Guppysnail Aquarium Journal

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

OMG! That's what I'm afraid of with breeding (or accidentally)! I mean I think having a table might be fun but having so many babies makes me stressed just thinking about it! 

I WAS just thinking about you. I'm getting a couple of long finned albino Plecos and one Common long fin from a local fish keeper. They're only 2 inches. I even secretly hope they are all girls or something so they don't have kids!!

Having never been to a fish auction/sale I have been to plenty of vendor shows and the tables I like best are well organized and some even have some basic info signs. If I were you I'd get some 8x11 sign holders and make short info sheets about each of my species, maximum size, perferred water parameters, what they eat/were raised on and maybe other facts or fun stuff. I think sometimes fish people impulsively buy fish and having that stuff right there to me would show you care, and are approachable and willing to find the right fish for a buyer. I almost got a couple of clown killis but the info I could quickly find online told me they weren't a good fit. That being right there on the sign would be great I think. Plus your buyers can take a pic of your sign if they need any of that info- could conveniently put your email address or contact on it so they could contact you if they wanted more! 

[Guppysnail]

@xXInkedPhoenixX Thank you. That’s great info. I’ll order sign holders now. I enjoy the more organized vendors also. I love your ideas. I know there were fish I saw at swaps I passed on because it was so busy and I didn’t know enough about the fish to know if they would do well for me. I can HOPEFULLY figure out how to print basic care sheets for each critter. Maybe someone can help me to print some info on a stricker to put right on the bag?  If not I’m off to Staples or Office Depot 🤣 I don’t want to spend to much the first time.  I actually want to make some extra $$ for my fish hobby. 
@Chick-In-Of-TheSea already suggested business cards. I reached out for help to @nabokovfan87 because I’m computer illiterate.  If he can’t help maybe he can point me in the right direction to get a computer nerms help. 

 

[Guppysnail]

@xXInkedPhoenixX I just got these 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Well here's the thing, everyone has a phone so if you have a care sheet/sign, suggest the buyer take a picture! It  costs you no additional money and they will think you are clever! (I did when I first saw someone do this) And yes vendors can get busy and often questions can be easily answered with a good sign and you will lose far fewer sales!

Edited May 24, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Guppysnail]

On 5/24/2023 at 5:24 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

if you have a care sheet/sign, suggest the buyer take a picture! It  costs you no additional money and they will think you are clever!

PERFECT! 🤗

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

(and you can put your contact information on the sign if you want to give out an email address or number for contact - so if you don't want to do business cards you won't have to, they'll say "do you have business card" "I don't but you can take a picture of the sign and it has my contact info on it!" That way they don't lose it!  )

Edited May 24, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Guppysnail]

On 5/24/2023 at 5:39 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I don't but you can take a picture of the sign and it has my contact info on it!" That way they don't lose it!  )

I like this WAAAY better than business cards. I have a collection at the bottom of my insulated fish shopping bag. I usually can’t even remember who I got what from. 🤣

I knew my forum friends would set me on the right path 🤗

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Well that's my point. I have a million of them. Can count on one hand how many of them I cared about in the end. 

[Guppysnail]

Ok @Chick-In-Of-TheSea and @xXInkedPhoenixX I just bought these as well. 
I am going to print up care sheets on each critter and worm culture so folks can take photos so I don’t have to print a ton of stuff. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Having someone's info on my phone however, has been very helpful! 

(whoops meant this to attach to my last post but another post was put before me doing it! hehe)

Edited May 24, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 5/24/2023 at 10:29 PM, Guppysnail said:

 

So I did a thing today. I have so many baby fish, shrimp, snails and worms right now it’s crazy. 
First week in July my club has a cookout/ swap event. I decided to be brave and rented a table inside. I’m going to be a vendor 🤣

I am nervous so I think I will post a question thread to see if folks have any tips. 
 

HAPPY ADVENTURES…TRY SOMETHING NEW

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea this belonged here 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Advice from someone who gets a bit overlooked at this kind of event: try and keep a mental tab on who is first in the queue at your stand. Seeing the amount of babies you have, I wouldn’t be surprised if you sell out! 

[Guppysnail]

🥳

Great news!

@Elodie Rose is going to join me at my table at the swap!  Now I’m less nervous! 
 

Im more excited about doing this than I anticipated 🧐

[Biotope Biologist]

Exciting stuff sounds like a blast! 
 

You’ll be great it is also nice to have another person there ☺️ 

[Guppysnail]

 

[Guppysnail]

WOW! HOLY COW!

Look at this awesome damselfly nymph 🤩

He was in my little 5 gallon shrimp and snail tank.

I just put 4 more Psuedomugil luminatus in there for qt. I have 12 girls go figure. I’m hoping these are boys. The luminatus must have rousted him from his hiding place. 
His wings are partially formed so he had to be in there for quite some time. 
The green looks like he may be native to my area. I think I’ll set him up a tank and grow him out. 🥰

 

Late edit. Hubby was not as keen as I was to have insects growing that will eventually fly about the house so bye bye beautiful damselfly 😭🤣

[Odd Duck]

Have everything as organized and ready to go as possible at least a full day ahead.  Pack things so they come out of the boxes in a way that makes sense - first out of the box is first laid on the table - the bones of your display then build from there.  

If you have enough fish, try to bag them the night before with oxygen and pack them in coolers.  Otherwise you’ll spend hours bagging the morning of the event.  If they start late enough, you might be able to bag morning of the event.  I’ve caught the fish the day before and put them into coolers with fresh water and a excess of well-seasoned sponge filters and plenty of air, then bag morning of event since they’re much easier and faster to catch out of the coolers.  Give yourself at least 2 more hours the morning of than you expect it to take.  Take extra bags and extra rubber bands.  Some will leak.  Take a jug of extra water, too.  Just in case.

