i work at a petco im the aquatics department and i have completely fallen in love with this halfmoon king betta (i named him ketchup). he eats great, is curious about fingers and his surroundings, and flares very well. i would love to take him home, but there is one issue. i’m a college student graduating in may who’s only home on the weekends, im home may 6th to may 18 and then im leaving the country until june 25th. my parents have agreed to take care of him and they both know how but i feel bad placing that on them. i was going to attempt a fish-in cycle in a 10 gallon using bacteria from our filter and a couple driftwood pieces to get bacteria established. i am going to include live plants as well as a filter and a heater. i know the dangers of fish-in cycling and i’m nervous to not be around shortly after setting up a tank. i was planning on getting fish as soon as i got back from my trip anyways so it’s mostly just nervousness about him dying in the cup or being sold before i get back. any advice would be awesome.
https://i.redd.it/bd4bt35uzsvg1.jpeg
Posted by pogchans
4 Comments
Well… A lot of chain pet store betta have terrible genes, and they dont live long lives because of it. A fish that should live 5-7 years typically only living 1-2 isn’t normal. I’d say, don’t wait. If you love him and your family can give him the best (albiet short because of shit genetics) life he can get, then do. Better than him living for 2 weeks in a bowl and dying after a month because some idiot bought their kid a betta and stuck it in a 16 oz bowl.
It looks more like delta or not even a delta tail. Half moon D <- when it flares. Half moon is like half a circle.
I did fish-in cycles with both of my girls with some seeded media and sponges from an established tank. This was back in late November and it only took about 3 weeks for both tanks (5g & 10g) to cycle. They’re healthy and happy bettas! Fish-in cycles are perfectly fine with the right supplies and the right knowledge. You have to be willing to spend at least an hour a day on the tank to make sure you’re doing the fish-in cycle safely and correctly! I personally prefer fish-in cycles because it provides the right amount of ammonia your beneficial bacteria will be needing and they’re easier to do when you already have established tanks. I NEVER recommend fish-in cycles to beginners though! It is only something you should do if you know how to do it properly and know how to adjust if things start going wrong. You need to have enough patience and time!
Fish-in cycling is never worth it and only a thing if you are unexperienced or don´t have patience.