Minanoras adventures in fishkeeping

[Minanora]

Mr Swimmy is settling in nicely. I decided he can stay "Mr Swimmy".

He is very friendly and doesn't mind the other fish much at all. He wards off Merlin when he gets right in his face. Which is fine. He's nosy.

He still supervises the snails and sometimes the shrimp, but he's more curious about the snails.

Tried to get photos of the Guppies and Swimmy. Light was about to turn off.

I need to trim my plants.....

[TheSwissAquarist]

He looks like such a beautiful betta!

[Minanora]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:34 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

He looks like such a beautiful betta!

Thank you. He's very pretty. I fell in love with a different one, but he was much more spunky so I let my son win with this one he picked up since he was much calmer. I may venture back.... And see if the one I fell for is still there....

If he is, my husband said I should get him and put him in a 5.5. He surprised me with that one. I thought I was banned from more tanks until I get the shed done!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/18/2022 at 4:41 PM, Minanora said:

the shed done!

😱 Yet another person building a fish room on this forum!

Hows the construction going?

[Minanora]

On 10/18/2022 at 7:43 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

😱 Yet another person building a fish room on this forum!

Hows the construction going?

Still in design phase. I am working on our new electrical single line drawing right now. We have to upgrade our sub panel and I'm adding another sub panel out at the shed location to future proof for a spa and pool pump. So I need to trench, run more conduits and pull wire. But I need all of my drawings done before I can pull any of the permits. Doing it by the book. My shed will be 12x14 so I have to permit the structure. The electrical is an easy permit but I need to finish my drawing. I'm lazy about my personal drawings so I'm having motivation issues with making the conductor/conduit schedule.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:03 PM, Minanora said:

Still in design phase. I am working on our new electrical single line drawing right now. We have to upgrade our sub panel and I'm adding another sub panel out at the shed location to future proof for a spa and pool pump. So I need to trench, run more conduits and pull wire. But I need all of my drawings done before I can pull any of the permits. Doing it by the book. My shed will be 12x14 so I have to permit the structure. The electrical is an easy permit but I need to finish my drawing. I'm lazy about my personal drawings so I'm having motivation issues with making the conductor/conduit schedule.

At least you’re turning the thought into reality!😉

[Minanora]

On 10/18/2022 at 8:05 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

At least you’re turning the thought into reality!😉

Yeah I just wish I wasn't so dedicated to doing it myself... I could have just hired tuffshed.... 😂 But nooooo.

 

I'm other news, I have new children in quarantine!!!! They arrived today! I am excited to share. But it's a surprise. 😁 Only one other person in the community knows the secret.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/19/2022 at 7:36 AM, Minanora said:

I'm other news, I have new children in quarantine!!!! They arrived today! I am excited to share. But it's a surprise. 😁 Only one other person in the community knows the secret.

What are they???? (Trying to find out the secret subtly 🙃)

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:36 PM, Minanora said:

Yeah I just wish I wasn't so dedicated to doing it myself... I could have just hired tuffshed.... 😂 But nooooo.

No, you'll be proud of all your hard work. As someone on what feels like the start of year 2 of "construction projects" and all we seem to find is issues, even with professional companies claiming they won't mess up...  You'll know every inch of it and you'll be comfortable to fix and or know every quirk. Peace of mind is worth all of that sweat!

What software did you use for drawing things? I may have already asked... Sorry about that. I really enjoyed CAD work. 🙂

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/19/2022 at 7:44 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Sorry about that. I really enjoyed CAD work. 🙂

Is it just me, or are a lot of members programmers??🤔

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:46 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Is it just me, or are a lot of members programmers??🤔

oh no, not a programmer!  LOL.  I do have a computer engineering degree and I do love assembly code, but....

I should be doing architectural engineering, worked in aerospace on seating out of high school while going through college.  It all sounds nice, but I have experience for one field and a piece of paper for another.  I took a CAD class in high school, then took it 2 more times and just fell in love with that field and that mindset.

There is absolutely a ton of incredibly smart and talented people in this forum though.  I still giggle when I see someone say "you have your microscope handy?" and I sit and wonder what happened to mine from growing up.

[Minanora]

@nabokovfan87 I use Draftsight by Dassault Systems. I also took drafting in high school. I took CNC machining my junior year. I actually hold no degrees but I have lots of field experience under my belt.

@TheSwissAquarist "programmer" can be applied to a lot of fields. I work in renewable energy as a "Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Specialist and Build Shop Manager. I do some "programming" in my field. RS485 modbus, IP addresses, power meters, data loggers... But that's just a small part of my current job. I also do drafting (CAD drawings), monitoring design review, PV system performance testing, procurement, DAS enclosure builds, and a lot of other things, including working on installed systems at various clients job sites.

Here are some monitoring system enclosures I've assembled/built recently, and my office. Just because my work is so obscure.

