[MachinaSoul]

See avatar.

Got him on March 10th. Transferred him to a 1.8 L tetra Betta bowl with LED light. Currently as you see, the bowl is empty except for him.

I'll get to it later how this is temporary, and I feel that the bowl is terrible.

Transferred him day 2, my filling the bowl with a full bottle of petco Betta water with a little bit of Aqueon Betta Bowl Plus water what have you.

He jumped out of his cup when I went to pour him slowly in, right into the bowl, not even giving me a chance to "bob" him. Quite the attitude. His cup water was quite clean, so that went in with him that day, just to give him more water to float in.

I've feed him 2-3 pellets. I tried flakes, but he doesn't always eat them and then the are left drifting.

My room's heaters are blasting to keep his bowl warm enough right now. Temporary situation that I hope does not fail me.

I'm shocked how much waste he has put out already. Not sure how his water was so clean when I got him.

I changed his water tonight, 50%, using two Poland Spring water bottles and some of the liquid Betta Bowl plus, and plan to upgrade his tank after work today/tomorrow.

He seemed to be tapping the sides of the bowl as if to alert to me that I had to do it, or that he's just upset about there being nothing to do.

Heater, thermometer, 5 gallon tank, white or black sand, hopefully a filter; I plan to purchase the upgrades tomorrow after seeing how ridiculous he soiled the water.

I ordered him a silicon anemone decoration and a mud hut decoration.

My hopes are to get that done this week without accidentally harming or offing him in the process.

He was the only one like him that I found in my local petco (9 or so miles away). They had yellow/translucent, some dark moons, your typical red and blues, but he had the stand out colors IMO.

No name yet. He actually appears to be "wild" colored, as despite seeming blue with the red accent, I see turquoise in certain lighting, as well as purple, though that is likely the mixture of the blue and red in his pigments. Could just be my eyes playing tricks on me.



Thanks for the information available so far!

I'm planning that if the 5 gallon works out with everything above, that I will add in some kind of bottom feeder fish and some marimo moss balls, that I've also been reading forum posts here about both.

I'll report back after the 5 gallon transfer, and hope I don't mess it up in the process, or find him leaping too soon into the new tank when I have it ready for him (crazy bugger).

 

[Luimeril]

'wild' coloration is, imo, black with a bit of blue and red in the fins, like my Plakat, Lulu:

your DT looks to be just a red and blue multi. :B kinda like my DTHM, Twitch!
your boy certainly is beautiful. :B

 

[MrVampire181]

Wild is not very flashy because it would make them easy targets. Your boy is a blue/red multi color.

 

[MachinaSoul]

Thank you for clearing the color up for me. I should have put more ? after the color assumption.

Thank you for commenting. I'll tell him people think he's pretty.

Just got back, he's still kicking, so seems like a good idea to run out and get that upgrade now.

Here are better, bigger shots...

It is difficult to tell at times, but he seems to have Green/Turquoise, speckled in there, closer to before the tails start.

I think I'm gonna call him, Roy. Roy G. Biv, but not too sold with it yet.

 

[Bombalurina]

I hate those bowls so much. He's going to love his upgrade.

Just for the future - don't use bottled water for water changes. Tap water with water conditioner (when you run out of Aqueon, get Prime) is the best thing to use.

 

[Luimeril]

:B yep. blue and red multi, just like Twitch! only, Twitch is more... purple. :V

 

[MachinaSoul]

I hate those bowls so much. He's going to love his upgrade.

Yeah, when I realized how small it was, it bothered me. However, I figure it isn't terrible if I find I need to, for any reason, clean the 10 gallon entirely out, and have a temporary spot for him.

Needless to say I got my 10 Gallon tonight. Also 10lbs of petco's white sand, a properly sized tank filtration unit, heater, and thermometer.

I checked his current water temp in the small bowl, and he's good for now.

Just for the future - don't use bottled water for water changes. Tap water with water conditioner (when you run out of Aqueon, get Prime) is the best thing to use.

