# MissBlueHen's Journal



## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Hi all,
I'm Blue and am excited to share my adventures in betta keeping with you all! I'm getting my betta in the next few weeks (for real this time, haha, been saying that for awhile, just got to convince myself to make the plunge and that I have researched enough). I have been looking around and researching since March or so, and want a betta as a companion for my college years and beyond. 

A little about me I am a pre-vet major and hope to work with large animals as I get older. I also hope to develop tips to keeping fish in college and relocating them, as I know many who want them but have not have success with them.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Well, I finally got myself to go for and bought my tank. It's a 5-gallon Marineland nook. I really like the look of it and it's really light (when empty) to pick up, which is good for transport, and I've heard lots of good things about it. I also got 5 pounds of gravel, a net, a moss ball, some amazon sword, and a non-floating betta log. I'm going to go to otherchainpetstoreintown either tomorrow or Wednesday to get my water testing stuff, thermometer, and a gravel vac, as well as look for a clean bucket around my house/buy one. We have many buckets but most have touched soap, paint, or other DIY not fish-friendly things. I already have water conditioner, heater, and food, so I think that I will be good to go after that and will set it up. If everything works properly, I should have my fish soon!


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

I did it!! I set everything up last week and today I went out and got my betta! Funny thing is, I convinced myself I did NOT want a veil tail (too boring, I think). I think you can all guess what I got....heh. Pictures to come. He is blue/green with a bit of fading throughout. Very pretty. Am acclimating him right now. Only thing is I noticed when I got home his ventral fin had some signs of biting. I really hope it is not from any stress I gave him transporting/acclimating. But if it is, hopefully it will settle down and stop once he's in the tank and I leave him alone for a bit. I believe it may be from the acclimation, but I don't want to dump him into the tank regardless, as that shock may stress him more and lead to more biting. 
Gah, nervous first-time owner. We shall see.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Whelp, I believe my little guy is a biter, but at hopefully I'll figure it out. Maybe I shouldn't have decided to do a fish-in cycle. Bad Blue Hen, bad! Did my first water change, everything seems to be running smoothly. Active little fella. Need a good name for him.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Here's a picture finally, apologies for the potato quality.


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## Autumncrossing (May 2, 2016)

That's okay lettuce see some more 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Eduielil (Jun 29, 2016)

Congrats on the new fish! He is such a lovely shade of blue. Did you pick out a name for him yet?


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

*Finally a name!*

I actually found a name that stuck with me. Cobalt! (although he is more turquoise than cobalt). He seems to like it and has settled in well. I think his fins are doing ok. The only thing I noticed is that he doesn't tend to swim in the center of his tank, seems to stick to the sides, but not rubbing against them. I believe it might be due to the filter flow, so I'd have to experiment with it, or maybe he just likes the sides. Going to try to set up a baffle.
Here's a couple more from the day I got him and right after. Fast little bugger, hard to photograph.


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## Eduielil (Jun 29, 2016)

Cobalt is such a handsome fellow! And I like your choice of name very much. Maybe he is glass-surfing (aka chasing his reflection)? I know both of my boys glass-surf like crazy.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

Can you post a full picture of your tank? He may be stressed because the tank is too bare


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

*Full tank pictures*

On from front and one from top. Taken this morning.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

The tank is very open. Adding more plants, whether live or floating, would provide comfort and security


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

So pretty!! Yes, more plants would make him feel more secure. I often say "bettas like their stuff" and it is true.  I would put another sword between the one you have now and the log, then some anubias on the sides where it is darker. Or just some silk plants. The fertilizer tablets they sell near the plants at the petstore would be a good idea too, makes the plants you have grow faster and fill in. I know this all gets expensive. Your tank is very nice and you have done such a good job, lots of room, filter, heater, pretty betta, yes, you did a great job! Just a few more plants would make him even happier.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Thanks, for the advice you two. I have to go in the direction of the pet store anyway, hopefully there will be some floating plants that don't look like they'll disintegrate if I breathe on them. I understand it all costs money to take proper care of a living thing, but I want to make sure it at least lasts me.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

Oh I feel ya. I'm a college student (translate: broke) so I'm careful about what I buy. I've also learned that being too cheap will bite you in the a** (heaters that filled full of water and filters that are crazy loud) so it's best to get the best you can from the beginning. The best way I've discovered to make things last, particularly plants, is to research like mad and listen to your plants. If they're asking for fertilizer, give them fertilizer. Not all of us are blessed with those magic tanks that are beautiful and perfectly green without an ounce of fertilization. If you get a true floater make sure everyone is right side up when you're done messing with the tank.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Well, yesterday things took a bit of a downturn. I noticed that the bottom end of Cobalt's tail was completely tattered which it hadn't been before and that it had some dark edging on that part with some cottony stuff over it. Guess the poor guy had some fin rot after all. The original bite marks still look healthy. I started him on a course of Pimafix after an especially big water change today. Behavior seems normal both before and after the dose, hopefully it will do the trick.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

*Plants! Yay!*

I got some plants today to add to the tank, and thus far I think he likes them. I got some water wisteria to float at the top so Cobalt can rest on them if he wants, an anubias nana, and two java ferns. Comparatively, it looks like a jungle, but I know that it's nothing compared to the planted tank masters.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

I just got back from a week long vacation last night. Good news, I think I figured out Cobalt's fin-biting trigger. Bad news, he bit himself up a lot during the past week. Simply, boredom. I usually spend some time interacting with him or just sitting at my desk where he is and working on my laptop. When I was on vacation, my neighbor simply fed him and turned his light on and off. Not her fault, of course. I can't expect her to spend the whole day with him. I did a big water change before and after, and tested water parameters, so I know that's not the problem. 

More fun, we are moving into my dorm on Thursday, so in all likelihood more stress=more bites. Hopefully things will go as planned and no major mishaps occur in regards to the tank move.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

We survived the move to the dorm!
Everything is well, and (I don't think) Cobalt has any new bites in his fins from the exerience!
What I did if anyone cares:
1. take out heater and filter, placing filter pad in a plastic baggie with tank water
2. Place heater and filter in boxes they came in
3. Take out smaller plants and place them in pet store cup that moss ball came in, filled with tank water
4. Place Cobalt, who had been fasted for 24 hours in a pet store cup of tank water. Added 1 drop Prime and 3-4 drops Stressguard
5. Siphon out water until about 1 inch above the gravel
6. Place Plant cup and filter pad bag back in tank
7. Pack tank in box it came in (it had styrofoam molded to fit it perfectly)
8. Travel with Cobalt in cup holder (my dad was quite amused)
9. Set up tank, left all plants alone until today
10. Float cup for 15 minutes until temperature reached
11. Acclimate by removing about 1/5 of water from cup and filling with tank water for an hour
12. Add Cobalt back to tank
13. Leave light off until next morning
14. Offer food in morning (which he gladly ate)

Now all I got to do is set up my plants how I want them.


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## MissBlueHen (Jun 2, 2016)

Dumb fish. His tail was regrowing so well, and then yesterday, 2 new huge chunks. I noticed that the edges of his ceramic log along the bottom hole looked a little uneven, but I couldn't find any snags on it. I buried that hole in the substrate just in case that was the cause.
I have been using stressguard every day and excel every other day, the latter of which I think caused my moss ball to fall apart, but my other plants are growing so well.. I put it in a back corner where it won't get disturbed and will leave it alone for a few weeks and see if that helps it at all.


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