Kate & the Fishface

[katydidmischief]

I am usually so bad at these, but since keeping Michael is going to be a retraining for me, I want a place to write down info and post pictures. He's the first since Jack, my beautiful male betta who made it home from college with me--the last one--and passed away a year after.

My new baby is Michael:


This is his current setup:


Today I'll be doing a water change. I'm planning to get bottled water after work to do the change with as I have well water and am not too comfortable with it. I did use it at first, but only after leaving it out sans fish, running the filter, and adding conditioner.

I also ordered my API Master test kit yesterday; I currently have strips to use, but prefer a liquid kit. I am hoping it'll be here today as I ordered it through Amazon Prime 2-day.

[katydidmischief]

I bought a five gallon today. I know it wasn't necessary, but I desperately wanted to give him more space and I just broke down and bought the tank. Unfortunately, this means I am without a doubt not able to spend any more money on him this month, but I'm glad I did it--the filter is nice, I can use my air pump for 2 small stones, and I was able to put in all of his plants (finally!) along with a moss ball.

I'm kicking myself a little for not having kept the boxes to some of the other gear--I'd return it--but I figure, if nothing else, I have back up equipment.

I did a hefty water change today.

[registereduser]

What a cute fishy face he has! Awesome pet names

[katydidmischief]

Thank you!

His tank is up to 82 degrees this morning--I left the heater plugged in overnight--and he doesn't seem bothered by the filter, which I liked at first and am now investigating baffles because the water bottle one I made doesn't seem to be helping too terribly much.

His color is continuing to come in on his fins: mostly iridescent but there seems to be a little pink along his anal fin.

Of course, because this is a new tank, I'm still worrying myself about him. I put in stress coat just to cover my bases and today I'm going to pick up some neutral regulator.

[katydidmischief]

I'm proud of myself--made a baffle today via the water bottle instructions on the forum plus a foam pad, then made a hammock.

[katydidmischief]

I set the light on a timer Saturday and so far so good. I need to get one for the heater, since having both the incandescent and the heater on during the day heats the water over 82; I've been unplugging the heater during the day, but I worry about the day I'm running late for work and forget.

I ordered NLS surface feeder .8 pellets last night and I should have them by wednesday. I was contemplating the betta formula, but the price difference was enough that, as I'm saving up for a gravel vacuum, I went with the surface feeder. There are also a few breeders that seem to like it so fingers crossed that Michael likes it.

His fins have definitely grown since I brought him home, and the coloring is growing so beautiful: there's a hint of red along the base of his anal fin and caudal fins, but for the most part he's just iridescent with spots of black here and there. I believe he's a Marble from the coloration, but I'm not entirely sure. :-p I know for sure he's a HMDT.

I think I need to ban myself from aquabid: there's so many beautiful bettas! I want a black and a chocolate, a rosetail, and a halfmoon. But alas, I've no place I could put them unless I divided Michael's tank and after the disaster that was one of my divided tanks in college (I still don't know what killed my fish and my frogs) I will never do that again. I'll call them my dream fish for now and maybe one day I can set up a room with a couple of five gallons and the cats and I can enjoy FishTV.

[katydidmischief]

So after realizing that part of my issues lately with visual stimulation came from the tank gravel plus the knowledge that neither Michael nor his tankmate Toothless went in the tiki hut, I redid the tank. I'm hoping that if the tear I found in his fin yesterday was caused by any of the previous objects in the tank, that it'll heal now as I've completely changed things up: new smooth pots, silk and silicone plants, a second moss ball...

I'm planning to replace the red/brown/green one with one that's green-only and add a few smaller plants.

[teeneythebetta]

He is so pretty!! I love his tank :D
I wouldn't use bottled water, it lacks minerals that fish need to be healthy and fight off infection.

[katydidmischief]

Originally Posted by teeneythebetta

He is so pretty!! I love his tank :D
I wouldn't use bottled water, it lacks minerals that fish need to be healthy and fight off infection.

Thank you!

I have gone back to using some tap water. I have well water and it's pretty hard, so I'm using a little of both to manage that issue though I do have some neutral regulator to try to soften it with. Just makes me nervous since I live on the bottom of a hill and after a hard rain the water turns colors; kind of need a back up supply.

Updated the tank (again, but this is how it's going to stay from now on) with a few more plants, and I'm planning to get one more marimo ball. I've also decided that, eventually, I'd like to buy a 10 gallon. Not now, obviously, but sometime in the spring next year. Right now, I need to save money and feed my cats.

[katydidmischief]

I think I've been overfeeding Michael. :/ Inadvertently but I still feel like an idiot; he's been eating the frog's food off the bottom of the tank. So I figure after a 24 hour fast, I'll cut him down to 3 pellets in the morning and 2 at night along with his occasional bloodworm or shrimp.