Getting a pea puffer tomorrow

[Chad]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:39 AM, Guppysnail said:

🥳😝😝😝 to bad you got it anyway why….BECAUSE I AM NOSEY 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm a fan of your kind of nosey @Guppysnail 🙂 Always appreciate your help.

It does look like I'd need to aerate if I want to raise scuds. That's not going to work for me in this case. 😞 

[Odd Duck]

On 2/9/2022 at 2:06 PM, Chad said:

So, would you put this decoration in a puffer tank? My daughter really wanted to add it but I said no. If you all think it's okay, then I'm forced to take it off the no-fly list 🙂

 

OK, that floating castle would be a no go for me.  That’s just very risky looking paint.  Since you’re going to have snails in the tank, sooner or later one is going to hit that and eat through the paint, it will be flaking off, it just won’t end well.  And that string, just no.  That looks like one bite and it’s a foreign body.  I was picturing some tough monofilament, but woven, super thin string, . . . . .  Just say no.  😆 😝 

[Chad]

Here's where my snails are being grown. It's two gallons and contains everything all you fine folks have mentioned so far. I added some extra substrate that I had around. Big mistake, now it's pretty darn hard to see the snails. Mind mind was screaming, "no no no no" but my hands kept pouring it in 🙄. Any thoughts or tips regarding it's current state are welcome and appreciated.

Unless you're @Guppysnail 🤣

 

[Chad]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:51 AM, Odd Duck said:

OK, that floating castle would be a no go for me.  That’s just very risky looking paint.  Since you’re going to have snails in the tank, sooner or later one is going to hit that and eat through the paint, it will be flaking off, it just won’t end well.  And that string, just no.  That looks like one bite and it’s a foreign body.  I was picturing some tough monofilament, but woven, super thin string, . . . . .  Just say no.  😆 😝 

Yeah, I agree and said no to it as well. But your reasons are more detailed and accurate than mine, thanks! Here's her first attempt at a habitat with almost zero help from me (I dictated where the heater and filter needed to go). A little piece of driftwood, some frog bit, and lots of fake plants. It was her call, she loves them. If you see anything to be worried about please share. She's not reading this and my skin's become as tough as bark.

 

[Odd Duck]

It’s perfectly charming!  And outstanding for a first attempt from a child!  I can see why she wanted the floating castle and this makes it harder to say no!  😃 

The right front corner pink piece looks like it could be sharp but I’m sure you checked that already?  That’s my only suggestion other than converting her to live plants.  Make her clean the plants a couple times once they get algaed up and explain that happens less with live plants.  😆 😝  Show her banana plant or pennywort in place of the round leaved plant on the left.  And a nice Crypt wendtii ‘Red’ in place of the one on the right.  Crypt spiralis ‘Red’ in place of back left.  You won’t need anything else in such a tiny tank.  Or maybe Vesuvius sword (Echinodorus vesuvius) in place of right side plant for some  texture variety.   It stays small and has a great, tightly spiraled leaf.  It may runner more than you want for such a small tank.

Oh, and the jar looks fine for snails, but if you’re keeping the lid on you need to pump air in there.

[Chad]

Those are great plant options @Odd Duck! I'll start putting a bug in her ear about that 🙂 And yes, those pink and red plastic shells are all very rounded off but a good call too. 

You had to rain on my party about the jar though didn't ya? I'll keep it off-kilter for now to allow air into the jar and until I can think of a better option. I have yet to see a snail crest the waters surface so I'm hopeful that when it happens it will be rare? Wishful thinking? Likely.

[Odd Duck]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:40 PM, Chad said:

Those are great plant options @Odd Duck! I'll start putting a bug in her ear about that 🙂 And yes, those pink and red plastic shells are all very rounded off but a good call too. 

You had to rain on my party about the jar though didn't ya? I'll keep it off-kilter for now to allow air into the jar and until I can think of a better option. I have yet to see a snail crest the waters surface so I'm hopeful that when it happens it will be rare? Wishful thinking? Likely.

