While I'm away...Betta Care Sheet?

[demonicangel132007]

So my cousin asked me to paint fairies on her little girls' bedroom walls and me not being able to say no, agreed. Apparently she wants to do it this week, as well have me help clean and plan for her New Year's Eve party, and will be picking me up tomorrow afternoon and who knows when I'll be back...but that means Tvarscki will have to stay at home with my parents and brother and thought about writing up a betta care sheet for while I'm gone.

The reason I want to do this is because, my mother recently admitted to me that while I was away at college for 2 years she tried to kill my turtle by starvation (it'd be one less thing for her to take care of) and I don't think Tvarscki would be as much of a fighter as my turtle.

He's in a 2.5 gallon aquarium, filtered, and heated, it was cleaned 100% today. He has flakes, pellets, and blood worms (still trying to find something he likes with the first two, third is just a treat but they are too gross looking no one else will touch them--what my brother didn't spill all over my carpet because he was being nosy).

Anyway, with my cousin I am usually gone for a week at a time since she's about 3 hours away and it's easier on gas this way. So, what kind of instructions should I leave for taking care of Tvarscki so that I don't come home to an empty tank and a guilty family?

-Feed him, clean out what he doesn't eat
-Cleaning, and upon doing so making sure they use conditioner
-Making sure to turn the light on/off for him (Dad loaned out the automatic timer otherwise I'd be using that anyway)
-Make sure not to use the light switch by my door that controls the outlet where the filter, heater, and light are plugged into.

Does that cover it? Did I miss something? Grr...I really don't feel like going to my cousin's but I don't want to disappoint her. I just want to stay at home and watch my fish...

[FishyFriend1]

sounds pretty good just a couple more tips to leave:
~do not over feed~ i would just leave pellets and say feed 2 and soak.....

~i wouldn't worry about the lights, if you leave a window cover open a bit the natural light should do. DARK IS GOOD.....cus fish don't have eyelids~

~ state how frequent and how much water changes have to be done~ ex;2x week w/ 25% drain...

[demonicangel132007]

Originally Posted by FishyFriend1

sounds pretty good just a couple more tips to leave:
~do not over feed~ i would just leave pellets and say feed 2 and soak.....

~i wouldn't worry about the lights, if you leave a window cover open a bit the natural light should do. DARK IS GOOD.....cus fish don't have eyelids~

~ state how frequent and how much water changes have to be done~ ex;2x week w/ 25% drain...

Thanks. I wasn't gone for as long as I thought so he didn't need a water change until today when I got back home. I was worried about him, and kept calling asking if he was still alive. I wrote in my day planner I have, when to feed and how much. On the first day due to some miscommunication in the house he was fed twice. >_< I did, however, make sure to write "what he doesn't eat clean out!"

But he's fine, healthy, he was hiding behind his cup when I came home but seemed to perk up when he saw me, so that makes me feel a little better about myself. :) Although, my brother spilled the pellets all over my dresser. Grr...I don't think I'll be leaving home for a while but if I do, my dad will be the only one in charge of him.

[FishyFriend1]

well thats good... sometimes because when we leave our fish in other peoples care, and they don't know how to care for fish, what they thought was an alright job maybe wasn't but hey, they tried, the fish is alive......

everyone does things a bit different than we do. when i first got my betta i went onto youtube on how to care and clean tanks etc.... and everyone leave bad comments but most of the videos are some of the best ones on youtube.... but everyone criticizes them.