I picked up a 5 Gallon fish tank and accessories!

Part 1 - Background and Fish I Considered

When I moved into my new apartment (around March, thanks to me breaking up with my boyfriend and wanting to live closer to work), I wanted something to take care of. Sure, my parents old cactus is great, but I'm pretty sure its dead (a story for another time). Because all apartment complexes are evil, they make you pay extra a month for housing a larger pet. With that, I decided I wanted a fish, as I haven't had one since a goldfish in a Spongebob Squarepants 2 Gallon tank in Elementary School. I remember that we had a Spongebob statue in our tank and I was terrfiied our little goldfish would get stuck between his legs (true story), but he never did.

I haven't picked up my newest roommate yet, but I did a TON of research about what fish to get, what size tank to get, and what I needed to take care of the little guy. I ended up deciding to get a betta fish, which to be honest, I didn't really want because they are pretty popular. I wanted a fish that may not get adopted because it isn't shiny and pretty! However, having a roommate (who is a human) who didn't want a fish - I needed a small tank versus a large one. And let me tell you - there are like 0 fish that can live and thrive in a 5 Gallon tank. 10 Gallons is HUGE. I wanted to put my tank in the kitchen because I don't have any room in my bedroom (thanks to my video game merch collection mostly).

The only animals that could be contained in a 5 gallon tank were like minnows (small schooling fish), snails and miniature crabs (NO THANK YOU). Here's a little more information on the fish I looked up when I thought about getting a bigger tank and more specifically, they were my favorites seen at the pet stores:

1. Neon Tetra

2. Long-Finned Blushing White Skirt Tetra

3. Dalmation Molly

4. Sunburst Platy

The Neon Tetra is a cute little bright blue fish with a red tail. I love the colors on these little guys and the way they look when they zoom around in the water. However, looking them up, Neon Tetras are schooling fish, meaning they need multiple of the same fish (or other compatible ones) to live stress-free. I really only want one fish, so I put my love for these shiny fish aside.

The first fish I was considering was the Long-Finned Blushing White Skirt Tetra. Try saying that 10x fast! I love how this fish has black eyes and you can see all its organs. It reminds me of one of those 90's controllers that are made of see-through plastic so you can see the inside parts working their magic. Honestly though, it reminds me of a zombie, and I considered getting one to name him after a Resident Evil character or something. Again, there Tetras are schooling fish and wouldn't be happy alone.

Dalmation Mollies are also very pretty. They are as their name intends, black and white spotted fish. Mollies have flat looking tails and oval bodies. These fish are cute, but are schooling fish and need multiple of each other to feel happy. A Dalmation Molly wasn't high on my list, but they would look soooo good with the design of my black-and-white tank. Shame.

Last is the Sunburst Platy. Guess what? It's also a schooling fish! Platies are also common fish for people to pick out, so they were low on my list of wants. Still, these fish are pretty with orange and reg bodies, resembling Mollies. I learned that, well, learning about fish safety causes you to not have a lot of options for a smaller tank. I'm very proud of myself for researching about fish tanks beforehand though, because I can't imagine purchasing a fish and having the poor critter die due to its unhappiness or stress levels.

As I said before, I will be picking out a Betta fish. I was thinking about getting a male, because they are more common and easier to find, but if  I see a female who stands out I may pick her up. I have to do some research on where to pick up my Betta fish, as I want to know where they come from and how the conditions were from where they were raised. I will discuss this further as I come closer to the time to pick up my fish; I read online to let you tank run for a week and that's what I plan on doing.

Have any advice on what color Betta would look good in my tank? I want to hear it! Thanks!

Love,

glimmer