Monday - we made it again!

[Ron Sower]

Hello everybody...hope it's sunny where you are...it is here...!

Horror show last night...came home from dinner and most of the fish in the Congo tank were covered in white slime and dead or dying! ....immediately started tossing dead ones and pulling live ones for the hospital tank and started treating it with salt, thinking bacterial infection...wrote to my friend in Seattle who is a good expert on fish ailments and he said to treat the water for acidosis...my pH was below 6.4!...so I began dosing baking soda which did the trick...the hospitalized fish are frisky and clear of slime this morning...it didn't phase my Congo Tetras, but it wiped out all my yo-yo loaches, most of the SAEs, and a bunch of Cories...these were some fish I've had for several years... ...oh well, I was glad to learn what it was...now I gotta determine the cause of low pH...

Other than that, the day was a good one...

Today I have several errands to run and I'll putz in the fishroom a bit too...not much going on so far...

Happy aquariuming...

[LizStreithorst]

Oh Ron, I'm so sorry about your loss.  I know how it feels to walk into the fish room to a total disaster.  It's a kick in the head.

I did the little poodle today.  The husband and I always enjoy our chats while I do the little dog.  The dog is very good for grooming despite the fact that I've been grooming her for her entire 13 years, she's one of those who always gets stressed.  She pants the entire time but she never gives me a problem.  The husband smokes pot and although I have always let him take some home for free I also sold him about 3/4 oz. for $50. back when I didn't know how much it sells for.

He's not a big pot head.  Two hits in the evening is all he does, and he always splits what I give him with his brother.  I sent him off with a good sample this time to share with his brother.  I also gave him a sample of last year's so they could compare the 2.  I told him how much is sells for here in Mississippi and he checked it on his phone.  I knew that I had the correct price because I checked on Google and a friend checked with a friend who has 3 other friends who buy it. 

He talked a while back about trading it for work that I can't do.  All I had at the time was painting and he hates painting as much as I do.  This time I showed him the garden project I have in mind which will only involve pounding in T posts, fencing the area with dog wire and making a gate.  I'm pretty sure that I already have all the materials.  He's going to think about it which is better than saying no. 

Other than the dog and the chatting all I've done is the normal fish and pets chores and rest.  I know how I can hurt after grooming one dog and I don't want to suffer tomorrow.

Willie, how are your snots doing?

Have a good day, friends.

[Barb]

Hi all, Ron I am so sorry about your fish tank loss.  Yes, we all know how it feels.  Low ph is something I have never had though, I always have the opposite problem.  Glad you were able to get help so fast for it.  I spend part of yesterday cleaning my pond filters.  While doing it I noticed a big rock problem in the waterfall, a part of the base was cracked and the whole thing could have collapsed into the pond.  Even with 30+ years of ponds and rocks, mistakes can still  happen.  So this afternoon I took most of the waterfall apart, moved at least a ton of rocks, very carefully of course.  Over the next couple days I will rebuild it, better this time.  Live and learn, right?  Here are 2 pics I just took of the in progress job.  I will take another one when I finish the job later this week. 

[Ron Sower]

Even with the rocks all apart, that's a pretty pond, Barb!...

[LizStreithorst]

Barb, if there is no way to shade it how about a UV filter?

[Barb]

Yep, have had one in there for over 2 yrs, it works well but still too much heat and sun=too much algae.

[LizStreithorst]

They do wear out over time, Barb.  If you replace your current one you might try a larger wattage one.