# Zeus's new home



## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I've had my betta, Zeus, for over a year now, possibly two. I recently (5 days ago) moved him out of his little tank and into a 5.5 gallon tank. He has one fake plant (I will be getting live plants when I have the money) and he also has a floating log that he spends a lot of time in. Since I've moved him he doesn't seem to swim around as much. I often find him just sitting on the bottom of the tank. I just added a heater today to make his water a little warmer. If this doesn't help, what could be the problem and how do I fix it?


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2013)

How long has this 5.5 gallon been running? Is it cycled? Check your ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH. He could be just getting used to his new environment, but not sure. I am hoping that this tank is cycled before you put your betta in it. If not, then you will have to watch your betta closely. They are hardy fish, but too much ammonia and it can kill them. Nitrite can kill them as well. Please check your water parameters and make sure they are normal.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I had the tank running for a little over a week before I moved him. I will check the water as soon as I can. After adding the heater last night though, I noticed that he started to move around a little more after a few hours. Hopefully he is just getting used to the tank.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

A week is not nearly enough time to cycle a tank. If you haven't already taken down the old tank, I would put Zeus right back, so he doesn't have to live through the chemical ups and downs of a cycling tank. If you have a test kit, knowing the numbers angelclown mentioned would help alot. If you don't have a test kit, you need to get one. (not strips, but test tubes)


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

C. King said:


> A week is not nearly enough time to cycle a tank. If you haven't already taken down the old tank, I would put Zeus right back, so he doesn't have to live through the chemical ups and downs of a cycling tank. If you have a test kit, knowing the numbers angelclown mentioned would help alot. If you don't have a test kit, you need to get one. (not strips, but test tubes)


Mine cycled in under a week. I did take a sponge filter cartridge from another tank along with a bunch of plants and a little water. If the ammonia is too high, it will burn the fish's gills. Bettas can survive for months with burned gills. Check the water temp. It is best for bettas to have 80 degree water. When in doubt, do a water change.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Ah thank you. I've had my betta for almost 2 years but he has always been in the same tank so I haven't completely grasped the concept of cycling a tank. Although, when I brought Zeus home from the pet store, I had my dad set up the tank and he put him in the tank on the same day. Now that I know better, how long should a 5.5 gallon tank be cycled?

Also, silly question, but where does the ammonia in the water come from?


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

The fish's urine. Sometimes it takes a month to cycle, sometimes it takes 3. I know almost nothing about cycling as I just put some of the old water and a filter cartridge in the new tank and throw fish in about a couple days.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2013)

It takes about 2 months to give it a good cycle. Yeah I would put Zeus back in the other tank while the 5.5 gallon is cycling, that way he will live longer than if he was in the tank that is cycling. After the 5.5 gallon is done cycling, then you can put Zeus in the tank. Your tank will be cycled when you have 0ppm's of ammonia and nitrite, some nitrate.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Ok, I knew ammonia came from the fish's urine but after just being moved into clean water, how can the ammonia be high enough to hurt him? I just want to have a better understanding of this so I don't make anymore mistakes like this in the future.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

It burns them while they're in the dirty water. If the tank isn't cycled, the ammonia is not turned in to nitrites or whatever they're turned into and it burns the fish.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

kirrie, for some good info on cycling a tank, look under "beginners" at the stickies. One is titled "cycling.." and the other is "important! read this if your fish are dying!" (or something like that) These posts may help you understand it better. How is Zeus doing, now?


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Oh I see. And for the rest of the weekend I won't be at my dads (where my fish are D so I asked my dad to check on him for me. Today he said that he was swimming around his log and moving around more like normal.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

For anyone who sees this, Zeus died today :/ He was almost 2, according to how long I've had him. I haven't been home in a week and he apparently had a fungus infection that I didn't know about because it was all over when I got home. I can count on my dad to feed my fish and tell me what's up but other than that, he's too busy to really notice things like that so I didn't catch it fast enough. I think I'll take a break from having three tanks in my room and just work on my 29 gallon. Thanks for the advice though


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

So sorry about Zeus!


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

It's ok. It's probably better that I only work on one tank for now anyways since I am not home that often.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Fungal infections are usually signs of other diseases or bad water quality.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Apparently the fungus didn't appear until after he had died because my dad said he didn't notice anything and it was pretty obvious when I found him :/ one of my skirt tetras recently had fungus on it also but it was just one little spot above his eye that I was able to take care of with Pimafix. Zeus, however was almost completely covered by the time I got home.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the fungus came after the fish had died.....so was not the result of bad water quality or other diseases...


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Correction: Fungus is a sign of an unhealthy fish. Kirries fish was extremely unhealthy after it died.


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

Betta man said:


> Kirries fish was extremely unhealthy after it died.


Ya think?


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2013)

I am so sorry you lost Zeus. Yeah I think that it would be good to just concentrate on the one tank for now.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

WildForFish said:


> Ya think?


