# I should be doing something else, but here I am ;)



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I know I have two other journals but decided to start lumping them together in an all together in this one. I will just include the links to them here:

Firework's early days
Emmett's early days

For starters, I have three tanks. (so far...) The 20 gallon long is the sorority tank. It is newly planted so I don't have a lot of pictures of it yet... I want some of the spaces to fill in. Plants just keep melting on me, thus creating gaps that weren't there before. (grr) 
The 3 gallon 360 round is Firework's tank in my kitchen. Emmett is housed in a 3 gal crescent. (I will be upgrading him soon I hope.)

I also have various other creatures you may occassionally see....

* I only use the internet once or twice a week, so I write what I want to ahead of time and save it in Notepad and paste it into a post when I am at an internet connection. SO- if you think the order or dates of a post are a little weird, that is why.
I also do this with other people's journals- I open like 20 pages up and read it through the week  


*


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I think this plant is Mexican Oak Leaf? (the green broad leafed stuff) I don't know. Whatever it is, it likes to float more than be planted. I'm having better success getting it to grow roots and then achoring a couple of them with a rock. It sheds leaves like crazy too and it's annoying. I'm considering just taking the whole mess out and replacing it with Temple Compacta if I can get my hands on some more. (I love that stuff!)


As I've already said, stuff just keeps melting on me in this tank. I've had, like, 20 of these oak leaf things melt on me already. It is a good thing they are cheap. $3.99 for a huge bundle (about 20) at my LFS.
Anyway, I am leaning more towards anubias, moneywort & java ferns to fill in space- they've done better for me. Temple compacta has also done super in Firework's tank, so I want to put a bunch of it in this one.
The vallisnera has also done super in this tank, but it just doesn't "fill" it enough for a sorority. The girls love swimming thru the leaves tho.
The moneywort is growing tall, but some of it did melt. (okay, quite a bit.) I am going to order a bunch more.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I received my order from Aqua Aurora!! Hydro sp Japan and Salvinia. Most of the Salvinia is for me and the hydro is for a tank I am planting for my brother. I *did* sneak some into my 20.... 

Propane: "I huff, and I puff, and I blow your salvinia away!!!"


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

What is all this goofy stuff and why isn't it something we can eat?







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Iris: "Okay... seriously. It's feeding time. Enough with the pictures. Pleeeeease?" *flutters eylash like pecs*







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Propane: "Yeah.... she's not listening."







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Ivana: "I'll stare her down and communicate through telepathy. Feeeed usssss nooooowwwww."







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Carbon: "If this cat tounge stuff tries to eat me I'm gonna knock its block off." (Carbon is a pessimistic grumpykins that is never happy about anything... I think it's cute but don't tell her or she'll be too mad to eat!)










Propane: "Oh, hey, watch this! *whispers* I'm hiding from her"










Propane: *whispers* "I can sneak up on her camera and scare her.... *stops whispering* "dang she made me." *swims away*










Indigo: "hurrrmp."


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Helium: *she can't see me!*
Indigo: "You're an idiot."


Helium: *she's smiling at me!* now watch me dissapear again......


Helium: "well, that was fun."


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Corydoras!!! I had no idea corydoras loved sand so much until I added it to the tank! (which is why the water looks so cloudy....) Cories are soooo adorablely spunky.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Carbon: "ooooo this moss feels so good and comfy"


Carbon: "I think I'll sleep on i-- am I being watched?!"


Carbon: *hides and eyeballs me* * swims away growling "I hate moss. I hate it, I said!"


15 minutes later.... (yes, I'm still here)
Carbon thinks to herself: "Maybe if I inch towards it she won't notice me..."


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Indigo: "Well, snail, do yo have what youse owes me?!"
Pearl: *sounds of water filter in the background*


Indigo: "Yo have till 'dis time tommorra to cough up them pellets, or certain snails are gonna, like, be missin' their tentacle tings, if yo know what I'se means."
Pearl: *poops*


Indigo: "Tommora, snail!"
Pearl: *creeps onto the driftwood*


Indigo: "Yo, snail! I'm still watchin yo!"
Pearl: *poop* (yes, it is a mystery as to why she poops so much.)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

This is the only snail that so far has not been stalked and harrassed by Indigo... it's so darn happy I think she's not interested  It's unnamed as it is going to be part of my brother's birthday gift. 





Also, this anubias has a weird continuem of bubbles coming out of it. What the heck?!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

More on the snail.... this one is SO active and fun to watch. My kids & I watched him "walk" right off of an Anubias like something off of Looney Tunes, lol. Pearl (the ivory mystery snail) is a night owl that mostly moves at night. Boring.
I swear I have seen this snail eat poop. You can see it in these pics, in pic #2 (which the first pic you see) it is right in front of the snail's mouth. The snail grabbed the poop, sat there for a bit working his mouth and then moved on. (?!*!) I was in total disbelief, if my battery had not been dying on the camera I would have video'd it. As it was, the battery died on pic #2.





