# Neptune's Journal



## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Meet Neptune!


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## lucydog (Mar 22, 2016)

He's beautiful!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

He's in a 5-gallon tank. I learned the hard way that my tap water is full of ammonia, so he's in Deer Park spring water for now. I know spring water isn't necessarily the best for bettas, but I feel like it's the safest option for now. Here's a breakdown of the mineral content:










Anyway, I brought Neptune home on Tuesday. I've been testing for ammonia daily. This is my first attempt at cycling, so hopefully it goes well. I'm using SafeStart to try to jump-start the process.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I forgot to mention that I'm also using Prime!

He's got a Hydor Theo heater and a sponge filter. I'll take a picture of his tank tomorrow.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Here's a picture of his tank. He seems to be doing well. He's very active! <3










The betta cave is from an Etsy shop called WhiteCitrus. Isn't it cute?!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Still no ammonia (or nitrite or nitrate). I might do a 25% water change tomorrow. I added Neptune to the tank on Tuesday, so it hasn't been a week yet, but I want to do weekend water changes, so I might as well get started. I guess I'll add more SafeStart too.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I did a ~50% water change today. Still using 100% spring water. I think I'll get a gH/kH test kit. If the spring water is too soft, maybe I should add Replenish?


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## Ghost12 (Sep 17, 2015)

Very pretty boy! He's so unique


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Neptune is cute! I like his white mouth haha reminds of a milk moustache after drinking some warm hot chocolate and the froth gets stuck on you. 

That cave is super cute as well, does he use it much? looks cosy.

Nice Anubias plant as well, I started off with that plant and it's very easy to look after, you literally don't need to do much for it! I hope you plan on getting more plants to make your tank extra cosy!

I'm not sure what to do about your high ammonia tap water, I know Prime is good for locking down ammonia though for up to 36 hours I think, so it should help with your water changes if you ever go back to using your tap water.

Good luck with neptune!!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks! I chose him because his coloring is so unique. I like his white mouth too! 

I definitely want to add more plants, but I figure I better make sure I can keep this one alive first, lol.

He seems to like his cave, but he hardly ever stays still long enough to get much use out of it, lol. Guess that's a good thing! He's very active. Glad I decided to go with a 5 gallons instead of 2.5!

If I can get the tank cycled, I might try half spring water/half tap water, but I'm sticking to spring water for now. I don't want to take any chances!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I have been feeding him 3 pellets 2x per day, but he's looking a little fat, so I'm going to cut back to 2 pellets 2x per day. He's a piggy!










I'm alternating between Omega One and New Life Spectrum. I almost bought some frozen bloodworms, but they look so gross! I couldn't do it, lol. I might go back and get some though as I'm sure he would enjoy them. I gotta go back to PetSmart anyway because I want more plants! I want another anubias or two and some Amazon sword or something for the back of the tank.

I might need to get better lighting. All I have is the standard LED lighting that came with my tank. I might be OK if I stick with low-light plants. I've been keeping the blinds open in my office, so the plants should get some sunlight, although not direct.

I ordered some Flourish too. My mom says I'm out of control, lol. I'm having way too much fun with this whole betta thing!

I wonder if Neptune will change colors. I don't think he's a marble... He just looks multi-colored to me.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

So tired!

I ordered a light for my tank today. It was pretty cheap, so we'll see how well it works. It should be here tomorrow. Gotta love Amazon Prime!

I'm going plant shopping tomorrow! I've already seen what they have at PetSmart, so I'm gonna go to PetCo first to scope things out, then go to PetSmart after.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I've been testing for ammonia daily... Still nothing. I'm planning on doing a 50% water change on Sunday with half spring water/half tap water. I'll add a double dose of Prime to be safe.

Wasted the whole bottle of SafeStart because there isn't any ammonia for the nitrifying bacteria to feed on... Oops! It dawned on me right after I had added the last of it, lol. I'll just buy another bottle and add it after the water change since there's ammonia in my tap water. I'm learning! (I think, lol.)

I'm excited to go plant shopping tonight. My tank looks so bare! I kinda want some anacharis for the back of the tank, but I'm worried about it melting and making a huge mess, lol. I might give it a try though.



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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Here's the light I ordered. It *said* it was 6000-6500K on Amazon, but I'm not sure I believe that. All it says in the user manual is output power = 3W.










It's pretty bright though. I can see a difference in person, but can't capture it on camera. I'll try again when it gets dark.




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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Ta-da!










I just got a bunch of anubias because it doesn't require much light and it's supposed to be easy to care for. I might move things around this weekend, but I'm gonna leave it alone for now.










I got some anacharis too, but I found a snail in it and kinda freaked out, lol. I might add it back in... Not sure yet.


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Awesome job!! Anubias are super easy to take care of 

Sorry if you already know but make sure the rhimezone (thick stem part of the plant) stays above your gravel or else it'll rot if buried too deep!

You can quarantine your anacharis btw in a container of water of some sort just to keep it alive, the snails will die if they have no food source, you can also lure them out by placing a leaf of lettuce or a cucumber slice in the container as well!

Your tank is starting to look really good, keep it up! 

I started out with Anubias and the more I got comfortable the more plants I added, this is a before and after of my tank:


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I love your tanks!!! They're my inspiration, lol.

Hopefully I didn't acquire any snails. I put the anacharis back in the bag it came in for now. It's in time out until I figure out what to do with it, lol.

I tried my best to bury the roots of my anubias, but not the rhizomes. The middle one was hard because it's so small. I'll just keep an eye on them and pull them up a little if anything starts to look off.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Oh, and I lied about not messing with it anymore tonight. I swear I'm done now!











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

When I added the new light yesterday, I had to move everything around because I ran out of outlets. Apparently the outlet that I plugged the heater into isn't/wasn't working because the water temperature had dropped to around 69 degrees! Grrr!

I tried a different outlet and saw the orange light come on... The water temperature was around 72 degrees when I left for work, so all is well. It will get back up to around 80 degrees again by the time I get home from work.

