Tales from the Tank #34

This is the story of Billy Joe and Bobby Sue....Opps...I mean semi-empty nesters with nothin better to do.....

It all began a few years ago in a concession stand at one of the local high schools.  We used to sell those giant dill pickles, you know the ones. One day the physical trainer caught me dumping out the pickle juice and said "Stop! Don't throw that out. We could use it for when student athletes cramp up". So we began supplying the athletic trainers with giant jars of pickle juice.

Seriously?

Apparently there have been many studies on the subject and until recently, I kinda had forgotten about the whole incident until I noticed our pickles slices in the fridge were getting kinda dried out.

Then low and behold I found out why. There in the kitchen was my husband Terry, drinking the pickle juice out of the jar.  "What are you doing!" I exclaimed.  "I had a leg cramp." he replied.  "So you just come to the fridge and drink the pickle juice", I asked. "Yep. If it works for athletes, it will work for me" he replied. "Why can't you just eat the pickles too?" was the next question.  "I'm not hungry", was his answer.

Go figure.

So, a couple weeks ago, yes....we started thinking about how to create pickle juice without the pickles. It's impossible. Oh you can create the brine - but the taste is pretty horrible (trust me). I threw that out.   So last weekend, while at our local grocery store, I bought the Mrs..somebody's dill pickle mix and some cucumbers.

How hard can it be right? I see people posting photos of stuff they've grown and canned. Last summer I  taught myself how to can salsa. Pickles had to be pretty easy.

I must say I am kinda proud of myself - I just followed the directions and am now the proud owner of five pint jars of pickles - and they don't taste half bad and the juice is actual pickle juice.

I'll let you try some, but you only get the pickle. I have to keep the juice for the dude that drinks it in the middle of the night.

Til later.....

Tales From The Tank #33

Dear Diary...I mean blog...

It's been one year since my last post. It's not that a lot hasn't happened.  It's just that I haven't taken the time to write any of it down.

In a nutshell...we re-did the yard for a backyard BBQ rehearsal dinner. Finished restoring our very own popcorn popper/with cart! Actually sold a fish tank. Our oldest son got married.  Our youngest son had some health issues. We experienced our last college football season watching the youngest play. I had surgery. Terry found out he has high blood pressure. Hosted a surprise birthday party for a good friend. I realized I am a bad parent because none of the pictures of the kids are organized  - so I am now figuring out how to create scrapbooks.  Finally culminating in the major event of this week.

The dog pooped her diaper.

What? Your dog wears diapers? Seriously?

Well yes. You see I am also a bad dog parent.  Sophie has not been spayed and now, as an eight year old, I can't see the need.  It's not like she ever goes on a date, so we don't need to worry about "teen" pregnancy issues or anything.  But twice a year, she has to wear a doggie diaper with a sanitary pad.

This is where the story begins....she woke us up at 3 a.m. this past Wednesday.  Terry yelled at her to "go lay back down".  I think she did, but then I heard something so I got up at around 3:30, and once I get out of bed, she gets up, (sometimes she sleeps in Matt's room).  Before I even got to the kitchen and turned on the light, I could smell it. Really smell it. And then I stepped on something squishy.  Yep. Just like a two year old, she blew out the side.  Yuck right?

So, I cleaned up that spot, (and my foot, but not in that order), and then took off the diaper and let her outside.  Now what do I do?  I grabbed a couple plastic grocery bags, sort of shook out the rest of it and then tied the bag shut and put it outside. It was garbage pick up day, so I figured I'd put it in the garbage bin once I got back from gym class at 6:30. I then took the icky diaper downstairs and washed it out.

But wait!   I should check her. Well, needless to say, by 4 am, she was getting a "sponge bath", I had found two more spots in the living room, and by 4:30, I was cleaning carpet and searching for more piles of poop.

By 5 a.m. I had to leave the house for class, and when I got home, I was greeted by a very upset husband. "Why the hell didn't you tell me she @#$# in the house?!!"  Well, I put it outside and was going to put it in trash, and I kinda ran out of time.  "Well just so you know, I had to put the bags of @#$@# you had in the back yard (poop picked up on Sunday) in the garbage, and I grabbed that one, and had to try and smash it down, but the smell was so bad there is now bacon and eggs in the yard by the fence."  EWE.

I'll clean up the poop, but regurgitated bacon and eggs is something else entirely.

"There's also a smell downstairs, you better make sure she didn't poop anywhere else".  GEEZ.

After investigating, (apparently sometime after I left for class), she decided to pee in front of the TV.  Now I have to rent the "Big Green Machine" and clean the carpets this weekend.

Apparently she did not go back to bed...and...

