The Southern-fried side-by-side 55s [turned 75s] Project

[Odd Duck]

On 6/1/2022 at 2:53 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

I'm trying to figure out how many geos and how many angels can coexist in a 75 without overloading it or creating a war zone. They will share the space with likely just the school of congo tetras (10 if the ones shipping today all make it) and bristlenose of some sort for added cleanup that can handle both of the bigger fish species. My preference in terms of number is more of the geos - I want to do tapajos based on look and smaller size than some like the Winemilleri, Svenii, etc. Am I looking at only a pair of angels in that case do you think?

I’m not enough of an expert to answer this question.  I know that people do keep Geos and angels together sometimes, but have never kept Geos and don’t feel at all qualified to give advice on this combo.

 

On 6/1/2022 at 2:53 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

We have similar thoughts on this, just different styles. The den is mix of traditional early american pieces because of the house design itself that has found an unlikely alliance with some subtle midcentury pieces. I do have a midcentury chaise elsewhere in the house that was mine before we got married (I was into the space age bachelor pad look back then), but it would need to recovered to go in this room. The high end is actually on the correct side...

I figured this particular piece wouldn’t necessarily fit in with what you’ve mentioned of your style, but the color is perfect with your stand and the plushness fits with my mental picture of lazing about with book in hand and indulging in a favorite drink while trading off between watching the beautiful fishies and your favorite guilty pleasure show like you haven’t a care in the world.  This is my dream for you!  😆

If your mid-century chaise is comfy enough, plus luckily has the arm conveniently on the correct end, you better start arranging to get it reupholstered ASAP (a turquoise family color would be perfectly period appropriate) since I expect to see you lounging the moment the tanks are done!  😉 😆 😂  A tiny Art Deco side table would stretch your design aesthetic but would fit with the idea of the chaise lounge.  I suppose a mid-century would work also.  🙄 😆

I really can’t wait to see the tableau!  You’ll need a tiny fern on the side table, by the way.  I hope that spot gets a little sun.  😂 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Odd Duck
Typos

[Jawjagrrl]

Chapter 6.5: Random updates... and it feels like rain

Once again I've let more time go by without an update than intended. An aging parent got a pacemaker, we've prepped and planted a large garden among other non-aquatic tasks. My biggest hen has decided to go broody and it's a showdown any time I want to collect eggs lately.

It's been an unusually hot and dry June for our area, so not much energy left at the end of the day to write coherently. Enjoying our first rain this month right now, feeling a bit more energized to post!

The 55 "fun angel tank" in our bedroom has now been running over two months and was planted 4/20 - the plant growth of even the slow growing plants like the gold coin anubias has been amazing! The dwarf aquarium lily I stole from the shrimp tank is ENORMOUS, new leaves are the size of my hand!

Only some of the fish will remain in this setup once the 75s are running - the chain loaches, roseline sharks and a couple of the SAEs - but we're enjoying how well everyone is getting on so far. The female endlers I pulled out of the Endor tank May 2nd have had babies(!) in this tank to our surprise, since they haven't been around the males for over a month! But the fry are evading the congo tetras thanks to all the pogostemon stellatus "octopus" that has taken over the tank in six weeks.

The Congo tetras are so amazing that I had to order a few more - so the angel side 75 will have a nice school of 10 eventually. Four of the original six are males, so hopefully we got a few more girls in the second order. 

Patient SpouseTM has come to really enjoy watching this tank when we wake up and before sleep - I'll often find him on the chaise in front of the tank with "his" cat Pixel watching while perched on the arm. 🙂 They really love the antics of the chain loaches, which have taken a real pleasure in dismantling the magnolia pod! 

But back to the 75s - I did finally get the cleats installed on the doors, I think they are much better than the original ones. We listened to many baseball games during the stand work, and our team struggled to get to .500. Now that it's done and in the house... a 14 game winning streak! Yes, baseball fans are a superstitious bunch :)

The plastic grids got anchored with the last of the "filler gravel" I've had since the 90s...which came from my Dad's tanks from the early 60s! Nice to know a bit of him lives on in this project. <3

Meanwhile Patient SpouseTM took another step into NERMdom by talking about the project at work - to someone that spends a lot of time kayaking the lakes around us. He was kind enough gift us with a couple of pieces of driftwood he collects! These will definitely be used on the angel side where they will be more visible.

I finally ordered plants for the angel side last week - an array of swords, anubias and italian val, all doing well in my makeshift tub tank along with a leftover crypt from the shrimp tank and some massive jungle val from the Endor tank. I hope to have the rooted plants established for awhile before adding the geos.

Along with that order came the promised Murphy Hat for Patient SpouseTM and the new tie dye tees for both of us! Tees are great, but do run slightly small if you're considering getting one.

But it was time to get the anchor to the hardscape resolved - The Stump. I have no doubt that we made the right choice and that it will last a long time based on how much difficulty I've had working with it! Originally assumed to be oak, we now realize it's something MUCH denser. Grain almost invisible, and I've got blisters on my hands from just getting that one root you see at the top of the photo off - which took an hour with a combination of two different saws, wood chisel, and drilling pilot holes (which broke the first bit I used). It will make a great piece of hardscape itself and will likely appear in the tetra side tank.

I still have yet to get through the initial cut to rough in the height so I can move on to making the split in half - which should be easier since it's with the grain. This is the back side - do you see the smiling face? It seemed to be taunting me for not getting that cut completed! Hopefully I have a cool morning soon to get back to it. Once I get it in half I should be able to use my chop saw to get a clean final cut at the top since I'll have a flat edge to work with.

