Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/7/2022 at 3:54 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Uh oh.

time to take inventory on nano air pumps & power banks.

Also I gave Geppetto a brine shrimp today.  To my knowledge he has never had one before.  He very closely stalked it as it floated down and just before it hit the sand - CHOMP!

Awww! Hope all goes well! 🤞

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/7/2022 at 6:54 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Uh oh.

time to take inventory on nano air pumps & power banks

Stay safe.  Hopefully things are ok.
 

On 11/7/2022 at 2:58 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

You see how he has an attitude, @nabokovfan87?  He does not think his bubble nest is a Kodak moment.

Oh it's just like the ram.... That's HIS nest and you're not allowed to share it! 😂  Awesome photo though, I really like how he posed for you.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Interesting- I conducted an experiment without trying to. The dwarf sag that I gave the root tab to is doing great. The other ones that don’t have root tabs are starting to have die-off on some of the leaves. Hope that ACO order arrives tomorrow!

I thought grass plants would be less needy, like my micro sword is, but these are more demanding; I can already tell.

I got the big container of root tabs this time since I have a fair number of sword plants now.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/7/2022 at 4:08 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Setup: 15 gal long with 1 'Black Orchid' (Black Crowntail with electric blue veins) male and 1 royal blue female. I ended up with about 60+ fry on the first go. I got so desperate for holding space for them to grow out in that I used plastic cups (1 litre) to hold them! The second time I just left the fry in there until they were catchable. I got about 5. I'm still searching for some pics...

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Well the storm is still on course. It has brought 23’ seas to the ocean so it seems wicked. It is still a tropical storm though, milder than a hurricane. The storm should hit tomorrow night. I had two more power banks overnighted for my nano pumps, esp since I have a new tank going now. I’m also fasting everybody to keep waste down, but the snails are still eating catappa leaf. I don’t think there is much harm in that. Water changes today and tomorrow.

On 11/8/2022 at 1:36 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

 

@TheSwissAquarist that is so cool! 😍Your fish looks a lot like my Geppetto, only yours is a crowntail and mine is, I’ve been told the scientific name, is “regular betta”. 🤣

Edited November 8, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/8/2022 at 11:33 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Your fish looks a lot like my Geppetto,

My female does at least...I was quite a betta nerd a couple of months ago

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

A little water change for the 2 small tanks and the QT tank today.  I wanted to clean Geppetto's sponge filter because it had accumulated some sand dust from planting.  He warily watched everything I was doing, but he wasn't afraid.  He knew I was in his turf but was patient.  No flaring this time.  I used a gallon of the tannin water that @xXInkedPhoenixX told me how to make.  So convenient!  No running to the sink; it was right there ready to go and made tank maintenance a snap.

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Glad all is going well with Geppetto so far! Beautiful little fish! Also glad my tea making tips are helping. I find it rather convenient and easy though some might find it involved. Just depends on the lengths one is willing to go to for ones pets! 

Plus though just adding a leaf is convenient it can cause quite a bit of detrius that isn't so pretty- so unless you have critters that eat them, I prefer to make tea water.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Also, just caught up awesome work with Geppetto!

It's so nice of my fellow forum members to deem me "betta expert" because I am by far below that bar and just trying not to kill anybody. 😆

At times I "rescue" plants from the hardware store because they're dead or dying figuring I can't do much more harm and if they come back great! I suppose I did that with fish this time around.

I've learned quite a bit from my thread, and still learning. We'll all learn together. 

I'm just glad others (forum members and apparently Betta) are benefitting from my learning experience.

Edited November 8, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/8/2022 at 11:29 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

It's so nice of my fellow forum members to deem me "betta expert" because I am by far below that bar

What you've done with the big box bettas was quite the undertaking.  Don't sell yourself short; that was amazing!

On 11/8/2022 at 11:18 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Plus though just adding a leaf is convenient it can cause quite a bit of detrius that isn't so pretty

Next time Geppetto won't get a whole leaf.  Because all his bubbles keep it floating 🤣 and my plants are not getting light!  I'm just moving it side to side each day to make sure each plant gets some sun.  He watches me to make sure I don't mess up what he made.  It's interesting how observant he is.  He even watched me water change the tank next to him.  I looked over and there he was, making sure I was doing a good job.  

The leaves that I boiled to make the tea - I gave those to the shrimp & snails and they are munching away at them.  They like that they've been softened up a little bit.  They didn't really like the crunchy leaf I gave them before.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/8/2022 at 6:01 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Next time Geppetto won't get a whole leaf.  Because all his bubbles keep it floating 🤣 and my plants are not getting light!  I'm just moving it side to side each day to make sure each plant gets some sun.  He watches me to make sure I don't mess up what he made.  It's interesting how observant he is.  He even watched me water change the tank next to him.  I looked over and there he was, making sure I was doing a good job.