No Matt, she did not poop on your bed.

Tales from the Tank #32

 

 

R.I.P. Loki 3-10-13

Tales from the Tank #31

Dear Friends and Followers,
I've been a little remiss.  There is one member of our "tank" family that has gotten very little attention in this blog.  His name is Loki. He is not a fish.

Loki is a spotted leopard gecko and came to us via our son Matt, who adopted/purchased Loki a couple Christmas seasons ago when he was home on break. When moving Matt back into the dorms a year ago, he said, "Can you take him home - trying to get worms is hard (no pet stores in Pella), and I just am not going to have time during football to really care for him properly".  Because I am such a great Mom, I said "Yes, of course!  What do I have to do?" 

(I think I have the word SUCKER tattooed on my forehead - it's only visiable to my children - and husband). LOL

Loki lives in a 10 gallon tank (yep fish tank people), no water required - except in his food dish, and then it should get a squirt of this blue stuff - to lesson the amount of fluride/chlorine in the water. UGH- wait ... that's no different that treating the water for the fish - just a different chemical.

He has a nice rock to sleep under, and a "matching" water pool and a couple of fake plastic plants for "atmosphere".  He used to have a green mat (called a substrate), but I have removed it for the time being (more on this later).

All we really needed to do was change his water and feed him worms and crickets.  EWE....live feeding.  Ok, so after the first few worms, it wasn't so bad.  I get to use these giant tweezers (about 12 inches long) and I don't have to really touch anything.  At one pet store we were told that crickets were like the "potato chips" of the lizard world, so you don't want to feed them just crickets.  Other pet stores tell you to feed them crickets...blah blah blah. Really?  can anyone ever have the same opinion?  So where does one turn to for more complete and concise information? YEP, the internet. Because we believe EVERYTHING that is on the internet right? It can't be there unless it's true.

The great thing about the internet is that eventually you find a blog that will seem as though that person is having the same problems you are!

Problems you ask? What problems?

Everything has been going along swimmingly (pun intended) with Loki - he would eat in the evening, sleep during the day, drink a little water, shed his skin every few weeks, and poop just enough so I'd have to clean the tank....Rinse and repeat.

Until a month or so ago.  He stopped eating.  No matter what I tried, he just wouldn't eat.  So the research began.

1. He's probably bored with his food - give him more crickets.
2. That means twice weekly trips to the pet store - because I am NOT going to buy a cricket keeper, cricket food etc., just to keep from going to the pet store. I was NOT bringing bugs into the house. Yep I found my pet limit.
3. He could be full - because I found out the hard way - they eat their shed (translated  = they eat their skin after it falls off). GROSS
4. Matt - "as long as he has a fat tail" he's ok. That's where they store their fat and they can live for quite a while off their fat stores.  WHY doesn't that work for me?
5. He could be impacted - code word for constipated (really? and here I thought only fish and people got constipated). This can happen if they eat food that's too large. (Crickets anyone?)
6. So you go out and buy this powder stuff - called "Repti Boost" which you feed with a syringe, because you don't want this gecko to die on your watch- cause your kid will never forgive you.
(and let me tell you - trying to feed a gecko with a syringe is NOT easy).
7. At least he's not slimy to hold.
8. He could be in "Brumation". which is another fancy pet word for hibernation (and they don't eat during brumation) - go figure.
9. Apparently they can sense the change in seasons. Come on spring/summer!

Of course, when asking the pet professionals, their recommendation is to visit a pet health professional.

I am NOT taking a $30 dollar lizard to the vet. 

Tales from the Tank #30

12-11-12

In the last couple days, we've lost two of the larger fish we have in two different tanks. Weird.

Tonight I came home and was getting started on the laundry when I decided to turn the light on the tank downstairs, turn on the Xmas music and plug in the tree.

And what to my wandering eyes should appear ? but a blue large cichlid floating nose down - stuck between the log house and the tank.  OH NO! not another dead fish?

I quickly sent Terry a text " Dead Fish - downstairs - large blue".

So I rushed upstairs to get a net - and then back down to fish it out of the tank.  I took it into the bathroom we have downstairs, and plopped it into the toilet.

OMG...he started splashing! He's still alive! I had to fish him out of the toilet!

Then I grabbed the first bowl I could find and ran some water in it and then plopped him into that. At first he started to swim upside down so then I put a little salt in the water and ran back upstairs to grab the green peas.

By the time Terry got home from his union meeting - he was gone.  I probably gave him heart failure dropping him from a warm 72 degree tank - into the icy white waters of the porcelain lake. Well, at least he got to go out with all his fins and eyeballs in tack. 