Hey, I’m in QT for over a week now, I’m allowed to rain on somebody else’s parade!  😉 😝 🤣 

Everybody’s gotta breathe, man!  😆 That will get so stagnant if you don’t run any air.  You will regret it sooner or later.  😂 👃 🤣  There’s only a low chance of snail escape from that jar and they don’t make it far.  I did have a mystery snail make it about 3 feet away, once, but I’ve never seen a bladder snail or ramshorn make it more than about a foot away and I’ve got them in most of my tanks.  You could have a 3-D perforated ring printed if you wanted to get all fancy, schmancy for your snails.  😆 Or, just leave it cracked.  But you’ll be happier with production if you drop an airline in there.  The ACO nano air pumps are tiny, ridiculously quiet, and more than enough to run air to your new snail tank.  They just need plugged into a USB port or use the plug that comes with them.

[Chad]

Sorry to hear you've been in QT a week now @Odd Duck. I got out of qt about a week ago after being there for two. It was no fun, didn't even want to hang out on this forum... it was that bad 🤣

I really was hoping not to run an airline to it. Just put it up high somewhere the cats wouldn't bother it and let it go. I can remove the lid easily enough tho. Might get another nano pump tho and give it a whirl. Appreciate the advice.

[Odd Duck]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:59 PM, Chad said:

Sorry to hear you've been in QT a week now @Odd Duck. I got out of qt about a week ago after being there for two. It was no fun, didn't even want to hang out on this forum... it was that bad 🤣

I really was hoping not to run an airline to it. Just put it up high somewhere the cats wouldn't bother it and let it go. I can remove the lid easily enough tho. Might get another nano pump tho and give it a whirl. Appreciate the advice.

Hanging out on the forum has been the only thing keeping me from going completely crazy.  I did nothing last Tuesday (2nd day of QT) since that was really the only day that I was regretting my birth.  The rest of the time it’s just been like a cold that’s lingered a bit.  I’d be back to work already if I weren’t still positive.  There’s no chance of proper social distancing at work since the techs are *right there* while holding animals for me.  🤷🏻‍♀️ 

[Chad]

My experience was not severe but it was no picnic either and it held on longer than I was expecting. Felt like the flu and pneumonia rolled into one. I was keeping 2-3 t-shirts on my nightstand throughout the night since I would wake up every couple hours just drenched in sweat. Caught up on a lot of tv... so it wasn't a total waste 🙄 Nobody else in my house caught it so I must have qt'd correctly. 

[eatyourpeas]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:59 AM, Chad said:

I really was hoping not to run an airline to it.

I have a snail jar without a lid, and even though I see a stray snail once a month or so, it is not often enough to worry about. No light, no heater, sitting by a window.

 

[Odd Duck]

On 2/10/2022 at 1:16 PM, Chad said:

My experience was not severe but it was no picnic either and it held on longer than I was expecting. Felt like the flu and pneumonia rolled into one. I was keeping 2-3 t-shirts on my nightstand throughout the night since I would wake up every couple hours just drenched in sweat. Caught up on a lot of tv... so it wasn't a total waste 🙄 Nobody else in my house caught it so I must have qt'd correctly. 

We don’t have a TV in the bedroom and I’ve never once missed having one until now.  I didn’t even have my DVR set to record the Olympics so I’ve sadly missed a bunch of events already.  I felt like hammered cr@p last Tuesday, barely managed to eat a single meal and forced myself to do that.  But just fairly routine cold level since then except feeling a bit weaker than normal.  I’ve been triple vaccinated, so I imagine that helped me quite a bit.  So far, my hubby (the higher risk one in the family) has been clear.

@eatyourpeas That’s a very fancy snail jar!  Love it!

[Chad]

That's great @eatyourpeas, really pretty too! Mine currently looks like I swiped it from Frankenstein's secret laboratory. Gotta add some more plants. 

I'm just glad you're on the mend @Odd Duck. I was triple vaxxed too, had me wondering how bad it'd be if I hadn't been. Also, there's plenty of Olympics left, you still got time.

