Vlad and the Platys (Betta Wars... a long intro)

[PurityFailed]

Heyla everyone!

I've been lurking around the newsgroups (mostly the marine sections) for about
two years now, being the *good* aspiring fishkeeper and trying to absorb
everything I could from NG's, sites, books and divine intervention. ;) I've
spent nights pouring over books taking notes and generally being a pest to the
local library. And one of the easiest things to understand is not to put
annoying active fin-nippers with a virtual fin snack bar.

So tell me... how is it that after two years of studying and longing after the
ideal healthy happy tank that I end up with 5 platys and a betta?? A boyfriend
with good intentions that's how. But more on interpersonal relations another
time and NG...

First off, for some reason I didn't have a lot of faith in fishless cycling.
Sad but true I figured that if there wasn't something that needed care in the
tank I'd keep putting off the dream and spend my money on something useful. ;)
So after conditioning the water for my 38-39gal (not too sure as I've had the
tank for years just waiting for courage) and getting it up to temp the Platys
arrived. One DOA but after shipping stress wore off the little guys were
nibbling at everything and trying to mate all day. Full color, clear eyes and
happy gills.

Yay, thought I, with test kits in hand showing low (>.5 ammonia) bad stuff and
slightly rising nitrites. Then the boyfriend arrived, bag full of Betta in
hand and so excited to get him right in there with his new 'friends'. I should
have put my foot down and given him a crash-course in fishies after he'd
returned the little guy, but silliness prevailed and after a 2 hour acclimation
in went the soon-to-be dubbed Sir Vladimir. Then came the lecture.

And amazingly, 2 weeks after the Betta's intro nothing's happened! Vlad stays
on his side, and the Platys hang out either above him or on their side of the
tank near the filter output. At feeding time the filter goes off and again
they're on their respective sides so getting enough food to Vlad's a breeze.
Heavily (fake) planted tank so perhaps that helps out, but I'm really amazed.
Vlad's fins are full and un-tugged, he eats like a pig and cruises around his
territory like nothing's amiss. If one of the tank irritants shows up he just
poofs up and gives a gill-flare and they're outta there. We've been through an
Ick outbreak so that's prolonged the cycling, but aside from that everybody
seems happy.

So anyway, that's my story and I'm stuck with it. ;) Happy fishkeeping and
thanks for reading!

Jessica

[T]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> Heyla everyone!
>
> I've been lurking around the newsgroups (mostly the marine sections) for
about
> two years now, being the *good* aspiring fishkeeper and trying to absorb
> everything I could from NG's, sites, books and divine intervention. ;)
I've
> spent nights pouring over books taking notes and generally being a pest to
the
> local library. And one of the easiest things to understand is not to put
> annoying active fin-nippers with a virtual fin snack bar.
>
> So tell me... how is it that after two years of studying and longing after
the
> ideal healthy happy tank that I end up with 5 platys and a betta?? A
boyfriend
> with good intentions that's how. But more on interpersonal relations
another
> time and NG...
>
> First off, for some reason I didn't have a lot of faith in fishless
cycling.
> Sad but true I figured that if there wasn't something that needed care in
the
> tank I'd keep putting off the dream and spend my money on something
useful. ;)
> So after conditioning the water for my 38-39gal (not too sure as I've had
the
> tank for years just waiting for courage) and getting it up to temp the
Platys
> arrived. One DOA but after shipping stress wore off the little guys were
> nibbling at everything and trying to mate all day. Full color, clear eyes
and
> happy gills.
>
> Yay, thought I, with test kits in hand showing low (>.5 ammonia) bad stuff
and
> slightly rising nitrites. Then the boyfriend arrived, bag full of Betta
in
> hand and so excited to get him right in there with his new 'friends'. I
should
> have put my foot down and given him a crash-course in fishies after he'd
> returned the little guy, but silliness prevailed and after a 2 hour
acclimation
> in went the soon-to-be dubbed Sir Vladimir. Then came the lecture.
>
> And amazingly, 2 weeks after the Betta's intro nothing's happened! Vlad
stays
> on his side, and the Platys hang out either above him or on their side of
the
> tank near the filter output. At feeding time the filter goes off and
again
> they're on their respective sides so getting enough food to Vlad's a
breeze.
> Heavily (fake) planted tank so perhaps that helps out, but I'm really
amazed.
> Vlad's fins are full and un-tugged, he eats like a pig and cruises around
his
> territory like nothing's amiss. If one of the tank irritants shows up he
just
> poofs up and gives a gill-flare and they're outta there. We've been
through an
> Ick outbreak so that's prolonged the cycling, but aside from that
everybody
> seems happy.
>
> So anyway, that's my story and I'm stuck with it. ;) Happy fishkeeping
and
> thanks for reading!
>
> Jessica
>
>

