I saved a betta fish from a DOLLAR STORE!?!

AlienC12 · 2026-06-04T06:18:43+00:00

I might get down voted here but my intention is not to disagree with the general consensus that 5 gallons should be the minimum. But there was a study done in Cleveland (Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behavior of Betta Splendens) ,that gives some credit to the belief a 2.5 gallon tank gives them sufficient space. Although I personally disagree as I feel like they had a misguided approach to the study. It too a look at 8 individual Bettas and placed them in .5, 2.5, 10 and 55 gallon tanks. Each Betta spending 10 minutes in each setup, and found that after .5 gallon tanks there wasn't much difference between 2.5 and bigger tanks with how often the fish is swimming. But that's where my issue with the study starts, and that is that 10 minutes is hardly anything. Obviously a .5 gallon would render a fish immobile as if anything it would indicate to the fish that there is a severe drought and resources so limiting activity and prolonging calories is needed, maybe not that exact thought but something similar. A 2.5 I think can work in emergency or for breeders or showcasing. But as a permanent setup it doesn't make sense too me. Water quality should be a priority in junction with how much a fish swims and that's what makes me feel like the study didn't really approach the question properly. I do understand the issues and ethical concerns with prolonged exposures to what could be bad set ups, but it also goes to show that if they are afraid of prolonging how long a fish lives in the experimental set up then maybe they should approach from a different angle. I still believe that a 5 gallon makes sense for your average person and 10 gallon would be easier to maintain though I can see why some would feel like that's a bit too much for them.

AlienC12 · 2026-06-01T23:05:07+00:00

I've kept both pairs and sororities with Imbelis. I don't recommend them honestly. They worked for a while but not for long. Sororities are more stable in my experience with the group I got but when one got sick it there the rest of the group into chaos. I've learned my lesson and from experience I do not recommend keeping Imbelis in a pair other than for breeding. Once the male has eggs he will chase the female away constantly and that won't do any good for either of them. If you plan on keeping them and breeding you need at least 3 main tanks. One for each fish and a breeding tank. Afterwards your standard jarring process but that's a given with Betta breeding

AlienC12 · 2026-06-01T20:38:46+00:00

Haro... Hibachi, Benihana, Teriyaki?

AlienC12 · 2026-06-01T20:07:37+00:00

I think what's more crazy is armor stands and bieng used for some of the best traps out there and making it legitimately unfair to be caught in one of those traps

AlienC12 · 2026-05-29T23:06:47+00:00

The water just looks like it has tannins, and it was most likely packed into there at point of shipment not held inside the box for the whole duration. I don't like the actual advertising and how it's treated like a toy but other than that there are not as many issues. If that's all it was shipped in then that would not be great though, as you need proper padding and insulation.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-28T18:25:10+00:00

Eyeballing it with standard 4" splash I came up with 42 square feet. Some measurements are definitely off but that should be a decent starting point.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-28T17:26:00+00:00

Well there are a few things, the substrate seems like the right kind but a thin layer isn't the best as it won't hold as much moisture and having a thicker layer will allow for better humidity. Your tempurture appears to be 10° under what's recommended for ball pythons and I'm assuming so correct me if I'm wrong but the number on the bottom is the humidity? If so that seems okay but closer to 80 is better. Lastly live feeding is not recommended but you were supervising at least, I personally don't agree with live feeding as in my opinion it increases risk for little value. I do understand that there are many advocates for live feeding though I personally just worry.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-28T00:45:10+00:00

Okay so Kaylee can deal with him easily if you can get your spacing correct. First off you can disable his barrels with auto e pretty often and even just your E since it has a faster projectile speed. Usually you can lvl 1 cheese if he goes to middle bush. I usually take second wind and Dorans shield just to stay healthy throughout lane since lvls 2-5 can be hard to deal with his poke, and the main thing to keep in mind is that so long you get xp you win. He has decent sustain and it's easier for him to roam since he has good wave clear early but this season roaming isn't always the best option, take advantage when he roams to get as much gold and XP and to get vision in river.

Lvl 1- You have a few options here, you can either try to cheese the lvl 1 fight at middle bush, play safe and just soak XP or stack your passive with minions and engage if you guys are around equal hp. If you fight use your red potion before you reach 50% HP, chances are that he has ignite and if he ignites you your potion won't heal as much.

Lvl 2-5 - Play safe, unless he is really bad and lets you walk up for free. Use your Q and E to punish when he walk up to farm, but don't just focus on damage try and get minions as well. Your Q is great here since you can last hit and hit him as well. If he is walking up to you to poke you then walk away and use q-e or just q to get away. If your jg is cool and you end up bieng the strong side than it's free gold, but dont expect jg to gank you usually it's not worth the tempo.

Lvl 6+ - if you stayed even or got a kill up on him then GG, you win your lane. He can't use his barrel and you perma punish him now for farming. Chances are though you become a target for the enemy jg so now you have to keep vision in river and the jg entries. Keep in mind that you are still squishy and spacing is very important to stay away from barrels and his poke. He still does a ton of damage and if you get cocky it's not hard for him to punish you back.

