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Summersea's Betta Life Journal

14K views 209 replies 13 participants last post by  summersea 
#1 ·
After ghosting around everyone else's journals, spawn logs, and day to day posts I decided I wanted to create a journal to show my journey with my Bettas. Most people in my life don't understand the addiction I have acquired - to bettas. So this, at least, can serve as a place to share to perhaps a few individuals who understand this craziness called Betta Love lol ;-)

So to start I should probably introduce the boys in my life - fishier than most but gotta love them teehee. I can only upload one pic per post so each of my boys will get their own post. I will start from my first and move onward.

My first two boys are no longer with me but have helped me learn so much that I can't leave then out. My very first Betta was Blu-bo a male HM. I had no idea what I was doing with a Betta but my sister had an empty 1.5g tank with a filter and heater so I thought "what the heck" and went to my local PetsMart and came home with the beauty below.

Blue-Bo is what started my love for these fish. He had such great personality! But my ignorance caused heartbreak. I didn't understand how often to change his water and he developed fin rot. That is when I found this forum. I read that clean "warm" water was the best for him so I cupped him and put in warm water. Unfortunately I didn't have a thermometer and used warm-to-me water. Plus had no idea about acclimation. So when I put Blu-Bo back in he went into shock and didn't survive. I bawled my eyes out! But I was determined to do better the next time. I spent hours researching on the forum to figure out Bettas before buying my next boy.

SIP Blu-Bo!
 

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#2 ·
I then bought two boys within days of each other. One to use the tank vacated by Blu-Bo at home and te other to my tropical community 29g at my work. I had read where some Bettas can do well in a community tank so I wanted to give it a try.

My next boy was a VT named Fabio (which ended up fitting his fin growth to a T). I bought him from a LFS and put him into my 29g at work. I made sure to add him last and to stock the tank with smaller fish that would not be aggressive towards a Betta (so harlequin rasbora, rummy nose tetra, and cories). When I chose Fabio it was between him and this gorgeous dragonscale HM but the dragon was flaring at weeny thing and Fabio never flared. Since I was going for a laid back community fish, Fabio was the one!

Now I work as a high school teacher so I brought Fabio to my classroom with 2 weeks to go before the start of school. I wanted to give him plenty of time to adjust before students came back. During those two weeks Fabio and te other fish did great. Unfortunately, when the students came back Fabio and my community schools were stressed out by all the movement in what had been a very quiet classroom. I kept a close eye on them with the hopes very one would adjust. I noticed Fabio had nip marks (from self biting or other fish I wasn't sure) but kept on. One day I found one of my harlequin rasbora without an eye an that cinched the deal. I turned out the lights am kept the tank covered until I could set up a divided 10g at home.

So the next day I brought Fabio home and another Betta (because what else was I to do with a divided 10g but get ANOTHER boy lol). Fabio seemed to flourish in his new tank. His fins grew like crazy and he was always active and swimming.

Then, suddenly, I lost Fabio unexpected. He had been fine that morning - did his usual happy "feed me" dance and ate all his food. When I came back from shopping 4 hours later I found Fabio laying on his side ona plant user the filter current, struggling to breathe. I quickly cupped him to get him closer to air. It was heart wrenching to watch. He would struggle to get air an then drop like a stone. I searched for something noticeably wrong on him and then for similar symptoms on the forum but he was gone in under 20mins.

Again, I had lost a boy but this time I had no clue what happened - still don't. I miss my lil happy dancer. SIP Fabio!

The pic below was of Fabio right before he passed - long fins and all!
 

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#3 ·
As I said before, around the time I got Fabio for my work tank I also got a new dt boy for home. I let my nephew pick out and name this guy. Since he was a reddish purple like a rasberry my nephew decided Razz would be the best name. And it stuck.

Now the decision to get Razz was hard. My mom lives with me (more like room mates as we split the bills but anywho...) and we had both gotten very attached to Blu-Bo. More so my mom because the tank is in her office where she works from home. It took a while for her to warm up to Razz but he now has her wrapped around his double fins ;-)

Razz seemed to flourish over night. His fins grew almost instantly and he bulked up like crazy. For weeks he did wonderfully. Until I decided I wanted to upgrade him to a bigger tank.