I'm using bottled because I do not have city tap water, and it is not Distilled or RO water (Poland Spring). My house water is well water, and very hard because of that fact. There is however, a natural fresh water spring at the park by me within 5 minutes drive, unfiltered underground spring. I just would like to test that water fully before I even consider using it purely. Otherwise, I have to head to a friend's house and fill up jugs with their tap water... which seems a little odd to do.


I'd like to move him tonight, but I will need to hit the park up tomorrow to fill some jugs at the spring, and am waiting on two decor to arrive in the mail between this week and next. I bought 3 Gallons of Poland, so I think maybe mix it with the water from the park's spring, not sure yet.


Came back on here to go over the tank prep thread again.


Not ideal, but he'll be waiting in the small bowl a little longer.

 

[Bombalurina]

How hard is very hard? Bettas are pretty good at adjusting...

 

[Luimeril]

i'm on well water, and my bettas do just fine in it. :B worst that'll happen is, his fins may curl a bit. nothing too bad. they usually adjust pretty well to it.

 

[MachinaSoul]

I would need a water test kit to tell you spot on. However, I know our house system uses salt softening, but particular family members complain about the salt prices, in a system dating back to the 60's most likely. We had a well pump failure a year or two ago. For a while it poured out black. We don't drink it, -ever, neither before nor after the pump fail. I don't want to try my luck with it. White clothes tint rust brown. If the systems were clearly maintained in this house, the water should be on par with city tap, but because it is not, it is just a bad idea to me.

Regarding the statement of being good at adjusting, he seems to be fine with Poland Spring that I used to change his water the last time, as I didn't notice any problems with him adapting to it. He's been just as active, so I'm assuming (dangerous, I know), that the Poland Spring will be fine, at least for the time being.

I could mix the 3 Gallons of Poland Spring and my house water, but without water testing materials, sounds far riskier than just the Poland Spring.

The park spring water is clear, and I can taste the difference between it and bottled to know it has more minerals. I just don't know the levels, nor if they will change over time to trust it as a stable and reliable source.

 

[Olympia]

Is it just me or does he look like he could be a dragon scale in that second last photo? :3

 

[MachinaSoul]

Is it just me or does he look like he could be a dragon scale in that second last photo? :3

I accidentally took this one picture with flash

Another on the first day in the bowl, bright outside.

If either of these will help you figure that out.

His scales are blue/turquoise, with red gap between them.

 

[MrVampire181]

Nope not dragon.

 

[MachinaSoul]

Nope not dragon.

I didn't think so either.



Update!


Just bubbles?

:shock:

 

[Olympia]

Yea, He's not, just the lighting in that one picture threw me off.
Bubblenest! It's where he'd put his babies if he bred.

 

[MachinaSoul]

Bubblenest! It's where he'd put his babies if he bred.

I thought that was what it was. As long as changing the tank water won't make him too upset to not have those there. Day three and he's already bubbling his bowl... I tell ya.


The 10 Gallon is filled and about 23 hours to go until it should be ready. I used 2 1 gallon jugs of house water, because it didn't look too terrible at first (I was hoping I lucked out and some bought salt), which I feel I will regret. In fact, it left rust lines on the sides of the bowl. Used jugs of Poland the rest of the way though.

I'll see how well the filter takes care of it before I decide if I'm going to pull out water and replace with better to offset the house water.

 

[Olympia]

My boy gave up on his bubble nests cause I always ruined them from cleaning. xD I felt so bad..

 

[MachinaSoul]

My boy gave up on his bubble nests cause I always ruined them from cleaning. xD I felt so bad..

Yeah, I'm not sure if Roy will give up or not. That is kinda funny that he gave up though.



I've had the 10 gallon running for two days as of now. The water was looking good, and the two decorations I ordered came in, so it is all together.

However, this tank is looking too bland with the white sand, mud hut, and anemone decor. Gotta get some black gravel now and I'm thinking a moss, but I just don't know where from just yet.

Roy has been too busy floating to really enjoy the hut and anemone.

He is going to get a buddy eventually. I'll have to read around a bit and see what, aside from something that will clean the tank, I'd like to have keep him company.