Iris: "Quit taking pictures of the snail and do something constructive! Feed us."
Pic: Snail7


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Miracle literally being nosey. A hole in the driftwood has a bubble.


Miracle: "OoOo she's watching me! Watch me hit the bubble!" *bubble floats to top.*


Quite proud of herself.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I hate photobucket. It's taking me forever to get pictures on my journal in the order that I want them using stupid photobucket.

Just want to say- I love doggie paws under my toes.  Sadie loves sleeping like that when I get on the computer, lol! And her paws are pretty darn big. 

At a local discount grocery, I found a really cute bowed front 1/2 gallon tank for $1.99. It has a clear topper too. I'll probably put it on the counter and use it as a quarantine tank for individual plants. I've already used it as a "dip" tank when one of my girls (iris) apparently hit her eye or something, it swelled up with fluid. The dip worked.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Adorable bettas, glad they aren't ripping eachother to shreds ^^
Btw cory are shoaling fish and need to be in groups of 6 or more. However albino cory usually need a 30g or larger. Pygmy or dwarf cory would be great in a 20g long, could get a dozen of one or the other.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Yes, I know. They were an impulse buy, I am making plans to re-home them to a bigger tank locally. 
The bettas do get along pretty well.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Your ladies are so gorgeous! Wow. Each and every one. I enjoyed the peek into their day. You tank is really spectacular. I need some driftwood and rocks. You have THE look going that I am trying to get in my tanks. I love it.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Oh, thank you!  I've collected all the wood and rocks over a few months and tested/boiled them all.... and I'm still waiting on the plants to grow in.  I feel like I'm watching paint dry. Only that would be quicker.
I am excited about my recent order to JDAquatics.... I ordered a bunch of giant green hygro as the background filler. :greenyay:


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Meet one of the new snails, Snot. So named for his... less than appealing color, poor baby.  He really likes to hitch rides on the other mysterys.... at least I think that's what he is doing.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Plants! The floaters are from AquaAurora, the others are from JDAquatics.  I just love how the repens twirls in all directions.
That particular banana plant is from my LFS, it was huge and pretty and I had to get it. I have purchased bananas from JDA before tho.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

A few moments with Emmett.....


Yeah, okay, I'll play peekaboo with you behind this thermometer. *back* *forth* As long as you leave my bubble nest alone. You are going to leave it alone, right?










"RIGHT?!" *POOF, he flares*


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Now just a few more pics of Emmett...

Awww, you're so cute! 









Pwetty pwetty boy!









"Talk to the tail."









Showing him his reflection... he flared and darted around but is now I feel we are watching a hunting show and Emmett is the one all geared up and camo'd. :roll:
Emmett whispers: "I'm just going to sneak up on him like this, boy he's a handsome sucker! I spooked one just like him only two days ago, in fact it just might be the same one, but this time I'm going to bag him!"










"BWAHAHAHA! LET MY MAGNIFICENCE KILL YOU!"


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

Ahahah! Those are so cute!! Your boys and girls are too adorable! I love the snails too!!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thank you!


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

Just subbing to your journal. Lovely tank. I may have missed them but... do you have any full tank pics? Next year I'm hoping to get a big tank but I'm a little torn. It's either going to end up a rock & sand Malawi Cichlid tank with a few hardy plants because my water parameters happen to be perfect for African Lake Cichlids... great for them but a bit gah for me since I tend to prefer the look of the softer water tanks. Or, I want to do a heavily planted/driftwood blackwater habitat for maybe a Betta Imbellis community with some dwarf corys and maybe some kind of tetra (not sure on that yet though), but it will require perhaps a little messing with my water parameters, and we all know how trying to lower the pH of hard water usually goes 

Anyway, that aside, I am enjoying your fishy conversations! Bettas investigating snails is always awesome. Arthur has a habit of watching his two assassin snails as they engage in 'adult' fun lol.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Oh, thank you! 

Isn't dreaming of new tanks/arrangements awesome?! I, too, have thought about a blackwater tank.... 

I don't have a pic of the 20 right now, I just ordered more plants to fill in melted spots so it looks a bit spotty and I haven't had the ambition. In addition, it looks like a ridiculous mess on top, I have all these lights and I need to build something to hold them, and I need to buy the 30" bulbs and light fixtures. As of now I have two 18" under the counter lights and two cheap desk lamps sitting on top of the glass lid. :hmm: My husband wanted to know if we were having some kind of light festival. (yeah... now go tweak the engine on your truck. :roll

Here's the two three gallons, though. 

