Dec. 1 Hump Day

[Barb]

Good morning, well we made it to December! This is always a busy month for me, some days I have several things to do.  It is 30 outside at 8am, so far it is an early winter here it seems.  Yesterday my birdbaths were frozen solid until the sun warmed them up.  My beautiful Camelia bush, full of gorgeous pink blooms, is now full of brown mushy blooms. 

Hope you all have a good day, with things you enjoy doing.
Barb

[wsantia1]

Good morning Barb, Liz and everyone. It was 31 degrees when I got up this morning so it was a degree warmer than where Barb is located, which is about 300 miles south of me. We are supposed to get up to 54 degrees this afternoon so that will be great.

It is the first of the month so that means I have to pay my bills and run some errands this morning. Kobe has a follow up vet appointment this afternoon but he has been doing pretty good lately so I am hoping for a good exam.

I'm am feeling pretty good this morning but I need to continue to be cautious in my movements so I can stretch out the good feeling.

Liz, I'm glad you clarified the fry count for us. I went back a recounted and I thought you missed a zero on the 10 count. To my eye those are some nice looking Discus fry.

Have a great day everyone.

[LizStreithorst]

Good morning my friends.  All is right with the world here.  My chicks will be shipped tomorrow.  I imagine they'll be sent Priority Express so I'm hoping they will arrive tomorrow, but it might be Friday.  Right now I'm listening to the oral arguments before the Supreme Court.  The suit is being brought my Mississippi so my public radio is tuned to NPR which is covering it.  I do need to get to the feed store in Petal, though.  Gotta get the right feed for the new babies coming in the mail.

[Ron Sower]

Hi guys!...

It's 60 here right now...so do I win something??? :  

Gonna get the Xmas totes out today and start the decorating process. It'll take a couple days inside. Still not sure what or if we do outside. It depends on how I feel and what kind of drive we have.

Remember me telling you all about selling my Julies and Shellies and the finding the small fry a week later in the tank just as I was going to tear it down? Those little suckers are growing quite nicely and I may just keep them for awhile. I've been feeding them Magna Daphnia of mixed sizes and it great fun to watch the little buggers try to chase down the larger ones with their erratic swimming behavior. Finally they give up and chase down smaller ones to eat!

I've been putting the plants I've been buying in different tanks to see how they do in different parameters. I've learned that Anubias do not like hard water! Leaves all dropped off and rhizomes turned to mush. They do seem to thrive or at least survive under lights with a lot of blue wavelengths.

I've also learned awhile ago that if I have plants in a tank that develop algae on the leaves, I can put them in my tank with all the SAEs and they clean them up within a 24-48 hour period...love those fish. I think Panda Garras are good for that too. I may order some to try out....you know, give the guys a job!!

Heading downtown my old haunts - Florence - this afternoon to see my PCP. Annual physical and wellness visit rolled into one I think. Got a few things to go over with him.

Those Camilias do have beautiful blooms, but they do get messy when they die off. A neighbor across the street when I was in my first marriage had them and he always let them just hang On the bush until until they dropped off and then made a mess on the ground. Do you deadhead yours, Barb? I bet you do!

That pic of the discus is stunning, Liz. How many days do the fry usually feed on the mucous, and do the parents do anything to "wean" them?

Ya'll have a great day and keep on keeping on!

[LizStreithorst]

Oh Ron, you poor shivering man.  It's 68 here, dear.  I have doors open.  Your experience with the Julies and Shellies reminds me of my Rainbow fish spawn.  I moved a plant from the rainbow tank to a black ram breeding tank and I got babies free swimming from the rams and the Rainbows at the same time.

I agree with Ron on the camellias. That's why I dont' have any. 

Ron I like to keep the fry with the parents for at least 3 weeks unless the parents are being annoyed by them.  The fry have the ability to survive away from the parent's slime after 5 days.I don't think the parents do anything to wean them.  The fry decide on their own to start hunting the bbs but still like to have a nibble on their parents if the parents are with them.  Once they start going for the BBS in a big way I start giving them Tubifex fines that I soak in water first.  Baby Discus are a blast to raise.  Growth is quite fast until it slows down when they're around 3".  I'll be offering these for sale at quarter size that it big enough to cull for abnormalities but a little to young for me to evaluate how nearly perfect in conformation.  I want to keep a group of 8.  But I just have to hope that the 8 I decide to keep will be the best ones.

[Ron Sower]

Oh Ron, you poor shivering man.  It's 68 here, dear.  I have doors open.  Your experience with the Julies and Shellies reminds me of my Rainbow fish spawn.  I moved a plant from the rainbow tank to a black ram breeding tank and I got babies free swimming from the rams and the Rainbows at the same time.

I agree with Ron on the camellias. That's why I dont' have any. 

Ron I like to keep the fry with the parents for at least 3 weeks unless the parents are being annoyed by them.  The fry have the ability to survive away from the parent's slime after 5 days.I don't think the parents do anything to wean them.  The fry decide on their own to start hunting the bbs but still like to have a nibble on their parents if the parents are with them.  Once they start going for the BBS in a big way I start giving them Tubifex fines that I soak in water first.  Baby Discus are a blast to raise.  Growth is quite fast until it slows down when they're around 3".  I'll be offering these for sale at quarter size that it big enough to cull for abnormalities but a little to young for me to evaluate how nearly perfect in conformation.  I want to keep a group of 8.  But I just have to hope that the 8 I decide to keep will be the best ones.

[LizStreithorst]

Ron and Barb and Willie if you're interested, the kids started leaving dad's sides for the first time this morning.  When I fed them lunch they followed the air tube around the tank as I slowly released the BBS.  It was very cool.

[wsantia1]

Ron and Barb and Willie if you're interested, the kids started leaving dad's sides for the first time this morning.  When I fed them lunch they followed the air tube around the tank as I slowly released the BBS.  It was very cool.

That does sound very cool Liz. I wish you much success with them. I know that you will grow them big and strong. Of course we already know that they will be beauties. If I felt like I would be able to do them justice, I would definitely be looking to get some from you. I've always done well with your platinum pearlscale angels.

[LizStreithorst]

Willie I didn't expect you and Ron would want some but you guys are my best fish buddies so I want you know what I've got going on in the fish room.  When they are quarters Barb will get hers and I will offer them on Simply. 

[Barb]

Thanks Liz, but i would be very worried about sending tiny discus in the middle of winter!?  Spring time?

[Ron Sower]

Willie I didn't expect you and Ron would want some but you guys are my best fish buddies so I want you know what I've got going on in the fish room.  When they are quarters Barb will get hers and I will offer them on Simply.

...Liz, if I thought I would do daily water changes on their tank I would happily order some from you...but I know me too well! 

[wsantia1]

Willie I didn't expect you and Ron would want some but you guys are my best fish buddies so I want you know what I've got going on in the fish room.  When they are quarters Barb will get hers and I will offer them on Simply.

...Liz, if I thought I would do daily water changes on their tank I would happily order some from you...but I know me too well! 

I'm in the same boat as you Ron.

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Liz, but i would be very worried about sending tiny discus in the middle of winter!?  Spring time?

It's not a problem with a heat pack and insulated box.  Al did it with great success.  They have to be shipped express, though.