Chick-in-of-TheSea journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/1/2022 at 8:16 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

😂 Well I guess the little guy earned his name!

Maybe there is heat coming off the light? Maybe the lid is so tight that is sucks out the oxygen or something when the light is on?  Definitely a strange issue. I would run a test to see.... Next time the light comes on and he's breathing heavily, open the lid and see if that changes behavior in terms of rapid breathing.

I haven't kept the light on for more than 5 minutes with him.  That's not enough time for heat build up or oxygen deprivation.  I also tried it on very dim as well as different colors.  He goes and hides.

On 9/1/2022 at 8:16 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Well I guess the little guy earned his name!

He probably should have been named a long time ago.  I've been a fool of a Took for not doing it sooner!

sketch credit: https://captbexx.tumblr.com/post/129443809254/treebeard-merry-pippin-sketch

Edited September 1, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Someone said I should clean my anubias. I hired help. 
 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I got Pippin to come out in moonlight but it took time and patience. He decided he was going to hide if I am at the tank, so I had to back up and sit down and wait. Let’s see if you guys are able to spot him. 

He needs to get used to the light again because my plants need it. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Look at him go today! I turned the light on but didn’t approach the tank. 
 

 

[nabokovfan87]

I wonder if he hides when you get close to the tank..... if you treat it like I do my corydoras, if he will relax a bit once you're sitting on a stool for a little bit.

He looks content, and I'm sure loves that floating cover.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/2/2022 at 12:17 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I wonder if he hides when you get close to the tank..... if you treat it like I do my corydoras, if he will relax a bit once you're sitting on a stool for a little bit.

He looks content, and I'm sure loves that floating cover.

Yeah I think he has been acting kinda like the cories. Shy when approached. Doesn’t seem that the light was the issue, but the activity. So I try not to loom over the tank. If I am near the ground looking up at the tank, he’s fine. Same if I sit down a little distance away.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Mating dances this morning. This is common when they’ve been fed, but I didn’t even feed them yet. They are just in the mood. (They never mated for years, that I saw, UNTIL I got live plants.)
 

I have the new baffle and here’s my thought process. If I take the filter off to apply the baffle I might as well clean the prefilter sponge. If I have to clean the prefilter sponge, I will need some tank water. If I need some tank water, I might as well gravel vac. How does one baffle showing up in the mail turn into a ton of maintenance?! 😳☹️ *runs & hides*
 

P.S. Here’s a cute ram.

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

You can still see Pippin’s columnaris scar, but hopefully it heals up and his lateral line comes back like his buddy’s.

He’s becoming less shy, and his appetite is returning.

 

[Katherine]

On 9/3/2022 at 6:10 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I have the new baffle and here’s my thought process. If I take the filter off to apply the baffle I might as well clean the prefilter sponge. If I have to clean the prefilter sponge, I will need some tank water. If I need some tank water, I might as well gravel vac. How does one baffle showing up in the mail turn into a ton of maintenance?! 😳☹️ *runs & hides*

If you give a mouse a cookie...

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I would like to go buy some black neons today but I’m wondering if I should a) allow everything I disinfected to dry first (after bleach solution, I did 3x rinse in tap water), and/or b) grab a 10 gallon tank while they are on sale so I can keep a better eye on symptoms ( but, no stand, and have cats). Hmm

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Caution: slight rant

So I ended up getting a new tote vs a 10 gal tank on sale because cats. It’s going to be on the floor.

Looks clearer than my other, older tote.

But of course I had to put the lines on it. How annoying! I don’t know how you guys do it but I fill a gallon jug over and over, pour it in, then make the line. Most accurate way. But man, tedious. Second time I’m doing it.

 

Fortunately I busted out the pump to get the water back out. That was the nice part.

Then I did myself a favor. My present self made a template for my future self, so she will never have to do this 💩 again. Then in the future, my present self can be delighted and say, “wow. How considerate of my past self to make life easy for me.”

I’m not going to get fishies today because I want to take the time to properly set up and let the accessories dry from their recent disinfection, but I think I will go ahead and get the baffle put on. But I refuse to clean sponges today. Not happening!  😡 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Baffle applied. Easy. 2 minutes? Of COURSE I ended up cleaning the darn prefilter sponge and doing a small water change, because removing that intake tube to get the filter off made a mess. 😞 I couldn’t have my little buddies dealing with that in their home.

The baffle was not as I expected though, so I had to mod the mod. Here’s a video for all the filter nerds. I did put the cam down for a few towards the end so you’ll see a black screen briefly, and then I resumed.

