#betta updates

[korbexo]

This presents a problem however, as now I want to stop doing homework and immediately set up the tank...But it's 1:30 in the morning, and I have to get up early to shovel, and I still have 30 pages to read and summarize...Fuck.  Also I don't have a proper heater here so if I set up the tank TOO soon, I'll want to immediately put a fish in it, and then I'll end up buying another heater, even though I don't really need one, because I don't NEED a fish at this very moment.  Ugh. I think I'll get the ghost shrimp first too, so it will be their home and the betta will be introduced into it, and maybe that will lessen the possibility of carnage...>.>

[korbexo]

I've been really down lately and there's a lot of reasons why but I also remembered, I'm still fishless.  I am lacking fish friends.  I don't remember if I ever even posted about it because I was on hiatus (and should be again honestly) but Ril, my last betta, died when I brought him home over winter break.  Pretty sure it was the water at my house that did it (it's treated with water softener. I had tested it before, diluting it with water from school and both Ril and Arejay were fine with it, but this time around I guess my Dad had recently added new salt to the system, which I was unaware of, which I think did Ril in. :( )  So yeah, for the first time in almost four years I have no bettas, and haven't for almost two months now.  The 10 gallon is just sitting here, half full of old water, decor strewn about.  I think Friday I'm going to set it back up.  The live plants are at home in a heated 5 gallon, so I'll bring them back the next time I make the trip.  I'm just going to get one betta, maybe some ghost shrimp, but maybe not.  But yeah, one betta to keep me company when I'm feeling down.  Something to care for and to nurture.  An reason to get up when I feel like lying in bed all day.  Maybe I'll move on to two after some time...Yeah, I think it will be good. 

[korbexo]

Okay so I'm still on hiatus but I came back to put more stuff in my queue to keep it running for a while longer.

Anyway, I never posted about it due to my hiatus but while I was away on a long weekend Ril broke through the divider of the 10 gallon and battled with Arejay.  (If this sounds familiar, that's because he did the same thing AN EXACT YEAR ago from this incident, but Nen was his neighbor/victim that time.)  Anyway, Arejay had been fighting with hole in head disease that wouldn't respond to treatment and had tattered fins before the attack because of his biting.  He unfortunately only lasted a few weeks before I had to put him down. (No fin regrowth, stopped eating, eventually started to show signs of dropsy and definite suffering.)  I buried him in a potted plant like I did with Nen as a memorial.

So now, Ril lives alone in the 10 gallon tank.  I actually think he's sad about it.  Arejay fought back (unlike Nen) so Ril received some fin damage.  His tail which was half missing when I first bought him (which grew out all of the way!) was back to being almost half gone.  His anal fin had some damage too and a little bit of his dorsal was gone.  He's healing fine but has been really inactive since I removed Arejay from the tank.  I think he's depressed!  He comes to see me when I check on him and when I feed him and he's energetic enough to jump at my fingers and nip up the food really quick, but when I look at the tank from across the room he's always just sitting around.  He used to swim around and flare and was really active...

I think after winter break I'm going to look into doing a really SOLID divider (actually using aquarium silicone to attach them, double layers, etc) and getting him a new neighbor.  We'll have to see how things go however.  I was battling some depression this semester that made it hard for me to care for my babies as diligently as I normally do.  If that is going to happen again I need to stick to Ril alone so it's easier to care for him.

[korbexo]

I sen an email and opened up a case with Hagen to hopefully get a new motor for free for the Aquaclear 20 filter I bought...It was supposed to be silent, or at least run super quietly, but the one I bought a month ago was super loud.  I kept it for awhile because people said they often quiet as a slime coat builds up but NOPE.  Swapped it out for a new one at Petco, brought that one home and it wouldn't even turn on. -_-  BACK TO PETCO, swapped for the last one at the store.  Works, but SUPER LOUD once again. 

Only problem is I dunno wtf I did with the receipt but I think it might have gone into the trash. x:  I'll be searching for it tomorrow.

Discovered that Hagen's US factory/distribution center is literally one town over from where I live though...Figure I MIGHT be able to avoid shipping costs if I can just pick shit up there. (Might not be allowed but I will find out.)

BUT OMFG this filter, the first one I could at least sleep with running but I swear this one is louder, I'm gonna have to unplug it to be able to sleep tonight. >:C

[korbexo]

For a betta fish with a huge tumor, Nen is really doing fantastic.  He is showing 0 signs of being unwell (you know...aside from the huge tumor protruding from his side).  He eats fine, is active, can swim fine.  Heck, he just LEAPED out of the water and was swimming around and flaring at my finger.  He makes me so happy, I'll be devastated when his time is up. :c

[korbexo]

We're getting a fancy water system put in and basically the water that comes from the tap will no longer be safe for my bettas.  BUT they're putting in a faucet in the basement where I can get the water before it's been put through the system.  SO HAHHAHAH It will be cold, I'll have to lug it up two flights of stairs, you know like, all 7 gallons of it, AND THEN, I'll have to sit the jugs into a full tub of hot water to warm it up enough to put in the tanks which will probably take hours and will be seriously inconsistent. Once every fucking two weeks. Fuck oofffffffffff.

[korbexo]

I'M ABOUT TO LAY DOWN THE BIGGEST RANT ABOUT PROPER BETTA CARE TO A PERSON ON FB THAT I HAVE ONLY MET LIKE, ONCE, BUT SHE WANTS TO PUT THEM INTO CENTERPIECES AND GIVE THEM AWAY AS GIFTS, AND SOMEONE WAS LIKE, NO DON'T THEY ARE PETS NOT DECOR, AND SHE SAID ""it's a betta fish not a fucking cat" and "they cost 3 dollars each it's not a big deal" and "they are the most low maintenance fish (next to gold fish)"

AND THE RAGE I FELT.

I WAS SHAKING

NOW I FINISHED MY LIKE, 1000 WORD RANT AND AM ABOUT TO POST IT, I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED BUT I FEEL THIS WILL END IN A MUTUAL "UNFRIENDING"

LIKE OMFG LOW MAINTENANCE, NEXT TO GOLDFISH?!?!?! BOTH SPECIES REQUIRE SO MUCH CARE OOOOMMFFGGG I HATE FISH MISINFORMATION.

[korbexo]

I THINK ugh idk, I'm all conflicted about WHO I want to put in the 5 gallon when I move back home. I'm moving the tank to right behind my bed because where my tanks normally are at home, I feel like they're really far away.  So it's gonna be right by me super close.  I was gonna leave Ril in there like he is at school, because he IS SO FUCKING AGGRESSIVE, and you know he broke through the divider and attacked Nen in November when he was in the 10 gal... BUT, Nen is my favorite to watch swim.  Like I LOVE watching Ril swim too, but his fins are matte, like no shine at all.  It's GORGEOUS, he looks like liquid flower petals and the contrast with his iridescent body is OH MAN SO GOOD,  but Nen's iridescence ALL OVER his fins n everything just makes him look like liquid magic idk oh man.  And also with his tumor so big and growing, I'm afraid I won't have much time with him (0 negative side effects from the tumor so far though thank goodness), so I want to keep him close because aside from Chaos I feel like I have had/have the strongest bond with him and I want to make it last... I have have a double divider in the 10 gallon now and I feel like it's MUCH safer, but I still dunno if I want to risk Ril breaking through and attacking Arejay.  Guy has enough fin problems from HIS OWN BITES. -_- What do you guys think??  Any opinions?  You don't have to be a fish person to give an opinion btw haha.