CanadaquaBetween Pond and Tanks

Very Sad

… to report that Max, the betta has left to swim wherever bettas swim in the afterlife. Yesterday he was still all perky, fighting his daily fight with my finger and begging for food, and today I found him under the big driftwood in the tank. He lived to the respectable betta age of three years – happily I hope. He’ll be missed.

Mini Auction

Came back from the OVAS meeting with a big bag of snails for my assassins. That should tide them over for a few months. Max objects to them, though. He’s been watching them closely, trying to pick at them and then skulked off pouting to hide in some Java fern. Thing is, they decided to rest in the spot where he builds his bubble nests. He’s not a happy betta.

Also brought home a fairly large bag of frozen spirulina and veggie food for the plecos. Everyone in my tanks will think it’s Christmas early.

Fish Move

I changed the Betta, the cherries and the assassins over to the new (old) 5 gallon tank that has a real fitting cover and tank light. I’ve been wanting to do that for the longest time. Now I can finally take my desk lamp back to use as intended.

Some of the cherry babies are still in the old tank with only two inches of water. Man, those suckers are hard to catch. I put a makeshift trap in and hope I can pull them out tomorrow.

4C and pouring rain

Came home with treasures from the OVAS meeting.

I went for the socializing and to buy some fish food at the mini auction, but in addition came home with a potted Tradescantia  (thanks Bianca) and four little bushynose plecos, courtesy of Wayne’s breeding pair. Now, anyone who knows my tanks, knows I don’t really have room for four bushynoses, but so far they’re very wee (~ 1 cm). Two are now in the minnow tank downstairs, and two wiggle happily through the assassin tank, with Max the betta keeping a curious but not evil eye on them.

They should be good in either tank for a while, but the 5 gallon at least will become too small for them when they grow out. More reason to tackle the paludarium set-up, as soon as I’m done with my office.

Dominoes

Ok, that didn’t go quite as planned. Preparing to stain the shelf boards, I suddenly realized I’d have to move the 5 gallon tank first.

Which involved finding unwinding and pulling out all the cables, plus finding unwinding and pulling out all the cables on the big tank, reinstalling the cable chaos of the big tank in a non-chaotic way, and such that the little tank might be hooked up there too.

I then realized that the tank was too heavy to move. So, water out, move tank, reinstall all the cables, start to put water back in.

But there are cherries in that tank, and I took out about 2/3. If I replace all that at the same time, the cherries are gonna go belly up, so now I’m replacing a quart at a time.

I also realized that there’s condensation inside the glass of the heater. That can’t be good, right? I’d better look that up.

The good news is, most of the cable chaos is now under control and the 5 gallon tank has been moved to its permanent position.

The bad news: I haven’t even started on the boards yet.

Max loves chasing shrimp

Max

We have a new guy in the house. Meet Max, the betta:
Max