# Thane's Dorm Bettas



## salamoonder (Mar 18, 2019)

Welcome to my journal! I love writing and I love animals so this should be fun 

3.19.19.

So far I have one tank, a 2.5 gallon that I found at Goodwill for $5. (My family seems to have crazy luck with acquiring aquariums--my dad once found a 40 gallon tank in the recycle at the dump in mint condition). I've added fine gravel, water wisteria, a marimo ball, and a handful of pond snails and gravel that the librarian who takes care of the on campus library aquariums gave me. (Thanks, librarian fish lady!). It's been cycling for a while and I'm hoping it's ready. I still need to test the water though.

Tomorrow I'm going to petsmart to pick up more supplies. I don't have a water testing kit, so I want to get one of those, and I need to get a heater. The librarian said I could come back and get some more plants. I think she has java moss but I didn't get a super close look. They also have duckweed. I know it's a nuisance in ponds, but is it alright in aquariums? Do the snails eat it? Do fish eat it?

I might ask my dad if he has different snail species in his classroom. He's a high school biology teacher and he's been keeping fish in his classrooms since he started teaching maybe fifteen years ago. 

I'd really like to keep some shrimp in this tank as well. I know it's small and I'm aware that there's a high chance that it won't work out to have a betta and shrimp in there. In any case I'll add lots more cover to give the shrimp a fighting chance.

As soon as I can I'm going to see if I can set up a 5 gallon as well for the crowntail I'm getting and just keep shrimp in this current one. I'd also love to start breeding at some point as well and I figure I can keep fry in this tank.


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## blubird101 (Jan 25, 2019)

Welcome! Sounds like you've got a great setup in the works, post some pictures if you can so we can see! 

As for the shrimp, yeah, its a bit small since they recommend at least 10 shrimp for a shoal so they aren't stressed, but I've also heard of some betta keepers using them as very expensive treats haha and just adding more as their betta slowly picks them off *shrug* 
Shrimp tanks are awesome on their own! I have a special type of shrimp called Opae Ula in their own tank, and they are lots of fun to watch swim around and forage.


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## salamoonder (Mar 18, 2019)

Thank you! I'll definitely keep a close eye on them and do my best to maintain correct parameters.


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## salamoonder (Mar 18, 2019)

3.25.19.

I've had to hold off on getting shrimp, as someone went in and bought every last one a few days ago. I did get some more supplies though! I've added more plants, a small artificial rock stack, a heater, and a filter to my 2.5 gallon, which now houses a lovely crowntail male! I tried very hard to resist the impulse to take him home--all the bettas I've ever gotten from PetSmart have had health problems--but so far he's doing really well and is far more active than any betta I've had in the past. He swims up to me for food when he sees me (he's eating really well, too). He's almost solid blue but there's a small patch of red on one of his fins; I'm wondering if this will spread or remain the same. Some of the bones in his fins are broken, but he seems to be swimming quite well and he even flared for me yesterday. I've named him Dromio because I have a habit of naming my fish after Shakespeare characters, and he has the same sort of endearing underdog spirit.

Does anybody know if there's anything I can do about his fins? He doesn't seem bothered but I'd hate for them to be broken forever.

I also had my water tested and added aquarium salt, as the pH was high. Funnily enough my snails, which have sort of been hiding, immediately became more active once I added the salt. I'm really glad it didn't harm them, but I'm sort of surprised that it seemed to positively affect them.

I also set up a 3.5 gallon today. I've added gravel, a filter, a heater, and conditioner and salt, but nothing alive yet. Most likely I'll keep the shrimp in this tank once I've added some cover and it's been cycling for a while. This tank doesn't get any sunlight, direct or indirect, but it does have a built in LED light so I'm hoping I can still plant it. Pictures to come!


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