Tales from the Tank #29

There are reasons people who work in pet stores are "experts".

If you have been a regular reader, you know that in addition to our tropical fish, we have become caretakers of Matthew's gecko.

The other night I posted on Facebook "@ Matt Schrafel" if your silly lizard dies, it won't be because I haven't tried to feed it. 

A few seconds later my phone goes "Whoo Hoo - Somebody sent you a text message" (yep it really says that).  Matt was texting "Is he really gonna die???"

Well of course not - you know how Moms react when little ones don't eat...we panic. 

A facebook friend posted "have you tried crickets".  Well no, I was lead to believe that crickets were the potato chips of the gecko world...and full of fat...fat.. fat.

So tonight I went to the pet store. Low and behold there were two people at the lizard display and I started asking questions. (I'm good at questions).

Q1.  I have a gecko that hasn't eaten in four days. Response "Is he thin" "Does he look sickly".
 (to myself I say "don't all lizards look sickly?)

Q2. Someone recommended crickets.  Response "crickets or worms...he could be getting ready to shed his skin - when the do that they get a little lazy" (to myself I say - yeah and they have to make room in their tummy because apparently they eat their shedded skin - EWE). And people don't think the Internet is educational!

Q3. Do I really need to give him a "bedding" area under his rock? Response = It helps them shed their skin and keep them hydrated.

I also indicated that during my research,  (lizard blogs - go figure),  I read that if they drink and poop then they are "eating".  Well, I told the gals, he's been drinking - but there is no new poop...so I know he's not eating.

THEN I found out - they are not supposed to have "tap water"...too many chemicals, blah blah blah...he's been on tap water for 2 years. 

I walked out of the store with the gecko water conditioner, moss for his bedding, and 10 crickets. Then a stop at the grocery store for more "spring water". 

I warned him as I stripped the tank....ok Loki, you are getting an "extreme home makeover".

Everything comes out of the tank, I wash the green carpet, tear off some moss, wet it down (to create humidity), put the new "treated" spring water in the pot...and drop in the 10 unsuspecting crickets (and put the top on quickly).

OMG...I just gave Loki has a new nickname...Elmer Fudd.  "a huntin cricwets we will go". 
( I have video coverage...but due to technical issues...I can't get it to upload). Stay tuned.....

 

Tales from the Tank #28

Wiggler Update 12-06-2012

There aren't any.

By the time we decided to "separate" the babies from the parents - there were just a few left. They were so small they could get past the tank divider.

A little past the "caviar" stage for the other fish in the tank, but they were probably still a scrumptious snack!

It was still an amazing thing to watch.

Tales from the Tank #27

Date: Nov 19, 2012.

Subject: Wigglers

Yep. Houston...we have wigglers. Lots of wigglers. Itsty Bitsy Teeny Tiny Wigglers.
They were on the side of the glass, and as I was watching them, the parents began to move them to a log we have in the tank that has a slight flat spot. According to our source...the parents will move them back and forth until they are free swimming to keep them away from predators. These parents are definitely working overtime.
 
When I got home from work, I checked the tank - THEY WERE GONE. No longer on the log, no longer on the tank...OMG did they get eaten? Bad Parents...really BAD parents.

Wait! What's that fuzzy stuff on the heater? It's the babies!  In about 12 hours they went from little clearish nothings to little grey fuzzy things hanging on the top of the heater.

Now you need to understand that during the last few days, Terry and I have been having the conversation about "letting nature takes it course" because I was not setting up a separate tank and raising brine shrimp and making paste in order to feed them.  So we now have a "gentleman's" agreement to "No heroic measures".

Then Kathi stopped by to see the little miracles.  During the course of the conversation I mentioned about the whole nature taking its course - and what did my most devote animal lover friend say?  "You've come this far - it would be a shame not to watch them grow".  Ok, so $16.00 later...so much for "no heroic measures".

So off to Petsmart I went... to get a tank divider. After the divider was in, we put the filter net over the intake valve - so the little suckers don't get sucked into the filter. 

Yes Virginia, you can baby proof a fish tank.LOL

By the time we went to bed, they were back on the log. It's so funny to watch. One parent was moving them to the glass and one parent was taking them from the glass and putting them back on the log.

I guess that's how you argue over the kids when you're underwater.

Tuesday they were even a little bit bigger - and a little more thinned out.  Hum...some of them must not have survived the tug of war their parents were having.

I must say that I thought Angel fish were very peaceful fish, gliding around, barely moving a fin...but to watch these two continually hound, pound and force the other fish - even the pleco - to stay on the opposite side of the tank - my opinion of these first time parents has steadily risen (except of course when they eat their tank mates). 

