Redecorated my tanks

[chickadee]

I didn't know what to do with myself today and so I decorated my tanks today. The big tank was just a "move around" kind of thing, but the little one was a complete make over. Since the vase broke around the lip and I am not sure I am going to be able to fix it for more than a plant container with any luck, the fish deserve better than they had been living with.

I had put Fluorite in the tank for substrate and I have never had to work so hard to put anything to put anything into a tank before. It took me an hour or more to rinse it clear. Talk about DUST! Maybe I washed too much off but it still had to be rinsed a couple of times after I put it in the tank. The fish had been removed so they didn't have to put up with the dust, but it was bad.

Rose


P.s. finally got a picture of Nip hanging on the side of the Duetto filter. He is only about 3/4" long and hard to find unless he wants to be found.

 

[Butterfly]

Very nice Rose!
Carol

 

[Isabella]

Rose, they are so pretty But of course the prettiest of all this are your bettas

 

[chickadee]

Thank you so much! As all of you know, I am so very fond of them too. Marty's fins become more blue every day and I know I did not want to have another blue Betta, but I would never give him up. They are both developing such personalities! The Ottos are being led a merry chase though, I do kind of feel sorry for them. They are just going to have to fight back or I have provided lots of hiding places.

Rose

 

[Gunnie]

Rose, your pictures are simply beautiful! Your babies are sooooooooooo fortunate to have you for their mommy!

 

[Osiris]

Your tanks look great, and Marty sure is a pretty fish.  It's so cool that he always looks like he's flaring.  My crowntail seems to be more laid back, I guess.  Here's a picture of mine:

 

[Isabella]

Osiris, it's so cool!

 

[chickadee]

Your tanks look great, and Marty sure is a pretty fish.  It's so cool that he always looks like he's flaring.  My crowntail seems to be more laid back, I guess.  Here's a picture of mine:

He is Beautiful and so unusual! I have never seen one that color before. Where did you get him, through a dealer or a LFS?O

Oh the subject of Marty, I think he is flaring all the time because he is a baby and doesn't know he isn't supposed to LOL. I just got him a couple of weeks ago from the breeder with a quick stop at a store owner friend of mine. He is not fully "finned" yet, they are still growing so maybe that is why they are always out. I just think he's totally cute. (and totally a ham - loves to have his picture taken)

To see any kind of recognizable picture of Noel you will have to go to the Fish Photos section and I believe I put it under "The First Flare" because it took him so long to learn how to flare. He is now 7 months old and like yours is pretty laid back and easy going. I also have a dickens of a time getting his picture any more. I would love to know how you got such a beautiful picture. Thanks for sharing.

Rose

 

[Osiris]

Yeah, Marty is a handsome man.     I got him from a LFS, partly because I thought he looked gorgeous and also because he was in the nastiest water I have ever seen.  For the picture I just set it to macro focus so I can get really close and used some of the picture tips in another thread on this forum. 

 

[chickadee]

Well, we have done it again. I am having a nitrate problem here. Our tap water runs between 30 - 40 on the scale and in fact there are heart patients here who have to buy drinking water because of the nitrates so the plastic plants had to go in favor of real ones. The real ones aren't as pretty as yet. (I do not know much about landscaping) Here are a few small pictures to give you a small idea. I do wonder though if anyone can tell me, is the Nana blooming?! or is it just another leaf? Noel is loving the plants and Marty misses the plastic ones, but he is young yet so what does he know, right?

Oh, yes while I have your attention, I am adding 3 more Ottos to my family. Two of them will be joining Noel and Tuck in the big tank and the other will join Marty and Nip in the small tank. The Bettas are just bullying them and chasing them unmercifully so they need help. I'm hoping there is safety in numbers.

Well on to the pictures:

 

[dahly]

I will get a Betta one of these days!

 

[chickadee]

I sure hope you do. I don't think you will ever regret it. They have such personalities and are so dear once they get to know you. Plus they are so beautiful and graceful. Of course, no one could ever accuse me of being partial to them LOL ;D.

