Greetings, 'betta' programs!

[kesomon]

Ha, see what I did there with the title? I made a Tron joke. A BAD Tron joke; feel free to groan and throw things. ^-^

I'm Kesomon, er, obviously, and I'm new, also obvious. My family has had fish before - we had a 10 gallon tank full of neon tetras (my favorite fish) and guppies when I was very young, and I had a betta when I was a little older that was horribly mistreated. I feel shamed admitting it, but I was at that ADD-afflicted age when cleaning a fish tank every week was time better spent. Yet despite the deplorable conditions, it lived for a remarkably long time, almost 3 years.

Anyways. I'm older, wiser, and more responsible (at least I hope I am) and I've been considering testing the waters again. I've got a 2.5 gallon tank and I'm slowly gathering the pieces I need to make the perfect habitat for a betta. But I've also got questions to seek experienced wisdom with, so that's why I've joined this forum. I'll toddle off to a more appropriate thread to ask those questions though.

Actually, in regards to the actual fish portion of said plans, I do have my eye on a betta at the local Petco. It's a halfmoon plakat, whitish-silver with neon blue around his fins. (I've already nicknamed him 'Ram' in my head. Every time I go to Petco to look at the bettas, he starts spazzing about in his cup.) I only hope I can get everything together before he's sold. It's slow going, though, and not half because I'm technically not allowed to have a fish. Mom's house, mom's rules.

Uh, I guess that's it for an intro. Glad to be here, hope to be around for a while. :3

[Romad]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I hope you get your fish before he's sold. The good news is that veiltails and halfmoons tend to be more desirable in the store for first time fish buyers so those will go first.

How are you going to hide a fish tank exactly or are you turning on the charm so that mom eventually gives in?

[Sena Hansler]

Welcome to the forim...
I wasn't supposed to have an animal at ALL and what did I get? a fish.

[kesomon]

Whoops. Tried to post from my phone and failed.

Thanks for the welcome, you folks. :3 Romad: I don't think it'll be a matter of hiding a tank so much as not revealing its existance until I have all the parts I need to put it together quickly and begin cycling it. I think I'm going to go with the fishless cycle method, with the pure ammonia in the water. It seems easiest and least complicated.

But yeah, this'll prolly take some charming. At the worst, I'll just keep the supplies in storage until I can use them without fear of reactionary measures, and visit Ram in the store often and tell him I hope he gets a better home with someone else soon.

Maybe I can finagle the plan into action as a birthday present. Except that's in April. Hm, maybe not.

[Romad]

Originally Posted by kesomon

Whoops. Tried to post from my phone and failed.

Thanks for the welcome, you folks. :3 Romad: I don't think it'll be a matter of hiding a tank so much as not revealing its existance until I have all the parts I need to put it together quickly and begin cycling it. I think I'm going to go with the fishless cycle method, with the pure ammonia in the water. It seems easiest and least complicated.

But yeah, this'll prolly take some charming. At the worst, I'll just keep the supplies in storage until I can use them without fear of reactionary measures, and visit Ram in the store often and tell him I hope he gets a better home with someone else soon.

Maybe I can finagle the plan into action as a birthday present. Except that's in April. Hm, maybe not.

If you're talking about just one betta, grab a filter and a 25w heater for the 2.5 gallon tank and let it cycle with your betta in it.

I've never lost a betta while cycling because one fish isn't going to cause a lethal spike in ammonia if you change the water frequently during cycling time. You can grab a bottle of Seachem Prime water conditioner which removes the chlorine and chloramines from your tap water and has the added benefit of neutralizing ammonia and nitrItes for approx. 24 hours at a time.

Nutrafin cycle is a good idea if you want to help the cycle along too. Sio next time you visit Ram, tell him to get ready for the trip to his new forever home :)

[kesomon]

Originally Posted by Romad

If you're talking about just one betta, grab a 2.5 gallon tank and let it cycle with your betta in it. I've never lost a betta while cycling because one fish isn't going to cause a lethal spike in ammonia if you change the water frequently during cycling time.

I don't have a lot of room in my room, so going mentally over the water-change process in my head leads to imagined disaster if I have to do it too often. With the fishless cycle method, according to my research, I can do it all on one water change, use the heater to cultivate the bacteria quicker without risking the fish, and just do a massive water change when everything levels out to zero at the end, leaving the good bacteria in the filter system.

I wish I knew someone with a tank of their own in my area, I could just borrow an old filter pad from them and seed the bugger.

[Romad]

Originally Posted by kesomon

I don't have a lot of room in my room, so going mentally over the water-change process in my head leads to imagined disaster if I have to do it too often. With the fishless cycle method, according to my research, I can do it all on one water change, use the heater to cultivate the bacteria quicker without risking the fish, and just do a massive water change when everything levels out to zero at the end, leaving the good bacteria in the filter system.

I wish I knew someone with a tank of their own in my area, I could just borrow an old filter pad from them and seed the bugger.

I never had to do more than twice a week with the Prime and cycle booster. I didn't even bother to use some of the filter media from my 75 gallon. But if you know that you can't do at least that or more, then you're better off doing what you said. I'd just hate for you to lose your buddy to someone else in the meantime.

[kesomon]

Thanks. Though the threat of parental disapproval is stronger than the indecision over how to cycle a tank. It may not matter what I do.

[morla]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you like it here!

[kesomon]

Thanks!