The tank is more peaceful, but the parents are still moving them back and forth - last night to the air tubing. This morning to the log and tonight back to the heater.

I wonder where the little buggers...opps I mean wigglers will be tomorrow. 

Tales from the Tank #26

Hello November 2012.

It's has been approximately one year and eight months since we began our adventure with Angel fish. 

In Tales from the Tank #15, you got to hear about how we ended up with our... oh, i don't know...third tank filled with five itty bitty little marble angel fish about the size of a dime.

Besides a couple cases of "swim bladder disease" it's been a pretty healthy happy tank.

That is  -- until now.

During the first week of the month, one of the Angels, (we'll call him Junior for this story), was discovered one morning floating on his side....again.  So in goes the "baby net" in order to quarantine him from the others and out come the frozen peas and blood worms.

After about a week or so, he was swimming fine and Terry said, "When are you going to put him back in the "general population?". Oh...soon I said.  So on November 11th, 2012, as I was getting things ready to have a few friends over (can you say Mary Kay?), I found half a fish.

Crap.  If you are faint of heart - skip this part.  When I say half a fish, I literally mean half a fish. There was just one side of his "skin" left even with the empty spot where his eye would go.  Sick right?  I've decided that all fish are carnivorous - especially when you're weak or sick.

I quick grab the net and "fish" it out (pun intended) and of course - flush it, all the while I'm ticked off for putting Junior back in "general population".

Then last Sunday Jared came over and I dont' exactly remember why we were looking at the tank, but Jared noticed this white spots on the glass.  He said "those look like eggs".  To which I replied "no way"....it's probably some kind of weird disease thing knowing my luck."

Then Terry gets down on his knees at eye level and starts really looking at the stuff.  Then he says, "Junior isn't gone....it's the Smokey one that's gone".  Low and behold, he was right. I assumed it was Junior that was eaten - but some how the pretty smoke colored angel we had gotten at the last auction (a "breeding" pair), had been eaten and I didn't even miss him. Geez.

So right away we ran to the computer and googled "what do angel fish fry look like" and low and behold there popped up about a gazillion videos of Angels and their fry. 

After watching a few videos, we diagnosed the little white spots as actual Angel fish eggs. Yep. We have entered into the twilight zone of Tales from the Tank #15, where I said I did not want to become an Angel fish breeder.  So for the last few days we've been watching this amazing miracle take place.

When the eggs are clear, those are "viable". When they are white - they are not.  At about day five they start to develop "wigglers" where as the fish grow, they eat part of the egg sack and they begin to look like a little tadpole stuck to the side of  whatever and wherever the parents put them.

Since we hadn't noticed when the fish laid the eggs, I told Terry, according to the video - worst case scenario is that we are day four and they will begin to hatch soon.

I hate it when I'm right. 

Tales From the Tank #25

As I sit here playing my gazillioth game of Bejeweled Blitz, and people are liking the post I just put on Facebook, I realize I haven't posted any new "Tales From the Tank".

To be philisophical, one could think my posts are about life within the five fish tanks we have, or it's about life within the "Tank" that keeps us warm and dry during the rain and cold weather....(ie: our house) LOL.

But little did you know that a year ago (during Christmas break)  Matt decided to buy a "spottled gecko" (two actually).  I tried to talk him out of it, I really did - but as a parent you know this just might be one of those "lessons"you have to let happen.

Afer break, Matt took my two new "grand-geckos" back to school with him.  This last spring I got a panicked phone call at work. "MOM! - I think there's an egg in the tank".  (oh wait - I forgot to tell you they live in a 10 gallon FISH tank).

Apparently it's just as difficult to "sex" geckos as it is fish - so you never really know what you're getting.  So I ask "How's it feel to be a parent".....? He replied, "I don't have time for this, I can't take care of three! What am I going to do?"

I told him, find the pet store in Oskaloosa, they'll take her or him (deciding which one you keep) in -and her/him a new home as an adoptable pet.  "Will they buy him"? he asked.  "No Matt, they can only buy from reputable pet breeders. You will just giving her/him up for adoption". 

"Well, what do I do with the egg"? he asked.  Being the ever-thoughtful Mom, I said "Flush it down the toilet. That's what we do with the dead fish". 

So when summer was over, and I went to Pella to move him from the rental house back to the dorms, he said, "With football camp starting, I need help with Loki (the name of the gecko). Can you bring him home and take care of him for a couple weeks"? 

Being the ever-thoughtful and considerate Mom I said "Sure".

So for the last few months, we've been taking care of our grand-gecko. Switching the daylight and nightlight, filling his water dish, cleaning up his poop (just like the dang dog), filling his water dish and giving him worms.  Geez....he eats a lot of worms for such a little guy.