Yes, there is some water in one of the tanks! I'm using 30 gallons of one of the 75s for QT, a sort of DIY 30 long. Because...

The "fun angels" (and the ones for me!) are finally on their way!

And I'm a nervous wreck given the weather this week. USPS initially claiming 2 day but changing to 3 day *after* they entered the system isn't helping (if I can get shipments from WA to GA in 2 days, NY to GA shouldn't be 3 days?! Our heat index was 107 today - I'm going to feel terrible if I have sentenced these beautiful little babies to a horrible end. Fingers crossed that they do arrive Friday and I can share more about them and what we ultimately chose.

@Odd Duck had some great ideas about seating in place of the sofa we never liked anyway 🙂 I do have a chaise that would fit in the space, but probably needs reupholstering as it is... raspberry red. But very comfy, nice and low and the back is on the correct end for TV viewing. Will just have to figure out a side table of some kind - the window and fireplace are at the opposite end of the room, so it will be a beloved spot for reading, tv, enjoying a fire and of course fish watching and watching the sunrise from the sunny east window (hey, it could happen). 

Next task: selecting plants for the tetra side, which will have more of a jungle style aesthetic. Would love any suggestions for interesting SA natives - I can add DIY Co2 if needed to give anything that needs it a bit of a boost!

[Odd Duck]

Love the cleats and it sounds like your plans are coming along nicely.

If you’re open to adding CO2, the sky’s the limit! You can grow some Alternanthera reineckii which is the bane of my aquatic plant growing career.  😆  Gets gorgeous color with half decent light and CO2. You can get great color from Crypt ‘Pink Panther’ with CO2, also.  Put that against some bright neon green like Pogostemon helferii and you’ve got the start of something grand.  Your tanks are tall enough for Madagascar lace plant - Aponogeton madagascariensis henkelianus, plus Apo. crispus, boivianus, ulvaceous, or Crypt. aponogeton, balansae, usteriana, or for more neon green, Crypt. pontederiifolia, for red, Crypt striolata ‘Red’, spiralis ‘Red’, other pinks - Crypt nurii ‘Rosen Maiden’ or most any nurii or striolata varieties will give you good color and interesting markings.

Someone else will have to give you other suggestions on stem plants.  I’m not that great with them, overall, although my new Rotala indica seems to be doing OK so far.  I keep testing to see if there’s some that will grow for me.  Ludwigia glandulosa ‘Diamond’ seems to do reasonably well for me, too.  Mostly I like minimal maintenance plants so cutting and replanting all the time is not for me.

I can’t wait to see what color you use to recover your chaise.  I think a deeper tone of teal would look lovely.  😉 

[Torrey]

This is lovely! Yeah, heat index for my sis in Raleigh today was 115.... family members who used to think "siesta" was a sign of laziness are starting to recognize the siesta is a critical adaptation for heat... On the plus side, now that 4 hour naps after lunch are becoming a norm in NC homes that haven't traditionally needed AC, the 2 hour time difference is no longer interfering with our ability to talk every week.

AR rosaeafolia was growing fine for me without CO2, until I accidentally starved it (and the snails). It does require a strong light, and a bit more iron than my other plants to keep the color. I'm not sure of country of origin though.

Are you looking for generic SA plants? Or specific river systems? I have some links in a file, somewhere.... Mostly plants indigenous to Brazil, Venezuela and Peru for SA. A larger file on meso indigenous plants since I spent more time there.

I prefer these new cleats, much more reminiscent of my youth growing up summers on a 22' Hurley....

Look forward to following along! Be prepared to transfer fish to warmer water than you anticipate (match the bag temp) and allow them to cool off slowly, with lots of O2 running. I am confident they are going to make it to you okay, because I refuse to believe anything else.

[Odd Duck]

 

On 6/15/2022 at 10:57 PM, Torrey said:

I'm not sure of country of origin though.

AR and it’s varieties are South American.  That’s one of the reasons it irks me so when I can’t grow it well.

[Torrey]

On 6/15/2022 at 10:12 PM, Odd Duck said:

 

AR and it’s varieties are South American.  That’s one of the reasons it irks me so when I can’t grow it well.

So... if I put my AR rosaeafolia outside in the pond [and did nothing with it], it would probably grow so much better🤣

[Odd Duck]

On 6/15/2022 at 11:13 PM, Torrey said:

So... if I put my AR rosaeafolia outside in the pond [and did nothing with it], it would probably grow so much better🤣

Hmmm, I do have a little tub outside.  Maybe if I overheat it and ignore it I might get some clean growth from it.

[Jawjagrrl]

@Odd Duck you've given me some homework with all of your great suggestions! I actually have some AR rosefolia in the bedroom 55 doing very well - you can see a cluster on both sides. The smaller one got uprooted within the first week and replaced right away, but you can see it made a big difference in growth. Of course having the stellatus octopus next to it probably isn't helping. I am already realizing I am not going to be a fussy pruner so it may not have been a good choice, but these are my first "big tank" plants and I'm thrilled they are doing so well! 

I did show PS a video George Farmer posted from interzoo last night and asked if there were any plants he really liked.... he immediately said pogostemon helferi, so funny you also mention it. I am seeing etsy sellers with a red variety of it too. We have very iron heavy water so red isn't proving difficult. I've also got bacopa caroliniana in a couple nanos, but it's actually NA so I probably won't use it in these tanks.