Neptune is so easygoing. He doesn't seem to mind me constantly messing with everything, lol. He's always happy to see me because he knows I = food!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

I love messing around with my tank too and moving stuff around, keeps my bettas interested and have new places to explore 

Omg! if it was only for a bit, Neptune will be okay since it's warming back up again. Usually they need to be in cold water for a few days to start showing signs of lethargy and sickness. Or if there's a huge temperature change in a very short amount of time, it can even shock them!

And yes, they only see us as a food source haha! They don't care about anything else, they're such piggies :lol:


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Everything is going well.

I did a water change over the weekend and used half spring water/half tap water. I knew I needed SOME ammonia (to get the cycle going), but I didn't want TOO MUCH ammonia, obviously. I think I did OK. Ammonia was around 0.25 ppm after the water change (from the tap water). I added a double dose of Prime... A double dose makes me feel more comfortable, so as long as it's OK for Neptune, that's what I'm going to do.










That was Friday. I tested everything the next day...










Yay, nitrate! I'm not sure if my tank is cycled or not, but it sure seems like it might be. I tested everything again today and got the same results. No spikes. I'm just going to keep testing daily.

Neptune is doing well. He's sleeping in his anubias forest at the moment, lol.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

<3











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## ShelbysFish (Sep 5, 2013)

Sure looks like your ammonia is at 0! 
Fingers crossed no spikes, you might be cycled!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

I'd say your tank is cycled or is nearing completion, just keep up the water changes as soon as you see any nitrites / ammonia and you should be good!! 

Neptune is looking pretty content in their tank that's slowly getting planted


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

ShelbysFish said:


> Sure looks like your ammonia is at 0!
> Fingers crossed no spikes, you might be cycled!




No spikes yet! I'm going to keep testing daily and do another 50% water change on Sunday. That'll add more ammonia, so if it's been converted to nitrate by the next day, I'd say my tank is cycled. Fingers crossed! Don't want to jinx it, lol.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

BettaNard said:


> I'd say your tank is cycled or is nearing completion, just keep up the water changes as soon as you see any nitrites / ammonia and you should be good!!
> 
> Neptune is looking pretty content in their tank that's slowly getting planted




He seems very happy! I definitely want to add more plants. The anubias is great, but I want to add some smaller plants in front. I think they would hide the anubias rhizomes from view and make things look a little more natural. I'll be careful not to bury the rhizomes!

I'd still like to float something at the top of the tank, but I'm not sure what. The anacharis seemed like a good idea, but the snail situation threw me off, lol. Any suggestions?


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Got some cyperus helferi today.










Not sure if I'm gonna mess with it today or not. Might just wait until water change day.

I'm gonna put this in front of the big anubias for now and I might see if I can float the small anubias.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I saw a pretty orange VT while I was at PetSmart. I really wanted to rescue him! The rest of the bettas were in pretty bad shape. They get new ones in on Tuesdays, so the orange one might have been new, but I know some of them have been there for weeks (since I got Neptune). Some of them look like their fins are starting to melt. Makes me sad. 

I would love to have another one someday, but I only just got Neptune. I don't even know what I'm doing yet, lol. I hope someone knowledgeable buys the orange VT soon!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

The best floating plant I've had is Wisteria, you float it at the top and roots grow downwards, it looks very cool! Unfortunately all my Wisteria melted and I need to get some more later down the track.

You could look into Frogbit, Salvinia Minima, Hornwort, Dwarf Water Lettce, Banana Lilly plant sprouts big lillies that grow up to the surface which looks nice.

Going into pet stores is very hard for me, because I want to buy more Bettas lol. I think 2 is my maximum, if I have any more I'm going to be spending way too much money because I want all my tanks heavily planted. :lol:

You're right though, you should focus on looking after Neptune until you're comfortable enough to have two fishies if you do decide to get another one 
But yes, the best we can do is hope they find good homes


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Got some wisteria today per BettaNard's suggestion! Just a small bundle. I also got a hygrophila corymbosa stricta. I don't know anything about them, but it looked cool, so I figured I'd give it a try!

I put the wisteria in the tank already, but I'm gonna switch everything else up on water change day (if I can wait that long).


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Pic...











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I had two cavities filled today - one on either side of my mouth. I wanna eat, but I still can't feel anything. 


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

It's Friday! YAY! I like my job, but it's been a busy week... I'm looking forward to relaxing over the weekend. It's supposed to snow tomorrow though. -_- I'm not looking forward to that. Spring, where are you?!

I haven't done much with Neptune's tank over the past few days. Ammonia, etc. levels are the same. No spikes. I guess my tank is cycled! I'll be doing a 50% water change over the weekend and adding the plants I've picked up this week.

Neptune hardly ever flares. He only does it when it's dark out and his tank light is on... I guess he can see his reflection. It's still a little dark when I leave for work. He flared for me this morning. I got a picture, but it's pretty blurry. These turned out OK though...




















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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Loving Neptune's colouration! Castor is like that as well, he never lets me get a proper shot of him flaring!

Make sure you upload a picture of the tank once you add the plants in, I wanna see! 

And congrats on getting your tank cycled. :welldone:


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Just finished doing a 50% water change and rearranging everything! Ammonia in the tank was at 0 ppm. Ammonia in the tap water was at 0.5 ppm. That left me with ammonia at 0.25 ppm. I know my tank can cycle through that within 24 hours (based on what happened last time). I added 20 drops of Prime (double dose) and 10 drops of Flourish. Whew!!!










^Tap water + tank water = both.










^Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.

Here's the tank... Assorted anubias, hygrophila corymbosa stricta, cyperus helferi, and water wisteria (floating). Oh, and a marimo moss ball. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! I could maybe use one more small anubias.











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Oh, yeah... Bentley's toy box exploded this morning, lol.










And this came today...











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Looking amazing Ashley! Good idea hiding the rhimezones behind the grass, looks much nicer  I can only imagine the amount of fun Neptune is having exploring through all the new plants!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Went to check on Neptune before bed and found him fast asleep, resting on some water wisteria. 