NOTE: I just realized the tree tank doesn't look like that anymore, LOL. I added the filter/heater and a couple of plants. Also the grass is not quite as lush. *ahem.* Firework's grass completely melted.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

*I have a problem*

I am seriously considering getting this girl and putting her in the kitchen in a 2 or 3 gallon next to Firework. I really shouldn't. If Firework and Emmett have babies I could keep a cutie from that batch to put on the counter.

....BUT..... just look at this face!!! She has lipstick and BLUE eyes!!!! I should be BANNED from Ebay!



















And then there is also this guy, who reminds me of AquaAurora's Xerxes, (beautiful fish!!!) and of Firework. (the lil cutie patootie red nose tip) The seller says he sparkles blue and green. Mwahahaha :crazy:


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

Beautiful tanks! And that little girl is so sweeeet. Look at the attitude on her, getting her flare on


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

When I get a chance, I'm going to post some old baby pics of Sadie, but for now I'm having trouble getting them off my phone.  These are from Monday, possibly our last day to play all day in the creek. The last pic is a VERY tired Sadie, look at her eyes! LOL. She loves to swim and play fetch with floating sticks. She also likes to climb up the bluff and track deer. :-D

She also likes swimming to me in the chest deep water, and letting me hold her like she's floating with her head on my shoulder as she gives me little kisses. 

As you can see, she is in the "gangly" stage, being around 10 months. She's more leg than anything. If she's like her daddy, she'll fill out and just be a big ol tank.


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## tiffanylucky (Nov 6, 2013)

How many pets do you have? Sounds like you have a zoo, just like tree.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Haha, sometimes it feels like a zoo.... we have two dairy cows (which are precious and spoiled!) Sadie, Betty Jo the cat, (outdoor, never could get her used to being inside) and a bunch of chickens that follow us around all day. ^^ We have two boys, ages 5 and 3, if you want to count them in the zoo. We really don't have that much at the moment, I used to also have more chickens, turkeys, horses, and dairy goats. Now THAT was a zoo.....


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Well, I did it..... she has been bought. Due to her lipstick and blue eyes and brilliance of reds, I think she looks like Lucille Ball. I just started this thread for discussion of what exactly I should name her....


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Well, my brother FINALLY has his fish in his tank!!!! I had about 1 hour to set it up, so it is kinda harem scarem, but I did it. Notice the pitiful tank divider.... It was lush with one half christmas moss and one half hydro sp japan, but since last week the tank was broken RIGHT before we left to take it to him, the divider had to sit all week in a tub of water kinda to small for it, and it lost all the leaves on the jp and more than half of it melted.  Thankfully my brother's betta's are so relaxed they could care less if they see eachother or not. They just kinda stare at eachother like:

"Hey. Wassup."

"Cool tank, huh?"

"Yup."

"Yeah. Well, bye."

This is a big upgrade for them since the blue and red dragon was in a 1gal and the blue VT was in a 2.5gal. There is a waterfall ornament my brother really wanted to keep since the VT is pretty attached to it ;-) And the blue/red is attached to that log thingy.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

What a cute little betta! I would name her "Lucy". I see now where you get all your pretty rocks and wood! Nice area you live in. You did a great job with your brother's tank. You have a talent for making tanks look natural. Are those sticks you find dry and then prepare them for use in an aquarium or are you finding wood in the creek?


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Innerbeauty said:


> Now just a few more pics of Emmett...
> 
> Awww, you're so cute!
> 
> ...



OMG Emmett is STUNNING! :shock:


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> What a cute little betta! I would name her "Lucy". I see now where you get all your pretty rocks and wood! Nice area you live in. You did a great job with your brother's tank. You have a talent for making tanks look natural. Are those sticks you find dry and then prepare them for use in an aquarium or are you finding wood in the creek?


Thank you! ^^
I find driftwood along the creek (we have lots of flash floods through here ) and then I boil them.... if they are wet I dry them for a couple weeks in the sun to make sure they are old enough. 
My hubby complains about all the wood and rocks I have stashed around here.... hehehehe :twisted: I'm driving him insane.

^*Polkadot*, thank you! I've always thought so, but then I'm very biased.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I need a creek! Wait...there is one waaaaaaay out in the cow pasture. I never go in there in case the bull is there. Hmm. Bull. Driftwood. Bull...driftwood. Driftwood!! I will ask The Husband, maybe the bull isn't even in that pasture. I don't like the donkey either though. I need a big stick so I can go look for smaller sticks!


