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Anita

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Posts posted by Anita

    An Aquarist's Journey

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    1 minute ago, H20CultureLabs said:

    Here is a spooky picture for everyone; the successful safety test of the top aquariums. Its a bit unnerving seeing 400lbs of water just "hanging" there, but its great to see that it not only works, but it appears to be safe as well. 

    That is very impressive!🤩

    I wonder, to reduce excessive wear & tear on those drawer slides over time, how about cutting a short length of 2"x4" to create a temporary brace? You could wedge the brace under an extended shelf to help take some of the load off the drawer slide. Just a thought. 🤓

    • Thanks 1

    Pond without electricity?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    51 minutes ago, Celly Rasbora said:

    I've always wanted to do that, but I'm not handy and it seems too complicated to me. Is there a guide for someone like me with zero understanding of what you even said just now?

    I bought a solar fountain kit online for $125. This one is 20 W, 360GPH and comes with everything I needed—solar panel, wiring, output tube. The key is not to go too cheap, or you will discover the pump isn't strong enough to lift the water high enough for whatever DIY project you might have in mind. 

    solar-fountain.jpg.6ab86500e5cda699c963389497a208f0.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Pond without electricity?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    16 hours ago, CalmedByFish said:

    I'm having fun thinking through how to have an outdoor pond, but I have no access to electricity outdoors. Anything powered would have to be solar. Is it always necessary to have powered filtration, aeration, water movement, etc? 

    I set up a summer-season-only outdoor pond, a plastic kiddie pool. It is quite shallow, maybe 10 inches deep. I estimate it holds about 125-130 gallons. The pond is in the shade, to help smooth out temperature fluctuations. The solar fountain output splashes into a trickle sump filter made from a large planter trough sitting on cinder blocks. The solar panel was shaded during this photo; for at least 6 hours during the day, the outflow reaches 12 inches high, easily clearing the top of the sump filter. The splashing adds aeration. The large pots have fiber wicks that extend from the drainage holes into the water, to help draw water and nutrients into the pots. The water draining from the sump filter creates a gentle, but definite, clockwise current. Otherwise, there is no water movement. There is no substrate because the dogs would just stir everything up and cloud the water. The water is dark because the coconut coir in the sump filter leached out tannins. 

    Last summer, this no-electricity pond housed a thriving and multiplying community of guppies, hornwort, American frogbit, pond snails, and Neocaridina shrimp. In the fall, I brought everyone (well, almost everyone) inside, where I am keeping them in tanks until the weather warms up. 

    Not aesthetically what you are looking for, but you get the idea.

    20200801_171019_linus_pond_01AUG21.jpg.27e7d860543c17ad38018c8339c1f405.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Haha 5

    How to adjust flow on usb nano air pump

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Aeration equipment is fiddly stuff. I agree with @Daniel that using a thumbscrew control valve will probably help. Sometimes you get higher airflow if you close the control valve slightly, something to do with back pressure. Tightening the Ziss Never-Clog Air Stones will give smaller bubbles and slightly reduce the airflow, but the best way to regulate airflow is a control valve.

    Boy I am Ms. Chatterbox tonight. Hey, I'm heading down to the fish room. Have a great evening all! 🖐️

     

    When did you get into the hobby?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Anita

    3 hours ago, Jess said:

    ...one of the greatest benefits of WFH has been going out to watch the tank for 5-10 minutes when I'm stuck on a hard problem.  It "unsticks" my brain much better than a walk around my office floor.

    Cory's quote at the end of his recent video about his top 10 underappreciated community fish - "They're all really amazing and I really love fish," basically sums on how I feel about the hobby.  

    What @Jess said. Yes!

    • Like 1

    Hugo the Betta | The Betta Tank

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    2 hours ago, JamesB said:

    I did a salt bath for hugo, lets just say I partially regret my actions.

    He is now in his tank, spassing again and lying around. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I know that I won't be treating him with salt again, part of me wants to try some API Melafix but I am pretty sure that won't work based on the cirqumstances, I just have to locate some melafix. 

    As hard as it is for me to say it, this may be it for hugo. 

    LITTERLEY ANY ADVICE OR TIPS WILL BE SOOOOOO MUCH APPRECIATED! 

     

    Oh no! Poor Hugo, and poor YOU! 🥺 It is so-o-o stressful taking care a sick pet. Even if you were a veterinarian with years of experience, treating a beloved animal companion is a tough road. I am not a veterinarian; however, I did get my degree in Animal Science. I am not a veteran fish keeper, but I have cared for many, many domestic and wild critters at rehab centers, biology labs, and vet clinics. 