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I tested the water yesterday and everything was the same - 0.25 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, and little to no nitrate. Maybe I'm not cycled? It hadn't quite been 24 hours yet. I'll test again today... I'll just keep testing + adding Prime daily and doing 50% water changes weekly. If it hasn't cycled yet, it will eventually.

Here's a before and after picture of Neptune. It's only been a couple of weeks, but he's definitely grown!










In other news, my mom has started calling me Betta, lol. She says I'm like a betta fish because all I want to do is be alone in my "tank" (apartment). I have Bentley (my dog) to keep me company though... Maybe Neptune needs a snail-dog to keep him company too!  


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

False alarm. We've cycled through the 0.25 ppm ammonia and we're down to 0 ppm now and a little bit of nitrate, but not much. 


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## Captain Balu (Aug 4, 2015)

Loving Neptune and your tank (not digging the blue gravel though  )
Don't be afraid of a little bit of Nitrate, your plants need to feed to. ;-)

I can understand that "being a Betta"-thing. That could be me, too. I don't leave my apartment often too. If you feel comfortable, why leave? :lol:


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## AstrosMom (Apr 7, 2016)

I love the colors on Neptune!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> Went to check on Neptune before bed and found him fast asleep, resting on some water wisteria.


Yup they love sleeping in plants.
I know I can be a pain in the backside when I say bettas need floating plants, But now you see why.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Captain Balu said:


> Loving Neptune and your tank (not digging the blue gravel though  )
> 
> Don't be afraid of a little bit of Nitrate, your plants need to feed to. ;-)
> 
> ...




I might switch out the gravel eventually... Haven't decided yet. Don't really know what's best to use that's easy to clean, won't make the water cloudy, etc. Very new to plants!

Also don't want to upset my cycle, although most of my bacteria should be housed in my sponge filter.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

AstrosMom said:


> I love the colors on Neptune!




Thanks!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

NickAu said:


> Yup they love sleeping in plants.
> I know I can be a pain in the backside when I say bettas need floating plants, But now you see why.




Hopefully my water wisteria makes it and doesn't melt away. I definitely see some little white roots starting to shoot out of some of the stems!


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## Captain Balu (Aug 4, 2015)

ashleynicol3 said:


> I might switch out the gravel eventually... Haven't decided yet. Don't really know what's best to use that's easy to clean, won't make the water cloudy, etc. Very new to plants!
> 
> Also don't want to upset my cycle, although most of my bacteria should be housed in my sponge filter.
> 
> If you have any suggestions, please let me know!


Changing gravel in a running tank will be a pain I can imagine. If you like it then let it be. Plus, it accompliments Neptune's colors. :-D
In my opinion the grain size you have is easier to clean than finer grain size gravel. I have black 0,4-0,8 mm grain size (tiny gravel) and 1-3 mm grain size in my tanks and if I use my gravel cleaner there's always sucked in gravel in the bucket. Bigger grain size won't get sucked in so easily, so I think you're good in that regard.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I've been thinking of switching from gravel to sand anyway. I didn't really know anything about planted tanks before this forum. Now I've realized how much I like the look of them! My plants would probably do better in sand anyway.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

If I decide to make the switch, I think I'll remove the gravel slowly - one to two scoops per day (with my net)... Until it's more or less a bare bottom tank. The plants can float in the meantime. Then I can add the sand during a water change, when the water level is lower. That should make things easier.


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Make sure to give the sand you buy a thorough wash so it doesn't cloud your tank too much when you add it.

Also there is a certain way to add sand to a tank, I think the best way is when your tank is fully filled with water already and then you scoop some sand into a cup of some sort and gently lower it (in an upright position). So while your hand is lowering down to the bottom of your tank, keep the cup upright and then once you reach the bottom, pour it out slowly. This will minimize the amount of cloudiness new sand makes(I also find sand pouring out of a cup underwater extremely relaxing, I'm weird I know, but it looks so nice haha)

Even by doing this method expect to see a slight bit of cloudiness but it will settle in a day or so.
That's my method anyway, I'm sure there are other ways people do it!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks for the advice!!!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Pulled up all the plants (gently, of course). As soon as they were all floating, Neptune immediately started building a bubble nest! He's shy though, haha. If he catches me watching him, he stops.

So, I'll be switching from gravel to sand AND buying more plants. Probably more anubias because it's so easy. I'll root some and let the rest float!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Watch this.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Perfect! Thanks!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Scooped out pretty much all of the gravel yesterday. Couldn't stop once I started, ha. Gotta get a turkey baster. Hopefully I'll be able to suck up the last little bits of gravel.

I got the CaribSea Tahitian moon sand. I haven't had time to rinse it yet. Maybe tonight. Gotta get a funnel too. Gonna try the water bottle method.

Also, need more plants! Gonna float some in the back and plant some in the front.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Done!










I rinsed the sand about a million times. I love the way it looks! Much more zen, lol.

I'm letting the plants float for now. I kinda like the way it looks, although I could use more anubias. Never enough anubias! 

I didn't bother putting the cave back in because he never uses it anyway. I'm digging the natural look!











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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Nice.


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

That looks much much nicer!! Neptune's colours are popping out more  awesome job!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks, guys!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Btw not sure, if you can tell but Neptune has come a long way from being under your care, 

I just realised if you look at the first photo you posted of Neptune and then the most recent, you can see his scales looking more smoother and healthy and his colours have definitely deepened. Something you should be proud of!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks for noticing, BettaNard! I have been trying to give him the best life possible! I see improvement in his fins especially.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Neptune is doing well. I'm worried about my dog, Bentley, though. I think he has developed allergies.

He started licking his paws about a month ago. We had just moved, so I figured he was just anxious/stressed. He started licking one paw excessively until it became raw and started to bleed. I took him to the vet and they bandaged his paw and gave me some (anti-anxiety + antihistamine) medication. He started licking his paw again as soon as the bandage came off. We went back to the vet and they bandaged his paw again and told me to continue with the medication.