Rose

 

[Osiris]

Once again I have to say that your white/green Betta (Marty) is so cute!  I love that little guy.

 

[chickadee]

He knows it too LOL. He does such funny things! I put a background on his tank today and he just can't understand why he can't swim into it. He has plunked his nose more than once tonight. I finally turned off his light so he would quit. I think he is so young he has a lot to learn yet. LOL I love watching him because he is just developing his personality and does such cute things showing off. I just wish I had a video camera because he will outgrow all this and it would be nice to be able to go back and be able to watch this all over again.

My Mom says he looks like he is smiling all the time. I keep telling her that isn't his mouth, but she says she wants to believe it anyway.

 

[Butterfly]

Love the new plants Did you decide whether the Anubias nana was blooming or not or just a new leaf? Can you take a picture of just the plant? although I love your babies all of them are gorgeous ;D
Carol

 

[EmpPleco]

Marty has the most beautiful color!! I love it!! When I went to the LFS to buy my betta, I came SOOO close to getting a baby (it was so small and he too was flared up constantly) but didn't do enough research on baby bettas, and wasn't sure if there was something special I needed to do to take special care of him. But I am definitely happy with the adult Betta I did buy (named Mitch)

 

[chickadee]

Marty has the most beautiful color!! I love it!! When I went to the LFS to buy my betta, I came SOOO close to getting a baby (it was so small and he too was flared up constantly) but didn't do enough research on baby bettas, and wasn't sure if there was something special I needed to do to take special care of him. But I am definitely happy with the adult Betta I did buy (named Mitch)

I'm so glad you got Mitch although the babies are very cute, they are little stinkers where behavior is concerned and don't play well with others. Their curiousity gets them in trouble and they are very picky eaters. Oh my, I have had trouble finding food for him to take! He is starting to fin out now and will soon be at the stage where he won't flare as much, but the fins are looking so soft right now it looks like I've used fabric softener on him LOL. He is the fuzziest little betta I have ever seen right now ;D!

I am going to post the plant pictures for Carol here on this post even though maybe they should go on the Plants section, but since we already started talking about the Anubias here ... oh well. Yes, the plant is DEFINITELY blooming. It is not a leaf because it has a stamen in the center of it. I tried to get a close-up of the flower itself so it would show, but I don't know how good it is. I am of course going to have a few pix of the boys because firstly Noel wouldn't STAY OUT of the pictures when I was trying to get the plant and then I changed some of Marty's tank plantings when I got the petite nana from off-ice. It is a beautiful little plant and I wish I had gotten more. I also had some little Swords that needed planting so they got started also. I will have a couple of jungles but the fish LOVE it. Enough of my blabbering, here are the pix. Note: Noel and Marty turned into hams so I apologize for their antics.

 

[EmpPleco]

Well I'm up for the challenge most times ;D Maybe I will have to set up another small tank soon and pick up the next baby betta I see

Very beautiful plants by the way! I am buying a java fern (hopefully) this weekend, so I am a little nervous... Will be the first time I have real plants

 

[chickadee]

I would have done live plants long ago had I know how much the fish would love them. Noel can't stay out of them. He plays in the Lace Plant constantly and I had an awful time getting those pictures of the plant for Butterfly WITHOUT him. He was the biggest ham today. The real plants aren't that hard to handle. The only thing I had trouble with is I didn't have enough substrate to start with. So that's what made me have the redecoration done so many times, I had to add substrate until I had it deep enough for the plants. then I used Fluorite and it was a mess. I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed (no my fingers aren't stuck) until I thought I had it all rinsed and when I added water to the tanks (the fish weren't in them) the water turned the color of coffee. So I rinsed some more. After about 4 more complete water changes I finally had it clear enough to put the fish and plants and decor back in. Other than the substrate problems though the real plants are GREAT!

Just thought I would show you my little ham and let you see how he likes the plants.

 

[EmpPleco]

Very Very cute

I'm glad you clarified that you're fish weren't in the bowl, LOL! ;D

I'll let you know how the java fern turns out.. I am going to tie it to the driftwood I have so that it can bury it's roots in there.

Wish me Luck