I do love the teal idea for how it would look on the chaise, but it's just not a color fit for the main floor of the house, which really feels like you stepped into an early colonial new England home. The tanks are quite the anachronism already, and I had banished all my mid century bachelor furniture to our bedroom area where only we see them. That said, I think I can bring in some brighter cool color with the pillow, which is quite large (24x24) 🙂 The chaise may be joined by it's companion chair, which also needs to be recovered because it's leopard print 😆

@Torrey I didn't have central air until '01 when I installed it in a little house I bought when I was in Southside VA which also gets beastly in the summer. When I was an apartment kid, we had 1 ac window unit... in my parents bedroom. I don't know how we ever slept during those high 90s days! Our downstairs system went out last Friday (6 years and it has never done this on a weekday). I was doing small water changes in the endler tanks to keep the temp down, glad the big setups are behind schedule now. Gardening has been a sunrise-9:30am affair, no easy feat for this night owl! I wish I could siesta, but have never been able to. I was the kid that dreaded nap time in kindergarten 🙂

As far as being river specific or country specific for plants - yes and no. I am trying for biotope-ish, but as I am mixing areas of the Amazon and bringing in congo tetras I'm not going to get overly specific in terms of region. The tetra side will have assorted tetra schools with rummynose, green neon and Silvertips as a priority, possibly an apisto pair, cories, and either halfbeaks, pencil fish or hatchets up top. Maaaybe an electric blue acars. You've already given me homework as well, which is good. Maybe I will try some cuttings of my AR rosefolia - these are the silver lining to all that iron in our water!

I think should the angels do ok (they are in Jamaica NY so far, USPS still says Saturday) they will be my last fish shipment until fall 😞 Hoping these are the perfect Father's Day gift for PS. Thanks for the good thoughts - the seller is very highly rated and has shipped a lot of fish, so I can only hope that since he was willing to do it they will be ok. His only hesitation was them being on a delivery truck on arrival day for a long time, but we get our mail quite early and my carrier is used to seeing me on Fridays waiting for her because fish are coming 🙂 When my congos arrived from Seattle two weeks ago, they were riding up front with the ac on them - 67 degrees in the box. 🤞

we do have a decent LFS in Athens, but it's a 2-hour round trip. But if I want more fish before late September, that make be what we have to do, cooler and battery air pump in tow. That seems like forever, but it is time to get the scape right and the tanks well established, especially in the case of more delicate species. 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Odd Duck]

What about a softer version just a few shades darker than the trim on your stand?  Not dark enough to be “teal” but dark enough so that if it isn’t a spot on perfect match for your stand it still works.

The Pogostemon isn’t SA but it sure is pretty!  Most of my suggestions aren’t but you listed Anubias and congos, so I didn’t stick to SA.  Let me see if I still have my list of SA plants I was working through when I set up my angel habitat tank.

Here it is.  Sorry for the font issue.  Stuff I’ve made in my “notes” app doesn’t like to switch to normal font.  Research carefully.  The first group is from an on-line article and I found a couple that were not really SA on the list, but naturalized escapees from cultivation and some that are not really suitable for aquariums unless giant sized tanks.  I can’t remember all of them now that wouldn’t work out, but I didn’t mark them at the time and now wish I had.  Some I rejected since the plants were listed as fragile, or otherwise problematic for an angel community that included cories and plecos.

South American Plant List

Alternanthera reineckii - Scarlet Temple, there are several varieties and other Alternanthera sp. from South America also.  Look at A. bettzickiana - Calico Plant, A. ficoidea - Joseph’s Coat

Bacopa lanigera - Hairy Bacopa (same genus as Bacopa caroliniana which is North American)

Cabombaca caroliniana - Fanwort or Green Cabomba, C. piauhyensis - Red Cabomba Plant

Echinodorus angustifolia [AKA E. vesuvius] - Vesuvius sword, E. argentinensis [AKA E. grandiflorus, AKA E. longiscapus] - Argentine Sword, E. aschersonianus [AKA E. uruguayensis, AKA E. osiris, AKA E. portoalegrensis] - Melon Sword, E. bolivianus [Helanthium bolivianum] - Bolivian Chain Sword, E. bleheri [AKA E. grisebachii, AKA E. Amazonicus] - Amazon Sword, E. cordifolius - Spade-leaf Sword, E. horemanii, E. macrophyllis [AKA E. radicans] E. opacus, E. latifolius [AKA Helanthium tenellus] - Pygmy Chain Sword, E. palaefolius, E. scaber.

Egeria densa - Anacharis, E. najas - Narrow Leaf Anacharis

Eichhornia diversifolia - Dwarf Azurea

Eleocharis minima - a species of dwarf hairgrass that’s very widely distributed on multiple continents.  There are many species of Eleocharis that may, or may not, be adaptable as aquatics.

Gymnocoronis spilanthoides - Senegal Tea

Hygrophilia guanensis - Giant Mint Short Leaf

Heteranthera zosterifolia - Stargrass

Hydrocotyle leucocephela - Brazilian Pennywort

Hydrothrix gardneri

Limnobium laevigatum - Amazon Frogbit

Ludwigia inclinata (same genus as Ludwigia glandulosa which is North American)

Mayaca fluviatilis - Big Moss

Myriophyllum aquaticum - Parrot’s Feather, M. elantoides - Water Milfoil, M. mattogrossense - Mattogrosso Milfoil

Potomegeton gayi - Pondweed

Salvinia minima - Water Spangles

 

My additions:

Hygrophilia crostata - Gulf Swampweed, Gush Weed, H. lancea - Araguaia

Lilaeopsis brasiliensis - Brazilian Micro Sword

Phyllanthus fluitans - Red Root Floater

Sagittaria guayanensis - Guyanese Arrowhead (widespread across multiple continents), S. intermedia, S. lancifolia - Bulltongue Arrowhead, S. latifolia - Duck Potato, Broad-leaved Arrowhead, S. longiloba - Longbarb Arrowhead, S. montevidensis - California Arrowhead, S. planitiana, S. rhombifolia - Pygmy Arrowhead, S. sprucei, S. subulata - Dwarf Sagittaria (probably best suited for aquariums).  [Not all of the Sagittarias are suitable for the aquarium.]