@TeeJay @nabokovfan87

Edited September 3, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TeeJay]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:12 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Baffle applied. Easy. 2 minutes? Of COURSE I ended up cleaning the darn prefilter sponge and doing a small water change, because removing that intake tube to get the filter off made a mess. 😞 I couldn’t have my little buddies dealing with that in their home.

The baffle was not as I expected though, so I had to mod the mod. Here’s a video for all the filter nerds. I did put the cam down for a few towards the end so you’ll see a black screen briefly, and then I resumed.

@TeeJay @nabokovfan87

I think it is going to work out quite nicely. Mine is on order. He said less than a week build time since he had the one I needed already built. Just had to print it. So hopefully sometime this upcoming week 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:31 PM, TeeJay said:

I think it is going to work out quite nicely. Mine is on order. He said less than a week build time since he had the one I needed already built. Just had to print it. So hopefully sometime this upcoming week 

Neat. Be sure to take a pic. I think they all look a bit different, for the different models of filters. 

[nabokovfan87]

Looks awesome and I love the upgrade! Be sure to add it to the filter mods thread please!

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/3/2022 at 10:02 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Then I did myself a favor. My present self made a template for my future self, so she will never have to do this 💩 again. Then in the future, my present self can be delighted and say, “wow. How considerate of my past self to make life easy for me.”

It's probably close enough, but how did you make it?  Pour 1 gal, measure, then mark it accordingly?

Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!! Engineering side of me was like... hm. those sides are angled.
 

On 9/3/2022 at 10:02 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I’m not going to get fishies today because I want to take the time to properly set up and let the accessories dry from their recent disinfection, but I think I will go ahead and get the baffle put on. But I refuse to clean sponges today. Not happening!  😡 

🙂

On 9/3/2022 at 5:24 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I would like to go buy some black neons today but I’m wondering if I should a) allow everything I disinfected to dry first (after bleach solution, I did 3x rinse in tap water), and/or b) grab a 10 gallon tank while they are on sale so I can keep a better eye on symptoms ( but, no stand, and have cats). Hmm

Just dump a ton of dechlor in there and it should be fine. I almost always let stuff dry as my main method.  I have buckets I rotate in and out of use that I run through when doing my cleaning.  For what you are dealing with, I would almost pump it through everything if you really had to or let it sit outside for a few hours and lets the UV take it out.  I really hope you don't ever have to deal with that again, it's one of the worst diseases I've seen on the forums, in the hobby.  The little one is an amazing fish for making it through all of that.  Reminds me of.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmj25u5mVvg

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/4/2022 at 1:05 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The little one is an amazing fish for making it through all of that. 

2 little ones made it!  Remember his buddy had it too. Can’t even see his scars anymore; his lateral line came back in nice & solid black.

On 9/4/2022 at 1:05 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Pour 1 gal, measure, then mark it accordingly?

Yes.. annoying! I did all that first and THEN I made the template.

On 9/4/2022 at 12:40 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Looks awesome and I love the upgrade! Be sure to add it to the filter mods thread please!

Thanks! And how did I know you were gonna ask that? 😂

Link the mod thread? I can’t find it.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/4/2022 at 1:05 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Reminds me of.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmj25u5mVvg

Perhaps a binge watch of all of them is in order in my near future. Saw them all in the theater. The first Hobbit they had used a new 3D camera and the opening scene was zooming OUT through trees, and I remember feeling like I was kinda being swallowed by the trees and the foliage. It was incredible. 😍

Edited September 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Woke up this morning, got my coffee, checked on fishies and snails, then walked into the living room.. and spilled my coffee in the process! Not to worry though. It all went in my shoe which was there on the floor. Only a drop or two on the carpet. 😅🙂

Edited September 4, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Guppysnail]

I’m so glad to know shoes have repurposing value 🤣. Squish squish squish goes the shoe…

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I guess I’m buying a new heater. I don’t know what these are. They don’t come off. Scratches? The start of cracks? Best not to chance it. Who knows what they will do when it heats up. 
 

Lame.. only got 1 quarantine use out of this.

[Guppysnail]

Perfect opportunity to switch to The Mighty ACO heaters. I freakin LOVE them. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/4/2022 at 9:20 AM, Guppysnail said:

Perfect opportunity to switch to The Mighty ACO heaters. I freakin LOVE them. 

I thought they only last a year though.

[Guppysnail]

On 9/4/2022 at 9:22 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I thought they only last a year though.

No the warranty lasts 1 year. That’s why they are discounted right now due to blinking lights at a year. They last longer. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I guess now that we’re on the subject of equipment I will share a little life hack. Save the tags from your bread. They make wonderful ID tags.  I especially like to use the orange one for the heaters. 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea