# Adlemsi's Bettas & More



## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I decided to start a new journal! After all the heartache from the deaths of Magma & all his potential tank mates (only Babo, the female Tiger Nerite Snail survived!), I'm awaiting a new Betta!  I already named him Phantom because his coloring reminds me of the Phantom of the Opera. He even has a white face (mask!). I won the Aquabid auction last night with my one & only bid, which I placed right before it closed. :-D

I emailed the seller/breeder soon after the auction ended, but I still haven't heard from him. I know Saturdays are busy days for Betta sellers/breeders in Thailand, so I'm not worried. Plus there's also the 12-hour difference, with them being ahead. I'm using the same transhipper I used for Magma, since he did a phenomenal job handling & shipping him to me.

Since I'm currently working on a fish-less cycle, I might have to put Phantom in a temporary setup until the cycle is established. I'm thinking of using a 5 gallon bucket for the initial acclimation, which would be easier for my mother to handle since I'll be at work when he arrives. I'll set up a spare filter & heater in it and use clear craft mesh as a cover.

Here's the breeder's picture of Phantom. I'll post pictures when I receive him!http://www.bettafish.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

WOW. Just really WOW! Phantom is just a perfect name for such a beautiful guy. Although, I'm guessing, eventually he will be unmasked just like the real Phantom. 

I look forward to your pictures!!! :greenyay:


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! We'll see if his coloring changes, it seems Bettas with white (his face) & clear (his fins edges) tend to change over time. Though I hope he doesn't! :-D


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I wonder what Phantom is doing right now? When does he ship? I am going to imagine him flying over the ocean in a huge plane. It seems so strange to think of the journey he will be making. Right now he is probably still at the breeders? In a jar? He will be in awe of his new home.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

He ships on Saturday from Thailand. The transhipper should receive him that Monday & reshoot him to me on Tuesday. I'm shelling out for FedEx overnight, so I should receive him by next week Wednesday. It's a pretty penny, but it's worth it to me. I feel it's best to minimize the domestic shipping time, after being shipped across the world to a different climate. But that's just my opinion, specially after a mishap with another transhipper. I prefer to play it safe & pay the price from my wallet rather than an innocent life. I'm essentially paying for peace of mind.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Absolutely! I do believe I would do the same thing if I was ordering a betta. I was wondering if the transhipper opens the box? I guess they must. So they make sure it is alive and then seal him back up and ship him right back out, the same day?


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I believe they do open the box. They're supposed to inspect the fish & maybe do a partial water change if needed. I'm pretty sure Magma was checked & at least had his bag water treated by the transhipper because my sister found a small hole on the inner bag which was sealed. He arrived in excellent condition! And the transhipper labeled the box "LIVE FISH", which I really appreciated.

I don't think they do the inspection & re-ship the same day. For the most part it seems any maintenance is done on Monday after the transhipper receives them. They re-ship on Tuesday. Although it depends on how many fish they receive.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Awesome!!!!! He's such a beautiful boy!!!! I'll be sticking around for this!!!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! I just paid the transhipping fees, so I'm one step closer to having him! I can't wait! I'm so excited! :-D


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Yay!!! Update us for sure once he arrives ;-)


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Will do!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

UGH! Today is day 7 of my fish-less cycle & I'm still getting 0ppm ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. I've been following the instructions on Dr. Tim's website to a "T", it's so frustrating! Tonight I added some more ammonia (1 drop/gal) & a cap of Seachem Stability (after shaking the bottle) for an extra kick. I hope that helps establish the cycle. I don't want Phantom to be in a temp setup for too long when he arrives.


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## TripleP (Aug 7, 2015)

Hi, I just read through both your new and your old journal and wanted to comment. I am so sorry about Magma's death. I know it had to be hard for you. :-(

What a beautiful Betta you have on the way! I know you must be excited! I absolutely love his name, but will admit to being a bit biased as my cat, who has a black and white face also, is named Phantom. ;-)

I will be following along in your journal. I am looking into either Aquabid or EBay for my next Betta, so it is very nice to be able to read all about the process.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks for reading my journals! Glad you're enjoying them &#55357;&#56842; Also, thanks for your condolences. Magma will be greatly missed, as well as his attempted tank mates.