I am thankful though...at least it's not diapers and formula. I think DHS would have a word or two with me if I kept a baby in a fish tank.

Tales from the Tank #24

Today's post contains material that may not be suitable for all readers.

We will begin with the definition of the word FISHKILL. From Answers.com: Mass death of many fish, usually in a restricted area.

Well, the restricted area is a 40 gallon fish tank positioned in the corner of our living room.  I can't say that it's been a "mass" death although we've lost about six or seven fish total.

Apparently, when you don't stay on track with regular water changes (ie: become LAZY) - your tank may become "unbalanced" where the nitrates are too high and the Ph is too low. This can cause the death of your fish. We've lost about six of our Kenyi African cichlids (see photo), one electric yellow and we're pretty sure an Auratus, because we can't find her.

Last Sunday we finally cleaned the tanks (yes all the tanks), and then Tuesday we found another dead Kenyi.  Then on the morning of the 4th, we found a dead electric yellow cichlid - and a carcass (you know part head with a little bit of skin left). So I called the pet store and they were open (for a little bit) - so we hopped on the motorcycle and took a water sample out to the pet store (which is how we found out about the unbalanced tank).  It was recommended to us to do another 50% water change and add some organic coral (which is a natural Ph balancer) to the rock bed.

We were told to rinse it really good, because no matter what it will turn your water milky. (Which is a complete understatement). When we got home we emptied the tank of all the decor, and then Terry added the coral.  We then had to work in the dark (I mean milk) to place the decor back in the tank and then wait for the filter to do it's job in clearing the excess stuff.

So far so good....no more dead fish.

Oh I forgot - we have a pleco in the tank but you can never see him. So when we emptied the tank we shook all the decor to see if he would come out and he never did.  When we got back from the pet store- he was in the bottom of a the 5 gallon bucket (in about a 1/2 of water) - so at least he didn't die.  I have figured out that even though the fish are fun to look at (peaceful and serene) - there is just not the same emotional attachment to them like you have with a cat or dog.

After all, you can't flush your dog.

Tales from the Tank #23

Princess and the Pea

It's been a while since I've actually written anything down - until now...

This past weekend Matt was home from Pella. He stays down there during the summer to work full-time, hang out with other guys on the team and weight lift.

On Sunday morning, he walked past the tank that has our Angel fish and yelled "Mom! Why is this fish floating on it's side?".

I rushed out of the office and over to the tank and reached in to touch the fish. It looked as though it was having trouble breathing and it's little tummy was really bloated - but he was still alive.  So I yelled for Terry and he came running upstairs.

 "I bet he has swim bladder disease since he can't do anything but float on his side. I said "I don't really want to flush him while he's still alive - that's like fish murder. What are we going to do, the extra tank is still filled with the baby cichlids" "Go get the baby net" he replied.

I ran (the house isn't that big so it's really a fast walk) into the other room, found the little net we use to separate the brand new babies (so they don't get eaten), and put the sick little Angel fish in it.  As I was doing this, Terry booted up the computer and started his research.  He said we need to put a pea into the net with him.  "A pea? Really?"

So I went to the freezer and low and behold...NO Peas!

Well, we were going to HyVee anyway for stuff to grill - so I would pick up some peas.  Off to the grocery store we went (Matt and I).  Came back with some steaks, and a sweet potato for Matt.  Let me digress here.....Matt works at the HyVee in Pella and is always calling me to say "have you tried a Pomegranate yet", or a Ugli fruit, or etc. You can imagine my surprise when he wanted to try a sweet potato.  If HyVee would employ kids when they are 2-3 years old - no kid would ever refuse to eat their fruits and vegetables! LOL.

When we got home, and I unloaded the bag of groceries, Terry said "Where are the peas?". CRAP.
I totally forgot to buy the peas.

I got home and Terry said we have to warm the peas in our hand so we can pop the pea guts out of the skin - so I did.

Monday morning he was still swimming on his side. Then Terry said one of the articles he read said they hand feed their Angel fish since he couldn't swim down to the peas.  So I reached in to hold the fish - not an easy job mind you - and feed smashed peas into a fish about the size of a silver dollar with a mouth the size of a pin head.  Really?  Yes. I did. Even worse, Terry got a toothpick and was trying to hold it's mouth open while I force fed peas to an Angel fish. OMG.

Tuesday morning...he was still swimming on his side.  So I just squished a couple more peas into his net.  I figured the fish has to be like the dog...or a kid. If it gets hungry enough, it will figure out how to eat on his own. 

