# DaBaDee's journal and then some



## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I figured I should start a thread here as I could probably write a book about my fish, as well as my other pets and past experiences and basically anything that comes to mind.

DaBaDee, my blue betta (he's blue, DaBaDee, dabadie), just got a new tank upgrade. I obviously had little knowledge about bettas before joining this site less than a week ago. I had a random urge to go buy him a new tank... 5 gallon, upgrade from a 1 gallon. The most I knew was that he doesn't like a lot of water flow (figured that out when I got him almost a year ago), so I bought a 5 gallon kit with an adjustable filter, and joined this site to find out how to properly switch him over from his old tank to his new one. _I've learned so much from this site in less than a week that I spent $80 on new stuff for him just this morning._ I want him to have the best life he possibly can, now that I know what he really needs.

I also am looking forward to getting another 5 gallon tank for christmas so I can purchase another betta. The only other fish I've ever had that lived for longer than a few days was a betta I had in elementary school for over a year, named Flipper. He never died from sickness... I was at camp and my parents were supposed to take care of him, but they let my cat go into my room and she knocked the lid off of his tank and he disappeared... I thought that she may have ate him. But, months later, we found him dried up stuck to the back of the bookshelf his tank was sitting on  I still don't know if he jumped out or what. It was pretty heartbreaking. Anyways, I might name my next fish Mitsu, meaning three, because he/she will be my third betta fish ever.

Oh, yes, I also have two cats, Oreo and Ramona. Ramona was the one who killed my last betta fish. I also have a dog named Cappuccino. He goes everywhere with me, but I still think that DaBaDee gets more excited to see me than he does.



Anyways, today I got new pellets for DaBaDee. He was spitting out the last ones (crappy walmart brand), so I got him Aqueon betta pellets. He ate them right up, and they are much smaller and easier for him to eat. He's also much more active with his extra 4 gallons of room  I don't have a heater for him yet - I ordered one online today, along with silk plants, a master test kit and aquarium salt (and maybe a Gary ornament to go with his spongebob theme...)









DaBaDee









Cappuccino









Ramona









Oreo


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm getting pretty excited to get the new stuff I ordered for DaBaDee online, even though I only ordered in yesterday and it doesn't ship until Monday 

The heater, I'm afraid, is what he needs the most right now, and it is also estimated to take the longest to get here. They usually estimate it for longer than it actually takes though, so I'm hoping that's the case. Everything I ordered said it usually ships from the warehouse the next business day, but it said the heater would take 5-7 days to ship (and another 3-5 to get here). It also excludes weekends.

I'm super excited to see how much better he'll do with a heater. I've had him for almost a year and he's never had one, so at least I'm not extremely worried about anything happening to him before I get it. I'm hoping that I'll get to see his true colors after his water is warm, and also that the heater can get his tank to 78 degrees since it's only between 66-68 degrees in the basement. I've read reviews of heaters not being able to sufficiently heat tanks that are in such cold rooms, even when they're turned all the way up.

He's eating like a little piggy, now. I'm afraid that if I fed him as much as he could eat in 3 minutes, it'd probably be close to 10 pellets or more. But he is eating better and is more active, so all is good


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## Phaydra (Nov 20, 2012)

DaBaDee love the name and now I have the song stuck in my head. Hehe I believe all bettas have a little piggy in their family tree. I love blue Bettas and your boy is stunning.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Phaydra said:


> DaBaDee love the name and now I have the song stuck in my head. Hehe I believe all bettas have a little piggy in their family tree. I love blue Bettas and your boy is stunning.


Haha, thanks. It was kind of my boyfriend's idea. He loves the color blue, so I bought him DaBaDee, but of course I'm the one who cares for him and is attached  I hope he'll get even brighter after I get a heater (which I hope will be very soon!!!)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Everything I ordered for DaBaDee on Saturday except for the heater has been shipped and is not estimated to be here by Wednesday (or possibly thursday, if they get to town by Wednesday but not on my doorstep).
I'll be planning on using the test kit pretty much as soon as I get my hands on the box.
I also am visiting a college tomorrow at 8am, but since the college is two hours away I'll be leaving tonight and staying the night. :/ I'll definitely miss my little guy and my dog, but maybe it will make tomorrow go by faster and my stuff seem like it gets here quicker!

We're also starting acrylic painting in art at school (I have two art classes, haha) so I want to paint a picture of him. No promises that it will turn out to be incredibly good, but it is something I get excited about when I get to start new art projects, especially ones involving my betta 

I'll have to post a picture of the giraffe painting I did last year.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Love the name lol I have the song stuck in my head now too! That was my favorite song when I was little! Lol 

What kind of camera do you use? The quality is amazing


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I have a Nikon D3100. I got it last christmas at the same time I got my little guy


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

That explains it! Lol nikons are amazing cameras.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah, I love my Nikon. I think I took all of these with my 35mm prime 1.8 lens. It's the only one I use for my fish because he's always moving around and it's the fastest  A little green light comes on right before it takes the picture and I think he gets grumpy with me when I bring the camera near his tank.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Haha that's funny! Sounds like you know a lot about photography. I've just got my iPhone camera and a samsung dual view, nothing fancy but gets the job done


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, animals, photography and art are my three favorite things, in that order. 

Good news - my brother told me that when/if his son's fish dies, I'll be inheriting his 10 gallon tank. I'm not entirely sure what he has in there right now... a few corys I think, and something else. It'll come with the filter and heater, and most likely the gravel and decor, even though I think he only has one in there because his fish like to hide. That's the great thing about bettas  mine is definitely not shy!


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## twolovers101 (Sep 17, 2012)

You take *fantastic* photos! I'm so jealous!! I'm terrible at pictures... all the ones I have are either pure luck, or my fiance took them for me


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Haha, thanks. A lot of it really is the camera doing the work, not me 



AyalaCookiejar said:


> I was planning on waiting til Christmas, but we were in a town 2 hours away and happened to see an Earl May so I went in because the walmart here doesn't have crap for fish supplies. So I WAS looking for fish supplies, but I saw some crowntails (they don't have them at my walmart, and they aren't as brightly colored, either) and one in particular that jumped out at me. Since I didn't have another tank (besides my old one gallon) I was about to walk out of the store but my mom asked me if I wanted it... so of course I couldn't say no and she definitely was not helping! Haha.
> 
> So on our way back we stopped to get another 5 gallon tank, some gravel and a few caves for him. My silk plants should be here tomorrow and I ordered 8 so I'd have enough for two tanks.
> 
> ...


Copied and pasted this from my post in the betta pictures forum so I didn't have to retype it. Isn't he precious? ^_^


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I haven't moved my new betta from his cup yet but would like to do that before I go to sleep. DaBaDee almost got himself stuck under a rock earlier, and was totally checking out the thermometer I put inside his tank today.

The new betta seems pretty friendly. He's not very skittish. I've been adding water to his cup so that he can acclimate in his cup, because the cup and the tank are at the same temp- room temp. He was also checking out the thermometer I put in his cup, haha. Very cute


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## twolovers101 (Sep 17, 2012)

Lol I hope yours isn't crazy xD My guy is insane... I'm pretty sure he's got... *problems*


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Crazy how? haha. He was flaring quite a bit when I was taking some pictures. I'm not sure if he could see his reflection in the glass or if he just hates my camera, haha.

I did get my new silk plants, my gary ornament, my test kit and some AQ salt in the mail today. So of course, I redecorated. I only put one plant and Gary into DaBaDees tank for now. Since he doesn't like his pineapples house I'd like him to get used to the new plant before I take out his plastic one.





































He seems like he's doing really well! No signs of stress besides the somewhat random flaring. I sure hope he doesn't hurt himself doing it!


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## twolovers101 (Sep 17, 2012)

Aww that last pic is too cute xD

and my guy likes to flare at any black object he can see from the tank... he's starting to calm down a bit I think, he's only been in the tank since Sunday


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well, that would make sense... My camera is a giant black object, ha. For some reason my camera will sometimes have a green light come on right before I take a picture so I thought that was what was making him flare..

But after taking a test picture to see if the light was coming on... well, it wasn't. So I wasn't sure what it could be!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I have decided on the name Bahari.. I think it suits him best. 
He's quite the aggressive little guy. He flares a lot and you should see the way he attacks his food, haha 

He does follow my finger around. DaBaDee only follows my finger if it's in the water, otherwise he follows my entire body xD


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

The only thing I can almost ever talk about are my bettas. Betta this, betta that. I love bettas. The name DaBaDee is SO cute!What does it come from?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He's blue, dabadee, dabadie, haha. It's a song by Eiffel 65 called I'm Blue (just in case you haven't heard it. It's very popular so I wouldn't be surprised if you have). I had actually gotten him last christmas for my boyfriend because his favorite color is blue, so he named him and now he has a theme song  He's obviously more my fish than his, but my mom bought Bahari for me, so now we each kind of have our own fish. He says he doesn't like fish, but I think it's kind of a half-truth. He likes them more than he wants to admit!

I am super excited that my Hydor Theo heater shipped yesterday! It probably won't be here until next week. I also have another one ordered for the new tank, which was kind of a spur of the moment thing, but it will take even longer to get here   

Both of my little guys seem to be doing pretty good right now, so I bet they'll do even better with their new heaters. I have obviously just recently started doing in depth research on bettas... I have learned so much from this site in a week, it's rediculous! I was the newbie last week, and now I'm one of the ones giving advice  They are definitely an addiction, and the more you learn about them, the more addicted you get!

I have also officially decided that I cannot attend a college that doesn't allow fish in the dorms. I'm not going anywhere without them... I really don't believe that anyone around here that I know will keep them in good health, which is pretty sad.


On a side note, I went to walmart today to look for a thermometer for my new tank (and also took my friend so he could look at filters for his 60 gallon tank that he's been wanting to set up again), and all the bettas were stacked on top of each other covering the air holes for the ones on the bottom!
I immediately rearranged them in a pyramid type way so that at least the air holes weren't covered, and made sure to make a comment to an employee. His response was, "Oh, I didn't realize that they were doing that. I'll be sure to tell the pet department not to do that.."

He obviously had no idea that they shouldn't be stacked that way. There were a few not so good looking ones on the bottom, and one dead female  At least he sounded somewhat concerned, although I'm not really sure if he's actually going to inform the pet department that I voiced my concerns. Next time I go in, I'll have to move the dead/half dead ones to the front, and re-state my concerns on their not-so-ideal conditions, and also inform them that betta fish breathe air and YOU CAN DROWN THEM. People look at me stupid when I say that, but it's true.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Bahari seems to have a pretty big belly. I wonder if he's constipated from trying to eat those floaty things that were in his cup when I got him.
Hopefully I'll get one of my heaters today, and I'm thinking I'll have to put it in Bahari's tank to speed up his metabolism, so poor little DaBaDee will have to wait a while longer for his heater


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Haha, FedEx lied to me 
The tracking information estimated that my heater would get here yesterday. Well, it didn't make it yesterday, so the estimated arrival date changed to Monday, making me think that they didn't deliver on weekends 

But my heater arrived on my doorstep today! Now little Bahari is slowly acclimating to a higher temp.

I thought he was bloated, but I'm pretty sure I was wrong. He is probably skinny due to the treatment he got at the petstore, so it made the front half of his body look bigger than the back half. I noticed poo at the bottom of the tank which made me realize that he wasn't constipated..

He is doing much better than he was on Tuesday. He isn't flaring quite as much at everything, and he is starting to explore his entire tank. For a few days, he wasn't going near the bottom of his tank at all. He was pretty much staying near the surface all the time, which also contributed to my thinking he was bloated. Silly me. I fasted my already skinny fish for a day 

I can't wait to see how much he brightens up in the proper temperature.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The new tanks are almost perfect  I just have to add a few more silk plants to DaBaDee's tank and hopefully get the plastic one outta there.










Bahari survived his water change today as well, and surprisingly isn't as stressed as I thought he'd be. Water changes don't go as smoothly for me now, since the biggest tank I've had before these was a one gallon. However, I did figure out how to use the gravel vac so I siphoned water both out and into Bahari's tank because I didn't want to mess up the gravel by pouring it in. And it also maybe had a little bit to do with the fact that I was fascinated by the siphoning process xD


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Good to see Bahari's doing well. ^^ I love your tanks themes, they suit your bettas so well too!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I thought it was funny because it was mostly pure coincidence that the plants I ordered for Bahari's tank match him so well, since I ordered them before I even saw him xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got DaBaDees heater today! I put it in his tank on lunch break. I also got some stress coat and Epsom salt just in case. Hopefully I'll be getting Seachem prime soon as I just found out that my tap water has ammonia :/


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yay, heater! I get to go get my bettas' stuff tomorrow finally =) And two new bettas. Sucks about the ammonia tho...>.<


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well the last time I checked ammonia was right after a water change. I just retested the ammonia in the tap and both tanks. The tap is now at .25, Bahari's tank was slightly less green and DaBaDees is 0 (or really close). Now I'm afraid to do water changes until my brother can get me Seachem Prime! :/

I love getting my new fish stuff in the mail! Everyone thinks I'm weird because I get so excited, haha. It's a hobby. I am kinda sad because I can't do my water changes yet xD


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

They should be okay, you can only do what's in your power for them =) And I totally get the excited part xD The other day at work I rattled on about bettas for 20 minutes to my manager xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I told my HR director at work about my bettas and how I want to work at a pet store during college lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I thought about working at a pet store but I don't think I'd be able to keep my temper in check if the store didn't seem humane enough to satisfy me =( Too many kittens scrunched together, and aside from betta fish all those other aquarium fish in huge groups in small tanks....I did think about the possibility of owning my own store where I could make everything more livable. but that would be expensive...and would be real big.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Personally I think that since they are going to treat the animals that way anyways, I could always make their conditions a little better even when I'm not on the clock and I could educate customers, especially on fish. The store couldn't be mad because you actually spend more money when you take good care of them. I think we could ALL verify that.

I've spent about $250ish dollars in the past two weeks on silk plants, larger aquariums, salts for just-in-case, heaters (and thermometers), decor, a test kit, better food, a gravel vacuum and a new Betta and I might be forgetting something but I can't remember lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Scratch that. It's over $300, now.

I went to petco last night and bought Prime, two filters for my two new tanks that my brother gave me, stress zyme, Omega One pellets, a decoration, and some betta bulbs. I was having troubles carrying things. I would have loved to have gotten some actual plants, but we were making stops on the way back and they would have froze in the car. I really don't have any experience with live plants.. and I'm afraid that when the time comes, I won't have the resources to make my new 10 gallon into a planted tank. We don't have much to choose from around here, and I need some really hardy plants because I'd have troubles keeping them alive, lol.

I want to get another male, preferably a halfmoon, for my 4 gallon tank my brother gave me and turn the 10 gallon into a sorority. I'm almost thinking to just give up on the real plants and use silk ones. My resources are short. I'm actually going to have issues finding somewhere to purchase all of my females at the same time.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I was surprised but our PetSmart had half a shelf designated to females. They didn't mark which tail-types, but they had over twnety females for sale. And I still advice marimo (moss balls), and anacharis (might go by another name) those I think are fairly common and really easy to take care of. Though the anacharis will grow lots, so you'll have to trim it down and throw it into the garbage (not in any water sources). Or share the clippings with other tanks =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've actually been looking into private breeders but I'm not getting many replies, lol 

Bahari has decided that he doesn't like the pretty blue on his fins!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

It may come back someday. I wonder if I could find some marble beahviour articles anywhere. What might instigate the changes and what not. be cool if they're like mood rings.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

That would be cool! I think he'll keep changing. He only has a few tiny spots of blue, now.

I had a sick fish and a sick dog when I woke up this morning. I woke up and DaBaDee was twitching and flashing against tank ornaments and also having lethargic moments when he lays on his side at the top of the tank. I think it's velvet. My dog also was limping slightly. I was planning on beginning DaBaDees salt treatment after school but I had a meeting for work to go to first. Right before I left for my meeting and right after I got out of school my dog was limping and whimpering when he walked and cried when I picked him up, so immediately after I got done with my meeting I took him to the vet.

He has a fever, a pulled or torn muscle in his shoulder, and a bite mark on his tail that's been there for about 5 days was infected, so he got a shot for pain and a shot for anti-biotics. DaBaDee has started his salt treatment now...

So now for the next week I'll be treating my fish with salt and my dog with some pills I got from the vet. I feel so bad that neither of them are feeling so hot  my dog does seem to be feeling slightly better, probably from the shot for pain, and DaBaDee has already calmed down a bit and stopped twitching and flashing as much.

It's especially scary because I've never had to treat DaBaDee for anything before! He's such a trooper. Hopefully I'll be able to get rid of it completely and won't make any mistakes during treatment.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I am so sorry to hear that D= Salt's good, but did you do the flashlight test to see if there's any shining dust? But yea, salt + warm water = healthier fishy. 

I really hope they both get okay though!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I did and I have been for quite some time. He doesn't look like he has gold specks but he has large shiny gold spots on his gills and over half of his body is rusty colored. He's looked like that for awhile now, but I am 100% sure it is SOME kind of external parasite. He's definitely itchy!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I totally agree. Hope he'll feel better soon!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Me too. Thank you!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My dog is doing better but DaBaDee has taken a turn for the worse. He is bloated, laying on his side, stress stripes, white belly, cannot swim for his life! He's really struggling with trying to swim. I really hope he's still here by morning. I switched to Epsom salt but now he is in his tank covered with a blanket because he is very stressed!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

For that serious of bloating I'd put him in a large tupperware container;

less depth, sides are usually translucent, so he can't really see out and get spooked. 

I am so sorry to hear he's not getting better =( 80F and Epsom will definitely help, he just needs some time and quiet. Poor thing...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He was floating at the top though, so I know he can reach the water. I can't believe I didn't think of this before, but could the brown discoloration be a long term result of ammonia poisoning?

I admit that for a while I was horrible at doing water changes and he was in a one gallon tank... I also had no idea there was ammonia in my tap water and did not have a conditioner that neutralized it


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

But you're fixing all of that now. I'm not sure what brown coloration means, but clean and healthy conditions means he should be getting better. Give the epsom salt a day or two...and post a thread up to see what anyone else thinks.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I have. No replies, yet. I PMed OFL to ask her if she could possibly take a look at the thread... My last few threads didn't get much for answers, unfortunately. I am at a loss as to what could be wrong..


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Haven't updated this in awhile...
DaBaDee is battling internal parasites. I'm not sure how they got introduced to his tank because he has never had any live food, but he's still hanging in there.. I got some Parasite Clear and he looked much better after only 24 hours. He's still eating fine.

Bahari has not been eating, but I'm not so sure that he doesn't eat his pellets after they sink to the bottom of the tank.. He also seems sort of lethargic. Not sure what's wrong with him, yet 

I also ordered three females from Mo but I haven't gotten them yet. I have separate one gallon tanks for each of them right now but will have a ten gallon for them once I get a few more females. I ordered a whole bunch of silk plants for the ten gallon! I also have a four gallon tank as a back up if any of my females are too aggressive for sorority life, but I will probably use it for a male if I have no issues with my females. I've also been brainstorming some names already for females! I really like the name Stella, haha. I'm trying to compile a big list of names to choose from ATM. I'm pretty picky with names, usually. Hopefully my new tanks will cycle quickly and I won't have to keep the girls in one gallon tanks for long..

Here's some more names I have saved in my notes on my phone!
Soul
Echo
Stella
Olivia
Tigress
Adelina
Naminè
Phoebe

Stella is my favorite so far


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Maybe hold the pellets until he's right at the surface then drop them right in front of him? I do that for Mine to male sure they eat. Sorry to hear DaBaDee had something so bad, but I'm glad he's doing a bit better


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

DaBaDee is doing much better today and I FINALLY got Bahari to eat something!!! I dropped them right in front of him and he ignored them... The first one sank, but then I gave him another one and he actually ate it after a minute or so! I was so excited that I gave him ANOTHER and he are that too! When I woke up he was siting and the top not moving at all... I tested the water. 0 ammonia and nitrites, 5 nitrates... Maybe there was an ammonia or nitrite spike I didn't catch? I hope he keeps doing better.

I am SO incredibly excited!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've realized that Bahari is blind.

He eats fine when I help him find his food. He no longer follows my finger and he runs face first into tank decorations. He reacts to light and movement, though. He is lethargic and listless when I am not actively doing something with him usually. When he does swim around, he just keeps running into decorations and the walls of the tank. I haven't moved any decorations and he still is able to find his plants OK. He likes to sleep in the plant I have in the back corner. That is usually where he's at when I wake him up.

I've PMed both Sakura and OFL trying to figure out what may have caused this... I also PMed DramaQueen because Sakura told me she also has a blind Betta.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

=O I'm so sorry to hear that! Hopefully they'll have some tips for the little guy, though I'd imagine a good idea would be to remove anything really hard and replace it all with silk and real plant so he'd be less likely to get open sores or tear off scales. Poor Bahari...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I don't want to move any of his decorations. He's had them all since I got them and I would like him to get used to where they are. Plus, he seems to like hanging out in his coral cave. He also seems to be learning where it is placed at. He'll dart towards it, then slow down once he gets near it and gently tap it instead of running full force into it. I think he can still somewhat sense light... Maybe that's why he chills in his cave at times? Most of the time when he's at the bottom he is near that cave.

DaBaDee is acting better today. No more floating or flashing. He's searching through the gravel a lot. I think he may have missed it... He didn't have any in his one gallon tank and had trouble getting to it since he was floating uncontrollably. He looks like he's having fun swimming all around the bottom of the tank. Huge improvement from hiding in his squidward house to prevent himself from floating back up to the top!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

=) Sounds like they're doing better, that's great! =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I am so excited 
I posted a new thread in Betta Pictures of Bahari's color change but I'll post it here, too. I'm also thinking about making a new blind Betta journal specifically for him.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

He's changed lots =) And is still so pretty! I made a new thread in Betta PIctures too about my two new additions. Been a long tiring day ><


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Two new ones besides Kalec and Seiya? I have got to check it out


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I saw a post today in the classifieds of a member selling some cherry red shrimp and got to thinking... I think it'd be good to get Bahari a tankmate. I don't believe he would eat a shrimp... He can't even pinpoint his food most of the time! However, since he doesn't react to sight, I have to use water movement and vibrations to stimulate him...

He was VERY aggressive when I got him but not so much anymore. He's still curious but seems bored/under stimulated. Idk, just a thought..


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Hmmm...I wonder if he'd hone in faster on shrimp though because anything in water that's a live vibrates. I'm pretty sure betta's also have lateral lines....but dont quote me on that. But yea, doubt he'd try to eat it more than once, but I imagine he might attempt, since his mouth is initially his hands and taste is now his only way to determine if its food or not. Like most shark attacks, murky water makes it hard to see, so they try a bite to see if it's food or not.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

After his recent attack on the skewer, I've decided against shrimp... He would no doubt kill it if he found it. Still aggressive. I've made a new journal specifically for Bahari, though.