Seems like there are a lot of Phatoms out there, LOL. I've never bought Bettas on Ebay, but have watched a couple & follow a few sellers/breeders. I wish I had more space to keep Bettas in!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

My tank still hasn't cycled :-(

It's frustrating since it's not my first attempt. It would be great if the cycle is established by the time Phantom arrives (should be Wednesday next week). Seems like adding Seachem Stability isn't making a difference with a fish-less cycle. I don't know what else to do :|


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Have you posted a thread about this? I know ph can affect it. So there are 0 signs of it cycling? It is all mysterious to me, honestly...you should definitely start a thread! I learned quite a bit reading Mousie's blog/website last night about Prime and how it (negatively) effects the cycle process...and ph's role. Her link is in her signature.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I haven't added Prime since I first started the fish-less cycle process. I have started a thread about my current cycle issues, but I did start one about a weird result coloration where the ammonia test looks like 10-20 nitrate & the nitrate looks like 0ppm ammonia.


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## TripleP (Aug 7, 2015)

I feel your pain with having issues cycling. I had the hardest time getting my son's Betta tank to cycle. I just finally got it cycled after 2 months of trying. I spoke with mousie on another thread about my cycling problems and decided to start over. So, about a week and a half ago I did a complete water change on his tank, altered his filter to include additional biological media and used an entire bottle of Tetra Safe Start. Within a week it was cycled. I honestly couldn't believe it! Of course I was doing a fish in cycle. I have never done a fishless cycle, what are you using for ammonia to feed the biological bacteria?


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

This is my complete redo attempt at cycling my tank. I switched the filter, did a 100% water change, & used Dr. Tim's One & Only with their ammonium chloride. I started adding a cap of Seachem Stability (after shaking the bottle well) on Day 7.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Day 11 and I finally showed 0.25ppm ammonia! Finally! I continued to follow Dr. Tim's instructions, but forgot to add the Seachem Stability for extra boost. I'll add it when I get home tonight.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

So I'm expecting Phantom to be delivered tomorrow (EEK! :-D), based on my past experience with this transhipper. I set up the QT tank, since the main tank still hasn't cycled. However none of my spare internal filters are staying put. The suction cups keeps losing suction. It's so frustrating! :redmad: I'm going to post a separate thread to get suggestions, but feel free to post some here if you see this post first.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I just spoke to the transhipper. Phantom arrived from Thailand fine, but the transhipper wasn't able to ship him yet. He runs a betta shop & receives lots of imports, so I completely understand. He told me Phantom will be shipped tomorrow, to be delivered Friday morning. Two more days...I'm going to burst from excitement!!


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

Im verrry excited!!! Cant wait to see pics!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

So my sister isn't working tomorrow! That means she can receive Phantom when he gets delivered. Unfortunately she doesn't want to do much (she got fish bag water all over herself when she poked a hole in Magma's shipping bag). I'm just asking her to inspect him to make sure he's okay & put the closed bag in the QT, taping the top over the edge of the tank to hold it in place. I'm going to leave a dark cover for her to throw over the tank to keep him in total darkness until I arrive from work.

I'm not too worried about him being sealed in the bag until I get home since he's being shipped overnight from the transhipper. Of course, I would've preferred if his bag water were treated with Prime while I'm at work, but I don't want to push my luck with my sister. She tends to be a nervous wreck & I'd rather Phantom stay in his bag than end up on the floor where my antsy dog, Julie, could snap him up before anyone can blink.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I can hardly contain myself! I am trying not to be weird, getting all excited about YOUR fish! Geesh! But I am very excited for you. This is thrilling.  Hard to believe your sister is so different from you, but that is normal. Phantom floating in his tank sounds like a good idea. It should only be a difference of a few hours for him and this way you can be sure all is done right and have that initial bonding moment. I guess right now he is bouncing along in the mail truck wondering what is going on. Hang in there, Phantom! It will be worth it!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera!!"

Sorry, couldn't help myself!  Phantom arrived shortly before 10:30am today! My sister said he looked okay but is a bit shy. Here are preview pics. He seems to be more iridescent, but the white mask in undeniable! Can't wait to get home!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

And you're not being weird, BettaSplendid! It's great to have a community of Betta lovers to share the experience with! Here's another pic my sister just sent.


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

... Omg. He's soooooooooooo beautiful!!!!!!

I've been waiting forever for these pictures!!! :blueyay:


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! Will post more pics when I get home & finish setting him up! I don't know how I've managed to be productive at work, I'm so excited to finally meet him in person!!