Vallisneria americana - Jungle Val, Eelgrass, Tapegrass.  

There’s lots of confusion in the trade about the different Vals.  Jungle Val is a common name applied to both V. americana and V. gigantea [from Asia] in the trade.  V. spiralis [from southern Europe, the Middle East, through southwest Asia and northern Africa, is named after the spiral stalk of the flower, not the shape of the leaves which are flat, not spiraling] and is often confused with V. torta [AKA V. asiatica ‘Biwaensis’ (Corkscrew Val) from Japan] and V. asiatica [AKA V. contorta - Giant Corkscrew Val, also from Japan] both of which have twisting, corkscrew leaves.  

The Vals I have sorted as best I can, cross checking with multiple sources as much as possible.

[Torrey]

On 6/16/2022 at 7:53 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

love the teal idea for how it would look on the chaise, but it's just not a color fit for the main floor of the house, which really feels like you stepped into an early colonial new England home.

My uncle did interior design when I was a kid, and there is a teal fabric that is a replica from that period and was used by the "Cape aristocracy". I'll find out if it's still being made, it's what I recovered my 1840 Thomasville couch in, as well as my grandmother's 1790 chaise lounge her family had brought over from London. Yeah, not a true replication for *those* 2 pieces of furniture, but the teal tied in the beach themes (OBX blended with the blues and woods of the colonials). Almost a sea foam.... let me see if I can find it.

[Torrey]

Waverly is no longer making upholstery fabric???

This was the closest pattern, mine was in upholstery fabric, not quite as busy of a pattern (similar, not identical) and the pattern allowed for the upholstery buttons to be a part of the pattern. Was more teal, less indigo (as indigo at that time period would have been true indigo and *only* afforded by the aristocracy).

Imagine a haint blue, with enough teal in it to not be haint blue.

https://www.onlinefabricstore.com/waverly-castleford-indigo-fabric-.htm?variant=true&refaction=product-drop-down

[Jawjagrrl]

@Odd Duck, @Torrey thank you both for all the good info, both plant and fabric! 

I've not shown any other parts of the room, but probably should - the formal LR/Library across the hall is blue dominant, with a few marine elements from my in-laws home on St Simon many years ago. @Odd Duck would probably happily live in that room, which also has my musical instruments. The fabric @Torrey linked to would be perfect in that room, which has a colonial blue/green sofa but an oriental rug with navy in it.

The room the fish are in is warm toned thanks to new drapes added last year. We added an art frame TV to hide the fact we even have a TV at all:

The tank dominates the wall to the left of the fireplace - the blue trim is the only significant blue accent right now besides a bit in the drapery and historical map. The table below it was my Dad's very first piece of furniture in 1960 and is home to the original Patient SpouseTM tank, the Endor Tank. Even the fish/shrimp are persimmon colored!

So that's my color quandary. If it were up to me, I'd have a cottage all in sea glass colors on the Maine Coast and sell lobster rolls for a living 🙂 The drapes are the visual focus of the room currently so the color/pattern has to work with them. PS wants to do a bright gold damask, I'm unsure. I loved the chaise's original color so I am biased. Oh... also has to play well with pet hair. A constant with 4 cats and 2 dogs often in this space. It's happy chaos!

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Odd Duck]

Scrolled back through your stand pics and sometimes the trim looks very green and sometimes very blue.  I had it in my head it was more light teal.  Maybe you can get a fabric sample and see how well it matches before you get too much farther with your fabric purchase?  Your home looks beautiful compared to my old, but not old enough to be valuable, hodgepodge.  😆 

[Torrey]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:36 PM, Jawjagrrl said:

@Odd Duck, @Torrey thank you both for all the good info, both plant and fabric! 

I've not shown any other parts of the room, but probably should - the formal LR/Library across the hall is blue dominant, with a few marine elements from my in-laws home on St Simon many years ago. @Odd Duck would probably happily live in that room, which also has my musical instruments. The fabric @Torrey linked to would be perfect in that room, which has a colonial blue/green sofa but an oriental rug with navy in it.

The room the fish are in is warm toned thanks to new drapes added last year. We added an art frame TV to hide the fact we even have a TV at all:

The tank dominates the wall to the left of the fireplace - the blue trim is the only significant blue accent right now besides a bit in the drapery and historical map. The table below it was my Dad's very first piece of furniture in 1960 and is home to the original Patient SpouseTM tank, the Endor Tank. Even the fish/shrimp are persimmon colored!

So that's my color quandary. If it were up to me, I'd have a cottage all in sea glass colors on the Maine Coast and sell lobster rolls for a living 🙂 The drapes are the visual focus of the room currently so the color/pattern has to work with them. PS wants to do a bright gold damask, I'm unsure. I loved the chaise's original color so I am biased. Oh... also has to play well with pet hair. A constant with 4 cats and 2 dogs often in this space. It's happy chaos!