It had been a few weeks, so I took the bandage off because he desperately needed a haircut. He started licking his paw again as soon as the bandage was off. I bandaged him back up myself after his haircut, but the bandage was too tight and his paw started to swell. I felt terrible! I quickly removed the bandage and tried again, loosely this time... TOO loose! The bandage fell down and he started licking again.

I bandaged his paw AGAIN this morning. Third time's the charm? I hope! He's also been rolling around since his haircut like he's itchy all over. He's been going to the same groomer since he was a puppy, so that can't be it... Unless being hairless has somehow made things worse?

Ugh! I can't figure out if it's allergies or if he's just weird. He doesn't seem to bother his paw as long as it's bandaged. I love him so much and I hate to see him suffer. I just don't know what to do!

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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Took Bentley to the vet today. They gave him an allergy shot. He seems to be doing better. The vet recommended that I leave the bandage off to see if we can break him of the licking so he doesn't have to wear the bandage forever. He licked a little bit when we first got home, but I told him no and he stopped. So far, so good!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

The water temperature keeps getting up to 81-82 degrees now that it's getting hot out. I definitely don't want it getting any hotter than that and I'd prefer for it to be around 79-80. I turned the heater down a couple of notches. I'll check the temperature again in the morning.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I've been toying with the idea of getting another betta at some point. Not necessarily anytime soon... Just thinking. It would be neat to have one of each - a male and a female. I'm wondering if a 2.5-gallon tank would be OK for a female (vs. a 5-gallon tank) since females are typically smaller with shorter fins.

I already have an extra heater. It's a 50W, which would probably be overkill for a 2.5-gallon tank, though. I also already have leftover sand and plenty of food, Prime, etc. I would need to get another sponge filter, but they're pretty inexpensive. I could get a 2-way control valve and use the same air pump. I have plenty of airline tubing.

Then all I would need is more anubias. My favorite, haha!

Hmmm... Sounds doable! I don't know why I've taken such an interest in female bettas all of a sudden, but hey, ladies need love too! 

I've also never really been a fan of male CTs, but I *do* kinda like female CTs.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

In my experience females are more active than long-finned males since they don't have anything weighing them down. It of course depends on the individual bettas but if I had to choose I'd put a female in a 5 and a male in a 2.5 (between those two tank sizes)


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

SplashyBetta, that makes sense! Thanks for the advice. 


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> It of course depends on the individual bettas but if I had to choose I'd put a female in a 5 and a male in a 2.5 (between those two tank sizes)


I have a female in a 5 gal cube and a male in a 2 foot 18 gal tank, Initially I put the male in the cube ( Before I got the female ) and he freaked out stopped eating stopped swimming around just hung in a corner and started fin biting, So I put him back in his 2 foot tank 5 minutes latter he was back to normal flaring at everything swimming around, next morning when I fed him he was eating like a pig again. The female is quite happy in the cube now.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

My male will stay in his 5-gallon. I was just trying to decide between buying a new 2.5 or a new 5. Either is fine, so I'll probably just go for the 5. The more space, the better.

Any differences between caring for a female vs. a male? Anything I should be aware of before I take the plunge? 


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

No not really in fact females are easier to look after as they have short fins and can handle some current from the filter.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Here my girl, Shes eggy.







Cheeky Little Girl


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

She looks like she's doing well and enjoying her lush new home! I want one, I want one!!!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

NickAu said:


> I have a female in a 5 gal cube and a male in a 2 foot 18 gal tank, Initially I put the male in the cube ( Before I got the female ) and he freaked out stopped eating stopped swimming around just hung in a corner and started fin biting, So I put him back in his 2 foot tank 5 minutes latter he was back to normal flaring at everything swimming around, next morning when I fed him he was eating like a pig again. The female is quite happy in the cube now.


Yeah, every betta is unique of course. I think the most important aspect of tank size is focusing on the individual fish. What works for one betta won't always work for another.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I ordered the 5-gallon today. I had to get another Mini Bow because my OCD won't allow me to have two different types of tanks, haha. It was on sale + I had coupons, so it all worked out. I'll probably get the tank up and running and just wait until I come across the perfect little lady betta.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Time for an update on Neptune! He's doing well. His fins are getting longgg - especially his dorsal! I used a mirror to get him to flare today. I can't for the life of me get a good picture of him flaring because he darts around so quickly, but once he stops, he kind of poses for me with his fins splayed open. Here he is...










I know he's a DT, but I'm not sure if he's a HM or a SD. His bottom caudal seems like it might hit the 180 degree mark, but I'm not so sure about the top. Maybe one day I'll get a picture of him fully flared!

He is currently trying to build a bubble nest, although the bubbles keep popping. Then he flares at the area where the bubbles should be, like... HOW DARE YOU POP, YOU STUPID BUBBLES! I'll have to make sure there are some anubias leaves back in that corner since that's where he keeps trying to build his nest.

Anyway, I tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate today since it's been about a week since the last water change. Ammonia and nitrite are both 0 and nitrate is around 10-20 ppm, so all is well. I've been removing waste pretty much daily with a turkey baster. I'll do a 25-50% water change this weekend.










I'm still adding Prime daily, which is probably overkill, but it can't hurt.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Oh yeah, here's a picture where you can see how long his dorsal is.











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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

OMG his colours are really starting to shimmer and pop!! I love it.
Haha Castor always tries building bubble nests at the surface underneath my water Sprite but it keeps popping also, he must be annoyed 

10-20 is a good level for nitrate. Your plants will appreciate it as a food source! So don't be too alarmed 

I'm jealous you have a betta with a nice long dorsal. I'm not sure if you can classify a betta as a dt AND a hm or sdet :s I thought they were just a separate class but then again I am a newbie! You might be able to ask in the pictures thread maybe


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Didn't know that about DT and HM/SD. I don't know if I've got the abbreviations right either! Maybe I'll post his picture and ask the more experienced members to take a look!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Working on a crochet betta. No pattern, just making it up as I go!











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## AstrosMom (Apr 7, 2016)

ashleynicol3 said:


> Working on a crochet betta.


