# A College Student and Her Beloved Bettas



## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Hello everyone!

Being new to betta fish, I figured I ought to track my growth as a betta mama in a place where feedback and criticism is readily available. I have two betta males, one HMDT named Salem and a 7-ish week old betta fry who I suspect is some sort of round or veil tail. 

Salem is my oldest betta from September 2018. He has a crooked spine which I believe to be moderate scoliosis. He is a very aggressive fish and is so obsessed with his reflection that his tail has been torn to pieces. I attempted to upgrade him to a 5.5 and even a 10 gallon tank in hopes of the increased space would calm him down but the biting only got worse. He is back in a 2.5 gallon where he happily sits in his lantern hut and carefully guards his bubble nests from the likes of the filter.

My baby betta is unnamed. His ventral fins are uneven but his goofy look only makes me adore him more. Being a college student, I was unsure if the little guy would survive the long ride home for winter break but he is indeed thriving. He is currently in a heated 10 gallon grow out tank where he will stay for the duration of my break before I split the 5.5 gallon between him and Salem once next semester starts and he won't be able to swim through the divider in place. (Also, the divider I had DIY-ed was not fry proof and he charged Salem... it was a fun night to say the least. Regardless, I invested in one of LifewithPets dividers.)


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I completed three water changes today. Despite not having a picture, I am temporarily caring for my parent's fish. I got a bit sidetracked since it was time to switch out the carbon filters for my own tanks. Along the way, I picked up a Fluval ammonia remover bag for Salem's filter. His tail biting only increased with travel and I want to minimize the chances of infection for him. I have also added a muted yellow background to his tank. 

The baby is in his ten gallon for which I was finally able to set up a proper filter for him. Unlike Salem, he has started to accept food from my fingers when offered a small worm. His body is showing signs of teal scales that leads me to believe that he is not the red VT I thought he might end up being. The ends of his fins are white with new growth on the caudal and anal fins that leads me to believe he may be some sort of com tail.


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## Shifa (Nov 15, 2018)

With filters it's actually not necessary to change out the media, just swish it around in old tank water once a month to remove solids but otherwise they're fine to keep until they physically start falling apart. Your beneficial bacteria lives on your filter (and other surfaces in the tank, but the filter is the primary spot). If you're just replacing the carbon that's fine ^^ though the carbon is actually not all that necessary either, it mainly just keeps the water itself more visibly clear and after about a week loses most effectiveness at that and just becomes more surface area for the BB. 

When you REALLY need to replace the pad, put a new one in alongside the old one for 3-4 weeks (imo) to allow the old one to help colonize the new filter pad. 

Just for future reference  keep a close eye on your parameters for a little bit to make sure the cycle stays solid 👍


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If you can have the 10 it would be better to divide that one....unless Salem objects to the size. And leave the 2.5 up and running should he not do well with such a close neighbor. I have divided tanks so I am saying this from experience. BTW, you do not have to divide the 10 exactly in half. You could divide it so one end is 2.5 or thereabouts and the middle is 7.5. Then if you find another you like you can add a third divider. 

RTST The Enabler


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

That's good to know! I replaced them since I had to break out an old filter for the fry tank and I didn't want to use a filter that had been collecting other bacteria by sitting in a box for a month. The filter for my older fish is a three part filter so he kept the sponge and biobag that was already in there. 

I would love to bring the 10 gallon back to school with me but I'm afraid my own divided room doesn't have the desk space or stand space to properly hook up the tank. If I ever were to divide the 10 I would probably do 7 gallons and 3 gallons since Salem didn't take to the 5.5 gallon by himself very well. I do plan on bringing with me a second tank in case anything happens.

(Thanks for flipping the pictures)


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## Sorority_Mad (Dec 12, 2018)

Lovely looking fish, especially the Baby Betta. Looking forwards to seeing that one develop, and Salem too


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I am as well!

Salem is currently fasting. Not much to say about it, his stomach is a bit too round for my liking. However, I am a bit worried about it stressing him too much, he is a tail biter ad I'm worried this might cause him to rip his tail more. 