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

Innerbeauty said:


> Well, I did it..... she has been bought. Due to her lipstick and blue eyes and brilliance of reds, I think she looks like Lucille Ball. I just started this thread for discussion of what exactly I should name her....


You _have_ to name her Lucy!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

So, BettaSplendid, did you brave the pasture's obstacles?  

Dangerous, I named her Lucy! 

I made this, inspired by BettaSplendid, and I have a lot more pics to organize as soon my computer stops acting funky.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I haven't been out there yet. I worry about contaminating my tanks and wonder what wood I am picking out. I am not sure what I should be looking for and then what to do with it. I am so nervous! I found a LFS that sells dense African wood for aquariums...I might just go that route. It isn't like I need more STUFF in my tanks, LOL! Just plants!

I LOVE your comic! You nailed what she is thinking! Absolutely brilliant- and adorable! She is a cutie pie. It takes the betta pictures to a whole new level. And they get funnier over time. In a few months you will love looking back at her quarantine period. Especially if her color changes. You did good!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks!  You should at least take a _look_ at your creek.... who knows what treasures you may find! 

We have a new kitty. A Siamese male! (I have always wanted a Siamese cat!!!) His name is Shaun. (After Shaun the sheep, their temperment is so similar!) He is so lovable, playful, and sweet! His purr box is always on unless he's asleep. He loves toys and being ornery, yet he refuses to chase the laser light. (?) He just looks at the light and then the laser pen like, "You really think I'm that dumb? Silly people. Purr." My husband said:
"C'mon, kitty... you gotta admit that looks pretty awesome!(the light)"
Shaun purrs, very disinterested in the light.
"You will play with my toes when I'm not even moving them, but you won't play with this cool light?!"









He is special enough I am willing to go through a learning process of how to successfully keep a kitty in the house yet not smell one, LOL. At the moment I am using Arm & Hammer kitty litter, and my super-nose hubby says he can't smell the kitty's business, but all I can smell is that stupid litter. There is some kind of perfume in that stuff that I hate. (I have to be careful using perfumed stuff.... it can make me throw up and I can never smell the _scent_, just the chemical. Green City!!!) I may have to start using a cheaper litter, but then hubby might smell the cat when he does his business....


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

With our litter box, I just use plain unscented litter. If you can get clumping litter it helps a lot too. They were both 'fixed' quite late on because Lewis was so small, and the couple of months before their operation they did become quite smelly. However, ever since they were fixed we've had no issues. I do sometimes smell their poops briefly but as soon as they've buried it the smell goes away. You kind of just become desensitised to the general kitty scent after a while, lol. If you have a lidded box it greatly reduces smells, as well as litter being tracked all around the house. We got one but took the door off.

Also, you can get specialised indoor cat biscuits that help them to pass hair through their system and reduce furballs, and they often have chicory or something similar added which helps to reduce litter box smells too.

P.S. Pics! Siamese cats are one of the most intelligent breeds out there (unlike my two... complete doofuses) so hopefully you'll be able to teach yours some tricks  We tried and failed. They had no problem learning to come into the kitchen and beg for food when I'm cooking though, funny that.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thank you!!! I had no idea I needed to give him some sort of treat for hairballs. I am looking into it, pronto.

After doing some research on litters, and doing a bit of reading in my journal (not online, written) from when I have had indoor cats in the past, I think I also might be allergic to the benzonite (sp?) clay used for clumping litters... I now have to hold my breath a wear rubber gloves just to scoop his litter and I still end up having my throat close up and my eyes swelling. And it keeps getting worse each time. So one of my options is a pine or corn based litter.... And my husband is going to a local business today to see if he can get their by-product cheaply or *probably* free. (yay!) That I will mix with activated charcoal and baking soda.

I want to share pics- I do! My camera is currently AWOL.  (the reason there are no more Lucy comics, too...) My camera card is in that camera. I'm not sure if my kids took off with it or I laid it somewhere.... Oh crap. I think I just had an epiphany while writing this. It's on a shelf in the barn. Stupid me!!!! Here I go... to inspect possible damages.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

YAY! Camera undamaged by the barn's bovine inhabitants!

SO! Here I go snapping pics! Shaun has never seen my camera before, so he was interested if not slightly disturbed from his nap. Get used to it, buddy.... cuase if cameras cause cancer, you're gonna get it! (joke)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

dannifluff said:


> P.S. Pics! Siamese cats are one of the most intelligent breeds out there (unlike my two... complete doofuses) so hopefully you'll be able to teach yours some tricks  We tried and failed. They had no problem learning to come into the kitchen and beg for food when I'm cooking though, funny that.


Aww cute Nico and Lewis.... I want to see them beg! 

