Now that your tank is set up, you have food ready, and you have your little guy at home and ready, it's time to put him in the tank.
DON'T TAKE HIM OUT OF THE CUP YET!!!!!
-whew- Ok, before you take him out of the cup and drop him in his new home, there are a few things to do first:
If you have testing kits for pH, ammonia, and nitrates, then do it for the tank and cup, if possible. You're trying to get as close as possible between the two before you toss him in.
Float the cup in the tank for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This will get the temperature close enough that your betta won't fly into shock once he is in the tank. My cups tended to tip and float all over the tank, so I taped it to the side with blue painter's tape.
Next, try to add a little bit of the tank water into the cup so he can slowly get use to the change. Take a little bit of the old water out, and add just as much tank water in. Once you have Most or all new tank water in the cup, float him for 5 more minutes, then either net him or tip him in.
Remember that acclimation is a stressful process, and it will take more time that the few minutes that your betta is floating. Be sure to monitor him for the next few days and watch for signs of weakness or illness, and treat accordingly. Your betta should hide for a minute or two (after all, he was just kicked out of his familiar cup into a strange new home with different water.) He should soon kick into exploratory mode and start examining the tank. Don't be surprised if he attacks his reflection in the glass. Just make sure to watch and see how he fares in the new tank. See if the filter is making too strong of a current for him, or if the intake valve is going to pose a problem.
After a week or so, your betta should be perfectly acclimated to his new home and you can start teaching him tricks. I wish Quinn would do my homework for me once and a while.
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