The baby is doing well. It's been two weeks now since I've got him. I'd guess he's around 8 weeks but my ruler has suddenly disappeared. I can see new growth on the edges of his fins which is good. He definitely eats like his fins are growing. I have noticed a black line around his fins. I believe it is from is fins growing out but I'm concerned it might be fin rot? His fins are not fraying yet and he gets a 50% water change every 2-3 days.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Black edging is normal in most Betta and does not usually indicate fin rot. In actuality, fin rot rarely happens. In the time I have been on this forum, 5+ years, I have seen fewer than 10 cases.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

WELL,

I'm having a small crisis. In the two months I have had Fawkes, I have considered him to be a male after watching his color and tail type development. His behavior along with this have suggested that his most definitely a male. However, as I was turning off his light, I noticed a flash of white on his belly. An egg spot had appeared!!

I did some research and I know males can develop fake egg spots in the presence of a more dominant male. Due note that Fawkes and Salem share a tank but have a drilled divider. However, I am suddenly unsure if my little phoenix is male or female. I made a new post so I guess I'll have to wait but I'm worried about this being a potential issue as Fawkes continues to mature.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

The water in my building contains around 1.0 ppm Ammonia. I've been adding drops of Prime regularly to combat this. So far, my readings are coming back good with no concerning results but I am limited to the strip testers. I should be fine but I'm just worried about Salem's tail getting infected from his latest string of tail biting. It has begun to heal nicely but I'd rather not give any living creature in my care ammonia burns. 

Otherwise, I might try to move to a planted tank for my boys once my check comes in. I have some leftover Flourish Tablets from the last time I tried to have a planted tank but they wilted right away. I just need some extra help with the removal of nitrates and what not since my building's water isn't the cleanest for fish. I was thinking some sort of anubis or swords along with a few more marino balls.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I ended up buying some stress coat + the other day to help Salem's fins heal as they don't seem to be getting better. Fawkes is doing fine so I'm not concerned about fin rot in the tank. I did some more research into planted aquariums but my main concern is moving over the summer and back again after the break. 

However, desire weighted out in the end. I have an order for amazon frogbit and some water wisteria coming in. I also ordered some Flourish to aid in their care since they will both be floating (to a degree) in the water. Unfortunately, the shipment might be a bit later than I would hope. Regardless, I have a spare bucket I can use to quarantine the plants for a week to check for any stowaways. I just hope that a few days will be enough since I can't leave a bucket full of tank water just sitting in my dorm for my suitemates to enjoy while I'm gone.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

The amazon frogbit finally came in. Surprisingly, the plants look quite healthy with only a few lost roots. Since they were shipped in a baggy with a wet paper, I'm not too worried about pest snails and other stowaways. They are sitting in a heated bucket overnight before I add them. Just to make sure there are no immediate problems. Ideally, I'd let them sit for a week but my roommate isn't too keen on the idea. (I'm also worried I'm going to bump the bucket and spill it everywhere.) The reviews for the company I purchased them from didn't have any reports of pest snails and other complications after adding the frogbit to the tanks. I also received the Flourish and added a bit to the quarantine bucket as well as water conditioner. They will likely go in by Wednesday night since I can't leave them sitting around in the open. It's a shared room and the chances of damaging the plants accidentally are relatively high.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

I got my baby around the same time as yours, its so fun to watch them grow and how much they change over time! Mine was more red with a little blue and now it seems the red is becoming less and less pronounced (which I'm a little sad about...haha) I think mine is also a veiltail, so it will be fun to see how they both grow and what they turn into!

Mine also has a small white "egg spot" looking thing, but I'm pretty confident he's a boy. (usually females have shorter ventrails and shorter fins, so I think yours is a boy too!)

Good luck with the plants! I've specifically been buying tissue cultured plants to avoid mystery snails haha.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

How are your bettas doing?


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

He's very handsome, Blu!

My boys are good. Salem loves his new plants, he often chills underneath them when I am adding extra fertilizer or prime. The plants are doing well, I had a higher initial die off than expected due to water dripping from the lid. Otherwise, both bettas have built bubble nests around them.

Fawkes, I discovered, is only able to flare fully on his right side. Since I've had him, I've seen him flare but I don't think I've ever seen both. There is no swelling or obvious damage to the area. He is just as active and the water parameters are clean.