Hey Jessica.. It does not sound like the tank is terrible loaded down, so
perhaps you have gotten away with a mini cycle.. Keep track of the Ammonia
and Nit's.. Have you introduced some salt to the tank? This will help the
Platies with thier slime coats and and lower thier chance of Ick.. I am not
to terrible sure how the Betta will like the salt ( I suspect he won't like
it to twerrible much, but most likely will not kill him eithier ). Platies
and Mollies seem ceceptable to contracting ick if they don't have brakish
water.. And BTW.. Wlecome to the hobby, and congrats on finally setting up
the dust collector..

Tim

[PurityFailed]

>Platies
>and Mollies seem ceceptable to contracting ick if they don't have brakish
>water

>Tim

Funny thing about that. It was Vlad that got Ick and it never spread to the
other little buggers. I've been nose-to-glass since the first outbreak and
they're still fine. Salt's on my list of secondary supplies already, but
thanks for the confirmation on that. I'm still debating over whether or not to
add it regularly as I'm still not sure how the Betta'll take it. Maybe when
the boyfriend gets his 10 gallon set up and moves Vlad.

Jessica

[Splitskull]

Why filter is going off? Leave it all the time. Vlad will chase his food
don't worry. maybe not in the first 2-3 days, but if he didn't get anything,
on the forth day you will see how he's chasing the food! At least this what
my Betta is doing.... and he's doing super!

--

------Splitskull-----

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
| Heyla everyone!
| At feeding time the filter goes off and again
| they're on their respective sides so getting enough food to Vlad's a
breeze.

[PurityFailed]

>Why filter is going off?

I'm glad to hear your Betta's doing great :)

I simply prefer to reduce filter output during feeding time since the Platys
are so quick and Vlad (even when he's trying to be quick) is much slower than
they are.

Having the filter slower at feeding time just gives him an extra chance to get
his portion along with the hogs. ;) He chases as much as he can, but those
Platys are olympic swimmers compared to him.

Another reason is so the filter doesn't immediately blow the food to the bottom
of the tank since my guys like to top feed. Sure, the Platys will scrounge
around at the bottom but for right now since I don't have any strict bottom
feeders, I'm a bit nervous about too much detritus (sp?) settling.

Happy Fishkeeping!
Jessica

[NetMax]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
> Heyla everyone!
>
> I've been lurking around the newsgroups (mostly the marine sections)
for about
> two years now, being the *good* aspiring fishkeeper and trying to
absorb
> everything I could from NG's, sites, books and divine intervention. ;)
I've
> spent nights pouring over books taking notes and generally being a pest
to the
> local library. And one of the easiest things to understand is not to
put
> annoying active fin-nippers with a virtual fin snack bar.
>
> So tell me... how is it that after two years of studying and longing
after the
> ideal healthy happy tank that I end up with 5 platys and a betta?? A
boyfriend
> with good intentions that's how. But more on interpersonal relations
another
> time and NG...

Sounds like you are on the right track. Bettas are not predictable. I
often drop a different Betta into my Danio tank. The company of 100
Zebras is enough to make most Bettas run for cover, and I'll know if he
needs to be rescued in about 5 minutes. The danios are always curious
and crowd around the Betta. Either the Betta runs for the cover of the
plants (and I'll just net him out to a quieter tank), or he stands his
ground, flaring and posturing at the closest danios. In the first 5
minutes, this Betta learns that he can scare them all off, and the danios
learn he is bad company to mess with, and all is well. I average about a
50% success rate. They do much better in slightly calmer tanks (about
80-90% success). Vlad is tougher than you know.

