Stuff you bought and recommend (not fish related)

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck yes  but your answer is in your text "Teflon" which is a brand name and certain type of non stick- which, and now I'm using technical term- frankly sucks- as a non-stick product anyway- notorious for flaking and starting that whole toxic shock thing to begin with. I also tended to find most people use too high a heat for cooking- period- whether they think they're overheating or not- any general home cook could probaby cut their usual heat down a quarter to a half and actually end up with better results. 

As with anything always do your research- for a household like yours you might just never use nonstick just because of the reputation. Personally I gave up on non stick years ago (though I have some wonderful pieces from a brand called Look that are 20 years old or more that perform like they day they were purchased- and since they were cast aluminum high heat would NEVER be needed- they perform a lot like cast iron just don't retain heat for as long), I now only exclusively use antique cast iron on my cooktops. 

Edited August 1, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos are lame

[Odd Duck]

@xXInkedPhoenixX It certainly started as “Teflon toxicosis” since that was the first well known brand.  We still call it that since it’s so much easier than saying “carbonyl fluoride” (had to look it up).  But there are still plenty of cheap, non-stick pans out there, unfortunately, and people still use them incorrectly and I still see birds dying within 30 minutes to 6 hours after an exposure (depends on how fast the owners get them to us).

I am also very fond of my cast iron pans.  My “egg pan” - a little 6” that works the *best* for 1-2 fried eggs - is well over 40 years old.  I also have stainless with copper layers that are all right.  Well-seasoned cast iron is the bomb diggity!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck oh we're in TOTAL agreement, I would NEVER recommend cheap nonstick- it's not worth it- in any way. BUT I would never tell someone NO nonstick is good because there are good, quality, safe options out there. AND you are doing the exact right thing for you- just not do it AT ALL. Birds are very sensitive animals (we have a Cockatiel in our family) so why try it?! 

Sounds like you might be in the Veterinary industry. I also worked in the rescue/shelter industry and I'm sure you know and have heard many owners downplaying the things they do/have done. It's very sad. 

I'm a HUGE fan of Le Crueset and have several "modern" pieces of that HOWEVER my 80-100 year old Griswold pans are the sweethearts of my kitchen and the BEST nonstick anyone can possibly buy (but there are strange people out there who want to put their pans in the dishwasher, so they still need modern non stick....they are missing out).

Edited August 1, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos are lame

[Odd Duck]

@xXInkedPhoenixX Yes, I’m a veterinarian.  Been at it over 27 years, main focus is exotics.  I used to work at a clinic where I saw over 70% birds.  I’ve always seen small exotics as well as dogs and cats, no large animal since school unless you count the emergency pygmy goat C-section back in ‘95.  😆 The owner was really desperate since the farm animal vets wouldn’t even consider helping her.  Snowball did fine despite my inexperience (the baby was already known to have passed before the owner got me on the phone).

I never put pans in the dishwasher, not even my stainless.  Knives are another dishwasher pet peeve of mine.  My only knives that go in the dishwasher are ridiculously cheap, old, bad, serrated, steak knives that I use to cut random stuff.  The only reason they go in the dishwasher is because my hubby sometimes uses them for food, lol!

I use one for aquarium stuff (don’t worry, it stays in the aquarium planting supplies), and one is in my gardening pouch.  The others just bang around in a drawer which makes them too handy for him.  The good knives are in the knife blocks and get hand washed.  Funny what we get picky about, isn’t it? 😆 

[Streetwise]

Thank you @xXInkedPhoenixX and @Odd Duck! I think the forum members would enjoy an off-topic thread on cookware, and another one on kitchen knives.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Bless you for being in the exotics realm as you are very much needed. I used to keep hamsters and rats and would love to have had a regular vet who seemed to know anything about my animals. I had one very good one that admitted to not knowing everything but always willing to try and he was a very, very capable surgeon (performed several clean spays on my female rats). I sometimes knew more than him because I did research on the science lab side (a side Veterinarians aren't taught much about per my Vet though there is a lot of knowledge on that side due to science experimentation on rats). He was educated at UC Davis CA so I was a bit surprised by that (and admittedly it wasn't his focus in school- he was a cat/dog Vet for the most part and a great orthopedic surgeon). He was amazing and very kind. I stopped having rodents because I have trouble finding a good Vet for them in my area- and since they only live a short span of time also heartbreaking to keep as I get very attached. 

Oh very, very good! No knife should go in the dishwasher (this is not for your benefit) but that can severely damage a knife (cheap knives don't meet the definition of knife to me so continue putting those in the dishwasher lol). I actually don't have a dishwasher and I'm ok with that, but if I were to get one in the future I'd only ever put DISHES in it, silverware, but NO complex cutting tools or pots/pans. So thanks for not being one of those kinds of customers I'd want to put palm to face for! 🙂 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Streetwise don't get me started. THAT would be a very, very, very long thread. 