DaBaDee still has me worried, though. He hasn't had any more buoyancy issues but he's still not quite acting normal. I've never had any issues with him not eating but he's still acting a little twitchy and he usually just watches me at the front of his tank. I just hate having to put him in a one gallon for treatment but I don't know if retreating him is even a good idea. His tank is still cycled but I can't figure out if Epsom salt affects the results of the ammonia test. It shows that the ammonia is 0 but makes the test tube cloudy. I'm thinking about just getting rid of the salts and seeing if anything changes.

Today he was hanging out in his squidward house again which is normal. I didn't notice anything wrong until he started flashing and floating and he's done neither since I treated him with the Parasite Clear. He isn't sleeping as much as he was before, either. Every time I approach the tank he's up at the front to watch me again. I am kind of at a loss with what to do with him... And I've been spending a lot of time paying attention to Bahari since he went blind.

My three new females from Mo will be here Tuesday I think. I can't wait to get the sorority established!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Taking him off the salts shouldn't hurt. He may just be having a mood change. Is he an older fish? 

And what exactly is 'flashing' anyways?

I'm glad Bahari's doing good =) Maybe a snail for him? After the first day Seiya and Kalec didnt bother their nerite buddies.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've had him for about a year and got him from Walmart so who knows how old he was when I got him. He hasn't always been in the greatest conditions, though :/ his life span has likely shortened.
Flashing is when they dart around and quickly rub against tank ornaments.
I guess I could try a snail.. I'll wait for his tank to cycle first.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yea, apparently snails dont like non-cycled stuff. Well, if his life has been shortened, you're still doing your best for him =) Just keep him company and keep an eye on him.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He's doing even better now and is exploring more 

Anyways, sorority tank, anyone?









The hood is broke and only one light works  all silk plants, 10 gallon... Getting ready to bring my girls home. The three I've ordered each have separate one gallon temporary tanks which I will float in the 10 gallon. Whoop


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Squee~ it looks so pretty! I'll have to show you mine once it's set up. ^^ 

What kind of girls are you getting? Do you have pictures?

And I'm glad he's feeling lots better ^^


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, yes, of course 

These are the three females I ordered from Mo:





























I was thinking of names already, of course  maybe Okami or Tigress for the first one, Lotus for the second and Winter or Stella for the third. Of course I won't decide until I meet them 
I also will probably order my last two or three from Chard56. I haven't gotten the first three yet and really should wait for my filter to cycle, lol. Mo had the second two on sale as he is trying to make room for his 4 new spawns! Couldn't say no 

I love sororities and sorority set ups. You will definitely have to share yours!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I like them all! Tho prefer Stella for the last. Very nice ladies ;]


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you  I love the name Stella its my favorite out of the long list I compiled lol. I also think the last one is my favorite looking.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I should get my three females tomorrow  Got the three one gallon temporary tanks ready floating in the bigger tank for warmth, each complete with a midground plant and the taller plants in the ten gallon wedged in between so they have a bit of cover from each other but can still kind of see their future roommates.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

That's a great idea =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I went to petsmart and menards today... I got:
A fluorescent aquarium hood
Aquarium safe silicone
Light timers
Flourish for future plants
A filter sponge to baffle the 10gal filter (hopefully)

Now I can make my own decorations and start planning for live plants


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yay!! =D Sounds like a ton of fun?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So my fish came in the mail today but no one was home to sign for them at the time  my mom took the notice and didn't tell me the package was at te post office because she "didn't know it was mine" WHAT THE HECK MOM YOU KNEW I WAS GETTING MY FISH WHO ELSE ORDERS STUFF ONLINE?!!!!???? So I'll be at the post office at 8:30 am when they open to get them and I have school at 9:40 -_- I'm so worried about them and I have to work tomorrow so I won't have a lot of time for them until after work and school ugh.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

So long as they're inside they should be alright...I'm so sorry >.< I hope they'll be okay!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I've got them. They're all alive and safe and sound floating in my ten gallon (still in the water from the bag) for warmth right now. I wish I had more time to acclimate them but I had to leave for school this morning so I only had time to move two to plastic cups and add a few drops of new water to at least get started on the acclimation...
I'll be moving the third to her cup when I get out of school for lunch in about 20 minutes and will further acclimate them. The larger one (the red and white female) seems a little more stressed out than the other two. The little ones are so cute and were greeting me and waving their big pectorals at me before I even got them out of the bag 

However, the white and red/white ones have a little fin damage and the pink one was quite pale, I almost could tell the two apart. She seems to be the spunkiest right now, though.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm glad they're okay! =D Stress is to be expected, even the fin dmg. But i'm sure they'll heal quickly and they'll be fine. Grats!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I love them already  I am so glad I have this weekend off and I got DaBaDees and Bahari's water changes done last night


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

You should try to take a video of them! I wanna see pics~ i'm so excited for you!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Trust me, I will  but I probably won't have time tonight


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Some pictures I took last night right after I finished acclimating them and moved them to their one gallon tanks...

















This is the pink HMPK. She was still a bit pale... I checked on them this morning though and she now has a bit more color. She is the hardest to get pictures of. The tank lights come on by themselves in a little bit so I will get more pictures later today.

















This is the red dragon HM waving at me  She has a bit of fin damage :/ But she is active and she follows my fingers. She has some stress coat in her one gallon and is now in warm water so hopefully her fins will improve quickly and she'll color up a bit more. I think she looks even more like an Okami now that I've seen her in person 

















She is definitely the most photogenic of the bunch, but she also has a little bit of fin damage. Her one gallon is in the middle of the three tanks so she can see both of the other girls, and she did quite a bit of flaring and trying to get to the other two. I put some plants in between all of the one gallon tanks to block the view in places but I still left a few areas where they could see each other. No excessive flaring, though. They each tried to get to the others a bit but didn't do it constantly. The first time I saw a picture of her I thought she looked like a Stella. Now I think it's a really great name for her because she is so photogenic  but I will probably hold off on naming them for awhile, just to be sure....

All three are very active and they all were at the front of their tanks to greet me this morning, despite the fact that they're a little pale from shipping and the two have some fin damage. I love them


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Aww~ they're all so cute though! I'm so happy for you that they survived the trip! And super jealous too xD I want my girls for my tank too! And they look just so tiny right now! Do you know how old they are?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Ummm... Haha, I know Mo told me their age but I forgot so I will look for the message. I know that the red dragon was considerably older... But in the pictures Mo had they didn't look so small. I was surprised at how tiny they are! (This isn't Mo's fault, either. I've never had such a young betta before so I didn't know how tiny they would be.)
My filters need to hurry up and cycle because I'm getting my other 2-3 (probably 3) females from Chard56. I'm wondering if those females won't get so beat up during shipping because Chard56 lives a lot closer to me. These three girls went from Texas to Nebraska. Chard lives in Missouri. I've already talked to him and he said to just send him a message when I'm ready.

On a side note... I'm glad I was able to get them yesterday. Snow is covering the ground right now but it actually rained the past few days because it was warmer out.. Then last night it got cold again and the wind really picked up and today it's super windy and freezing, which means that all that stupid rain turned to ice >:/


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

^^ We finally got our big dump up here. There's like a foot and a half of snow out there right now, but I hope weather gets better for my trip up-province for my girls. 

Mine will all be 3 months and a week >.> So small. Like maybe an inch long I think. So...your girls may be pretty young.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

> I think they are 3-4 months old now and the Red Dragon is about 5-6 months..


They are soo tiny. It's crazy to think that the little two will be the same size as the red dragon in two months 0.0


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

They grow fast =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

They are so tiny and cute right now  but don't worry, I'm not one of those people who walk into a rescue shelter to get a kitten because IT HAS TO BE A KITTEN AND WE REFUSE TO GET AN ADULT CAT CAUSE THEY AREN'T TINY AND CUTE. I volunteer at a cat shelter and got I just want to punch everyone in the face for that crap. A while back we had a lady and her daughter come in and they wanted a tiny kitten that was female. They settled on getting the ONLY small female kitten that the shelter had at the time before they even saw her.

That just ticks me off. But of course, those are cats and these are fish and I didn't get to meet my fish before I ordered them, so... anyways...

These three are feisty. The white EE is always trying to get at the other two girls and the red dragon doesn't really try to get to the other girls but she goes nuts when I hold a light in front of the tank, lol. The pink HMPK is pretty laid back and doesn't really try to attack anything or anyone, but all three are super active and are eating well. Hopefully I can get a good picture of the HMPK today.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sounds like they'll be real good once they settle who gets what part of the tank ^^

I totally get that about people and cats. A friend at work has three long-haired kittens she's trying to re-home, and another person from work said she'd take them. But just before she got them she found out they were long-haired and got all upset because she didn't want long-haired but had gotten rid of her older cat just for the kittens. Srsly wrong. 

I think every one of my fish have wormed their way into my heart except Sylvannas....she's still cold to me ;-; But she's also a very different personality. Calm. Delicate. Dainty. 

I wonder how your girls will handle the new three later on.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well, I got 6 cups from the deli to quarantine them after I get the other three... All are completely see through and are 32oz (1/4 gallon). These will be their temporary homes for two weeks before I add them all to the ten gallon, since I need to QT the other three for 2 weeks and don't have room to float 6 one gallon tanks...

I may just QT the new three in the cups for a week though in my 4 gallon tank and then put these three in the cups, so that they can all see each other for at least a week and I can monitor their reactions to each other. I just don't have 6 forground plants to add to the cups so I think I'll keep them empty...

I wanted some plants and cover from each other in the one gallon tanks since they may be there for a month or longer. I'm not really sure how much longer it will take for the filter to cycle.. But hopefully they will be okay for a week seeing each other with no plants to hide in.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I srsly hopemy tank doesnt take longer than teh rest of this month to cycle. When did you start yours?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Hmmm.... Middle of december sometime. I don't remember the exact date, lol. But I'm sure I could find an approximate date if I looked around at my posts


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Thats crazy lol, I'd think it ought to be cycled or close to now


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

It's still in the stage where I'm seeing some nitrites and semi-high ammonia. Which reminds me, I have to check it again today... I write all my results down and was so busy last week that I tested on friday and then didn't test again until thursday... And It was still at 1ppm ammonia, .5 nitrites and 10 nitrates. There was probably a subtle change in color but other than that it didn't really change much in 6 days and I added more ammonia yesterday.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I should test mine >.<


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I WAS doing good testing daily but then I started slacking a bit 

Here's a video of my girls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8fwlDV5yQ8&list=UU6bb4pzNWwTDOH_71BKuF-Q&index=1


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Aww~ they look real good =D Probably can't wait to get into the actual tank ^^


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, they are all REALLY active despite some color loss and fin damage. The dragon has the worst of it. A chunk of her caudal fin is missing and the bottom part is split. But, she is the most responsive to me. They all usually come to the front of the tank to greet me but she will follow my finger around and stuff. The pink girl seems to be the most shy... The other two are pretty feisty so I wonder how they will do in the sorority. If anything, the red one might be the one I'll have to move to the four gallon back up tank. She definitely HATES when I hold up a light to the tank and try to get pictures of them. She moves around so fast trying to attack that light that I couldn't get a picture of her if I tried  And the lids on the one gallon kind of make the pictures funky colored... There is a blue, purple, and green lid which changes the color of the lighting.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Lol, pics will be easier once they get to mingle and calm down =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Now at times they will try to get at each other but it only last two seconds and then they get bored and swim off, lol.

Water changes for my girls are super easy. It took me like 5 minutes. I just removed 1/4 of a gallon from each tank and refilled 1/4 of a gallon directly from the water in the ten gallon, then just added more to the ten gallon... This way I don't have to worry about getting the temp exact or doing it three different times. The one gallons are probably only filled to 3/4 of a gallon anyways... I didn't want to overfill them because they would tip over. Right now I have no problems with any of them tipping over even though they aren't secured to the tank... Although it is difficult to take an entire tank out without tipping the other two, so I think I will stick with daily PWCs instead of doing 100%s... I use a gravel vac and the tanks are bare bottomed.

It's also hard to attach the tanks to the side of the 10 gallon with the lids on.. I don't want to take them off and risk one of them jumping into another's tank. But I do find it difficult to open the flip lids on those critter keepers so I have them all shut but not latched, and the 10 gallon hood keeps them from being able to push the lids open.

But anyways, all three handled their first PWC very well. They are all super spunky and the red dragon and EE's caudal fins are looking better.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

All great news =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Side note: I'm getting irritated with people asking me when I'm going to release all my girls into the same tank. It's the same people over and over again, and I'm getting tired of explaining that they need to be QTed first and I need more girls.

If you can't appreciate one fish then you sure as hell don't deserve to appreciate seeing more than one fish interacting with each other in one big tank. That's the problem with people and bettas, and with Betta fighting as entertainment and all that horrible crap people do. Fish are like any other kind of pet. They all have their own personalities. They don't need to be in a community tank to be interesting. It's so irritating. I hate when people don't care about my fish just because they are in a tank with no tankmates. Learn some appreciation for life, just.... Seriously. It's ridiculous.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Cheers to that, I totally get it.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I've decided to give my girls names... I wanted something to call them. I can always change them later if I want, right? I don't think they would be TOO offended 

Lotus
















Colors are showing much better  She's got a nice iridescence.

Okami
















Her fins are still a bit beat up but she's so cute. She always peeks out from behind those plants every time I approach the tank!

Stella
















She's the fiesty one. Fins are looking better already. She is never hiding. The other two quite enjoy their plants but Stella acts like she doesn't even have one  She is always trying to catch somebody's attention.

EDIT: Oh, yes. More pictures here.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I really need to find a way to keep these critter keepers from tipping over. The lids make it near impossible to clip them to the side of the tank and the fact that they kind of tip over makes it so I can only fill them 3/4 full and it make water changes difficult -_-


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

What ab9ut a placement rack made out of craft mesh? Just cut the mesh big/long/wide enough to fit your tank (or tie pieces together with fishing line to make it fit) and cut holes for teh critter keepers.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, that's a good idea! I've never thought of that... Where do I get craft mesh, though? I only have a Walmart around here.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

IN the craft section of walmart you can find it, near the yarn and embroidery boards. And it's super cheap. Fishing line in sporting goods, or also in crafts (near the beads) nylon cord which works good too. 

Lol, I use it for my hammocksm, custom tank covers and the divider in the 10g ^^;

Hmm! You should find something that'll float the mesh tho, then you dont have to fit it to the tank, but it'll stay upright. Like...hmm...bah, go with balloons in sandwhich bags - or just air-filled sandwhich bags! Should be safer and low cost =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Maybe I could use fishing line to keep the craft mesh at a certain level by taping it to the sides of the tank and then kind of make a shelf of sorts to set them on. I need to keep them off the bottom of the tank since the heater is underneath them, otherwise I would just lower the water level lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

That would work too =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well I just pulled into the Walmart parking lot LOL


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The cheapest fishing line they have is called monofilament fishing line... Are they all made out of that? Are they all safe?


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yea, it doesnt have any additives. and it wont be in there when they're free swimming


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

It won't leach anything into the water?


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Nu...if it did, it wouldnt work in fishing I'd think. Fish would detect it.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

You think? Lol I don't think they'd really be too worried about the safety of those fish since they are jamming hooks into their lips. I was thinking more long term... I'd be afraid of it damaging fins if it was in the tanks with the fish but since it won't be... As long as it doesn't leach anything into the water. I use the current water in the 10 gallon to refill the tank water then I add the new water directly to the ten gallon they are floating in.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

It won't leech anything =) I'm positive. 

And monofilament is for typical river/lake fishing where fish generally hunt by sight or smell, so a line that leech's chemicals would be a no-no.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! What is craft mesh made out of, lol? They only had one kind there... But it was 18" long and the tank is 20" so at least I won't need to tie them together. I will need to cut it width wise...

Edit: like I know its plastic but I heard certain types are not safe...


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Just plastic s'far as I know. If yuo got plastic. The other kind is a sort of make-up of fabric and...possibly glue?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

It's plastic... Darice craft designer "ultra stiff plastic canvas". I usually check the recycling number but this doesn't have one on it.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

OKie, then it's simple plastic, nothing harmful


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okay, thank you! We'll see how this works out, lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

My only thought is the taping issue...after you set tanks on the mesh and line, the tape might not hld it...

Ah! You could set the mesh on four even glasses! And the tanks w/ water int hem will hold it down.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The tap won't be holding a lot of weight... And I tied fishing line to the mesh in 6 different places. I want it to keep it upright more than I want it to hold the weight. We'll see, though... With cups, I'd need like 2 for each I think. I don't know if each of the tanks would balance on one cup. But idk if electric tape will work... I have a bunch of duct tape but can't locate it at the moment LOL


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I think electrical will, and you can remove the sticky stuff after wth rubbing alcohol. Safe on teh tside


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Ooh! Plus, if I tape it to the edge of the tank... Well the edge is black and the tape is black, soo... Works out


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Very true =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well the tape doesn't hold super well and it looks pretty ghetto lol but I'll try duct tape when I find some and it works for now. I had to rearrange the plants in the middle of the tanks so they can now see each other a bit more and there's some more flaring... But it isn't constant so thats good. I might go back out to walmart tomorrow and get three ceramic mugs to place under the mesh as I think that might work better. Plus, I can get mugs at walmart for a dollar and we could really use some more since most of the ones we have had their handles broke off somehow 

I don't want to use any of the mugs we have since they all have soap residue on them.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Makes sense =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well I got three coffee mugs last night so I will try them out today. Also I did a rough sketch of Stella today in art.










I drew this in like ten minutes lol. I will draw some bigger more detailed ones later probably... I was thinking about tattoos. I will be 18 next month and I would love to get a (small) tattoo somewhere that can't be easily seen.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

D/aww~ 

I've been thinking about a betta pond sleeve - like koi, only small bettas and lotuses in a classic Japanese style =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My boyfriend wants a tattoo of a koi fish covering his back. He doesn't really take a huge interest in fish, though, haha. He's really into Japanese culture and some folklore that has to do with koi fish...

That being said, I'd like a tattoo of a Betta but I think I want a female, not a male. That, or like a tattoo of all my bettas. But I'm sure that would get huge as my collection grows  I'd also like a paw print somewhere.. I just really want some smaller simple things in black and white rather than anything too huge and flamboyant.

I really don't mind tattoos, on anybody, I just don't want to be covered in them lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I will warn you, getting inked more often than not becomes an addiction, especially if you fall in love with the outcome of your tats. I got one...then another...wasn't even done the third and fourth and wanted more....xD Though I'm trying to be very selective and dont want to be covered either ^^;


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah, I've heard, lol. I'm not exactly sure what my future career will be yet... And chances are, I'll go to college and be broke for quite some time, ha. I told my parents I refuse to go to a college that won't let me keep my fish. I will have to give up my dog and cats... My fish I will not part with, lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Lol, I woudnt be able to leave them either. I dunno what I wanna be. Have no secondary schooling, just high school diploma. I'm a good worker, but career...I wanna save the oceans. Thinking of a 'Art for Conservation' project where I make limited edition paintings/prints and by selling them I raise awareness of conservation issues a lot of people don't know about as well as funds from this project go directly to conservation groups.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

That sounds neat!
I don't really want something that will make me a ton of money as long as I get to help animals for the rest of my life..


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Exactly~ I could live in some tiny 'shack' near the coast and just work on art and be happy knowing i'm helping.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I love my girls  Okami's fins are healing nicely and all are doing well. Very active bunch  I tried some new black gold pellets, and fed the first one to Lotus. It was a bit big for her so I decided not to feed one to Stella but Okami is bigger and had no troubles eating it. It took Lotus awhile but she was determined on getting it eaten, lol.
Okami and Stella both viciously attack their pellets and do a little wiggle when they are chewing, haha. So cute 

DaBaDees spongebob pineapple house had some brown stuff on it and I took it out, scrubbed it. And realized it was rust from exposed metal. He looks like he's feeling a lot better now that I've removed it, changed the water and put a new carbon cartridge in the filter to remove the toxins from the rust. *sigh* I'll have to get a new decoration for him and it won't go along with his spongebob theme. I always wondered why he never seemed to like his spongebob house.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Ooooh, now I'm glad I didn't use the sponge bob stuff. Glad you caught that, for your betta and for future reference. Wow. 

I'm glad everyone's feeling okay =) 

Do you know when you're getting your new females?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm not sure... My cycle doesn't seem to be going anywhere so I seeded it a few minutes ago with some of the stuff I cut off the cartridge from DaBaDees tank. Since I added a new carbon cartridge and I couldn't fit to, I stripped the spongey stuff off the outside of the old cartridge to save my BB. I'm also talking to Chard56 right now... He's got an excess of dragons to sell, lol. He offered a good deal on 7 but I don't have that much room  I also have a red dragon already, but he's got some fire and snow dragons, too.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

OH MY GOODNESS! Okami flew across her one gallon QT tank earlier today (literally!) It was feeding time and I opened the lid on her tank to feed her and she jumped out, flew across the tank and landed in the water on the opposite side, LOL. She was either super excited or mad that I was invading her space, hahaha. It kind of scared me as I thought at first that she was trying to bite me (and that she might jump out of the tank completely). Hahahahahahahaha. What a personality she's got going for her, lol.

Anyways, I went to walmart earlier today because I wanted to get two more water siphons for my boys so that I wouldn't have to share one between all three tanks (and they only had one, of course. -_-) Anyways, there was a couple there buying fish. They asked for 7 fish from one of the tropical fish tanks and they had a freakin 3 gallon tank in their cart. I know the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule is total crap but they obviously didn't even follow THAT (At least most people believe that to be true). I also don't think they had a heater in their cart. I didn't want to like, stalk them or cause an angry outburst that would get me kicked out of the store so I just walked away, but when their fish all die within a day, maybe they will grow some brains and actually do some research instead of assuming that the walmart guy knows what they are doing (This lady was asking him if they would kill each other and he was like 'durrrr i guess not since they're all the same type of fish and they're all in the same tank'.) I should have said something but I'm pretty sure they would have ignored my advice anyways and either way it was a death sentence for the fish, because they would die in walmart sooner or later... Because, you know, the walmart associate must know everything there is to know about fishkeeping.

*faceroll*

Anyways, the one female betta that they had left last week is still there. I can't believe she's still alive. They moved her from the shelf the bettas are usually on, though, so these people were looking around for the bettas like herp derp where the bettas at. OMY that's a betta. *female, ignore*

The poor girl had stress stripes and fin rot. It looks like she'd be red if she were put in the proper conditions and colored up... I bet she'd be really pretty if properly cared for. Too bad I don't have space for her right now


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

DaBaDee was not looking good this morning. He's back in the one gallon hospital tank with epsoms and parasite clear for internal parasites. *sigh* he's getting worse, too. He wasn't too bloated this morning and now he looks like he swallowed a marble. I'm hoping he will poo soon. If not, I'll add more Epsoms tonight before I go to bed. His tank lights are off as well because he's pretty stressed about it. I also treated Bahari's entire tank because he's been having the same bloating and buoyancy issues and hasn't pooed for awhile and I'm pretty sure he's got them, but I didn't want to put him in a hospital tank because he is blind..