Uhhhhh yes. No. Maybe so.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I had him for 2 years and he was healthy and now that I have another tank in my room, he dies. I honestly did not know that he had a fungal infection because, like I said, I didn't see anything and I was even watching all of my fish closely because of my one tetra that did have a fungal infection. It must have gotten bad really quickly in that one week that I wasn't the one checking on him everyday. I have definitely learned from this, but there are still a lot of things I have to learn obviously. Now I'm just waiting for the things I need to test my water. I want to make sure the other tank isn't just a week behind Zeus. This is really hard with the only money I have coming from babysitting :/


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Yep. Losing fish is hard especially when you are a kid. You don't need to go defensive kirrie. It wasn't your fault. I simply said that the fish was very unhealthy after it died.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

I didn't hear a defensive tone in Kirries reply. I heard an intelligent person trying to analyze a tough situation, in order to learn from it...losing a fishy friend is hard, and that is so if you are a kid or half a century old.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Ya I know  People on here are really nice, which is why I like being able to ask questions here rather than look all over the internet. I appreciate the advice that I get from everyone. It's also nice being able to talk to people that understand how much I enjoy fish. Most of my friends think it's kind of strange that I enjoy taking care of fish and I can't really talk about it with them because they don't have fish themselves. I'm glad I found this site.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

I like this site for the same reasons. It seems like a person is either a big aquarium enthusiast, or they just don't get it. People who can easily empathize with a cute, furry little mammal are often suprised when they meet someone who is passionate about fish! There are plenty of people on this site who are a bit passionate about fish, myself included!


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I have all sorts of furry animals as well as my fish. I have 8 guinea hens, 2 rabbits, 2 dogs, and 2 cats. (Not all in one house of course) And ever since someone decided they didnt want their goldfish at the fair, Ive become more and more obsessed with them. The Aquarium club at school might have helped too. My physics teacher has set up a ton of aquariums throughout the school and wherever people ask him to. I believe there is about 5 different 300+ gallon tanks throughout the school. They're all saltwater tanks though. And we are currently trying to breed clownfish and I think PJ Cardinals (not sure if thats the right name). We are also setting up one really big tank, I think it's 600 gallons or bigger. Not sure what we are putting in it though. I haven't been to the meetings in a while because of homework :/


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

What a great teacher! I have a few fuzzy faces in my home, too. Currently down to just 2 pups and a bird, but have had various others, incl. cat, guinea pig, button quail, squirrels, even had an otter in my home when I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary! I have always had a connection to critters!


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I once had a squirrel. I was only 7 or 8 though. I found two baby squirrels outside and we gave one to the neighbors and we raised the other. I named him Squeakers (my creativity strikes again). We kept him in a big fish tank and would let him out when we were watching him. Kept him until he started climbing up the curtains and shredding them. Even after we let him go he would come back and sit on my paps arm and eat from his hand. I've always been and animal lover and Im really glad I live out in the country where I get to experience all kinds of wildlife


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

Squirrels are cute as babies, but they let you know they are wild animals very quickly! And, I can't really comment on your lack of creativity in naming one squeekers--I called the otter "otto"! I also had a baby screech owl called "Hooters" but that was way before the mens bar came out with that name!


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Hahaha that's awesome. The only time I see owls is when we go camping in the summer and take a hike at night. We take flashlights of course but if we turn them off we sometimes find fox fire. I love nature and animals and I will always have them in my home, or at least live somewhere away from a crowded city. I enjoy having the fish in my room because I can watch them. I actually got to see one of my corys lay eggs a few days ago.


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## C. King (Dec 14, 2012)

When I lived down South, I saw foxfire. wierd stuff! The locals called it swamp fire, or something close. I liked the South, so much nature and wildlife! And beaches and scuba diving...


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

We visit the beach every summer, but I don't think I would want to live there. I prefer the wooded areas in PA. There's lots of places to hike and camp, which I love the most. Kind of limits my college choices because I dont want to leave Pennsylvania haha


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i don't know kirrie....there are a lot of great schools in PA...


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I hope so  I plan to go for Forensic sciences


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

oh yeah...if you can tolerate a cranky old geezer like me you will be just fine here..

try Carnegie Melon..


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

Here as in Pennsylvania? I've lived in Pennsylvania since I was born and I dont ever plan on moving away.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

carnegie melon is in pigsburg...lol....i drove by there once...pretty awesome place...


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

I've decided what I want to do I just have to decide where. I haven't really found the time to look at specific colleges yet. Although I have been getting tons of mail from different colleges. It's actually more annoying than it is helpful at this point.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2013)

There is University of Washington Seattle and Tacoma. They are great schools here in Washington State. There is Washington State University, but I am not sure about it. 

I also love nature and wild animals. I saw two eagles the other day by a creek near my apartment. It was really cool to see them because they are not normally out during the winter. We have had a mild to moderate winter.


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## Kirrie (Jan 18, 2013)

A few years ago I found this site where you could watch a pair of Bald Eagles and their eggs through a webcam. I checked on it every day until the eggs hatched and the chicks left the nest. Since eagles pair for life and also stay in the same nest, they leave the webcam up so you can watch them every year but I've forgottent the website and can't seem to find the same one now. It was very neat to watch them take care of the chicks. I remember one night it was raining really hard and both parents stood over the chicks with their wings slightly raised to keep them out of the rain.


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