Aqua Man

I've not updated about the gold fish for a while. Greta is still doing well, and seemed to be happy in her vase/bowl contraption I had set up in my apartment. However, winter is approaching the Valley rapidly, and along with it, serious cold. Greta is a Betta fish, whose native climate is tropical. I've read form various sources that the species thrives in temperatures in the mid-to-upper seventies, though they can survive in waters as cold as 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

My apartment does not have central heating and cooling, but rather two wall units in the front and back of the space. This is economical for me and the environment, as I spend no energy or money heating an empty apartment while I am at work during the day, or even heating the other side of my apartment when I am in my bedroom.

Unfortunately, this means the temperature can get downright frigid during cold days and nights, which is not good for the fish. The other night was a chilly, but not horrible temperature, and Greta's water registered at just 67 degrees. That is probably too cold for her. And the temperature fluctuations between day and night and at the whim of my personal comfort are even worse for her.

So, rather than spend about $20 on a heater to maintain the temperature for my $0.13 fish, I bought a $10 decent-looking aquarium for her and moved her into my office at work. As much as we at work complain about the inconsistency of our building's heating system, it does manage to maintain a fairly stable temperature in the low 70's, which is much better for her. The new aquarium also has a self-filtering system and bubbler, which means changing water less frequently, and more space for her to explore (I even ponied up for a nice little fake plant). Here's a picture of the new digs:



She survived the first night, though I think it took her some getting used to the sound of the bubbler and the direct light from the aquarium lid. She seems to be enjoying the new space, plant and attention.