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## Rames27 (Feb 21, 2019)

My half moon betta is staying on one side of his tank and swimming back and forth. he'll also punch the glass with his nose. Whenever I put a mirror up to the tank (once every few days) He looks at it for a second then keeps swimming back and forth. when I come in the room he will swim to the surface and check me out, but he's mostly just in the corner.


Other than that he seems pretty happy. I got him on the 16th for my birthday... he is in a 5 gallon tank with a filter and that water temp is at 76 right now. He looks fine and his colors arent muted or anything like that


have any ideas?? thanks!!


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Hi, this is a journal for me to track my personal progress. You can start your own journal as well otherwise general betta care questions go under the betta care forum. 

However, he sounds fine to me. Some bettas just don't care for mirrors or are less aggressive/territorial than others. For example, Salem and Fawkes are quick to flare while my friend's bettas Norbert and Drogon don't care for their mirror time. I'd say just make sure that you keep the water cycled and the heater on. 

Congrats on the new betta!


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## grumpyfish (Jul 17, 2015)

Based on the finnage in the updated picture of Fawkes, I'd definitely say he's a male. None of the female bettas I've ever owned have had fins that long, especially the dorsal fin. It's most likely a fake egg spot. Others feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

That's what I've come to realize as his tail has only continued to grow.

Fawkes has begun to open his other side to flare so I'm assuming he's just a lazy little boy. Both of my bettas are enjoying their amazon frogbit from sleeping among the the roots or hiding their nests under the leaves. Salem's tail remains torn up but there's no sign of infection in his fins. 

I finally saved enough to upgrade their filter to one for a 10 gallon quietflow. The 3 gallon was perfect for Salem alone in a 5 gallon but with two fish in a divided tank and one with a habit of bitting, I assumed it best to get a more powerful filter than risk the onset of infection.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Break is over and both boys survived the car rides to and from my family home. The plants stayed behind in the dorm without a filter or heater which was a bit worrisome since the location of my tank does not receive much sunlight. Thankfully, the die off was minimal if not non-existent. Lately, I've experienced a few issues which diatoms coating my silk plants but I just left them sitting out of the tank for the week as the bettas wouldn't be missing them. (They were well rinsed before being added back). I'm thinking about moving towards adding more live plants to my tank next semester since I will be in an apartment but we will have to see. I will lively leave the 5.5 gallon at home for breaks with the divider and bring my 10 gallon and 2.5 gallon to my apartment so they can have separate tanks. Perhaps, I'll get another divider for the 10 instead. 

Salem's tail is continuing to heal but the car ride was obviously stressful for him. I wish there was a better way to transport bettas without shipping them. Next year might be better since I'll be out of the dorms but for right now both are stuck in the car with me. Fawkes is continuing to grow as well. His tail is done growing for the most part and looks a bit spikey? My guess is he's got a bit of crowntail in him since he shows no signs of bitting or fin rot.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

I'm glad everyone survived the trips! I'm always an advocate for live plants, I don't have to worry about sharp edges and they're also fun to watch grow over time like your betta  We'd all love to see some pics of everyone when you get settled!

Could be crowntail, but he could also be a comb tail too, as those aren't as drastic as a crown tail haha.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Yea, I'd love to move to all live plants next year. I'll likely be bringing my 10 gallon instead so each boy has some more space or just get a third betta. I've been considering getting a goldfish again since I have a 20 gallon long just laying around but we'll see what my time table looks like. 

Salem's tail is healing nicely since he demolished it over winter break. He has some blood spots from where he bit at them over the weekend but his water just got changed. Fawkes is almost, if not, full grown by now. It's strange to think it's been almost half a year since I've had these two boys. Based on how Fawkes has grown I am assuming he's some sort of combtail. His tail type isn't consistent across his fins but there's no signs of fin rot or tail biting from him and his activity levels are normal. Fawkes loves to attack my finger and swimming into his filter (which is terrifying) but all is well and good in this dorm room. 

