Yuri
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Alright, for a school biology project last year our teacher, Chiarella, had the entire class each buy their own betta (and set-up) for an experiment. Obviously not checking in much about fish..., or thinking bettas were particularly special, our containers had to be a gallon or less. No outlets meant no chance for light, heater, or filter.
When I started up my community tank at the same time I didn't know much so it didn't bother me. But quickly, it did.
Once the experiment had ended I had realized enough so when I was able to come up with the cash I bought a five gallon to be cycled for him. He stayed there for as long as I could manage before switching him back over to his one gallon for the cycle to complete. My Betta boy died of temperature shock in the one gallon.
A friend of mine, Tyler, still has his betta though and the issue over suitable environments was brought up again today in seventh period. Tyler keeps his betta in a 1/4 of gallon container and thinks it’s just fine and dandy. He feeds the betta boy every three to four days because if he does it any sooner the water will get dirty really quick. And he changes the water whenever he gets around to it. Alright, so it’s one thing if people are somehow managing in small gallon amounts and keeping things steady but this is just absurd.
So I'm battling him with the knowledge of swimming room, the differences in the natural stable habitat and his puddle, the ammonia/nitrite issue, ect but it doesn't seem to click. All that's getting through is the fact that mine died while his didn't. (Oh, let's see here, it died while being in the un-heated unsuitable tank. Not in the larger filtered and heated one. Hmm). It's surviving (barely, in my opinion) but no where near thriving.
The bottom line is how can I get this through to him? It just seems so cruel to me. But with the class and quite wise teacher oblivious, am I really just over-reacting?
I've thought of a few ideas though. Like maybe, off the top of my head, I could ask for a few water samples over a period of time right before he changes it and test it at my house for the levels. Then take these levels, print off information, and show him what damage (with his test results as some physical evidence) and stress he's inflicting on his fish.
And also with feeding, shouldn't a varied food be fed more regularly? One or two days for constipation relief may be fine but are such intervals all the time alright? I thought it would have the opposite effect and cause processing issues.
And what are some other things I can bring up with research?
Alright, well, sorry for the rant (or if some parts sounded funny, I can't think right now). It's just his personality for the argument has been annoying the hell out of me. So am I going over the top? Whirling off the table? I feel like a need some other input here to either calm me down thinking it's not as bad as it seems or reasons for back-up. I can practically guarantee not many off these bettas have lived till now and if I hear Chiarella will be doing this a second time, I'm going to be up all in it if you all don't reassure me its fine.
Thanks guys.
Yuri
When I started up my community tank at the same time I didn't know much so it didn't bother me. But quickly, it did.
Once the experiment had ended I had realized enough so when I was able to come up with the cash I bought a five gallon to be cycled for him. He stayed there for as long as I could manage before switching him back over to his one gallon for the cycle to complete. My Betta boy died of temperature shock in the one gallon.
A friend of mine, Tyler, still has his betta though and the issue over suitable environments was brought up again today in seventh period. Tyler keeps his betta in a 1/4 of gallon container and thinks it’s just fine and dandy. He feeds the betta boy every three to four days because if he does it any sooner the water will get dirty really quick. And he changes the water whenever he gets around to it. Alright, so it’s one thing if people are somehow managing in small gallon amounts and keeping things steady but this is just absurd.
So I'm battling him with the knowledge of swimming room, the differences in the natural stable habitat and his puddle, the ammonia/nitrite issue, ect but it doesn't seem to click. All that's getting through is the fact that mine died while his didn't. (Oh, let's see here, it died while being in the un-heated unsuitable tank. Not in the larger filtered and heated one. Hmm). It's surviving (barely, in my opinion) but no where near thriving.
The bottom line is how can I get this through to him? It just seems so cruel to me. But with the class and quite wise teacher oblivious, am I really just over-reacting?
I've thought of a few ideas though. Like maybe, off the top of my head, I could ask for a few water samples over a period of time right before he changes it and test it at my house for the levels. Then take these levels, print off information, and show him what damage (with his test results as some physical evidence) and stress he's inflicting on his fish.
And also with feeding, shouldn't a varied food be fed more regularly? One or two days for constipation relief may be fine but are such intervals all the time alright? I thought it would have the opposite effect and cause processing issues.
And what are some other things I can bring up with research?
Alright, well, sorry for the rant (or if some parts sounded funny, I can't think right now). It's just his personality for the argument has been annoying the hell out of me. So am I going over the top? Whirling off the table? I feel like a need some other input here to either calm me down thinking it's not as bad as it seems or reasons for back-up. I can practically guarantee not many off these bettas have lived till now and if I hear Chiarella will be doing this a second time, I'm going to be up all in it if you all don't reassure me its fine.
Thanks guys.
Yuri