    For nearly two years, I provided doggie hospice for my own beloved pooch as she slowly died of cancer. I spent many nights in tears agonizing about how to care for her. And of course, I had to decide when it was time to finally say goodbye. She wasn’t the first pet I cried over, and she won’t be the last. 🐕

    So, I feel your pain and hope things will turn around. FWIW, here are my thoughts. Firstly, as I said, I am not a veterinarian or even a vet tech. What I am suggesting is what I would do, if I had a fish in Hugo’s dire condition. Important Disclaimer — I am willing to take full responsibility for the chance that my actions might endanger my pet’s lives, rather than make them better. You may not be comfortable with that type of risk. So, here goes…

    Firstly, I hope Hugo is still breathing. 😟  I hope this doesn't come off as condescending, but the first thing I would suggest is that you step back a bit and just breathe for a few minutes. Take a walk, play video games, eat. Stop reading the forum. Seriously. Anything to give you a break from pet-owner stress. 

    Next, it feels like we need to give Hugo a complete break from any and all treatment. I know that feels neglectful, but to be a bit blunt... Fin rot is not going to kill him in the next 24 hours. But the stress he's getting from the treatments could do him in quite quickly. Please remember I am not judging or accusing you of doing anything wrong, simply making an observation. 👍

    Try to give him the most comfortable conditions possible. Add lots of oxygenation via an air stone or sponge filter. Keep the temperature at his favorite setting. Turn off the lighting. Give him some privacy via a cardboard screen or even throw a blanket over the tank. And then, as hard as it will be for you, leave Hugo alone and let him recover in quiet darkness. (Imagine being sick with a cold and your worried friends keep dropping by every couple of hours to see if you are OK. 🤢) Sneak a peek every couple of hours, but otherwise, let him rest in the dark for at least a day. Do NOT feed him! Owners of all species of pets make this mistake far too often. When they are not feeling well, your pets are better off going hungry. (Feeding them makes us feel better, not them. That is why we have so many overweight pets. 😉)

    When Hugo starts doing better, still do not treat him for at least a week. Or at least wait until he seems completely back to his normal behavior. Avoid the temptation to treat him unless his tail is about to fall off. I know that sounds like a joke, but Hugo can regenerate his tail from a serious case of fin rot. More critical at this point is to give him (and you!) a break from all this stress. In other words, if he is going to make it, it will be on his own gumption.💪

    Please do not take my word as gospel or just blindly follow my ramblings as if I am some sort of fish expert. I decided to reach out because I know all-too-well that sickening feeling of helplessness when my pets are sick. As I said, I only offer this information to tell you what I would do if Hugo were my ichthyan pal. 🐟

    Love and prayers to you both and I hope Hugo gets well soon. 💖

    • Like 8
    • Love 1

    When did you get into the hobby?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    At any rate, I kept lots of critters in and out of the house when I was young and living at home. When I went to college, I decided against keeping any pets because I was never home. Same with my early professional career. I finally got a rescue cat when I moved into a pet-friendly apartment and my life had slowed down a bit. She was followed by a dog. And then another dog. And then another dog. At present, I have two rescue dogs.

    When I bought a house, I started organic gardening, xeriscaping, natural landscaping, and permaculturing. Aside from the dogs, still no critter-keeping on a long-term basis. Although my electrical contractors raised their eyebrows and started laughing when I jumped in and scooped up a a praying mantis that got knocked down during some rewiring project. Ever after that, I was the "Bug Lady."  🦗

    One summer a few years ago, I started a backyard pond (plastic kiddie pool with a sump biofilter and fountain) stocked with Petsmart guppies, for the mosquitoes. That fall, I didn't pay attention to the weather and they succumbed to the cold before I could transfer them inside the house and into a tank. 😒 Heck, I hadn't even purchased a tank yet. 🥺

    I waited until last summer (2020) to have a pond again. The guppies and Neocaridina shrimp flourished, growing fat and happy, and multiplying, in their little wading pool. As fall approached, I felt more prepared to successfully overwinter everyone. I waited for a Labor Day sale to purchase tanks and stuff. I figured I had another month to cycle the tanks and then migrate the beasties. And then, dum-dum-dum! The weather report forecast a cold snap with 3 nights in a row dropping into the high 30s!!! 🙀

    So, with my tanks barely set up, I spent a frantic afternoon racing the sunset and approaching cold front. I was splashing around in the freezing wind, trying to net guppy fry under menacing clouds. Feeling around under pots and rocks, trying to flush the shrimp from their hiding spots. Putting everyone into 5-gal buckets while I tried to figure out who was going into what tank. Hitting Amazon up for bottles of fast-start solution that would be delivered in one day. Yikes! I managed to rescue about 75% of the community residents, including the shrimp. 🥴