NetMax

>
> So anyway, that's my story and I'm stuck with it. ;) Happy fishkeeping
and
> thanks for reading!
>
> Jessica
>
>

[TYNK 7]

(snipped)


>Subject: Re: Vlad and the Platys (Betta Wars... a long intro)
>From: "T"
>Date: 3/16/2004 2:06 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: .net>

>I am not
>to terrible sure how the Betta will like the salt ( I suspect he won't like
>it to twerrible much, but most likely will not kill him eithier )

Bettas benefit from adding aquarium salt to their tank. = )


> Platies
>and Mollies seem ceceptable to contracting ick if they don't have brakish
>water.. And BTW

I would never recommend adding enough salt to make a freshwater tank brackish
that houses fish that aren't brackish..such as a betta.
A little is fine, but to make it brackish..nope.
Mollies shouldn't really be in totally fresh water either, and should be kept
in brackish. Platies...I've never heard of them being brackish, just that they
benefit from the addition of salt.

[PurityFailed]

>Platies...I've never heard of them being brackish, just that they
>benefit from the addition of salt.

>TYNK 7

I'm with you here, I think. I appreciate the suggestions made but since
everyone appears to be shiny and happy I think I'll wait on the addition of
salt until problems begin.

I have a theory that I haven't been able to concretely (heh) back up with
anything read so far regarding my ick outbreak...

I'm thinking that the Platys came from an ick tank and had somehow built up a
resistance to it. And when Vlad was brought in the stress of asserting himself
made him succeptible to it. I'm pretty sure ick can live dormant (in tank
water from the store or on the fish I don't remember where I picked that one
up) but could I get a confirmation on this? Maybe a lead?

The reason I'm blaming the Platys is because they were (as usual) in a tank
full of other fish while Vlad was probably in one of the itty bitty cups most
of his life seeing how he came from Meijer. For some reason the source is
nagging at me. LOL.

Thanks everyone,

Jessica

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Vlad and the Platys (Betta Wars... a long intro)
>From: (PurityFailed)
>Date: 3/18/2004 12:13 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>>Platies...I've never heard of them being brackish, just that they
>>benefit from the addition of salt.
>
>>TYNK 7
>
>I'm with you here, I think. I appreciate the suggestions made but since
>everyone appears to be shiny and happy I think I'll wait on the addition of
>salt until problems begin.
>
>I have a theory that I haven't been able to concretely (heh) back up with
>anything read so far regarding my ick outbreak...
>
>I'm thinking that the Platys came from an ick tank and had somehow built up a
>resistance to it. And when Vlad was brought in the stress of asserting
>himself
>made him succeptible to it. I'm pretty sure ick can live dormant (in tank
>water from the store or on the fish I don't remember where I picked that one
>up) but could I get a confirmation on this? Maybe a lead?
>
>The reason I'm blaming the Platys is because they were (as usual) in a tank
>full of other fish while Vlad was probably in one of the itty bitty cups most
>of his life seeing how he came from Meijer. For some reason the source is
>nagging at me. LOL.
>
>Thanks everyone,
>
>Jessica
>

There's quite the debate in the fish trade as to whether or not the Ich
parasite is present at all times in water...or introduced.
All I know is that the last time my 29g had an Ich outbreak......it hadn't ever
had one before and no new fish had been introduced. We were getting new carpet
laid down so I had to break down the tank and move it. It ended up having a 50%
water change (i could only save half the water). After all was put back
together, a few days later the fish had Ich. No doubt from the stress of it all
(stress can lesson the fish's resistance).
I am one to believe it's there at all times just waiting for a fish's immune
system to be comprimised
Then again...who knows if those fish I had for several years without an Ich
breakout in that tank came to me with the parasite on them when they were
babies. I guess it's possible....however, I think unlikely.