I succumbed

[MaloK]

Nitrogen 0, fixation, assimilation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. Water is limpid except for the thick protein and oil layer floating at the top. Big is living under a rainbow of colours. The decaying wood and leaves has rendered the water Brownish and slightly acidic.

His shredded tail is growing back and looks a lot less ragged than 2 weeks ago.

Mr. also accepted Betta pellets for the first time today He swallowed 3 followed by 2, half an hour later. This is going to give him a little fat content. Brine Shrimps and Tubifex are not very fatty, Maybe bloodworms are a little more.

As expected small patches of algae have appeared on the Java fern. I can see it is already holding a couple strategic points. But it's evolution is very slow. Last water change was made 12 December. Probably due for one very soon. At that moment I will add a couple of oak leaves that are soaking at the moment.

It will help with tannin and give a little food to the 4 poor snail still holding in there, lolll.

 

[MaloK]

So I talked to soon... Big went on a rampage again and split his tail some more...

The next day he was frustrated that the siphon for water changes was not for food distribution. He also got mad at me later, a couple times because I was taking water for testing... And no food fell from the dropper, lolll.

His Ravenous behaviours at feeding time made me raise his diet a little, but he still goes trough 5-6 pellets under 40 sec, 0% loss... and has a mix of frozen food in the afternoon.

At the moment I'm writing this .He is near the top, Blowing bubbles, then looking at me... Like, please please, please.

I didn't want to buy a dog exactly for this reason...

 

[MuddyWaters]

My angels RUN to the top of the tank when I approach, and they nibble at the vial and me when I'm getting water for tests. I will feed them and 5 minutes later I walk by and they're at it again. I'm already overfeeding them. I need to back off, but it's hard to do when they beg so cute!

 

[MaloK]

When I was young our super Guppy tank was in a place that had constant traffic in front, and they would always swim in the direction you where going when crossing the tank, like they wanted to follow you.

Big claps the surface with his mouth to make loud noise to attract my attention... And notice instantly when I raise my head a little to look at him...

I have to do like I'm typing on the computer and look at him from the corner of my eyes to go unnoticed... Loll.

I'm very happy that he started to eat pellets. It's a lot more protein and fat than frozen treats. I can already see that he's building some muscles on the bones. It was about time, his swim bladder was starting to show a bit too much.

He will probably become a presentable fish... If he stops ragging his tail

 

[MaloK]

Nitrogen 0 all the way, This tank is omnipotent.

After some more observation while feeding, I noticed Big has some difficulties to see on the right side...

I took a couple smg photo shots and discovered that he completely blown his right eyeball off. But it doesn't matter at all. He is happy like a carp under the sunlight. I feed him pellets one by one. And noticed how he always positioned the same way for the next bite. And missed the ones drop on the other side. from close ups photo I can see he built a thick scale protection around the eye globe.

Easy to differ, every new scales growing back are blue and the fish body is black... He looks like Moby-dick.

His tail is building up, the oldest scarf are nearly gone. but the last bite will take a long time.

He eats like a shark. 10 Betta buffets pellets in the morning and a long string of mix of tubifex bloodworms and brine shrimps in the afternoon. you can ear his mouth clapping under the water.

Always ready next morning. And still pooping right in the filter

What a distinguished guy he is.

 

[MuddyWaters]

Pirate fish

 

[MaloK]

Cap'n "Fried Fish Eye"

 

[MaloK]

 

[MaloK]

All nitrogen at freezing temperature...

Big understands everything, and soon learns to take advantage of it. Now he knows he gets pellets in the morning and goodies the afternoon. He begs for ever for one more pellets until I stop. then will willingly ignore goodies sinking right in his face and beg for more until I stop. He thinks he's going to get more. Then he goes down and finds every bits of it.

He also has become a scammer.

 

[MaloK]

Yesterday was "water change day" and I inadvertently destroyed Big's bubble nest doing so.

The least I could say is, that he was frustrated "Big" Time... He frantically restarted building it and darted all around the tank looking for trouble.

Bullied solidly every snails he encountered and even played water polo a while with one.

Loll.

 

[MuddyWaters]

Yesterday was "water change day" and I inadvertently destroyed Big's bubble nest doing so.

The least I could say is, that he was frustrated "Big" Time... He frantically restarted building it and darted all around the tank looking for trouble.

Bullied solidly every snails he encountered and even played water polo a while with one.

Loll.

Well, you gave the grumpy old guy something to do. He should be happy LOL.

 

[Lcc86]

I think your Big and my Zazu must be long lost cousins as their personalities are very similar! Zazu has started jumping out of the water at my hand the second he thinks food is coming and he also gets very annoyed when I accidentally destroy his bubble nest!

 

[MaloK]

It's been a while since I updated this thread.

Most of the time I will be waiting after the facts are accomplished to report on them.

In the following weeks after my last post "Big" continuously showed more and more wounds on it's forehead and tail fins, was starting to be sluggish and was eating with less and less appetite and started to develop fungus on his face and mouth...

I was pretty much absolutely unable to imagine what was going on with him, I mean I never had a so pristine aquarium in my life, the water is spot on for bettas there's always 0 nitrogen byproducts and he is very well fed.

Since there was no single visible sign of any kind of parasites external or internal, Poop was clean under microscope.

I couldn't let thing go like that and decided to go with a full threat of Fritz Metrocleanse and APi Melafix to help with the fungus.

So I removed all the snails I could, did a 90% water change, Rinsed the Filter and started the treatment.

On day 10 of the cure what do I find dying in the bottom of the tank.

An enormous Dragonfly Nymph... I'm sure that is the cause of all the scratches on my poor fish... I picked it up and it was more than an inch long..

I knew they where not a good thing with small fishes. I never tough there could be one in this tank and even more that it was unseen before, with all the observation I did...

And that it could be such a menace for a betta... Having an heavy toll on him in the long term. It was driving me nuts to not understand what was happening.

I'm at mid-treatment I will do another 90% water change today and resume medication for another 10 days.

There's good chances Big will go a lot better now.

Darn, Darn, Darn....

 

[gilltyascharged]

Stop killing all the janitors... Darn...

Things I never thought I would have to hear, lol. But no, that's a phrase that I seem to have to keep repeating to my Peacock cichlid...no matter how large the janitors are.

 

[Back in the fold]

@MaloK I am completely and totally blown away by that Dragonfly nymph ! I have NEVER heard of one inside in an aquarium or seen one . That is both awesome and frightening . Menacing looking thing ain’t it ?