Wednesday morning - he was swimming right side up. Go figure. The moral of this short story?

If you are feeling a little upside down and bloated - eat frozen pea guts.

Fish jokes...from my Sister...

The Blonde's Goldfish

A blonde gets carried away at a pet shop and ends up buying over a hundred goldfish. When she gets home she finds that there are so many of them that the
only place she can keep them is in her bathtub. One day she invites her friend over to see all her beautiful goldfish. The friend is impressed and remarks, "They surely are beautiful, but what do you do when you want to take a bath?" "Oh, that's not a problem," the blonde replies, brightly, "I blindfold them."

Barbs' Sunday Adventure

Another One Bites the Dust

On Sunday morning my phone rang. Kathi asked me if I wanted to go horseback riding. My reply, "YOU BET!"  She said, "Be at our house at 11 am, we're going to Matsell Bridge".  (Please note: I've been three other times).

Then I called Terry (who was busy being a great provider and working), and asked if he cared if I went riding, to which he replied "Heck no, why would I care?".  I left Matt (still home on break) a note explaining where I went and that he needed to 1. empty the dishwasher and 2. fold the bath towels and put them away.

When we got to Matsell Bridge park, we met up with seven of their friends. As Joel and Kathi got the horses out of the trailer, I did what I could to help, but sometimes it's best if I just stay out of the way. LOL 

I never used to think I was short, but I either need a stool to get up on the horse, or somebody has to give me a boost. (Must be the lack of upper body strength). The sad thing is I was on Prince, who is a bit shorter than either of the other horses... Go figure.  I must say being outside in the early part of January with just a few layers on a bright sunny day is sometimes just what you need after being cooped up in a office cubicle all week.

Over the river and through the wood, to all kinds of clearings we went. The horse knew the way to carry me that day, through the brush and fallen trees. (yes..you know the tune, and yes I'm taking liberties with the words). 

Over the river and through the wood, wow! all kinds of trails we found. The horse knew the way to stay with the pack, except when the log was too tall to cross. 

Yes, this is where the bright sunny day takes on an ominous hue....apparently Prince did not want to cross over the log and wouldn't take or didn't like the gentle nudging to move forward. Now, if you've never ridden before let me give the first most important lesson of the day. DO NOT pull back on the reins very hard or very many times. Whys that? Well, a gentle tug back will tell the horse to back up.  A hard pull on the reigns is a bit like being choked from behind and they just don't like it.

As I, the inexperience rider started to panic, Joel began to yell, "DON'T PULL BACK", but it was too late. 

Yep. I pulled back on the reigns...and apparently that's horse talk for put your front legs as high in the air as you can and then the person choking you will fall off your back and that will be it. 

Apparently I landed between a couple trees, leg on one, head on the other. Joel's sister (who thankfully is a nurse), ran over and said "Don't move"....then gently started making sure nothing was broken, told me to open my eyes, and follow her finger...and wow was the sun bright. First thing I said...."I don't suppose any of you got that on film did you". Which must have meant my brain wasn't too rattled cuz I didn't lose my sense of humor.

So I gently got up, sat on a log, got some water and ibuprofen (gee...does this happen a lot?) All while the guys were trying to make Prince (who really didn't want to step over the log) finally step over the log. 

After about 20 minutes, they brought him over to a little rise and I got back on.  As we started back on the trail I said, "Wow, now I know what it really means to "get back up on the horse".  

  

Tales from the Tank #22

UmmUmm Good!
 (click video while you read)

When we started becoming aquarium hobbyists....little did we know that eventually we would be opening a fast food restaurant. Really? you ask. Why of course - but we didn't realize it until a few weeks ago.

Did you know that sharks and catfish are Ominvores?

Although the term omnivore literally means "eater of everything," omnivores really cannot eat everything that other animals eat; they can eat only things that are moderately easy to acquire while being moderately nutritious. For example, most omnivores cannot live by grazing (not nutritious enough), nor are they able to eat some hard-shelled animals or successfully hunt large or fast prey (difficult to acquire).1

As you know a month or so ago, we moved our community fish to a 55 gallon tank (that's when we lost the clown loaches).  Then we bought a couple new fish for the tank, Golden Gouramis, and some extra red Surapine Tetras (cuz they like to school).  

Low and behold....one by one our fish began disappearing.  Yup. Gone. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No bones, no floating carcass....not so much as a spec of tail fin.  So that's when we decided it must be the sharks - or maybe the catfish we NEVER see (he feeds at night).  Sharks ALWAYS get a bad rap. Doesn't matter that there are at least three or four fish in the tank that are about 4-5 inches...the catfish has a pretty big belly. 

