# Presto!



## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

So...we had 2 bettas. We were very happy with 2 fish, and I had said on multiple occasions that 2 is it.
I am from Canada and we don't have dollar a gallon sales. The best deal is probably the Topfin 5.5 gal. with filter, light, thermometer etc for $40. 
However....I was at Petsmart the middle of July and the 5.5's were on for $31. Plus, last time I got a receipt there was a $5 coupon off my next tank for a limited time. That made the tank around $25... That's a good deal right? So I thought....I could get it, and return it later if I want. The coupon is going to expire anyway. 
Also on the receipt was a coupon for $10 off a decor item....it was basically free...so how can you pass that up? So I got a cave. Then I thought....I would need a plant...I can always return it ....
By the time I got home I had decided that I was going to do a bare bottom tank with silk plants and a cave and my pet store fish would either be white, an elephant ear, white with turquoise fins or a little girl.
Frankly, I blame all of you here on this forum. If it wasn't for all of you with your ' more than 2 fish' policies, I would never even have dreamed of getting a third fish! Less than a year ago I was a " we can't have any pets because we are too busy" kind of family! 
Thanks.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

For the next 5 weeks, I prowled around the 4 pet stores near us-- lots of cute fish. Lots of needy fish. But not THE fish. I nearly drove my kids crazy! Every time we went they would show me a fish or two that I HAD to get. But I stayed strong. I'll admit, I was enjoying the hunt and wasn't really in any rush for another tank to clean. Plus, I think that Aquabid thread had spoiled me a bit-- those fish were soooo gorgeous.
Then we went on a short day trip to the next Province over ( N.B.) and we went to 3 more pet stores. It was at the Petsmart there that I found the fish that I ended up taking home. It wasn't a girl, which I really wanted. It wasn't an elephant ear in pink or white. It was just a little light bodied fish with burgundy fins that shimmer turquoise. Smaller that the other boys and very perky. I'll admit, if my daughter hadn't put excessive pressure on me to buy him, I probably would have left him. But in a moment of weakness he came home with me.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Here he is:


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Here's his tank.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Let's see if this works...


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

beautiful betta.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

The tank picture keeps going in upside down! I think I have it now!


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

He's fast, so most of the pictures are blurry. Here's one from a video.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

So we took the little guy home. Since it had been a 3 hour drive to get home, I added a couple drops of Prime to his cup.
When we got him home we acclimated him to his new 5.5 gal tank. He was quite active and curious, but wouldnt eat. He would put the pellets in his mouth, but spit them out again. I tried giving him the smallest pellets in the container...same thing. I tried breaking them up into smaller pieces...same thing. I wasn't too worried because I know bettas can go a while without food, and it takes them time to get used to a new tank. However, he started getting less active, and I started to worry since he is quite thin. So after 5 days I went to the store and got some frozen bloodworms( ok. I have to say it-- those things are disgusting!). Anyway, those he gobbled right up! yay! After that he was busy and curious again, and started coming to the front of the tank.
The next day, I tried him on pellets again. He wouldn't eat them. In the mouth. Out of the mouth. Tried again the next day. Same thing. The next day I caved and gave him more frozen bloodworm-- once again he gobbled them up faster than I could get them in the tank.
Finally, 8 days after I got him, I tried the National Geographic pellets again and he ate them!! Today he ate them again! I figure I'll let him eat those for a while and then try to switch to the Omega One pellets. I'm so relieved he's eating!


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

The rule in our house is that we won't name a betta until we've had it for a week and he is eating so now I can name him....I called him Presto! First because he's a fast little thing and Presto is a musical term for fast. Second because I can never find him in his tank and then suddenly Presto! He is there. And Third because I think he will marble, so Presto Chango!


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

He is lovely! So glad you got him to eat. Ruby was my longest holdout at 4 days.


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

beautiful fish - love the name, and love the colours.

I am with you on the $1 a gallon tank deals that we lucky Canadians don't get - however, my local PetSmart does run $1.50 a gallon tank sales.

Just saying...in case you decide to get another one (or five). :lol:


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

micheemak said:


> beautiful fish - love the name, and love the colours.
> 
> I am with you on the $1 a gallon tank deals that we lucky Canadians don't get - however, my local PetSmart does run $1.50 a gallon tank sales.
> 
> Just saying...in case you decide to get another one (or five). :lol:


I didn't know Petsmart had $1.50 a gallon sales-- when are they? I assume they are the tanks without the lids? What do you use for a lid?
I actually have a used 5 gallon tank that we got for free off of kijiji in my basement, but to be honest, cleaning 3 tanks every week is quite enough right now!
What province are you from?


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Subscribing


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

> I didn't know Petsmart had $1.50 a gallon sales-- when are they? I assume they are the tanks without the lids? What do you use for a lid?
> I actually have a used 5 gallon tank that we got for free off of kijiji in my basement, but to be honest, cleaning 3 tanks every week is quite enough right now!
> What province are you from?