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

D= Oh noes....I'm so sorry to hear that hun. I hpe they'll be okay


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

DaBaDees got it worse. The epsoms and parasite clear worked like a charm last time, and I was cleaning the siphon with vinegar before doing water changes for my girls, but I just bought a new siphon last night for the boys so I don't have to worry about transferring anything. I hope I haven't accidentally got my girls sick, but so far they have no issues at all an since their one gallons are bare bottomed it makes it super easy to monitor poo.

Btw, I left to go to the cat shelter right after I posted this and just got back and DaBaDee had pooed while I was gone! Yay! It was normal colored and landed on the plant I put in his hospital tank so it was easy to suck out with a turkey bastor... He's still bouyant but the bloating has gone down! It looks like he's in the act of excreting some white poo now. I fed him a few more NLS pellets to help him pass the parasites. I just want him to get better  he's giving me the sad eyes again!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So DaBaDee is no longer buoyant, but I can't help but have this feeling that his swimming is "off". It's hard to explain, but it just seems off to me. He's currently going to the bathroom so I will give him his privacy for now and try to get a video of him later. For some reason I just have this feeling that his swimming is still strange even though he's no longer floating uncontrollably, and I've been wanting some opinions from others because I'm not sure if I'm just crazy, lol.

Anyways, I got a pretty good picture on my phone last night of Bahari's colors so I will post that here later, and on Bahari's personal journal  He looks different colored in certain lighting but he's really got this nice purple color that is hard to get pictures of. I also got some pictures of Okami's fins because they are healing quite nicely.









I feel bad for having so many more pictures of her than the others but she is the easiest to get pictures of. Stella is a little more photogenic but her size makes it difficult to get pictures and OKAMI IS JUST SO CUTE OMG I WANT TO SHRINK DOWN AND JUMP IN THE WATER WITH HER AND GIVE HER A BIG HUG AND WIGGLE DANCE WITH HER. Stella is a wiggler, too  ahhahaha


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear the boys are still a bit ill. If I find your thread with the vid I'll give what advice I can. 

Your lady's fin's seem to be doing much better though =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks  I love her <3

Bahari seems to be doing fine, now. DaBaDee is doing much better than he was Monday. I'll post the video here and send it to Sakura and Callistra... I always get better/faster answers (well, usually) when I PM them instead of making a new thread, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x09cuQlhUg&list=UU6bb4pzNWwTDOH_71BKuF-Q

I just find this strange... But what do you think?


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I think I see what you're seeing...a little like he's drunk? Or, well, buzzed and just not quite right?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

LOL, right? Callistra thinks the swimming is normal but that he has fin melt (I didn't know there was such a thing!) Poor guy  It seems the last 2 months in a bigger, heated, cycled 5 gallon hasn't helped his fins at all.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

But then what will help him? Isnt fin melt similar to finrot?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah, I guess so, lol. I haven't seen any white tips indicating re growth nor have I noticed his fins getting shorter. I know fin rot eats away at their fins. I'm so confused!! I am a terrible owner, poor guy


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

You're notca terrible owner, sometimes they are what they are.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just want him to feels better and spunky again


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

You're not a terrible owner, you're doing the best you can for your little buddies. I'm sure they're feelin' the love, even when they're not at their healthiest.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I know  its like I can see it in his eyes he's saying "help me" and I think he knows but he just wants to feel better. But even if I was a horrible owner I think they would still do the wiggle dance when I approached the tank because animals are like that... It makes me want to cry now thinking of all the abused/neglected animals that are loyal to their owners, still.

Anyways, he's in stress coat, now, and I'm getting some Vita Chem for his tail as Callistra suggested, similar to IAL. It's like vitamins that boost the immune system and act as a preventative, then I'll also order some Kanaplex with it to have on-hand (really, you can't be too prepared). The vita-chem will be very nice for my sorority since they are so delicate.

And on a side note, Okami jumped again today at dinnertime (can't remember if I already posted this, LOL) so cute <3


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

You're right, you can never be too prepared! He's in good hands.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks 
He went back into his main tank today.. I think his color is a little better and his poo is definitely normal. Yesterday he had two 25% water changes in his one gallon hospital tank and today I siphoned out about 3 gallons from his main tank trying to get all the DOCs out. It seems there's a lot of DOCs in DaBaDee's tank... Every water change, there is stuff floating around (part of this is slime mold that won't stay off of his decorations! D Bahari's tank is always pretty clean, though.

The girls will have another PWC today, too, although I just did one yesterday... I have to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday  so I wanted everything done today just in case I wouldn't have time this weekend. I've been doing water changes on the girls' tank at least every other day because I want their water to be super duper clean since they are in small, unfiltered tanks.. So I will have to find time Saturday, regardless.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Glad to hear he's well enough to be back in his main tank!
:-D

With the girls in their temporary tanks, if worst comes to worst, they should be okay for one extra day if you really don't have the time. Unfortunately life does get in the way and they have to wait juuuust a little longer. I'm sure they won't suffer for it. 

I've been getting that slime mold in two of my tanks too! It just won't push off, despite efforts to get rid of the stuff. Infuriating, isn't it?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Ugh, I hate slime mold!! D:

My girls temporary tanks are one gallons so I'm already changing more than the recommended amount (I do about 75% every other day and sometimes more often than that) so I don't think it will hurt them but I just don't like taking chances :/


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm dealing with..bacteria mold inm y cycling sorority tank ..< Glad I dont have teh fish yet, been a disaster.

Glad he's feeling better!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, my. That doesn't sound good... What in the world does that look like?


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Oh it's just cloudy as all.....[insert flavor of word here]. 

basically the cycle wasn't going anywhere, and I lost patience so dumped a jar of food in. Over night I had the bacterial bloom I wanted, hooray! Finally seeing some nitrites!.....but the food also clogged my filter beyond repair, and has grown a slimy mucus that floats about. So altogether the tank smells like a frog tank and the water is terribly cloudy. There's slime stuck to everything, and I'm on my third water change.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, boy. That doesn't sound fun :/ I've heard that some of those live nitrifying bacteria things work (in a bottle). I've heard good things about bio-spira but it was expensive when I saw it at petsmart!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I only have what my Walmart has as an option, and that's Nutrafin cycle. But you know, maybe I'll just do the frequent water changes with a fish-in cycle if this cycle crashed on me. The smell, gods, the smell!! Lesson learned =S


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol well I went with the pure ammonia method on my fishless cycle but it is taking forever. A lot of those live bacteria bottles don't work... I have only heard good things about bio-spira and some other one Callistra used... They don't have a long shelf life though and the bio-spira was in a huge bottle -_-


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Lol....I'm just gonna do fish-in. I already do water changes on schedule, so I'll just add more. I'll be fine. 'Sides, teh ladies are sisters and apparently the alpha already decided who she is xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah I didn't want to go that route with my sorority because fish-in cycles expose them to spikes that can happen within a matter of 8 hours so they are easy to miss... And sororities are obviously delicate and one sick girl can cause major devastation. I'm just getting impatient with this cycle.. If I were to fish in cycle my sorority I would definitely be doing water changes daily regardless of testing just to err on the side of caution.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'd be okay with doing a 25% every day. And I can test in the morning, at lunch, after work, before bed, repeat. Posted pics of my 'alpha' in my diary thread if you wanna see her =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I saw her, she's pretty!!! Very nice finnage for a female, too


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

That's what Sena said =D I can't wait to get them going! 

Are your girls free-swimming yet?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Nope, they are still in temporary tanks because I only have three. I know that three sometimes works but I will NOT take my chances, lol. I really wanted those stupid filters to cycle first :/ the one gallon tanks are much larger temporary tanks than most usually are and I haven't had them for a whole month, yet, either... I don't think the one gallons will hurt them in the least. When I get all 6 in the tank, they will each have a little under 2 gallons, technically, but it will be cycled and water changes will be easier.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Is true, and forgot that 3 is pretty risky.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah, I'll likely be getting 3 more dragon girls from Chard56 since he has an abundance of them. I do love Okami, haha 

Anyways, another random thing: my boyfriend thinks he's losing his hearing in his right ear and he's been an a-hole all day. His ear is ringing and he can't hear well out of it - it's been over a week. He's an "audiofile" (at least that's what he calls it) and he LOVES music, sound, anything that makes noise. He's wanting to be an audio engineer or an ear doctor (idk why lol) and he wants to learn to use a sound board. He also compulsively drums on everything, so naturally, he is not happy about not being able to hear out of one ear and he's super grumpy.

My mom is a nurse and I know she has an ear cleaning kit... So hopefully he's just got a lot of gunk in there or something and we will be able to fix it just by cleaning it because I'm a little tired of his attitude, LOL.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Fluid or gunk, one of the two. And yea, audiophile is the term. I'm not quite on the level of an audiophile in terms of music-gasms, but I totally understand the frustration. It's like having surround-sound headphones but one goes out so you only hear half of what you want, and the rest sounds super far away or you don't hear it at all. Hope he gets better too xD

I was looking at Chard's stuff too, he has some nice bettas


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He sure does  he's won lots of best in shows... I really don't want to go the route of ordering from Thailand and going through the transhipping crud. Plus, shipping is expensive especially when a fish could be in the mail for days. For DOAs (even if its uncommon) the fish is replaced but there's no refund on shipping, and I can imagine the water is crazy different in Thailand. He's a great American breeder who offers some great prices. He's got a lot of fish to choose from, too... I can't imagine there's any way in heck he could get pictures of them all.

He posted a few pictures of his dragon females in my profile. He said he'll be able to tell their colors in a couple weeks, so I think I'll wait until then because I'd like a little variety. I really don't want four red dragon females that look a lot alike, and I would like to see the different colors they turn out to be. He has red, fire, and snow dragons. The snow dragons are quite impressive. He also posted a picture of a male snow dragon on my profile.

I don't want to sound super picky but I would love a yellow or orange female. Idk why but they are just absolutely to die for, haha. And I also have to say that the dragon female I got from Mo is much more than I ever expected her to be. I think I may have fallen in love with dragon scales, haha


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Oh I totally understand wanting variation. Honestly, I'm on the edge about going the AB route, especially since Canada has only one transhipper that's on the otherside of the country from me. But I contacted him and got an estimation on shipping, so add that to my fish, I'm looking at $100-$150....so if I did get one from AB, I'd make real sure it's one I'd really, really love. So I'm keeping my eye out for a fun-colored HMPK koi or a rosetail mustard gas.

Otherwise, I don't have that many options. Not lots of breeders in the states ship outside of the states. So I need to find the breeders more local and see what they have. Since I'm getting two from logisticsguy's fancy HM X koi HM spawn, he may be who I get a 'special' fish for my future Chi tank, since I like the koi color variation. My last one though. xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I LOVE koi colors. I really like the ones that are similar to actual koi fish. Now THOSE I would not mind having 6 of for my sorority  and I don't want to be too picky... I know Chard has a loooot of dragon girls to sell (and no doubt, breeders like to sell their fish so they can breed more, lol) and I can get them for a ridiculously low price, but I think that having healthy girls who are fit for sorority life is more important than coloring.... But it's my first sorority so I should be allowed to be a little picky, yeah? Lol. I know that most breeders already keep the females in one large sorority, so its hard to go wrong with a breeder when looking for well socialized girls.

Edit: keep getting distracted, lol. I always forget you live in Canada. GRRR SHIPPING PRICES ! I can imagine that dealing with transhipping is far more complicated than I am willing to deal with, really, lol. Purchasing my girls from Texas was quick and extremely easy - my favorite, ha. (And $70 in total including shipping, for all three. Mo was very nice and gave me discounted prices on the two EEs.)


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yea that's a great deal. Omgosh, I'm trying to figure out all this business of simply shipping art prints across the border and Canada Postal services are making it waaay complicated -_-; 

A koi sorority would be awsm~ but I think I'll settle for one koi male/female in my chi tank. The fluval 5g petsmart sells...all fengshui and stuff. I think a koi betta in that would be poetry. Though with more decor and proper hiding, not just a bare tank with an amazon sword like int he picture =P


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okami's fins are getting worse. I noticed a hole in her fin today


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Ohhh, dear =( What do you have her on right now?


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Oh no! I hope she gets better soon.
:-(


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

She's in AQ salt and stress coat now.. That hole was not there before. I just noticed it when I got off work... The other fin damage was from shipping and was healing with just clean water and some stress coat. She's otherwise fine, super active. She jumps a lot, and HIGH. Makes water changes a little hard, lol. She always swims around the siphon and tries to get to my fingers, and she really likes swimming in the water as I'm pouring it back into the tank, lol. My other girls try to get as far away as possible.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well Okami is doing better and her fins are healing nicely... DaBaDee, however, is not doing so good. He's clamped, pale, lethargic, slow to respond, and of course, pooping white again the day after I take him off treatment because his poo was nothing but normal. At least he is still eating well and his buoyancy issues seem to come and go.. He's been sleeping a whole lot, so I've been keeping his tank lights off for most of the day. When I leave them on, he disappears into his cave or hides behind the filter to rest.

I'll hopefully have meds I can feed him soon... And since I've never had issues with his appetite, hopefully it will work better than the meds you add directly to the water. I know I won't have to fight with him to get him to eat. I think its the only reason he gets out of bed in the morning.


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## Saphira101 (Nov 14, 2012)

Good luck!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you!

I posted these pictures on the face behind the name thread so I figured I should post them here, too.









This one is incredibly old, but one of my favorites.









This one is more recent. I did experiments with self portraits on my new camera (well I guess it isn't really new anymore, lol).









And this is my boyfriend of two years since I reference him a lot and I also love his face. More experimenting with my camera, as well, ha.









Aaand this is a recent picture off my phone. It's unedited just so you can't say they were all edited.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Really cute photos! Squee! I'm gonna have to follow suit... 

Hope DaBaDee is doing better than when you last posted about him... :-/


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He's not looking good still, but he is alive and making some attempts to move around. He looks like a ghost.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Poor little guy... He's hangin' on though...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah he still looks horrible but he was a little more active today  woo!










Her fins look shorter in the second picture because of the angle. She was not cooperating, lol. But anyways, she's healing up quickly 

Edit: btw, before and after pictures from when I treated her for fin rot.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Prepare for pic spam. 












































































They are all in black and white because the stupid lids on the critter keepers make the pictures strange hues and I didn't have the patience to fix the color on all of them, lolol. I'm glad that Lotus has now developed enough color that I can tell her and Stella apart, even in B&W.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I'm at Walmart and apparently they just got a whole new stock in - tons of bettas. A few very pretty CTs and one white/pastel VT. All the females but one have no color... One pretty blue girl. There was also one girl who was giving me "the look" if you know what I mean, lol. But I have no adequate equipment for a new one right now and I'm really wanting to get all my fish from now on from a breeder... Walmart just makes me want them RIGHT NOW. Euurrgg!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, and... DaBaDee's still pale but his activity level keeps increasing and he's becoming more and more responsive.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Totally understand the 'right now' part. This week is taking forever cuz Saturday I get mine. 

I think sometimes after a bad shock or sickness their color can be off for a while. After trying to fish-in cycle Phy (my VT now dead - not cuz of the shock) was pale and even had a stress stripe for two weeks after he was back in his original tank. 

But energetic sounds very good to me =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I don't think he's cured... I should be getting meds I can feed to him soon. This will be much easier than the Parasite Clear (and much less harsh on him!)

I think there's a large combination if factors causing his color loss. One, the rusty decoration, two, the internal parasites and three, the medication I've been using. His energy came back (not 100%) after I did a water change to remove the meds since they didn't seem to be working. He doesn't have stress stripes... Actually, he's so pale that he's slightly transparent and appears to have virtical stripes. I can't get a good picture - its much easier to see when the light is behind him shining through him.

He was sleeping a lot, though, and I haven't seen him sleep today. He was actually up waiting for me before his tank lights turned on today! He comes to the front of the tank and kind of hovers in one spot watching me and occasionally wiggles around. After he pooped this morning, he was even better yet, but still pale. I can tell by the look he gave me at dinner time that he's feeling a little bit better.

Bahari is also having that floating issue but his comes with extreme bloat, usually at night, and disappears by morning and is back again at night. I'm confused because I haven't seen his poop for a long time and he got bloated again even though I didn't feed him today. I have a feeling he also has internal parasites but its difficult to tell when I never see his poo.

So, needless to say, I only got some pictures of my girls since my boys aren't in the best of shape... I feel like they haven't gotten enough attention since my boys are sick - besides Okami's slight fin rot that healed up quickly and easily.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh my god. Bahari looks like he's going to EXPLODE. His gills are moving rapidly and are wide open and he is swimming around strangely and rapidly. I added more Epsom salt but I can't stand to watch him. He's floating and can't stay upright!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

o.o Oh my! I hpe he calms down soon. Maybe you should look into some Indian Almond Leaves, I'm getting some for my tanks and little sick Kale. helps them de-stress and ups their immune system by making them less stressed. And being sick often would make anyone stressed.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm getting VitaChem sometime soon... I'd have to order IAL online, too. I think VitaChem and IAL have extremely similar effects. Also, the meds I can feed DaBaDee... I'm hoping they can help Bahari, too.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

If you canf ind blackwater extract it does the same...I ordered a bunch on AB. 100 for $15 free shipping, two-three week arrival, so..not a bad deal. And maybe you can get some with your new shipment of girls. Breeders usually have IAL and a few leaves to hold you over before you get some shouldn't be much.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Kanaplex , Metro and VitaChem have been ordered. Bahari and DaBaDee both have what I believe are bacterial infections. I'm also looking in to IAL... Technically, I am not old enough for an AquaBid account so I may have to make one under my moms name. I won't be 18 until February 27th  might need to look into getting Daphnia for Bahari's bloating and constipation issues. He looks better than last night but I still don't see any poo! Ugh.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I'm confused about AquaBid lol. I've never used it (or eBay) before, but I did use PayPal to order my fish. However, that was an eCheck from my moms bank account so it took a few days to process. Hopefully I can get my debit card info on the PayPal account with no issues. Would using a debit card to pay for it take as long?

Also, how do I proceed with the payment on AB after placing the buy it now thing? I saw two different sellers with the $15 free shipping on 100 leaves. Which did you use? The shipping is free even to the US? Any extra charges? Does the seller send you a PayPal email to send the money to and then you just send the $15 to them on PayPal like I did when I purchased my girls? Do you get shipping info on the IAL after you send the payment? Lol, I'm completely a noob at this.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Basically you add your bank info congruent to your debit card to Paypal, that takes a few business days to set up. Then when you bid/buy out the sale on AB, you contact the seller with the bid as the title of the email and ask them how much total costs will be. They reply, with paypal email address, then you just pay them from your paypal. When they recieve the payment (should be automatic) they'll reply and let you know when it will ship out.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Which seller did you use? How do you know if there will be extra costs or did you just pay the $15? And can I add my debit card, the bank account info is on there already... I was wondering if the debit card would be faster.

Also, for small leaves, how much do you use per gallon? When do you replace them? I have two five gallon tanks, a four gallon, a ten gallon and the three one gallons... I have no idea how many leaves to add, lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

What I'm going to do is do one full leaf for my 10gallon, maybe two or three from my 29. For the other tanks I might add only half or a third of a leaf. From what I've read you can change them out in a week, or wait until they get slimey. 

You should be able to add your debit card easy enough (checking acount dealio), I'm not sure if it'll take time to register it or not. 

I went through Tantora.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks. I was looking at Tantora... The seller has nothing but positive feedback. I might ask OFL if its possible to "overdose" or what the best/easiest way to dose it would be, especially for my one gallon tanks.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

When you get ana answer let me know, I'm doing guess work on dosage per tank.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, I asked her a few questions, about dosage, pH fluctuations, the best way to dose, how long to wait until changing th leaves, etc, etc... I am always full of questions  I am slightly worried about doing water changes if the IAL will affect the pH a lot (because the pH in the tank would be lower than the pH of my tap D=)

I'll let you know what she says


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks! That's been my only concern too, the pH and how much it'll change...D=


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Idk, I'm thinking the benefits will outweigh that issue. OFL will likely know how to deal with it. She is the IAL queen, lol.

My shipment is expected to be here by next Tuesday (the VitaChem, Kanaplex and Metro). I'm also planning to get my live plants before completely setting up my sorority. I want the water parameters to be no less than perfect and the plants will help. Hopefully I can keep them alive, haha  I think I have it set up... Anubias Barteri, java fern windelove, java moss, water sprite, hornwort, Val's and umm... I can't remember if that's all, lol? Also shipping and a heat pack. It will be about $40.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Thats not bad at all. I kinda wish I would've started the sorority tank months ago so my cycle would be established, but I'll just have to stay on top of water changes. Cant wait to see your girls free swimming tho!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Me either, lol! I'm too excited 

So, I have some good news, and some bad...

Good news is, I just vacuumed Bahari's tank and found some poo hiding in the gravel (and he's not bloated or floating anymore)!

Bad news is, when I went to do my water changes today, I noticed that all three of my tanks were at 77 degrees and not the usual 79, and Okami was acting a little more lethargic than usual and had some color loss. I figured that the room temp was cooler than usual and that maybe they didn't sleep well last night since my boyfriend got up in the middle of the night and had a light on in the room.
BUT, he neglected to tell me that while I was at school, the power went out for almost TWO HOURS!!! He was like, "well why does it matter, you weren't here." It matters because my FISH WERE HERE!!! So their water temp probably dropped even lower than 77 and now its warming back up. ARGH! I wish I would have been here to wrap their tanks with towels or at least known about it sooner. -_-


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Oooo.....not so good....They should be okay once it warms to normal again. But a sudden power outtage would do it =( Hpe they'll be kay soon.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okami is the only one who looks like that. DaBaDee is a little buoyant ATM and is still pale but he doesn't look worse than he did yesterday. Bahari looks better... No bloating or buoyancy. The other two girls look fine and are acting fine but they are the only two NOT being treated for something. Okami is in AQ salt, Bahari and DaBaDee are in epsoms in small amounts.

Which reminds me, my mom called and told me I had a package?! I have to go get it... It must be the general cure for DaBaDee from Callistra (I told her I'd pay for it but I didn't even know she shipped it!!!) I can't think of what else it could be. It's definitely not my metro, Kanaplex and VitaChem because that was ordered yesterday and hasn't shipped yet. Hopefully she won't be stubborn and not let me pay for it (don't get me wrong though, I appreciate it a bunch!!!! But would feel bad if I didn't pay for it and shipping)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

> if you are using them just for a tonic or long term for tannins-add 1-3 per tank or half of one-since they are natural you can't overdose-you tan the water to your taste. Use them whole or crush up and remove as they start to break down or if you have lots of live plants leave them to break down-doesn't really matter.
> You will need to have your replacement water pre tanned so you don't have any sudden extreme chemistry changes when you make water changes.


-OldFishLady


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okami has raised scales on just her face today. Posted a new thread 

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?p=1415053#post1415053


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the info, I'll ahve to start using my clean water bucket to make pre-ready water. But that makes sense. 