I had read where cycling tanks of 5g and under was not necessary and sometimes not stable. So I bought a 5g hex tank and set it up. Te intake in the filter had very wide slots so got a nylon sock and used that to cover the intake. Them acclimated Razz to the tank. At first things seemed to go well. Razz was flaring and exploring. But then his in the back of his tank. I just thought it was him adjusting to new surroundings and didn't think anything of it.

When, 24 hours later, Razz was looking pale and was gasping at the bottom of the tank I used the test strips I had available and checked the water. Everything was off the charts! I freaked out because the way Razz was laying reminded me of when I lost Blu-Bo. I quickly cupped him and had him floating in his old tank to make it easier for him to get air. He was also a bit bloated so I did an Epsom salt treatment. With the help of several members of the forum (including lilnaugrim and MattsBettas) I finally got Razz back to his usual self. It took several days before I thought he was out of the woods and a couple weeks for him to act his usual, active self again.

Unfortunately, the bad water conditions also had a negative effect on his fins. Within 48 hrs of moving him out of the 5g, most of his fins had disintegrated. I felt absolutely horrible. After resetting up his tank I decided that if he was happy and healthy in his 1.5g I wasn't goin to mess with him any more. Plus, my mom was threatening my life at this point if I lost another Betta that she had gotten attached to ;-)

All of this occurred in the middle of October. Razz is now growing back out his fins but try will never be quite as beautiful as the were at first.

In the pic below, the top photo is Razz several weeks after I got him. The bottom pic was a couple weeks ago with his fins showing some growth.
 

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#4 ·
Next up is my little CT male that I purchased when my attempt I keep Fabio at my school aquarium failed. Since I had to purchase a new tank for Fabio I just HAD to look at the bettas! lol

Sitting in the back of the shelf was this little light blue CT male. His gills appeared to have ammonia damage as they stuck out but his little grumpy face won me out. So, of course, home he came!

I am a bit of a SciFi geek. As such, I watched a series called Warehouse 13. The grumpy, old keeper of the warehouse was named Artie. This fit my new little guy so well that he was bestowed the same name. Not to mentio Artie is pretty easy for my 3 year old nephew to say ... unlike some of my other fish names ;-)

I was amazed when pink appeared at the ends of Artie's fins almost immediately while acclimating to his new home. It never ceases to amaze me water clean, warm water does for these guys!

Unfortunately, permanent damage had already been done to his gills while in his little ammonia filled PetsMart cup. His gills permanently stick out (I think it is called hyperplasia of the gills) and he has SBD issues with easy bloating. He is not an overly active boy and loves to spend most of his time lounging on one of his silk broad leaf plants. He recently acquired a little snail friend (to combat an algae problem I am having) but he pays it no attention.

I just love my little grumpy gills!!
 

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#5 ·
After I had my royal screw up with the 5g and Razz I was hesitant to use that tank again. But I set myself down and did a lot of research. I found out, again mostly from help from members of this forum, that you can and SHOULD cycle a 5g. So I decided to do my first fish less cycle of a tank. I purchased an API master test kit and was religious in testing the tank once I had it set up and going. Since I seeded the tank with filter sponge in the intake (which also helped buffer the flow) my tank cycled in just 4 weeks.

I was ecstatic to be looking at buying another Betta. Again I went to PetsMart. This time a Snow White delta boy caught my attention. He had two spots of black on him and he was very fiesty in his cup. I been looking at threads on marbles and though it would be cool to see if his black spots amounted to anything. PKU he looked so healthy and alive! So home came Blizzard, my fast moving snow looking betta!

I kept a close eye on the little guy. After my fiasco with Raz I was scared there was some sort of curse on the tank (silly I know but still...). But he went right in and acted like he owned the joint. Flared at me all the time and was always cruising around his tank. He was such a little think with so much attitude!

About 5 weeks later I lost Fabio. For some time I debated whether to just give Artie the whole 10g or if I wanted to get another Betta. Of course, as all Betta addicts are want to do, I gave in and bought a new boy.

That meant Blizzard had to be moved in with Artie since I knew he had passed quarantine. About a week prior to this Blizzard had started nipping his fins. I don't know why but when I moved him the self inflicted damage continued. I have tried everything from baffling the filter heavily to filling his side of the tank with a ton of hides.

