Post by songcloud on Jul 13, 2005 4:07:26 GMT -5
Hey All!
I've just picked up a male Betta from a wedding that I recently attended. The bride and groom decided to use the little guys as centerpieces on the tables at the reception Being the animal lover that I am, I made sure that the people who took them home were willing to care for them. Most of them thought I was nuts, grilling them like a crazed cop about if they were sure that they wanted the responsibility of caring for a pet. LOL!! But anyways, now I have a lovely bi-colored one, mostly bright blue with some red mixed in. We've named him Blue and he is already reacting to us! ;D
Anyways, I went down to the LPS last week and bought a 10G tank with a Marineland Penguin 100 Power filter, which is says is good for up to 15G. I have gravel at the bottom with 3 medium sized plastic plants. I was going to use real ones, but they seemed like such a headache! I let the water sit for 3 days with everything running. The therm. I bought (one that hangs over the side) read that the water temp was at 75-78 depending on the time of day, so I didn't bother with the heater. I acclimated Blue by putting him in a baggie (opened, of course, so he can breathe), and floating him in the water for about 45 minutes, to make sure it was the same temp, them I slowly mixed his water with the tank water over the course of about and hour or so, and finally I released him into the tank.
Now here's where things start to get funky, he kept sitting right under where the power filter outlet was, and was flaring a lot, although sometimes he would do the full flare, fins and all, and other times it would just be his gills. He seemed like if he moved to other areas, he was getting pushed by the current, but if he went into the corner away from the power filter, he would be ok, but he never seemed to want to stay over there. I thought he might prefer the other corner, so I moved the filter and heater to the other side, and he moved along with it. I left the filter unplugged, so the water current would not be an issue and went to dinner, when I came back, he was sitting down in a corner with his fins clumped and looked kinda, well, depressed. I took him out and put him back into his old ¼G bowl he came in from the wedding, which I filled with water from the tank, and he seems to be doing fine now. So was he just excited at having so large a space, or was the current to strong for him, or did he somehow see his reflection in the new glass sides and over stress himself?? If anyone can help, let me know?!?! I want to give him a larger area, 'cause he looks so confined in that small bowl, but I don't want to do anything that might harm him. Let me know what you all use for water current shielding, I'd like to use plants (fake or real if nothing else) more than dividers, but whatever will work.
Sorry for the long post, I just want to provide all the details up front!
~SongCloud~
I've just picked up a male Betta from a wedding that I recently attended. The bride and groom decided to use the little guys as centerpieces on the tables at the reception Being the animal lover that I am, I made sure that the people who took them home were willing to care for them. Most of them thought I was nuts, grilling them like a crazed cop about if they were sure that they wanted the responsibility of caring for a pet. LOL!! But anyways, now I have a lovely bi-colored one, mostly bright blue with some red mixed in. We've named him Blue and he is already reacting to us! ;D
Anyways, I went down to the LPS last week and bought a 10G tank with a Marineland Penguin 100 Power filter, which is says is good for up to 15G. I have gravel at the bottom with 3 medium sized plastic plants. I was going to use real ones, but they seemed like such a headache! I let the water sit for 3 days with everything running. The therm. I bought (one that hangs over the side) read that the water temp was at 75-78 depending on the time of day, so I didn't bother with the heater. I acclimated Blue by putting him in a baggie (opened, of course, so he can breathe), and floating him in the water for about 45 minutes, to make sure it was the same temp, them I slowly mixed his water with the tank water over the course of about and hour or so, and finally I released him into the tank.
Now here's where things start to get funky, he kept sitting right under where the power filter outlet was, and was flaring a lot, although sometimes he would do the full flare, fins and all, and other times it would just be his gills. He seemed like if he moved to other areas, he was getting pushed by the current, but if he went into the corner away from the power filter, he would be ok, but he never seemed to want to stay over there. I thought he might prefer the other corner, so I moved the filter and heater to the other side, and he moved along with it. I left the filter unplugged, so the water current would not be an issue and went to dinner, when I came back, he was sitting down in a corner with his fins clumped and looked kinda, well, depressed. I took him out and put him back into his old ¼G bowl he came in from the wedding, which I filled with water from the tank, and he seems to be doing fine now. So was he just excited at having so large a space, or was the current to strong for him, or did he somehow see his reflection in the new glass sides and over stress himself?? If anyone can help, let me know?!?! I want to give him a larger area, 'cause he looks so confined in that small bowl, but I don't want to do anything that might harm him. Let me know what you all use for water current shielding, I'd like to use plants (fake or real if nothing else) more than dividers, but whatever will work.
Sorry for the long post, I just want to provide all the details up front!
~SongCloud~
my 1st betta is named bleu and after seeing some in comunity tanks i bought him nd put him in my large 85 G tank,,, thinking is was good... anyways... he too would go to a spacific corner and stay there.... where there is no current and nuthing to bother him.... its just too big for him i guess... maybe its the same with urs? i out him in a small glass bowl about 1/2 G and he was as happy as ever! bubble nest the same night!... but after all they need bigger than 1/2G i later got him in a 1 1/2 G critter keeper and with a skull and plant and hes happy.... some like small cozy homes some like castles