My job makes me do a lot of different things but the pay reflects it, mostly. Standing 15' up on a ladder working inside a live DC combiner box double-landing 26 gauge wires on terminal blocks right next to live DC conductors in the blazing hot sun.... Eh, I guess I did get a large bonus for that job. 😅 But I digress.

We all have a passion for aquatics that we share in some capacity. It's amazing, truly. But what's really awesome is our diversity, and sometimes similarities, in professions and education. There's a lot more to each of us under all the duckweed 🤣

I love learning about everyone's passions and frustrations. I should spend more time in the "off topics" section but then I'd be on the forum way too much!

 

In other, fish related, news. I have now sold over 300 shrimp! So far all of my buyers have been local but everyone has been happy with their shrimp. Which makes me so happy!

Tomorrow is water change day for the 75 and my son's tank. My husband is working Fridays for the next few weeks so I'll be keeping myself busy with my son and working on trimming and replanting plants. Every tank needs a trim or more plants added.

Mr Swimmy is a picky eater. But I have tons of variety so he's well fed. He's still getting along well. I thought he'd struggle in the 75 since it's so large but honestly I think he loves it. He supervises every inch of the tank. His fins look good and his scales look good as well. I'll probably need to make sure I don't neglect the 75s water changes as much now. I mean, I never have nitrate above 20 but I don't want to do 60% water changes like I have in the past. Especially with the ground water getting colder.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/19/2022 at 3:41 PM, Minanora said:

@nabokovfan87 I use Draftsight by Dassault Systems. I also took drafting in high school. I took CNC machining my junior year. I actually hold no degrees but I have lots of field experience under my belt.

@TheSwissAquarist "programmer" can be applied to a lot of fields. I work in renewable energy as a "Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Specialist and Build Shop Manager. I do some "programming" in my field. RS485 modbus, IP addresses, power meters, data loggers... But that's just a small part of my current job. I also do drafting (CAD drawings), monitoring design review, PV system performance testing, procurement, DAS enclosure builds, and a lot of other things, including working on installed systems at various clients job sites.

Here are some monitoring system enclosures I've assembled/built recently, and my office. Just because my work is so obscure.

My job makes me do a lot of different things but the pay reflects it, mostly. Standing 15' up on a ladder working inside a live DC combiner box double-landing 26 gauge wires on terminal blocks right next to live DC conductors in the blazing hot sun.... Eh, I guess I did get a large bonus for that job. 😅 But I digress.

We all have a passion for aquatics that we share in some capacity. It's amazing, truly. But what's really awesome is our diversity, and sometimes similarities, in professions and education. There's a lot more to each of us under all the duckweed 🤣

I love learning about everyone's passions and frustrations. I should spend more time in the "off topics" section but then I'd be on the forum way too much!

 

In other, fish related, news. I have now sold over 300 shrimp! So far all of my buyers have been local but everyone has been happy with their shrimp. Which makes me so happy!

Tomorrow is water change day for the 75 and my son's tank. My husband is working Fridays for the next few weeks so I'll be keeping myself busy with my son and working on trimming and replanting plants. Every tank needs a trim or more plants added.

Mr Swimmy is a picky eater. But I have tons of variety so he's well fed. He's still getting along well. I thought he'd struggle in the 75 since it's so large but honestly I think he loves it. He supervises every inch of the tank. His fins look good and his scales look good as well. I'll probably need to make sure I don't neglect the 75s water changes as much now. I mean, I never have nitrate above 20 but I don't want to do 60% water changes like I have in the past. Especially with the ground water getting colder.

I expect the job also helps a lot when it comes to rigging stuff up for a fish shed 🙃.

Congratulations on the shrimp! What kind were they?

[Minanora]

Also I've had a lot of other cool jobs in my past. You'd be surprised at all the fields I've worked in. It's brought me a ton of joy over the years. My resume gives me a ton of flexibility now as well. Not that I need it now, but I may someday!

On 10/19/2022 at 6:43 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I expect the job also helps a lot when it comes to rigging stuff up for a fish shed 🙃.

Congratulations on the shrimp! What kind were they?

Only for the electrical part. But my previous job experiences help as well!

I keep and breed Sakura orange neocaridina.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/19/2022 at 3:48 PM, Minanora said:

I've had a lot of other cool jobs in my past. You'd be surprised at all the fields I've worked in.

What has been the one you have most enjoyed working in?

On 10/19/2022 at 3:48 PM, Minanora said:

Sakura orange neocaridina.

I'm working on breeding a couple of White pearls in a 20 gal bucket with rocks, java moss, an air stone, and a really beautiful tiger lotus.

Theres a journal in that somewhere🙃

[Minanora]

On 10/19/2022 at 6:51 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

What has been the one you have most enjoyed working in?

I'm working on breeding a couple of White pearls in a 20 gal bucket with rocks, java moss, an air stone, and a really beautiful tiger lotus.

