Bett'adventures

Newbie fish owner, follow my adventures and meet my betta, Rasho. This is a side blog, I follow from my main (aka-strangeowl) !

[bettaadventures]

It's been a while!

Finally caught a (bad quality, sorry) shot of Rasho when deployed (actually trying to get his reflection on the back of the tank to back off, it seems. That not gonna happen my dear...)

I struggled with him having fin rot for a while, he is still not out of the woods but he got much better (increasing the temperature didn't work, but lowering it did!). His fin grew back a bit and I'm trying to keep up with the water changes to get him to continue getting better.

(ps- the tank has had a sponge filter for a few months now!)

[bettaadventures]

I’m sooooo annoyed. I was just looking at the fish (can dream but I have no room / money for more than my betta atm) this morning at the petstore, and there’s this family with a kid probably no more than 4 y.o that comes in with a fishbowl and shit in their cart, and they ask the seller for a goldfish. Obv it was for the kid, the kid had no idea a fish was a reponsibility as any other pet and the parents probably don’t know / want to know better (tho they seemed to have a dog because they were also buying dog stuff). It was very obvious they had nothing prepared beforehand and the seller asked absolutely 0 questions and gave them 0 advice about how to do shit, he only told them that there was purified water available at the store (yeah, I saw & heard their interaction from beginning to end).

I was preeetty mad and yet as a mere bystander I can’t really tell them anything. Especially as I quickly become not very nice when I’m angry at such situations involving people that I don’t know and won’t see again, so I don’t really feel able / up to just casually go to them and go nicely like hey y’know goldfish won’t feel really well in such an environment. And it’s not my job. So... he was probably just doing his job, maybe it was asked from him that he acts that way, idk, but thumbs down to the employee for this “Okay I’m packing ur fish, no questions asked” thing... It’s not setting a good example.

[iantojonesthebetta]

That look, though. <3

[bettaadventures]

Okay, I think Rasho is fin biting… His fin is getting more and more damaged by the day, I checked all water paramaters (with accurate JBL tests), they’re perfect. no ammonia (nh4), no nitrites (No2), no nitrates (No3). Ph around 7. Tank doesn’t smell nor anything. A bit of algae but nothing too dire. There’s also IAL in it.

His behavior is his usual, fierce self, but he still looks stressed. He has no other symptoms, no blood, no abnormal white areas so it doesn’t look like Fin rot (plus for it to be progressing so rapidly that’d be a pretty severe case, I’d think he’d behave differently).

I’m thinking of removing the dark background poster because when he’s flaring, it’s there. it probably makes it easier to see his reflection and stress him. Do you think that’d be a good idea?

(also disclaimer, please stop telling me to put a filter. The help and advice is greatly appreciated and I thank y'all for it, but I more or less know what I am doing on that “low tech” part of the things. I know people who obtained a balance going low tech in even smaller volumes, and various experienced aquarists and betta forums were pretty much saying it was alright. I’ve done research on that method, I didn’t start it as a lazy way out of things. So what I’m doing might be unconventional but not downright absurd and as my parameters are staying good now while I’m feeding the fish normally etc, I believe the tank stabilized. )

[candoia-aspera]

You really don’t know what you’re doing at all if you’re seriously trying to run a nano aquarium containing fish with no filter. People on the internet saying they’ve done it doesn’t make it right - people on the internet also keep arowanas in tiny tanks and bettas in sororities, that doesn’t make either of those things good for the fish or safe.

We don’t put filters in just because. They’re a necessary part of any tank containing an aquatic animal. Not only do they provide vital surface agitation necessary to keep O2 levels high, they provide a safe area for bacteria to colonise.

Every time you do anything to a tank, whether it be a water change or adding salt or medication, some of the bacteria die. That’s just how it is. If you have a filter, this doesn’t cause much of a problem because you’ve essentially got a backup of healthy bacteria so unless you screw up big time, you have a permanent cycle.

What you have is a looming disaster. There is not enough surface area in a tank of that size, even with all the plants etc, for the bacteria to colonise to that degree. When you interfere in the tank even to do basic maintenance, you risk destroying the cycle and killing your fish and snails.

