The Second Week in September: Pictures & Parameters

For the first time since bringing him home, I am noticing some improvement in Auberon's tattered anal fin and damaged fin rays. And, while photographs may not reflect this, I do believe his color is increasingly pink in tone, though he is just as iridescent as he has ever been (may he always be so!). 

He continues to be active, curious, and voracious and still spends a good deal of time hunting for copepods, whose continued existence I am surprised at considering Auberon's aptitude for hunting. I have added a new food (Hikari Betta Bio-Gold) to his diet and I am finding that they are a better size for his tiny mouth than the New Life Spectrum, though the ingredients appear to be of lesser quality. 

In the last week, I've only performed one small water change, during which I added a Zoo-Med mermaid to the tank, hoping Auberon might enjoy swimming through her hoop. To my disappointment, he has barely acknowledged her existence. Perhaps in time, he might find her entertaining. Many reviews regarding this particular mermaid indicate that she may shed some paint, so that's something I must remember to monitor.

Tested	9/9/16	9/11/16	9/13/16	9/15/16
PH	8.2	8.3	8.3	8.3
Ammonia	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm
Nitrite	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm
Nitrate	1 ppm	5 ppm	5 ppm	1 ppm
Action			1 gal water change 2 ml stressguard



I approached this week's small water change a little differently-- instead of immediately pouring water from the bucket into the tank, I slowly added cups full of water to the tank, in hopes of not shocking Auberon with the slight temperature and pH difference between the new water and the water in the tank. Before adding the water, I was sure to test the pH this time-- it measured 8.2 compared to the tank's approximate 8.3.

Auberon had no adverse reaction to this new way of changing the water and I find that it does not disrupt the tank as much doing it this way.

Another change to the tank this week is the photo period for the tank. When I first started the tank up, the timer would pop the lights on around 8 AM and then turn them off in the early afternoon. I have now split the photo period so the tank is lit in the morning and evening, but dark during the middle of the day. Auberon is still quite active during this "siesta" period and I'm hoping the change will be beneficial for the plants and that it may decrease the amount of algae growing on leaves. Having the tank lit this way also allows me to enjoy it later in the day, which I was missing out on before.

The First Week of September: Pictures & Parameters

Auberon's second week found him exploring his flower pots (though not hanging out in them for too long) and flaring at me for the first time. He remains active and inquisitive and, though he spends a bit more time hiding, still wiggles his way to the front of the tank to say hello when anyone passes by the tank. When he is out of sight, he is generally behind his driftwood, near the filter, or wriggling his way through the java moss. He has continued sleeping near the thermometer and spends a lot of his waking hours swimming around the suction cups of the heater, chasing his own reflection. I've entertained the idea of getting a Betta Bling hoop from ZooMed for a little kitsch and additional stimulation.  

  Auberon continues to have a healthy appetite and thoroughly enjoyed chasing and eating garlic soaked blood worms after his water change. In the future, when feeding frozen food, I will try to slice off the tiniest bit of the cube as not to waste or overfeed. I've read that many betta keepers also soak food in Vita Chem-- I'll add that to my shopping list.

With this week's water change, I did a little rearranging, moving the marimo moss balls around and adjusting the driftwood so there is more space between the filter and the wood which should lower the chance of Auberon getting trapped. I am noticing new growth on plants but also some algae (diatoms or bba?) on the Java ferns. With the next water change, I will remove some damaged leaves and try to wipe away some of the algae. I'll need to research further, but I may need to dose with some flourish or excel to keep the plants happy. 

...

I'm playing catch-up on recording my parameters here but, save for the last few days, things have been pretty steady. As per the advice I received on the aquarium sub-reddit, I've attempted to perform two small water changes a week however, I ended up removing a great deal more water than intended while vacuuming the substrate during my last water change. 

As I did with my first water change, I removed water and immediately (and rapidly) replaced it with some Prime treated water that I had aging in a bucket with some almond leaves. By using this water, and adding such a large quantity so quickly, I believe I may have shocked Auberon as he was swimming erratically a few hours after the change. 

Parameters: 8/27 - 9/7

Tested	8/27/16	8/29/16	8/31/16	9/1/16	9/3/16	9/5/16	9/5/16	9/7/16
							after pwc
PH	8.3	8.3	8.3	8.2	8.3	8.3	8.1	8.2
Ammonia	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm
Nitrite	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm	0 ppm
Nitrate	5 ppm	5 ppm	5 ppm	5 ppm	5 ppm	5 ppm	3 ppm	2 ppm
Action	1.5 ml stressguard		1 gal water change 2 ml stressguard			2 gal water change 2 ml stressguard

The drop in pH after water changes indicates that the water I'm adding has a lower pH (testing confirms this is true) and could definitely be responsible for Auberon's odd behavior. 

In the future, I will try removing less water and slowly adding new water to the tank as to not shock Auberon with the sudden change. Considering the water pH is not optimal, I really need to try and keep it as stable as possible. 

The Last Week of August: Pictures

After a water change, 8/31/16

        Auberon seems to be adjusting to his new home quite nicely. He is an active swimmer and has figured out that when the little hatch on the tank's lid opens, it's time to eat. 

We successfully completed our first water change and Auberon discovered the siphon is the most interesting thing in the world, second only to the turkey baster.

After completing a water changing and doing some tank maintenance, like blocking dangerous hiding spots and removing dying leaves, I fed Auberon his first frozen brine shrimp soaked in garlic water. He thoroughly enjoyed them and had, for the first time, some roundness to his belly. In the future, I will feed less in case a fully stomach might impact the delicate swim bladder.

Auberon is very curious about me and already swims to greet me at the front of the tank. He spends a great deal of time over by the heater and filter and I quite often catch him swimming between the stems of the Java fern. I have only seen him exploring the clay pots a handful of times and he does not hang out in them as I expected him to. He has taken to sleeping near the anubias above the clay pots or by the thermometer on the same side of the tank. He sleeps with his fins fully unfurled and is not easily roused except by light.

There has been no visible color change to his body and no remarkable healing to his fins.