# Betta Bachlor Pad Log



## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

I decided that I should keep a log about my betta boy and his tank. Thought it might be nice to look back on someday or something else sentimental. Also a good way to keep me on track. 

The tank is a 10 gallon with a hood containing two incandescent bulbs that came with it. The tank is planted, with java moss and java fern. It has a coconut half with a doorway cut out as a little cave. The tank is kept at 78 degrees, though now its maybe a degree or two warmer, what with the weather we're having, and its filtered using a Tetra Whisper 10i In Tank Power Filter. A little fast for a betta, but Gabe seems not to mind. 

So onto a bit of exciting news!! Gabe was actually interested in his food today, which was Top Fin Tropical Fish Flakes. I like to keep his diet a little varied. It includes the afore mentioned flakes, Hikari Betta Bites, Hikari frozen blood worms, freeze dried blood worms and Hikari frozen brine shrimp.

Yeah, so like I said before, Gabe actually swam eagerly to the flakes and was chowing down like his old self. Maybe I shouldn't loose hope in his health after all. I saw a little of his old spark and now I am thinking of ways to get him tip top again. 

The poor old man has a raggedy tail fin and is dull in color. I wonder if its fin rot, the arch nemesis of all betta, rearing its ugly head again? Perhaps a treatment of Maracyn II is in order. Still waiting on a reply to my thread in the emergency section to get answered.

Maybe I should test the parameters of the water while I wait?


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Okay, this is an update. Gabe has since been moved to a smaller tank for treatment which consists of a teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon. He is in a 3 gallon tank which means 3 teaspoons of aquarium salt. I didn't add any decorations or anything. Its essentially a large critter keeper. I might go to Petco tomorrow and buy a small heater for him, and a thermometer to help me gauge the temperature of the water.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Sadly, the old man didn't make the night. I guess the stress was too much for his old body.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

*sigh*

I know that this has absolutely nothing to do with the Betta Bachelor Pad, but it does have to do with fish. 

The pump for the backyard pond has begun to fail. It works only part of the time and now has stopped working again. I guess we might have to go and get another one. The poor goldfish who live in the pond will have to do without pumped and circulated water for a few more hours until a trip to the store can be done. I feel bad for them.


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## bettalover2000 (May 10, 2011)

Sorry about your boy.


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## TigerRegalia (Jan 28, 2012)

I am so sorry about Gabe  You should post a memorial about him in the Memorial forum on this site. He is swimming underneath the rainbow bridge now!


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

I have done just that. Thanks for your sympathies. 

Still planning on going to Petco soon for another betta. This time a baby betta. Here's hoping that the little guy or gal will be a success!


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## TigerRegalia (Jan 28, 2012)

Let us know how the baby betta is- I've been wondering how they are!


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## Jayy (Dec 23, 2009)

TheCrabbyTabby said:


> I have done just that. Thanks for your sympathies.
> 
> Still planning on going to Petco soon for another betta. This time a baby betta. Here's hoping that the little guy or gal will be a success!


Sorry to hear about your betta, but I'm personally against the "baby bettas". Petco shouldn't be selling anything that young. The other bettas are months old themselves, so how old are the babies?


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah, its a low blow by them. Maybe they will stop selling them someday. 

Anyways, I bought the baby betta home not too long ago this evening. I set up a breeder box for him/her and instead of the plastic plants provided with the box, I just scooped up some of the java moss and used that. I felt it would be much softer and whatnot. 

I fed the little one after I had everything settled. I didn't know how to go about feeding him/her such small pellets so I used my wet pinky and dipped that into the little jar thing. I then stuck my pellet covered pinky in the water of the breeder box and he/she looked like they were eating it. I saw that there were far too many pellets so I scooped a lot of them out with my hand and tossed them in the rest of the tank for the MTS, if there are any left.

I named the little baby Squishy, after one of my favorite moments in Finding Nemo.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

So I had a challenge set before me. Snap a picture of Squishy with ventrals out and not tucked against the body. It was hard, but I managed it. Poor little one seemed stressed to be back in the cup, where I took the pictures, so as a consolation, I gave him a bloodworm.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

I forgot to mention I got a log of mopani wood to tie my java ferns too. Its currently sitting in the 3 gallon hospital tank, complete with a teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon to help rid it of any little hitch hikers. Never can be too careful of anything these days.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Well, I think Squishy is a little boy. Sakura gave me her best guess. He has long ventral fins like the adult males I've seen and had so I think so too.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Set up a small 15 ounce tank for hatching BBS. I am not sure if they are ready to be fed to Squishy yet, can't really see much going on in there besides the eggs floating at the surface. I put the eggs in last night, so the should have hatched by now.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

I think I definitely have a little boy betta on my hands. I went to feed him this morning and found several little clusters of little bubbles on the surface. They aren't a solid bubble nest, but in time I think he'll figure it out.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Alrighty then. I was just on Ebay, buying myself some lovely purple mystery snails (_pomacea bridgsii diffusa var. rosa_) and some algae wafers with which to feed them. Its been a while since I've done apple snails, but I just couldn't resist doing them again. I was kind of hesitant to do them again, due to the bad incident I had happen last time I got them (my poor male halfmoon opaque white betta Finlay had gotten sick from them, they caused his eyes to turn opaque white and his tail to shred and rot off, and later passed away after weeks of hanging on by a thread). 

I bought 4 pea sized babies. They and the wafers should get here either Friday or Saturday. Hopefully sooner rather than later, and hopefully the wafers will get here before the snails. I will take pictures of them when they get here. Hopefully they will all be alive and well upon arrival, and of course in their quarantine tank.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

The snails and the wafers are on their way now! I am truly excited about this! I am anticipating their arrival on pins and needles!


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

So sorry about gabe  Is he the one in your avatar?


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Yup. He was a beauty, wasn't he?

I am thinking about buying more mopani wood. Need something to tie all the dang free floating java moss too. Oh wait! I could get a rock from the garden!! Just tie the moss to that! I am so smart I amaze myself.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Okay. I got two medium-ish sized rocks from the garden, ran them under really hot water and scrubbed them really well. Then I put one of them in first, a really pretty rock with all these flecks of Pyrite in it and put the moss on top of it and used the second rock to anchor the moss so it would stay put. That's when the water flowed over the top and onto the floor from all the displacement. Woops! Guess I should have take a little out beforehand. 

Also, another update on my snails! They are going to arrive tomorrow!! I am so excited. If only the algae wafers would arrive tomorrow, everything would be perfect!!


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Okay. Its 2:09 EST now and likely will be a few minutes later when I get done typing a posting this. I am wide awake and excited as ever for my snail babies to get here. I do hope that they are okay. Last time I had purple mystery snails sent to me, they both were DOA, and the seller didn't bother to refund the money. Luckily though, Ebay has since put their Buyer Protection Plan into action and I'll be sure to have that as a back-up plan if push comes to shove.

I have a lovely 3 gallon tank (my hospital/qt tank) ready for them. Its bare bones, but something tells me the snails won't mind. I'll throw in some food, most likely a few algae covered rocks and betta pellets, when they get here. I'll be sure to snap tons of pictures of the little guys when they do.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

The sun is almost up and I can hear the first of the song birds chirping their morning songs. Why do birds chirp like that first thing in the morning? Its like when a rooster crows. Why the heck do they feel compelled to greet the sun with a chorus of songs like that? Hmmmmm. I guess I'll never really know that answer. 

Anyways. Snails should be here in 7-8 hours. That seems like a lifetime away right now. Isn't it funny how when you want time to move quickly, it ticks by slowly, and when your not urging it along and busy with something, it goes by in the blink of an eye? 

I guess I'll be here. Waiting, and watching the time go slowly on by.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm still trying to decide on what kind of snail I want in my 5 :/


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Ooh. Snail shopping!!! 

Nerites, mystery snails, rabbit snails, Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS), trapdoor snails, pond snails, assassin snails.

The possibilities are endless!!!


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

Aren't the trumpet snails the ones who sort of in a way burrow in the sand? Are the all good with gravel? Thankfully my male is docile so I shouldn't have any agression issues. I have no experience with snails.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah, trumpet snails are burrowers and are good at turning up the sand so it doesn't get deadly gas bubbles in it. I have, or used to have, a variety called jade trumpet snails. They looked exactly like the regular ones except they were a pale jade color and got a little bit bigger. Haven't seen one in a while though, which leaves me to believe they've all died.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

The easiest ones for me to get are mystery snails and pond snails. I don't want the pond snails because I here they multiply fast and I have nowhere to put them. Oh wait, never mind, my dad has a 55 long I can sneak them into his tank when I visit him. HEHE. whats your opinion on these two types for a single male betta in a 5 gallon? I am interested in seeing these snails your getting today.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

I would definitely go with the mystery snail then. 

Well, way back when I was keeping them both before, I had introduced a white opaque halfmoon named Finlay to some mystery snails. He tried to eat the poor snails' longer set of tentacles/antennae thinking that they were worms of some sort. However, the snails were always quick to draw them in before they were chomped off, so no harm was really done. After a while, Finlay gave up and never really bothered them anymore.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

LOL This is so cute, like a little kid waiting for Santa clause!!

Maybe it is different with mystery snails- but mine seem to try and avoid gravel, most of the time they are on the side of the glass.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Glad you find it cute, Teeny. 

I have sand in my tank, so I am curious to see what the snails do when I put them in there. I've heard that they've been known to bury themselves sometimes. 

I think I am feeling the effects of not having sleep last night. Things seem strangely surreal and seeming insignificant things are becoming fascinating to me. For instance, the sound of the keys clacking and movement of my hands while I am typing this post right now is strangely fascinating and weird. 

My body is screaming for me to lay down and rest, but I am denying it this. I want to get my snails into their tank the moment they arrive and not have them sit out in the heat of the day while I snooze. They might not survive sitting out in the sun. 

So, I guess I'll soon be getting myself a caffeine rich drink like a Diet Coke to help boost my energy and keep me awake whilst I wait.


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Its now the evening and a lot has happened today. My snails arrived around Noon and I have them sitting in the QT/Hospital tank with some tropical fish flakes and bloodworms, both frozen and freeze dried. 

The shipper actually sent me an extra bonus snail. I guess it was insurance in case one didn't make it. So now I have 5 snails total. They are about dime sized and have stripes on their shells that are a pretty burgundy color, over a pale burgundy base. I wonder, how long should they should stay in quarantine?


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Hmm.. I think 2-3 weeks would be fine.. If they carry any
Fish disease that would be long enough for any parasite to die since it won't have a host...


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## TheCrabbyTabby (Jul 7, 2012)

Okay, so I noticed a couple of little MTS in the ten gallon. I still have them but they aren't really as numerous as I'd like them to be. Hmmm.


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