Unfortunately, this is still an ongoing problem and likely something I will be writing future posts about *sigh* silly fish.

Anywho, here is Blizz. Top is a week after I brought him home and bottom in tonight.
 

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#6 · (Edited)
Last but not least we come to my newest boy Nero.

After I lost Fabio I wasn't sure I was going to get another betta. I was heartbroken by his loss and not knowing what caused it.

But I am a sucker for little betta faces. So when I went in to PetsMart on Black Friday (and I had to stand in line - never thought that would happen at a pet store, even on Black Friday lol) I went to search the Betta Section. When I got there I was disheartened. There were only two boys that didn't have some sort of fuzzy disease (not sure if it was a fungal infection or possibly columnaris as I am sooo far from an expert it isn't even funny). I couldn't take one home that day as I still had shopping to do. So when I came back that Sunday, one of the little HM boys was still there. He was more lethargic than before and had a touch of fin rot but I decided to take him home anyway.

Now I won't lie, I wasn't overly enthusiastic about this guy. He was so pale as to be almost see through and he didn't really speak to me. But since I had made up my mind to "replace" Fabio I really wanted to bring home a new boy. Plus he was on sale so - yup he made the 30min trek home

When I got him home my mom was also unimpressed by his appearance and just gave me "the look" - you know the one, that says I need Betta Annonymous meetings. Anywho, I floated his cup in the 5g and was amazed. In less than 15 mins his colors had already started to darken. After acclimation and 5 hours in his new home you wouldn't even recognize him! Turns out he is a gorgeous little dragonscale chameleon who is so iridescent that he always seems to be changing colors depending on how the light hit him.

I quickly became attached to my new guy. I was always taking pics of him. I was amazed how he seemed to keep getting darker!

About a week and a half in I started to notice these white dots in him. I immediately look at Betta diseases and posted in the forum. Sure enough, my little guy had an ich infection. It wasn't very bad but when I looked back through my pics I noticed he had some dots from the beginning I was just still too much of a newbie to notice them.

I immediately did a water change and slowly raised his temp to 88F. I also added 1tsp of AQ salt per gallon. The recommended amount was 3 but I have a live plant in there and don't want to kill it. Within 3 days the dots were gone. We had a minor flare up but he was clear within two weeks.

Nero, so named after Nero Wolfe a mystery detective - for his mystery of colors lol, has been my healthiest and fiestiest fish ever since. And, don't tell my other boys, but he is also now my favorite. Kind of a Cinderella story lol

Below is a progression in the changes of Nero. Top is store cup, next is 5 hours later, next is 1 week later, and bottom is after a month!
 

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#7 ·
So now you know the story of my Betta Madness. I love all of my boys and it is a constant learning experience (which, as a teacher, I love!). I think I will be sticking with my 4 boys for a while - unless tanks go on amazing sale...lol

Today is the one month anniversary since I brought Nero home so I will finish by posting a pic of him today playing with the roots of his plant. He is such a silly boy! Hop everyone has a great night!
 

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#8 ·
So today I took some updated pics of Razz today. I don't think his fins will ever be the same but at least they are growing!

I wish I could say the same for Blizzard *sigh*

Even though I have given him a ton of hides and have baffled the filter flow, I can't get him to stop biting or get any regrowth. I have seen several threads that have suggested using Stress Coat with Prime to induce fin growth. I already use Prime but think I will stop and pick up some Stress Coat on my way to feed my horses today. Maybe that will help Blizz out!

I have also been fighting algae in my 10g. I want to get a Nerite snail but my PetsMart is currently out (and I have been extremely disappointed in the store - so much so that I put in a customer complaint). I have also heard that Java moss balls can help out compete the algae for resources. Just have to find time to travel into the city to the LFS to see if they have any snails and cheaper moss.

A thought that came to me today was wondering I floating plants might help make Blizz feel more secure and less fin nippy. I am propagating some elodea in my 29g tropical tank at work (so I don't have to keep buying more each year forte one experiment by students use it for). It isn't very busy but seems to be growin quickly (or was before Christmas Break - hope it is still going strong!). Not sure if that would be helpful or not...so many things o think and worry about with fishies! And I thought my 3 horses were tough work lol

Anywho, here is a pic of Razz from today. Love my stubby, tubby DT!
 