Theres a journal in that somewhere🙃

Can of worms! I loved all of my jobs. Favorite job was working as a "computer field analyst" for our local electrical utility. I was "boots on the ground" computer support. I loved that job. I helped thousands of people and managed just over 2900 computer assets on a single campus. I also got to travel to other service territories to facilitate lifecycling clients computers. Over my first two years I replaced 2700+ computers that were assigned to employees. I specialized in asset management and hardware deployment. But I also provided software support and had the privilege of working on several large AV projects. I also provided IT field support during emergency events. I have an open offer to return when I want, which is tempting but I'd lose my current schedule flexibility. 

I love my current job even though I'm not a huge fan of solar power technology. So here I'll stay.

 

You should totally start a journal for your projects! It's very fulfilling and fun to look back as you progress your hobby.

[Anjum]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:44 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

No, you'll be proud of all your hard work. As someone on what feels like the start of year 2 of "construction projects" and all we seem to find is issues, even with professional companies claiming they won't mess up...  You'll know every inch of it and you'll be comfortable to fix and or know every quirk. Peace of mind is worth all of that sweat!

This. I bought my shed from a local pre-fab company. It was unfinished inside though. When my husband set upon doing the work to finish it out, he sent me a picture while I was at work one day. He had TORN OUT THE ENTIRE LOFT! He said because of *reasons*, it had been constructed shoddily & was unsafe. Thank god by the time I got home, he had rebuilt it. He comes from a long line of overbuilders. So yeah, knowing from start to finish, it's done the way you want, will ultimately save you headaches. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/19/2022 at 6:13 PM, Minanora said:

Can of worms! I loved all of my jobs. Favorite job was working as a "computer field analyst" for our local electrical utility. I was "boots on the ground" computer support. I loved that job. I helped thousands of people and managed just over 2900 computer assets on a single campus. I also got to travel to other service territories to facilitate lifecycling clients computers. Over my first two years I replaced 2700+ computers that were assigned to employees. I specialized in asset management and hardware deployment. But I also provided software support and had the privilege of working on several large AV projects. I also provided IT field support during emergency events. I have an open offer to return when I want, which is tempting but I'd lose my current schedule flexibility. 

I love my current job even though I'm not a huge fan of solar power technology. So here I'll stay.

 

You should totally start a journal for your projects! It's very fulfilling and fun to look back as you progress your hobby.

Wow! I’m also looking to go into Asset Management (financial version though).

It is very tempting to start a journal for my projects, but I start them and forget about them after 3 or so days.

[Minanora]

Update to my super secret project. It's moving forward. 😜

 

I've been pruning plants in the 75. I should never let it get so over grown. Lol

Been catching snails as I've been trimming. I have that fancy rolling snail catcher, I've filled it at least 5 times, and pulled out 3 hand fulls where they gather to eat the cories leftovers. I probably overfeed this tank but eh.

Got a new filter for the Shrimp Sanctuary. I'm hotrodding it with ployfloss and filter floss. We'll see if it helps with the haze in the sanctuary. It's driving me a bit crazy.

Photos soon. Just not of the secret project yet. 😁

Edited October 21, 2022 by Minanora
Autocorrect...

[Minanora]

A few photos of the 75 post maintenance. I cleaned the canister so it's still settling. My yellow tiger king Cobra guppies hang out in this one area a lot. When the tank is overgrown you can hardly see them. So it's nice to get to watch them more.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/23/2022 at 4:55 PM, Minanora said:

A few photos of the 75 post maintenance. I cleaned the canister so it's still settling. My yellow tiger king Cobra guppies hang out in this one area a lot. When the tank is overgrown you can hardly see them. So it's nice to get to watch them more.

From afar they look super cool!

[Minanora]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:21 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

From afar they look super cool!

Yeah I need to get clear photos of them. They're beautiful.

[Minanora]

I added a small nicrew internal filter to the shrimp sanctuary to see if it would help get the fine particles under control. Haven't used any clarifier. It's helping a little! I will post before and after photos. The filter is cute. It has a tiny spray bar.

Here's some photos of the shrimp feasting.

[nabokovfan87]

Apart from the new one, the tank is running sponges?  If you ever get one or see one, grab an aqueon or marineland penguin pro type of HoB that meant for a small filter.  If you ever have a tank that's cloudy, I would use those jammed with floss and just run it for 2-5 days until it was cleaned up. 

I think you have a hate-hate use for the tidal 35's.  Same thing.  I would basically use it for that only at this point or a plants only tank, never anything with fish, especially fry.  Annoyingly I am using it now on one tank, but I have the 55 to replace it after I patch up the Tidal testing for the hivemind / experiments thread.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/25/2022 at 6:24 AM, Minanora said:

I added a small nicrew internal filter to the shrimp sanctuary to see if it would help get the fine particles under control. Haven't used any clarifier. It's helping a little! I will post before and after photos. The filter is cute. It has a tiny spray bar.

Here's some photos of the shrimp feasting.

Any idea how many are in there?