In the betta code, being the most toughest, and aggressive is the key to living a successful life. I do not get it at all myself, but I can see how it can come in handy.
As being the runt of the group, I had trouble keeping up with the growths of my siblings. The human who took care of us fed us twice a day, with microworms. My dad in another aquarium was fed microworms, but he mostly ate these pellets, which I honestly do not get how he can choke them down, unlike these live food.
Anyway, when we became just one week old, the oldest of the group - Heldrich - started harassing us smaller bettas. Whenever we got too close for his comfort, he would suddenly start chasing one of us, and not be satisfied until he did a few pecks to our fins. Anyway, our caretaker probably noticed, because Heldrich started disappearing for a few days, then he came back - but more shaken up, and then became docile for awhile.
Well, I realized that if I didn't want to be harassed, and have broken fins for two weeks, then I'd better start toughening up. Unfortunately, the other bettas realized this, and so a breakout of aggression came. Many of us received ripped fins, and I'm sure that that's starting to drive our owner crazy, as every few days, some bettas would be removed, then put back. It just kept going on.
I was smart enough to be aggressive towards others when our owner wasn't watching, so I was never removed. Eventually, all of the other bettas had a chance to be removed but me. So I guess I was lucky, and smart. So then I was given the title as The Most Aggressive, and I've lived it up ever since. After all of those practice of being aggressive, I eventually became the biggest betta of the nest.
Up there, the picture, that's what I looked like when I was two weeks old. My original color is red, but when I was young, I was blue. I guess as I grew up, my color change dramatically morphed. I do not know how it happened, because none of my other siblings ever had that happen to them!
And believe me, I tried to ask them, but since I was The Most Aggressive, it was hard to make a good conversation last with them.
And I feel bad whenever I start harassing a fellow tank mate, but hey - I gotta stick with the betta code. I knew that there was another way to be respected by my siblings other than being the most aggressive, but I don't know WHAT. And I tried asking them.
Because I was determined to find a way to change the Betta Code of Honor.
