Downsizing

How would you go about downsizing your betta "collection"?

I might have to do this in the near future due to financial and school-related reasons. I currently have a 55gal, a 29gal, two 10gals, a Hex5 and a 6gal flatback hex, as well as a couple 2gal tanks I don't really use (except Amun was in one until I got his new tank). I need to keep the 29gal because it was my son's birthday present and it wouldn't be right to give it to him, then suddenly take it away. In that tank there would remain the gourami and tiger barbs, and then the platies and upside down catfish from the 55gal would go into the 29gal as well (since the platies are technically his and I've had the upside down cat since he was less than 1" long and he's now almost 4"). I can probably take my otos (although I might keep them in the 29gal), kuhlis and guppies to the LFS. That leaves the betta kids. I have four females and nine males. I will be keeping Emmett and Amun, my feathertail and halfmoon, respectively. I would also like to keep all my girls if possible (yes, I have a sorority...moving on). I live in a very small rural area. Most people around here think it's perfectly acceptable to keep a betta in a small vase/bowl that's unheated, unfiltered and with only a plant to eat. My kids are used to larger, heated, filtered tanks with a variety of foods to eat (flakes, brine shrimp, and bloodworms). I couldn't bear the thought of them in a tiny bowl or vase. So, do I just suck it up and take them to the LFS or put them on CL or... ??? Help! :'(

 

You could try to find people on here to take them if they're close by. If you can ship I'm sure you can find a ton of people.

 

I'd get a holf of the AZBETTAHEADS......There may be some member that would be interested in some of the tanks.....

 

I'm just afraid of someone nearby me saying "Oh yeah, he'll be in a nice 5gal tank with a heater and filter and everything" (basically telling me what I want to hear) and then the poor guy being put into something totally unsuitable. I don't personally know many people who are into fish (most of my friends think I'm crazy because I have so many) and I can't afford shipping. I wouldn't ask the people taking them to pay shipping because they're just pet store bettas, they're nothing "special" (not like MM stock which are worth more than even the cost of shipping). I guess I'll just have to suck it up and take them to the LFS or put an ad on CL and hope for the best.

 

The only tanks I'm getting rid of are the 55gal, the 46gal and my one complete 2gal hex. I'm keeping one of the 10gals, the Hex5, the 6gal flatback hex, and of course the 29gal. The other 10gal is going back to the people I borrowed it from (we considered it a long-term loan). Nothing is for sure yet. I might not be actually selling the tanks (except that 2gal), I might just put them into storage until I can really afford to set them up and have the time to get them how I want them. We'll have to see. I'm basically trying to cut back on the amount of electricity I'm using so it isn't as expensive for my parents (long story) and trying to save what little money I do make instead of spending it all on fish stuff as soon as I get it.

 

You can also contact your local animal shelters. Sometimes they have people who want to adopt fish, too. And most of these people would really give the fish the environment it needs.

Don't think you can't charge for shipping because they're not award-winning fish. If I wanted one from you, I wouldn't hesitate to pay for shipping.

:console:

 

I'll check into that. Thanks, Lynda. I know that our humane society is one of those places that has a betta in a tiny dirty bowl though (at least they did...last I was in there, they were trying to adopt him out, but that was months and months ago). If I did end up having to put an ad up on CL, I could put something like "Tell me what kind of tank you have for him and how experienced you are with fish" so it doesn't give the responder any clue as to what exactly I'm looking for (instead of something like "He must go to a home with a minimum 2.5gal, heated, filtered tank and be fed a variety of foods").

 

Honestly I'm not sure how getting rid of tanks and fish could help you out financially unless you intend to make money selling the tanks. Maybe I'm an idiot; but from what I have seen the main cost in keeping fish is in buying the tanks/heaters etc. Upkeep after you have all of that is pretty minimal. Granted I only have goldies, corys, and 2...3 now bettas (oops!) but the container of pellets and package of frozen br.shrimp is going to take the bettas more then a year to eat. Not too expensive by my terms

Now school... in terms of time available that I can understand. (Though from personal experience, when assignments were due, any excuse not to do them was GREAT in my books!) lol--spoken as a true procrastinator!

Anyway; I know I am going far afield from your initial questions/concerns... but look at this as my version of enabling!

 

I wish we were near each other, I'd take a largeer tank off of your hands. I'm dying for a community tank again

 

It's more the cost of electricity. I'm running seven tanks at the moment (will be six as soon as I move Amun to his new tank and turn off the filter in the old one) with lights on all but one and filters on all of them (two filters on the 55gal, actually...just to keep the media cycled on the HOB filter now that I have the canister). That and any "extra" money I get goes to buying something for my tanks (food, water conditioner, plants, decorations, fish) and that's money I could be using toward gas or putting into savings. I go through water conditioner at a predigious rate doing weekly 25-30% water changes on the 55gal, 29gal, two 10gals, and the smaller tanks. A large bottle of AquaSafe (can't afford Prime) lasts me a month, sometimes two if I stretch it.

There are other factors that have brought about this decision as well (including being forced to take a "no credit" or withdraw from one of my classes because I kept putting it off in favor of tank maintenance and setting up new tanks...at $454 per credit, I just wasted almost $1400 of my parents' money).

