xXInkedPhoenixX

Hi @Amberss, welcome to the forum, sorry you're having trouble with your Betta, it's not uncommon unfortunately for these very long finned beauties to have issues- despite info out there they are NOT easy fish to keep. First, if I were in your shoes I might do a water change, your parameters are good but you never know- good clean exchanged water is always helpful- and I would personally change some water every couple of days until he is better.. Then I would treat my tank with Aquarium Salt. If you can get a hold of any Indian Almond Leaf I would get some and brew a "tea" with it (I boil mine in water, let cool, then treat with dechlorinator/conditoner, but putting a leaf in the tank is totally fine too) If the Maracyn doesn't seem to be helping (you didn't indicate how long you've been treating with it) I would try a different med- Maracyn 2 OR my personal preference is Seachem's Kanaplex. I would check your fish for tears in his fins- and your tank for places where he could rip or hurt them- remove any sharp edges from his tank- an injury to a fin can start a long domino effect of injury, rot and illness. Bacteria tends to grow in warmer environments- but our Betta REQUIRE warm environments to thrive and breath- so the Salt and Indian Almond Leaf (Catappa) will keep the bacteria at bay. I would check the temperature too- do you have a reliable way of doing this? I would also stop the Ich X

Happy 1 year! MORE OTOS! MORE OTOS! 😄

@Guppysnail you'll not regret it, the big one is used daily in my house, and the little one frequently since I still have my QTs running.

I'm with @Guppysnail and have one like yours BUT I loooveee this set I got, the tall one holds so much more and I don't get my hands wet, the smaller one I use for my QT tanks and shorter tank. It comes with 2 sets of tweezers but for 12 bucks it's a total bargain- and who doesn't love more tweezers? (The tweezer size is exaggerated in the pic, they are not as tall as the tallest baster/feeder, they are normal size)

You already have a great list, I might also include: magnetic glass cleaner coral feeder (longer baster handy for keepers that have taller tanks) Instant read thermometer Clear small pill cases/jars (for extra meds and you don't need to use the whole packet, or medicated foods you can keep in the freezer/fridge, or I actually use them to catch tiny fry- they've never not had a great use and they're cheap) Oh, also a shrimp net- great for fish like Cory and Otos that have barbels (less likely to get caught) but also easy to catch floating debris in!

The bowl looks amazing my friend!!

@Gannon I am not aware that using an inline dimmer would do any damage to the lights- and I've been using mine for over 2 years with zero issues. My inlines happened to be Nicrew branded -though they no longer sell it this is the Amazon link: NICREW Aquarium LED Light Inline Dimmer, Easy Plug Dimmer Switch for LED Strip https://a.co/d/9ereQfB This is the "alternative" Amazon has listed but it appears to be the exact same item- while everything pretty much is made in China- it is likely it's the exact same dimmer just without Nicrew badging: LED Light Inline Dimmer, Rotary Dimmer,Easy Plug Dimmer Switch for Dimmable Single Color LED Lights (Rotary Dimmer) https://a.co/d/3mWvxg9 There are also other listed possibilities on Amazon for dimming Aquarium lights specifically- even from Nicrew.

I'm not sure how this light is set up but have you tried instead using an inline dimmer switch? My lights are generic from Amazon, they were SUPER bright. I got a dial dimmer since my lights connect to the wall adapter and that has helped me greatly.

Welcome to the forum @JJenna! This is the perfect place to be. While you will get information about several different (and right) ways to do things this is a safe place to ask questions and get answers from many experienced fish keepers. I always tell people to take in the advice and do what you think works best in the set up/situation you have and often you cannot go wrong!

The theory here seems very sound- pun intended. Throughout life I've come across various scientific articles that advise noise which has vibration has been proven to have different effects- like symphonic music has a positive effect on plants where rock/metal music has the opposite- the plants clearly feeling vibration and responding to it. To me, this experiment makes nothing but sense.

Horror is a genre I can't really stand. It's not scary to me, and has zero effect. I usually just roll my eyes, lol. I do appreciate a good story and cinematography though, so movies like Black Coats Daughter or good old fashioned special effects (cgi is overdone IMO) that are camera tricks and makeup only like the original Japanese version of Ring (Ringu) or 13 Ghosts (2002) are entertaining. I also love a GOOD horror spoof- like Zombieland or Bubba Ho-tep

I mean....I would too if I were him....