I NEED one of those in my life. *drools*


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

AstrosMom said:


> I NEED one of those in my life. *drools*




Once I work out the pattern, I might take some requests!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Got sidetracked on my crochet betta. A family member requested 2 elephants, a unicorn, and 2 penguins, so I've been busy working on those. Quite the request, haha!

Did a water change yesterday. I just threw all the anubias back in when I was done. I need some plant weights or something. I kinda like the way it looks all thrown in there, but then I see pictures of BettaNard's tanks and I look at mine and cry. LOL!

My new tank comes today and I ordered a mini replacement sponge for the filter. I'm planning to start with half spring water + half tap water + TSS to get it cycled as quickly as possible. Hopefully it goes as well as it did the first time around! I'll be doing a fish-in cycle provided I can find the perfect little lady betta.

I've been drooling over trilobite's girls. Apparently I'm a sucker for bright yellow!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Hahaha, don't be silly, your tank looks lovely. Yours is also getting better and better as well, remember how your tank first looked? I still remember how mine did, it was so empty! LOL. It'll take some time, I'm sure your tanks will look more and more awesome.

Good luck on your search for a female! Trilobite's bettas are all so pretty, He couldn't provide overnight shipping for me so I didn't wanna take the risk. 

And good luck with your new tank! Everything should go smoothly, since your first is already doing well.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I got my girl! She's an orange CT with a hint of blue (maybe black - can't really tell, but I'm hoping for blue!) I got her from PetSmart. I've decided to name her Luna.










I'll take some better pictures later.

She's swimming around her tank, exploring... Trying to eat everything! I was going to fast her, but I caved and gave her a couple of pellets. She's smaller than Neptune, so I'll probably give her 2 pellets 2x a day vs. his 3 pellets 2x a day.

I'm nervous about doing a fish-in cycle. I don't know why seeing as I've done it before - less than a month ago! I'm still nervous though. She's in 1/2 spring water + 1/2 tap water and ammonia is at 0.25 ppm. No nitrite. Nitrate is around 5.0 ppm, which is weird, but whatever. Won't hurt her and will be good for her plants! She's only got a marimo moss ball and 2 floating anubias for now. I'll add more anubias over the next few weeks. Her tank is a mirror image of Neptune's. My OCD approves!

I'll do a water change if/when ammonia approaches 0.50 ppm. I added a double dose of Prime + 1/2 a bottle of TSS.

I have this leftover piece of sponge and I'm thinking about putting it in Neptune's tank for a while, then transferring it over to hers to try to get the cycle going. I'm afraid of disrupting his cycle, but I think I'm just being paranoid.











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Oh yeah, I want to get some rocks so I can tie down some of the anubias and attempt to do some aquascaping. I found some I like on eBay, but #1 they're $30+ and I don't want to spend that much on rocks (haha) and #2 I don't think I need 20+ lbs of rocks for 2 relatively small aquariums.

They're nice rocks though. 




















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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Omg... She's so cute! She keeps chasing the bubbles from the filter, then charging at them and popping them! And now she's swimming around and around the lift tube, watching the bubbles go up. She's very inquisitive!!!

She's also "playing with" her reflection. I die!

She definitely needs more plants. Where can I get a big ol' batch of anubias so I don't have to buy it one tube at a time?

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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> Where can I get a big ol' batch of anubias so I don't have to buy it one tube at a time?


Heaps on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=anubias&_sacat=0


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Omg your girl looks so cool! I reckon CT females look awesome. I've heard they sometimes have more attitude than males 

So excited for your and Luna!! Upload loads of pics of her! And don't forget about Neptune haha.

As for the rocks, jeez they're expensive... My rocks were only like 10 AUD for 5 pieces

Good luck with the new tank also! As long as you're monitoring daily, I'm sure the cycling and Luna will be fine


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

aww shes sweet


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thanks, guys!  I'll be sure to post lots of pictures of her. I've got her light off for now until I can get some more plants. She seems to be doing fine though. Same with Neptune. He's so easygoing! He blew some itty bitty bubble nests yesterday. I messed them up because I had to steal a tiny bit of sand from his tank for Luna's tank. I managed to get a picture first though. It's so small you can barely see it, but I'm proud of him nonetheless, haha.










ETA: You can really hardly see it! It's under that leaf at the top. 

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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I put that leftover piece of sponge in Neptune's tank. I wedged it down by the filter. I'll leave it there for a while (a couple days? a week?), then move it over to Luna's tank. Curious to see how that works out. 

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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Forget seeding... They're telling me to leave the sponge in Neptune's tank for a fee weeks before moving it over to Luna's tank. Neptune's tank cycled in ~10 days, so I'll just wait it out. I've added TSS, so it shouldn't take long.

I added 2 more anubias today, so she has 4 total. Neptune has 7 or 8, so he might have to share with his new little sis.










I have an anubias rhizome in a Tupperware container too. The leaves started to look gross, so I cut them all off. The new growth looks OK, so Luna can have that one eventually.

I love my little bettas. 

I tried explaining the nitrogen cycle to my mom tonight and she said - all I hear is WOMP WOMP WOMP like Charlie Brown's teacher. 


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## 206Betta (Jan 28, 2016)

ashleynicol3 said:


> Thanks, guys!  I'll be sure to post lots of pictures of her. I've got her light off for now until I can get some more plants. She seems to be doing fine though. Same with Neptune. He's so easygoing! He blew some itty bitty bubble nests yesterday. I messed them up because I had to steal a tiny bit of sand from his tank for Luna's tank. I managed to get a picture first though. It's so small you can barely see it, but I'm proud of him nonetheless, haha.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's a start, I'm sure she'll be making bubble nests like a champ sooner or later. 
Looks like you're tank is coming along.

The anubias sounds like it's in bad shape. Hopefully, it comes around and recovers.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Today's readings. Might already be close to cycled!










Members are telling me that both of my bettas appear to be multicolored grizzles. I guess I have a type!

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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

WC day! I believe Luna may be cycled already, so this will be the test. Still at 0 ppm ammonia before the WC, should be at 0.25 ppm now. Will test later since I just added Prime. If she's back at 0 ppm tomorrow, I guess I'll assume she's cycled.

