Hobbies, do you have one or more..??....(part 2)

Are you using tap water , if so get your water checked
my tap water, i tested it with the test strips, that i also use to test the tank water.

the tap water is as close to what i get a reading on when i test the tank water, but i do use a de-chlorinator as well, as i also set aside 3 gallons of tap water, in jugs for changes.

my nitrite level was high, so i did a 25% water change, and added the API salt, which i had on hand.

i can test the tank water again, later today, or tonight, as i want at least 24 hours of cycling..

i also (per directions of the filter's maker) replaced the charcoal bag, as it was nearing the end of it's use (one month)

in 2 weeks, the foam filter gets replaced. and in about another month from now, the bio beads bag gets replaced.
 
here is a pic of the small (baby) blue wag that is growing, and seems healthy, and the new blue wag i bought about 2 weeks ago

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i just came back from a pet store..i bought 2 cherry red shrimp.....at least these i can see...lol......thse ghost shrimp, really do blend in quite well, and making themselves invisable...lol
 
well, ALL my chemical levels are well with-in safe range.

and the ammonia is as close to ZERO as possible.

crystal clear water as well.
 
went and bought 6 neon tetras saturday. pretty fish.

the guy at the store said that since the ammonia level was down to zero, thses small fish do not add too much ammonia to the tank.

i wanted glo fish as well, but he said that both these types of fish are "schooling fish", and like to be anywhere from 3 and up in a group, so i went with 6.

in another month, as long as i monitor the chemcial levels (and i do), i can add 6 glow fish as well...

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last night at fish feeding time (which i try to maintain at 6 PM....every day)

i dropped in a little more than a few of those tiny shrimp pellets, instead of flakes.

then i dropped in one wafer for the 2 catfish..

those tiny pellets were to feed the 2 blue wags, the mickey mouse, and all 6 tetras....and the 2 shrimp...

but i dropped in like maybe 12 of them...dear god, what a mess......

i'm thinking, "now i went and did it, i already vacuum the tank today, now i;ll have to do it again in the morning".....

woke up this morning, turned on the tank light for a few seconds, and the tank is like really clean....lol

who do i thank for the "clean up job"..??

the catfish, the shrimp..>????

lol

for those of you that are not familar with the shrimp pellets, i actually HAVE PASSED kidney stones larger than these..here is a pic...(the wafer for the cat fish, are also way smaller than the dime, BUT bigger than the pellets.

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got 6 more fish today...."glo-light" tetras

on another point, my mickey mouse platy died yesterday...now i know it was a "she"....

"she" was acting very strange, like my long gone blue wag platy.

later after i buried her at sea....

christ, what do i see....??

at the very least, very tiny babies.......thus far, i have counted 8......


i looked this up, about the fish dying after birth, and there is NO mention of the mama dying, the gal at the pet store said many times they die due to the stress of birthing....

great.."up to" 8 more babies.......

i am tired of being a grampy.....

it takes away from me being a ........GRUMPY...>!!!
 
here are some current pics

in the background is the "adult blue wag platy, in the foreground is the "baby" that just looks as big as the older one, but really isn't, i asked them to stop and pose, they flipped me off with thier fins...

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i took out the old ford truck, and got 2 new plants, tied them to this new piece of driftwood

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here are the neon tetras i got about 2 weeks ago?

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tough to see, but in the background are the new glo-light tetras, the damned blue wags are photo bombing me again..and you might be able to see the cherry red shrimp on top of a leaf on the plant...and the snail got into the act in the lower left corner..

everyone wants to "be in pictures", under thier own terms, but ask them to pose, and it's like....."ain't nobody got time for dat".....

