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| un-named bleach spill fishie pix |
| 01.30.04 (3:23 pm) [edit] |
The is the fishie I got in auction from Biloxi Bettas. He's settled in nicely now and really likes his new tank. He still doesn't really have a name.
Food time?
Right profile
Proudly sweeping his fins around
Cute smudgey fishie face
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| Poodlefish pix |
| 01.30.04 (3:12 pm) [edit] |
Poodlefish has gotten less shy, but he does not like the grey-flashy-box-thing. When he sees the grey-flashy-box-thing he darts around his tank, prolonging the presense the the thing he so dislikes. Still, I did manage to get these. These'll have to do for now. Don't look at the spots on the tank wall.
Poodle pacing under his nest.
Posing (briefly!) under the plants.
Showing his true colors.
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| Inspired annoyance |
| 01.30.04 (7:36 am) [edit] |
My conversation with someone who works in my (soon-to-be-ex-)doctor's office.
Me: I'm running out of this prescription, I need it refilled.
Her: The doctor wants to see you before she refills it.
Me: Fine, I'll need to come in on Monday or Tuesday of next week.
Her: We might be able to work you in on the 6th.
Me: I've out of town on that day and besides the prescription will run out before then.
Her: We can't work you in before the 6th.
Me: I'll be out of town.
Her: Well, what about the 9th, then?
Me: The prescription is going to run out this weekend.
Her: The doctor wants to see you before the prescription is refilled.
Me: I understand. I'll make an appointment, what about the 'script that's running out?
Her: The doctor wants to see you before the prescription is refilled.
It get's very repetitive from this point on (well, even more repetitive I should say). Summary: I got mad, she got defensive, I didn't make an appointment or get a refill. Good thing it's just for relief of symptoms and not anything truly necessary.
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| Betta yawning |
| 01.29.04 (5:43 pm) [edit] |
Really.
I've seen fish do this, but this guy actually studied it, linking betta yawning to their fighting instinct: more than you wanted to know.
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| Water Quality |
| 01.29.04 (8:54 am) [edit] |
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Dr. Tim's Library provides clear and accurate information of the key to successful fishkeeping: water quality.
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| comfy |
| 01.29.04 (6:28 am) [edit] |
Don't close the door, I'm sleeping in here.
Sophie in the linen closet.
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| 10 grrrls |
| 01.27.04 (12:45 pm) [edit] |
The new 29 gallon aquarium is now complete. I've added the ten bettas grrls today. There's been some nipping and skirmishing as the grrls each establish a territory, but having the ostracods in the water was very helpful. There'd be a bit of a scuffle between two fish and suddenly they'd both be distracted by some piece of food swimming by. Very short attention span, betta grrls. Or maybe they just have a very firm set of priorities.
The plants are taking root nicely with the hygrophila actually grown about an inch since planting. Everything else is trying to get it's roots content before working on the leaves. When they grow in fully I think the fish will be very happy in there with lots of places to go and things to see.
Always before now, I'd kept bettas in anywhere from one to five gallons. They're beautiful-- especially in the five gallon, swimming and roaming and poking about. But there's something really satisfying about watching a strong little one-inch grrl haul butt across thirty inches of aquarium, even if she is being chased by her sister.
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| shovelling snow |
| 01.26.04 (6:23 am) [edit] |
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A couple of boys came by this morning and offered to shovel my walkways and driveway for me. They had a snowblower. The snowblower ended up not working, so they did the whole thing with shovels. They worked really hard and managed to accomplish in 40 minutes what would have taken me hours! I gave them an extra bill because of the betrayal of the snowblower. Thank goodness I can get out now!
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| cold |
| 01.25.04 (5:48 pm) [edit] |
It's cold. It's snowing. My truck is all covered up and it's still coming down. The snow ploughs will come through tonight and I'll have the himalayas at the bottom of the driveway. Oh, woe is me!
And it was 72 degrees today in Tucson where I will be in less than two weeks.
Spent today changing water, vacuuming gravel, moving fish around. The gas fireplace only keeps half the house warm, but it's cheaper than the furnace which runs air through the uninsulated ducts in the freezing cold crawlspace and eats electricity besides. But the fishies are all in heated tanks or the heated fishroom. The cats are sacked out on the tiles in front of the fireplace. It's only me who's walking around with a hat on.
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| I was right! |
| 01.24.04 (1:35 am) [edit] |
Those little critters are ostracods-- itty bitty crustaceans-- and soon they are so going to be lunch for my grrls.
