College girl going home - Does temp home need plants?

[agent89201]

I have the weekend plus two days off for Mardi Gras and my fish lives in my dorm with me! I'm bringing him home for 4 1/2 days. I have a 2 gallon KK for him to stay in but all my safe plastic plants are in his current tank which is cycled/almost cycled. Should I get him one or two other plants for his tank while we're in town or would some gravel and a cup be fine? Would I be able to take a plant or two from his current tank and put them in the temp. tank? Would that cause problems when I add them back into the cycled tank?

I'm curious.

[Myates]

If the plants in his home tank are fake, then there would be no harm in taking them with you- and I would recommend doing so, as he will be stressed from the new tank, the travel, and new location- having some hiding spots and something he recognizes would help keep him a little calmer. The fake plants can build up bacteria on them (the good kind), but most will be in your filter, then substrate- so removing them won't cause an issue in the tank as a whole.

[AcrimoniousArbiter]

I'd say go for one plant with some broader leaves and a mug!

[agent89201]

Ok thank you both! I will take one of the plants and a cup. I think he'll appreciate that! Also, should I keep the filter running while I am away?

[dormfish]

I would keep the filter running, otherwise all the beneficial bacteria will die.

[SmokeNLark]

I wouldn't even take him home. If you're tank he's in now is cycling, then taking the fish out will stop the production of ammonia and starve the bacteria and they'll die. You will have to start the cycle over. 4 days is perfectly fine to leave a fish. Healthy bettas can live up to about 3 weeks without food. And I feel fine leaving mine for up to a week and a half if I need to. Clean water is more important than food in that short of a time span. Change the water before you leave and leave him there. The stress due to moving him twice in that short of time is considerably worse then him going without food for a few days, especially in addition to killing off all the bacteria.

[agent89201]

Ah. Ok. I guess I will leave him then. I've never left him for more than a day. But my friend who had him before me left him for Thanksgiving break in a 1 gallon, dirty KK and he was pretty ok. AH! I just feel so weird leaving a live pet for 4 days. Thank you, though. I will do that.

[kfish]

He'll be fine if you leave him! I left Mr. Fish for 10 days when I went on spring break and he was fine when I came back. Just HUNGRY!