So yeah, it is absurd because you’re risking your pet’s lives for literally no reason.

Also he’s fin biting because he has heavy finnage that’s slowing him down and he hates it. Bettas do that.

[hermaea-mora]

What’s sad is that @ddwfr and I also highly advised against a no filter tank. Please listen to us as a community. We’re not trying to harm your fish, we’re trying to give you the best advice possible. Especially ddw, he’s been in the community for years, he’s not exactly out to get you.

To add to what candoia said (big props to them for pretty much summarising the problem for me), bettas fin bite when they’re stressed as well.

If your Betta’s taking out mouth size chunks and they’re regrowing in a day or two, then that’s ok, all bettas do it as they said, but if your boy’s nibbling down to the base of his fins? You have a problem with not only stress but severe water parameter changes. Yes the bottled water is good, but you’re resetting the nitrogen cycle almost every time in your current state. It’s like replacing your filter media once a day. Constant water changes won’t let him adjust to an environment, and as you’ve moved him once or twice, he’ll keep biting until it gets infected. You’ll need to medicate if he does, and a filter is pretty much required if he does get to that stage. Hell its even required currently.

Don’t bother with low tech aquariums. Nano aquariums are as low tech as you can make them (Heater filter light), you don’t need to take out a vital part of keeping a tank happy and healthy. I would never take out the Fluval U4 from my 40g, even if I wanted to cut costs and sound. They cost next to nothing, and specialist filters exist to allow low current flow for bettas. Or just modify an existing one.

Please don’t make your poor fish suffer, he’s 100% dependant on you to make the right choices for his wellbeing.

[ddwfr]

OP, I am sure you love your fish and want to do the best by him. This is not the right thing to do. Please listen to us. I found your other post because every day I go through the aquablr, fishblr and bettablr tags looking for people who need help. I didn’t have anyone to turn to when I started, so I try to help people who are in the same position I was and need help. I am not trying to boss you around or anything – none of us are. We’re trying to help.

Maybe you do know what you’re doing, but still, why risk it? A simple sponge filter costs next to nothing, is easy to set up and the flow can be adjusted so not to overwhelm your betta. Please get one, please get a filter of any kind. Do you really want to unnecessarily stress your lovely boy? Do you really want to look back on this when he’s stressed, sick, bitten to shreds or dead and realise you made a terrible mistake?

I’ve made a mistake and lost a fish and there is nothing worse than the guilt you feel upon realising it’s your fault a living creature suffered and died. You have the chance here to rectify your mistake before it’s too late. Please take it.

[bettaadventures]

I'll think about the filter, but I'd just like to say that it's people who are not especially less experienced than tumblr persons who told me the Low Tech (if done w/ a bit of research) wasn't bad, while others there also thought that it shouldn't be done (and the people advising me there also knew the size of my tank and all) . It was also a specialists community where people are pretty much perfectionists and as attached as you to the fish's well-being. So I essentially feel like it's not THAT impossible, just a matter of habits etc, essentially an ongoing "debate" . (many people there had different methods in various aspects of fishkeeping, often didn't agree, but like none of the practices debated were "worse" than the other. So I came to understand that different things might work.)

Like w/ the low tech you do the water changes without cleaning the sand too much and you also need to put more substrate than in "classic" tanks for it to work better for the bacteria.

So imma think about the sponge filter, mainly because I'm ending up thinking Rasho might be bored from the lack of movement in his tank instead. For now though I think it's just the changes that occured that he didn't like. His fin is pretty damaged but it's stopped progressing now since a good two days, and he did not bite it to the base or stuff like that, he wiggles and swim normally. I'm still checking the parameters carefully and they are still excellent (0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, ph 7, and the water is not hard) + still IAL in there for the tannins.