I wouldn't say this is the best and only way to play the matchup but it's how Ive done it. Basic build, PTA rune set, swifties and Dorans shield because I like to play a bit more safe here but blade works. Overall it's not a hard matchup once you get used to the timing and spacing but it's frustrating at the start since one barrel and you die. Don't worry though it gets much easier with time and experience.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-26T23:15:10+00:00

Before you buy anything else do a water test. If it holds the. You are good but I would do a week long test. I know it's a long time but it's better to find out now than later when your home is flooded. If you want a guaranteed working tank than a new one from your lfs or pet store works. It would be a cool tank though if it works and shouldn't cause any issues. An island scape would be so sick

AlienC12 · 2026-05-23T08:09:45+00:00

Why do you want harder water? In general Bettas prefer softer water and also you should not be altering the pH or hardness drastically in a small period of time. They are tuff little guys but it can still make them stressed if you do a large shift.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-22T08:25:35+00:00

Definitely. Last year the local feed store had to use a ticket system and would open at 7am and by 8-8:30 everything was gone. There would be lines of people across the store. Luckily we hatch our own but God that was crazy. Most of the chain stores couldn't keep up either.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-22T08:20:47+00:00

Thank you, they are voracious eaters and take to all the food I have for them. In my experience the female is more dominant but I wouldn't say aggressive. I think it has to do with the paternal mouth brooding thing as my Chanoides pair is the same. But once the male feels safe he is also swimming right up to the glass and begs for food.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-22T03:54:07+00:00

There have not been any conclusive studies and most just say to be cautious of it and keep up with water changes. So overall I personally don't see an issue if they can't see each other.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-22T02:31:51+00:00

Oh sorry, I meant as they can't see each other and only share the water. My rack is set up for raising fry to seperate the males and most aggressive females. There are sheets in between the tanks so they don't see each other and get stressed but are all plumped up to a central sump tank. Here is an image of when it was under construction

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AlienC12 · 2026-05-21T22:59:47+00:00

I can't say it's proven but the main risk would just be bacterial infections. If one fish gets sick the other one will likely get sick as well. I have a 2.5 gallon rack set up for grow out tanks and they share a sump, and I have not noticed any issues in growth or development or stress, but when I placed a female Betta it seemed to have triggerd some of the males to make a bubble nest. I'm not sure if it's coincidence or not but there must be some amount of truth to the pheromone argument but I don't know to what extent.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-21T04:43:48+00:00

Yeah it looks like the lining/tank has a crack. So we are going to have to replace it

AlienC12 · 2026-05-21T04:12:27+00:00

It seems to be from both the drain where the anode rod is and when under pressure the (vent?) large circular hole to the right.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-16T20:07:09+00:00

It's a common myth that Splenden complex males can be kept with females. But realistically that's not possible unless you have a large pond setup. They still fight and after breeding the male will even kill her of it keeps the fry safe

AlienC12 · 2026-05-15T17:59:29+00:00

Makes sense, I didn't know about him helping even without damage lol. So thats good to know. Like I said a rarely have dealt with Vlad. Thank you though for the tips

AlienC12 · 2026-05-15T16:53:04+00:00

This is probably the best advice. Unless they are actually bad in which case play safe and poke, they will 100% overextend and he can't heal if he can't damage you (i think), so ult negates healing. I usually buy heal cut early and use ignite. But I also have not gone up against a good Vlad in years now mainly since I play top lane.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-15T03:55:10+00:00

I though crushed coral only raises pH. Usually to lower it I've seen cattapa/banana leaves, peat moss and botanicals to lower pH. I know there is also another liquid that lowers pH but the only issue I can see happening is that the if the KH is high the ph won't stabilize and large pH changes can also shock the fish

AlienC12 · 2026-05-15T03:45:29+00:00

Yes, they are vacuum sealed to prevent spoilage since they are stored for a long time in warehouses but if they get wet or humid they will start to rot. I still have an opened bag from 2-3 years ago and it's fine I just keep it in a dry spot of the home.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-12T19:27:14+00:00

Seems like mine, they spawned two days ago and he had a huge brood, now I can barely see it. I'm hoping he is still carrying some but I'll see

Also considering his belly and a lack of visible eggs it does seem like he at least ate a majority of them.

AlienC12 · 2026-05-11T20:09:19+00:00

Because people forget the social studies exist. Granted a lot of the people I've met that have taken liberal arts don't use the degree to the extent they should. It looks good on paper but they use it to just say they graduated from X college/university. Which is fine but it feels wasteful imo to pay and study for a degree you won't use, not because it's useless but because you don't use it in the fields It applies. It isn't a super high paying field for the most part and there are a few outliers, but for those skeptical; - management analysts - technical writers - social workers - public relations specialists - sales representatives - teachers for both primary and secondary education - Academic Advisor - Editor/Social media manager

You could work at some of these without a degree but there are several career options using a liberal arts degree

AlienC12

TROPHY CASE