Punk likes his jungle at the bottom of the tank. You know, most people get fish that stand out from their decor- in the Angry Man tank I'm going for full on camouflage....it's like a tiger in the tundra, only different... The predator patiently waits for prey....(flakes are flakey you have to sneak up on them) ....you can't see me human.... He does come out in the open eventually after nary a flake has made it out alive....the scary predator emerges from the forest.... ...into the open, fins in full open position ready to strike fear into the hearts of pellets everywhere! ...or we just go to the other side of our jungle and disappear....

To chime in about the "why isn't there a market for Bolivians?" Personally I think there are several factors. As you all know I'm a big fan, love their personalities and think my boy is beautiful- but they are NOT the most colorful of Rams- German Blues come to mind. People tend to like the flashier fish- when it comes to this category while we might disagree with them- Bolivans aren't there when compared to other species. @Guppysnail pricing is anywhere from 10-20- (I paid 10 for my "used" fish, lol) but consider these are Cichlids- most Cichlid keepers I know (even my Punk's former keeper) has a tank full of different, and mostly larger fish and aren't all that interested in keeping a bunch of Bolivians. (Punk's keeper only had him in among several larger Cichlids). These fish are teetering on the edge of community tank fish and Cichlid tank fish- which to me are significantly different things- So then there are people like me- my Bolivian is a centerpiece fish and in a 20 without knowing for sure what sex another Bolivian would be (ideally a girl for Punk) then adding another could be a gamble because most sites say if you keep them in groups 6-8 will do. So if you bred them- say you have 2 breeding pairs- and the spawns can be significant- lets say 100 babies (equals 200 with 2 breeding pairs). At most you can sell 8 to a person which I think would be a rareity- and I would venture to guess most people would only buy 1 maybe 4. Even if only half the spawn survives that is a whole lot of fish. So while I personally disagree there is no market for Bolivians- I think the volume they can have compared to the number most people would buy is a little off kilter.

Name announcement! Firstly thanks to all the forum members who gave me names- I really liked them all! The list was as follows: Lila Viola Grace Violet Pepper LIlac Hyacinth Zaggi Kerrigan Colette Orchid With 2 other name suggestions, mine was UV (Ultra Violet) and my lucky Betta namer came up with Derple. I didn't advise Mum where any name came from, gave her the list this morning and she narrowed it down to my name, Derple and Zaggi...she texted a few ago to advise the name! Purple's name is now Zaggi! Thanks to @Minanora for the suggestion!

Annnnnd here is this year's pumpkins.... AND HERE ARE THE ONES MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THE FORUM!

All my fish go into smaller QTs anyway so I put the fish and their water into it, then a cup or two of my own tank water, do this, depending on where I got the fish every 15 or 30 minutes until the QT is full- so they are fully acclimated to temp and water. Often when I buy from my LFS I ask for an extra bag of water. If I get it from a local fish keeper I usually bring a big enough container that has plenty of water. I've rarely ordered fish online but did notice when I got CPD from Aquahuna they recommend similar acclimation that I already did. There are some occasions that I defintely do plop and drop- like when I bring a Betta home in a dirty water cup.

