I started my fishkeeping hobby roughly 2 months ago, when the idea occurred that gazing at an aquarium would help lower my stress levels.
I've always loved the ocean and was fascinated by sea creatures since I was a young child. Growing up, my parents kept a wide variety of fish, so naturally this choice seemed a perfect fit.
Since I am new to the hobby, I decided the best course of action was to adopt a fish in need. I scoured the internet and happened upon this intriguing ad for a female betta fish:
The person seemed genuinely concerned for the well-being of the betta, and so I, neither a child nor someone who shuns the responsibility of owning a pet, sent a message expressing my interest. Lucky enough, I was chosen to adopt the fish, who was named Moonstone, and even got the 5 gallon tank for free!
When I got her, Moonstone's tank was filthy. The only contents were multicoloured blue gravel that was covered in icky black waste. I wasted (haha) no time in sprucing up her tank, choosing Fluval stratum as the substrate and placing live plants inside. I prefer living plants and organic matter to plastic ones, both in my home and my aquariums. They offer such a comforting, natural vibe, and they benefit the tank's ecosystem too.
Being ever the indecisive one, the lucky betta got 2 different betta hammocks because I could not decide which colour was better, although she really only uses the green one in the right corner. I also got a cute tree decor with a heart shaped hole, and a charming crescent moon sticker to represent her name.
As Moonstone is a betta fish, she prefers to live without the company of other fish, but that doesn't mean she is alone in the tank. An rather large onion nerite snail by the name of Snorlax and a batman nerite inhabit the tank with her.
It's been roughly 2 months since we adopted Moonstone and she appears well. She eats a diet of betta crumbles with a weekly treat of a couple bloodworms or boiled peas. I've never owned a betta fish before, and after this experience I do agree that they are a lovely and easy fish to care for. Perhaps I'll adopt another once Moonstone has lived out the rest of her days.
Name: Moonstone
Species: Betta
Gotcha day: March 6th, 2022