So we are down at least seven fish...so I see a shopping trip in my very near future.....I was thinking some of the $0.13 cent goldfish to distract the big guys when I put in the other kind of fish.  One can only hope right?

1. wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnivore

Tales from the Tank #21

These are the "Days of our Lives"...

October 2011:

• Barb and Terry acquire another 55 gallon tank and start to collect cichlids.
• They decide one tank of cichlids is not enough so they adopt out their silver dollars, matt's common goldfish and move all the "community fish" from the 40 gallon tank comprised of mollies, platys, sharks, gouramis, etc into the 55 gallon tank in the office. (Terry says so the sharks will get bigger).

November 2011: 

• One of the clown loaches dies...not sure why. Suddenly the 55 gallon tank is infested with ick (remember ick from earlier posts?).  
• One by One...all of the most coveted clown loaches die from stress. :-(
• Stress? Seriously you say?  Well yes, if you were used to having three big brothers and all of a sudden they moved into a new place and your 30 cousins dropped into live with you - you'd go into shock as well and probably die from lack of privacy and the sheer commotion the little brats cause.
• We say goodbye to all our clown fish and send them to that big pond in the sky (insert flush).
• We create a second cichlid tank upstairs with the "babies" we are fostering from Kathi J. a mix of Obi and fish with eyes like goggles.
• We buy more cichlids.  I keep thinking .... shouldn't we be concentrating on acquiring Christmas presents? Oh wait...that's right...we are acquiring Christmas gifts...ours!

December 2011:

• Barb turns 50 on December 10th and some of her wonderful friends decide what a great thing it would be to put a giant plywood sign in her yard that says "HONK" Barb is 50. Starting at 5 am the day before her birthday.
• I must admire the talent all my friends and family have for LYING!.  The only reason I found out who did it was because in the true definition of a NAG...Terry was really tired of me asking for the 800th time...Who did it?
• One day...I said to Terry, "Boy, for some reason it looks like we are missing fish in the 55 gallon tank in the office".  So we sat down to inventory.
• Platys? Nope. Swordtails? Nope - wait there's the big orange and black one. Whoa --where the two yellow Gouramis? Oh, whew, there's one.  Well where the @#$% is the other one - a two inch fish just can't disapper? 
• Oh...did I forget to tell you the silver fin shark is growing?  Hum.....can you say live bait?
• Oh Yeah...didn't Terry WANT the sharks to GET BIGGER?
• So now we have about 18 fish as compared to 30. 

• Barb gets a riding lesson on the scooter she gets for her birthday. Turning is not a pretty thing.
• Terry brings home motorcyle permit study guides.  
• Barb & Terry go to take the permit test on Dec 23.  We were pretty sure of ourselves - but we both flunked. Oh well...there's next year. LOL

That pretty much sums up the last two months.....My 2012 resolution...to write more often and keep the humor alive.  Merry Christmas to my family and friends. I am blessed to have you in my life.

Tales from the Tank #20

You Say Goodbye...I Say Hello...Hello Hello

On a Saturday this past October, we said goodbye to the three common goldfish Matt purchased for about .30 cents each (when he was in high school). They were healthy happy but were being evicted from their home because some other fish needed to move in - and out of our house. So the three Fantail's moved into the 10 gallon tank in Matt's room...and got ready to be transported to their new home.

In the meanwhile, the 29 gallon tank was filled with the new cichlids because we didn't have the new tank yet.

Jared had arranged a spot for the tank, so we loaded up the truck and moved to Hiawatha (just the fish silly).

A gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds. so we emptied the tank about 1/2 way so it could be carried up three flights of stairs (yes they live on the top floor). Got the tank over to Jared & Ashley's, but when Terry said where are we putting it...and Jared pointed to the glass end table..(insert screeching breaks here)..Ah that won't work. Fully loaded the tank would weigh 80 pounds and bust through the glass.  So Terry and I hopped in the truck in search of a 10 gallon tank stand.  After about an hour and no luck, we return to Jared's and said, we'll get a stand, and then bring it back.  So the goldfish are now back in Matt's room until we can find a black 10 gallon stand for Jared & Ashley.   Hello Craigslist!

Tales From the Tank #19 Part 2

Continued from prior post...

As you know from our first auction adventure, we didn't really know what we were doing (as if we ever do). But we a bit more selective this time around. However, just before Jared arrived with our lunch, Terry was getting pretty disgusted at how cheaply the bags of cichlids were going....so he whipped out his cell phone and called up KJ and said.."lets make a deal".

He sold KJ the 29 gallon tank (that the goldfish were in) for the babies and decided to keep the 55 gallon were were trying to buy for ourselves.  He said to me..."I thought you always wanted a tank with cichlids?"