Updated images are below. I'd suggest you go back to my first post to see how much Fawkes has changed over these last 5 months.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

Aww he's gotten so big! Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what tail type that is, its interesting.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Aw, thanks you both! They're my handsome, angry babies. Fawkes' tail has continued to separate at the ends into that pattern even more so in the last 1.5 weeks. I've also speculated that he is a delta x crowntail cross since his dorsal and anal fins and separated to look more like a crowntail. Regardless I am in LOVE with him, I was expected a veiltail when I got him back in November and this is quite the happy surprise.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

We're finally home for the summer! Both boys did well in the car with no noticeable tail biting. Since this is permanent for a few months and I have the space, both bettas have their own tanks. Salem is in the original 5.5 gallon and Fawkes in is his own 10 gallon grow out tank. Either today or tomorrow I'm going to have to go to my LPS to get some substrate, a hood, and some plants for Fawkes' tank. Thankfully, Fawkes is a really chill fish and is content enough to already have a large bubble nest right up against the front panel. 

I'm debating whether or not to get Fawkes set up in a community tank. Next year I will have my own space and will be bringing the 5.5 and likely 10 gallon with me. I'm more concerned about winter break where the fish will have to come home with me. I'll likely buy another 5.5 and just divide that and put any extra community fish into Salem's old 2.5 gallon.

That is if I go through with it. I don't have space in my car to lug both tank sets ups back and forth at will. 

Since the drive is so long and both were in a new environment, I was very concerned with Salem destroying his fins. However, since plopping him into his new tank all he has been doing is zipping around. (despite his usual lack of cover too!). It's not the most natural looking tank but I'm hoping to improve that since the frogbit has been surviving.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

Good to see they all did well!


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

The frogbit has offically died off. I think I made a packaging mistake during my travels so Salem is without live plants at the moment. I have a plant I'm growing in Fawkes' tank I might break up to add to his tank in the near future. Both boys are doing great. I am working on diatom control at the moment. I'm generally a neat person so it's hard not to go over board on the cleaning on their tanks so they're spotless again. I'm considering getting a pleco for Fawkes' tank and a snail for Salem's tank as well as turning Fawkes' 10 gallon into a community tank for additional help.

There's not too much to update.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I finally managed to keep some aquatic plants alive! The Amazon swords and Alternanthera are doing really well in my 10 gallon with Fawkes. I'm looking into adding some live plants into Salem's tank since I've had good success so far. I was dosing with Excel for a while due to the exposed roots but the algae in my aquarium began to bloom like crazy. Since giving the tank a thorough clean [ or as clean as you can get a tank without ruining the cycle] it has seemed to die back. I do have to rinse the plants once a month as the algae has begun to grow on it but now there's barely any signs of it at all.

Salem's tank is beginning to fill out again. I just hope to see it mostly healed before the semester starts up again. He's pretty good if I put him in a blacked out container for travel and get him into the tank right away so I'm not too worried. 

Perry's tail is beginning to heal. His thermostat broke in the process of cleaning out his old tank so I'm off to get a new one today. 

I also have a quarantine tank cycling as I'm heading to my LPS today to pick up a new thermostat. However, I may get some more live plants to fill out the rest of Fawkes' tank and maybe one for Salem's. The LPS has one large garden tank with some community fish so they'll have to quaratine for a while before I can add them in. I also am looking into getting a shoal of corys for Fawkes' tank or a school of tetras depending on how good they looking and the pricing. 


But that's about it. Updated images of the tank have been attached. They look a little empty due to the algae bloom but oh well.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I've done some aggression testing with my bettas. Fawkes fears nothing and nipped my fingers on multiple occassions. Salem however backed away from my hands and so the two fish got switched. I feel bad putting Fawkes in the smaller tank but his red coloration blends better with the 5.5 anyways. 

Since my last update I took Russell's advice into consideration and purchased a shoal of albino corys. I have 5 at the moment since I bought the fifth as a "back up" fish but amazingly all survived the transition and quarantine in a small tank. The new albinos went into the 10 gallon before I played musical chairs with my bettas and the corys. The albinos got settling into their new 10 gallon with the addition of a piece of white/brown driftwood as the new center piece. Salem went in a few days later. There was some nipping at a 2 hour drifting time but that seems to be the motivation for the cories to stay near the bottom and away from the big scary betta. Now Salem enjoys throwing their pellets around and watch them scurry about the bottom from the safety of his Alternanthera plant. 

Amazingly, his tail biting has stopped completely. Usually when he moves around his tail becomes stubby but he enjoys watching and chasing his new speedy roommates. Due to his scoliosis and damaged fins, Salem is unable to catch the corys so no worries! There's also been no more nipping after the corys left his Alternanthera plants alone. 