@eatyourpeas, do you use the sponges for the snails to eat on or is it for biofiltration?

[Odd Duck]

On 2/10/2022 at 1:31 PM, Chad said:

was triple vaxxed too, had me wondering how bad it'd be if I hadn't been. Also, there's plenty of Olympics left, you still got time.

Same here!  How bad was it without the Vx?  I guess we all can access that answer, about 5.8 million deaths worldwide, most before vaccines were available.  Whew, really Debbie Downer today, I guess.

On a lighter note, I may just put exam gloves on and go program the DVR today.  I’m an Olympiholic so I hope to be able to still catch a bunch.

[Chad]

Hey, no downers here @Odd Duck, just touching a slightly non-aquarium related subject. So, with that in mind, be sure to use youtube to watch more highlights and snippets than you can imagine of the olympics. You'll feel like you've been watching it non-stop 🙂 

[eatyourpeas]

I feel you, and so sorry you got Covid as well. I was also triple vaxxed, and still got it. 😳

I get to talk to the fish, so I am thankful for that. I do not watch TV but have been catching up with books in audio.

On 2/10/2022 at 11:31 AM, Chad said:

do you use the sponges for the snails to eat on or is it for biofiltration?

These are the reject sponges and Anacharis that seed a QT when necessary. Snails, blackworms and scuds love to burrow in them. The are great biofilters on demand.

On 2/10/2022 at 11:24 AM, Odd Duck said:

That’s a very fancy snail jar!  Love it!

Thanks! It came with flowers when my mum passed away 14 years ago, and I did not have the heart to recycle it. I was happy to finally put it to good use. 🙂  The two jars in the picture it where it all started... with shrimp!  and snails... and plants... and fish... There should be a disclaimer on flower vases that they can cause MTS!

[Torrey]

On 2/9/2022 at 3:02 PM, Chad said:

Very funny stuff @jwcarlson. So here's the whole story: my kids first tank was this one but had a betta in it. It didn't end well. Learned a lot, yada yada. But I was such a control freak I'd secretly remove decorations she put in it and set it up the "right" way. So this is me trying to atone for past sins and I'm trying... REALLY trying to keep my opinion out of it. Wish me luck 😉 

I'm actively wishing you luck, and sharing a learning experience to help sustain the luck:

Which is better for her learning curve~ a few bad ideas on decorations now, and needing to remove the decoration to allow the fish to heal/ be healthier, or learning the same lesson (critical analysis of potential future results) as a driver of a 2,000 pound car... or with a new boyfriend?

My kids had some absolutely horrid ideas for animal husbandry and decorating/ setting up tanks for snakes, mice, etc. I would just ask if they could at the enclosure from the fish/snake/mouse/puppy/ kitten/ gosling perspective. What would happen if they tried to eat it/sleep on it/ move it/ chew on it, etc.

I was 'mean' and made them write down what they thought would happen so (like true science) we could test their hypotheses against the reality. If they weren't willing to do the exercise in potential possibilities, then we didn't add whatever they wanted to add🤷‍♂️

There were a lot of learning opportunities, lol

On 2/10/2022 at 9:11 AM, Chad said:

This is great @Torrey, thank you! You got me thinking of trying to add scuds to the mix, how might I go about getting a starter colony? Do fish stores have this sort of thing?

I frequently get additions for free, by buying plants locally out of the aquarium. Almost always guaranteed to get a few on the plants.

In spring, amphipods are found in the silt of almost every body of water. Seine a little creek, pond, or lake water and you should find some in the water you strained. Like shrimp & livebearers, it doesn't take very long for them to multiply. I think it's like every 14 days? Might be every 28, it's been a while since I looked it up.

You don't have to have a UGF to keep a mixed colony of snails and scuds. They will reproduce in stagnant water. They simply won't smell very pleasant and won't reproduce as quickly. 

It's like, we don't have to use fresh water to water our gardens, we are definitely able to use sewage sludge to water our edible crops.

The question is, do we really want to eat strawberries and corn grown in sewage sludge?

Do you want to feed your pea puffer the equivalent of strawberries grown in sewage sludge?