They just had one not too long ago - I picked up a 20g long for $30. The guy at the store said they run them fairly regularly. You can purchase pre-sized glass lids pretty much anywhere, as long as the tank is a standard size. I ended up getting something cut specifically for the 20g long, because the glass top they had at the store fit snug, so no room for wires, etc. The sized glass cost $13, and they left about 3 inches off the back right corner off for me for wires, so it works well.

I hear you on the tank cleaning; I've had to stagger my days because of the amount of tanks I have. I was doing my big tank of freshwater tropicals every 4 days, but have recently cut that back to once a week. My bettas all get every 4 days, except for the 3g and 2.5g, which get every other day. Within the next month, I'll probably only do the 20g once a month as well. I find it goes a lot faster if I prepare my water the night before. I've got about 10 big water cooler jugs, 6 are betta tank only. I can get my 3x10g cubes and 1x7g cubes done in about 45 minutes, as long as I prepare in advance.

I am in Ontario, north of Toronto. Where are you?


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

I'm in Morell on the Morell River and St. Peter's Bay about 30 minutes east of Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island-- home of Anne of Green Gables, PEI potatoes, lobsters and Island Blue Mussels!


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

I am jealous! I love PEI - we vacationed there every other year when I was a kid because my mom is from the east coast. I must have seen Anne of Green Gables the Musical at the Charlottetown fesitval about 7 times.

My two oldest are currently in Wolfville, NS, going to Acadia University, and they've caught the east coast bug too. One of these days, I am moving there. Somehow, someway...


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

My Daughter was one of the children of Avonlea in Anne of Green Gables on the mainstage of the Conferderation Centre for 2 seasons. Last summer and this summer she was in Toronto for a month at the National Ballet School. My son is playing Paul Irving in Anne and Gilbert, a musical about Anne as an adult this summer. And my dad got his BA, Bed and MA from Acadia.
I recommend a summer cottage here...we got absolutely buried in snow last winter-- we broke all records for snowfall.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

PEI last winter...


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

Your kids sound very talented! My two oldest were always involved in local community theatre as well, and my daughter is now in her third year of vocal performance (she wants to be an opera singer!) and my son is in his second year of classical piano performance and composition. Are yours planning on pursuing dance/music/theatre, or do they not have to worry about deciding for a few years?

I've been wanting to see Anne & Gilbert for a while now - I have the soundtrack, and even the playbook. My husband has never been to PEI, but I will get him there eventually - not in winter; however, as that picture looks insane!


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

It was a particularly bad winter. It usually isn't that bad-- still waiting for global warming to kick in!
They are too young to worry about that yet! I was a piano major at university , though. You can't go wrong with a music degree-- so many employment options! Where are they studying? U of T?, Ryerson?


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

Actually, they are both in NS at Acadia. Do I need to mention that I'm jealous of that?


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

By the way, they are bringing Anne and Gilbert to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in December. I think they are taking a couple of actors from here this summer and casting the rest there. Should be interesting...it's filled with a lot of step dancing which is a Maritime thing. Maybe you can convince your husband to go there...


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

oh - maybe I can! We've got family in Eastern Ontario, and I went to university in Ottawa, and December is close enough to November which is our 22nd anniversary, so that could be a good gift. LOL.

I was listening to the music from both Anne of Green Gables and Anne & Gilbert today while working. I really wish they would release the complete soundtrack for Anne of Green Gables, and not just some of the songs, and half of them from a cast in the UK, which is what I have now.

Thanks for telling me!


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

I have a recording from Anne of Green Gables which , I think, is the complete show recorded probably 20 years ago here in Charlottetown. The Anne and Gilbert recording is missing a lot of numbers, though-- some of my favourites, in fact.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Presto seems to be dying. He is either floating tail down at the surface, or lying on his side at the bottom. Fins clamped. Not eating. We have no idea what is wrong. I posted picture and info in 2 threads: Dying fish-- but from what? And Sick fish? I haven't gotten a lot of response, but it's hard to blame anyone-- he has very few symptoms! So frustrating. He's trying so hard. He.'ll lie down, then try to swim a bit. 
I have him in a 2.5 hospital tank and I'm adding AQ salt. I have Erythromycin, but not sure if that would help or harm him at this point, and he has no symptoms of a parasite either outside or inside( poop yesterday was normal).
I wish these little guys could talk and tell you what is wrong!


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Sorry to hear about Presto. It is hard when you don't know for sure and they can't tell you.


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Presto died tonight. I wish I knew if it was something I did, or something he had from the pet store. If it was me ( and I really can't think of anything I could have done wrong), i'd hate to do it to the next fish too.


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

So sorry to hear that. That's rough. :-(

Don't give up - if it's something that hit that quickly, it sounds to me like it was an exisiting issue...


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## IslandGirl7408 (May 24, 2015)

Thanks. I appreciate that.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

It does sound like an existing issue since he was having trouble eating all along. SIP Presto.


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