I'm sorry about Okami hun =(


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Oh no... I'm sorry about Okami... 
:-(


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

She looks worse today. Her head makes her look like a porcupine and she's not moving much at all. Extreme color loss and lethargy. I don't know what it is... I'm increasing the amount of AQ salt for now and I'll increase the temp because Sakura thinks it may be either external parasites or a bacterial infection. The estimated arrival date of my Kanaplex and metro is Wednesday but I don't know if she'll make it that long.

Also, I just found out today that I will have to move all of my tanks to my house from my boyfriends. I don't know how that will work out. I'm assuming this problem was due to the temperature drop from when the power went out and its still cold outside so there will probably be some temp fluctuations when I move them. I also have to figure out exactly where I will put my tanks in my room. My brothers ten gallon is in my room. I think I'll be able to fit three tanks on my desk and one on my dresser but I'll have to find another spot for my brothers tank.
Pretty much all my other equipment is already in boxes. I organized it all to save room and make space and get it all nice looking and whatnot.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Just checked on her again.....

It's dropsy.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm so sorry Ayala...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks. :/ I'm trying to get some help with burying her. I can deal with live fish... Dead ones are a completely different story.
DaBaDee and Bahari are both having buoyancy issues again, too. :|

I've also had to clean up my room and make space for all four of my tanks. I also need to find a place for my brothers tank which is currently in my room. This is what I have so far.








That is where I'm planning on putting my two five gallons, my ten gallon and my four gallon. The blue circled spots are where I am going to store my equipment and the buckets and stuff will go under the desk. I went out and bought that black storage bin with three shelves yesterday. It fits under there just perfectly.

This is officially the worst weekend ever. Not only was I kicked out of my fish room yesterday, but Okami also passed away last night... I'm pretty sure I'm going in to a severe depression. This is way too many changes... And I'm not good with change. The smallest things are making me cry and I have the worst headache ever that no amount of pain pills seem to help.

On top of that, I have a paper due on Tuesday for college English that I haven't even started. I was planning on it this weekend but its not happening, now. I need to pass this stupid class to graduate. I just don't feel like doing anything. I need to do my water changes, at least for my girls... And I probably also need to get some Epsom salt into DaBaDee and Bahari's tanks. I just don't want to get up anymore.

Sleep sounds amazing. But my fish need to come first and I really need to take care of Okami's body. I could also use something to eat since I don't think I ate anything today. I had some coffee and a piece of Espresso cheesecake. Not even hungry. But I'm so weak I don't even want to stand. :/


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, and also, I just found out that the power outage was a "scheduled maintenance" thing. Apparently we didn't get the memo because the home phone was turned off like a week or so ago.

Screw you, NPPD.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

A little excited...
We are going to keep my brother's fish tank in my room, so I will have five beautiful tanks to look at! (Well, sort of. My brother's tank isn't actually that pretty. I gave him a few plants to put in there but he is less than concerned about it.) He's going to be at my house for another two months or so. They found a house to rent, but it needs to be painted and junk so it will be awhile until they are able to move in.

He put his mini fridge in my room for now. It's on the opposite side of the room from the window so you can't see it in the picture. It was next to my TV but I set my TV on the floor so that I could use the black box it was on for one of my tanks (the one next to my bed). We were able to move our old microwave stand into my room where the TV was at, and I moved my TV on top of his mini fridge. The microwave stand has a drawer underneath it and a good place to hide his bubble and stuff. I was able to fit all his stuff for his tank in that drawer. I will have a hard time explaining it without a picture, lol.



Excuse my complete and utter excitement about where my tanks are going to go. I'm a super organized person (obviously) and I am* absolutely thrilled* that everything is working out well and I've been able to find places to fit all of my equipment so that it looks nice and isn't laying all over the place.

I haven't moved any of my tanks yet, but I am thinking that they will all need to be moved by tomorrow or wednesday since I have to work Thursday-Sunday and I'm supposed to have all my tanks out of my boyfriend's basement by Friday. I have to get my brother's tank out of my way, first, anyways, and he doesn't act like he really wants to help with that. Looks like my dad and my friend will have to help me. Thank god both of them are much stronger than I am, lol.



My friend and I removed Okami from her tank and placed her in a homemade coffin (well, actually, he did it because I couldn't stand to look at her). We haven't been able to bury her because the ground is semi frozen, but it's supposed to warm up more tomorrow, and my dad said he would help me.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm glad you get to put her to proper rest. -hugs-

And new arrangements are always exciting, sounds like a lovely set-up you have planned =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

LOL I drew a picture for you! 

I put a cool little set up on the shelf there. I have two picture frames with my dog, Sophie, who we put to sleep when I was 12, and her ashes in the middle. That shelf doesn't have a back to it so I will be able to set my brother's bubbler thing for his tank behind it. It is bothering me right now because it's sitting out in plain sight.

I also have a Super Nintendo on the floor next to the fridge xD


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sounds awsm to me =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My brother finally moved his ten gallon tank for me. He moved it while it was still half full 0_0 I tried to convince him to move more water and I would refill it but he wouldn't listen.

He stirred up the gravel looking for his loaches because he was scared he may have killed one since he accidentally pressed the siphon into the gravel without thinking and they hide in the gravel. They're both still alive but the water was SO cloudy because the gravel is dirty! It will settle eventually. He scooped up the big floating debris at least with his net and I was able to kind of clean his decor and got him to add the three plastic plants I gave him so it looks a little more appealing. He also never fills the tank fully because he's lazy, so I filled it for him because the sound of the filter splashing was driving me nuts and the tank is in my room. I can't convince him to actually clean his tank and I don't know how to catch his loaches. -_-

I decorated his mini fridge in my room with magnets, lol.

It's supposed to be like 50 degrees out tomorrow. Hopefully I can get my tanks moved. I bought a 5 gallon bucket today and two one quart jars to move DaBaDee and Bahari. Also got a little measuring glass that measures 6 tsps or 2 tablespoons for my meds AND I got tweezers to attempt to feed Bahari. I got new bed sheets, covered my window with an old one (one of them is ripped down the middle) and I got another power strip for my brothers tank.

We have yet to bury Okami :/ my dad left today and he said he would help me with her burial.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sorry to hear the burial's post-poned...

But I'm glad other things are looking up =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

We buried Okami yesterday and got all of my tanks moved to my room. It didn't end up working out how I had planned it. I have tanks literally scattered throughout my room. It looks kind of random but very cool when the tanks are illuminating the room.

I was able to find places for all of my equipment and I didn't even use all the shelves I cleared off. My room is a lot smaller than their previous room and I have an extra tank, but I don't really do his water changes for him. I know his tank is cycled, but his fish aren't my responsibility. I do water changes when I'm bored, though, lol.

I think they are all confused about the change of scenery (besides Bahari, ha). I also got my metro, Kanaplex, and VitaChem yesterday. They all have VitaChem in their tanks, now.

Since I only have two girls, now, I'm tempted to divide the ten gallon to give them more space. I don't know when I will get my live plants and other girls... I'm almost scared to put my current girls in a sorority for fear of sickness or fighting since I lost Okami so suddenly. I do think Stella and Lotus may have some better genetic backgrounds. I'm not sure that Okami came from any of Mo's spawns... I feel a little overwhelmed right now with school and work and a planted sorority isn't going to help... It doesn't help that my filters have been making no progress cycling.

If I don't get my new girls and my plants soon, I don't want to leave my current girls in those little one gallon tanks. I guess I'm just scared something will go wrong and I will lose another one :/


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

I hope that everything gets better for you soon and that stress levels get lower!

You should do whatever you think is best for your girls. If you don't like leaving them in their one gallon tanks, you could move them into a divided tank, and then decide what you want to do once your other girls arrive?

Best of luck with everything though, sounds like you're going through a pretty tough time.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you. I made this in my graphic design class yesterday for Okami.










I'm a little scared to divide the tank, but I really don't want to leave them in those little one gallons. Idk. Also thinking about going back to my old job, because this one combined with school is just way too stressful. -_-


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

http://www.change.org/petitions/penn-plax-stop-making-aquarium-decorations-that-contain-metal

Petition needs signatures! ^

I'm laying in bed and my brothers HOB filter running is kind of relaxing. It's not too loud but it does drown out the vibrating sound from Bahari's filter, lol. Random facts...


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

BAM! Signed. XD

Also got le boyfraaaan to sign. ^.^


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Gah, can't edit my post again! Well that sucks. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I've shared the link to your petition on Facebook. I'm not too sure if anyone will actually sign it, but it's out there to a bunch more people at least.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Signed!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks, guys  I'm in my graphic design class right now...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

And still.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I went out to KFC (my old job) today and talk to Chet (the manager) and I'm gonna start working there again after March 6. I'm putting in my two weeks at my current job tomorrow. I'm pretty happy. I work at a nursing home and it pays better but I'm just miserable there. It just doesn't fit my personality at all.

I like to think Chet and I are pretty close. When I left in June, he said he would rehire me any time if I needed to come back. He wasn't kidding. He also said he'd hire my boyfriend, who has had a hard time finding a job since his work history isn't too impressive. Hopefully he'll stick to it and get a good reference this time for future jobs. I won't start til after March 6 because I am putting in my 2 weeks resignation and I want Febuary 27-March 5 off for my birthday. My birthday is the 27th and spring break is the 28th-5th. I'll be 18 and its been awhile since I've had a vacation or done anything for my birthday. It's a KFC/Taco Bell and they just got Baja Mountain Dew today and its AMAZING lol. + free pop and food. 

I like the small family we have at KFC. It's much better for me than the 450+ employees at the nursing home/hospital/other facilities that are all one organization. I don't know hardly any of the employees there and I still know almost all of the employees at KFC. Plus, my current manager treats me like I'm an ant and am insignificant because I'm at the bottom of the ladder. I just don't like being treated like that.


I'll be going to the cat shelter to volunteer in an hour then after will do DaBaDee and Bahari's water changes. I've worked out a schedule.
Monday - DaBaDee & Bahari
Tuesday - the girls
Wednesday - my brothers tank (someone has to)
Thursday - the girls
Friday - DaBaDee & Bahari
Saturday - the girls (plus a different type of pellet to switch things up)
Sunday - the girls (and freeze dried BW treats)

The girls need a water change every other day at least, Bahari needs twice a week, and my brothers tank is fully cycled (and I think DaBaDee's is too, but I like to be on the safe side).

Doing tests on my cycling tank + Bahari + DaBaDees tank takes so long, lol. I think I need to get another test kit so I can test the cycling tank for Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and DaBaDee and Bahari's tank for ammonia and nitrite at the same time xD I always set a timer for 5 minutes on my phone then have to add another 3 since the nitrate test takes longer and I do all the shaking bottles and stuff while the other tests are developing.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I went to my current job to put in my two weeks and my supervisor wasn't even there -_- I left a note because I don't want to be working on my birthday and its 2 weeks from tomorrow. If she's gone again tomorrow, I won't be able to talk to her again until next Wednesday since she leaves at 3:30 and I get out of school at 3:20 on regular days and 2 on Wednesdays (also got out at 2 today because of parent teacher conferences).

I also got all my paperwork for KFC done today and so did my boyfriend. He'll start this weekend and I start on March 6. I don't know how this will work out.


DaBaDee had another long white stringy poo yesterday since I've been feeding him meds and I can't figure out why Bahari is so bloated and buoyant. I feed him medicated pellets but I can't feed him too much since he's so bloated. The girls are still doing amazing, though.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I am so incredibly stressed out with work, switching jobs, college classes, sick fish, moving tanks, and my cousin had her baby yesterday and I'm always the designated photographer for family events and such. I have a big project due tomorrow and next week for school. The site I am using for tomorrow's assignment is messing up and I haven't even started the one for next week.

I don't think my sorority will be started for awhile. I need to write an essay for the Henry Doorly Zoo in hopes of being able to shadow there, all my scholarship papers are due Friday, I still don't have letters of recommendation. Ugh.

I'm ready for my senior year to be over. This sucks.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Update:
DaBaDee looks much happier now. He's less lethargic, more responsive, isn't floating uncontrollably and does a wiggle dance every time he sees me without the "sad eyes", although he still looks kind of pale/see through.
Bahari's buoyancy/bloating issues are less severe and he's still harder than heck to feed. A few days ago he actually had no buoyancy issues at all. I've been soaking DaBaDees food in metro and VitaChem and soaking Bahari's in metro, Kanaplex and VitaChem. All of them now have VitaChem added to their water, including my brothers tank.
The girls are great. Absolutely no issues with them, thank god, and I think they do a good job entertaining each other so I can spend a bit more time with my sick boys. I really love how Lotus's colors and finnage has turned out. She's a HM and my boys are VT & CT so I think it has something to do with never having a HM before, lol. The girls look like they are getting more fond of my finger and I'm preparing for them to start jumping like Okami used to. Not sure if its an age/size factor since Okami was older and larger, but they just look like they're about ready to pounce during feeding times.

Another note - the empty cycling tank is the one right next to my bed (probably should have put DaBaDees there instead) and OMG IT NEEDS TO HURRY UP AND CYCLE BECAUSE I WANT A FISH TO SLEEP NEXT TO AND WAKE UP TO DOING A WIGGLE DANCE.

That is all.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

So glad to hear that everyone's doing better! ^.^


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sounds like great news all around =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

A few more things... Lotus jumped at feeding time a couple mornings ago!!! And my birthday is in six days. 

Here's a drawing I did in oil pastels


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Awsm~! Maybe I should play with pastels again. 

And in cas I miss it, happy Birthday!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I've been thinking of names again, ha. I will be getting four more females and more fish in the future, no doubt... Been thinking of naming them after cars from now on, lol. Lotus already has a car name.

Veyron
Celica
Zenvo
Vitara
Invicta
Ascari
Exige
Bugatti
Maserati
Daihatsu
Audi
Fiero
Miata
Alero

I love the name Veyron, though its more of a male name... Bugatti Veyron is the fastest car on the market, so I'd have to dedicate that name to a quick male PK.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Happy birthday to me! Lol.
We're going shopping today in the capital city  We will be going to the mall... I need to find some new work pants, ha. They also have a knock-off build-a-bear called teddy bear connections and my boyfriend will be making me a bear xD lol  We're also going to go to petco. I've got a few coupons in the mail that will definitely be used today 

My water change schedule is my girls on Tuesdays and my brother's tank on Wednesdays, and I did both of those yesterday and am fasting everyone today since it will be busy. Spring break has also officially started, so no school or work until next Tuesday! Yay! It's been awhile since I've actually had a break. I usually have either school or work (or both) every day of the week, and I haven't actually done much for any of my birthdays since I was in elementary school. I believe last year we went to Applebee's for my birthday and I got a whopping two presents... This year, I already have at least four that I know of and probably more that I'm still unaware of.. 

I'll only be 18 once. Not a whole lot of super-exciting ages (besides 16, 18, 21, and multiples of ten from there on out, except maybe 25 because mortgage or something decreases at that age ). I still don't feel 18. Not sure if I've had enough time to even feel like I'm 17, lol, and I always used to think that that was the best age to be.



Anyways, I'll hopefully be able to get everything that I still need for my sorority tank today, and maybe I'll get to order my girls and plants. But I'm still trying to find potassium permanganate (is that how you spell it?) to sanitize my live plants and I still need two more of those tall QT tanks to fit in my 10 gallon since our walmart only had four of them (grr). I'm planning on ordering four more girls from Chard56, a fire, snow, and red dragon and one of his cute little purple females


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Wooo, happy birthday!!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Happy Birthday!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks, guys 

So I just made a spread sheet with info on the plants I am getting: Anubias barteri, Java fern windelove, Water sprite, Hornwort, Java moss, and Jungle val.. I need to run out to Ace Hardware to see if they have any PP because I would prefer NOT to have snails in my tank. But I am super excited to get my girls and my live plants.

I also figured that it would cost $200 to get the 20 long I wanted with a hood, stand, heater, and filter. I don't have substrate for it but I will have plenty of plants. But that could be just wishful thinking - no guarantees for that one.

I've never considered myself a plant person but I am pretty stoked to get my live plants and I'm even more stoked since I spend the last hour researching them, lol. I'm ordering them from PandaBetta.

Which reminds me, I still need daphnia and IAL and Petco didn't have any daphnia yesterday. I just don't want to order a bunch of things from different places and have to pay shipping 20 times -_-


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, and another thing...
I'd really like to name another fish Okami because Okami was my favorite name of all my fish (I'm obsessed with names) but I feel like it would be rude to Okami. I'd also like to name a fish Konami. Other than that, Veyron is my favorite name but it is more of a male name..

And omg I'm excited for my plants.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> I've never considered myself a plant person but I am pretty stoked to get my live plants and I'm even more stoked since I spend the last hour researching them, lol.


Hahaha, I actually never liked plants outside of water -- I think it may have been because of the creepy crawlies that tend to come with them -- but aquatic plants are so wonderful, and addictive! Just beware, you'll be reading about plants and aquascaping just as much as you do about fish in no time, haha! It's a fun, rewarding addiction, just like fishkeeping, but an obsession nonetheless. XD

This is just my opinion, but I don't think it's disrespectful to Okami to name another fish with the same name. You're not about to forget her, or discount the fondness you had for her while she was with you. If you don't forget her, you won't be disrespecting her. ^.^ You could always add a little surname of sorts to make it a little different?

Hope you had a wonderful time on your birthday.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! Okami jr.  although that sounds slightly masculine... Okami II. Lol. I wonder if the video game Okami had a sequel xD Okami was an awesome fish with a pretty awesome name, too. Okami is a video game and Konami is actually a video game brand. Umm... Not too sure on the specifics. Since I will be getting another red dragon girl and a fire dragon, which is similar, I think Okami and Konami would work great!



Aaaand... I ordered my plants, will be ordering my girls soon, and plus, I just went out to Walmart and bought my last two one gallon QT tanks so all six are now ready. Woo!! I love preparedness. They only had 4 the first time so I'm surprised they restocked them since the last time I was there... I also got two new fluorescent bulbs, one for my four gallon (the old bulb still works but its... Old) and one for my lamp. I'm planning on using that lamp for light when I QT my plants and also for extra light if I need it. The bulb in the ten gallon is only 15 watts and I could not find a higher watt bulb to fit the tank, so I just got a new bulb for my lamp just in case. The four gallon bulb is 8 watts so its perfect.  now I just have to figure out how to remove the stupid bulb that's already in there (lol).

Btw, do you have snails in your tanks? I can't find anything to kill the snails and I'm not sure if I really want them in my tanks. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons... My biggest concern is the bioload, but I can do the blanched lettuce trick often to control the population if I really need to. I don't like the idea of killing a bunch of snails but I also don't really like the idea of the snails causing an ammonia spike and harming my girls or eating my plants. Ugh. My town so needs more places to shop..


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

And btw, I just looked it up.. They made a sequel to Okami for the DS called Okamiden (Okami Chronicles).


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Could that be a winner for a name? ^.^

And nah, I don't have snails in my tanks. I'm a bad, bad person and don't quarantine my plants, but my partner and I always have a joint effort in thoroughly rinsing every plant that we get (carefully of course, lol) under tap water. Hasn't failed yet, touch wood, and we haven't had any hitchhikers. If you don't like the thought of squishing unwanted snails, do you have anyone who will do it for you? I must admit, I wouldn't relish the prospect either.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've heard that Clearwater can get rid of them at double the dose, but of course, my Walmart is out of that and I can't find PP anywhere in town. :/ the snails are easy to get rid of but the eggs are a different story.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> And btw, I just looked it up.. They made a sequel to Okami for the DS called Okamiden (Okami Chronicles).


I have Okami-den =) It's fun =D But I wanna track down Okami.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well my boyfriend has it for both the Wii and the PS3 lol... I believe he got both of them on amazon since that's like his favorite site ever.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sometimes its the only site ever for getting stuff ^^;


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol, I know right?

So a friend of my brothers told me he has a 20 gallon long tank I can have. (What's ironic is that my 4 and 10 gallon tanks were from another friend of my brothers, neither of them I actually know that well.) woo!!!!!! Now I only need $150 for a stand, hood, filter and heater.

Also I went to Walmart today (when I got my QT tanks and lights) and they had the CUTEST females - I'd never seen any like them at Walmart before. They had a white/cellophane girl and two others who looked as if they might be yellow when they colored up, and they had a hint of blue on their faces.

However, after seeing that dead female they left on the shelf that was lined in fuzz that was thicker than her body... I don't think I'll purchase fish there. I'm not sure if columnaris looks like that after they pass away but her body was completely encased in a thick ball of fuzz.

I did take a picture of it, partly because I was curious, but then decided that it would probably not be good to post it here because I'm sure some members would not like to see that, although she did NOT look like a fish whatsoever. Her fins were black and her body almost looked like it was burned/charred. Plus it was a ridiculous amount of fuzz. I did not know it could grow like that.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I forgot to post this earlier because for some reason tinypic was not working, but I got a birthday present full of awesome from my mom. Be prepared...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

drawing with chalk.

This will go on my wall above my brother's tank next to all my other drawings.

Edit: sorry that its blurry :/ but it looks cool under a black light, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So the guy who said he has a 20 gallon long said it used to have salamanders in it so there might still be mud in it... All the more reason to make an NPT, lol.

Also, he used to live here. He was friends with my brother and they graduated together, but he doesn't live in town anymore, but he did say he might be coming up here because his sisters birthday is Monday and his family still lives here.

His 120 gallon tank also has to come down because the manufacturer messed up and one of the glass panels wasn't thick enough and it cracked  he set it up to cycle it but had to take it down. He also has a 65 gallon in storage he. I don't think I really need it, though :/ but it would be nice


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I know I already said this but I am super excited for my live plants and new girls. I need to get the QT tanks set up. I should do that tomorrow since I don't have school or work until Tuesday and my boyfriend has to work tomorrow from 1-7 or something like that. I have all the QT tanks already but holes need drilled in the lids and my current two girls need to be transferred to the new containers since I can't fit 6 critter keepers in there.. And I still can't figure out how to remove the lightbulb from my four gallon so I can change it out, lol.

Also, there is algae growing in Bahari's tank... Probably from all the pellets that he lets fall. The lights on his tank won't support live plants so I might get some shrimpies, lol, and pray he doesn't kill them 0_0. His buoyancy problems aren't so bad, now. I re-added Epsom salt.

DaBaDee seems to be feeling a lot better but still looks a little transparent. I don't think that will go away, honestly.. As long as he's feeling good, I guess.

Girls are still doing fantastic, Lotus jumped again when I was siphoning her tank and scared me half to death, lol. They have consistently been active, spunky, and starving, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I ordered new fluorescent bulbs for my spare lamp and my four gallon tank. The hood on that thing holds a 12 inch bulb and those are hard to find in general, let alone one that's a daylight 6500k bulb... Luckily amazon has everything, lol. I also got an 18 inch bulb for my lamp (the same size as the bulb in my 10 gallon) and I still have those 10 watt CFLs, lol. Hopefully I'll be able to keep them alive since I will obviously have plenty of 6500k daylight bulbs, lol. I also want to set up some nano one gallon planted tanks since I have so many spare ones 

I'll probably get my plants in the next couple days and I'll get my bulbs next Monday or Tuesday, but I'm going to be QTing my plants first using one of those 10 watt CFLs so it will all work out  so excited.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm also happy to say that I fed Bahari two pellets today and he's NOT floating! This is a miracle!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yay! =D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I know! I'm so excited! Also, my plants are out for delivery so I will get them today! Yay!!!

