Big changes happened today. Took some risks.
Despite feeling sicker as the day progressed, I couldn't deny the weather report. In less than 48 hours we will NOT have sand-rinsing weather, nor hose weather. So I had to get that substrate changed today or tomorrow. And since I have to do things *right this minute* once I get them in my head, I dragged Streppy and his shoeless brother to Petco. First I called around trying to find pool filter sand, but since it's October, I was SOL. It turned out that 20 pounds of aquarium sand - 90% rinsed already - was less than $20. Double that amount of pool sand would have been $8, but what am I going to do with the other 10 pounds after I fill two small tanks? It was really okay. I had coupons.
I got my sand. I got my test kit, which is something I've been putting off longer than I should. I got my plants for Andy's gup tank and for the bookshelf tank: 1 wisteria, 1 hornwort, 2 anubias, 2 or 3 java fern. That's a good place to start, considering the size of the wisteria I bought. It's a monster. And I am reading over and over that it's idiot-proof, so that's what I need.
I also replaced the dinky bulb in the 10-gallon. I got the tank from my friend Hollie, and it had just an incandescent. I got a 6,500k bright sun CFL (I hate those things...why don't we all just sign up for mercury poisoning now?). AND, I took a gander at the bookshelf aquarium they had up there ($49...I paid $36 online, on sale) and got an appropriate bulb for plants for that tank.
Then, I saw him.
I shouldn't have. My bookshelf tank will take weeks to cycle. But he was so beautiful, and I was so afraid he would be sold or die or go to a rotten home. I'd decided, for the most part, that a betta was going into the 6.6. I had no intention of buying him today. This guy was everything I've ever wanted in a fish, though. He's a deltatail.
And of course, as a bribe to get Andy to the pet store, I'd promised he could look at fish too. He was all set to come back Saturday for otos when he saw this guy.Anyway, Bettas 1 & 2 came home on the condition that they do a good job of fitting in. That's going to be a big IF. This may result in a dead fish. Or two.
$125 and 5 tossed baby shoes later...
When I got home, I tossed the kids inside and went about rinsing the sand while the sun was still sort of high in the sky. Being expensive aquarium sand, it only took two rinses and was incredibly easy. Then I came in and gathered up half of the gravel into a tupperware container and left it on the bottom of the tank. (I forgot to get pantyhose for that purpose. Damn.) The change was very easy, because a 10-gallon isn't much work in terms of aquascaping. I gently put the sand in, and the guppies seemed to really enjoy themselves digging around in it. It wasn't terribly cloudy, and I dare say it cleared up way faster than I had anticipated.
I put that flower pot in there, but it's too big. It's too big to be a hidey hole and it's out-of-proportion to the rest of the tank. If I went with flower pots I'd need a smaller one. I intend, rather, to find a rock in the creek or something, or even look on eBay for more driftwood, which is more appropriate for the plants I purchased. I didn't buy anything that needs rooted.
After less than an hour, it cleared somewhat. (You can't tell in this photo, but I'm not nuts.) I replaced the pot with a ceramic fish decoration, for the time being. I hate it too. I thought it might provide a hiding place, but the betta - Andy has named him Jerkface - is more interested in hiding in the hornwort and wisteria.I tested the water and found the ammonia at .30ppm. I did a 40% water change. Jerkface explored the area behind the filter. He flared at the guppies angrily, but hasn't been aggressive.
Meanwhile, I was so distracted that I forgot entirely about the concept of a quarantine tank! Hey...obviously I've never had one before, or I wouldn't have lost my loaches last month when I was an IDIOT. And again, like an idiot, I acclimated Blue Betta to the 55-gallon and put him in. D'oh!
He immediately went to the bottom and hid behind this log. Slowly, slowly he crept out, remaining amidst the java fern. I went back and forth between tanks and kids and husband and dinner and water changes, and when I came back, he'd got to the tippy top left of the 55-gallon. He's been hiding behind the heater and under a hunk of watersprite. The Burmese Loach has sniffed at him. I feel just awful, like I've made a huge mistake and am torturing him. It occurs to me now that my black skirts will probably bully the hell out of him. I don't know how long he can hide under a patch of watersprite behind the heater, but I won't freak out yet. Bettas, and fish in general, are so individual. It may work out. I can only pray that he's not infested with something. My four baby loaches are, knock on wood, thriving and active. I can't believe I screwed up the quarantine thing already.
Meanwhile, Jerkface seems to be doing well enough. My hope is that they are both healthy enough to adjust and thrive.
Edit: Poor Blue Betta just came out from his spot. The biggest black skirt is staring angrily at him and swam right up to BB to stare him down. There was no nipping, but BB ducked back behind his watersprite and his heater. I'm concerned. If the black skirt is going to be a douche, I'm going to be up in arms. He's just staring...staring.
Also, let us not forget the "before" guppy tank:
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