I'm ORD!!!😍

Good news is Waverly has your drape pattern (exact pattern) and offers it in Indigo or Persimmon. If you got the Indigo, it would carry because it's the same pattern. (Who knew summer job for my uncle to pay for college at UNC-SA and my wedding would pay off 30+ years later helping a fellow Nerm, lol).

Bad news is, it looks like Waverly isn't making upholstery fabrics any longer... but.... you could match the Indigo in a solid upholstery fabric and get enough fabric from Waverly to make a few throw pillows to tie it all in together. Would also tie the two rooms in, and create a more visual link of warm to colors to the St. Simon theme in the other room.

Win-win?

[Jawjagrrl]

On 6/17/2022 at 2:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

Scrolled back through your stand pics and sometimes the trim looks very green and sometimes very blue.  I had it in my head it was more light teal.  Maybe you can get a fabric sample and see how well it matches before you get too much farther with your fabric purchase?  Your home looks beautiful compared to my old, but not old enough to be valuable, hodgepodge.  😆 

You're very kind, but this house is VERY hodgepodge, an upgrade from my bachelor house that was described to me as "boho" (lol). But the house is very "adult". so our preferences had to become more so as well, at least the main floor - the flying pig and pink flamingo are in my office where only I see them now...

But I'm sitting on a little overstockdotcom chair (the green one you see in the early photos of the journal) with my feet on a mismatched ottoman that the cats have destroyed, looking at the hand-me-down sofa from my Mom, a third hand chair I got on Marketplace for $80, Dad's table and my husband's oversized leather Man Chair complete with hammered nail head trim... because it actually fit him when we found it. Furniture for people over 6 1/2" tall is a challenge, BTW... I think the sofa and both chairs are getting reassigned, and my old chaise and matching chair replacing them instead.

The stand trim is a very complex blue indeed and you have a good eye to see the blue and green in it - I'd need all the process colors to reproduce this shade on a printing press. I'd describe it as a dark colonial blue, which there is a bit of in the drapes and I want to bring in more of it. @Torrey's idea with the pillows is a good one to help with this balance. @Torrey my mother wanted waverly *everything* when I was in HS/College and it still triggers me a bit - old rebellion reflex even though my 80s tastes have matured a lot since then. I actually have a Martha Washington chair in the LR that might work much better in the den now because of the fabric used - it didn't even occur to me until I was watching an epsiode of Outlander last night and was hit with the entire color palette of this house as the show is set around 1770ish at the point I've gotten to. It was an interesting way to look at color pairings in wallpapers, textiles and clothing with an eye to the room we were in at the time. 

Thank you both for your insights on this less NERMY, but still important part of the project! Working on cleanup of the other old 55 again today which lives in the basement and is my plant nursery and future breeding/overflow/growout/something. PS brought me a very old table from the long closed chair plant he used to run, and I've got blisters from pulling out staples from 6 layers of old vinyl - feeling like an industrial archeologist. It gets a new life as a humble but sturdy tank stand. 

Meanwhile the angels are STILL in Jamaica Queens 2 days later! Still amazed that shipments from CA and WA can get here in 2 days easily, but anything from Miami or New York is 3-6...  

Edited June 17, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Odd Duck]

Is it weird that someone who is typically not all that excited about furniture can’t wait to see what you end up with on your mid-century chaise lounge I’ve never seen?  😂 🤣 

[Torrey]

@Jawjagrrl here are your plants, images and lists straight from Oliver:

 

Live for members, right now

 

[Torrey]

On 6/17/2022 at 6:54 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

@Torrey my mother wanted waverly *everything* when I was in HS/College and it still triggers me a bit - old rebellion reflex even though my 80s tastes have matured a lot since then. I actually have a Martha Washington chair in the LR that might work much better in the den now because of the fabric used - it didn't even occur to me until I was watching an epsiode of Outlander last night and was hit with the entire color palette of this house as the show is set around 1770ish at the point I've gotten to. It was an interesting way to look at color pairings in wallpapers, textiles and clothing with an eye to the room we were in at the time. 

I'm ORD again, lol.

I didn't mean to trigger an unpleasant memory, Waverly had a reputation in the industry during the 80's and 90's for their period fabrics. Growing up in NC, the majority of the people who could afford my uncle's expertise lived in period houses (lot's of colonials, too many antebellums) so Waverly was the main upholstery fabric I worked with... since upholstery was their bread and butter back then, I was surprised to discover they no longer have a line😲

Honestly? Their reps were way too pretentious, lol... We ran into enough... "issues" since I was attending  NCSA (now UNC-SA) I could "fit in" well enough... but I was also taking academics at WSSU and had not yet learned how to frame my sociological critiques in a manner actually conducive to changing people's perceptions. I believe I have mentioned before there's a reason I no longer live in the South, even though I can still "Bless their heart" with the best of them, lol

Prior to the earthquake, there was an amazing upholstery fabric factory in Haiti, I used their fabrics for reupholstering a VW bug in the late 90's. If you do some research, you should be able to find a good upholstery company that reflects and supports your values, without triggering teen/young adult angst

[Jawjagrrl]

On 6/18/2022 at 2:39 PM, Torrey said:

@Jawjagrrl here are your plants, images and lists straight from Oliver:

 

Live for members, right now

 

I caught the tail end live, can't wait to review in more detail. I did see bacopa, which I have and wasn't going to use, but may have to reconsider.

[Jawjagrrl]

On 6/18/2022 at 6:27 PM, Torrey said:

I'm ORD again, lol.