Firstly thanks for all the name suggestions. Along with 2 other names I've gotten outside of the forum the list goes to Mum today and we'll see what she decides! Now on to the regularly scheduled program. Exciting stuff for the patients in the last few days, first our girl Purple has moved on to her new home. The heater I brought Mum did not work so she went out this weekend and got a new one- the tank is now 79 degrees from 72. This is not only a beneficial raise for Purple but will also benefit the African Dwarf Frog as well. We're going into Winter and my Mum's house is kept a whole lot cooler than mine and I wanted to make sure Purple is in proper temps. So she's good there- Mum reports she's doing well. THEN we're on to miss GloBetta. It was time for her move on Friday. A lot less prep had to go on for this. I grabbed a small floating breeder, caught miss GloBetta and put her there to acclimate to approaching tankmates. Almost immediately the breeder was approached by BFG the resident Nerite because there was a good amount of biofilm/algae on the breeder due to it having been in the Parent Tank. All of the Guppies and Endler boys greeted GloBetta- and as I suspected she was not at all aggressive inside the box. (Sorry for all the glare) So due to her very mellow behavior after about a half hour or so I decided to release her. Here is that video (Google, no commentary on it): https://photos.app.goo.gl/y9oTj38gpimzMoaJA Here is her wondering around her tank- the top 2 pics were the next day when the sun hits the tank, the bottom pics were right after her release the day before: Again, as I suspected by observing her behavior/personality in her QT she is absolutely PERFECT for the Flex9. She chased the Guppies and Endlers a few times, but after that she just kinda goes with the flow of the tank. She isn't harassed by the others (they're too occupied with their typical harassment circles) and does her own thing. She has flashes of that flourescent/neon yellow but for the most part she just looks like a brilliant yellow and red fish and goes really well with the tank- meaning she is just the right amount of bright the tank needs for a fish to stand out like the Guppies and Endlers. The Ember Tetras just do their thing and stay out of everyone's way. I'm really happy with how this plan for her came together So she has an official name now. Her name is Serket, after an Egyptian healing goddess (with the scorpion as her symbol so she's not one to mess with)- I liked it because it also sounds like Circuit- eluding to her high-tech genes and in hommage to my last GloBetta girl, Spark). So GloBetta, Serket's story ends here and she moves on to my other posts. Purple's will too when a name is announced. Last of the patients are White Twintail Halfmoon who is is in perfect health now and just awaits his fate so to speak. He and Red Crowntail got moved this weekend. Both went onto the desk where the girls used to be so I got my kitchen table back. Today when I get home Crowntail gets dose 3 of Expel-P as per @Odd Duck's treatment recommendation. He is off his medicated food. I do have some good news about Crowntail today. He still hangs out at the top of the tank and sometimes lists to the side, and is often found still along the sides however- he has been getting a LOT better about swimming away from it: 😁

That's awesome @DaveO! They are such great fish! Is that zucchini I see?

I found this incredible link/story today: https://stories.app.goo.gl/Grwm ....now it's only a matter of time....

It's how I prep my tank water

THE UPDATE PURPLE FANS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR (SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!) Well today was Purple's day to go! I packed up her care kit, put the poor little one for the LAST (*knock on wood*) time in one of those dreary cups (the one she came home with me in) and we started the 30 minute drive to her new home. As mentioned I had a pit stop I had to do before I got to Mum's house....it was cold today! in the lower 50s. Even for a 30 minute window I didn't feel safe leaving her in the car that while running was warm but could quickly cool off in the parking garage I had to go to. SO, this silly human once again takes fish in a cup to a public place... The lady in the office was amused by my partner, I had apologized for having not been able to leave my rescue fish in the car. This prompted a conversation later in the appointment "how does one rescue a fish"? Then we were off to Mum's again! When I got there Mum was nowhere around- this was fine because I had to prep, test and etc. So I got out the test strips and compared the water she was in with the water in the tank- besides higher nitrates in Mum's tank- just about identical. Checked the temp- very close- which wasn't great since the tank water was cooler than I'd like it to be. So I switched out the heater- no matter too- it will give it time to heat up and she wouldn't have temp shock. This is a look at Mum's Tank- sorry the light/glare and color isn't great as I'd pushed back the tank light and her kitchen is dark: Here are her new Guppy buddies- they are CONSTANTLY chasing each other per my Mum. These two were from a group of 5 my nephew used to have in his tank before he went all snail. there are also 2 remaining Neon Tetras from his tank that hide most of the time. Also 1 remaining African Dwarf Frog and a couple of Nerites and Bladder snails- Of all of the inhabitants I'm most concerned with the Guppies as they will be obnoxious little brothers in the tank: So after everything tested well I floated the big breeder box while Purple waited her turn: I put her in the breeder and let her float while I waited for mum. I saw the Guppies were a bit curious- she was a little less so: Then Mum came home and it was time to let her loose! Here is a short Google video of the event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/URnanB6zHAXf8wV2A (under a minute- sorry I did not bring my tripod and both my Mum and Dad were watching- I took the liberty of leaving our commentary out of it, lol) Here is the first thing she did in the tank (again sorry for the glare): https://photos.app.goo.gl/VyYpP9JPJVZaqJZR9 Now folks stay tuned for the final comment at the end but I'm going to post you the BEAUTY that is proper tank lighting, up until today this fish's true colors had not yet been seen behold Purple now: She's definitely tough- I thought her big personality might translate to being very, very bossy and I was right. I observed for a good hour with my Mum and while she is definitely curious, chases, and postures we think she'll settle down and be fine. The Guppies definitely come at her and she definitely gets back at them. I didn't see any true nipping or biting while I was there and the Guppies and Purple were able to easily get away from each other. The Neons pretty much stay out of the way but she went at them too (they scattered). She did go up to the frog but she quickly tired of it. My Mum will have some feeding growing pains as she won't be able to just leave food for the ADF anymore (as evidenced by her eating 3 or 4 bloodworm pieces while I was there and Mum was trying to feed the frog- I told her maybe don't feed the tank tomorrow). But here's where YOU come in dear reader... What's her name? Mum asked if I named her- I said I didn't because I thought I'd leave it up to her. Now I could just as easily name her but I said, Mum, the people on the forum really love Purple- how about I let everyone come up with ONE or TWO names each and she can pick from that list of names and I will let you all know what she decides? Can't guarantee she's going to stick with the program so I warn you now! But she thought it was a great idea and is willing to participate! So since you've all been a big part of Purple's recovery and journey help us now- give me a name, I'll make a list and let you all know! I'm looking forward to what y'all come up with!