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

We'll be waiting for more pictures!!! Again!! Hehe!!


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

He is GORGEOUS!!

*squeal*

His eyes! His eyes are amazing. 

...and he totally looks like Antigua in that second pic so therefore I love him. Haha. Or, as my daughter spells it, "I luf yew".


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I'm home! :-D I carefully opened Phantom's bag, added 2 drops of Prime, & gently transferred him to a small plastic container. He is now in the container floating in the QT tank, while I slowly change out his bag water with tank water. Here are some pics...http://www.bettafish.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

BettaSplendid said:


> He is GORGEOUS!!
> 
> *squeal*
> 
> ...


Thanks! I love his pouty mouth. He definitely has a Phantom face!! I can't wait to see him swimming freely, enjoying the QT tank. I just wish my 5G tank would finish the cycling process so he can be in his permanent home & meet Babo (who's in a large Critter Keeper right now). I hope they get along!


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## TripleP (Aug 7, 2015)

Oh my goodness, he is beautiful!! I agree, that is definitely a Phantom face. I am so happy for you and for him, what a great home he has!

Looking forward to seeing more pictures when he starts swimming freely and checking everything out. :-D


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Phantom is officially in the QT tank! He's still a bit shy, though I can tell he's going to be a feisty little thing once he's adjusted to his new surroundings. I did have to turn off the suction-less filter because it was pushing him around. My parents still haven't brought my package with the new filter, but I'll install it as soon as they get home with it. I might use the Venturi Line instead the of the spray bar on the new filter. We'll see how it goes. I want to make sure Phantom is as comfortable as possible. Here are some pictures of him swimming & exploring the QT tank http://www.bettafish.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

STUNNNNNING!!!

For some odd reason, Phantom reminds me of my newest boy!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! It's really hard to capture his coloring. His body has a lot of irridescence, it mostly looks blue-black, but in some light (specially in pictures) it has a green cast. He has some deep wine red color markings on his fins.

So I installed the new filter. First I tried the Venturi Line, but it was too strong for Phantom. I went back to using the spray bar & kept adjusting its position until Phantom was able to swim around it easily. I'm glad the QT tank has a filter that stays in place!


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

I love his face! His mouth is amazing.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If you point the spray bar to the tank wall all should be good.

What did TruAqua say about the suction cups?


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Yes, I pointed the spray bar towards the back, at an angle. So far, so good. I ended up not calling customer service for the spare filters. Those were the filters I used for the snails & ADFs that ended up dying. When I was disinfecting them, I soaked them in a Clorox solution & apparently that deteriorates the suction cups. Lesson learned! In the future I'll stick to disinfecting with vinegar.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Glad Phantom made it. He's lovely.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! My family thinks I'm crazy, but I don't care! LOL!!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Good Morning from Phantom!

Phantom is an active Betta! He's still exploring his surroundings & seems to like being in the shadows of the Riccia Fluitans & IAL. It's really cute when he slowly comes out of their cover & the light hits his white-masked face, making it look like it's glowing! Here are some pictures of him...


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

He looks absolutely gorgeous!!!!!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! I'm trying to get a good picture of him showing off his fins & colors.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Ack! Antigua is totally his Plakat brother!



I can see the red on Phantom's fins now too. He is a stunner!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

OMG, Antigua's like his little brother! LOL!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

This morning I was trying to get more pictures of Phantom. he would swim across the tank, then bee-line to the corner where the Riccia Fluitans is floating. I'm learning his swimming pattern, which is more zig-zag than Magma's. He also propels faster than Magma, which makes it harder to photograph him. I've had to record videos of Phantom, then take screenshots of frames in which I like how he looks. Magma was _much_ easier to photograph. He seemed to like the camera & interacted with me more sociably. Phantom tends to take cover under the Riccia Fluitans or IAL, then when he sees me he darts out like he's trying to ward off an intruder. More reason why his name suits him, LOL!

That got me thinking, I would love to see him flare! I never did the mirror thing with Magma because he was so active & I would sometimes see the edges of his beard coming out a bit. So I took my compact mirror & held it up near the front glass of the QT tank. Not only did he flare, but since I was recording it (which was _very_ hard to do while holding the mirror), I got a couple of good screenshots showing his transparent beard speckled with red & black!


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

I love those up close flare shots!!!! Adorable!!!!