On another note, a friend of mine has court this month for divorce and custody of his daughter. Basically, when she was 6 months old, his wife took off with her and he's only seen his daughter one time since then (like 8-9 months?) so I spoke with my teacher who went to law school about how he can increase his chances of getting custody since neither of them can afford an attorney, so I'll probably be busy trying to get him notarized affidavits because I really want him to get custody. He's got a lot of good things going for him (he has a steady job, great with kids, many people who can vouch for that) but since he isn't the mother and hasn't had her in his care for so long... Idk. I really hope I can help him win this custody battle because he honestly deserves it. I am also hoping I can convince him to at least look into getting an attorney because it would help a lot.

Fingers crossed.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

On a side note, I'm in my graphic design class right now, so here's me.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My plants are here! Woo!

I think I've got some corkscrew Val in here (attached to a runner? God, I'm so plant inexperienced, lol). The jungle Val is melting - he said that was normal during shipping and it should grow more leaves. I blame myself if it doesn't since I don't really know anything, lol.

The java fern has some holes in it and the water sprite looks okay, but the anubias and java moss look absolutely amazingly perfect, I'm excited to see what I can do with the java moss, lol. I only found one hitchhiker but he is gone now. They are being QTed in two half gallon canisters so I'll be able to catch more if there are any I missed between now and when I get the ten gallon set up. Also, some mini duckweed hitched a ride, so I guess I can deal with it, especially if it grows well. I can't argue with that, right? Water quality FTW, lol.



On a side note: my brother gave me his mini fridge for my birthday, lol. I currently have a carton of vanilla soy milk and my VitaChem in it - very convenient, considering my tanks are in my room and the only other refrigerators we have are all the way upstairs in the kitchen or there's one mini fridge in the garage ( I'm not sure, but I think that one must freeze in the winter..)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow. I say "on a side/another note" a lot. I also say "also" a lot. Lol.

Both of my lights got here today (woo!). No other exciting fishy news.

But earlier today it was nice and sunny and relatively warm. Then it rained. Then freezing rain/thunder and lighting which turned to snow, thunder and lightning. I was at a friends and in the matter of one hour I had to leave because snow was starting to accumulate, and by the time I got in my car and drive home there was almost 0 visibility.

Granted, it was only a two block drive, but I couldn't see a thing out my side windows (no windshield wipers) even though my two friends swept all the snow off my car for me like 10 seconds earlier and I could only see 6 feet, give or take, in front of my car. Plus, I couldn't see the road. But it still feels warmer out then usual. 0_o crazy bipolar Nebraska weather!

The snow is coming down fast, too. We were only supposed to get like one inch but I'm almost sure we already have more than that. Aaand to top it all off, the ceiling in my closet is leaking so the floor in my closet and right outside my closet is soaking wet.

I really hope that the power doesn't go out because I really don't want a repeat of last time :/ and I have to go to sleep so I won't even know if it goes out.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

That was a crazy stupid snow storm we had. My dad had to drive me to work the next morning in his four wheel drive truck, and we were so dead we closed at 3pm. And there was a like 30 car pileup on the interstate about 30 miles from here and the interstate was closed. Then we got stuck on the way home from work because my supervisor gave me a ride, lol. Then today it got warm again and the snow is over halfway melted. Crazy bipolar weather.

Anyways, I switched up my water change schedule again and its working much better. I do my girls on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday like usual but changed Bahari to Thursdays and Sundays and changed DaBaDee and my brothers tank to Saturdays since I have a lot of time on weekends (my boyfriend works nights and I work mornings). So I have Monday, Wednesday, Friday off and Friday is fast days because its the only day during the week that I work (so I have school from 9:30-3:20 and work from 4:00-10:00 making it a pretty long day).

I'm hoping to go to Lincoln tomorrow or Thursday because they have a knock-off Build-a-Bear Workshop and I want my boyfriend to make me a bear lol


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I have to write 5 paragraphs for English with the prompt "innocence" and I found the greatest quote: "It's innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn't." And I just love quotes and I'm in awe at the moment.

Um, DaBaDee has white poo again.  Bahari hasn't changed much but like I've said before, I don't think his lifespan will be a long one. He's still eating fine, lethargic as usual, and his buoyancy issues still aren't that bad anymore, but he floats vertically sometimes and sits on his tail at the bottom too, which Sakura8 said is not a good thing and usually means that time is coming. Its not new for him, though.

Also, after I fed my brothers loaches today, they actually came out to look for food even with the tank lights on! I got a few videos, including one of his black loach (Frank) doing what looks like breakdancing, lol, and his Kuhli loach (Claudio) was creeping in the background haha.


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## GoodMorning (Jan 19, 2013)

someone's a vampire, 3 in the morning, ZZzzz...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol it was only 2 here and I didn't have to work until 10:30am 

Videos on my brothers loaches from yesterday and today... They only come out of hiding at food time, lol.

Frank breakdancing:
http://youtu.be/LQkktHYWJxI

Claudio eating:
http://youtu.be/IUdcyv6X7JI


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just got the e-mail from Chard56 saying my girls were shipped.

Also, one of my two plant QT tanks is infested with snails, lol. My only two healthy plants are in one tank with no snails, and the other four that melted/decayed with shipping and acclimation are feeding a bunch of itty bitty snails. I'm starting to see new growth on the plants but now I'm confused on how to cut of the dead parts of the plants without harming the new healthy growth, lol.

I'll figure it out eventually, ha. I think my anubias and java moss will be safe to add to the tank when its ready because no snails seem to have gotten into their tank.

Oh, I also had a few mini duckweed leaves that stuck to the plants I ordered so i put one in Lotus's tank and one in Stella's. Lotus ate hers, lol, but the one in Stella's tank is now six in Stella's tank!




I also fed Bahari two pellets and a bloodworm today and he had no SBD issues even though I decreased his salt concentration. Would it be a bad idea to put a snail in his tank to clear up algae after I remove all the salt? Lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I have my four new Chard56 girls, now  They are being acclimated ATM and soon will be free to explore their temporary one gallon QT tanks. All six of the tanks are next to each other in the ten gallon so they can all see each other and get used to each other. Right now, they are still in the shipping bags and are paperclipped to the sides of the QT tanks. I've been adding in new water periodically but I will be able to release them, soon.

Paperclipping the bags to the sides of the tanks really worked well. I think when it gets time to add them all to the tank, I might put them in bags instead of cups and release them that way. Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to release all of them into the ten gallon on April 1st. I know that is a couple days shy of two weeks in QT, but I don't have school or work that Monday, and it will be the last day that I have a day off until after I graduate May 19. Plus, my current two girls have been in QT for over two months, now, and I really do trust that Chard56 has healthy fish and a nice, strong genetic background. I just want to check to make sure none are sick from shipping, but they really don't look bad at all. There's some stress stripes but they don't even look pale (even though I'm quite sure that they will gain a little color anyways). And the purple female is a stunning color, and she's also a fatty, lol  cute.



Anyways, pictures are to come. It's hard to see them right now because they're still in the bags, so the only angle I can really get is a top one. I'm pretty sure I know which girl is the snow dragon but I'm not 100% on which is the fire dragon and which is the red dragon (I have an idea).

Lol, be prepared to see pictures of my QT set up as well.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Glad they arrived safely! Looking forward to pics!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Here they are!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Very pretty =D I love the cambodian! She loosk almost pink tho!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks. Chard said the top two are red dragons (one was supposed to be a snow dragon but she obviously colored up during shipping which I find strange) and the third is a for dragon. The red dragons have some spots on the top of their heads, both have the same mark right on their noses and the first one has a few more spots between her dorsal and her head that you can see in the picture. It reminds me of koi markings and I really really hope she keeps them!

I finally found an actual turkey bastor today. Before I had those little things that they use to suck boogers out of babies noses (gross, I know, but I am not sure what they are called but they were new so they were clean!). Our Walmart SUCKS at restocking stuff. I tried looking for a turkey bastor for months and they finally had one, just ONE. But I got it and it is the perfect size for the QT tanks. I wasn't about to use the same siphon for the new girls tank (defeats the purpose of QTing) so I bought an 8foot airline tube and cut it in half so I can siphon the water out of two tanks at one time because the tube is small and doesn't siphon fast, and then got the turkey bastor to suck out poo because the airline tubing is flimsy and hard to move around to get the poo out.

Its not a great system and it takes awhile, but its difficult to remove the QT tanks because its a right fit to get them in there, and it is only temporary. Plus, I'm against 100% changes because its just unnecessary stress. I haven't ever done 100% changes on Lotus or Stella's tanks except when I switched them to the new QT containers and they're fine. I still do 3 or 4 50% or larger changes per week and I get out all the poo, plus they don't let food sink so I don't have to worry about that.



Anyways, I'm a little concerned because there seems to be some hostility between the girls, especially from Lotus and Stella. They have gotten used to each others presences but they did quite a bit of flaring at the new girls, especially Stella. Plus, they try to attack me through the front of the tank glass for some reason. They seem to try to "get at" each other a little but Stella and Lotus definitely are more aggressive than the newer girls. The new girls for some reason seem to be aggressive towards me 0_0 but I'm their friend, I feed them!! Lol. Btw, they're all active and eating but the second girl pictured seems to be breathing heavily and has been since I added her to the new QT tank, even after the water change. I wonder if they are a little too exposed to each other, since I don't have plants between them anymore, but each tank has a nice sized silk plant in it.

The purple girl has stress stripes and they show up really dark and obvious in some pictures but in others you can barely notice them at all. I think they got darker when I removed her silk plant for a few minutes so I could try to capture pictures of her actual coloring. She's got like a purple/maroonish red color going on in her fins and I think I got some okay pictures of it. She definitely has more of a unique coloring than I was expecting! (She's also the oddball because she is the only dark female I have, lol).


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Eep! I hope they manage to get along once QT is up and they're all in together!

They're absolutely beautiful by the way. ^.^


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to tell them apart, but they each have unique red markings. I love the koi looking markings on the first girl and the first and second girls have a twin mark on their noses  I think they'll probably color up a bit though and I need to upload some pictures I got on my actual camera of the purple girl because she's a really interesting color. I tried to capture it the best I could on my camera but of course I actually need a computer and not my phone to upload those.

They're in QT but I love watching them all swim around. Lotus and Stella are in the back of the tank but I can still see them looking through the front of the tank. I need to get a picture of the QT setup, the whole tank, and possibly a video of them all swimming around. Girls are so interesting, I can't believe I didn't notice it before. Btw, Walmart still has that one single yellowish lighter colored female (can't believe she hasn't died yet) and I really want to take her home but I'm too afraid of introducing some nasty stuff to my tanks. I hope she finds a home.


Aaand, my room.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I tried to get a better picture of her coloring but she got stress stripes when I removed her silk plant so I could get better lighting.

I still need major help with names. I have a list of quite a few and I know one I'm probably going to use for sure but I can't pick which girl should have which name, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I've come to the conclusion that my idea of "roomy" is different than others (excuse me I'm tired, its 1am, I have school in the morning and I have random realizations when I'm alone at night, all my fish are sleeping and my dog is passed out on my legs as I am laying here typing on my phone, lol).

My room is super organized but its mostly organized crap. I have a ton of clothes I never wear but they all have their own special place depending on type. Mostly everything that doesn't have a specified place gets thrown in my closet or under my bed. Each of my drawers has a special purpose, including my fish accessories only organizer. All my tanks each have their own drawer. I have a special shelf where my fish food goes, labels facing out. The top of my desk holds my rubber ducky collection (given to me by friends), stuff my brother has given me, other collections of random trinkets, stuff my mom has brought back from her Los Vegas trips, reptar, because he's awesome... I have way too many stuffed animals. I've gotten rid of at least half that collection but I can't get rid of stuffed animals that were given to me. I keep nearly everything my dad gives/buys me (and my brother, actually). Um, I have my own pink vacuum to match my pink room, lol. I have a looot of flowers (mostly fake besides the dead weeds my friend gave me like 8 years ago), and picture frames and candles I never light. I burn incense a lot, though. I even have a bulletin board, lol. Don't know why exactly, but the ticket from my first Panic at the Disco concert is hidden behind it, along with possibly a $2 bill? I have a tonnnnnn of crap, but its neat crap, lol.

I think what makes my room the roomiest room of all rooms (besides my fishies and my dog, of course) is the pictures. My walls used to be covered top to bottom in photographs but I took most of them down and now I have mostly artwork of mine, some given to me by friends, and some random notes from friends in middle school. That and my black lights (I just hate bright lights, its usually either black lights or just fish tank lights), my mini fridge (yes, lol), my almost all pink color scheme, and my organized crap helps as well (my stuffed animals make for great decorations). Oh and I also have a cooler that I put all my non refrigerated food in. Ha.



This either makes me weird or unique. Or both. But its cool.
My dog still loves me. I like to think my fish do, too.



Edit: I just remembered my point to posting this. When people remodel/repaint/re carpet a bedroom or living room (or any other room but those two in particular) they think way too freaking much about color schemes and crud and not enough about what they're going to put in the room to make it unique. I hate the color orange but I could still Taylor-fy an orange room without repainting it. Of course I would probably cover the ugly orange walls with something but that is the joys of the creative mind. And my room has the ugliest green carpet ever that so doesn't match the pink but whatever, I don't think anyone thinks about the carpet when they come into my room. I do need to get a rug to cover that crap, though.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, right. Fish.
I'm getting a Nerite snail for Bahari's tank. People here are way too nice they make me feel like a horrible person who doesn't do nice things for people for no reason enough.

Btw my fish are cute as ever. Wish I could fit in the ten gallon with my girls. And speak fish.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Lol - Nerit'es are awsm. Speaking fish would be cool. I dont understand the nice person part, but oookay.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

A user offered to send me a Nerite snail. I wanted to pay for it but they refused. "Paying it forward," they said. They've gotten things, too. I know that one day I'll have the opportunity to send people things no charge as well, but as of right now, I don't even know where to get the proper things to be able to ship anything live. Since I don't sell, I don't have the things like shipping bags, insulation, and heat packs, and I'm almost sure that that stuff would be difficult to find where I live plus it would only be cost effective to order it online if I purchased in bulk. But maybe when it warms up it will be a little easier to do that.

Plus, I already had someone send me medication for free. I sent her my Paypal, asked how much it costed and she never replied. I received the package and she flat out refused to let me pay for it. I was willing but its just a nice gesture on their part, you know?

Pay it forward is a good term. I'll definitely keep that in mind.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Aaaahh, I see. yes, definitely keeping the good deed mill running =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, it was inspiring.

Btw, for anyone reading this, I'm looking for someone outside of Nebraska but in the U.S. to let me interview them. All I need from them is a first and last name (real or fake, the names in my paper will be changed) to answer a few questions for an English paper I need to write.

More info is here: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=136929

I just need one person to say they will do it before tomorrow because my list of names of interviewees is due tomorrow. This is a college class and I'm screwed if I can't find enough people to hand this in D: (I hate this class, btw).


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Would anyone like to help me with names for my new girls? Lol.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?p=1555186#post1555186

I've already compiled a list of names if you don't think you're great at thinking of names. I need help picking which name for which girl D:


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okay so for my graduation party we're going to have an ocean/nautical theme and of course I have to dress the part so I ordered this straight from the UK.










Bam.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Very cute


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you 


Soooo I think I've decided on names!!!!!!









Kuraokami (instead of Okami-den, still Okami for short)









Daihatsu









Ascari









Murcielago (Mercy)

Daihatsu and Ascari are probably two of my favorite names. (But the third girl does seem a little calmer and Ascari seems less outgoing of the two names to me.) The first girl is my favorite because of her spots so she shall be named after Okami. She (and the third girl) also has blue eyes like Okami.

I did debate between Vitara and Murcielago for the purple girl, but after observing her personality she seems more like a "Mercy" because she's so feisty (and fat! Lol). I do think she looks more like a Vitara but Mercy fits her personality a bit better.

Also, Kuraokami has a bit better ring to it than Okami-den and both serve the same purpose - to honor Okami, though she didn't have a long life, she quickly became my favorite. She had incredible personality!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMIMOb1RwdA

Here's a horrible video of the girls in their QT tanks.
They worked out quite well, I think. Though they're not all in the same tank, yet, they can all six see each other and I can see all six of them swimming around at the same time. It's fun to watch them communicate with each other.

I had some issues at first with Stella and Lotus flaring at the new girls (and each other when I first got them) and I have even seen Daihatsu flaring at one of the other girls (one of her dragon sisters, actually). But it seems to have died down. I actually think they try to attack me or the tank walls more than they attempt to attack each other. It might be possible that the QT tanks in the ten gallon cause even more reflection inside the tanks.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got my nerite snail today. He's still floating in his bag. Bahari's checking it out 










I wasn't able to acclimate him earlier because I had to work at four and the mailman was running late. He said one of the mail carriers dad had a heart attack this morning... It was almost 3:30 and I walked down the street when I saw the mailman and asked when he was going to get to my house so he just gave me the package. All I had time to do was float his bag in the tank. Now that its the right temp, I've started to add some tank water to the bag to get him acclimated.

At first I couldn't find him, lol. He was out of the water, all the way at the top of the bag in the corner. I was also unsure at first if he was still alive but I floated the bag and saw him move slightly. When I got back from work he had crawled up the side of the bag a little bit and I can see his antennas moving.

I'm going to finish acclimating him tomorrow because its late and all my fishies are asleep already.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

One thing I've found about nerites -- super active, climb into the top corner of your tank to breath and cause panic when you don't think they're there, are proficient escape artists. Open tanks a re a no, rofls. Curtis found Sidney (our female nerite) behind the tank stand.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

There's a small feeding hole in the top of the tank and a small opening in the back for the filter but I think I could cover that with plastic craft mesh. Lol, thanks for the heads up  I didn't know they would climb out of the tank! 0_0

I think I will name HER (previous owner said she's laid eggs so she must be a her, lol) Nero. I love that name, that artist, and it kind of sounds like Nerite, lol. 

She isn't too active right now, so I am letting her rest along with the other fishies although I haven't finished acclimation yet. She's still floating in the bag. She probably had a rough couple of days shipping!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Prlly, but she'll perk up soon as she gets to be acclimated and in clean water.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I put her in the tank today and she immediately started moving around and eating algae


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Woo!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

She's stopped moving, now. She hasn't gone far, really. She traveled all the way up the side of the tank when I first releases her and has not really moved since :/ I hope my water parameters are good for nerites! I have a higher pH but I don't know my kH/gH. However I did cover the holes in the hood with craft mesh.

Its crazy how I went from one fish last November to twelve (yes, I am counting my snail and my brothers fish). I found out today that his plecos name is Fido, lol. He forgot and just remembered.

So I have (in this order) DaBaDee, Bahari, Frank, Claudio, Fido, Stella, Lotus, Kuraokami, Ascari, Daihatsu, Mercy, and Nero. Though Frank, Claudio, and Fido are fostered, there's no telling how long they will be here. I'm planning on more nerites (I need to compile a list of names!) when possible and I'd really like a male (named Veyron) for my four gallon.

Btw, the "tanks" thing that's part of the main forum - I went back and changed some stuff again today, lol, though no one probably looks at them. Had to add my four girls and Nero to the lists and I switched the sorority and four gallon tanks to "planted" although they aren't quite yet, lol. I tried to include EVERYTHING. It makes me feel better about myself, lol. Now I need pictures!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

They breathe air, so sometimes they'll hangout above your water line for a while. They also dont rlly like bright light I've found, so they'll hide for a good portion of the day too. Generally if they stop moving and die, they'll curl up in their shell or fall over. They'll definitely look dead. 

ph of 7+ is best for them, as lower ph's tend to eat holes in their shells. My Sidney has a very badly holed shell because the store I got her and Gary from has a ph of 6. >>


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've read that they need a certain gH and kH but I don't have any way to test that! I do know that my pH is not acidic enough to eat holes in their shells, though. She doesn't seem to like the water, even after a water change... She crawls out and sits above the water line.



After waiting 3 and a half months... I cannot believe that I'm going to be setting up my sorority tomorrow!! I AM SO EXCITED! I want to do it NOW but I can wait one more day. I mean, after all, it's been like.... 105 days.

Fingers crossed that they all get along and everything goes perfectly....


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

Woo! Sorority time!! Can't wait for pictures!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Give her some time, she'll come to cope with it =) Those super expensive Master Kits you can buy can test for the other water params, but paying 100 bucks is a lot. Least that's what it is up here. 

Yay, Sorority!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Haha just woke up, realized its sorority day... And now I'm nervous that maybe the girls won't get along. Ahh! Fingers crossed.

I really need some coffee right now


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm sure things will work fine. =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just released them and it looks like Ascari is doing most of the flaring, chasing, and nipping, surprisingly. Her and Diahatsu got into it first, Kuraokami seems like she's very upset from being chased and is breathing hard, Stella's like the little kid who keeps trying to follow everyone around, Mercy is holding her own, and Lotus was smart and found a nice spot in the back near the bottom where no one has really bothered her yet.

I hope the flaring calms down. There's a lot of chasing, too.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)




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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Still chasing lots?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The chasing has calmed down a bit after a short amount of time. Lotus is very good at staying hidden and Ascari seems to like swimming up and down in the corner by the filter (which I had to baffle a bit more because when they swam in front of it the current pushed them downwards and they kept swimming into it like "WTF?!" lol!). I tied more filter foam to the front of it with fishing line.

The others seem to be able to swim right next to each other with no issues. When Daihatsu and Okami get too close to Ascari, they freak out and dart around the tank really fast. Okami got chased by her once and she darted to a bottom corner of the tank and sat there for a bit breathing really heavily, but then she just got up and swam away normally. I saw some nipping but no damage. Mercy does have a small bit missing out of her tail but that was from shipping.

Lotus actually got stuck in the ziplock bag when I released her and was very shook up! When I tried opening the bags and tipping them all out, her bag closed and she got stuck in it with no water! She was breathing heavily and staying in one spot for awhile but the other girls left her alone and she's doing better, now.

I'm not home right now but I decided they'd be okay for a bit. There wasn't too much aggression when I left and I think they just need time. I don't think I will have to remove anyone but Ascari might need a time-out. We will see, though. They haven't been in there for too long an I'm hoping they will sort it out on their own.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

It you have to do timeouts use a breeder trap. It lets them still see each other and get used to each other, but the bad girl can't attack.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Sounds like things should be okay. And yea, swimming into the flow...my girls do that at water change time >.< As do some of my boys xP Silly fish. 

Hope things work out with the girls =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I was worried when I saw almost immediate flaring! I mean, the first minute they were just swimming around checking stuff out but it was constant flaring and chasing right after Ascari and Daihatsu got into it!