Fawkes is doing alright in the 5.5 gallon. I am looking into upgrading him back to a 10 gallon but I'm currently trying to save my money. I am however going to purchase more aquatic plants in order to liven up his tank and provide more anchors for his bubble nests. We'll see what kind of pricing I can find for another aquarium hood as that's the only thing holding me back at the moment. I can use my old divider for the 5.5 gallon from my dorm days for the winter and spring breaks as a temporary home with the cories in an empty 20 gallon.


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## Phish Head (Jul 23, 2019)

Interesting! You have 5 cories in a 10 gallon tank? Plus a betta? 

Hummmmm maybe I should rethink my tank. Problem is I'm not sure how I'd prevent my betta from eating everyone's food after he finishes his own.

He's not proud and is happy to root around in the gravel in the unlikely event he missed something. 😱


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Yeah, it's slightly overstocked since I didn't think one of the cories would make it but I've been adding in addition plant life and increasing the water changes to around 30%. Everyone appears to be happy and its a super fun tank to watch. I'm thinking of the upgrade for Fawkes would have the same results with another community 10 gallon since it provides some more stimulation for the betta. Fawkes' old tank saw the cories in quarantine and he enjoyed watched them all day.

Yea. same with Salem. What I do is feed him on one side and then hide the cory food on the other. Some times he snatches it but since its a large feeder pellet he can't choke it down and gets bored quickly. He's also taken to swimming along the bottom watching the corys play in the exposed roots. No chasing, just perched on the driftwood or big leaf to watch them.

If you have the space you could definitely attempt to add in another species. Just be prepared to do a lot of research before hand.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

FWIW, your tank is not overstocked. You could add another Cory; which is what I would do.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Ok, good to know. The four I have now school together at the moment. The fifth, as I expected passed the other day. I spent an hour looking for him until I found him on the back of my filter. I may get another two but could I possibly put in some mid level fish then like a shoal of tetras or rasboras? I'm happy with the cories I have now and would ideally get some more live plants once I move into my new apartment.

Regardless, Fawkes has covered half of his tank with his bubble nest.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Yes, you can still get two more Cory and 6-10 mid-level fish. Small Rasbora or Tetras would be good. I prefer Rasbora because of a 10-gallon's footprint and there are smaller ones under 1".

I've always viewed stocking per level.

Fawkes sounds to be a busy boy!


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## Phish Head (Jul 23, 2019)

Belatedly.....I think having a shoal of Corys would be fabulous and I'm going to start researching them. For whatever reason I thought it would create a big bioload footprint.

I think my fish Maki would be cool with them, even tho he pestered an Apple snail like a yappy little dog so I rehomed the snail. I understand how the end of the snail's wiggly antenna would be so enticing, what I don't understand is when the fish went after it he sucked the whole antenna in like a long piece of spaghetti. Initially it looked like he bit it off! So where in his body did he fit such a long antenna?! It's kind of an xfile 

Say I have a favor to ask and maybe this should be a new post but there's no forum for "fish care services. I believe you're in NYC. correct? 

Here's the deal - today we decided to get out of Dodge for at least a week beginning on Wednesday the 7th. However due to my itchy feet we might end up in Canada for another few days. 

I haven't figured out what to do about water changes. My neighbor can feed the fish, but she's elderly and I'm not putting WC on her. 

If you're interested, I'd be happy to pay you to stop by for a couple of water changes. I'd be most appreciative because I perused CL adds under pet services and only one add mentioned fish care. We're across the street from Morningside Park if that makes a difference. 

DM me if it's workable. 

I suppose I could make a post directed to NYC members. Not sure what other ppl do re: fish care if they plan to be away for a couple weeks. 
Our fishy is sensitive to his environment so I don't want to worry about him bugging out if his water isn't pristine He'll protest in scary ways.


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## Phish Head (Jul 23, 2019)

I just saw your post about the ginormous bubble nest. Isn't it funny how such a little fish contructs such a large nest? Maybe he's planning on a big family 😉

My fish recently blew the largest bubble nest to date (he's an eternal optimist). 