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and here is an overall shot with everyone doing thier own thing, and in this shot, both baby and adult blue wag are close to the front of the tank, where you can see the difference in sizes

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i just put on order thru amazon, a power head for water circulaltion/oxygen

i pretty much went for a power head that closely matches the output of the filter.

should get it by monday the 3rd of june, but amazon has a way of delivering a whole lot faster.

the local pet stores, seem not to have these in stock, and the prices are higher (of course) than amazon.

it's an aqua clear product, much like the filter i have

once i have this power head, i will remove the air stones, as i have been told, they DO NOT provide oxygen.

what gets me, is that about 2 weeks ago, i went to one of the pet stores about my tank. the guy even recomended a power head to make the water flow, thus adding oxygen, and i didn't want to spend the money........and they do not even stock what they recomend..???

that's like going to the car dealer to buy a car, and they don't have any..???
 
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yesterday, i went and got a SMALL piece of driftwood...my god, $13.00...!!!
it is a new on the shelf piece, not like the $5.00 one i got a couple of weeks ago, at another pet store, that was taken out of a tank.....

the pet store i went to yesterday, does not sell "tank used driftwood", in fact, all of thier tanks has "stone/plaster type" of fake driftwoods......

so i had to read up on and watch a video on how to "pre-soak it"

also got 2 more live plants....another java fern and another amazon sword.

i think i am going for a more "natural tank", rather than a playful one, with the treasure chest and other "toys"...etc.etc.

i also got 5 zebra danio...man are the ACTIVE swimmers like the description says they are...!!!!!!!

i had to go into my neighbors yard (he is remodeling his rental property) and i got a nice rock, to hold down the driftwood till it soaks up more water and bacteria.

i will put the driftwood in the tank in a few minutes.

had pre-soaked the driftwood for several hours, in a bucket, using hot water, and i changed the water several times, to help remove "some of that tannis ::shit::...which is not harmful to the fish, but as you know, may darken the water.
when it is all said and done, i will send a pic or 2, trying to include the "baby" blue wag that is really growing these days, and will very soon, be as big as the one i bought about 3 weeks ago..>!!!

as you know (if i had mentioned it here, or in an email to a buddy of mine), i also got a "nearly matching" gallons per hour output, powerhead to circulate the water and create oxygen.


i just sometimes forget (not a good idea sometimes), where i posted some things.......
old age......does that to ya.......


shut up @Stimpy .....!!!!!!!

lol
 
this morning, i went out again, and bought 4 ghost shrimp..at least 2 of them are females and have eggs ready to be expelled from thier bodies...

the other 2 "might be" males, or just not egg carrying females yet.
i also bought a pre-filter sponge for the filter pick up tube, to prevent any small fry in the future from getting sucked up into the fliter.

now, i may mind you that...i had NO IDEA that i had shrimp that are about to lay eggs, this pre-filter will also keep out some of the plant material as well...

in the pics, you will see a small rock holding down the new piece of drift wood.
i may actually keep it in there as it seems to add to "cover" now for the shrimp.
in the other pic, you will see the pre-filter on the pick up tube.

i think that i will keep the "fred flintstone" house, as the fish go and hide in there all the time....and it also acts as a "defuser" to the water coming out of the filter, and pushing the sand all over the place..

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yesterday, i went and got a SMALL piece of driftwood...my god, $13.00...!!!
it is a new on the shelf piece, not like the $5.00 one i got a couple of weeks ago, at another pet store, that was taken out of a tank.....

the pet store i went to yesterday, does not sell "tank used driftwood", in fact, all of thier tanks has "stone/plaster type" of fake driftwoods......

so i had to read up on and watch a video on how to "pre-soak it"

also got 2 more live plants....another java fern and another amazon sword.

i think i am going for a more "natural tank", rather than a playful one, with the treasure chest and other "toys"...etc.etc.

i also got 5 zebra danio...man are the ACTIVE swimmers like the description says they are...!!!!!!!

i had to go into my neighbors yard (he is remodeling his rental property) and i got a nice rock, to hold down the driftwood till it soaks up more water and bacteria.

i will put the driftwood in the tank in a few minutes.

had pre-soaked the driftwood for several hours, in a bucket, using hot water, and i changed the water several times, to help remove "some of that tannis :::shit:::...which is not harmful to the fish, but as you know, may darken the water.
when it is all said and done, i will send a pic or 2, trying to include the "baby" blue wag that is really growing these days, and will very soon, be as big as the one i bought about 3 weeks ago..>!!!

as you know (if i had mentioned it here, or in an email to a buddy of mine), i also got a "nearly matching" gallons per hour output, powerhead to circulate the water and create oxygen.


i just sometimes forget (not a good idea sometimes), where i posted some things.......
old age......does that to ya.......


shut up @Stimpy .....!!!!!!!

lol
A bubbler will create oxygen.... and water being put back in by a filter will make oxygen. Sorry I have not been replying.... work has been very busy lately.