Bettas have so much personality; they almost like your Snoopy, or @Guppysnails GBRs!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 11/8/2022 at 9:01 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Next time Geppetto won't get a whole leaf

It's beneficial- I just got tired of all the detrius they created and I don't have anyone to eat them. My resident Betta Koianu had a full leaf for a bit in addition to my tea but the bare bottom tank he has- well it' gets messy. 

If he had a tall anubias or other similar plant he'd probably lay his bubble nest there. 

On 11/8/2022 at 9:01 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

It's interesting how observant he is

They are very different than other schooling/shoaling fish. Betta aren't even Cichlids like Rams but they seem as intelligent. Not to say schooling/shoaling fish aren't in their own way but Betta definitely have individual personalities and they learn easily. This is why I quit keeping them for a while- you get attached to their personalities and I wasn't doing well keeping them. Didn't feel I was at their level or meeting their needs properly. I'm trying harder than I have in the past (not that I wasn't trying before, but I've learned a few more things that might help). 

Koianu broke me of my protest when I decided to keep a Betta in the grow out tank during the "off seasons" and he caught my eye. He's just as curious as what you are describing. My water dispenser is near his tank if I'm over there he's over there. If I'm in the tank he's close to whatever I am doing. He knows where his "food bowl" is (floating ring) and he's not a fan of the divider in his tank for the baby Otos but he's given up on trying to get over there. 🙂 They're fun.

On 11/8/2022 at 9:01 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

The leaves that I boiled to make the tea - I gave those to the shrimp & snails and they are munching away at them.  They like that they've been softened up a little bit.  They didn't really like the crunchy leaf I gave them before.

Yes I've noticed our shrimp and snail friends don't take to these leaves until they are well soaked which is about the time they create all the detrius I complain about. They do still have tannins in them too even after boiling so good that you can use them. 

Edited November 8, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/8/2022 at 12:24 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Yes I've noticed our shrimp and snail friends don't take to these leaves until they are well soaked which is about the time they create all the detrius I complain about

I don’t think I have to worry. I put the leaf in and overnight this happened. Look at the edge. Originally it was a perfect leaf. C3PO is having a field day.

And Ingot is checking it out too. Little rock to make sure it stays put.

@xXInkedPhoenixX do you think Geppetto is a certain type of betta?  Based on his fin shape or whatnot?

Edited November 8, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Absolutely, appears to me that Geppetto is a Veil Tail. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

While I was at work, Geppetto made his bubble nest bigger.

 

I had some browning of the crinum and realized I should have kept the bulb above the substrate (fixed).

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/9/2022 at 12:08 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

While I was at work, Geppetto made his bubble nest bigger.

 

I had some browning of the crinum and realized I should have kept the bulb above the substrate (fixed).

Thats massive! 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Lame.  But it did shift left a little bit.  That edge though, there’s gonna be some high winds. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/9/2022 at 2:37 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Lame.  But it did shift left a little bit.  That edge though, there’s gonna be some high winds.

I'm guessing the trajectory keeps shifting west a bit?

Not something I would encourage you to watch this week, but netflix added a new weather show.  Episode 2 is about volcanoes. pretty breathtaking stuff and I learned some good info about what actually goes on with different types of them.

I've got a friend in Florida, probably going to go right through the same stuff and he has a ton of animals to care for too.  He's going to school for ocean engineering.... all I can think is how he needs to get to work adding something to the Atlantic that would take out some of the intensity as it moves closer to land. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/9/2022 at 1:55 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'm guessing the trajectory keeps shifting west a bit?

So far only one slight shift.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

A few photos of the gang

the new guy:

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Black neons

Head and taillight tetra (they are shyer)

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I offered some daphnia to Geppetto this evening. He enjoyed it!

 

 

And the root tabs came so I got to help out the dwarf sag that were becoming a little sad.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/9/2022 at 12:00 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

That bottom right has definitely had some sass from the ram rub off.  😂

On 11/9/2022 at 2:53 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Honestly, looks like a photo composition of something Jimmy would do.  Geppetto is just a photogenic little dude.

On 11/9/2022 at 12:33 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Do you have success using the plant weights like this?  I haven't seen that method!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@nabokovfan87The ram was extra pouty today when I took his picture with Woodstock. Look at that frown!

Edited November 9, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/9/2022 at 6:08 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Do you have success using the plant weights like this?  I haven't seen that method!

That method is called laziness; I didn’t want to bust out the glue. And yeah! It actually works great!