TheSwissAquarist Journal 2.0

[TheSwissAquarist]

Something for @nabokovfan87:

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Time for skiiing?

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/26/2023 at 4:09 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Something for @nabokovfan87:

 

Alright, you get the campfire going, I'll go find a few hundred feet of christmas lights. 🙂

Reminds me of a road that Jimmy drove by on one of his streams up in Washington.   Definitely a place you go for sunrise/sunset walks.

[TheSwissAquarist]

Photo dump.

 

Somehow my Daphnia are still alive…I think there’s about 15 small ones left in the holding tank. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Black phantoms all fired up and ready to go. 
I’m wondering if there’s something about the peat that’s bringing my hatch rates down. The more peat I add, the less I get, but if I add practically none then entire spawns fungus. Has anyone got any ideas on how to stop eggs fungusing? 

[GoofyGarra]

On 11/30/2023 at 2:19 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I’m wondering if there’s something about the peat that’s bringing my hatch rates down. The more peat I add, the less I get, but if I add practically none then entire spawns fungus. Has anyone got any ideas on how to stop eggs fungusing? 

is the peat contained or is it spread out along the bottom. Im thinking maybe if the peat sticks to the eggs it might be a problem? (just a random guess)

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/29/2023 at 11:19 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Black phantoms all fired up and ready to go. 
I’m wondering if there’s something about the peat that’s bringing my hatch rates down. The more peat I add, the less I get, but if I add practically none then entire spawns fungus. Has anyone got any ideas on how to stop eggs fungusing? 

If you're able to move the eggs to a tumbler or a shrimp tank or a container with methylene blue (in that order).

[TheSwissAquarist]

Bust my arm last weekend skiing. 😢 First Weekend and my pol gets caught on a tree under the snow 🤬. There goes the rest of the season…could it be natures way of telling me to stop off-pisting? 🥲

As you can imagine, I was feeling a bit blue and aquariums/school are kinda tough with one leg. No more WCs for another month and it looks like no more heavy lifting. 😑 Typing is kinda slow without one’s left arm. 

At least I had one fun day on the pistes …

Tho I can now take a ton of fish pictures 😅

Have a good one! 

[Guppysnail]

Sorry you got hurt. It is a good excuse to spend many hours just watching and enjoying your fish and all the hard work that went into your tanks.

[Flipper]

On 12/6/2023 at 9:33 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Tho I can now take a ton of fish pictures 😅

You take awesome pictures!  👌 I love your dog; is it male or female?  I also enjoy reading your posts. I'm so sorry to hear about your accident.  Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[Flipper]

On 12/6/2023 at 9:33 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

off-pisting

I learned a new word, cool.  Growing up in Texas, we don't ski much here.  🤣  We do, however, have dirt piles or hills that you can slide down on a piece of cardboard.  Yee haw! 

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/6/2023 at 7:33 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Bust my arm last weekend skiing.

I hope not broken or anything! Hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

[JoeQ]

Wishing you a speedy recovery and looking forward to some fishy pics while you are on the mend! 

As for skiing vs sliding down a hillside on a cardboard box. 

CARDBOARD BOX ALL DAY, Yeeeeee Hawwwwww!!! 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Thanks all! 
Maintenance is a pain in the butt with only one arm, and siphons are even harder… but my black phantoms are fired up again, so they’re definitely getting a shot. 
 

Btw, I’ve got a nature-loving girl for Secret Santa and am completely stumped on what to get her. Any ideas? 😂

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/7/2023 at 9:19 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Btw, I’ve got a nature-loving girl for Secret Santa and am completely stumped on what to get her. Any ideas? 😂

I don't think Miir is available there, but they make some cool stuff.

Hydroflask?  Camera stuff? Winter clothes (or gift card for that)?

When you say nature-loving, are we talking hiking, beach, forests, or?  Details might help steer direction towards specific useful things.

[TheSwissAquarist]

Got her a voucher for Zalando, which is kind of like an online clothes store over here. Thanks for the idea @nabokovfan87! 
 

Tank maintenance takes soooo much longer with a broken arm, but hey… I spend more time actually enjoying the tanks. Beforehand it was just scrub, vac, WC, next! 
 

Aiming for the clean lidless look with these guys. There’s definitely gonna be a rescape soon, and I might take the opportunity to paint the sides black. 

WC with one hand is tough. 🫠

Von Rios enjoying the Val. I think I may have found a technique for stopping the eggs from fungusing. RO water -> rain -> snow and we’ve got plenty of the latter. I’ve realized that all the eggs are fungusing a lot more ever since my dad took down our rainwater harvesting system and my tanks have been switched back to tap water. Shrimp like it, tetra eggs hate it. 😑

Btw do you guys have Xmas markets in the states? 

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/14/2023 at 3:06 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Btw do you guys have Xmas markets in the states? 

For trees? Yep! For Christmas type things...  Very regional and depends.

On 12/14/2023 at 3:06 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Got her a voucher for Zalando, which is kind of like an online clothes store over here. Thanks for the idea @nabokovfan87! 
 

Tank maintenance takes soooo much longer with a broken arm, but hey… I spend more time actually enjoying the tanks. Beforehand it was just scrub, vac, WC, next! 

Awesome! Hopefully they enjoy it. 🙂

Very sorry about the arm. I broke mine on a sidewalk crack one day and it was definitely an experience I haven't forgotten. 😂 

You'll be out of the cast soon!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 12/6/2023 at 6:56 PM, JoeQ said:

Wishing you a speedy recovery and looking forward to some fishy pics while you are on the mend! 

As for skiing vs sliding down a hillside on a cardboard box. 

CARDBOARD BOX ALL DAY, Yeeeeee Hawwwwww!!! 

I remember in college we went sledding in our laundry baskets. 🙂 

On 12/8/2023 at 12:19 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Btw, I’ve got a nature-loving girl for Secret Santa and am completely stumped on what to get her. Any ideas? 😂

How about a nice stick insect habitat?

On 12/14/2023 at 1:26 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I broke mine on a sidewalk crack one day and it was definitely an experience I haven't forgotten

@nabokovfan87.. like, you played hockey. And yet you broke your arm on a SIDEWALK CRACK?!  😂#iceskatesbutcantwalk

@TheSwissAquarist I’m so sorry you broke your arm. You need a pond pump with 1/2” tubing to do nice easy water changes (for the big tanks). And you can use smaller tubing (no pump) for the small tanks. Send that water out the window. Lol! Just cover the intake with a net so you don’t launch your critters through the tube! As @Guppysnail calls it, “the water slide ride”.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[JoeQ]

On 12/14/2023 at 2:53 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I remember in college we went sledding in our laundry baskets.

Sledding in anything abstract is soooo much better than sledding on a standard store bought 'sled'! 😂

[Flipper]

On 12/14/2023 at 5:06 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Btw do you guys have Xmas markets in the states? 

We have these huge stores that open only during the holidays, where you can shop for Christmas lights, wrapping paper, bows, etc.  We have parades in almost every city.  Whole neighborhoods decorate and people drive through at night to see the lights.  Very festive!

[Flipper]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to all.  🎄

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/14/2023 at 11:53 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@nabokovfan87.. like, you played hockey. And yet you broke your arm on a SIDEWALK CRACK?!  😂#iceskatesbutcantwalk

I was playing street hockey at the time. 😉

Landed on my elbow.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 12/14/2023 at 8:36 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I was playing street hockey at the time. 😉

Landed on my elbow.

Ok, see? Details help. 😂

& that sounds horribly painful. I’m sorry you went through that. If it helps, Jose Cuervo kicked my foot out from under me one time and broke it. Either that or, I tried to pull off a “star jump” (crazy dance move) and didn’t stick the landing (rolled my ankle). Jose was there though. I definitely remember that jerkface having a part in it. Idk, the details are fuzzy for some reason. That is the only time I broke something, and I did it in my living room, with a house full of like 23 people. I got to wear a fashionable space boot for the next month or so. Hawt! Also it gave me a good excuse to ride those little electric scooters at the grocery store. I especially like the beeps it makes when it backs up. 😂

Edited December 15, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[beastie]

At least your injury stories are somewhat cool. I was playing badminton, took a step back, rolled the ankle real bad which caused me to fall and stick the hand on the opposite side underneath me and break it. I had a cast and the boot, off the ankle for 6 weeks, hand broken for 6 weeks, I looked ridiculous and someone asked me if I was run over by a subway or smth :))) and it was in the middle of a really hot summer so like 🙂 had only two fishtanks back then though

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/15/2023 at 2:50 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I especially like the beeps it makes when it backs up. 😂

😂

Well you definitely win the more fun story. I just felt like an idiot for a bit. Not even a 'whoops", but mad I had this crack eat the wheel on my skates and whatever happened happened.

My mom worked late that night, nurse, and so she got home and went to bed. My grandma was over with us and I can inside and sat in the chair trying really hard not to move for a few hours. When my mom woke up she talked to my grandma and was pretty frustrated she didn't get woken up, but it is what it is.

I still remember that day and some of those moments in the hospital like yesterday.

Pretty sure I just played in shoes after that.

....and it wasn't even the worst injury from street hockey. (I'm a pretty awesome goalie and my shins have the dents to prove it.)

On 12/15/2023 at 3:02 AM, beastie said:

At least your injury stories are somewhat cool. I was playing badminton, took a step back, rolled the ankle real bad which caused me to fall and stick the hand on the opposite side underneath me and break it. I had a cast and the boot, off the ankle for 6 weeks, hand broken for 6 weeks, I looked ridiculous and someone asked me if I was run over by a subway or smth :))) and it was in the middle of a really hot summer so like 🙂 had only two fishtanks back then though

I learned, I failed really, really hard at life because I could not mentally or physically understand how to eat a taco left handed. Just couldn't do it. 😂

I commend you all for being able to have fish tanks with that. I could do it now, back then.... Nah. Water changes get to wait, unless we bust out the python.