I didn't know Siamese are rather intelligent as you said.... I always wanted one for looks but goodness... they've got personality, too. I have an outdoor cat that I love but she is dumber than a box of rocks. (poor baby) It's a sad contrast....

Sadie knows she can't steal his toys. Shaun will tease her with them by holding them under her nose with one paw, and the other paw outstretched with claws out, just in case Sadie goes for it. (Really, Shaun?) Needless to say, Shaun does not care for Sadie. He will stand there for a long time, eyes just begging her to try it. 

He lays in the goofiest positions. (below) silly kitty.


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## simonthai (Aug 10, 2015)

..what/who is Aqua Aurora? I love the Salvinia. I live in Ontario, Canada and hope I can get some around here. It's probably the most common plant around but just havent looked ---(is another name for it cat tongue?) I love the look of floating plants but was always worried they couldn't find a space to breath but just my imagination, I suppose..really enjoyed your posts and pics!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thank you!!! ^^

AquaAurora is a member on this forum. You are in for a treat- go through her whole journal, the tanks, fishes, and aquascaping are gorgeous!! You could leave her a message on her journal, I am not sure if she would ship to Canada or not. I know I can't ship anywhere at the moment, I am way too busy. 

It might also be called cat tounge, it certainly looks like green kitty tounges, and feels like it!  Floaters are just so easy to keep... I actually put my excess in my cattle, chicken, and dog wateres... ^^ The chickens eat it. (it grows FAST... before you know it your fish are laying on top of it cause when they jump for food they get "caught", LOL. Then they wiggle back into the water no problem )


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## simonthai (Aug 10, 2015)

You sound like you are surrounded by animals  ..a dream come true for me but live in the city  so just have a black lab and two cats and two Betta's ..thank you for the info..I will check out AquaArora's journal and will definitely be following yours !


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

^^Thank you!!!

Aww, I LOVE Labs! They are so smart and lovable! 

Yes, sometimes I feel a little... hmmm... over my head? But I put myself here so here I am. Just earlier I thought perhaps I might have gave my heifer (yearling cow) Pumpkin, an overdose of meds and I almost had a _heart attack_. Turns out, Thank God!, it was an under-dose. Poor baby was a little freaked when I started crying and blubbering to the vet over the phone. *sighs* She just eyed me warily and went back to chewing her cud, like, "I might drop dead? I feel fine... Goofy girl" :roll:
:demented: Some days just further prove to me how good I am at being an idiot.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I'm me! ^^
Thanks innerbeauty for the kind words. 
Sadly I cannot ship to Canada as I don't have the proper permits/licenses to ship out of the country. I don't know if there are any aquatic plant stores(online) that ship to/in Canada that might have salvinia minima. You can try posing a "WTB" (want to buy) thread in the market place forum for the plants, make sure to clearly state that you are in Canada in the opening post or even in the title.
Btw Shaun is adorable! Love how derpy he looks in the last photo ^^


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Shaun is amazing. What a little character! I love Siamese and orange tabbies. Glad your heifer is fine!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Aqua Aurora said:


> Btw Shaun is adorable! Love how derpy he looks in the last photo ^^


"Derpy".... that is the_ perfect_ word for it... I laughed when I read it. :-D


^.^ Thank you BettaSplendid!!!! Orange tabbies remind me of sherbert... 

We just brought groceries home and before getting them put away Shaun managed to do the below.... Silly Shaun!!! Sticking his head where it didn't belong. ;-)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

"This isn't what it looks like.... I swear!"


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

Awww.... Shaun! Those pictures are adorable. Look at all his tufty sticky-out bits of fur... I just want to squeeze him! Good luck with the litter. Those two options are more sustainable than clay litter anyway so it's no bad thing. I just buy it because it's cheap, but I agree it is rather dusty, I can definitely see how anyone sensitive to it would struggle.

Hairballs probably won't even be much of an issue until he goes through his first moult, it's just because indoor cats don't always have access to the fibre/greens they would nibble on outside which they use to digest hair through their system or bring up hairballs (lovely) so it just adds them into his diet. Indoor cat grasses are also an option.

I grew a nice crop of indoor grass, and then one night one of the cats used it as a bed and flattened it, so four weeks worth of lush growth was utterly undone.

I must do a new post on my journal. My head is buzzing with uni stuff at the moment. I made half an attempt to get a nice picture of one of my fishes yesterday to enter in the contest but it's safe to say I'm no photographer! They just looked at me like I was an amateur, then swam away just as I clicked the button, giving me out-of-focus shots of tail fins and not much else.

Am loving your kitty pictures. And the bag, hehehe! Silly kitty.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

"Look at all his tufty sticky-out bits of fur.."