But after I baffled the filter a little more I just say there and watched. Then I went upstairs for a second, came back down and watched some more. Then I walked to my friends house and came back and watched a little more and they'd calmed down a lot. Maybe it was because Ascari was chilling in the corner entertaining herself, lol. But I think Mercy balances her out a bit. She's not as outwardly aggressive but she's like an authority figure. She flared a little bit but she didn't really attack anyone. Ascari backed down from her. She is more entertained with chasing everyone else around. Mercy hasn't been chased!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just put my girls to bed  I have a sheet covering my window and blinds but some light still comes in in the morning so I covered the tank with towels.

But of course I sat and watched them. Lotus has warmed up, most of the girls hang out together near the front (there's usually 5 up front and one random straggler, lol, until I open the tank lid and wiggle my finger and they all congregate!)

Still a tiny bit of chasing but I did not see any flaring/nipping. They stayed pretty close without any issues. I also see no fin damage (besides that tiny bit on Mercys tail that was already there). No black edges and the piece missing is very small.

Its so fun watching them! They actually seem pretty peaceful. Stella darts when I put my finger up to the front, lol, spazz. Can't wait for feeding time tomorrow.



Bahari seems a little more active but Nero still chills above the water line (half in, half out) not really moving, despite water changes.

I had my dad come in my room to see my girls but he was more interested in DaBaDee and my brothers loaches! >:/ but he seems like he's really gotten attached to DaBaDee. He'll sit there and play with him every time he goes in my room to see my tanks. He likes to back up when you put your finger up to the tank and come closer when you pull it away, like a mirror, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I may have spoken too soon.

Stella is really being mean, now! She's chasing everybody off, flaring at them, and nipping them. But Mercy is still the peacekeeper. Stella seems like she's afraid of Mercy, but Mercy only seems to flare at her. I saw her tail slap her but I haven't really seen her nip. Stella's been chasing everyone around but Mercy, and when Mercy gets in the middle of it, she keeps Stella away from all the other girls. LOL.

Edit: Now Kuraokami's standing up to her xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, and a video of course 

http://youtu.be/AM9mJ94vwws


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

They look absolutely beautiful =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you ) I love my girls!

I have some good news. I've been testing their water since I released them on Monday (okay, I know that's only 3 days, but still ) two days ago it was .25, .25, and 5 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) then yesterday, it was .25, 0, 5, and today, I didn't test for nitrates but the ammonia and nitrites were 0! Yay! That means I get a break, lol  but not really because I have to change Bahari's water, but at least I don't need to do both 

Also, Bahari's tank STILL won't cycle D: ! It shows ammonia after 4 days and I've been doing two water changes a week on his tank since I set it up in November. It could have something to do with the fact that so much food sinks and I added the Nerite snail and there's algae but I'm not so sure that affects water params negatively. -_-

Also, Nero the Nerite still always hovers right at/above/below the water line 24/7. She's not dead and yesterday I saw her little mouth moving but the algae isn't growing up by the waterline!?!?

I'm afraid that there might be something wrong with my tap water and she might not make it too long, but I don't have anything to test gH or kH. 



And an update on the girls: Stella has calmed down quite a bit. It looks like that small piece missing out of Mercy's tail split up the middle (she kind of looked like a DT, lol) and its started to heal back but its kind of clear? Where its healing back together. If that makes sense. Lotus's tear in her anal fin healed back together in less than 24 hours like I thought it would but her caudal fin seems pretty jagged on the end and I do think she gets picked on the most.

LOL. Lotus has the most hilarious facial expressions.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The tank!









Lotus is silly 









Lotus and Kuraokami









My favorite picture! Kuraokami, Ascari looking mad with a mustache, and Stella xD









Extremely underexposed picture of them from above









The dragon girls, Stella and Mercy









Daihatsu, Kuraokami... I personally think Stella's face makes this picture, lol.









And of course I'm not going to spam you with ALL of the pictures, so you can do it yourself if your heart desires 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ayalacookiejar/


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

They're so pretty!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

!

So I've been thinking about getting a tattoo. What's funny is ever since I was like 10 I wanted a tattoo the day I turned 18... But then I turned 18 and I just don't know what I'd get. I mean, they're permanent and I don't want a tattoo on the spur of the moment that I'll regret later, you know?

But I came across a picture of a tattoo yesterday. It was of a tree and birds flying of of it and it said, "you gave me the roots to grow and the wings to fly." Whoever got the tattoo got it for their father, who had obviously passed away because it said underneath something like, "rest in paradise, daddy," and it had dates. I would get a tattoo for my dad. I would probably also get matching tattoos with my mom and my brother, my only sibling, who's like 7 years older than me. The age difference made it so we didn't fight like most siblings. He's been out of the house now for like 5ish years and he left me a lot of stuff when he moved. He lived out of town for a few years but now he's moved back!

Something else I might not be completely opposed to is a tattoo of my dogs paw print (not just any paw print but MY dogs). I think it would be neat to have a paw print of every one of my dogs, up the side of my leg or something. Its somewhere where it would be easy to hide for work or something.

I'm also a Pisces  go figure. I would get a Pisces tattoo in the form of Betta fish  maybe. I know some people find zodiac tattoos dumb but I think I'm the definition of Pisces, lol.


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

I love the paw print idea. I always wanted to get a paw print of my cat Nala, but I never got it, and she passed away at a ripe old age a few years ago. I reckon you should go for it!

I think no tattoo is regrettable if it has great meaning for a period in your life. Even if it doesn't quite tickle your fancy in 20 years, you'll still have fond memories of why you got it in the first place.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks. My dog is literally my best friend. I would have got my dog Sophie's paw print, but she was put down when I was 12. We were even the same age, I had her since I was two. Her ashes and two pictures of her (one of me and her on her last day on earth and one of just her in a Santa hat) are on display under my brothers tank in my room, and I still have her harness in my closet and her favorite blanket, covered in her hair because she shed a lot.

I know people say they'll never get names tattooed, but dogs are an exception because I believe that they are actually above humans on many levels. I would also get a tattoo for my dad and my brother, any day.

I think my brother and I need to get big brother little sister tattoos  but I'm not sure on the details, yet. I know if we got matching tattoos, he wouldn't get anything girly, obviously


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I tested my water in the sorority tank yesterday and its 0 and 0 againnnn. Yes, that meant no water change, BUT, it also means my girls have gone a couple days with NO exposure to ammonia and nitrites (I hope). I'm really happy that my decision to cycle the filter and get live plants paid off.

So now it seems that the only tank that isn't cycled is Bahari's and I have no idea why :/ its been set up 2nd longest (well, 3rd if you count my brothers tank - he's had that thing for 5 years and its definitely cycled).

I'm getting some more plants for the sorority and I would like to put some in my four gallon tank so I can get it set up with a new boy  I just have to get something to baffle that filter and fill up with some live plants (and a little more substrate).

I was thinking of a HMPK from AB (actually, from a specific breeder in Indonesia). They're very nice although their English is... Far from perfect.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'll be getting some live plants soon... Some hydrophila something or other (its a fast growing stem plant) another anubias, some more water sprite, a crypt petchii, a replacement for my hornwort that turned to mush in the mail  and he offered to send me rotala indica for free so I could see if it will grow in my tank. I am thinking about putting that anubias in the four gallon along with some water sprite and java moss, and that hydro whatever is supposed to grow quickly so I'll be able to transfer that too  oh and I forgot about duckweed. I'll easily be able to use some of that in both tanks! I guess I should take some pictures to see how to cut/transfer new propagations because I'm confused with people just trying to explain where to cut stuff at. Unless I can find some YouTube videos explaining it. The water sprite, duckweed, and java moss are obvious.

My girls tank is 0, 0 again today  happy about that!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I would really like to get a HMPK for my empty tank and have seen many ones I loved on AB but I'm just not sure I'm comfortable going through a transhipper. Shipping in the US is easy but I'm afraid of any miscommunication with the transhipper. I also emailed Linda Olsen but got no reply. I'm just not sure..

Anyways, Stella's my strange girl who likes to sleep on the gravel near the front of the tank every night! I can't ever find the other 5 because I assume they're sleeping in the tall silk plants in the back. Stella's just weird, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Just a quick post before I go to sleep since its 2am and I have school in about 7 and a half hours...

My mom said she would get a matching tattoo with me. Its actually one thing she's never disagreed with me on since she's had friends get matching tattoos with their daughters, she's always liked the idea so convincing her was no task at all. The real task was trying to get her to think of ideas but its okay, I got it. Something along the lines of this:










I don't want it to look exactly like this one I saw on the Internet 20 times lol but its an example. I'd assume she would get it on her ankle and I'd get it on my wrist.



My mom gave me my heartbeat, and she's also a nurse.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So no ammonia or nitrates in the sorority tank again  I'm pretty sure I'll be good on the water parameters but I'll keep watching them anyways, lol.

I'm getting more plants sometime soon and I also ordered a plushie of Okami from Skyewillow!  made sure to get her blue eyes and tail damage in there since she never got the chance for it to heal before she passed.

Also, I've been looking at getting a HMPK from BettaScapes. I was going to get one from a nice breeder in Indonesia that I have on facebook (who has GORGEOUS fish!) but I decided I don't want to deal with the transhipper because there seems to be frequent miscommunications and she never replied to my email about costs... BettaScapes is also nice and she said they have a lot of PKs that they don't have up yet. I'll save some money in the long run as well.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Stellaaaaaaa  her poor pectoral fin is torn up. There's a large chunk missing out of it and a couple smaller ones. Poor Stella poor pretty EE fins  Lotus's are fine but hers are a bit smaller, too. I guess I never paid much attention - I hope pectoral fins heal as easily as there other fins.

Also I tested everything today and I got 0 ammonia and nitrites and 5 nitrates. Its been since last Wednesday since I changed their water.

This might be a dumb question but is it necessary to change the water each week if I have no ammonia or nitrites and less than 20 nitrates?

I guess I should probably post a new thread.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I don't think it's 'necessary' if you're doing good, but on the chance that something happens~ eh~ I mean you could definitely go a day or two more I think. But I think it's a good thing to stay in a routine with water changes. 

Poor Stella - I honestly am not sure if pectorals heal the same. I've heard of people on here with EEs who's pectorals get shredded easy. But I do have a male with a pectoral that's damaged and it's stuck that way. he can swim fine, but yea, it hasn't healed at all in two months.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! She seems to have no issues at all swimming. I won't be too upset if it doesn't heal as long as its not extremely prone to fin rot (which I've never heard of on pectorals). The water params are obviously great so I hope that wouldn't even be an issue. Mercy's caudal fin still has that damage and I think she got a tear in it from nipping and she kind of looks like a DT, lol. I'm not too concerned as long as there's no rot because I do see progress in it healing.

Btw, those two are my weird girls. When I get home I check on them before bed and Mercy is usually awake (I think she likes her alone time) and Stella sleeps on the gravel in the front center of the tank  I've seen Mercy and one of the dragon girls asleep in the java moss, too.

I'm planning on a 60% water change tomorrow and then I think I'll make their regular changes on Sundays with Bahari. So then my schedule will be Bahari on Thursday, DaBaDee and my brothers tank on Saturday and the sorority and Bahari on Sunday. Not much change besides the girls won't get water changes on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday (which saves so much time!)





So its 1:30am and I think I am going to update my bettafish.com friends on our crazy weather. Its freezing rain - besides the fact that my car doors were frozen shut, my windshield wipers were caked in ice and practically useless because they removed no water or ice from my windshields, the ground is super slick, there's mud everywhere and there is like a lake in my driveway (we've got a giant dip in our driveway), when I drove my boyfriend home, his door was frozen shut and he couldn't get in his house so we drove to our big Hawaiian friends house to ask for his help and he was locked out of his house stuck in his garage with just a space heater and a tiny couch. So he went back to my boyfriends so he could stay there and he couldn't get in either.

My boyfriend tried calling his mom and his brother at his house to get the door open but they were sleeping and their phones were off, but the mixture of his dog barking and them pounding on the door handle trying to get it open woke up his mom, lol.

I thought I hated snow but freezing rain is a whole lot worse.

Goodnight


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The freezing rain caused some power outages around town last night but thankfully it didn't go out at my house. My fishies are safe and sound from the about 1/2 inch of ice that has covered pretty much everything outside.

I had issues letting my dog outside this morning. The door was frozen shut and my poor dog was sliding all over the grass in the backyard that was also covered in ice and I was late to school along with about half of the rest of the students because my car is completely caked in ice, too. My teacher told me that his car door handle broke off this morning. I hope nothing happens to my car because I'll finally have it paid off this month and I don't want to be paying for a new door handle.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Daihatsu is my jumper, now. Okami used to be a jumper... Stella and Lotus never really were jumpers. Lotus jumped once and I've never really seen my other three new girls jump, but Daihatsu jumped 3 times today at feeding time and the other day at feeding time she also jumped and nailed her head on the lid.

I'll be alright if none of the other girls start being regular jumpers just because I am worried about them either jumping out or injuring themselves if they hit the tank hood when they jump. I am also afraid to stick my hands in their tank because I don't want a bunch of little mouths nipping my fingers, lol. I haven't been nipped yet and I don't suppose its really painful but I probably would be jumpy if I was bit (like when I jumped when Bahari attacked the skewer and I accidentally pulled him out of the tank, lol).



My jungle Val's has sent out a new shoot and a little Plant is growing right next to it  I'm glad because I had to trim the original plant really short since most of the leaves pretty much turned to mush during shipping/acclimation.

My java moss also attached itself to all my silk plants, lol, and my java fern is growing a new leaf now. I'm happy to see progress. I'm a bit of a plant noob. I'll be getting more plants next week once it warms up.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The plushie I ordered of Okami from Skyewillow is done and I can't wait to get her in the mail! Yay!!!!


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

The plushie is adorable!!
Yay, plants!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

She is cute, isn't she? ^^

So for those of you who actually follow my journal, I know you're probably getting tired of me talking about the weather, but it is _bizarre_. And bipolar. Now it's starting to warm up a little and ice shards are literally falling from the trees (who needs hail anyway?) It sounds like a mini avalanche outside my house right now. Or what I imagine a mini avalanche would sound like. Um, hopefully it will actually start acting like spring now so I don't have to have my days ruined because of this crappy weather.



So I guess the power outages from the freezing rain were worse than I thought. Some people had no power all night, for 4 hours or longer, and some nearby school districts even had to cancel school today because they had no power.

Then my student teacher was telling us a story once about how his family was stuck in a winter storm without power for two days and it was horrible because they had no heat, TV, gaming consoles, internet, and I'm just thinking,

"WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR PS3 MY FISH WOULD FREEZE AND THE CYCLES WOULD CRASH"

making me just that much more paranoid about power outages.

OK I'm done.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Lol, I dont get tired fo hearing about bizarre weather. We get 15 minute changes in weather all teh time here, and that's either by trvelling or staying in one spot. So I'm used to that sort of thing. 

Okami looks adorable <3 I love how SkyeWillow goes that extra length to customize the fish - like Okami's tail, and Demi's 'shark' dorsal xD. Makes them special =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Syriiven said:


> Okami looks adorable <3 I love how SkyeWillow goes that extra length to customize the fish - like Okami's tail, and Demi's 'shark' dorsal xD. Makes them special =)


Doesn't she?  <3

Her anal fin is also a little uneven, which is how I received her in the mail and it also never healed.

I think that getting those "extra" things on there were the most special parts. I mean, Okami didn't ALWAYS have fin damage, but she did the entire time I had her and I loved her just the same. And without it, anyone could have easily said that the plushie looks like one of my other 3 dragon females.

Now I'm slightly curious what a plushie of Stella would look like (since she's an EE). It'd just cost too much for me to order one of everybody, though.

I have a friend who is probably going to order a plushie, too, of his turtle who passed away, lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Awwww, poor turtle! I wish I could convince Curtis to let me find a way to get a pet turtle xD Cuz I know that even though he's against keeping reptiles (he wants them all to be free and happy) he'd adore a turtle. xP


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yes, turtles are my friend's favorite animal. He used to have two little snapping turtles in a 40 gallon tank in his basement, and now he's got that 40 gallon and a 60 gallon from his friend - both are empty.

He wants to put fish in one for sure but he also wants salamanders. Not sure why he doesn't want more turtles.

I would really like to move my sorority to that empty 40 gallon, lol, but I know the tank is really dirty and I'd have nowhere to put it :/


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Fridays are my no bueno days  I get no fishy time because I leave for school at 9:30 before the tank lights come on and get out at 3:20 and have work at 4 until 10 when the tank lights go out. Needless to say, Fridays are also my fast days. Tomorrow will be better when I get off work at 4 and have the rest of the day with my fishies 

Also, my Okami plushie will be here either tomorrow or Monday and I'm ordering plants which will be shipped out Monday. The weather forecast changed and it looks like I might not need to spend the extra money on a heat pack (if it doesn't change yet again). Very exciting!

Now school needs to end because its stressing me out with my final in my college English class. I'm way ahead of the game with my portfolio. Only a few more things to do and then I've got nothing but the final to worry about! I present my final on may 8th and as far as I'm concerned, I'm done. All the rest of my classes are easy!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Hakuna Matata.

<3


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got my fishy time today 

Bahari seems to be... Idk. Struggling? He is always either sinking or floating. He never swims in the mid area of his tank. He's buoyant sometimes, but not always. When he isn't buoyant, he's either resting on the substrate or holding himself at the surface. When he is buoyant, he just lets his body rest and lays sideways on the water surface but if I tap the lid he moves and is able to keep himself upright. He rarely moves if I am not by the tank causing water movement or vibration. My Nerite snail is doing okay, though, I think. She still stays close to the water surface almost always but I do see her moving around. I come home to find her in different spots of the tank and sometimes I see her farther away from the surface. I'm not sure if she should be more active, though?

My girls are doing great. I think perhaps Stella's pectoral fin is healing? Its not healing super fast though. Maybe I'm just seeing things. It's been almost two weeks with minimal injuries and no need to put anyone in time out  I also check on them all again right before bed (a couple hours after the tank lights go off) and often see Mercy swimming around when the rest of them are asleep in the back somewhere. I think she enjoys her alone time


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got my Okami plushie today  I love it!! <3

I'm worried about Lotus and unsure what I should do, now. She's not buoyant anymore but she's a little lethargic and has quite a few more fin tears. I'm not sure what the problem is and I think I might have to QT her tomorrow. This is how Okami's dropsy started out, with slight lethargy. :/ I'm hoping she's just recovering but all the new fin damage is worrying.

 praying that this doesn't turn into a huge issue and she recovers. I have limited QT space if it spreads to more than one girl. But I am hoping it was just an overeating issue and that she is just recovering and not actually sick or getting sick.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

It may be stress as well, especially if she might be getting harassed by the other girls. Maybe a brief epsom pick me up in her own qt for a day or two then maybe try re-introducing her? 

I hope she's not sick =(


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I hope so, too. She doesn't have any stress stripes and when she was buoyant and couldn't hardly swim the other girls left her alone, but now she's got new fin damage now that she can swim.

In hoping time will fix it and since she's already in the same tank as the other girls, I think they're already exposed to anything she might have. Didn't want to remove her and mess up the hierarchy but I will if I have to.

I added a small amount of Epsom directly to the tank. She really does not look stressed and she seems to be trying to swim as best she can, especially when she was buoyant. She put a lot of effort into trying to swim downwards. I'm wondering if she may be tired from all that work. For algae reasons, I reduced the photoperiod by an hour so they also get an extra hour of sleep in which I'm assuming she could benefit from.

I just hope she'll be okay. I've got Epsom salt, AQ salt, Kanaplex and metro on hand if I need it, though.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Always good to be prepared =)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Slightly irritated today, lol.

I showed my plushie of Okami to some people today and everyone thinks she is upside down. My teacher even handed it to a bunch of my classmates and asked them to hold her so that she's right side up - about half of them got it wrong!

Then at work, I told a coworker it was a plush of my female who passed away and she said "oh that's why she's upside down" -_-

Then my boyfriend thought I was holding her upside down! I tried explaining to all of them that the anal fin is longer and right behind the pelvic fins, the dorsal fin is smaller. My teacher thought the dorsal fin was the long one -_- I think she looks like a slightly eggy female Betta. I honestly cannot see how they think its upside down, at all.

Nobody knows anything about the anatomy of a fish!!!!!!!

Lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lotus is doing even better today!

I finished my "extra section" of my portfolio today. It could be of anything we wanted, so I put pictures of all my fish and tanks, including my nerite snail, my brothers fish/tank and my currently empty tank, and also two pages dedicated to Okami. The whole portfolio along with my graduation party are nautical/ocean themed 

Now I need to order my plants but think I'll have to wait due to snow/rain.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm almost done with my portfolio (midterm) for my college class. We hand it in next Friday and find out who we are presenting it to. The next week I'll present it to my person which will take like 20 minutes but it will be easy.

Then until May 8th I'll be working on my final with my partner. We are doing a 22 minute presentation on habitual liars and the psychology and stuff. It will be about 16-17 combined minutes of us talking and 5-6 minutes of questions. We're writing a script that we have to present VERBATIM with no note cards. It'll be done and presented on May 8th.

I've been told that this college English class is harder than most actual classes in college. Needless to say, I can't wait until May 8th. There will be SO much weight off my shoulders!

Then the last two weeks of school will fly by and then graduation and then I'm DONE. Won't have anything to worry about but work and my fishies and I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Then it'll be time to worry about college :/ I am still trying to find an apartment that will allow fish and my dog. I haven't done anything to prepare for graduation. My mom has that covered, hallelujah.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I added safestart to Bahari's tank the other day along with a little bit of filter foam to the filter. I'm hoping this will do the trick with the stupid cycle. I'm getting plants next week and PandaBetta has a sale of $1 red cherry shrimp. My snail seems to be having troubles cleaning the algae but I need the tank to cycle to add shrimp.

I do notice that Nero seems to move more at night. During the day she stays at the water surface but at night (well, in the morning when I wake up) I often see her near the bottom. There's just so much algae!

I read about RCS that they can adjust to many water parameters but need a minimum of 10 gallons? I hope the 5.5 will be fine for just one shrimp. Plenty of food, both algae and pellets that Bahari lets sink. Won't have to worry about predators since Bahari is blind as a bat and stays at the surface usually.

RCS won't harm HIM, right? Lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I don't think so.......I dont think I've read anywhere of a case of a ghost or cherry shrimp harming a betta.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I've read that ghost shrimp if big enough can harm a Betta but I think RCS are different.

I was just curious because sometimes Bahari chills at the bottom of the tank. It seems that he mostly hangs out at the top near Nero, though, lol. But when he's at the bottom he rests unmoving (most likely sleeping) and could be the easiest target ever. But he's far from greedy - he definitely would share enough food with the shrimp, lol.

If I got a shrimp that was actually active it would make the tank much more interesting since Bahari and Nero spend most of their time chilling by the surface doing nothing unless I'm not looking.

I also added another silk plant for more cover and resting places for Bahari. I should add one to DaBaDees tank as well (which is also beginning to grow algae >:/)


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

The only concern I can think of is Bahari's reactino if the RCS bumps into him. bahari's still blind, right? he could get a super fright and get injured, I think. I'd almost go for a snail instead, just because it's slower moving...but Iunno. bahari prlly senses things via vibration too....so maybe an RCS wouldnt bother him much cuz he'd pre-sense it before it bumped him.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

There's a Nerite snail he chills next to all the time  all movement frightens him (or just interests him?) and when he gets frightened he darts to the top for air, lol.