[Odd Duck]

@xXInkedPhoenixX I love, love, love rats and hammies!  Some of my favorite patients!  Have you seen the pics of the dumbo rats with tiny instruments?  The photographer is from England (Ellen van Deelan) and she has whole series with instruments, tiny teddy bears (she was the one that started that whole craze), tiny tableaux with toy kittens, and tea sets.  All adorable!  Sh uses jam in select places to get them to hold the instruments approximately correctly.  😆 

It can be hard to find someone that does exotics well.  Only around 10% of vets do exotics and not all that do, will see all exotics.  Some only see birds, some only reptiles, some only the fluffies.  Some only dabble badly (like putting rabbits on oral penicillins 😳😬 and the like).

[lefty o]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:31 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Bless you for being in the exotics realm as you are very much needed. I used to keep hamsters and rats and would love to have had a regular vet who seemed to know anything about my animals. I had one very good one that admitted to not knowing everything but always willing to try and he was a very, very capable surgeon (performed several clean spays on my female rats). I sometimes knew more than him because I did research on the science lab side (a side Veterinarians aren't taught much about per my Vet though there is a lot of knowledge on that side due to science experimentation on rats). He was educated at UC Davis CA so I was a bit surprised by that (and admittedly it wasn't his focus in school- he was a cat/dog Vet for the most part and a great orthopedic surgeon). He was amazing and very kind. I stopped having rodents because I have trouble finding a good Vet for them in my area- and since they only live a short span of time also heartbreaking to keep as I get very attached. 

Oh very, very good! No knife should go in the dishwasher (this is not for your benefit) but that can severely damage a knife (cheap knives don't meet the definition of knife to me so continue putting those in the dishwasher lol). I actually don't have a dishwasher and I'm ok with that, but if I were to get one in the future I'd only ever put DISHES in it, silverware, but NO complex cutting tools or pots/pans. So thanks for not being one of those kinds of customers I'd want to put palm to face for! 🙂 

agree with the knife comment. if you like your knives, dont stuff em in the dishwasher.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck oh yes, yes I have and they are way Squee-able (didn't know about the jam thing, what a trick!). Those pics are wonderful and I'm glad they exist. All my girls knew their names, came when called and were wonderful companions. I wanted nothing but the perfect care for them but the Veterinary care side was the hardest- so again, bless you for doing what you do. "Pocket" pets are amongst the most neglected misunderstood, abused and overlooked (kind of like fish) in the pet industry. I hated hearing people say, why do you take your $5 rat to the vet?!! Ugghhhhhh.....😡

My Vet had pics of my girls on the wall of one of his exam rooms because he also believed more people needed to understand them (even hiimself). These are a couple of the pics he had (one was a dumbo, Sideways- well because her ears were on sideways right? and the other hooded rat is my favorite of ALL time, Story. All my ratties had S names)

 

 

[Odd Duck]

@xXInkedPhoenixX Adorable!  Dumbos are the sweetest rats, ever!  And those ears!  🥰😍

[Jeff]

Never in my wildest dreams would I have condone AirPods, but I got them as a gift for Father's Day; and I'm in love. 

The best part about them, is still being able to be in the same room, as someone who's watching something you don't want to watch on TV, and still being able to hang out.

AirPods are my contribution.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Jeff

[Patrick_G]

I recently bought one of these. There are a few different brands on the market, but at $100 this was a no brainer. 
it’s a jump starter, compressor and back up USB/AC power supply. 

[Stacy Z]

Turkey baster for getting out frozen worms after a feeding. 

[lefty o]

https://danwessonfirearms.com/product/pointman-nine-pm-9-2/  just picked one of these up the other week. really nice blaster.

[Andy's Fish Den]

On 7/31/2021 at 8:49 PM, lefty o said:

if you turn wrenches on stuff, or even just rotate tires but cant justify a nice air impact. you need this, save a whole lot of swearing.https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-18V-Cordless-3-Speed-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-P261/205885687

I have this and several other ryobi 18volt tools, and use the heck out of them and love them. 

[lefty o]

On 8/10/2021 at 1:45 PM, Andy's Fish Den said:

I have this and several other ryobi 18volt tools, and use the heck out of them and love them. 

me too, have a pile of the ryobi 18v tools. ive only melted down one drill, and lets call it abuse, not really a tool failure.

[Kara C]

For those who have the wifi timers from Aquarium Coop, kasa also makes surge protectors. I bought the small on last month and so far so good. The usb ports are not timer capable, but the actual outlets are and can be programmed individually. They also have a bigger one that has a couple more outlets.