I hope they don't clean out the whole tank, though. It would be kind of neat to have a food source living in the tank with the fish. Maybe I'll pull a few and try to culture them.
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| ostracods... I think |
| 01.23.04 (2:22 pm) [edit] |
For what seems like forever I've been setting up a 29 gallon for some grrl bettas.
A week or so ago I noticed little critters in the tank. Now, if this had been after I added the plants, I wouldn't have been too surprised because lots of little things can come in on plants. But these critters appeared before I added the plants, when there was only sand substrate, water and driftwood. So, I don't know where they came from.
These guys are bean-shaped, grey-brown critters moving along the bottom, plants and rocks. They're about 2-2.5mm big and remind me of daphnia in their general shape (I've started growing Daphnia for fish food so I thought maybe-- some weird way-- I transferred some to this tank), except I can't see any legs or antenna or fuzzy bits. Also they don't move like daphnia (short and jerky)-- these guys move pretty smoothly and sometimes stop to "rest" on something.
I tried to take pictures, but my poor little camera isn't up to this:
 This is one in the water.
These two guys I took out of the water to try to get closer, but the camera just can't focus that close. The big pointy thing is the end of an exacto blade.
I think they're ostracods or "seed shrimp" but I want to make sure before I add my fishies, so I've posted a few places. If they are ostracods, from everything I found, I think they're pretty harmless (unless you're algea) and might even get eaten.
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| there's something wrong with me! |
| 01.21.04 (4:00 pm) [edit] |
And that's a good thing! I got some of the test results today and some of the levels are Very Messed Up and I'm so relieved.
I know, that sounds nuts. Let me explain.
I've been sick for years. It's obvious there's something wrong but no one's ever been able to find anything to actually treat. They treat the symptoms, without knowing what the cause of the symptoms are. This is not very effective disease management. I've had some major things eliminated as possibilities: multiple sclerosis, addison's disease and so forth. I can't remember how often I've had doctors look at my file and look at me and say,"There's nothing wrong with you."
But now, there's something wrong! These numbers are way off from what they should be-- this could lead to an actual real diagnosis of something inside me that's not functioning as it should. And --even more amazing-- they might be able to provide actual real treatment. Of the cause and not just the symptoms.
I'm so relieved. I'm not crazy. I'm not a hypochondriac. I'm really sick.
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| falling off the edge |
| 01.21.04 (10:23 am) [edit] |
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Well, this happens every once in a while. But I'm mostly back now. Not much to blog about, though.
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| exsanguination |
| 01.16.04 (4:46 pm) [edit] |
Today I had all the medical tests done for my trip to Tucson. I left the house at 7:15am and got home at 4:30pm. Total blood given: 19 vials! Other fluids-- well we won't go there. It was a grueling day, but the lab people were pros and very kind. And they gave me graham crackers and peanut butter and orange juice, which gave me muzzy-sweet kindergarten flashbacks.
Now, mostly what I have to do is get to Tucson on the 5th.
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| new boy! |
| 01.13.04 (4:31 pm) [edit] |
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My gorgeous new marble superdelta arrived via FedEx this morning safe and sound with not one, but two of his sisters! The breeder sent me an extra grrl of a different color to increase the gene pool I have on hand. They all came through the being-shipped-in-a-box experience beautifully, without so much as a clamped fin-- the grrls swimming serenely in their little bags and the big bad male trying to attack my fingers through the plastic. I'll try to snap some pics tomorrow. :D
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| Featured!! |
| 01.12.04 (1:44 pm) [edit] |
I'm a featured blog! Hooray for me!
And I got a new suitcase. It's a carry-on size with wheels. I like suitcases because they have so much potential. I think "I can pack this and go here," or "I can pack that and go there." Almost as good as hardware stores in that way.
And I got an awesome deal on those hex tanks I like so much. So I brought home three.
:oops:
Well, I am getting that beautiful boy tomorrow and he needs a good home.
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| Cat pee |
| 01.11.04 (8:02 am) [edit] |
:x
In the suitcase. God knows from when.
So, positive spin: I get to buy a new suitcase!! Yeah!!
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| Got him! |
| 01.09.04 (2:11 am) [edit] |
:D :D :D :D
This gorgeous guy is all mine. Mine!
I've got to communicate with the seller about shipping, but I think I may have the fish by Tuesday.