Oh my gosh, you HAD to point that out. Adorable! I love fur like that, especially "ear tassles" or any ridiculously long tufts like that. LOL. I am the person you invite to your house and I spend more time talking to your pets than you. So bad. Can't help it.

I LOVE the guilty fish tank picture. "fish? What fish? Behind me? ...oh, so there are some fish...hadn't noticed..." *cough*


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> "Look at all his tufty sticky-out bits of fur.."
> 
> Oh my gosh, you HAD to point that out. Adorable! I love fur like that, especially "ear tassles" or any ridiculously long tufts like that. LOL. I am the person you invite to your house and I spend more time talking to your pets than you. So bad. Can't help it.
> 
> I LOVE the guilty fish tank picture. "fish? What fish? Behind me? ...oh, so there are some fish...hadn't noticed..." *cough*


ROTFL that is a far better caption! :-D

You are welcome to come talk to my animals anytime!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

dannifluff said:


> Awww.... Shaun! Those pictures are adorable. Look at all his tufty sticky-out bits of fur... I just want to squeeze him! Good luck with the litter. Those two options are more sustainable than clay litter anyway so it's no bad thing. I just buy it because it's cheap, but I agree it is rather dusty, I can definitely see how anyone sensitive to it would struggle.


I do like cheap! Unfortunately that just isn't working out for me. Unless hubby can get some sawdust donated to us  
Last night we went to town and (joy!) Wal-Mart (ick) had TidyCats Pure Natural cedar, pine, and corn clumping litter. It looks like it is going to make a mess, but I _don't care_. I can breath again!!!! Time will tell if the litter will actually work, or if I'll have to swap brands. I'm going to go read some reviews. 



dannifluff said:


> Hairballs probably won't even be much of an issue until he goes through his first moult, it's just because indoor cats don't always have access to the fibre/greens they would nibble on outside which they use to digest hair through their system or bring up hairballs (lovely) so it just adds them into his diet. Indoor cat grasses are also an option.
> 
> I grew a nice crop of indoor grass, and then one night one of the cats used it as a bed and flattened it, so four weeks worth of lush growth was utterly undone.


I purchased some hairball remedy chews last night. I would have never known they were there unless I was told to look for them.  I will try the catgrass, but as you said something can happen to it overnight so I'm going to keep these chews on hand.  Thank you!



dannifluff said:


> I must do a new post on my journal. My head is buzzing with uni stuff at the moment. I made half an attempt to get a nice picture of one of my fishes yesterday to enter in the contest but it's safe to say I'm no photographer! They just looked at me like I was an amateur, then swam away just as I clicked the button, giving me out-of-focus shots of tail fins and not much else.


It is a conspiracy. They believe if you win a few photo contests, you will want more fish to photograph, resulting in less one on one time.... :shock: That or they just don't want to be famous ;-)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Shaun has discovered how wonderful the "kitty channels" are.  He did try to put a paw in one once, and acted like he was just reminded of what bath time is like, so he gave up 

I got him a Catit speed circuit and it arrived today. Even while he's sleepy, it looks like it's going to be a hit. Pictures to come 

Took some pics of Firework today. She was grumpy. (haha)
I will be revamping her tank within the next couple of days. I am thinking about adding more valisnera. (sp? too lazy to check)


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

That is a female?! She is amazing! How cute!
That tank is incredible. You have a way with tanks...you make them look so natural. I told my mom my goal for my tanks was for them to look like a scoop of river...totally natural. I am not so good at it as you. I *think* a lot of what I like about your tanks is the bottom. You use leaves right? And different sized stones. It makes a big difference. I got larger sized gravel today but it all went into Zadok's place. Eventually I will scatter the larger gravel over Simeon's and Antigua's tanks.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Why, thank you!  I'm sure you'll make some beautiful "River Bottom" layouts! They are so fun and relaxing to watch.

Yes, she's a female and full of spit and vinegar, hehe.

Here is what I like the best: I take Caribsea's Eco-Complete as a base. (really makes the plants flourish more) I like pouring sand on top part of that. (it takes a lot, too. The fine grains will eventually shift to the bottom, so you need quite a bit to maintain that layer. Then I pour natural aq. gravel in places I didn't put the sand, but put your plants in the eco-complete first, then pour rocks on top. The gravel will anchor the plants.
Then I place rocks I've gotten from the creek.  Right now in Firework's tank there is no sand, just Eco and large rocks. I am going to add it just b/c I really love it. 

The only leaves I use on purpose are the IAL's. Other leaves laying on the bottom are generally shed by those peskily beautiful ludwigia repens.  hehe those have to sucked up during water changes.

