75′. They are a true tropical and can’t handle chill.
Coming in late and Gorgial sounds gorgeous! Maybe a dragonscale from the description? A two gallon tank can be good for him but I would not add any other fish- it really isn’t big enough, and Gorgial will probably be happier without. Besides, the filters on those little tanks usually isn’t adequate for more even if the room was (and at only two gallons it isn’t truly), and plecos are DIRTY fish.
He might appreciate a few hardy live plants- I’d suggest Java fern or anubias as tough types that can handle low light and will not outgrow you quickly. Always clean new live plants thoroughly, they often have snail eggs and you don’t want to be overwhelmed by them. Never use soaps around anything that will be in a fish tank, I run them under the tap rubbing them gently then put them in a bowl with a handful of salt, chlorinated water, and a couple ice cubes for about 15 minutes, then rinse them well again and put them in.
Bettas do best if kept at 80′ or as close as you can get- he’ll start to stress around 75′. They are a true tropical and can’t handle chill.
Really, i didn’t know plecoes were that dirty. I’ll I know is the cup said “veiltail betta” on it, but the rest of the veiltails were all just red or just blue. I do have some plant bulbs in there that should start growing soon. I followed lots of carefully directions and used special betta conditioner on the water with natural minerals in it. 🙂 I’ll try and post some pics soon! My tank has an auto heater in it for him to keep the water at 79* – 82 * I’ll probably pass on the pleco then, i was thinking being algea eaters it would help keep the tank cleaner.
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comA lot of people buy plecos on the notion they will keep their tank clean, but dont realize the pleco needs to be fed as well. The algae in the tank is not enough for a pleco to survive on. And also, most plecos can get VERY large, 6-12″ easily (some kinds can get way bigger) and easily outgrow a small tank fast. And as pipsxlch said, they are a messy fish… they produce big thick strands of poo… lol !
One tip on Bettas as you may have read is they do like some floating plants, or plants that reach the surface, as the betta does like to hang out and nap at the surface. They have an organ called the labyrinth organ (If I remember correctly) that they use to breath oxygen with from the surface. They do still use their gills, but they also need to be able to reach the surface, and are happiest when they can rest right near the top of the water.
You will know he is extra happy if he starts to build a bubble nest 😉 Is the tank covered to keep him from jumping out and to keep kitty from trying to have a snack? lol !
Bettas were one of my favorite fish when I was into my aquarium hobby, I even have a large betta tattoo on my calf (goes from above my ankle to below my knee). At my hobby’s peak I had 11 tanks on the go at once, and I even had a tropical marine tank. I used to breed diff types of fish, including a type of pleco, the Bristlenose Albino pleco. I got my first few from a professional guppy breeder (show quality fish) and I had them shipped to me on an airplane… and a few years later once they had matured I started breeding and eventually selling them. It was a BLAST, but also a lot of work… I had to do water changes every weekend ! I no longer have any tanks right now, guess I got burnt out on the hobby, but maybe again somday! I would love a large tank with fancy goldfish…. *sigh* . I always had bad luck with goldfish and was never good at keeping them, or maybe it was because they all came from walmart back then and they were all sick to begin with? I do know goldies are not an easy fish to keep though….
Anywho, sorry for going way off topic here ! LOL! If you need any tips on your betta, I would love to help ! (I used to be a head moderator of an aquarium fish forum many years ago, and loved helping people out)
A lot of people buy plecos on the notion they will keep their tank clean, but dont realize the pleco needs to be fed as well. The algae in the tank is not enough for a pleco to survive on. And also, most plecos can get VERY large, 6-12″ easily (some kinds can get way bigger) and easily outgrow a small tank fast. And as pipsxlch said, they are a messy fish… they produce big thick strands of poo… lol !
One tip on Bettas as you may have read is they do like some floating plants, or plants that reach the surface, as the betta does like to hang out and nap at the surface. They have an organ called the labyrinth organ (If I remember correctly) that they use to breath oxygen with from the surface. They do still use their gills, but they also need to be able to reach the surface, and are happiest when they can rest right near the top of the water.
You will know he is extra happy if he starts to build a bubble nest 😉 Is the tank covered to keep him from jumping out and to keep kitty from trying to have a snack? lol !
Bettas were one of my favorite fish when I was into my aquarium hobby, I even have a large betta tattoo on my calf (goes from above my ankle to below my knee). At my hobby’s peak I had 11 tanks on the go at once, and I even had a tropical marine tank. I used to breed diff types of fish, including a type of pleco, the Bristlenose Albino pleco. I got my first few from a professional guppy breeder (show quality fish) and I had them shipped to me on an airplane… and a few years later once they had matured I started breeding and eventually selling them. It was a BLAST, but also a lot of work… I had to do water changes every weekend ! I no longer have any tanks right now, guess I got burnt out on the hobby, but maybe again somday! I would love a large tank with fancy goldfish…. *sigh* . I always had bad luck with goldfish and was never good at keeping them, or maybe it was because they all came from walmart back then and they were all sick to begin with? I do know goldies are not an easy fish to keep though….
Any who, sorry for going way off topic here ! LOL! If you need any tips on your betta, I would love to help ! (I used to be a head moderator of an aquarium fish forum many years ago, and loved helping people out)
Albino bristlnoses are my absolute favorite plecos! And, ya, I knew they needed more than just tank algae. I have a silk plant in the tank that reaches the surface that he hides in. The bulbs should start growing soon, but most of the floating plants they sell have eurasian watermilfoil in them and out lakes currently are fighting an endemic invasion of them and I would rather not add to it because I know in a really healthy tank, that that stuff grows really fast and needs clipped often. (I had an older freind who used to breed guppies and cory cats, and quite successfully) I don’t wanna be sending a bunch of that stuff to landfills and risk it back in the lake. I didn’t realize plecos were that dirty. And I am not worried about my cat eating him, she won’t eat live fish, she’ll paw at the tank when it moves but she’d rather drink from a filter than go fishing. (she fell in a tank above my bed frame once as a kitten, pulled off the cover, tried to lean over to drink and fell in and completely soaked me.)
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comSorry, for the fuzzy pics, Mary’s laptop is back soon so, I think these will be the last cell phone pics for a while if hers is working correctly now. Got started on the scales and fins now.
the hard part is keeping them layered, they look much more “beta” if I layer them properly, like on the lower edge.
I assume that an active, swimming beta is a happy one? And my tank must be proper, cause my plants that were suppose to start growing after a couple weeks have already sprouted and are growing well. He likes to swim around the little skinny fronds coming up and sleeps up on the top of the silk plants leaves.
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.comThank you Maple Carver!
Another update, I was down for a week and away for half of it, but came back and got right to work.
I studied a lot of fish anatomy to figure out how the scales should be layered and where. I made my own scaling tools as the one I have was too big and the wrong shape. A few other tools in my sculpting arsenal as well. So many scales o.O but doing them this way will work much better and be much more consistent than the other way i was trying to do it on the tail. I just have to work in the opposite direction.
I am also updating my repair thread, here =>
Recently married to the ever lovable BiPolarBear (little John)
www.weaselsoneasels.com | www.facebook.com/weaselsoneaselsAs seen on This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN (2018) !
Always open for pyo commissions, repairs and fine artwork! Email me for current prices! awier(@)weaselsoneasels.com
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