I didn't mean to trigger an unpleasant memory, Waverly had a reputation in the industry during the 80's and 90's for their period fabrics. Growing up in NC, the majority of the people who could afford my uncle's expertise lived in period houses (lot's of colonials, too many antebellums) so Waverly was the main upholstery fabric I worked with... since upholstery was their bread and butter back then, I was surprised to discover they no longer have a line😲

Honestly? Their reps were way too pretentious, lol... We ran into enough... "issues" since I was attending  NCSA (now UNC-SA) I could "fit in" well enough... but I was also taking academics at WSSU and had not yet learned how to frame my sociological critiques in a manner actually conducive to changing people's perceptions. I believe I have mentioned before there's a reason I no longer live in the South, even though I can still "Bless their heart" with the best of them, lol

Prior to the earthquake, there was an amazing upholstery fabric factory in Haiti, I used their fabrics for reupholstering a VW bug in the late 90's. If you do some research, you should be able to find a good upholstery company that reflects and supports your values, without triggering teen/young adult angst

You didn't trigger me, but it is a funny reminder of how some of us can try really hard to reject what we grew up with, only to find ourselves in a similar place years later. I grew up in a colonial salt box home in the NE after leaving VA/NC as a kid, so the Waverly made complete sense then... and now for this house. 

I've gone through other styles over the years - had the southwest early 90s thing out of school, then Victorian for a rented home from that period (myfish then had mauve gravel, lol), then mid-century modern with a fair bit of kitsch. The chaise that may happen is a late 90s interpretation of mixed century, so it's toned down a bit and oversized. Will try and put it in the room when my back and PS's knee allow.

[Jawjagrrl]

.Chapter 7: "Fun Angels" and a harrowing journey with a (mostly) happy ending

I mentioned previously that Angels were on the way - and they were. Shipped from Long Island NY on Wednesday to arrive here Friday morning. Heat was a concern the shipper and I discussed, but figured it would be ok given I get my mail early in the morning and my carrier knows I'm on the lookout.

Like Bugs Bunny years ago, these fish "took a wrong turn at Albuquerque". They enjoyed a USPS tour of Queens, Metro NYC and Newark NJ over 3 1/2 days (only one of those stops was supposed to happen) before finally making it to Atlanta Sunday afternoon. The breeder was really great, updating me almost as fast as USPS tracking and hoped for the best as they were shipped in breather bags. 

Then we realized we hit a new Federal holiday today and they wouldn't be delivered until tomorrow... when it was 97degrees here. My heart sank. The breeder was prepared to reship and no added cost, which was amazing. 

I got a notification first thing this morning however that the fish had made it to our local hub... so someone was working behind the scenes. Patient SpouseTM (who has one of those faces) offered to try and convince whomever was working to find and turn over the package. I was skeptical... but prepped my bucket and air stone, hoping for the best.

Sure enough, they let him in AND found our fish... with a smile! He raced back home and we carefully unpacked (amazingly packed BTW - I can provide a glowing referral for anyone looking for nice angels). There were 12 not quite dime size fish.... all alive! Amazingly the ph was only .1 lower than the breeder's water and ammonia was still under 1ppm after almost 5 days. 

I took several hours to being them up to 76 before moving them to qt. One struggled from the start and looks like a loss - I moved to a separate smaller container with air and a bit of salt, but to no avail.

Everyone else looked great and have since moved into the qt space (one of the 75s with about 30gal of water. wood and plants).

These guys are so stinkin' cute! The main order was for a small colony of Bulgarian Green Seal Points, which I've wanted for a long time. The parents are both double darks, and I was surprised how much color the babies had right out of the bag:

He also threw in a couple from his other lines - a German Blue Blushing and two Phillipine Blue Super Veils, one of which was the fish that didn't make it. The two blues are likely future residents of the 75 angel side tank, while the seals will be in the 55gal Patient SpouseTM tank in our bedroom and a future breeding project.

The other old 55 has been getting cleaned up for use as a future holding space for plants, grow out, etc. We might try to recreate the "breed 3 fish in a 55" concept from @Dean’s Fishroom 🙂

the old production table turned tank stand is almost fixed up, with a new laminated top (it helps knowing someone in a commercial furniture factory) and a coat of paint. I'm down to play sand or my cheesy 90s pink and white gravel... may just have to roll with it and stick on the old grecian ruins background from those days as well 😂 

Edited June 20, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Torrey]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:28 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

.Chapter 7: "Fun Angels" and a harrowing journey with a (mostly) happy ending

I mentioned previously that Angels were on the way - and they were. Shipped from Long Island NY on Wednesday to arrive here Friday morning. Heat was a concern the shipper and I discussed, but figured it would be ok given I get my mail early in the morning and my carrier knows I'm on the lookout.

Like Bugs Bunny years ago, these fish "took a wrong turn at Albuquerque". They enjoyed a USPS tour of Queens, Metro NYC and Newark NJ over 3 1/2 days (only one of those stops was supposed to happen) before finally making it to Atlanta Sunday afternoon. The breeder was really great, updating me almost as fast as USPS tracking and hoped for the best as they were shipped in breather bags. 

Then we realized we hit a new Federal holiday today and they wouldn't be delivered until tomorrow... when it was 97degrees here. My heart sank. The breeder was prepared to reship and no added cost, which was amazing. 

I got a notification first thing this morning however that the fish had made it to our local hub... so someone was working behind the scenes. Patient SpouseTM (who has one of those faces) offered to try and convince whomever was working to find and turn over the package. I was skeptical... but prepped my bucket and air stone, hoping for the best.