I'm fairly new to plants, (since June or July) but so far as plants go, I am LOVING Hornwort, Blue Hygro, Ludwigia Repens and Vallisnera. They really go well together. The Blue Hygro doesn't really look blue for me... it takes on more of a red, especially when above water. 
Anubias Roots on a piece of driftwood looks pretty darn cool, too...


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

I love your journal! Just read thru the whole thing! Beautiful Bettas, cute Siamese (love those, even though I'm more of a dog person), & lovely dog


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Thank you!! ^.^ Dogs are pretty awesome, aren't they? 

Update on Emmett: I think his head is almost entirely orange now. I need to get a pic. Within the last week he has been marbling quite a lot. Hmmmm..... anyway he's still cute as anything.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Dogs are great! I don't know how I went so long without one! My Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mix, Julie is almost 11 years old, I've had her since she was 5 months old. She can be a handful at times, but the unconditional affection they give is awesome!


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I use eco-complete in Antigua's tank with gravel over it, a mix of brown and white gravel.
Simeon's tank is flora-max?- I think, with gravel over it. So let me see if I understood. First you have eco-complete, then sand, then gravel and then various sized rocks? Or are there parts that have sand showing? I am a bit apprehensive about sand and gravel-vacs! I know you should be able to hover...but hovering didn't work in dear Hatzie's tank and he ended up with popeye (he is all better now). But sand does LOOK nice. I just wonder how to really get it clean. I practically dig when vaccuuming gravel. Heh.

Yes! Emmett pictures, please!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

^I will try to post replies to the above when I'm in a better frame of mind and can actually think properly. 
Our sweet little Emmett passed away Sunday night after a long battle. I am still not sure what caused this, but fought it desperately. Everyone is missing him and I cry a little every time I look at his empty tank.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

I'm so going to watch this journal now! I love your kitty and all of the amazing shots of your tanks and fish! =D


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Oh no.  Emmett was a favorite for me too. I am so sorry to hear that.

I have been missing you and wondering... (((hugs)))


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

*Note: So sorry if I appeared short and uncaring earlier, *I didn't realize until reading it that it was like that. I didn't even read the posts before, I only had a moment to get online and wanted to post what I was thinking.



adlemsi said:


> Dogs are great! I don't know how I went so long without one! My Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mix, Julie is almost 11 years old, I've had her since she was 5 months old. She can be a handful at times, but the unconditional affection they give is awesome!


Aw, those Chuhuahua's are adorable, (I like the Pinschers, too!) and crosses are always interesting, they have a unique character! :-D


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> I use eco-complete in Antigua's tank with gravel over it, a mix of brown and white gravel.
> Simeon's tank is flora-max?- I think, with gravel over it. So let me see if I understood. First you have eco-complete, then sand, then gravel and then various sized rocks? Or are there parts that have sand showing? I am a bit apprehensive about sand and gravel-vacs! I know you should be able to hover...but hovering didn't work in dear Hatzie's tank and he ended up with popeye (he is all better now). But sand does LOOK nice. I just wonder how to really get it clean. I practically dig when vaccuuming gravel. Heh.


Yes. Eco, and then add sand where I want it, and where I don't put sand I put gravel on top of the eco, and let it overlap onto to the sand. Putting sand everwhere can really heavy over time, (unless weight doesn't bother you) as the fine sand sifts to the bottom and you are left with a lot of fine rocks on top, and have to add more sand to get the sandy look.

With Lucy's tank, I wanted sand all over, so I just put in sand and gravel over part.

The good thing about sand is everything just lays on top of it, so I only use air tubing to suck everything up, because the gravel vac will suck up too much sand. Someone else might have better advice on how to clean sand, tho.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Tree said:


> I'm so going to watch this journal now! I love your kitty and all of the amazing shots of your tanks and fish! =D



Thank you!! :-D I have tons more pics I hope to get up by tomorrow. I love looking at your journal, too, your planted tanks are so amazing :-D


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> Oh no.  Emmett was a favorite for me too. I am so sorry to hear that.
> 
> I have been missing you and wondering... (((hugs)))


Thank you - Emmett has been so sorely missed. I put him in the Aloe plant I keep around for minor burns. I think of him every time I look at it. I briefly looked on Ebay and Aquabid for a replacement... but every boy just kinda pales to me compared to him. I think it will take some time.

Life has been SO busy lately. It's been tough to find time to get on the internet just to goof off.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

You didn't come across short. It is never easy to announce the passing of a beloved pet.  