Also adding a filter now means that the tank will likely cycle again with nitrites (No2) peaking and I don't really have a tank to safely put Rasho in during that time. obviously the time I had to quarantaine him because of the No2 peaking did the most harm to him (I had him for some time before that and fin biting hadn't occured). Which means I'd probably have to use some bacteria to "activate" the filter faster, and I have read that many people doubt the effectiveness of these and also that these bacteria can completely throw the tank off balance, cause a bloom, etc. That's also why I'm worried that changing stuff again might do more harm than good. (the only other tank in my house isn't heated, is also Low tech, much smaller and has shrimps that I think might have some fungi or parasite so essentially i wouldn't want to send Rasho in vacation there. Plus the shrimp are not mine and he might hunt them down, especially as there are very young ones :') )

Lastly I hope I do not come across as blunt or stuff like that, it ain't my intention at all. I appreciate the care, concern and advices in this community, which is really lovely, and one of the bests I've seen yet on tumblr. I've just seen too much "pro vs con" debates about the low tech "matter" (also read about the walstad method) to be able to believe its a complete disaster with absolutely no good sides :/

[bettaadventures]

Okay, I think Rasho is fin biting... His fin is getting more and more damaged by the day, I checked all water paramaters (with accurate JBL tests), they're perfect. no ammonia (nh4), no nitrites (No2), no nitrates (No3). Ph around 7. Tank doesn't smell nor anything. A bit of algae but nothing too dire. There's also IAL in it.

His behavior is his usual, fierce self, but he still looks stressed. He has no other symptoms, no blood, no abnormal white areas so it doesn't look like Fin rot (plus for it to be progressing so rapidly that'd be a pretty severe case, I'd think he'd behave differently).

I'm thinking of removing the dark background poster because when he's flaring, it's there. it probably makes it easier to see his reflection and stress him. Do you think that'd be a good idea?

(also disclaimer, please stop telling me to put a filter. The help and advice is greatly appreciated and I thank y'all for it, but I more or less know what I am doing on that "low tech" part of the things. I know people who obtained a balance going low tech in even smaller volumes, and various experienced aquarists and betta forums were pretty much saying it was alright. I've done research on that method, I didn't start it as a lazy way out of things. So what I'm doing might be unconventional but not downright absurd and as my parameters are staying good now while I'm feeding the fish normally etc, I believe the tank stabilized. )

[bettaadventures]

Uuh. I don't know how exactly it happened, but Rasho seemed to have torn small tears on his fins. It doesn't look like Fin rot. Given he is pretty stressed in his small tank while I'm waiting for the nitrites to go down in his main tank, it might be because of that, I'd guess either fin biting or he somehow damaged them while swimming everywhere. I change his temporary water everyday with water at the right temperature. Just to be safe (and because I've also had doubts about his gills for some time) I've put him on esha2000, a large spectrum medicine. I hope that it'll avoid fin rot to settle on the small damaged areas, and heal any underlying issue that he might have had since I bought him two weeks ago, and might have not noticed.

My nitrites look like they started to lower so I hope I'll be able to put him back in his tank in a few days. He'll be so happy.

[bettaadventures]

Ugh. Nitrites are peaking in my low tech tank. It's still going back up very quickly even with water changes so I moved Rasho to a small tank that I let "float" in the big tank to keep the temperature alright, and I'm gonna change this temporary water every day, hoping the nitrites are gonna drop fast in his tank. The actual setup is obviously stressing him (it's not big and he sees his reflection so I tried to dim the lighting) and I hate having to put him through this.

[magnusglows]

Our new betta Inigo likes to display himself like this. We’re not sure why?

Is he sleeping? Do bettas sleep like this? Or is he just having fun? Our last betta (RIP Cam) slept in his little house or on the betta leaf. Anyone know what our little guy’s doing?

[gattsuboo]

Honestly, I think he’s just spacing out and going Vertical lol! I’ve seen a lot of bettas, including my own, do this. Usually nestled in between plants.

[bigboybluebetta]

Moved Usnavi to the 20 long. She’s so photogenic. 😍📸🌊💞🌱

[bettas-and-other-oddities]

“Bettas live in puddles…”

“Well actually bettas live in dirty puddles so even though the water in my .25gal (.9L) is brown and smells like its rotting, its tottally okay to keep my betta in there!”

“All that room for one fish? Bettas live in puddles so no I don’t need that big of a tank”

“Bettas live in puddles their whole lives so its okay to permanently house them in the cup they’re sold in”

No. No. No. No. No.

