fishy-sons

[fishy-sons]

I think my very first baby is taking his last breaths.

I’ve known this day was coming for quite a while. I mean, I’ve had him for almost three years now, so he’s an old man. He’s grown less active and tends to stay in a few spots all the time. Now, he’s just laying on the sand breathing heavily.

Three years and I’m still unprepared. Losing him feels like losing a connection to who I was in the past as well as simply losing a beloved pet. He was always a constant through so much change and transformation in my life, but now he won’t be there. I know he’s “just a fish,” but he holds a special place in my heart (and always will).

It’s going to be weird not having that tank on my dresser anymore. I decided that I would not be getting any more fish after him because in about a year I’ll be heading to college. I hoped he would hold out until the end of my senior year so I could have my little friend all throughout high school, but I think he’s just tired.

It hurts, but I know he’ll be in a better place. He can finally get the rest he needs. It’s his time, and all I can do is make him comfortable. I hope somehow he knew how much I loved him.

To Neptune. I love you my grumpy boy.

2017-2020❤️

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boss told me it was "my turn" to name the bettas

this naturally was a huge mistake

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some portraits of His Illustriousness, Sir Lazarus Alistaire

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His colors have become so much more vibrant just in the one day I’ve had him!!

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More flowers for the pastel tank! It’s so fun to watch Skye explore 💖

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Fishkeeping Tip:

always keep at least 3 empty containers near your tank at all times. what will you need them for? i have no idea. but neither will you until you need them

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Some interesting fish names I spotted at the petstore

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friend of the day!

please making a welcome tiny orb smallfriend, crucifix toad

he tiny

he round

sometimes, he sad

sometimes worry

an Orb of Melancholy

he hide a lot

more hiding

but it’s ok!! he have friends!!!

they also very round

very bright

away he goe!

goodbye!!

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He is so baby

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y'all wanna see a photo of my shrimp I'm pretty sure I just caught speaking directly to god

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I haven’t shared any pics of Saffron for a while. He says hi! Isn’t he just the prettiest boy?!

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How I keep my parameters at 0

My tank is 2.5 gallons. It currently houses one betta and a bunch of red cherry(?) shrimp. While not horribly so, it might be regarded as overstocked. However, I have absolutely not problem keeping all parameters at 0PPM.

First, I’d like to say that bigger is better when it comes to tanks. An animal is spending its whole life in a box after all. However, I am going to college next year and got my fish planning to take him with me. I would never go any smaller than 2.5 gallons. Having studied betta stress signs for my research, I am confident in saying I believe he is living a very happy and healthy life. All the animals in the tank are active and show signs of being healthy. I feed my pets a mix of two high quality foods (omega one pellets and bug bites), and have vitamins I dose every week as well.

As for the nitrates, I have tons of plants that grow super fast due to a special light and a fertilizing schedule I created. This allows them to soak up nitrates very quickly. I also run two small sponge filters in the tank. I do 1 gallon water changes every week, but I can go much longer and still have 0s across the board. This tank has been set up for 8 months and never crashed once. Paired with the readings I’ve done and the citations I used for my dissertation, I wouldn’t call 2.5 gallons detrimental for a betta and a few shrimp

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My guppy has dropsy

I have no idea why but I can’t do anything about it tonight. I’m just hoping I’ll have the chance to go out and get clove oil tomorrow so I can euthanize him because it’s bad.

From what I can see, none of the other fish in the tank have it which is good

I’m just confused because my tank is in good condition. It’s cycled, all the parameters are fine. Idk what’s wrong

For now, it’s late and I can’t do anything, but as soon as I can tomorrow I’m going to do a couple of water changes just to make sure there’s no ammonia or nitrite spikes

:(

[fishy-sons]

Seeing moss in any context fills me with a deep, primal sense of love and contentment.

Love is stored in the moss…

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Let’s talk bettas!

Did you know that bettas need to be housed in at least a 2.5-5 gallon tank? Yep! Those bowls need to go! Did you know that bettas require heat in their water for sufficient living? Did you know that bettas require more then pellet food?

Let’s talk about this! I would like to start by talking about heat requirements. Bettas require at minimum a water temperature of 72-82 degrees. They originally come from Thailand where they live in swampy, marshy, pools of water. So heat makes sense!

Secondly, let’s discuss feeding! Commonly bettas are fed pellet their entire life, but let’s be honest. Boring and totally not healthy! Bettas require frozen bugs and other frozen things. Like blood worms and brineshrimp. Be sure to supply these 1-2 times weekly in place of a serving of pellet. Then continue with feeding pellet the rest of the week. Now, if you want your water quailty to stay cleaner, consider feeding your betta every other day. It’s fine to do, but I however feed my betta each day.

Lastly, let’s discuss fin rot! Ahhhh the big betta fish scary! Fin rot is a baterial infection in which the bacteria eats at your bettas fins and skin. This is most common in bowl kept bettas who are also housed in dirty water. Yuck! To prevent this health issue you can practice good house keeping for your little swimmer. Filters can be added in tanks 3.5 and up. Why 3.5 and up? Well if you have too small of a space for your betta with a strong filter, it can suck in their fins and damage them or kill them.

Recommendations:

If fin rot appears, try API BETTA FIX. I use it for all of my betta rescues!

Thanks for reading!

(The betta in this post is a recent rescue. His name is Sr. Glubberson!)

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Then vs now

The first was nearly 7 months ago; it’s crazy to see how much has changed!

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Artemis is such a pretty girl!! I love how much she has colored up since I have had her! 🐉✨