When the water is broken by a bubble or a water drop oxygen is made.
 
A bubbler will create oxygen.... and water being put back in by a filter will make oxygen. Sorry I have not been replying.... work has been very busy lately.

When the water is broken by a bubble or a water drop oxygen is made.
which is why i went with the powerhead, it'll make waves/ripples, and has a air line attachment.

and take some time off..........i need MORE emails...!!!
 
regarding....... chewy .com

hey, i just ordered up 2 boxes of foam filters for my fish tank. (3 stores in my area did not have the 3 pack, which is cheaper than buying 3 filters seperately)

so i get the email confirmation regarding my order, and i check it out.......

i had to call them back, as they were charging me sales tax on the shipping charges as well as the product!

they cannot do this. you only pay sales taxes on the items bought, NOT the shipping charges.

so the gal waived off the shipping charges to make up for this mistake.

if any of you order online, from either this company or any other, watch that sales tax.

only a few pennies, but it's the principal of the thing.

they are over charging......
 
i was looking into my fish tank, wondering if i should vacuum some of it out, and then it hit me (as i totally forget), that my "baby" blue wag was as big now, as the one i had bought weeks ago, to keep it company. actually right now, i cannot tell them apart..!!

sniff..sniff...my baby had done gone growed up......

the only problem i have having is one of the java ferns is not doing too well.

this would be the second one in which just did not seem to make it.

i have another java fern, as well as a few other plants, doing quite well.
 
thank god, being a fomer mechanic and having a need to buy every tool known to mankind, that years ago, i had the forethought to by a Dremel tool......

i must have used it a few times, that's for sure, but today it became especially useful.

i was told by my buddy that i need a "full spectrum fish tank light"

this will give the live plants what tyeh need to grow, over an ordinary light.

so i checked the prices of "full spectrum" fish tank lights, and i nearly had a stroke.

so, good ole Amazon was worth a search. low and behold, they have them (of course, why would Amazon NOT have anything you need..??

the light i am getting with tax/shipping will come under $30.

all others i have seen......take out the heart paddles and "STAND CLEAR"

so now, wouldn;t you know it, in the description of the light i am getting, "they say" to use a glass or plastic cover over the tank opening, as the lamp IS NOT waterproof......

like i'm thnking,,,,,,WTF...??

you're selling a FISH tank light, THERE WILL BE WATER, and it's not water proof...???

so now, earlier today, i go to Lowes, and i get 2...8" x 10" sheets of plexiglass.

measure here, measure there...score it with a razor knife....and wait a minute......the chances of cracking this plexiglass is all too real, even after scoring it several times...

"DING-DING".......hey dude, you got a DREMEL tool.......

after making my cuts and gently sanding down the sharp edges, both pieces fit perfectly......like i knew what i was doing....!!!

here is a pic, i left the protective coating sheets on, so it can be seen better.

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now, the only reason why it does not cover the entire tank is because, i have the power head in the lower right corner, that also pushes out bubbles, no bubbles behind the end of that plexiglass.
 
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hey, my light arrived for my fish tank....minutes ago, today...SUNDAY...via the amazon delivery van...!!

i rodered it friday, and was told it'll be here by friday, july 5th....

but nope, i checked the tracking number against UPS, FedEx, and USPS, and none of them matched, so i went back to amazon's email, and it was coming from thier delivery service.....

way too cool service......and i ain't even a "prime" subscription customer..>!!!!

(but i do buy a lot from amazon)

here are a couple of pics. (in which you should be able to see the outlines of the plexiglass i had to cut, to protect this light)

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