Soing I'm Going To College...

[afireinside]

Okay, so in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be going to college. Since I won't be able to have my big south american cichlids with me, I was thinking about getting a betta again. I've kept bettas in the past, so it's not a matter of how to take care of them, it's more of a matter of what to do. Even though my dorm will allow up to a 10 gallon aquarium, I think I'll bring my 2.5 gallon to save space. I'm assuming this is okay with my roommate (since my roommate is one of my best friends and he knows of my love for fish). Now for those of you who have kept fish in college, is it a hard thing to do? Since I'll be on a budget, what will my costs look like? And more importantly, I've read stories online about other students breaking into rooms and dumping stuff into the aquarium, killing the fish... is that really true? Any and all advice will be gladly taken!

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

im at university at the moment (i'm in the UK so i guess we're talkin about the same thing) and i would suggest NOT getting a fish, especially if youre living on campus.
this is obviously depending on your circumstances.
not only does a fish take money away from the "have a good time" pile, but can also be quite inconvenient at the end of the year when its time to move or for space throughout the year.

we have a 3 footer hosting some goldfish and we've had no problems with people dumping things in the water during parties, etc. as long as the invites are sent to FRIENDS, this shouldnt be a problem.
as for costs, a 2.5gal shouldnt be expensive, but i agree...students DO struggle with money when they have no pets.



All the best,

Pink.

 

[Channti]

I bought all the pieces for my university setup before going to school. I paid about $150 startup (that was plants, divider, substrate, heater, filter, tank, lighting, airpump). And then over the course of the year my fish expenses were as follows:

$13.99 (New Betta)
$12.00 (Massive bag of Hikari Betta Bio-Gold)
$3.00 (replacement lightbulbs)
$8.00 (Ick Medication from a heater malfunction)
$20.00 (New Heater)
$2.00 (Replacement airstones)

Once the tank was set up, I didn't spend much at all as you can see. Moving a betta is pretty easy. My room mate wasn't allowed to touch my tank, and if she did, she was given pre-measured amounts of food and a strict feeding schedule.

Never had any problem with anyone putting anything in my tank.

 

[Canadian Ginger]

Quite honestly, I've found it quite easy to take care of a betta while in school. I'm not sure where you're going to school, but in Toronto I've never heard of anyone attempting to pour stuff into someone's tank (strangers or otherwise). That would be totally ridiculous and beyond immature for college students. If you hear of people doing that in your school, I'd consider transferring because obviously it isn't a school where the most desirable people attend lol.

As for costs, for such a small tank and only one betta, you'll be very budget friendly. How much you spend would typically depend on how much you want to splurge. Of course you should spring for some emergency medicinal supplies, since you may not be able to run out and buy them once you're at school. Once you have your basic tank setup (heater, light, thermometer, testing strips, etc) then the cost is very variable. It depends on how much you're planning on spending for decorations and all that fun stuff.

The only real issue I've ever had with having a fish while at school is the hassle of moving in and out of dorms. When you're ready to pack up and leave at the end of the year it can be a pain to transport your fish in a friendly manner (particularly if you have a long way to go).

However, if you've got a bit of extra cash in your budget, some decent dorm mates, and a little extra patience then you'll be fine with a betta in your room. Just don't let him distract you from your studying (or partying)!