AggieYen

Well... the flat glass marbles I have go straight up the vac.. it doesn't have a bell end, and the cylinder is right about the same size in diameter as the marbles, so it goes straight up and blocks the suction.

Hmmm.. hairnet's a good idea! It's cloth, though... I worry about the cloth chemicals going into the water... or is that even a valid worry? I have nightmares about the water turning black from the hairnet color or something.

chickadee

Most hairnets are nylon or polyester and the dyes are in the make-up of the material and will not bleed. So you are safe there. Fine hairnets like ladies wear who work in food service that match their hair color are even better but perhaps won't last as long but are finer mesh. They would allow the poo and things up the tube but hold out the marbles.

Rose

AggieYen

Oh well. The good news is.. I found netting at the pet store... but I bought another gravel vac, anyway. That brings my total vac count to 3 I wasn't going to get another one, but I realized how much I love my vac with the bell-shaped mouth - it does a much better job at vacuuming, but was much too big for my tank.. it siphoned about 60% of the tank in the time it took to vacuum 3 spots properly. So I got the mini version. Heh.

And! Champion did flared for the first time today!! He was flaring randomly though - didn't look like he was flaring at anything in particular.

And he likes his peas. LOVES his peas. I may have given him too much pea today... he just kept looking at expectantly for more and ate it off my finger. Have I mentioned how much I love my boy??

chickadee

Oh well, it will do no more than give him a tummy ache and not really hurt him LOL. He cannot become constipated on peas. They do love them and when you are handfeeding it is such a lovely experience, I do know the feeling. It is so HARD not to give just ONE more piece as their little sweet face just looks expectantly up at you. It is okay this one time but be careful to never do it with real food and be careful not to do it often with peas or he will get sick on them and not want to eat them again. But one time will not hurt him or make him sick enough to really be horrid. But he may be reluctant to eat his dinner so do not force it.

I love the pea treat days as I feel they love me for giving them to them. There is a real fun fest going on and they are the nicest little boys those times.

Enjoy Champion. It sounds like he is a sweetheart.

Rose

Narcicius

Wow I really want to get some frozen peas for my fish, it just sounds like such a personal experience with the fish, not to mention its good for them.

chickadee

It is very good for them and their parent too. It is really fun to have them come up and snatch them off your finger. You have to make sure not to get the chunks any bigger than about a third the size of their eye or they cannot eat it but once they try them, I do not know of many bettas who do not love them.

It makes for very nice quality time with your fish too.

The first time you offer them the fish needs to be HUNGRY or they will probably not try them but once you get them interested they will nosh on them all the time.

I have only had one betta in all the ones I have owned who absolutely would not eat them, that is how I found the Freeze-dried Daphnia. It is good for them but nowhere near the fun and you cannot handfeed it. They just ignore it. You have to just dump it on the water and let it float. No fun at all.

It is so much fun...

Rose

Narcicius

I have a tank cycling right now, I plan to keep a betta and a shrimp in it, I hope to be able to develop a good relationship with the fish and be able to care for it like you guys, I need some frozen peas for my other fish too!

LuvaBetta

Awww. I know EXACTLY how you feel!

chickadee

It is really hard not to love the little guys and gals. They are just so cute.

Rose


Narcisus

I hope that you are soon able to get the tank going. Please be aware that shrimp is considered a delicacy by bettas as it is their first food. Some of them will leave shrimp alone and so it is really up to the betta but you never know so please do not be upset with the betta if your shrimp disappears.

Rose