Label each fish bag even if it’s just a small label (ideally common name and binomial) - people forget the names of what they buy, sometimes before they leave the event.  I forgot the variety name of some sword plants I bought the first day of Aquashella (it was a new one to me) and had to go back to the vendor the next day and ask the name.  🤷🏻‍♀️  Having more info on each species available is an excellent idea whether you have handouts or a mini-poster they can snap a pic.  Include your business name and whatever contact info you’re willing to put out into the world.  Don’t share what you don’t want to risk going worldwide since you never know where personal info will end up going.

Good luck on your sales!

On 5/23/2023 at 4:48 PM, Guppysnail said:

 I finally got brave and glued moss underwater.

I knew you could do it!

[Lennie]

On 5/25/2023 at 8:03 PM, Guppysnail said:

WOW! HOLY COW!

Look at this awesome damselfly nymph 🤩

He was in my little 5 gallon shrimp and snail tank.

I just put 4 more Psuedomugil luminatus in there for qt. I have 12 girls go figure. I’m hoping these are boys. The luminatus must have rousted him from his hiding place. 
His wings are partially formed so he had to be in there for quite some time. 
The green looks like he may be native to my area. I think I’ll set him up a tank and grow him out. 🥰

 

Late edit. Hubby was not as keen as I was to have insects growing that will eventually fly about the house so bye bye beautiful damselfly 😭🤣

Guppy this is you. You have a red flag predator in your shrimp tank and you be like:

IMMA GROW HIM 😍😍

 

[Guppysnail]

@Lennie  those “red flag” predator damselfly are what keep me from being eaten alive by mosquitoes every year. @Torrey grows them INTENTIONALLY in their tanks to control bug populations 😁
I have an allergic reaction to mosquito bites and where I get bit becomes a hand sized ITCHY welt. 
Damselfly here are so common because warm wet spring summer fall means a crazy mosquito population. 
 

I did move my luminatus. There were 4 more in damselfly nymphs smaller in that tank. The ones I get there are ALWAYS six not more not less always 6 for natives for whatever reason. I only found 5. The 4 luminatus quarantined in there were still very nervous. Obviously the one I took photos of was a big as they are. 
So the luminatus got moved. I should still have 1 in with the shrimp and snails. I removed the breeding snails and babies leaving only mid sized snails that are not in danger. 
Now I can grow my last Damselfly out and hubby won’t know 🤫 

I started feeding 2 white worms and 3 grindal worms today. So he will have those and shrimp to nom. The shrimp in that tank are still overpopulating even with 6 predators so they really dont eat that much. 🤣

[Lennie]

On 5/26/2023 at 7:38 PM, Guppysnail said:

@Lennie  those “red flag” predator damselfly are what keep me from being eaten alive by mosquitoes every year. @Torrey grows them INTENTIONALLY in their tanks to control bug populations 😁
I have an allergic reaction to mosquito bites and where I get bit becomes a hand sized ITCHY welt. 
Damaelfly here are so common because warm wet spring summer fall means a crazy mosquito population. 
 

I did move my luminatus. There were 3 more in that tank. The ones I get there are ALWAYS six not more not less always 6 for  natives for whatever reason. I only found 5. The 4 luminatus quarantined in there were still very nervous. Obviously the one I took photos of was a big as they are. 
So the luminatus got moved. I should still have 1 in with the shrimp and snails. I removed the breeding snails and babies leaving only mid sized snails that are not in danger. 
Now I can grow my last Damselfly out and hubby won’t know 🤫 

I started feeding 2 white worms and 3 grindal worms today. So he will have those and shrimp to nom. The shrimp in that tank are still overpopulating even with 6 predators so they really do t eat that much. 🤣

The adults look cool but the larvae looks like a demon pet.

 

[Guppysnail]

On 5/26/2023 at 12:41 PM, Lennie said:

The adults look cool but the larvae looks like a demon pet.

 

They move like very graceful water snakes and FAST 💨 

[Lennie]

On 5/26/2023 at 7:43 PM, Guppysnail said:

They move like very graceful water snakes and FAST 💨 

Is this statement supposed to make me like them 😭😭😭😭

[Guppysnail]

On 5/26/2023 at 12:45 PM, Lennie said:

Is this statement supposed to make me like them 😭😭😭😭

Ok we shall call them graceful water ballerinas 🤷‍♀️

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/26/2023 at 12:38 PM, Guppysnail said:

I have an allergic reaction to mosquito bites and where I get bit becomes a hand sized ITCHY welt

Same. Although not hand sized, but I can experience redness and a welt for like 2 weeks and it stays itchy the whole time. And of course they think I’m the tastiest. 🙄 My husband gets bit, and his bite is gone next day. Oh, and FL is the mosquito capital of the US too. 😑

There are a few frogs and salamanders that chill at my front and back doors and help out. Do you think one of those pitcher plants would help too?

[Guppysnail]

On 5/26/2023 at 2:19 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Do you think one of those pitcher plants would help too?

I have never had a carnivorous plant out side of aquatic bladderwort. 

Pretty fish 🥰

 

[Guppysnail]

Pretty fish 🥰

 

Getting swap ready. 
I do not know if it’s my nervousness and need to be highly prepared in advance for things or if I’m just really getting into this 🤣

I’m also going to root lots of emergents.