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#9 ·
all of your boys are so pretty! I'm super sorry to hear about your fishy losses, I know how you feel. I'm still not over the passing of my blue CT Sasuke 3 years ago, but I decided to try again and am head over fins in love with my two boys.
 
#10 ·
Happy New Year!!

Confishus - Thank you for the sympathy. I know many here understand the loss of a Betta. Probably better than most in "The Real World". I hope 2014 brings good health to your 2 fishies! :)

Speaking of 2014 I must be a bit cliche. I have made a resolution or two in terms of my Betta Boys. It is rather simple really. I just want to keep then alive and healthy. Not much to ask for ... right?!

On top of that I have been reading other journals and have evolved a fascinated with the idea of sororities and NPT tanks. As I read more and more I become further intrigued. The idea of a mini-ecosystem, if you will, warms my inner biologist (as I am a biology teacher lol). I am still so new to aquariums in general and bettas specifically it is more of a pipe dream right now. But definitely something to keep and eye on. If I can find a gently used 10g+ tank with stand at a yard sale or something...well I would be doing more than research lol ;-)

As is all four of The Boys are doing well. Razz was particularly feisty today and flared at me at dinner time before deciding to eat his pellets. Might have something to do with his bubble nest! I love when my boys build me a bubble nest.

Speaking of which, Nero has yet to make me one :-( He is healthy now with just his gimpy pectoral fin (I think that is the name of the longer fins that hang down under his head...) to show for his time in a PetsMart cup. Hope he makes me one eventually!

Blizzard is still blizzard. I have started adding Stress Coat with his Prime during water changes to try to encourage fin growth from his tail biting. He hasn't done any biting the last few days but not getting my hopes up. The minute I think he has stopped for good he will start it back up again - such a lil turd lol!

And even though it is the start of a new year, Artie is still wearing his same old Grumpy Gills face. But it is so grumpy I just adore it!!

Well, that's all for my first post of 2014. I wish everyone a safe and happy new year! And hopefully Artie's grumpiness will put a smile on your own face to start the year off right!
 

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#11 · (Edited)
Aw, grumpy face looks like he got sucker punched!

There should be a grumpy betta contest with inserted captions :)

Edit! oops! I guess there has been one of those, lol *goes to look at grumpy bettas*
 
#13 ·
I would just like to say that today I am thankful for 4-wheel drive trucks. While we don't get much snow here in Kentucky we did have a layer of black ice under it. And while I would have preferred to stay snuggled under a warm blanket at home, I have 3 horses that depend on me to feed them. So I had to bundle up and brave the "wild". No where near as bad as when I lived in Minnesota or Pennsylvania but still...

Anywho, back to my finned pets. Did water changes today. Why is it that bettas appear to enjoy chasing gravel vacs during water changes?! Stresses me out every time! I came close to sucking up Nero by accident. Thankfully I pulled it up and away in time. Geesh! Crazy fishies!

Did more research on NPT tanks and read OldFishLady's thread on them. I am even more determined to create one before this year is out. Was planning to start saving but then my horse broke his blanket over night so now I have to order him a new one (which would have covered most the entire price of a new tank and plants for the NPT - *sigh*). So back to wishing. I am going to keep my eye out for used tanks on craigslist and at yard sales (once they start back up). Also thinking of changing my 29g tropical aquarium at work to an NPT over summer break. It would be a perfect learning tool when I teach ecosystems to my freshmen students!!

Until then I continue to lurk through the threads, admiring everyone else's tanks and trying not to turn TOO green with envy... ;-)

To finish off for the night I figure it is only fair to attach a picture of Nero - since I almost sucked him up in the gravel vac after all. I am pretty sure he was giving me the stink eye - in case I was considering cleaning his tank again LOL XD
 

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#14 ·
Just gotta say - brrr! Got another snow day today (though I did got in to do some work after noon) and now they are calling for a Winter Storm "Ion" (not sure how I feel about them naming winter storms but appreciate the chemistry naming attempt...) to hit Sunday night. The high for Monday is supposed to be -1* ... Yea you read that right. -1* in KENTUCKY! Not to mention the rain/ice/snow we may be getting as well.