Bettas live in rice paddy’s. Hundreds upon hundreds of acres of three feet deep water surrounded by roots and leaves and plenty of hunting grounds.

Domestic bettas are bred in large glass jars sometimes. It doesn’t mean you can keep them in the glass jar.

Sure, I can fit in the under the stairs closet and live my whole life there. Oh wait. I’d be miserable. I don’t understand people who take an animal who is completely reliant on you as its soul source of living, and just throw them in a cute little wine glass and ask me why tf their betta isn’t eating/swimming/ living, and then tell me I’m wrong when I say they need at least 5 gals and lots of hiding spots because “they live in puddles”

[kateofthesnow]

S’more enjoying his new room :)

[bettaadventures]

Fiery Boi and zoomies.

I told y'all that Rasho was fast!

He was recently introduced so it might be some stress, I hope the plants will grow a bit so that he gets even more plant coverage soon!

[call-me-emrys]

Y’all ready for my current boys

First up: Eggs Benedict!!

He’s a narcissist.

But majestic.

Next up: Centauri!!

He is literally impossible to photograph; all my fish like to nyoom, but Centauri does it like it’s going out of style. This is the only photo I have of him post-color change that’s not a blurred mess.

Third: Apollo!!

Also impossible to photo, but because he likes to stuff himself in the back the moment he sees I have no food for him. He’s a spoiled brat.

I call this “Talk to the tail >:c”. What a pretty jackass.

AND NOW!!!! The ROCKING NEWCOMER!!!! AN ABSOLUTE UNIT!!!!!!

ORION!!

This Giant Betta is even larger than the one I have in my 29g community. Atlas is working out really well there, so Orion’s going in a spare 10g once it’s finished cycling (for now, he’s chilling in a split 10g). This is the first Giant I’ve found at my LFS, and I was so excited to get him and introduce y’all to him. I love him.

This absolute unit. A pensive boy, you ask????? Perhaps.

Or perhaps not.

[bettaadventures]

Cashier at the pet store : "would you like to round it up 15cts to give to animal protection groups?"

Well if I can't give 15cts I probably shouldn't be keeping any pet and how exactly do you expect I can say no to that anyway!!!! Take my coffee money!!!

[bettaadventures]

Okay.

I know I said I’d wait until after my finals to try again but there was a local sell with everything I needed to add so I got the new plants.

And this magnificent betta. He is named Rasho. Pet stores around here wouldn’t dream of showing such beautiful specimens so I totally fell for him. He is happy without a filter to bother him and do vibrations, and the suffering is on me, testing my water paramaters (nitrites and all) very very often to make sure things are good and stay good.

Rasho is very very active, he pretty much attacks any snail he sees but doesn’t seem to be aggressive towards his reflection in the tank to that’s nice. He’s also very fast, so a pain to take pictures off. He was attacking the freaking water droplets falling in his bag during the introduction. Amazing, fiery creature.

Now hoping that we’ll share adventures for a decent amount of time!

(I have spare containers, water conditioners and such so if anything goes wrong I’d be able to respond so please don’t worry about that.)

[bettaadventures]

Update : I think he really kills the snails, he doesn’t only boop them. I confirmed one dead and I don’t see the others roaming anymore. Either they learn to hide themselves or Rasho is really a very territorial savage fish and I love him already.

[bettaadventures]

Okay.

I know I said I'd wait until after my finals to try again but there was a local sell with everything I needed to add so I got the new plants.

And this magnificent betta. He is named Rasho. Pet stores around here wouldn't dream of showing such beautiful specimens so I totally fell for him. He is happy without a filter to bother him and do vibrations, and the suffering is on me, testing my water paramaters (nitrites and all) very very often to make sure things are good and stay good.

Rasho is very very active, he pretty much attacks any snail he sees but doesn't seem to be aggressive towards his reflection in the tank to that's nice. He's also very fast, so a pain to take pictures off. He was attacking the freaking water droplets falling in his bag during the introduction. Amazing, fiery creature.

Now hoping that we'll share adventures for a decent amount of time!

(I have spare containers, water conditioners and such so if anything goes wrong I'd be able to respond so please don't worry about that.)

[slimeysnailfriends]

i’m a serious snail owner