Sure enough, they let him in AND found our fish... with a smile! He raced back home and we carefully unpacked (amazingly packed BTW - I can provide a glowing referral for anyone looking for nice angels). There were 12 not quite dime size fish.... all alive! Amazingly the ph was only .1 lower than the breeder's water and ammonia was still under 1ppm after almost 5 days. 

I took several hours to being them up to 76 before moving them to qt. One struggled from the start and looks like a loss - I moved to a separate smaller container with air and a bit of salt, but to no avail.

Everyone else looked great and have since moved into the qt space (one of the 75s with about 30gal of water. wood and plants).

These guys are so stinkin' cute! The main order was for a small colony of Bulgarian Green Seal Points, which I've wanted for a long time. The parents are both double darks, and I was surprised how much color the babies had right out of the bag:

He also threw in a couple from his other lines - a German Blue Blushing and two Phillipine Blue Super Veils, one of which was the fish that didn't make it. The two blues are likely future residents of the 75 angel side tank, while the seals will be in the 55gal Patient SpouseTM tank in our bedroom and a future breeding project.

The other old 55 has been getting cleaned up for use as a future holding space for plants, grow out, etc. We might try to recreate the "breed 3 fish in a 55" concept from @Dean’s Fishroom 🙂

the old production table turned tank stand is almost fixed up, with a new laminated top (it helps knowing someone in a commercial furniture factory) and a coat of paint. I'm down to play sand or my cheesy 90s pink and white gravel... may just have to roll with it and stick on the old grecian ruins background from those days as well 😂 

ORD😍

And Bugs and I had nothing to do with it, they never even made it to Albuquerque🤣

I'm pretty sure that area of the Burroughs is attempting to recreate the Bermuda triangle... with a New York twist!

[Jawjagrrl]

On 6/20/2022 at 3:56 PM, Torrey said:

ORD😍

And Bugs and I had nothing to do with it, they never even made it to Albuquerque🤣

I'm pretty sure that area of the Burroughs is attempting to recreate the Bermuda triangle... with a New York twist!

The breeder was pretty ticked off when those fish turned up in the metro NY hub! Sad to have lost the one, but after 5 summer days in the post, I'm pretty stoked. These little guys are mesmerizing, already eating well. I had put a couple xtra endler females in the setup to give the BB something to "do" a few days ago.... so of course there were MORE fry this weekend ( they haven't been with males since 5/2)... One of the more lively angels has already given chase a bit even though there is no way one of them would fit. 

I got some instant baby brine in recently - I think these guys are the perfect 1st customers! 

[Jawjagrrl]

Chapter 8: Between a Stump and a Hardscape

The journal is running quite behind actual events, most of them good, so watch for some more frequent updates as I play catchup.

Not long after getting in the first batch of angels, I snagged more of the phillipine blue superveils for the angel75 from the same seller. Which also had a bit of a wild ride from NY to GA - our local USPS to the rescue though. I was tracking when the shipment suddenly updated to "picked up by recipient"! Whaaa? Turned out the local postmaster lives close by, saw the shipment and decided to bring it on his way home from work and not wait for the route carrier in the morning - now THAT is service! Here's a pic of one of the parents:

I posted a thread a week or so after they arrived as one was seeming to be a case of "failure to thrive", but realized it was one from the original shipment given as a freebie - perhaps some would have culled (I know Dean would have). Despite my best efforts it didn't make it. I was concerned about another one, which I did move to a 5gal alone so I could try and beef it up and medicate if need be (it is doing great as of early August).

The first 55 released from this project that became the "fun angel 55" upstairs had overgrown by this time - the P. Stellatus Octopus had been trimmed 2-3x by this point, and the lily has required some trimming since as it was overtaking everything. Congo tetras doing great with the roseline sharks, a temporary combo I didn't expect to be so fun to watch. Quickly became the rising/retiring ritual for us each day. 

The other 55 freed up from the main project did get finished over the July 4th weekend and I moved close to 100 chili endlers of varying ages to it, freeing all the tanks but two upstairs from their prolific breeding! Chili, anyone? 😉I was ordering pet food and spotted a bubbler/light on clearance for about $7 that I added to it for additional aeration. My 45 gal tote now houses snails, duckweed and 100s of scuds... Too bad this couldn't have been a scapes from scraps entry - tank, gravel, filter, backdrop, lava rock and hoods all from 1997. Plants all trimmings from other tanks (also QT plants for the angel75 at lower left). Table was built in the 60s at my husband's factory for upholstering restaurant chairs. The tote was used to move me here in 2010 and the air pump was my dad's, used to run a group of Meta tanks in the mid 60s! I bought a finnex stingray light from the Coop, but not much else - even the fish are all ones bred here except the SAEs.

But on to the main event - it was time to get that stump dealt with and the first of the tanks hardscaped. The weather 4th weekend didn't make that easy, with heat indexes waaaay over the actual temp, which would have been cool for us otherwise:

But by this time Patient SpouseTM was nerming out more and more, and was finally willing to lend a hand (and foot). I had made a first cut to eliminate the extra height. We then boxed out a 75 footprint to ensure the root system on the left half of the stump had been trimmed up enough (it was). We used a carpenter's square to make a final call as to where the cut would be. Ultimately a lot more of it would end up on the left side with a root that extends almost the full length.

It took hand saws, japanese saws, chisels, wedges, and finally a sawzall, but we got it into two pieces with clean faces for placement against the inside walls of each tank. Progress!