Now, I have lived in states where it gets much colder more consistently (Mn, Pa, etc) but kentucky just isn't equipped to deal with ths type of cold weather. I am pretty concerned about losing power and running water (as line are not buried deeply here). Plus I have my 3 horses to consider - though thankfully 2 of them have heavy blankets from our prior years in the north. My third boy is pretty fuzzy and everyone will be snug in their stalls for those few days but still.

So tonight I find myself worrying about electricity. What do I do for my Betta Boys if the power goes out?!?! Looks like I will be doing a lot of research tomorrow. Anyone reading who has any tips please feel free to share! I am hoping it won't come to that but better to be prepared, just in case!

Well, on a fishy note Razz and Artie were looking as good as usual. Blizzard doesn't look like he has bitten his tail recently but still no sign of new growth *sigh*

As for Nero, he managed to scare me for a few minutes. I walked into my bedroom and, as always, popped over to his tank to say "hey". Only - where was Nero?! I looked all over his tank and couldn't find him. I started freaking out, looking around the outside of his tank (though how he was going to jump out of a fully closed tank I surely don't know). Just as I was about to really lose it out comes Nero from his hollow log!

For as long as I looked for him I didn't think he would be in the log that long! Must have been taking a nap lol. He is so funny that way. I have also noticed that his fins have been growing out more (wish he would share the growth with Blizzard ...) to the point where his maneuvering skills while swimming are a bit compromised. His sharp turns are not as graceful as they used to be. Guess that is the curse of a half moon betta!

Well off to so some more research! Night all!
 

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#15 ·
Beautiful fish and love reading about your adventures with them!
 
#16 ·
Thanks BettaLover! And they truly are adventures! I am a bit of a worry wart with all my animals (the tales my horses could tell after 15 years...XD) so reading all these threads has me constantly worrying that one of the Betta Boys will contract something. But it keeps me vigilant on their water changes and gives me another reason **cough - excuse - cough** to take a lot of pictures to create a log of them teehee ;-)
 
#17 ·
I agree entirely! I'm very paranoid about my boys contracting things, and I watch them constantly/take pictures, because who doesn't like pictures? :lol:
 
#19 ·
Thank you! Can't resist taking pictures of them ;-).
 
#20 ·
So went out and bought a few necessities before the storm hits tomorrow. Also bought some hot hands heat packs. I figure if we lose electricity I can activate a couple per tank and wrap towels around them and the tanks to keep them warm. Hopefully it won't come to that but it is something to try - just in case! o_O

For some reason Nero's heater isn't keeping the water as warm as I am used to. Could be because the house is colder (trying to save on money as electric heat is EXPENSIVE!). So had to adjust it. Poor Nero got a bit stressed out and pales a bit in the process since, to get to the heater, I have to move the built in filter and juggle around a bit. So he is on a "Do Not Disturb" break for a bit to let him de-stress.

Found myself spending a lot of time observing Razz today. His fins really have grown back a lot! I started feeding him NLS small fish pellets instead of his Aqueon pellets an his color seems brighter too! For a fish I thought I was going to lose, he sure is a little trooper.

Short post today as my best friend is coming over and still need to clean up a bit. I leave you to marvel at Razz's new fin growth! :)
 

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#21 ·
Gah! So much hype for this "winter storm" but we are still sitting at 47* with just a bunch of rain. I am sure it will cool down but we aren't going to get the snow or "extreme" cold everyone has been touting for the last week. *sigh* I should know better than to get caught up in the hype. Either way, more horses are snug in their stalls and I did water changes - just in case.

Speaking of fish, I noticed this morning that even though I turned up Nero's heater in his tank was still sitting at 75* this morning even though the thermometer was set at 86. Ugh. So ran to PetsMart and bought a 50watt adjustable heater. Now my tank is too warm!! Set the tank just under the 80* mark on the heater but my thermometer is reading 85! I just can't win. Guess it is a good thing my school system has already called off for tomorrow so I can fiddle with the heater more.

Speaking of PetsMart, I have been really upset with their care of the bettas recently. I noticed a decline in care starting 2 months ago that progressively got worse. A lot of "fuzzy" sick Bettas and there have been at least 2 Bettas dead in their cups each time I have gone. Just breaks my heart. I wrote the company but all I got was an email saying they lodged a customer complaint and I should hear back in 3-5 business days. That doesn't help these poor fish much! Wish I had the money to rescue more of these poor guys!

Anywho, back to my boys. I have been looking at pics of Blizzard and comparing his fin damage. I don't think he has been biting any more but there sure isn't any new growth. I am thinking his bottom fin (of which the scientific name is alluding me at the moment) appears to be being rubbed off on something. I am not sure if one of the fake plants or his hollow log might be doing some of the damage. I am going to try to save up and get a 5g to create a NPT tank for Blizz. I feel having a planted tank would help him feel less stressed (which would hopefully translate in less fin biting) and would help protect against any damage from fake plants. He is my only fish with these issues and he is driving me crazy!!

I shall end with a pic of Blizzard so I can look back over time and compare his fins. Good night all!
 

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#22 ·
Well we didn't get more than a dusting of snow (at one point we were forecast for 2-4) but boy did the temperatures drop! We hit 57* last night and the lowest so far today (temps are still dropping) was -1*. Brrr! Add in the wind an I have seen windchills of -22*! Had to brave the cold to take are of my horses but plan to cuddle under some blankets with my puppy for the rest of the day! :)

I don't know if it was the crazy wether or that I have been feeding him more NLS pellets but Razz made me his first (little) bubble nest since he got sick in October! It isn't much but makes me glad that Razz is healthy enough to make one!

I am sooo obsessed with NPT tanks! I feel like I am living and breathing them! I keep reading threads on the forum and all that does is make me want another tank to try it out in. But then I can't decide on if I get a 5g to try this with do I want to get a new Betta boy or just let Blizzard have his own tank and eventually make the 10g Artie's NPT with some snail and shrimp friends?! Gah, just don't know. Though being able to afford this is likely a couple months away so I have plenty of time to debate in my head ;-)

I leave you with a pic (although a bit blurry) of Razz defending his itty bitty cutie wootie bubble nest!
 

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#23 ·
It has been a few days since last I wrote. It has been crazy around here! That arctic air did a number on our heat which left me scrambling to keep 2 of my fishies warm! Nero's heater couldn't keep up (I actually bought him a new one before I realized the old one did work just wasn't a high enough wattage). And Razz's little heater couldn't keep up so we ended up with a personal heater in his room to help keep his tank temp up. The things we do for our fish...phew!

Meanwhile, even though their ammonia has stayed under .25ppm - Blizzard's tail biting has turned into mild fin rot :-( Thankfully very mild. I already do 2 - 50% water changes a week on the 10g so upping water changes isn't time feasible for me. Unfortunately i also dont have a hospital tank. So that has left me to treat the entire 10g with meds. Hoping it helps quickly!

On better news, my dad (who I am not on the best terms with but we speak occasionally) saw my post on Facebook about wanting to do a NPT tank so badly. Today a package was left at my door containing a 4g Fluval View tank! I was so excited! I posted a thread in the planted tanks forum to get some input in using the tank as a NPT. I need to still save up and do research on the plants I want before I use the tank but can't wait. Now the question becomes if I want to move Blizzard into the 4g...or get a new guy....

Ahh the possibilities!! So much excitement! I hope I can get a lot if help/opinions in my thread! Here is a pic of the tank(box). I can't wait to use it (excuse me while I go squealing around my room...)
 

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#24 ·
So now I am worried about Artie. I treated the 10g with Jungle Fungus Clear to help with Blizzards fin rot and the sores Artie has had on his head since I got him back in September (from tryin to jump out of his closed pet store cup multiple times). Artie seemed fine during the first day of treatment (put it in Thursday night) but this morning I found him laying on top of his silk plant as close to the top of the tank as he could get. His gills were working hard and he was going up for air a lot. He is a little bloated, pale, and his fins are clamped. I went ahead and did a 30% water change, hoping that a dilution of the medicine will help him.

Blizzard looks fine and very active. Most of the dark edges are gone but still has a spot or two. I don't understand why the medicine is effecting Artie this way. If he still continues to look this bad I will take out all the medicine in the tank. I really hope he feels better soon! I thought medicine was supposed to help my boys, not make them a million times worse! Ugh!

On a slightly happier side note, I am thinking of talking to my dad to exchange the Fluval View tank for a basic Marina 5g starter kit that was roughly the same price. The shape and lighting would be more conducive for trying my first NPT. Not sure how he would feel about exchanging his gift or dealing with the whole process (since it was through Amazon) so I guess we will see.
 