I have to say...he got me there.  I am mesmerized by their different colors. Somewhat like I am with the angel fish.  Well, then the "auction bug" caught Terry and he was in his element now...bidding on bags of cichlids.
This is all before we knew what the heck the experts were talking about.  KJ always said you can't mix African cichlids with South American cichlids.

Since Terry likes to keep the action going, he bid $1.00 on a bag of baby fish no one wanted, got a bag of yellows for six bucks, a catfish for $9....we spent less than we did the first auction and came home with about 27 fish.

By this time, Jared had shown up with our McDonald's and we had been discussing where to put the 55 gallon tank he was trying to get and where in the world were we gonna put the three gold fish because if we put them all in the 10 gallon tank in Matt's room, then we are back to the problem that started this whole mess...some goldfish picking on the others. Geezzz.......

Ah Hah!  Jared...how would you like to have some goldfish?  We have the perfect tank for you...all ready to go, we can even give you food and gee, won't Chance (the cat) LOVE to watch them all day long when you guys are at work?  (Hee Hee).  Of course, he is his father's son (mine too) so he called Ashley and they talked about it.  Her response was...."you have to take care of it so it doesn't smell". "I can do that" he said.

So everything was going to work out just fine! BUT WAIT....what do we do with the three original goldfish in Matt's room??

Terry said, "well you know...Petco has a tank for adoption fish. We (meaning me) just have to take them out there and give them up." Seriously?  give up fish for adoption?  No way....

Tales from the Tank #19 Part1

OOPS...Here we go again!
It's been a while since I've posted an update.  Nothing much has really been going on. Lost a few fish here and there...but this past October things have been going on, so I'd better get back to updating this "diary" of adventures!

Our fish partner in crime KJ - has quite a few baby cichlids. Cichlids, if you are unaware, are some of the most fascinating and colorful freshwater fish you can get without going to the saltwater variety!  As she is aware of Terry's penchant for creeping and crawling on craigslist, she set him to the task of finding her a larger tank for her "babies". (One can't house the babies with the larger cichlids, because if it's not their mom and pop...they are fish food for other large cichlids). I personally think this is where the term "Fish fry" comes from....groups of baby fish are called "Frye".  So when you eat the baby fish...you essentially have a "fish Frye". LOL!

Of course, Terry was successful and found a great tank for a fair price and told Kathy all about it. A 55 gallon with a large pleco, three clown loaches and some platties. She replied that although it was really bigger than she wanted - she would take - and we would get the fish. Meanwhile, while we were waiting for the seller to reply and since we were unable to attend October 1st football game in Pella, Terry said..."By the way, the October EIAA fish auction is this Saturday".  Well...you know where this is going right?

Saturday the 1st of October was a beautiful day - the kind you want to spend outdoors doing yard work, or just about anything. But Noooo, not the Schrafels. Now that we are  "amateur aquarium hobbyists" we had developed of list of "items" we wanted to find. (Filter supplies, nets, decor, etc - not really fish. Didn't really need any of those). So, armed with our list and our checkbook..and determined not to spend a lot of cash...we headed to the auction .

After we got to the auction site and began previewing items that we thought we could "use", noticed there were tons of cichlids to purchase and not much of anything else. So we just were waiting for the supply items we wanted to come up. Then Jared (our oldest) sent a text and said, "I'm at your house, where are you?". I replied "We aren't there, we are at the fish auction".  His reply: "OMG. by the way....I'm washing my car at your house". Remember in an earlier post how I thought our water bill would go down once the kids were gone?  Yeah right.

I told him, "when you're done, you can always come hang out with us" and BTW if you do...let me know and you can bring us McDonalds' and I'll buy yours too".  (any red-blooded 22 year old can't pass up that bribe).

To be continued....

Tales from the Tank #18

Free to Good Home

I have to tell you...Terry still views craigslist all the time and now shows me pictures of all kinds of puppies.  Sure, I'd like a puppy, but no, he's only showing me because they are cute -not that he wants one. (I'd have to clean up the poop and feed it anyway).

Tonight (Saturday), we were out and about and he dropped me off at Michaels craft store (need to make another watch band) and he went to the Pet store to "look around".

Not too much later I came out of the store and he's waiting in the car for me (very old peopleish right)?
He hands me a bag of fish! Two red tail sharks about 4 inches long. Apparently one of the pet stores has an "adoption" tank and so he adopted two fish to bring home and put in the 55 gallon tank so the silver dollars and the other tetras wouldn't be so lonely without Hoover and Tiger.

Awww....that's so sweet.  Fish adoption is cool!