Well admittedly I always keep a heater like that on hand. I built Mum's tank and it was a couple years ago so I thought it was time maybe to change the old one out since it was older than the tank. I'll be buying another one to keep as a backup. 🙂 I supply my Mum with most of the equipment she needs so it's not a care issue for her. I also test occassionally. But- it's been a great tank- hands off entirely just top offs frankly and she'll scoop out duckweed from time to time. Mum has actually had better luck with Betta fish than I have- hers always lived longer than mine. I explained to her again that her stomach is only as big as her eyeball and to be careful how much to feed her. She understands but there will be issues since her frog is a slow eater hahaha! I'm going to be totally honest. Dosing 1 to 3 gallon tanks is a total nightmare, yes I've dosed from dissolving in bigger containers- and this will make people like @Odd Duck cringe- but I will admit- I EYEBALL most of my medications. I look at the dosage per envelope or scoop etc and guesstimate the fractions. It seems to be working out for me (I've always been an uncanny eyeballer) but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. 😱

I sadly cannot say that I have so far, but that's what I'm aiming for- for as many of my fish as I can- exactly what you've experienced. I also don't mind the anthropomorphism- I don't think we as humans give animals enough credit- we think we're beyond animals but we are, in the end, just animals too. Who is to say what their life experience is? I will decline to assume they don't have the same experiences we do and the wonder of it is part of why having animals in our lives is not just heartbreaking sometimes- but also part of our own happiness.

Special update time. First the regular update: Water changes this evening. Again everyone doing about the same as last update. Red Crowntail still eating fine and even swimming normally for short periods of time (30 seconds or so), for the first time this morning saw him dip down a bit from the top to reach a bloodworm that slipped away from him. He still ends up on his side sometimes and remains mostly along the top sides of the tank. Here he was tonight after eating and a his water change: White Twintail Halfmoon also still very good. He'll be moving this weekend after the girls go to their new homes provided all goes well- which I don't anticipate going badly. Where he goes from here I'm still not sure yet, still pondering his future. Globetta will be released into the Flex9 in the next few days. She's ready to move on I think. Then we have a big day tomorrow for Purple Dumbo girl. Tonight I prepared her travel package. Her favorite foods, Daphnia, Ocean Nutrition Betta Pellets and a mix of Xtreme Kril and Fluval Tropical Flakes. I also packed for her a food ring (Mum's tank has a lot of Duckweed), a new heater if we need it for her tank (I'm bringing a thermo to check temp), my test strips so I can test the tank, some IAL and a small QT (has an airline and airstone attached), extra air pump and aquarium salt if in the next few days Mum has to remove her for any reason or she gets sick (or injured- this goes for her tankmates too). I'm also bringing an extra gallon of the IAL tank water I make. *Cat not included: I cleaned out her original cup- yes I know- boo- but it's the easiest and safest way for me to transport her tomorrow for the 30 minute drive (I have to make a brief pit-stop too) but she won't be in there for long! Purple is ready!