He really NEEDS some stimulation. Most bettas get theirs through sight. I highly doubt he will find/harm the shrimp just because he can't even find his food unless it touches his mouth and he still sometimes misses.

He's still blind as a friggin bat. I don't expect he will ever see again. Ever. He can't see a thing except for that he can sense bright light.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

That's pretty blind, lol. Well if he's chill with a snail, I dont see harm in a shrimp. RCS arent group animals, are they>?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I hope not because they're rapid breeders. I think its easy to sex them, though. Idk, more research! Lol


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yea I had that concern about my cories, but apparently I'm safe with them =S Never even thought of it before grabbing them, shame on me.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well, apparently something went on the last few days that I was unaware of because there are two huge piles of snail crap in Bahari's tank 0_0 I heard they had a bioload but I was unaware that that much poo could come out of one snail in less than 48 hours!

I wonder if adding the safestart made her perk up?

The chunk missing out of Mercys tail has also grown a bit bigger


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I have watched Sidney, my larger nerite, sit on my glass and just poop. For hours. I didnt think they had THAT big of a load either, but I guess maybe they get a little constipated or something, iounno. Or just wake up and dot heir business? =S

Flaring will make tears grow bigger - Sylvannas got a huge tear in ehr caudal so I added Stresscoat to the 29g. It healed fast tho.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well this is not a tear, its a missing chunk that grew larger. They have VitaChem in their tank, though. All the normal straight split tears have healed in a day or so. The dragon girls are the only ones who haven't had significant damage.

Also some good news: I think that safestart worked on Bahari's tank and he and Nero are not subject to any ammonia or nitrites


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I'm glad my Nerite seems to have perked up. This morning I saw her patrolling the gravel for the first time ever. She usually sticks to the glass. I'd like to get one for the sorority tank. I really hope that the girls won't attack it too much, though. I'm wondering if ramshorns would be good but I know that they'd overpopulate with the amount of algae in there right now. At least it seems to be staying on the silk plants and not on the live ones.

The LFS in Lincoln sells them. I liked them on facebook and asked if they had them and they do. I know they have a lot of saltwater tanks so I'm wondering if their nerites are in a saltwater or brackish water tank, which means I would have to acclimate one to freshwater. We will see how that goes. It will be awhile before I'll have time to make an hour drive up there. -_-


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I moved both my nerites into the sorority and the girls ignore them for the most part. Mortis, my black mystery, hasn't been so lucky, but he's learned to hide away from them. Nerites thankfully dont have long feelers so are less attractive while active to a betta. Aside from Kalec pestering Gary for the longest time >> But different fish have different personalities too.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My girls are all pretty active. They like to chase te laser pointer and won't stay away from my hands, lol. They also chase the gravel when the gravel vac stirs it up inside of the tube. In hoping I can add in the snail and distract them with food and the laser pointer while I do so, lol, so at least he can get in there without immediately being pestered.

I really need to just stick my hands in there and loo away and let them nip me to get used to it because I'm still scared to put my hands in there, lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, and also, I know I said no more decor besides silk plants awhile back, but I found this cute little castle that just went perfectly with the colors in Bahari's tank... So now he has a castle, lol.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

My girls go for my beauty marks all the time when I'm syphoning out water. You could wait till they're asleep then add the snail during the night. Then they'll wake up and he's already apart of the environment.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

That is a good idea. Thank you 

Random sad news: my brother bought me a kitty shirt for my birthday and I had to throw it away today because a leak in my closet caused some mold to grow on some of my clothes and it ate holes in the fabric of that shirt 

A few other peices of clothing were thrown out but I'm at least trying to save one of the newer shirts I bought not too long ago for senior pictures and one of the only jackets that I own, lol.

Darn mold. I was actually unaware that mold could eat holes in fabric (yeah I know, I know). No more leaving clothes on the floor. I just have limited closet space, can't really fit a second clothes basket in there and don't want clothes laying around my room since I'm a neat freak when it comes to looking organized, everything gets shoved in my closet.

I guess it was an opportunity to get rid of some clothes I never wear. I always feel like I should save them for something but most either don't fit me or I just don't want to wear them, ha. I also don't have much more room for CLEAN clothes to fit in my closet so I usually leave about half of them dirty.

I need an intervention or something.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I just photoshopped my dog into Dog Fancy.










Whaddup.



IT'S NICE OUTSIDE TODAY AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO GO ON A WALK LATER!! 

<3 my brodog.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Daihatsu, my little jumper, jumped out of the dang tank today and flopped around on my desk. I cupped my hands around her and she flopped into my hand and I put her back in. She seems to still be acting okay and doesn't have any damage.

Didn't give me as big of a heart attack as Bahari did even though I had to actually pick her up. Unfortunately I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to touching them but I got her back in in a timely fashion after a mini freak out of "what do I do!?!?!"

I'm glad she was flopping around because I was afraid to try to pick her up from fear of squishing her. She's okay, though. Hope she's learned a lesson 

I wasn't kidding when I said I hope none of the others become jumpers. I kind of forsaw this happening.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Came in the mail today


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Daaawww~ <3


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got my new plants today  can't wait until I can get rid of all the silk plants!!!

I can't remember if I posted this but I wrapped my java moss around the mask decoration and used it to tie my java fern to the side.

Got another Anubias way in the back on the right side. Right in front is the Hygrophilia Corymbosa (sp?) hiding behind the jungle Val's. it and the java fern right next to it are hard to see. Some rotala indica up front, water sprite planted between the mask and the Anubias clear on the left side. Crypt petchii is also there. Tons of hornwort floating around, too 

I also got my RCS for Baharis tank. He's doing well and is super duper tiny 


Soooo excited for my sorority tank!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow, I really need to get rid of that horrid blue/green gravel, lol.
I released my shrimp today and that little guy is the most active inhabitant in the tank, lol. He's constantly moving around! He's so tiny, too.

I am so freaking out. I got my resource sheets for my college English final done and have until Monday to write my entire manuscript and do my visuals and get 15 rhetorical devices -_- then I have to memorize it word for word and I present next Wednesday. It's a 17 minute presentation.

Next Wednesday ill be DONE! So much stress off my shoulders and time freed up. So hopefully ill be more active on the forum and in a great mood.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

My shrimp seems to have disappeared :/ the last two days he was swimming all over the tank and today I can't find him! Anywhere!


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Give it a while, but it's known they become betta snacks >> Does bahari look very full?


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Baharu doesn't, no. I think it's less than a 1% chance he'd find him. With his activity level and the fact that he's always near the top and can never find his food... I don't find it possible, honestly.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Hmm. Maybe the shrimp's just really good at hiding. I know I lose snails for days at a time, but they pop up.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol I meant Bahari.

I hope so! I don't want anything to happen to little Figaro  that's what I named him lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Figaro has been found 

I bought myself a new coffee machine today since our other two crapped out. The stupid Kurig machine decided it no longer wants to turn on or do ANYTHING and our other coffee machine in storage decided to leak water all over the counter/floor. I'm sick of instant coffee.

Bought myself a cute little tiny 5 cup coffee maker for $20. It has a two year warranty... Which, is longer than our stupid $130 Kurig machine lasted.

Those things are a rip off. Takes forever to turn on, the k-cups are EXPENSIVE, the things you can buy to brew your own coffee don't work, brew too weak and leak all over + get coffee grounds in your coffee, and the stupid machine glitched out for like two weeks and then decided to stop working altogether.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

>.> Curtis doesnt have any problem with his. Sorry yu're having trouble. 

And yay! He's found!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

It lasted slightly over a year (warranty is one year). After looking at reviews, this is common. It works great (for a year or so) IF you use nothing but the expensive k-cups. But this one year warranty piece of crud for $130 versus the 2-year-warranty $20 coffee maker that can easily brew the same size cup... Yeah. I was a little upset having to drink instant coffee. But at least we are advanced and have a special faucet on our sink that always dispenses 180 degree water so no microwaving water at least 

And yes  I found him chilling on a silk plant. He disappeared later but at least I know he is still alive!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

It took me all day but, I finally memorized the first paragraph of my rhetoric manuscript. Only 6 more to go before I present it verbatim in front of the whole class on Wednesday.

Great..


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Before I go off to sleep...

I just got home and the tank lights are off but I turn on dim lights every night so I can check on everyone quick before bed without waking them (except Mercy who is always awake at this time - not sure if she's a late nighter or just a light sleeper, lol). So of course with dim lights its a little hard to see but it looks like there's a lot of new plant growth in the sorority! Mostly the water sprite and hornwort but I do see some new leaves on the rotala.. How exciting!

As you probably know, Fridays are my fast days and my no fishy time days due to having both school and work  BUT, 2 weeks are left of school and this is my LAST FRIDAY!! Next Friday is Senior Skip Day and the Friday after is the official last day of school and only the freshmen have to be there, haha 

I always miss seeing DaBaDee on Fridays because he's always sleeping like a rock as soon as the tank lights go out


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Bahari was not doing too well last weekend. He was laying on the gravel and almost refusing to move. I used my skewer to nudge him up to the surface of the water so he would breathe. He was also breathing heavily and his mouth looked like he was gasping. He's been put in a half gallon QT floating in his tank and I shoved a large silk plant in the bottom so he could rest and get to the surface easier and added a tsp of Epsom salt to his half gallon tank and he does seem to be doing better, now.

Water parameters are fine and my shrimp and snail are doing great. I'm planning on moving the snail to the sorority tank next week. Ill have more time to watch her and make sure she isn't being harassed too much.

The sorority tank also was redone a little. I added a fake log ornament to set on top of the roots of the Anubias. Now they can root themselves into the gravel. I removed all but one silk plant so it's mostly all live plants. It's a little bare ATM but the plants will grow and the girls are doing just fine.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So for my ocean themed graduation party, I'm setting out a jar for donations to MoonShadow's rescue! I already have about $3 in change in it 

I typed up a thing that explained it a bit, what her rescue does and how she doesn't charge adoption fees or anything. I said it's in NY and that all that equipment has to get costly! I printed it, taped it to a piece of cardboard and am going to attach it to a skewer and have it sticking out of the jar. I also have one of those digital picture frames that will have a slideshow of photography I've done of my fish next to it, and then I'll have a separate one of those for the rest of my photography that does not have to do with fish.

Everyone keeps telling me that I'll need the money for college but I think I can spare a bit of change, yeah? I've already got over 2 grand in scholarships, 3 grand saved in my bank account, and 14 grand in a fund my parents set up for me for college. That's 19 grand, and it will cost an estimated 21 grand for all 2 years of college including tuition, books, room and board, and food. $2000 to go! (Plus, this doesn't include the money I'll get for graduation. I remember my brother got about $800 at his graduation party.)

I do think my mom is planning on helping me financially, too, at least for the first year of college. I want to take my dog and have estimated $715 a year for him, including food, yearly vet check-ups, vaccinations, heartworm and flea preventatives and about $50 for toys, leashes, or collars if I need to replace them. Thankfully fish are pretty much a one time expense and I have meds on-hand already. I just hope I won't need to replace a tank or a heater, but I think I might be able to spare it! (I hope!)

I'm obviously good at saving my money so I hope it won't be too big of an issue.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Today is the best day of my life. I AM DONE WITH RHETORIC!!!!!!

Now I just have easy classes, graduation in less than 2 weeks!!! Money saved, college planned sort of...

Wow. My life is literally just beginning. 0_0


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Bahari passed away last night in his QT tank. I was expecting it, actually. I guess I won't be able to enter him in Skye's contest.

I really hope he can see again under the rainbow bridge. He didn't seem like a very happy fish most of the time, although he was still eating fine, he didn't move around much and these last two weeks really seemed to be having issues breathing.

The snail and shrimp are doing fine and I'm glad he was in QT when he passed because then his body didn't affect his other tank mates.

I've already said that if (when) he passed away, I was going to adopt from MoonShadow. I'll have to get his tank cleaned up. I don't think he had any diseases that were contagious but we'll still be safe.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I went and looked at an apartment in the town where I'm going to college today and it was small but it allowed fish (unfortunately not dogs but most don't) and was really cheap. Less than $350 a month with utilities. But after we left, as I was filling out the application they called and said that someone who looked at it last week rented it.

The rest that are available are 2 bedroom or bigger and not really in my price range.  I guess MAYBE ill get lucky and find one that allows dogs. Gotta start filling out apps for everywhere I guess. I DON'T WANT A DORM ROOM. They don't allow fish and I could not bear living with one or two other random females in a tiny space. I'm just not a people person. That apartment was small but perfect for my boyfriend and I.

Ugh. Just, ugh. This really blows.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Congrats on your graduation and good luck with college.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks, DQ! 

So I got some more decorations for my party  I LOVE this giant fish thing! Lol. We're going to put my cards in it  I get to keep it afterwards but I'm not sure what I should do with it, lol.




























And my MoonShadow donation jar:


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Oh, jar looks great, Ayala. I think Moonshadow will really appreciate this.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks 

She posted some new rescues on FB and I LOVE Sprite!!!!! I hope no one steals him from me if he goes up for adoption and is able to be shipped. He's my background on my phone and I fall more and more in love every time I see him <3 ahhh!

I am just so in love right now, he is the cutest little booger ever! He's got quite a bit of fin damage right now. I think he's a HM but he's missing a bit of his tail fin. He's got pretty blue eyes, too.

Omg I just love him!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got the chance to talk to MoonShadow about Sprite. She said he'd be ready in 2-3 weeks  she said she thinks he's a tailbiter so I think I'll put him in the 4 gallon since ill be planting it some and it's smaller volume. It does have a filter also.

My party is tomorrow! The change jar is already set up and it already has $8 in it  on Monday ill get the change counted and put in my account so I can send it her way via PayPal.

I'm excited  I have a nice set up with all my fish related art and my digital photo frame with pictures of my bettas and my brothers fish, and my snail haha. It's right next to the change jar!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well I only have $9.66 in my change jar now. I put $8 in there myself. I guess people don't care as much as I do, ha.

I'll be rounding it up to $10. It's better than nothing 

The party made it a busy day. Not much fishy time, but lady week I was busy Saturday and ended up doing all my water changes on Sunday, too. I've definitely GOT to find time tomorrow.

Also was in the ER today after my party near midnight since the hospital isn't open. I've got five bug bites on my leg that are HUGE. They are the color of a tomato and look like giant welts. I was asked several times if I was hit in the leg with a paint ball gun. I get bug bites often and these are definitely not normal. I've never seen a bug bite look like that! At least, not on me, and I'm not allergic to anything to my knowledge.

We do have brown recluse spiders around but they wouldn't bite multiple times like that. I guess it doesn't help the redness and swelling that the only thing that stops the itching is hot water! But it was me itching that made them swell up like that in the first place. Bug spray is my new best friend.


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

o.o Hope those go away, that's kind of scary.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah! They looked like this last night and today don't look much better. The edges are actually purple now.









I've never seen so many people argue about what could cause a bug bite! So far I've gotten nowhere. I just don't want it to itch and don't want my leg to fall off lol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I sent 10.50 to MoonShadow because I had to send it as goods and services which means in charges her. But then I looked up the exact charge and found out it was like 60 cents 

I think I'll be adopting Sprite and her express shipping price is $20 so I'm sending her $21 to cover the extra charge which is only 88 cents. It will cover the extra 10 cents short I was on the donation, haha.

I know 10 cents isn't much at all but it still bothers me. Which reminds me, if you guys don't have her on FB I am going to post a picture of sprite. He's such a stud  it's the eyes I swear!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

<3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Btw, this picture IS copyright of MoonShadow. It is NOT my picture.


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

You are such a wonderful person hun!! I LOVE the jar and appreciate it more then you know!! I know you'll give Sprite a fabulous home and I couldn't be happier that you will be adopting him!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you! 

I baffled the filter in the tank today and replaced the gravel. I'm going to put live plants in the tank but until they grow out, I'm trying to think of what else I should put in there to fill the space... Hmm...

I did get dark gravel because I thought he'd look better in the tank with dark gravel rather than white  All they had was the glofish stuff you have with colored rocks in there. I picked out some of the colored rocks and didn't get out all of the white gravel so now it's mostly black with a little color and a little white xD



I will be putting the live plants in there this weekend. I have to take some from the sorority tank and will do it during the water change because my girls are jumpers. -_-


I know I've said this about 76 times but I can't wait to meet Sprite, he's SO GORGEOUS!! His eyes, omg <3


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Thought you'd like to see a couple new pictures of him!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Awh, he is so lovely! What color would you describe him as? I know he probably looks a little different in person than in pictures.

I love his little faces


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So this is Veyron "Sprite" Ayala's tank as it stands right now  I changed the white gravel to black because it suited him better and have my ghetto filter baffle, lol. It serves its purpose and ill find some way to kind of hide it.










And I also moved Nero the Nerite snail over to the sorority. The tank lights went off but I accidentally left another light on so all the girls were still awake, lol. None of them really seemed to bother her at all. This is her right after I put her in the tank:










She has plenty to eat, lol. I'm sure she will have it all gone in no time.

Now I just wonder what I will do with my RCS so I can clean Bahari's old tank. I wonder if Sprite will be too aggressive and eat her (her name is Figaro, lol). I guess we'll find out. I'm excited to finish decorating his tank


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I got too excited and decorated Veyron (Sprite)'s tank today!










What do you think?
I love it. I hope he does, too! Also cleaned up the girls' tank.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Also, a friend and I went to a flea market today (it's actually called a marble museum - it's been in town forever and this is the first time I've been there!) and look what he got me:










It's a whale  on the bottom it says Kapa design, 78, Hawaii. My friend is also Hawaiian lol. His mom was explaining to me what Kapa means after we got it! It's by my sorority tank right now :j



Which reminds me, I blame you guys for getting me addicted to Etsy. Search "octopus" and I'd probably get just about everything that shows up, lol. Anything fish/ocean related or nautical, I love. Squids and octopuses are the neatest creatures, too! I hope it's not too cruel but I LOVE those little jars that have preserved octopus tentacles in them <3 I drool over stuff on that site all day. I wish I were rich haha, I can't just pick ONE thing!!!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Sprites empty tank is right next to my bed where I am currently laying because I just woke up from a nap, lol. It's making me even more excited to finally see him in it!

When I'm laying in my bed I always watch my girls but the tank is a little further away and harder to see. Still a great thing to fall asleep/wake up to.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I decided a change of avatar was needed, lol. I tried to make this relatively similar to my last one. The only reason I don't like changing my avatar is because if people recognize me by my avatar rather than my username they might get confused D: but I'm just weird, lol. Eventually I'll probably change it back so that both DaBaDee and Veyron are on it. But idk. Maybe I need to put one of my girls on it, lol. Now that I have 7 bettas and 2 deceased, I can't fit pictures of all of them in my sig and avatar like I could with just 5  that's why I changed my sig to just include all their names!

Anyways, the picture belongs to MoonShadow but I got her permission first! I also got her consent to change his name but I am keeping Sprite as a nickname in between "these thingies" lol.

I guess I should probably wait before changing his name and stuff but I am SO EXCITED to get him you have no idea!!!!!!!! Lololol. I need a life and some sleep, haha.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow, okay, lol, I really need to update on the sorority and DaBaDee:

Sorority: I'm super glad that its been going so smoothly, really. My girls are all very active and healthy, and they get along quie well most of the time except Ascari gets moody sometimes and nips the other girls and Daihatsu tries committing suicide during every feeding time. On a side note, I moved Nero the Nerite snail to their tank recently and they have not bothered her at all! About 5 minutes ago, she somehow managed to flip herself over on her back (shell?) and watched as she clutched a rock from the gravel and tried to flip herself back over, lol. She did succeed!

DaBaDee: I think he's getting to the end of his life span? He's not acting sick, aside from a bit of buoyancy issues, he's really lost some color. No stress stripes, just dull in color, transparentish and kind of a brown/blue. He sleeps a lot, too. Like, a lot. At night he sleeps behind the filter and during the day he sleeps in his squid ward hut until I come home and wake him up for lunch which he is always happy to have!

I honestly just, don't think it's sickness. He's retiring, I think. I know pretty much every sign of sickness and am fairly certain I could identify any sickness he did have in an instant. He no longer has internal parasites that caused the severe buoyancy issues he had before. I watch his poo closely. He's just sleepy and dull in color. I am also certain this is because of the bad conditions he was in the first 9 months I had him, and the bad Walmart conditions he was in before that. I've had him for almost a year and a half but that makes him about 2 - not old, but a good age for a betta who spent most of his life in way less than ideal conditions.

I'm glad that I found this forum and was at least able to make the end of his life much better than the beginning! Who knows how long he'll be around, though... I just love coming home to his cute hungry little face!



But anyways, that being said, I know they don't live forever. He could still be around a year from now, or he could be gone tomorrow. It's hard telling... Just like with Bahari. Neither Bahari nor DaBaDee can be replaced but the tanks can be used again to make an even better life for another fish.

I feel like its selfish of me to say that... I lowered DaBaDees quality of life in the beginning with less-than-ideal care and was determined to have Bahari for a long time in proper conditions from the very beginning, but then his bad genetics made it impossible for him to be like a "normal" fish. I'm so excited to get this new rescue from MoonShadow. I want him to be in the best conditions and live a long, happy, healthy life so he does not end up suffering from bad care or genetics like DaBaDee or Bahari. It's just kind of painful to see DaBaDee in his old (but not) age and it was always painful to see Bahari unable to be like a "normal" fish 


Anyways, it's like 12:30 and I work at 8am so I should get some sleep, lol. Night!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I should be getting Veyron "Sprite" THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!! SQUEEEEE! 

Also looking at some HMPKs from Bettabeauties Anthem on FB - a very nice Indonesian breeder with some GORGEOUS fish!! Omg *drools*

DaBaDee was looking better today as well. Veyron's tank is all set up  my dog went to my brothers house with me to chill for two hours. We watched my brothers son while they went to Fast and Furious... He only woke up once, lol. Netflix and everything in the fridge was free and my dog got to go with so t'was a good time.

And OMG IM GETTING VEYRON THIS WEEEEEK!!!!! :0


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Yay! Can't wait to see him in your pretty tanks. ^^

Also, I need you to send me which picture you want me to use as reference for your art =) Since he went through quite a few phases, I thought it should be how you want to remember him.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, yes. I did finally get to that, lol  It's hard to send pictures off my phone so I usually wait until I can get to a computer and forget once I do, haha.

I kind of "stole" some silk leaves from walmart today, lol. They had fallen off of some of the silk flower things and were laying on the bottom of the shelf so I put them in my purse so I can float them in Veyron's tank as something near the surface to rest on until the live plants start growing. I'd also like to put one of those MoonRock caves in his tank but walmart sucks at stocking and is currently out >:/ Anyways, right now those two leaves are soaking in really hot water to disinfect and also make sure that they don't leach any color into the water. I also don't think they'd care that I "stole" two leaves that fell off of some fake plant bouquets (the shelf was pretty much empty except for the few leaves laying on the bottom) and they were probably going to end up in the trash, anyways. I was at first going to ask if it was OK for me to take them but then I thought they'd probably thing I was crazy for asking permission to take trash (or for taking it in the first place, haha).