Since he put so much energy into it, I felt a twinge badly about "wrecking it" with a water change. Fishy wasn't fazed and put all the scattered bubbles back where they belonged, and even added a wing of new construction to the original nest, LOL funny Phish 🙂


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Sorry Phish, I'm afraid I'm in the midwest instead.


ANYWAYS

Ya girl and her fishy fam has moved into our new apartment. Both bettas are doing well and the temperatures are a heck of a lot more stable this year since I'm not having to share a room. 

Fawkes still loves to play and build his nest. Since moving onto my desk, his nest has moved from the far side of the tank to the corner by my laptop. It's almost as if he says, "MOM LOOK WHAT I CAN DO. DO U LIKE? I CAN MAKE IT BIGGER." And bigger he has made it. A note to any one with a desk buddy like myself, put stickers on your laptop. Fawkes and Salem love to flare/charge at different stickers while I work.

The mini community tank is flourishing once again. There's been a bloom of green algae but it's slowly disappearing with each water change. Tje swords have gotten huge since moving. Perhaps they like my college water better than the stuff back home. Unfortunately, I lost a cory and rasbora following the trip but the Three Bros (Corys) and Three Amigos (Rasboras) are still plump and active. Salem has been thieving food. I've taken to stealthily feeding the trios before I turn on the lamp so he doesn't wake up. I'm concerned since his stomach is quite rounded so he's on day two of a short fast. Thankfully, he released a large poo at some point in the night and is much less circular. 

My new desk has two cubbies rather than one, making it PERFECT for yet ANOTHER 5+ gallon tank to slide right in. I've been considering getting another betta for a while. My complex does not allow pets (fish are ok, obvi) so they're the next best thing. Besides, they're a lot less maintenance than the cat I would have would be anyways. I do have two tanks at home -one to be divided into 2 10 gallons and a 2.5 for holiday. The 2.5 isn't ideal but at most I'd fit a 7 gallon on my desk next to Fawkes. 

I've also been working on getting my friend to upgrade their travel container for a legitimate tank for their betta. While physically, he appears healthy, the poor baby glass surfaces or hides under the one suction leaf that's decorating his container. While I doubt I can convinence them to go over a 2 gallon, anything at this point would be better as long as a heater fits in it. The apartments get quite cold during the summer with the heat on, I can't imagine the winter.

Regardless, new tank/fish picks coming soon? I have some media I cycle on the side for a hospital tank. Which isn't exactly helpful when my brain says "No more fish" but my heart says "One more life saved from death by 5 year old." 

What else does one expect from a student in pre-veterinary med?


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## Phish Head (Jul 23, 2019)

I thought you lived in NYC? Seems like you moved tho and sorry you lost some fish. But glad everyone else is good. Word of warning about potential over feeding in some bettas it can lead to negative consequences which I'll post about when I'm ready. 

You sure have quite a gang for a dorm situation that's awesome. What school are you in? I was headed to Cornell for the same program you're in when I lost my father unexpectedly and had to go to work instead. I eventually went to Columbia on a scholarship for Biology/Life Sciences. My big brother said I reminded him of one of those nerds with a propeller on her head running around with a butterfly net 🤪


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

I moved for school but not that far. I don't have a car so I'm at the mercy of my parents visiting me to go home at the moment . I'm at ISU and big oof. My brother calls me a nerd all the time. 

But yea! Me too. Also, I know some of them. When I was younger I accidentally overfed my guppies and all their stomaches exploded. I was traumatized to say the least. 

Yes, it's definitely a gang. I'm a bit of a nester so I have close to 30 plants in my room at the moment with more on the way due to a horticulture course I'm enrolled in for an elective. What's one more tank? I don't need space, I just need more life in my apartment.


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## Phish Head (Jul 23, 2019)

That's so funny I'm the same way about collecting plants the latest thing is rooting Pothos to put in a tank. Grows very easily even in water 🙂 Sorry to hear about your guppies that would've freaked me out.


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## peppersmom (Aug 26, 2019)

I can totally see why you couldn't leave without him, he is gorgeous!

I guess what they say about bettas is true. . . they are like potato chips, you can never just have one.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

You're too true!

I finally light trained Scy so now everyone's on board with the eating schedule. It took him a while to figure out what the pellets were and where they were coming from but now he guards the little hole on top of the tank whenever I come into the room.