I counted and I have 12 anubias, so they each have 6 to make things even.

Neptune is such a sweet little guy. I kinda wanna see how he would do with a snail... I figure the snail could eat the dead plant matter. Not sure I have enough though. And definitely don't want it to reproduce!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Here's a picture of my pup. He looks kinda silly with his floppy mohawk, haha.











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Ta da!











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Everyone is doing well. Neptune's fins are still growing! I managed to get some pictures of him even though he wasn't really in the mood. It's past his bedtime, haha.



















Here are some updated pictures of Luna. Now that she knows where her food comes from, she's always begging! I've been feeding her 2 pellets 2x a day. She looks a little fat, but I think she's fine. Opinions?



















I got all the poop up today, then tested both tanks for ammonia and nitrate. Neptune had a little bit of ammonia (maybeee 0.25 ppm) and pretty much no nitrate. I started to worry that something was off with his cycle, but the ammonia was probably from the poop, which I removed. I just changed their water on Saturday, so it hasn't really been long enough for nitrate to build up. I'll keep an eye on things, but I'm sure everything's fine.

I had a little bit of TSS left, so I just split it between the two tanks rather than let it go to waste.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Neptune must have decided that he prefers the Omega One pellets to the NLS. I usually give him NLS in the morning and Omega One in the evening. The past two mornings, he's gobbled down the first two NLS pellets, then snubbed the third - but if I remove the NLS pellet and drop an Omega One pellet in instead, he'll gobble that one up. Luna, on the other hand, will eat anything - including poop, although she quickly spits it back out once she figures out it's not food.


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

One time, Castor pooped and saw it floating down, chased it and then ate it... And I waited for him to spit it back out, but he never did.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

LOL! Bet he never made that mistake again.  She tries to steal poop from me when I'm turkey baster-ing it out!


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## Alyssalovesbettas (Jul 19, 2014)

Subbing!

Yeah she's fine. I always keep my girls a little heavy, especially in my sororities :lol:

Chunky girls are happy girls XD


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Haven't posted a journal update in a few days. Nothing interesting to post!

I tried to get some good pictures of Thing 1 and Thing 2 over the weekend, but they were too wiggly. 

Here's Neptune eyeing me up, hoping for more pellets.










Luna is too fast for my iPhone camera, so this is the best I could do. It's a good picture of her tail if nothing else!










Did water changes Saturday. Around 50% for Neptune and 25% for Luna. Her poops are so small - it doesn't take much to vacuum them up. Neptune always poops right after I finish cleaning everything. Little brat! Haha.

He has this red "gunk" on the airline tubing coming from his filter. I'm not sure if I should try to clean it off or just leave it alone. There's not much yet. It's not IN the tube, just on the outside.











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I think Neptune has trimmed his dorsal fin a tiny bit.




























That bottom edge looks a little ragged. There even seems to be a tiny pinhole maybe? There's nothing in his tank that he could have gotten snagged on, so I'm guessing he's biting. He's got plenty of plant cover though.










I'm not too worried about it. His fins keep growing and growing and I'm sure they're pretty heavy for him to carry around. His dorsal often falls over because it's so heavy, especially when he's sleeping at the bottom.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Omg, I just took the worst nap! I must have been in a DEEP sleep because when I woke up, the clock said 6:59 and I jumped up out of bed thinking I was late for work! Even though it's 6:59 PM and not AM, lol. I got up and fed the dog right away like I do every morning before I started to realize my mistake. 

And I had a terrible dream that for some reason I put another male betta and a couple of those fat goldfish in Neptune's tank and thought they could all live peacefully until they literally tore each other to shreds. It was like something out of a horror movie!

What a weird nap! 


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Finished my big crochet order! Yay! Now to start making stuff to fill up my Etsy shop.











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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Wowwwww those crochet animals are too cute, I love the penguins aaaahhhh haha. They look really good like professionally done! 

And yeah, a very ugly truth is that some bettas will fin bite even though you give them a lovely home. But yes I think fin weight could be a huge factor, I know Callisto's fins we're getting pretty long and then he decided to trim them down... Wasn't too pleased seeing him like that but if it helped him feel lighter I guess I didn't mind so much!

Castor's fins are still growing too, he is so majestic O_O I'm hoping he never fin bites!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Thank you! I am working on getting my Etsy shop up and running. I'm trying to get a few items in there before I start sharing the link, but I'll post it here when I'm ready so you guys can check it out. 

And yeah, I'm not sure if he bit his fin or not... Doesn't look too bad, but definitely a little ragged. I'll have to keep an eye on him! Castor's fins are super long too! I don't know how they manage to swim around with those things. There's such a difference between Luna and Neptune. She darts around all over the place and he just lazily floats around, haha. He takes a lot of naps too. She doesn't ever sit still! Although I did catch her sleeping the other night. Thought she was dead for a sec! 


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Ugh, Tapatalk is weird now and I can't figure out why or how to fix it.


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

I think it may be because the site updated? Like the sub forums are all over the place for me on Tapatalk


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Castor is the same as Neptune, he just sleeps under his water Sprite shelter and stays there literally all day 

Ah female bettas seem fun, definitely want to get one later down the track!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I think I finally figured out Tapatalk, yay! And female bettas ARE fun! I can't say I have a favorite between the two, but they are very different. It might be more of a difference between long and short fins though.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I creeped on my bettas tonight. Neptune is laying on his side on an anubias leaf near the surface. Luna is on her belly in the sand. So cute!

I'm going out of town this weekend. My BF will be taking care of my pup while I'm gone. I'll have him check on the fish too, but I think I'll just fast them while I'm gone. I don't want him to overfeed them by mistake! I'll do a water change tomorrow. We're leaving Sunday and I'll be back Tuesday, so they should be fine!


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Im gonna try sneak up on my boys when they're sleeping haha, I'd be interested to see how they sleep or what they get up to lol!