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Hehehe! Great pictures! Soooo ferocious! With his clear beard. Hehe. He is so wonderful.  "Who is this intruder?!" He really gets his cheek puffs out. Like a wingspan, he has a gill span of...1"! That is a lot for a little fish. 

I love him.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks!

I might have created a monster though. He was flaring at the test tubes I put in front of his tank. Later on, I went to my room & went to check on him & he flared at me! I reminded him I was the one who fed him & he can only flare at me if I'm holding up the mirror. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't do it again. I don't want to trigger aggressiveness.


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

Phantom is beautiful!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! :-D


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

This morning I woke up to find Phantom's first bubble nest! I hope that's a sign that he's happy. He's still patrolling his territory & giving me mini flares.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I'm stuck on the train on my way to work. Not surprised, service on my line sucks! Here's another pic of Phantom this morning...


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

This morning, I woke up to find Phantom made a bigger bubble nest! And I finally saw him eat! I knew he ate before because the food would be gone when I got home, but it was nice to see it in action. He seems to like letting the pellets (Omega Betta Buffet), spit it out, then suck it up again before he eats it. Not like Magma, who waited impatiently in the corner I fed him right before his feeding time, then devoured the pellets as if he hadn't eaten in a long time & that was his last meal.

Here's a picture of Phantom with his bigger bubble nest...


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Good job, Phantom! 

I think bubble nests are one of the cutest things eveh.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

They _are_ cute! And he's so proud of them too, LOL.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

This morning, Phantom had his bubble nest in a corner of the tank. This one was more dense than his past bubble nests.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I try to save the nests, if I can, during water changes. I scoop them up in a cereal bowl. Heh. And if I accidentally destroy a nest I apologize profusely. And feel really bad.  They always seem "down" for a while if I ruin the nest. I ruined Twinkie's twice and he rebuilt it overnight, then again I destroyed it and he has yet to build another. I feel like I discouraged him. He must think I don't like them and will take it away if he builds another. Poor Twinkie. The bubble nests are so important to me I purposely design "bedrooms" for each fish so there is an area with floating plants, logs, leaves and no current. Hatzie built one under an IAL once that was so big it filled a quarter of the surface of his 10 gallon. ! He would flare and do a shake-shake shimmery swim around, come back, blow more bubbles and "dance" some more. He was so proud. I probably destroyed that one too. Sigh.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Today I decided to introduce Phantom to Babo. I felt bad leaving Babo in the critter keeper, so I carefully took her out & acclimated her to Phantom's QT tank. Phantom initially flared at her, like "who's this intruder?!" Then he went back to swimming around normally, just doing occasional "mini-flares". Here's a picture of them, Babo's shell is just visible at the bottom of the tank.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Hmm, the picture loaded sideways for some reason...


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Here's a picture of Phantom from this morning...


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

And another...


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

So beautiful!!!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks, Blu!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I've had a busy couple of days, but I finally transferred Phantom & Babo to the heavily planted 5G tank last night. I'm not sure Phantom slept a wink, he was so busy exploring his new/permanent home! Here's a picture of him in his new surroundings this morning...


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## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

beautiful! he must love his tank!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks! He seems to love the tank with all the plants. He's a lot more active now. Babo is somewhere in there too, but it's so densely planted now I couldn't spot her this morning. I'm sure she's glad to be back home, lol. I did find more baby pest snails, so I'm planning on getting Assassin Snails to deal with them.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I've been crazy busy! Ill even admit I haven't been as attentive to Phantom, and Babo when she makes herself visible. Babo did give me a scare this morning. She was just below the water line & wasn't moving. You couldn't even see her mouth, which is usually sucking away at the glass or whatever surface she's on. Of course, I thought she was dead. I sniffed around the water surface but didn't catch any rotting smells. I went to get Phantom's bloodworms & when I came back to my room Babo had moved & was sucking away as usual. I was so relieved! That meant no crazy ammonia spike from a rotting carcass!

Phantom has been great! He's more social & interactive than before. He still likes lurking in the shadows just like his namesake, lol. He also learned when & where his feedings are, quickly swimming into place to demand his food, lol. Last night I did catch him resting on top of the internal filter, which was unnerving. Other than that, he swims around his little haven & doesn't even flare at Babo when he spots her.

Here's a picture of them from this morning


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Gorgeous! I love his betta paradise.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Thanks!


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## Alaura123 (Jul 4, 2014)

Phantom is such a beautiful boy!! Good luck with him


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