It was very hard wood (still unsure what species, but harder than oak), but quite hollow. Thanks to one of @Zenzo's videos on making 3d backgrounds, I knew I could safely use the same expandable foam to fill all the open areas to eliminate places for fish to get trapped.

I had kept all my sawdust and trimmings to press into the foam surface and minimize the appearance of the foam without resorting to paint. Tip: If you use this stuff, DO wear gloves. I couldn't believe how adhesive this was to skin, more so than even superglue - nothing worked as a solvent and I had to use sandpaper and time to get it all off. Most of this wouldn't be visible between the two tanks, but a few knotholes also had to be filled.

Now it was just a matter of sanding up to look a bit more like it had been in water for a long time and a final height measurement to make that last critical cut - I wanted the stumps to come as close to the lids as possible...

Voila! Now hardscaping can begin in earnest...

Edited August 9, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Jawjagrrl]

Chapter 9: A Hardscape Night

Because I opted to make one of the 75s a quarantine space, I can't build the scapes side by side as originally intended. But it should be ok. After doing a dry fit of the larger stump section (for the left side) in the empty tank, I had a pretty good idea of how I needed to place the right side half (which isn't quite as deep) so they would appear aligned. After so much planning, it was nice just to finally see the stump prepped and in the house.

We had a tough decision to make early on here - the largest rockwork I had first planned to use were yellow river rocks. I had acquired Tennessee river rock and sand in multiple sizes to create a cohesive rockscape that would appear as pieces broken off larger rocks and worn smooth over many, many years. But - we had some pretty awesome feature rocks on the farm that had a lot of appeal. Favorites have heavy veins of mica running through them, and I wanted to try laying them out in what would appear to be a washout area of a creek bed as it works its way around the tree (stump). The right side tank would appear to have more flow and house the big fish, while the left side is slower, more bogged down with plant matter, etc. The right half of the stump had a large open space underneath that I thought would be a good place to try the mica slabs. Patient Spouse™ liked the larger rock used on the right end.

The root I cut off the stump became part of a wooden "claw" feature at the right side (will be framed with jungle val along that end of the tank). One of the pieces of lake driftwood a friend gave us makes the other part of the claw while the long straight piece became a linking piece between the two large elements - a bridge. I can picture Geophagus sifting sand while hanging out under the long bar.

I had a LOT of supervision from the other tank! All the sponge filters have been "seasoning" in there for some time. Yes, that #!&#@! duckweed ends up in every tank no matter how hard I try to keep it out 😞

After a lot of tweaks, I ended up here. Everything got secured with 2-part aquarium epoxy putty in hopes it will all stay in place once submerged. The driftwood has been in the tank with the angels and floats just as much now as it did on day 1, so I gave this a full 24 hours to cure despite this brand only needing 30 minutes.

Time for aquasoil (bagged to keep it from getting churned up by eartheaters) and mixing with the sand, river sand, scatter gravel and pebbles, and some of the botanicals - magnolia pods, hickory nut shells, sycamore seed pods and assorted twigs, etc.

FWIW, if you need a LOT of aquatic plants, buy a Pogostemon Stellatus "Octopus" from the Co-op - you'll have plants for ever. All the plants in the QT angel side are cuttings from one plant in the 55 upstairs. The basement 55 has just as much!

I'd been staring that that plastic grid on the bottoms of these tanks at night for a few weeks - was ready to make them disappear! Ditto for all the bags of sand, etc., that the dog seemed to think needed guarding from our cats. 🤔

Strategically added bags of soil to the few areas where rooted plants would be used. Geos won't move in until after the swords and val have had a chance to get rooted well. Seems to have worked out for Cory with the juraparis in his 800gal, so fingers crossed...

View from the end of the tank - pretty cool you can see into the other side 🙂 Swords will be planted in several places along the back, jungle val will fill the entire end, which is near a east-facing window. Should make for some nice "golden hour" light in the mornings.

View from the top - some bagged old gravel also used to build up the space under the front of the stump. First sand went in - bye bye grid! I was glad to have used it though - really protected the glass while moving everything around, plus the crushed coral and gravel in it will provide added biological filtration.

Sand! And the mica rocks under the stump laid out just as I had hoped, feels very natural-looking in person. Lots of shimmer from the mica veins too. It was really starting to feel like a plan coming together.

Couldn't resist a first? side-by-side shot. Sometimes I'd just have to stop and look, realizing the stand was done, in the house, level and the tanks were no longer in the carport!

Top view with the pebbles and smaller rock added - really worked seamlessly with the sand, which was all from Caribsea. The "jelly bean" pebbles were hard to find but well worth it to have matching rock ranging from 1" to 1/8" that was made of the same mix of (inert) rock/sand from the same area.

Left end complete except for botanicals/plants!

With botanicals:

Right side ready for botanicals/plants. The double sponge filter stack will be behind this "island" and (mostly) hidden by swords and stem plants.

Hardscape a wrap! Holly leaves, magnolia pods, etc., tucked in here and there. I didn't fuss with it too much, knowing the fish and powerhead will do that for me soon. Liking the "claw" more and more - it was hard to figure out how to compliment the stump as a focal point without competing with it too much. The claw points right at the doorway into the room, makes for a dynamic first look.

I like it almost more in moonlight mode!

Next up - plants! Some ordered from the Co-op have been in the basement 55 enjoying lots of light and fertilizer, so should transition easily. One of the 5gal nano setups contributed an amazing amount of Jungle Val...

Edited August 28, 2022 by Jawjagrrl