# Journal? Sure, why not?



## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

Hello, hello! 
I am finding myself bored this summer, so I suppose I might as well write a bit about my little betta. He is a cellophane double tail. I've only had him for about a week, and I am in love!! I currently have him in a filtered 2.5 gallon, no heater currently because it is always boiling in my room in the summer; I will get one towards fall when temperatures cool. In the past, I only ever kept bettas in gallon tanks, and I kept them healthy with frequent water changes, but they were probably not as happy as they could have been and probably did not live as long as they could have. 
Eventually, I would like to get a 5 gallon and make it a planted tank, but I want to wait until I move into my new apartment in the fall(all that fish equipment can be difficult to transport the long distance out to my college campus). But for now, the little guy seems extremely happy in the 2.5 gallon; he never stops moving and exploring! Hopefully I can get a good picture to post
I am still new to proper betta keeping and find this forum so insightful, and I hope I can continue to make my betta as happy as possible!


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

*Some Pictures!*

He doesn't have a name yet, I'm open to suggestions!


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

*Adventures in water changes, cycling, and moss balls*

Today I got a gravel vacuum, mini algae scrubber, Tetra Safe start, and a moss ball! I am going to try to cycle my tank and it seems like the Tetra Safe start works well and quickly based off of product reviews. I am new to the whole "cycling" business, and I hope it works out. I added just the tiniest bit to the water after I did a 50% water change. I have never used a siphon, so it was great fun figuring out how to get the suction to work, but after a few tries I got it; it is so much easier than bringing the entire tank to the sink 

I still need to get the API water test kit because obviously I won't know if the tank is cycled until I can see the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels. I plan on getting that within the next few days. 

The algae scrubber works beautifully! I have only had the tank set up for a few days and I didn't think the walls were that dirty, but the thank is so much clearer now! 

The moss ball hasn't taken in enough water yet to rest at the bottom, so it's just kind of hovering in the middle of the tank. Fishy doesn't seem to care about it all too much though

I guess that's about it for now... hope everyone is having a wonderful day!


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## svton25 (Jun 17, 2015)

Pretty fish ! The coloring always reminds me of cantaloupe so all I got is Melon or just Mel. :lol: Good luck with cycling. I'm currently on day 5 myself.


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

Aww, melon; I like it!


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

My niece and nephew came by yesterday and I showed them the new fish. My nephew says he's salmon colored, and he's right, so I think I'm going to call the fish Sal! (even though that's not the correct pronunciation of salmon, haha)

Here are some nice close ups of his face and tail fin


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

Today we went to a beautiful Japanese garden that is in my town, and they have gorgeous koi! Seeing them made me want a koi betta so badly. Maybe one day...
Here are a few of my favorites:


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

*I lost my fish!!*

I just got back from hanging out with some friends and I went to check on Sal. I couldn't see him anywhere, and normally when he sleeps, he just sits near the top of the tank. I opened the hood to check to see if he had jumped in the filter somehow, but no luck. I finally decided that he must have jumped out of the tank (there is a rectangular opening in the back of the hood for a heater). I thought he jumped out of the tank, but I didn't see him on the table or on the ground anywhere. Then I saw my dog laying on my bed; I thought that he must have seen the fish out of the tank and eaten him...that was the only explanation I had!

Well, after all that fussing, I looked back in the tank to see his little head poking out of a driftwood ornament! He hadn't shown any interest in the holes before and I didn't think he could even fit in them! I love the little guy, but man, he has no right to scare me like that!! ;-)


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

*Cycling in Progress*

I got the API master water test kit yesterday and checked my water. 
Ammonia was at .25 ppm
Nitrite was at 0 ppm
Nitrate was at 0 ppm

So everything's good for now, I'll have to do another test tomorrow to see if the ammonia goes down at all. 

It is fascinating to me that I can create this little ecosystem and watch it flourish (hopefully!). I study animal science, but we mainly focus on large animals so it is fun to look at organisms interacting on a smaller level. I know that the biggest indicator that something is wrong is my fish's behavior, and so far, he is happy as a clam:-D

I hope everyone (in the U.S.) had a wonderful 4th of July!!


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## ellebelle995 (Jan 3, 2014)

*Tank Surfing and pH Balance*

Sal is doing a lot of tank surfing, and I guess I shouldn't be worried about it, but is it a sign of stress? Will he calm down after he gets more used to the tank or are some bettas just prone to gliding along the sides of the tank? I'm happy he's so energetic and I prefer this behavior to clamped fins and being motionless, but man, he never stops moving! 

On a different note, I did another water test today and everything is still the same:
Ammonia: .25 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm

I also tested pH this time and it's a bit high, around 8.2
I'm wondering if I should get some pH down, or if Sal will just adjust to the more basic water. Any suggestions from people who have dealt with pH issues are appreciated! 

I read that bettas like more acidic water, but can handle 6.5-8. I don't want to shock him with trying to bring it down suddenly.


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