I've gotta go get him a place to live! A 3-gallon, I think, with no filter. That's big enough to keep the water changes easy and to have a heater, but it's not some huge tank that will take up the room. Uhhh... whichever room I put it in. Maybe he'll be a kitchen fish.
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| schedule change!!! |
| 01.08.04 (5:05 pm) [edit] |
OK, that's three exclamation points. Way too many.
The doctor's office called and asked if I could come in on February 5th instead of the 12th. So I've been scrambling around, changing flight dates, hotel reservations, test dates, etc etc.
They offered to pick up the flight change charge. Yes, they will do that.
So, as soon as I confirm the flight change tomorrow (don't trust the airlines to get it right the first time), it'll be for sure: I'm going to Tucson on February 4th, coming home the 6th. The sooner the better I suppose, but now my flight to Tucson leaves at 6:55am. :(
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| Even though |
| 01.08.04 (8:30 am) [edit] |
I'm going to Tucson and so can't spawn a new pair until I gat back on February 13, I decided to bid on this unusual boy:
Isn't he something? A lovely superdelta from a reputable breeder. The white spots are not disease but rather what I suspect is evidence of a marbled ancestor in his genotype.
I hope I win. This is exactly the sort of fish I was looking for to start up a professional breeding program. He comes with one of his spawn sisters. Wish me luck!
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| sticker shock |
| 01.07.04 (10:28 am) [edit] |
I'm going to Tucson in February. I just spent $900 for the flight and the hotel. I'm hyperventilating.
:shock:
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| Poodlefish |
| 01.06.04 (10:37 am) [edit] |
A long time ago the crazy poodle lady insisted that one of my betta fry should be named Poodle. The fry that grew fastest, showed color first, flared fist -- that fish was some kinda poodle in disguise.
So I have a Poodlefish. Of course he couldn't go to the petstore with his brothers and sisters. Yesterday, I moved him from the Groovy Gold fishroom into his own 2.5 gallon with some driftwood, plants and rocks.
He's a very pretty little fish with a royal blue body and royal blue and red fins in an incomplete butterfly pattern. His fins are very frilly. I've been trying to take pictures, but it turns out that Poodlefish is shy! Who'd've thought! Everytime I come near the tank with the camera, he dives under the java moss.
So I'll keep trying and get back to you.
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| fair dinkum! |
| 01.03.04 (3:23 pm) [edit] |
Yes, my vocabulary has been expanded-- stretched all the way around to Down Under, and it's good timing because.....
Fair dinkum, folks, I do hope you'll run your cursor over to How do I get featured? and vote for flaring!
Vote for me and all the fishies will wriggle dance and blow bubblenests and send *fish kisses* your way. And I can make you a personal promise: vote for me, and you'll never have to eat bloodworms. Ever. Yeah.
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| Fishnu Matsya |
| 01.03.04 (2:57 pm) [edit] |
When I met up with my friend yesterday, I got to check up on the fish I gave her before Christmas. He's happy in his gallon-sized home with his java moss, 4 rocks and a little plastic rock-shaped hidey-hole. Since I last saw him, he has surely come into his color. He's now Indigo. With red ventral fins and white tips.
She's named him Fishnu Matsya, after Vishnu's (indigo boy) 1st incarnation as a fish when he saved the people and animals and plants from a great flood. He also saved the four vedic texts.
I don't have a picture of Fishnu, but here's a snapshot of Vishnu on that big day:
You see it's not just me, I have weird friends, too.
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| great gift |
| 01.02.04 (3:51 pm) [edit] |
My friend gave me a wonderful gift from engrish.com.
I'm going to wear it every day. :D
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| Missing Archives!! |
| 01.02.04 (3:18 am) [edit] |
On January 1st, all the posts in my archives went missing! This is so terrible-- why didn't I make backups? I'm not the only one this has happened to. Rocky, oh Rocky-- where are my blogs?Even if you can't get them to display, just email them to me so I can have them. Please?
:cry:
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I'm reading:
Aquamaniacs
Picture of the Moment
Betta Links
Betty Splendens
BC Betta
Bettas R Us
Biloxi Bettas
Classic Bettas
Jeff Hiller
Phil Lafferty
Majestic Bettas
Sailor Johnny
Jim Sonnier
Aquarticles
Dr. Tim's Library
Hypertextbook: Mendelian Genetics Chapter Directory
DIY CO2 Systems for Freshwater-Planted Aquaria
Member of
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