Flubberlump
Fish Addict
I've wanted a betta tank for ages. It was one of those things that I kept saying I would get once we'd decorated the new house (also under orders from the boyfriend.) I went to my LFS last Friday to get fish for my other tank, and in with the albino cories I bought was the most beautiful yellow half moon male betta. This LFS often has some gorgeous bettas in and last week they also had a lovely purple and blue dragonscale, as well as quite a few veiltails of various colours, but I'd never seen a yellow halfmoon like this before. He was right at the front of the tank nosy'ing at what was going on outside. I wanted him, but there was no way he could go in my community tank and I'd always said that when I got a betta I'd set up a separate tank for him.
So I told the boyfriend about this betta and how gorgeous he was and how I'd fallen in love. He said no. The following day I started looking online to see if I could find a bargain tank to set up for him. I found a couple and text him to say how I'd found some little tanks and how perfect they'd be for the betta. He didn't say yes, but didn't say no either. That meant we were on for the betta, I just needed to find a suitable tank. Cue instant phone call to the LFS to see whether the betta was still there and see if they'd keep him for me. I was told that it's not something they usually do, but they'd keep him for me on this occasion. He also said that someone had nearly bought him that day but had decided to take another one. Good news for me.
Now as much as I'm the fish keeper of the household, I do appreciate that the tank itself lives in the living room, so it's only fair that t'other half likes the look of the tank too. So I spent the whole weekend obsessively scouring the Internet for a suitable tank. I'd find a few, show the boyfriend, he'd say he didn't like them. So I carried on. I finally found one on eBay and the auction finished on Sunday, but I was outbid. I rang the LFS again on Monday just to let them know that I was still sorting a tank, and they said they'd keep him until midweek. I found another advertised on Facebook and sent the seller a message, but it had sold. Then, I finally found a tank that we agreed on, and bought it on Monday. £25 for a 25litre tank less that 6 months old, with filter and lights. Just needed a heater - easily sorted. We collected it and it was scrubbed and filled full of plants, wood, pebbles, sand and moss from the other tank, and the filter filled with media from the other tank.
I went to collect him and 3 Sulawesi snails. Now he's finally floating in a bag in the tank, waiting to move in. After a frantic few days of setting up this impromptu tank just for him, he'd better like it! I don't think I've ever done anything so fast! I'm just glad I had the other mature tank to donate media and sand etc so I didn't have to spend weeks fishless cycling beforehand. He'd have been sold otherwise,
Here are some photos, meet Benny. And the setup before he's put in it.
So I told the boyfriend about this betta and how gorgeous he was and how I'd fallen in love. He said no. The following day I started looking online to see if I could find a bargain tank to set up for him. I found a couple and text him to say how I'd found some little tanks and how perfect they'd be for the betta. He didn't say yes, but didn't say no either. That meant we were on for the betta, I just needed to find a suitable tank. Cue instant phone call to the LFS to see whether the betta was still there and see if they'd keep him for me. I was told that it's not something they usually do, but they'd keep him for me on this occasion. He also said that someone had nearly bought him that day but had decided to take another one. Good news for me.
Now as much as I'm the fish keeper of the household, I do appreciate that the tank itself lives in the living room, so it's only fair that t'other half likes the look of the tank too. So I spent the whole weekend obsessively scouring the Internet for a suitable tank. I'd find a few, show the boyfriend, he'd say he didn't like them. So I carried on. I finally found one on eBay and the auction finished on Sunday, but I was outbid. I rang the LFS again on Monday just to let them know that I was still sorting a tank, and they said they'd keep him until midweek. I found another advertised on Facebook and sent the seller a message, but it had sold. Then, I finally found a tank that we agreed on, and bought it on Monday. £25 for a 25litre tank less that 6 months old, with filter and lights. Just needed a heater - easily sorted. We collected it and it was scrubbed and filled full of plants, wood, pebbles, sand and moss from the other tank, and the filter filled with media from the other tank.
I went to collect him and 3 Sulawesi snails. Now he's finally floating in a bag in the tank, waiting to move in. After a frantic few days of setting up this impromptu tank just for him, he'd better like it! I don't think I've ever done anything so fast! I'm just glad I had the other mature tank to donate media and sand etc so I didn't have to spend weeks fishless cycling beforehand. He'd have been sold otherwise,
Here are some photos, meet Benny. And the setup before he's put in it.