    When the storm hit, the winds knocked out the power for three days. Fortunately, I have a backup generator wired into the house. Haha, but it's not for the fish! I live in a neighborhood with very old wiring. I also work out of my home, so I have a full office setup in one of the spare bedrooms. When I rewired the house, I asked the electrician to add a fail-over circuit. When the power goes out for more than a few hours (sadly about once/year), I fail-over to the backup wiring, which includes the two bedrooms, office, stove, refrigerator, and furnace/AC. Then I prime the generator and let her rip! Fortunately, the same circuit for the furnace keeps one of the basement outlets powered. So, I was able to run the tanks off the backup outlet. 💪

    And that folks, is how I came into the hobby! 🐟🌿🐌

     

    • Like 4

    When did you get into the hobby?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, Daniel said:

    Like @Paul it was the 60s. I got my first guppies in 1969 and I immediately succumbed to MJS (multi jar syndrome).

    2031752832_henryhuggins.PNG.b3f7bf18fec92c1287c7aa1da9ca1eb3.PNG

    Arrgg! Where are my reactions when I want them?! 😂 @Betsy Perhaps we should add this to the TLA list? ORD, Out of Reactions for the Day. 

    This was totally me as a kid! Except my jars would include fish, lizards, toads/tadpoles, insects, spiders, birds, snakes, rats, mice... and so on... and so forth. 📣

    • Haha 2

    The Dry Fertilizer Test

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Anita

    13 minutes ago, JamesB said:

    I accidentley bought the "high tech" kind therefore there would be more nitrogen and stuff. I will just be dosing less.

    Haha, I'm out of reactions for the day!😝 It will be an interesting experiment. 🔬

    The Dry Fertilizer Test

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted · Edited by Anita

    Oof, the nitrogen and phosphorus seem awfully high for aquatic plants:

    • Dry Fertilizer: NPK 7.01-1.45-5.01
    • Easy Green: NPK 2.66 - 0.46 -9.21

    I wonder if you are setting yourself up for a sudden algae bloom? 

    On the other hand,

    • Seachem Flourish: NPK 0.07-0.01-0.04

    I agree that providing the dosage in  parts per million (PPM) is precise; however, as you mentioned, bewildering. One of my first jobs out of college was as a lab tech, so, I made plenty of solutions with this level of precision. These days, it is too much work creating an Excel spreadsheet just to figure out how to dose my plants. Give me Easy Green! 🙃

    • Like 2

    Filter effectiveness ratio comparisons, Ziss and sponge

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Daniel said:

    Below is the money quote from this paper published in Nature:

    image.png.12f08aa321e12d010162cfa5860e1400.png

    In a nutshell the paper says not all surface area is equal and that plants have the best kind of surface area because the surfaces of plants release oxygen and exudates, which act as a substrate for microbial growth. The bacteria attach themselves to the leaves and form biofilms to get nutrients from the plants.

    Like @TheDukeAnumber1 says:

     

     

     

    I think this concept bears repeating → not all surfaces are created equally when it comes to bio-filtration. Rating bio-filtration efficiency between plants and plastic (or minerals) based on surface area alone is a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. I.e., 300 sq in of plant surface area delivers more bio-filtration than the same surface area of plastic, stone, sand, foam because plant surfaces cultivate more microbial biomass per square inch. Plus, the plant tissues provide bio-filtering as well. 🌿In short, plants give you a bio-filtering two-for-one. 🤑

     

    • Like 1

    HS Classroom Tank Journal!

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    16 minutes ago, OceanTruth said:

    I’ve used acorn shells I’ve found on walks in my tanks. I’m hoping to find something more interesting next time, like a large pine cone or something. I would give the gum balls a try in a cup of water or something. If it looks all right in like a week I wouldn’t hesitate to try it in a tank.

    How about one of these? 🤪

    m_5e60408c79df27ba42e1a556.jpg

     

     

    • Like 2

    Pagoda Snails Journal

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, OceanTruth said:

    You’ve got some cool setups! I love how people set up these nano wonderlands.

    What kind of cones are behind the dish? I’d love to find cones besides the normal alder cones.

    Thank you. I had a choice between one or two large tanks, or four small ones. I opted for the freedom to build four different habitats. I am greedy that way! I love that descriptor "nano wonderlands." 😍 I am going to borrow it from now on! 

    Haha, I just described the spruce cones in @Betsy HS Classroom Tank Journal! I think this link will take you directly to my rationale for using them. Also, I find they do not darken the water, so their tannin level must be on the low side. 

    • Like 2
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