Salem unfortunately lost his favorite plant during cleaning. Despite the anubis (i believe) exploding, the other plant did not fair as well and had to be pulled due to the rapid deterioration. I realize it was due to me lacking something in the water but I don't care play with my parameters after getting a solid cycle going. 


I only have trios of my shoaling fish. I'm a bit concerned about their stress levels but all have rounded tummies and zip around in shoals together. They also are quite healthy and I've had bad experiences trying to introduce a new group of them into a tank (e.g all the new fish die even after a month of quarantine). Perhaps over winter break I'll try to introduce some more rasboras and cories but for now I think the tank's at a good equilibrium without being too full on each level.


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## WinterSoldier. (Aug 30, 2019)

Fantastic bettas


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

It's been a hot minute but here we go. 

All three bettas are healthy and happy with the quarantine. Scythe is in a 5.5 gallon aquarium that was unfortunately overheating due to the poor air conditioning in my room bedroom. He's currently heaterless but his water is consistently at a toasty 80 degrees. 

Salem, the two remaining cories and three rasboras have been moved into my 20 gallon long for the time being. I am struggling with a brown algae bloom in all three of my tanks due to the high lighting in my room but our dog has a fascination with the bettas and attempts to knock over the tanks. So in my room they stay. Generally, the algae is easy to maintain with a weekly scrubbing and the occasional boiling of the silk plants. 

Fawkes has a mysterious illness a few weeks ago. I thought I was going to lose my poor baby. He has what looked to be ick as well as a fungal growth, swim bladder problems, and was rapidly losing his dorsal fin. I perform regular methyl blue dips for about a week and he's doing much better! He went from barely moving on the bottom to zipping around his tank as usual. I have no idea what happened for him to get so sick. I think he was stressed from the move and then being upgraded to a 10 gallon aquarium. My water perimeters were normal with no ammonia or nitrite spikes oddly enough. He has the scars from the ick still on his body but no signs of the illness coming back. I've upped his water temperature to 82 degrees to kill off any remaining pathogens in the water. 

Otherwise, on another side note I got a gerbil pair that live right next to Salem's tank. Occasionally, Salem will sit on a leaf by the gerbil enclosure and watch them with interest. I was concerned with him being stressed out but he's a bit of a scaredy betta. Honestly, I have no idea if he can see them but I like to think he finds them interesting to watch. Salem's easily 2+ years now and he's stopping making bubble nests. He mostly sits on his leaves and occasionally patrols his territory with a good flare show. He's my old, grumpy boi. Another fun note, one of my cories is disfigured -was when I got him- (oddly he lived over the other 4 cories). The two often sit on leaves or at the bottom together. I haven't seen any aggression from Salem towards his cory. He'll chase the rasboras occasionally but this one corycat enjoys cuddling up with the big bad betta rather than his remaining brother. I'm looking to round out both the rasbora and corycat shoals once quarantine continues to let up. I have a few spare tanks I can use to quarantine the new fish before I add them but I don't want to ruin the chill vibe my 20 gallon currently has. All three fish types have a good amount of space and I have yet to see severe signs of stress. However, I do know that cories and rasboras like to be in schools.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

So... I got three more rasboras and 2 more cories.


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## Caelth (Nov 29, 2018)

Wow, it's been almost a year. Updates: Salem finally surpassed due to old age. He had no issues or anything of the sort but I think his broke back gave him issues. Scythe had to be put down due to a ruptured kidney cyst. Fawkes was my last living boy who passed this October from old age. He sat on his favorite plant and decided it was his time.

Since, I grew out a small female betta who I named Narcissa. She is very fat and the queen of her community tank. I'd love to turn it into a sorority community with the corycats, nerite snail, and rasboras. I got her in December and has since turned a lovely red and pink. 

I also got a giant betta koi named Alastor in November after falling in love with him at my favorite pet store. He is currently in his own 10 gallon with another nerite snail to help control the algae problems. 

Lastly, today I purchased a sickly lil betta. I have no idea if he'll make it. I want to say he already looks better in the hospital tank but who knows. Maybe its me just holding on too tightly to my hope for him. He's in 2.0 gallons of water with a heater, hide, and some mossball friends.


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