Baby Betta on the way!

[Lolita]

BethyMT has mailed me a baby betta HMPK! If USPS behaves well, he will arrive at my office tomorrow morning. I have an empty 5 gallon chi waiting for him there, and I'll be bringing some filter media from my tank with me to get an instant cycle.

It'll be a temporary home for him at my office--he'll be there for 1 week and then he'll be a surprise Christmas present for my sister and nephew! The chi will be going with him, but I will be adding plants, gravel and hideyholes for him.

Should I drip acclimate him when he arrives, or will it be safe to slowly add small scoops of the tank water to his water until it's totally diluted, then pass him over to the tank?

Usually that's how I do it and I've never had a problem, but I'm not sure how sensitive fish are after being sent in the mail! I've never ordered one online before, so they're usually going from water that is very similar to my own and barely need acclimation.

Also, will the bare-bottom tank be okay for him for about a week? (More like 5 and a half days, I'm setting the tank up some time on Christmas eve or the Sunday before when my sister isn't home.)

[Lady Hobbs]

Adding tank water to his water is acclimating him. Hope you like your new guest and he loves his tank.

[Cyberra]

*jealous* ¬¬

[imma24]

Should I drip acclimate him when he arrives, or will it be safe to slowly add small scoops of the tank water to his water until it's totally diluted, then pass him over to the tank?

Also, will the bare-bottom tank be okay for him for about a week? (More like 5 and a half days, I'm setting the tank up some time on Christmas eve or the Sunday before when my sister isn't home.)

Like Lady Hobbs said, slowly adding water to the bettas water is the way many of us acclimate new fish.

Bare bottom tanks are fine - I have one in my QT where I keep new fish for 2 weeks.

Enjoy - and what a nice gift!

[Lolita]

:D Thanks guys!

I'm just nervous about receiving a fish through the mail lol. I can't wait to see the look on my nephew's face when he sees his new fishie on Christmas! :D

[bethyMT]

Hey!

All the fish I've sent have arrived in good shape...you can probably expect him to be freaked out and stripey, but once he's in his tank, he will eventually calm down. He will also be hungry. I've had these fry in a bare bottom tank since they got here, so he's used to that already. Your acclimation process sounds fine.

I was very daunted by recieveing/sending fish in the mail, but it's been all right...in some ways bettas are perfect for it because they don't need a tremendous amount of water and can breathe air in the bag. There's enough air in that bag to last a few days. I'm sure you'll do a great job getting him set up for your nephew.

[Lolita]

:D Okay thanks! This is making me feel much better haha.

He's already been processed through my post office. So he should be here within the next three hours. It says he's guaranteed by 3 pm! :)

I can't decide if I should do sand or gravel for this tank! I have to figure out how to decorate it for my sister and nephew. My dad was like "Do bright rocks!" but... I want it to look nice lol.