 

Awww I'm sorry to hear this. XC If I was closer I would come right over and buy your tanks from you. What is in the 10gal?

 

My two 10gals are divided for my males. There's three in one tank and four in the other (although until this happened, I was planning on putting one of the ones in the 4-way divided tank into his own small tank because he doesn't do well with neighbors and to give the other boys more room).

 

I dont have the answers for you, other than to say, post your babies here and if members want to give them good homes, they will offer to pay the shipping I commend you for doing whats right, as im doing the same thing at the moment...and I have a home of my own, work 2 jobs, etc...but I feel my obsession, has taken a burden on the household as far as electric bills, foods, supplies, etc.....its not a fun choice by any means, but it shows a mature way of loving your fin babies

I dont think your an idiot by any means ......but you are misled on the "main" costs of being the tanks heaters etc" as the only costs.....upkeep after that isnt ever minimal if done properly.....my fish eat high quality foods which cost more than sometimes a prime rib steak....all my fish eat fresh frozen foods not wardley or tetra brands(not saying you do just stating expenses) ...those are expensive in itself.....my bettas eat all frozen thawed fresh foods as well as fresh spirulina flakes ....my water bill is nill, as I have a well...but not everyone does.....smaller tanks cost much less to keep up but the ones the OP is posting about, arent all small.....once you have more than the smaller tanks and just a couple larger ones, as in what the OP is posting about , its MUCH more expenses , time, energy , and many more things attribute to it.....

again, I commend the OP for her decisions and certainly know how she feels and wish her well no matter whats decided

 

Thanks, Shawnie. I still haven't talked to my parents about what's going on (I will admit that I'm terrified of telling them), but I have a feeling no good will come of this whole situation. My biggest fear is that they'll kick me out (since I'm living rent/bill free in one of their rental houses with the only stipulation being that I keep the house clean/maintained and get good grades) and if they do, I won't have anywhere to keep the tanks, so downsizing is in my best interest in that case too. The only option I have if they kick me out is taking my "boss" up on an offer of a room in the house at the barn in exchange for maintaining the barn/horses, and then I'd be sharing the house with two other people (plus dogs and a cat) and I highly doubt they would appreciate me having so many big tanks (even though they like fish, they are among the ones who look at me like I'm crazy for having so many tanks).

 

Sit down with your parents and just explain what's been going on. Also, and this is the important part and the part that they will respect.... own your mistakes. Be sure that you are also able to tell them what your "new" goals are and how you plan on achieving them. I would apologize for straying off the path they're paying for but as long as you have honest intentions of getting your priorities straight and getting back on that original path, they might be fine with it. Parents can be really surprising if you speak with them as an adult and have a real conversation.

You're doing a great thing for your fish, too. That's called responsibility and maturity. :;hug2

 

I apologize if I was being fascious; I just know that once I have a pet it never leaves me. Mainly because I don't trust anyone else to take care of them the way I would like (except maybe my parents).... so it means developing the willpower to not buy or rescue all the fuzzy or finned babies that I want.

I know with horses I could 'afford' to buy 10 or more... but there's no way that I can afford to feed, board and pay vet bills for all of the above. And back to the fish I spend way more on deco, plants, tanks, heaters, filters etc then the fish themselves cost.

Anyway, rambling aside; good luck whatever you decide. If I lived near you I'd offer space to keep one of the tanks at my place for you, until you could take it back again. Hopefully you will be able to find someone near to do the same :;group

 

Depending on how much shipping costs I'd take one off your hands I've been wanting to get myself a boy soon for my desk in the office. Helping someone in need would be perfect. If you can ship one of your little tanks I'd be willing to take that as well. If not since I work at a pet store I can get a good deal on one.

 

I'm meeting with my counselor and financial aid today to see if I can possibly split the remaining five classes I have before I do my student teaching into two semesters (was originally just going to do it all over the summer and then do my student teaching in the fall) and retake this class when I take the others. If I can split the classes, include this class and not have it cost any more for my parents, then I'll do that. If it was just a class at the local community college ($56 per credit), I wouldn't be as worried about it, but this school is expensive (as I said, $454 per credit). I'm meeting with the counselor and financial aid before talking to my parents so that I have a plan of action lined out and I can show them that it won't end up costing them any more (or if it does cost more, how I'm going to handle that additional amount without it adding to what they're paying). I have ever intention of owning my mistake, but the hard part will be that I've been telling my parents I've been keeping up with my classes (which is pretty much true, except for this one class). I'm so stressed about this that I'm physically sick (on top of having a cold/allergies).

 

I'm usually the same way (I fought tooth-and-nail when I moved up here to keep my dog...it actually wasn't too difficult after my dad found out he saved me from a burglar trying to get into my apartment), but in this case, it wouldn't be fair to anyone if I kept all the tanks and fish. I wouldn't be even thinking about this if it hadn't been for what happened with this class. I just know that my parents are going to want an explanation as to why I slacked off and honestly, the tanks are the major part of the reason (along with the internet). So, I have a feeling all extraneous things will be cut off, including my internet (so I'll have to be doing all my research and stuff at their house again, which is why they got me the internet in the first place, so I wasn't always doing it at their house), my "job" out at the stable, and probably the tanks.

 

Leave your windows unlocked...Shawnie will get them!!!!