HELOISE: Don’t stress out your pet fish

Dear Heloise: I am writing in reference to a previous hint about beautifying an aquarium with a mirror on the back of the tank or bowl looking in on the fish. While this is a fine suggestion for most types of “friendly fish,” it’s not a great idea for solitary or aggressive fish, such as bettas. Those who have a male betta know that flashing him his reflection, even for a moment, causes him to go into “high alert.” Perceiving the presence of an “enemy” for an extended period of time will keep him in constant stress and greatly reduce the life span of the fish.

Instead, I’ve found that an interesting glass vase, even a tall one with a nice, colorful plastic plant, provides a beautiful, low-maintenance display that makes your scaly friend a happy complement to your decor.

John Eric, Kings Mountain, N.C.

Thanks so much for pointing this out. One of my assistants has a betta, and she put plain ivy (no dirt on roots) in the bowl with the fish. It looks great! Rinse off the roots every time you clean the bowl.

Heloise

P.S.: Do try to give bettas space. A small vase or bowl may be adequate, but a larger “home” is probably better. And they do need fish food. The myth that they can survive with just plants in the water is wrong!

Dear Readers: Bonnie King of Colorado sent a picture of her boxer/terrier, Kyla O’King, who loves to chew. She is “saving her home from the deadly invasion of the toilet paper.” This is a picture of Kyla lying down on the carpet, with a roll of toilet paper strung out around her. She is looking at the camera with a sweet, innocent face. To see this pet photo, as well as others, visit www.Heloise.com. To learn more about Kyla, read on.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: We recently acquired a dog from the Humane Society. Her chewing is relentless! We are trying to save our good sofa — putting blankets on it and spraying with bitter apple was working. But with the cost of bitter apple, I decided to try white vinegar. It works! It requires a number of applications daily, but the cost makes it very doable. She is a chewer, and no amount of chew toys, rawhides or anything else available was as appealing to her as the sofa.

Bonnie King in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Dear Heloise: I hate those rings that they give to you with dog tags — they are so flimsy. I get a cheap key chain with a heavier ring and use that instead. I just take off the cheap ring and slip the tags onto the heavier ring, and the problem is solved!

Frances in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

This is an option, but please be aware that the dog tag may get caught or stuck on something, which can prove to be dangerous. A sturdy key ring may not break away.

Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate