# Sweet Baby Rhae's- The Betta Diaries



## Nessabobessa (May 31, 2015)

I am pretty horrid at keeping journals, so I'm thinking this is going to be more of a photo diary of my journey toward an optimal tank. 

*Background:*
I love fish, and I have always loved fishing with my Dad when I was younger. The part I disliked: touching the fish. So when I was in high school, I asked for a 10g aquarium and some fish to start up my hobby. I was able to keep up with the water changes for my mollies, until I made the foolish mistake of "rescuing" a 4 inch long goldfish that was in an 8 oz. jar at my lacrosse banquet. Affectionately known as Fish-zilla, this fish took over my tank and ate its tankmates in a matter of days. After that fish died 2 years later, I decided to give up this hobby so that I could focus on college.



*2013-2015: Wallace*
Fast forward to my senior year of college. I'm a Biology Education major in my final internship in a middle school life science classroom. During previous internships, I have seen teachers keep fish, snakes, lizards, and other animals as class pets. Since I have absolutely no experience with reptiles, I felt that fish keeping would be a great method of teaching my students about various aspects of biology: photosynthesis, respiration, animal behavior, the nitrogen cycle, the list goes on and on. I felt that now would be the appropriate time to get my feet wet with a simple yet beautiful fish: bettas.

I got my first betta at Petsmart, and I should've known from the beginning that he was sick. Pale, stress stripes, and sitting at the bottom of the tank most of the time. I had him in my 1g mini-bow, which was my second mistake since the filter blew him around like crazy and the tank was far too small once you considered gravel, the filter, and anything else. I didn't even have a chance to name him; he died the very next day. 

After that, I decided to research bettas more thoroughly to decide what to do differently. My first betta fish was a true learning experience. I bought a new 2.5g tank with an undergravel filter, Prime, better food, and a gravel vac. Then came Wallace, my pride and joy. A beautiful copper delta with tan fins. It was love at first sight.

He passed away May of this year after almost two years of joy. Nothing was more heartbreaking than the sight of his empty tank on the shelf. I knew I had to fill that void in my heart with another waggle butt.

*Rhaegar:*
For my birthday this year, I was gifted with a new 10g aquarium kit. If I was going to adopt a new betta, I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. I switched out my "always-on" 10w heater with an adjustable 50w. I bought new silk plants, new substrate, and switched out the filter for a AquaTop IF-202. Only when my setup was complete, did I go searching for a betta. 

It took quite a few unsuccessful visits to local Petsmarts and Petcos (and various betta graveyards T_T) before I finally met my new fish. He was marked as a dragonscale betta, but he had the iridescent coloring of a cellophane. I had passed him by a few times, looking at the colorful butterfly bettas, but I noticed that no matter what, he was always looking at me. That was when I knew <3


And the rest is history! The rest of this diary will be filled with updates on Rhaegar's new home, new additions to my other tanks, and my journey starting planted tanks. Right now, my tank looks too open with not enough cover. I'm quarantining some new plants to provide more cover.

Current Tank Today:


Quarantine Tank: Wisteria, Anubias barteri, Dwarf Lily bulb, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails


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