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I spoke too soon the other day - Lotus passed away today.

I came home to 5 very happy girls and Lotus's body laying on the bottom, being picked on by all the other girls. She did have some buoyancy issues but otherwise the only thing wrong with her body was she was missing an eye and her fins were shredded by the other girls...

I just don't know what to do now


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well, I think that Lotus's death MIGHT have something to do with buoyancy issues. I was at work all day and she was gone already by the time I got back, BUT her buoyancy issues were recurrent - it seemed to happen every other week and always on Sundays and the day after she'd have a few more fin rips than usual since the other girls could easily nip at her when she was unable to swim as easily. I found her with shredded fins, missing part of her anal fin and an eye and the other girls were still pecking at her body.
Anyways, to get my mind off of it for awhile, I think I'm going to analyze each of their personalities and give you an "introduction" to each of my fish. And I'm bored.

DaBaDee - he's getting chill in his old age, lol. He's lazy and sleeps a lot but always comes up to greet me with his cute hungry face. I feel like he is waving when he comes up to the front of the tank and wiggles his pectorals at me.

Mercy - she's the loner and the peacekeeper. She is the most likely to wander off to other parts of the tank when the rest of the girls are jumping over each other near the front trying to get my attention. She doesn't usually get into the sorority "drama" and she is also the late nighter. When all the other girls go to sleep she likes to patrol the tank by herself  she also seems to break up some quarrels. She NEVER is aggressive towards others unless they are first, but they don't usually mess with her.

Stella - she's got such a cute personality. She's the smallest girl, but she likes to act like she's not. She CAN be a loner at times. I think she's the most curious. She spends more time checking out aquarium decor than the other girls and I think she thinks she owns them all, haha. She gives the other girls the grumpy face when they get too close to her decorations. She's the easiest to get pictures of too since she spends time near the middle of the tank where the lighting is better.

Daihatsu - she's the suicidal girl, lol. She's definitely a jumper and tries to jump out of the tank every day at feeding time! D:

Ascari - she's the moody one. She's the most likely to chase the other girls off when they get too close. Ironically, she's also the one who has the dark lining on her mouth that looks like a mustache kind of. It makes her look grumpy 

Kuraokami - I think she's the one who blends in the most and goes along with the crowd. She's not the most aggressive nor the loner, and since my dragon girls look similar, sometimes it's hard to tell them apart when I'm not paying attention, lol.

The last three - Daihatsu, Ascari, and Kuraokami are the dragon girls and sisters and they spend the most time together. The other two are more loners, while they are kind of a "pack". They have tons of personality but like I said, if I'm not looking closely, it can be hard to tell the three apart.

Lotus - she was also a loner. I feel like she was the younger kid who wanted to tag along but wasn't really welcome. Her big eyes made her look SO sweet but at the same time, made her look sad. Swim in peace <3


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well I went to work at 4 today and about 4:45 sirens were going off and power went out.

For you American folks, my county was on national news about an hour ago. Three funnel clouds were in my county at one time, red all over the map.

We could see the funnel cloud from work (ill upload a pic) and cell phone service went out. I had no idea if my dog was in the basement (thankfully my dad did move his kennel) and if my fish were safe but the power didn't go out at my house. SO GLAD!!!!!!!!!

They let me leave work early so I'm home now. The tornado touched down 4 miles from my house in the country. My dad just went out to assess damage - some flipped irrigation pipes and lots of damaged trees, some blocking roads. There was a house out there but the only damage he saw was shingles stripped off the roof of a barn. People were already out there clearing trees out of the roads.

The storms have moved east but more are developing. My boss said there were 14 spotted funnel clouds in the area but I don't know how many touched down. No one was killed or injured to my knowledge, and the power is still out on the South side of town where KFC is. The radio broadcast went off air temporarily when they lost power and the sirens went off so they had to relocate.

It's the worst thing in the world to hear the sirens and watch a tornado develop and move towards your town, especially when you're stuck at work with no cell phone signal, can't get ahold of your family and have no idea if your home, family, or pets are safe. I have to say that I was very worried about my dog, especially since he was stuck in his kennel upstairs.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So this is the KFC parking lot. I guess no one wanted chicken today cause it looks pretty empty 0.o hmm


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

Is that a funnel cloud??


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah it touched down in the country. Messed up some trees and irrigation pipes, ripped some shingles off a barn.
Oh yeah, and right before that picture was taken it ripped up a bunch of power lines and all the fast food restaurants outside of town along the interstate lost power and closed.

I got off work early, lol. I guess all the fast food restaurants in town are super crazy busy lololol.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So today at 2pm ish I was in my room arranging Veyron "Sprite"s tank again when I heard a splash come from the sorority tank, or what sounded like a girl jumping out of the water and hitting the hood, HARD. I swear at that moment something flew out of the tank and hit the wall (probably a water drop), but then I frantically looked around the tank for a flopping fish and turned on the light and checked for all 5 girls, who were all happily swimming around, except Stella who was mad that I woke her from her beauty sleep. I looked for Daihatsu specifically because she's my jumper. She looked at me with innocent little eyes like she does and swam around looking at me for some food. Then I noticed something VERY disturbing - Ascari is missing 2/3 of her dorsal fin and has an open sore on her body where her fin was once attached. It was bleeding and quite swollen.

I have a feeling she jumped and ripped it off when she hit the hood because her and Kuraokami have never had nipped fins and none have had such severe injuries from the other girls. Plus it totally explains the noise I heard. Anyways, I added a few extra drops of vitachem and stress coat to the tank. She's acting totally fine, like her dorsal fin isn't half missing or anything, you know. No big deal...

Then later my Nerite freaked me out laying on her back in the corner of the tank not moving, but I flipped her back over and she's since moved from where I left her which is good.

Also, DaBaDee has been lazy and lethargic lately but I think, but am not certain, that I may be seeing very, very slight pineconing.... I really hope I'm just hallucinating but I don't know. It's very slight, you have to look REALLY close... I don't know if its for real so I don't want to treat him but I know it's too late if I don't do so immediately... I have the Kanaplex dissolved and ready for his tank.

Ugh, I just lost two and I don't want to lose any more  he's my oldest buddy.



Edit: crud, too many updates for one night, haha! Forgot to mention that I made that homemade leaf hammock for Veyron's tank and now I just need electrical tape to keep it in place (tied fishing line to the leaf, lol). Also cut out craft mesh to cover the holes in the good which also need taped with electrical tape. It's black which will blend in with the hood. All my other tape is neon colored duct tape, lol.

Anyways, following the betta video contest in the contest section, someone posted a vid of their betta Ciel crawling into an IAL leaf hammock and it was the CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN OMG!!!! Watch it lol you might cry at how cute it is. Really hope Veyron likes my homemade leaf hammock  MoonShadow said he is very active and likes to flare at himself hahahah


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I made a decision today. Last night I thought I could kind of see slightly raised scales on DaBaDee and was treating him with Epsom salt already for buoyancy. I wasn't sure on medicating him but I got the Kanaplex ready and didn't add it.

This morning I woke up and he was kind of floating on his side in the front of the tank by the thermometer (he seems to love that thing) instead of sleeping in his usual spot, the squidward house or behind the filter. This is really strange for him. He's been getting duller in color for awhile and I can't really tell if his belly is lighter since he's lost color all over, but it did look a little round...

I don't think he'll make it too long, and I'm not sure if its old age or sickness. On the chance that its sickness, I decided to treat him with Kanaplex... It's obviously and internal problem and I had treated him with metro awhile back. He doesn't have internal parasites anymore.

Idk, maybe I'm making it worse by treating him if its just old age, but I'm, at this point, willing to try anything at the slight chance that it will work and he will regain his color and activity level.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol so I went to Lincoln today to the zoo and then to petco to get filter sponge, betta hammocks and a siphon for Veyron's tank and guess who followed me out the door?


















Lol. He doesn't have a name yet. I'm thinking possibly Hari Kari or Zenvo but idk. He will be going in Baharis old 5 gallon tank  he seems pretty active and friendly. I went to Dairy Queen right after and got a paper bag to put his cup in because its easier to hold and blocks out all that sunlight.

Lol, so anyways, I fail at self control.


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## colorxmexravyne (May 8, 2012)

*stalks*

nawwwww! your new betta fish is super adorable! and i like the name Hari Kari!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you!

He's in his new home, now!


























The tank colors are perfect. One side has that castle and light blue plants that accentuate his darker red color and the other side has a dark green cave and dark purple plants that accentuate his light colors 

He's flaring at everything, even me, lol. Can't tell if he can see his reflection or if he's just protecting his new territory. My RCS decided to come out right after I introduced him and went back into hiding when he tried nipping at her once, haha, but he seems more interested in flaring and swimming into the filter outflow.

He's super active! The tank really makes his iridescence stand out (it's greenish at times and light blue at others).


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Flaring picture with my good camera!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

And some amazing iridescence:


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So my dad made a very good point when I asked him to choose between the names Genesis and Zenvo. He told me he'd go with Zenvo, because Genesis is more common. (He didn't know either of them as cars but he had heard the word genesis before). Then I looked up both names in search to see what threads popped up and genesis has about two pages (there's even a member named genesis whose fish was also genesis) and the only threads that came up for Zenvo were the ones I started or commented on. So his name is going to be Zenvo for originalities sake, lol.

I also discovered tiny hair like worms in Veyron's uninhibited tank (detritus I believe) which is likely due to the fact that I don't clean that tank as often since there aren't fish in it, lol. I did two 50% water changes, siphoning all the water really well. Then I finally got a Moon Cave today and I filled the bottom with black gravel and put it in the tank


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

He's been flaring a lot. Hopefully he will calm down. I'm sure he's claiming his new territory. He likes to hang out by the back of the tank, flare at himself, and play "peek a boo" through the plants 

Many similarities between him and Bahari! Marble, one "crippled" pelvic fin, flares a lot, plays peek a boo (before Bahari went blind, of course)... He likes to swim into the filter outflow, freaks out, and then turns around and swims back into it again, lol xD


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I've been treating DaBaDee with Kanaplex (he was pineconing, but very slightly) and it seems like the pineconing is actually going DOWN!  but for some reason his buoyancy is still an issue although I've also been treating with Epsom salt :/

Also the sore on Ascari's back is healing as well 

Zenvo is still very active and seems to be getting a little less shy  now he comes to the front of the tank when I walk in the room  he seems to like his new betta hammock, too, and I think he's changing color just a little (it's hard to tell because his pattern is so complex!)

One more thing: since DaBaDee seems to have issues swimming (his buoyancy makes him float kind of sideways and he looks so uncomfortable) I got him a betta hammock, too, and I put it by the thermometer which is his favorite place to hang out when he's begging for food. He didn't seem too sure of it at first but I think he is figuring it out. He also goes under it to hold himself under the water line when he doesn't want to float to the surface.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

DaBaDees pineconing is gone!!!! But he's still buoyant :/ he seems to be more active and hiding less, though. I wish I knew exactly what was wrong so I could help him more.. His color is still very faded.

On the plus side, Ascari's wound is healing REALLY well and all of my girls are eggy! I have never seen Stella eggy before! She is so tiny compared to the rest of the girls


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Ugh. Today I noticed Mercy being a little lethargic and she's pineconing slightly like DaBaDee. I treated the entire tank with Kanaplex, which should be safe for the plants and snail.

:/ I don't want to lose any more fishes.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well DaBaDee is doing much better today, but Mercy is doing worse. With both of them pineconing, DaBaDee is floating uncontrollably and Mercy is sinking like a rock :/ I had to remove her from the sorority tank to make sure she could reach the surface, and I got off work really early today and put General Cure in both DaBaDees tank and Mercy's hospital tank.

She's breathing heavily today and laying on the bottom of the tank really struggling to reach the surface. She's kind of tilting to the side and periodically she shuffles around sliding on her belly, and the pineconing is worse even though I started Kanaplex last night. Idk about her. Kanaplex worked for DaBaDee but Mercy's condition is worsening. The other 4 girls are still very active but have some more injuries since I took Mercy out. Zenvo is also doing well and building yet another bubble nest.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Mercy didn't make it.... I don't understand. I was really hoping she would have a decent chance since I actually have Kanaplex now and I treated early and... Not even two days. Even Okami made it 3 without meds. Her body looks so much like Okami's did except its sinking rather than floating... Maybe she couldn't get to the surface and drowned? I lowered the water level... Came home and she's gone.

I don't get it. The other 4 girls are perfectly fine. Ascari was doing better, DaBaDee stopped pineconing... And Mercy is gone. I thought of her as the toughest girl I had. She was my loner and my peacekeeper. Out of all my girls, I really like her, Stella and Diahatsu. I don't know why. Maybe stress? She got stress stripes sometimes, and I'm almost sure Lotus's mystery death had a lot to do with stress..

I'm worried about my other 4 girls, too. If I lose one more they all have to be separated and I don't know how to prevent this.. I don't know why or how she went so quickly.

I just wish I could be a fish whisperer or something...


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm sorry you're experiencing so much loss and trouble right now =( I don't really know what to suggest. I hope everyone else will be okay. I completely understand, if only we could talk to them and they could tell us exactly what's up.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm at least glad my remaining girls seem to be doing fine and DaBaDee is getting better and Zenvo is doing fantastically (idk about his RCS, though... Haven't seen her in a while..)

Ascari's wound on her back from ripping off her dorsal is healing nicely. The wound itself is healed up and I'm starting to see regrowth of her actual fin at the base. Daihatsu's little nip in her caudal fin isn't healing quickly but it's not getting worse, and she also has a wound on her side. Kuraokami has no fin nips but I think she's got a little wound between her eyes and dorsal fin. Stella has no wounds on her body or fins besides her pectoral, which happened a while ago but still isn't healing much at all.

I have noticed that quite a bit of chasing and nipping has been going on. Poor girls, it's the second time in a couple weeks that they've had to re-establish their pecking order.



Anyways, I wasn't expecting Mercy to go so soon (I honestly had thought she had a good chance of making it) and I posted a thread because I was thinking about dividing DaBaDee's 5.5 and putting her in there, since I'd have no other place to put her and DaBaDee is getting old and doesn't really use all of his space anymore. If a girl of mine survived dropsy, I wouldn't put her back into the sorority tank... Obviously she did not make it, but I got some good info off of that thread in case I need to divide my sorority tank if I lose another girl or if I decide I need more bettas and have to divide to make more room, lol. I've been kind of against the divided tank think but you never know.


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## Fabi (May 29, 2013)

Nice!~~~


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

OMG. Zenvo today.... Ahahaha. I put my face up by the tank... Just watching him.. And he swam up to the glass and just stared at me, head on. Then he went on to do a little lip pucker and a loud *SMACK* noise (very loud for such a little fish) RIGHT ON THE GLASS. He was giving me a kiss, I am certain! 

Also for those of you who actually read this, or haven't seen my thread for Mercy in the memorials section, someone said they'd never thought of naming their fish after cars and that got me into my whole naming thing and I explained how all my fish got their names. I figure my journal is a good place to post it but I'm too lazy to re-type it so here you go, copied and pasted, lol.



> My brother got me into it! He has loaches and since they move so fast, he should've named them Lighting or something fast, lol. Then he said something about Veyron. It's a Bugatti, fastest car on the market. I fell in love with the name Veyron as soon as he mentioned it.
> 
> Many of my fish also have theme songs (Mercy by Kanye West... Lamborghini Mercy in that song actually is talking about the Lamborghini Murcielago). I already had Lotus, I named her after the flower because she was pink but ironically, it's also a type of car. Stella is a type of alcohol, named after the song Stella by All Time Low (about alcohol).
> 
> ...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I found this old post by Myates and it kind of eased my mind about DaBaDee (I'd rather him be old than sick from something nasty!)



Myates said:


> Each betta will be different as they age, but typical signs of age is dulling/muting of the color (not to be confused with a sick betta who has become pale), so that the color isn't as bright as it once was. That can happen subtly, or quite significantly over time.
> Also they tend to start getting a humpback.. in a sense can look like a salmon.
> They can become "bony" in appearance.. and individual scales may look more prominent.
> Loss of sight is quite common- not being able to see well, cataracts that look like a white film over the eyes. You can tell if losing sight by him lunging at food and missing, not noticing things outside the tank as often, etc.
> ...


He has ALL these symptoms. Dull color (kind of blue, still, but more brown, kind of transparentish, not white like when they are pale), humpback, bony, misses his food when he lunges, very lethargic, less frequent "wiggle dances", won't flare. And it definitely didn't happen overnight. I started noticing duller color a while ago, but I know it's gotten worse. I know he's gotten more lethargic. But it's been getting worse for months.

I'm just glad, that he isn't sick with something really bad that could affect my other fish... I just don't know why he's buoyant, even with Epsom salt...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm sitting on my bed watching Zenvo build a bubble nest. He'll blow a few bubbles, swim off to flare at himself in the reflection of the tank, and come back to blow more bubbles. <3


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So, the rest of my girls are doing awesome. Of all of them, even though Daihatsu has the worst fin damage from nips, I am more afraid of losing Stella. She is the smallest and had the same genetics as Lotus. Her only fin damage though is her pectoral. It does look better than it did but its healing slowly.

Same with Daihatsu. Her damage on her caudal is healing pretty slow. She was also missing an entire pelvic fin which looks to be healing. Ascari's dorsal is healing magnificently. Her wound in her back has healed, but now I'm seeing new growth on her fin so we will see how fast that heals. Kuraokami had the first year in her anal fin that I've ever seen on her a couple days ago but it's healed completely.

DaBaDee is still buoyant and had a rounded belly. I'm fasting him but the buoyancy doesn't seem to get better at all when he poops, so idk... I am going to start feeding him less. His activity level is not where the others' are so I feel he may need less food.

Zenvo is just doing awesome <3 I haven't seen the RCS forever, though, so I don't think she's around anymore. My Nerite is still kicking. I'm also thinking Ill actually get Veyron (Sprite) this week!!! His tank is ready for him and all the plants in that tank are thriving. There's twice as much hornwort. The bulb in both his tank (4 gallon) and the 10 gallon are 6500k daylight bulbs but his tank has 2watts per gallon and the 10 has 1.5, so I'm thinking that's the difference? Although the hornwort in the 10 gallon is really filling in.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

How did I forget to post this lol










Veyron's tank now with the moon cave. This pictures not that old but there is more hornwort now.


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## colorxmexravyne (May 8, 2012)

*eagerly waiting a post about/picture of Veyron*
*also i swear i'm not stalking you*


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So everyone is doing great, Veyron is on his way and will be here by Wednesday (my only day off this week), and I made a new water change and feeding schedule for everyone.

DaBaDee's buoyancy issues are starting to correlate with his feeding schedule. I've been feeding him 1/2 as much as everyone else but he is still buoyant like 5 days of the week. I've made a new schedule so he will have 3 fast days a week. He sleeps most of the time so I don't think he is able to burn off all the food, so hopefully 1/2 portions and 3 fast days will help.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Veyron is here!

No pictures yet... Still acclimating. But he has this strange growth behind his eye? It's about the size of his eye, too. MoonShadow said she never noticed it but I do see it in the pictures she posted now that I look closely, it's just bigger, now.

Hoping that its not fatal... I am going to PM Sakura8. He is very active, especially since he just got out of his shipping box. He's also eating. Everything is good otherwise... It looks like he did a little tail biting but I think that will stop and heal once I get him in to his new home.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow, it's been 10 days since an update.

Veyron and Zenvo, the new boys, are doing great! DaBaDee is still hanging on in his old age. But my girls... I'm going to have to divide the sorority tank when I get time.

Daihatsu is starting to pinecone. She has a HUGE sore on her side where it looks like her skin has just been ripped off and she is MISSING her top lip, completely. I don't know how, but it's not there and she is having a hard time eating and can no longer eat any of the pellets except for the tiny .5mm NLS pellets. Honestly, I don't think she is going to make it. Her injuries are severe and disturbing.

They are back to 1 gallon QT containers floating in the tank until I can get stuff to create dividers.

Daihatsu isn't the only one with injuries but I'm unsure if the girls are doing this to each other or if something worse is going on? :/ Either way they can no longer be kept together without dividers.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Another late update.

Daihatsu and Ascari both pineconed and passed away. :/ DaBaDee is really having issues with not sinking like a rock. I've had to cup him in a plastic cup that I put some holes in for water flow (cycled filter). I need to keep his tank cycled because my tap has ammonia in it. He's been like this for a few days with no improvement but its incredible what he's gone through! I've successfully treated him for SO many illnesses and all my other fish are dropping like flies with just one illness.

The two remaining girls, Stella and Kuraokami, are in one gallon QTs until I can find report binders for a divider for the 10 gallon. Zenvo and Veyron are still doing amazing and I KNOW I need to get pictures!



I've been busy, though. I got an apartment about 2 weeks ago and I've been trying to get everything together for that, plus the hour drive there and numerous trips and almost 40 hours of work a week puts me at a tight schedule...


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okay, another quick update:

I stayed in my apartment overnight for the first time last night. Then woke up, went downtown to look for the cable company, and my car decided to smell funny and the battery light came on, so I called my dad, had to drive the hour home with no air conditioner (he didn't know if the battery was charging so I couldn't use anything electric) and we still don't know what's wrong with it but he's pretty sure it's charging.

Anyways, another bit of bad news - I can only fit 3 of my tanks in my apartment. Honestly, I thought DaBaDee was going to bite the dust awhile ago. He's been unable to swim at all for over 2 weeks. I still have him cupped because if I didn't he would drown. He can't swim upwards. He just lays on his side at the bottom of the cup all day. He will still eat and come up for air but it takes him a lot of effort to do either.

Zenvo scared me half to death when I came home and noticed the scales on top of his head pineconing and him being a little lethargic. But it's all red and sore looking. I think he has injured himself. I immediately added Kanaplex but he's still doing okay and is even more active now, and his scales are starting to lay back down. Plus, it was only on top of his head.

Veyron and the 2 girls left are doing great, but I still haven't gotten to dividing their tank because I've been busy. Hopefully I can do that tonight when I do water changes for every one of my tanks.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So I lost Kuraokami, DaBaDee, Zenvo, and now Stella as of last night. Everyone had at least pineconed slightly before they died except DaBaDee pineconed and then stopped. His scales were actually laying flat when he died. Bahari is the only one I lost who never pineconed once.

So Veyron is the only one left. He is doing very well, though. He's had that growth behind his eye since I got him, though, and it has doubled in size. I still don't know what it is but it does not appear to be bothering him... I'm not sure if I will get another rescue for the 10 gallon Stella was in or if I will just keep one tank...


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## Syriiven (Aug 15, 2012)

I'm sorry for your losses sweetie =(


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry for your losses.


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## konstargirl (Mar 9, 2010)

I'm so sorry to hear of your losses. I hope you are doing well!


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