#25 ·
Ugh! Artie has me really stressed. I did the water change but he is still laying on a leaf at the top, his gills working over time, and not eating. I will do another 50% water change in the morning. I don't know what else to do for my boy! I never expected meds to do this to him!

On another note, I talked my dad into exchanging the Fluval for the Marina tank. So - YAY - NPT tank coming soon! I did a drive through all my LFS (except the petco 45 mins away) and nobody around here sells nerites (only mystery snails) and the only shrimp I saw were ghost shrimp. I guess I will need to try petco as my last ditch effort.

I have decided to buy my plants for the NPT online versus PetsMart as they end up close in price (online plants are cheaper but shipping brings that up a lot) plus the online plants are much larger than what PetsMart has. Now I just need the money for them!

Speaking of PetsMart, I am so disappointed in mine. I recently wrote the company about my local store because the bettas all seemed to have be disease or another and several were dead. I got a response from the manager that they were moving then away from the cold draft by the door and working with corporate offices to fix the issue. However, when I went in today there were more dead bettas than live ones. Broke my heart. Some if the dead ones were just gorgeous halfmoons with such pretty colors. I really hope they can get this under control. I don't have many pets tires here so can't really shop anywhere else for many things but I hate seeing the Bettas this way!
 
#26 ·
Well Artie looks a ton better this morning! I was so worried I would lose him yesterday. He is still a bit bloated (so I am fasting him) and if he stops moving he goes a tiny bit sideways but he is actually swimming around and being more himself. Not 100% back but a major improvement! Phew!

Unfortunately Blizzard still has a bit of grey on his fin edges. I am going to have to figure something out for a hospital tank as I obviously can't dose the 10g with Artie in it. Ugh. Keeping bettas is so much more difficult thank I ever imagined. Good thing I love these guys! ;-)

Trying to talk Mom into going to Petco today (it is 45 mins away) to see if they have shrimp or Nerite snails. I hope they do or my idea of an "ecosystem" in a tank is not going to work out so well!

Short entry this morning. May post again later (with a pic as I have been slacking on those lately) this afternoon if I have anything of note to add. Have a great day everyone!
 
#27 ·
All I can say is - WOW! The Petco 45mins away has a HUGE selection of bettas! Unfortunately several were dead (why can't pet stores figure this out?!) but I saw in person, for the first time an elephant ear and a King betta! I wish they were so expensive or I would be picking an EE up for my new tank(whenever I can finally afford to set up the NPT)! So many pretty colors!

Sadly, my petco does not sell Nerite (or any type of snail for that matter) and no shrimp. I really want to make an ecosystem but the stores around me are making it so hard! Ugh!

On a happy note, Artie is looking 95% better! Still really active and now just a teeny bit bloated. I will probably fast him tonight and see if that clears up the last bit. I am just so glad whatever was going on seems to have stopped. I think I will let blizzard have a break from the meds and buy a 2g glass jar ($10 at Walmart) to use as my hospital tank next weekend to clear up the last of his fin rot.

I leave you with a pic of Artie today showing he is feeling much better! :)
 

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#28 ·
My new tank came in today!! Squee!! I can't wait until I can set it up! I am pretty close to making a final list of plants I want. But I think I may have too many on my list now that I see the tank in person. May drop a plant or two - which would mean I can afford them that much sooner! Woot!

Artie seems feistier than ever after his little episode this weekend. Still worried about Blizzard's fin rot so I think I will have to put him in a hospital tank with meds this weekend. He won't like it but I can't stand to see his fins slowly disintegrate even though I have kept up with (and done extra) water changes. *sigh*

Razz has also been extra fiesty. He isn't one to usually flare but the last two nights he has flared at me before I feed him. Glad he is feeling so good!

Manage to catch a couple pics of Nero flaring. I have to go into super stealth ninja mode to get pics of this fish. If I am not in the room he spends a lot of time flaring at his reflection. But the minute he sees me he thinks "food lady!!" and all I get are blurry pics as he dances all over the tank in anticipation of yummy goodness.

Pretty short post as I am exhausted from work (teenagers can do that to a person). I leave you with a collage (since I can't post more than one pic from my phone at a time). A couple shots of Nero flaring at my new tank! Yippee!
 

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