A UGF isn't necessary. 

I, personally, have found that using a UGF in a container with a spigot is more visually and aromatically appealing, and infinitely easier to harvest the scuds. I just top off the container with fresh water every few days.

You can see the bio balls and mulm in the bottom 3", with the plastic canvas on top of the bio balls, topped by an inch of gravel and some lava rocks. You can see the green stem of the Bacopa Carolinia on the far right, growing out of the lava rock. You can see the last remnants of the cuttlebone on the far left, to the left of the orange carrot covered in amphipods and snails. 

To the left of the cuttlebone, you can see the simple airlift tube and the airstone inside. At the top, you see the mostly eaten remains of a pothos leaf and a piece of spinach. 

This is as high tech as I get raising scuds/amphopods. 

I make it as easy as turning a spigot to pour them into a cup, and I don't have to rinse them before feeding them to any of my tanks, because the water in here is just as good a quality as all of my tanks.

My goal is to make my aquarium life relaxing, easy maintenance, and as inexpensive as possible. 

My kids call it failure proofing😅

[Chad]

Thanks @Torrey, a good point about letting kids make little mistakes now in the hopes they dodge the big mistakes later.
Also thanks for the in depth breakdown of your setup. I didn’t initially understand all the components you had in it and the methods you use to extract the little buggers. Very slick. I did add aeration to my set up, we’ll see if the odor stays reasonable. For now, scuds are off the menu but I might circle back around to them at a later date.

The puffer arrived today, later than I was hoping but in great shape. She’s tiny and we’re keeping the lights dim tonight. Introductions and pics will follow tomorrow. I can’t thank you all enough for the advice and encouragement. I’m feeling a whole lot better about how to take care of this crazy cute little puffer thanks to you all.

[Chad]

Well, how could this post be complete without a pick and introduction of our new family member? So without further ado, here is "Lil' Pea". Or is it Little Pea. Or Lil'P? We haven't filled out all the paperwork yet so I suppose specifics are still up in the air. She (I think she's a she?) has been slowly checking everything out. Seems very healthy, curious and currently cautious. They really are cute little devils.

Edited February 11, 2022 by Chad

[Guppysnail]

Now that is just an adorable Little Pea 🥰

[Tyler Kaplan]

On 2/10/2022 at 8:11 AM, Chad said:

This is great @Torrey, thank you! You got me thinking of trying to add scuds to the mix, how might I go about getting a starter colony? Do fish stores have this sort of thing?

Do you have a local aquarium society? I've never seen them being sold at a local fish store, but there are at every aquarium society meeting's auction!

[Chad]

Great question @Tyler Kaplan, unfortunately I have not been able to find any clubs nearby. I've looked and the nearest is 2 hours away. While I've been tempted to go, I guess I'm too lazy or busy to make a day or late night of it. Once or twice a year they have a swap here that draws great folks in but that's about it.

[Patrick_G]

On 2/9/2022 at 12:06 PM, Chad said:

So, would you put this decoration in a puffer tank? My daughter really wanted to add it but I said no. If you all think it's okay, then I'm forced to take it off the no-fly list 🙂

 

I’d definitely put that in. My daughter’s 18 now but something like that would have been at the top of her list when she was little and had a 10 gallon. Sticks and rocks are soooo boring! 😁 We’re in the process of setting up a 40 gallon puffer tank for her. I’m doing the work but she’ll decide how it gets decorated. 

 

here’s a club with an upcoming sale in Des Moines

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Patrick_G

[Chad]

Thanks @Patrick_G! I was at that one this last fall. It was great to see the sellers and wares. I'll be there for sure!

[Torrey]

@Chad do any of your LFS sell stem plants, or floaters, straight out of aquariums?

My first amphopods hitched a ride on a moss ball I bought from our LFS.

When a new LFS opened up, I went to check out their live plants, **specifically** to get more amphopods. I chose plants from the tank with the most free swimming, and I was not disappointed. 

One milfoil had a couple of dozen stowed away in the frond like leaves.😁