How were your bettas when you got back? Hope they were okay and didn't miss you too much 

Geez when I go on a holiday I'm not sure what I'm gonna do, I'd be worried about my little fishes LOL


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I was worried about them, but they're fine! Just got back yesterday. My BF's work schedule can be kinda hectic, so I tried to make it as easy as possible for him, haha.

Neptune has a tiny little pinhole tear in his dorsal fin. I'm guessing it's from flaring? Although I never really see him flare... I just did a WC Saturday before I left and he's still at 0 ammonia/0 nitrite/5 nitrate, so no concerns there. He does have a bit of brown algae growing on the walls of his tank. I'm gonna get one of those scrubber things from PetSmart before his next WC.

I've been thinking about getting him a snail, but I'm not sure which kind to get. I want one that's not gonna try to escape and that's not gonna make a bunch of babies, lol.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

WC day! All clean!

Thing 1:










Thing 2:










As I said before, Neptune had some brown algae growing on the walls of his tank. I wiped everything down today. I'm not sure what's causing the algae. It just cropped up a week or so ago. I'm using the standard lighting that came with the tank and I leave it on for ~8 hours a day. I'm guessing maybe his tank is getting too much light because I leave the blinds open also. The window is across the room, but that's the only thing I can think of that could be causing the algae. I might just leave his tank light off and let him get the natural light only and see how that goes.

I've also been thinking about getting a mystery snail because they're kinda cute and interesting to watch. I'm just not sure that I know everything I need to know to care for one properly. I also don't know how Neptune would react to one, although he seems pretty docile IMO. I'm also worried about the snail carrying some disease or something and making him sick. PetSmart has some cute blue ones though. Ivory ones too. I thought mystery snails ate algae and dead plant matter but I was advised that that is not always the case. Not a major concern for me anyway, but I thought that would be an added bonus for me and added food for him.










https://vimeo.com/168578680

That's my dog whining in the background of the video, haha.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Oh yeah! I set up my Etsy shop and I got my first custom order for a lookalike betta. From a forum member! Voila!!!



















I love how it turned out! My shop link is http://etsy.com/shop/ashleygurumi if anyone wants to check it out. The custom multicolor betta costs a bit more than the regular ones because it takes me twice as long to get all the little details right. I do enjoy doing it though!!! 


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## BettaNard (Jan 27, 2016)

Your crochet bettas are so cute wow! You definitely nailed it 

As for the brown algae it happened to my tank too but went away after a while, I reduced lighting hours but not sure if that's what made it go away. Mystery snails can get pretty huge! That's all I know haha, I think I've seen @NickAu 's mystery snail and that thing is giant. I do want one too though


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

@BettaNard Thank you! I'm not dead set on a mystery snail, I'm just interested in some kind of snail and thought mystery snails sounded cool. I'll have to keep researching. I like ramshorn snails, but I don't want babies!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Yes my babies are quite big now.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Go look at @Autumncrossing's journal if you want to see a video of her betta Sasuke flaring at the crochet lookalike I made. It's so funny! 

I love it!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I'm working from home today, so I get to watch my bettas as I work! I'm on my lunch break now. Thought I would upload a before and after of Luna Lovegood aka Princess Peach! She's grown quite a bit and her fins look great!










Neptune's starting to get brown algae on the walls of his tank again. It HAS to be due to the blinds being open and the sun shining in because I've left his tank light off since his last water change. Luna's tank is actually closer to the window, but sort of blocked by the wall, so she doesn't get as much light as he does. I'm either going to have to close the blinds (boo!) or deal with the algae (double boo!).

In other news, I finally bit the bullet and got a snail. Well, I ordered one, but it's not here yet. I ordered a pink ramshorn.  I couldn't resist. They're so cute! So if I end up with a gazillion of them... Well, at least they're cute.

Ideally, I want ONE pink ramshorn for one tank and ONE blue ramshorn for the other tank. There's so much conflicting information out there regarding whether or not ONE ramshorn snail can reproduce asexually. I know they're hermaphrodites, but some people say that they can't reproduce asexually and other people say they can. Then the people who say they CAN'T say that the reason people think they can is because they get ONE ramshorn and it's already pregnant, so they end up with a gazillion when they started with one and assume it reproduced asexually. Whew! I guess I'll find out.

I ordered a small Kritter Keeper and I'm going to keep my snail there for a bit to see if it lays eggs. If it does, I'm gonna squish them (yuck!). Then I'm gonna see if it lays more eggs. It's kind of an experiment.

I thought about getting a nerite or a mystery snail or a rabbit snail, but those don't appeal to me like the ramshorn does. I was THIS CLOSE to getting a mystery snail because those do appeal to me, but they get so big!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

It's been a while! Well, maybe not, but it feels like it has...

I did water changes yesterday. A day late, but they're both fine. No worries.

My snail was supposed to arrive today, but now he won't be here until tomorrow. I hope he's OK. I guess it's good that he's late because I need to go to PetSmart and see if I can rig up a tiny sponge filter for his Kritter Keeper. Might as well keep him as happy as possible while he's in quarantine. I've already got an air stone and plenty of airline tubing.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Here's my snail's little setup!










I went to both Petco and PetSmart. I got this filter sponge from Petco. It's EXACTLY what I was looking for! I've got an air stone down in the middle.










I'm using Luna's air pump to run the air stone. It's a Tetra Whisper 10, so it should be able to handle her 5G tank + this little ~1G tank. Here's how I've got it rigged. I used a Y-connecter. It wouldn't work at first... The air stone in the snail tank was getting all the air and Luna was barely getting any, so I added the control valve (I think that's what it's called?). Then I was able to even things out. Woohoo!










I added an anubias nana to the snail tank. I also grabbed these...










The snail tank is so cute, I might end up keeping the snail in there permanently instead of putting him in Neptune's tank like I had originally planned. If he's in a smaller tank like that, I'll easily be able to spot eggs/baby snails and squish them (yuck!).

The snail tank is a little small. It's probably a little under 1G... But it's only going to house one ramshorn snail. I can always get a larger Kritter Keeper at some point.

I wonder if you can cycle a 1G? I'm gonna give it a try! This whole thing is pretty much an experiment, lol.




