New Year Aquarium Tricks & Hacks

Greetings from Felix and Mars who have had their first winter's holiday with me. I spoiled them as best I could, and they're doing wonderfully. They especially appreciate Ultra Fresh Shrimp Delight BETTA PRO Shrimp Patties. I got a gift card for the pet store from Santa in my stocking that I've yet to use. I'd gotten Mars a little dolphin pot to sleep in which he loved but I'm going to have to say no to suction cups as it kept on falling down and scratched my acrylic tank. This really bothered me, and I'd been trying to figure how to remove the scratches with the fish in the tank. I was sort of thinking it could not be done, but I was wrong. First, I'd used a sponge designed for ceramic stove tops, thought that might work. It didn't. I got a four way nail buffer: even out, smooth, buff, and shine and a polishing cloth for skin at the dollar store: $2 total. That worked in a matter of minutes, and I'm very grateful and wanted to share. Also, I'm big into live plants, all sorts, and do not want any plastic plants in my tanks that could damage my beautiful fish. I do fertilize them, but found I was often replacing the plants in Mars' tank, especially, and aquarium plants aren't cheap: $15 a piece. Both my Bettas loved the tiny lily pads I'd been getting off of Amazon. They loved lounging and floating in them, even think they might've been nibbling at the Baby's Tears, but those only lasted a couple of weeks. They just seemed to dissolve and disintegrate. On a whim I'd first just added some little vines that I'd planted in some of my houseplant planters. They weren't doing well on their own. They are sort of like Vinca Vines. They float. This worked, somehow, and they've even rooted, so I decided to try some other houseplant cuttings in Mars' amphora. My houseplants can get out of hand and look like a jungle, so do need trimming. Both the Parlor Palm and Purple Passion worked, and I found Mars and Neptune, the catfish, in them often. I've seen those little plastic leaves with the suction cups that they call Betta Hammocks. They look a lot like Anthurium leaves, so I decided to try some of those as floaters too. They love them, especially Mars. He sleeps on them as if they were a bed. I had already been using the dried almond leaves. Another thing my fish love, especially Felix, is to see real flowers sitting outside along their tanks. I'd started this with Felix back in July when he wasn't feeling well, and continue to bring him flowers til this day.