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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Jellybean the snail has arrived! He's even cuter than I thought he would be!











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I might need to get a small heater for Jellybean's little Kritter Keeper. I've got it sitting in the window so it's in the 70s throughout the day, but it did dip down into the 60s last night. I don't want to cook him though since his tank is so small. Maybe a 5W heater would be OK.

He pooped quite a lot yesterday! I'll be testing for ammonia daily to see how long it takes before it gets to 0.25 ppm. Part of my little experiment.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Update on Jellybean... I tested his water yesterday when I got home from work and ammonia was at 0.5 ppm! Yikes! He pooped A LOT his first day home. He hasn't pooped near as much since then. I've been using airline tubing to vacuum up the poop and I've been adding a few drops of Prime daily. He seems to be doing fine. Very active.

I *could* get him a medium Kritter Keeper, which would probably hold around twice as much water, but I want to see if it's possible to cycle a ~1G tank. I would never keep a betta in something this small, but Jellybean is tiny and he doesn't need lots of space to swim like a betta does.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Last night, added 1/2 spring water + 1/2 tap water + TSS... 0.25 ppm ammonia & 0 ppm nitrate.

Tonight, tested again... Still 0.25 ppm ammonia, 15 ppm nitrate.

50% water change w/ spring water... 0.25 ppm ammonia & 5 ppm nitrate.

No nitrite ever.






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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I have the worst headache. 

Pretty sure no one reads this anymore, but it's nice to keep a log of what I'm doing with my fish...

I gave up on the tiny tank. I really wanted to put Jellybean in with Neptune, so I did it. Today was WC change day, so I figured it was as good a time as any. Neptune pecked at his shell once, then left him alone. Fingers crossed!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I think Neptune *might* have attacked Jellybean. Not entirely sure. He was fine when I got home from work and I didn't actually see anything, so maybe nothing happened, but I just checked on them a minute ago and Jellybean was laying in the sand. His antennas looked a little shorter when he finally peeked out. I put him on an anubias leaf and he's moving about now. Hope he's OK!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Today = water change day. I had been doing water changes on Sundays, then started doing them on Mondays instead. Today = Wednesday though. Oops! I had been testing my water parameters though and spot cleaning, so no harm done.

Jellybean's antennas have started to grow back. He cruises around all over the tank. He moves pretty fast for a snail. Neptune doesn't bother him anymore.

Now I want another ramshorn for Luna's tank, lol. Maybe a blue one.

I also want a guppy tank someday. A 10 or a 20 gallon. Guppies are pretty neat and they're kinda colorful like bettas, but you can keep more than one per tank, which is nice. I like Glofish too. I know they're controversial, but I like bright colors. One of each color would make for a pretty tank! This is all just daydreaming anyway. Two tanks is enough for now.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

We have ramshorn babies! They're teeny tiny and you can hardly even tell they're baby snails. They just look like tiny white specks on the tank wall. I've squished some, lol. I'll probably continue to squish them as I see them, but obviously I'm going to miss some. It's ok though. I like them.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

I still find this interesting, even though I have never posted. I'm bad like that. I'm always listening!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Checking back in. It's been a while. Did water changes yesterday. Squished some baby snails. I need to put one over in Luna's tank, but they're still tiny. I hope I don't squish them all before they're big enough to move one over there, lol.

Fishies are doing well. I added IAL to each tank last week after I did water changes. Neptune made a little bubble nest under his.  It won't float anymore though, so I think he needs a new one. It was floating kinda, but then he swam up on top of it. Definitely need to add a new one for him since he seems to like it so much!

Gave up on feeding them NLS. Not sure if I mentioned that or not. Only feeding them Omega One now. They flat out refused NLS after a while. Spoiled little fishies!


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Pictures!

Luna


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Neptune




























Jellybean










You can see a baby snail towards the bottom of Jellybean's picture. I've squished a bunch, but I think I'll let a few live.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Neptune has a tear in his anal fin. It's split in two. Pretty neat, straight split. No signs of biting as far as I can tell. My guess would be that he split it while flaring at Jellybean for hanging out near his IAL bubble nest. His bubble nest is quite big now.

His dorsal fin seems to be curling, which sucks. I'm not sure if it's due to hard water or if it's because it's so long and heavy.

Either way, he's healthy and I love him. ❤


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Picture of Luna and the one little ramshorn I moved over into her tank. He has grown since I moved him over!











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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

I think I broke my siphon somehow. Sucked up too much sand maybe, lol. I had trouble vacuuming today and I ended up having to use my mouth to get things going. Ugh!

I thought maybe I had accidentally sucked up the tiny snail in Luna's tank because I didn't see him for a while, but I just found him. I'm gonna call him Gumdrop, I think. I decided I'm gonna squish 'em all except for Jellybean and Gumdrop!

Neptune's anal and dorsal fins are still looking a little raggedy, but I don't think he's biting. There's nothing in the tank except for anubias and a sponge filter, so there's nothing he could be snagging them on. I'm not gonna worry too much about it since he seems fine otherwise. I added a fresh IAL for him today.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

It's been a while since I posted. Neptune's fins are still a little ragged. I think he's biting. I can see some little U-shaped chunks missing. I'm changing his water weekly and adding IAL. Nothing else I can really do about biting.

Pretty sure Luna ate Gumdrop and Gumdrop II. All I find is the little empty shell at the bottom of the tank. Haven't tried putting a Gumdrop III in yet.

I also think Jellybean maybe be dead as of today. He's smushed way back in his shell and he's not coming out. He kinda smells fishy too. Not terribly fishy, so I don't know for sure that he's dead, but it sure does seem like it. I've pulled him out of the tank until I know for sure so he doesn't foul up the water.


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## branandcy (Aug 12, 2016)

Hi, Ashley  I just read this whole journal. Neptune's fins have grown so much since you purchased him! Holy crap. When fins are THAT big, I don't think they can be kept perfect. It's evident that you take great care of your babies, so I wouldn't worry either. And your girl is so cute. She's colored up a lot since you originally got her. Also, those crochet animals you make are amazing!


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