You'll know when you find that one fishie who needs you as bad as you need him. Bettas are all so *different*. Amazingly unique. I know I could never find another like Antigua. It is his unique personality and inquisitiveness that Iove so dearly. Sigh. The thought scares me, honestly. I have befome so attached.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> You didn't come across short. It is never easy to announce the passing of a beloved pet.
> 
> You'll know when you find that one fishie who needs you as bad as you need him. Bettas are all so *different*. Amazingly unique. I know I could never find another like Antigua. It is his unique personality and inquisitiveness that Iove so dearly. Sigh. The thought scares me, honestly. I have befome so attached.


Thank you  Yes, I agree. It is scary being so attached to something. Emmett had that personality that made him unique, not just that I liked his color. Every time I found a betta that had a color that attracted me, I just went back to "BUT would he play hide and seek with me? Would he have OCD and insist on hitting all air bubbles on the sides of his tank to keep it 'clean'?"  I guess all we can do is appreciate the time we have with them. I hope Antigua lives a very long full life! What a smart cutie. I love reading about him.

Here a couple of pictures as a last farewell to Emmett. One is of him "hiding" from me, when he played that game he would hide (usually in his tree) with generally only an eyeball staring back at me, and then he would come rushing out to flare, put a bubble in his nest, and then expect to be fed for his display of macho awesomeness.  He would do this over and over.

The other picture is of him the night he died. I took one last pic of him to show his color change. Farewell, Emmett.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I have tons of baby snails in the 20g! Mostly ramshorns, but some mysterys too.

Below picture with a baby right in the center, and photo bombed' by Ivana.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Revamped the 20g. The hornwort had taken over, so the blue hygro's leaves hadn't been growing. It's a little sparse now, but will grow in.

All the moss on the tube thing died off for some mysterious reason, so I took it out, too, and planted a sword plant there. The pic of the banana plant was taken before the revamp, so you still see the tube in the background.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Shaun likes to sit on my lap when I spend time with my fish. He also likes to occasionally "tag" one with his paw on the glass.

He's also occasionally been spotted on the shelf... tsk tsk. This is his secret place and he prefers not be found here, so on a *rare* occasion I got a fuzzy pic of him here. Perhaps he has guilt from what he dreams about in this spot.

I also included a pic of him sleeping on my bed. I just love how this weirdo sleeps. Either with his paws around his head, or above it. Shhh.... don't tell him he's cute....


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Some random 20gallon tank photos. The pink EE girl is Helium.  For once I got some clear photos of her. The tank has been so overgrown lately due to my lack of time it's been hard to get a lighted and clear photo of anybody!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

You may not see the humor in this if you haven't watched I Love Lucy...


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Perhaps nobody cares, but this is my journal and I'm thinking about something.... so here goes.

I have a thing for the 40's, 50's, 60's era. My kitchen is totally retro because of this. Over time, I have collected quite the stash of antiques that I actually use. (I.E., old pyrex pink "gooseberry" mixing bowls & other dishes, Boontonware melamine dinnerware, vintage GE waffle iron, vintage GE toaster, TONS of framed "ads", the list goes on and on. And when my hubby has time to swap fridges out, I will have an adorable Westinghouse fridge from the 50's.... he just needs to get the air charged)
Well, our toaster oven recently gave out. As I use this on a daily basis (in place of a microwave) I started on the hunt to find a GOOD one. (My old one was 6+ yrs old and I did like it, but it's no longer made) I ran across- OH my gosh- 50's TOASTER OVENS! Should I splurge?! I am waiting on permission from hubby.... after all this is something I use daily AND it's got a griddle on the top!!!!! 

Everybody cross your fingers my hubby says yes.... eeeee!

****the last pics is an example of of my framed ads....  And a fridge (not mine) that is very similar to mine.


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

I'm just catching up on everything. I'm so sorry about Emmett, he was such a beautiful boy. He has the cutest personality too. I do understand how you feel about a new one. I turned down an offer for a Betta that looks EXACTLY like Onyx, but I just couldn't. He would look like him, but he sure wouldn't have his personality. Emmett changed beautifully, I seem to really be loving Orange Bettas!
Everything looks great, and your kitty is ADORABLE!!
And for the record, I totally understand the love of retro things, I have a thing for the 80's era. I'm sure my kitchen (or house for that matter) would resemble that nicely! :lol:


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

DangerousAngel said:


> I'm just catching up on everything. I'm so sorry about Emmett, he was such a beautiful boy. He has the cutest personality too. I do understand how you feel about a new one. I turned down an offer for a Betta that looks EXACTLY like Onyx, but I just couldn't. He would look like him, but he sure wouldn't have his personality. Emmett changed beautifully, I seem to really be loving Orange Bettas!
> Everything looks great, and your kitty is ADORABLE!!
> And for the record, I totally understand the love of retro things, I have a thing for the 80's era. I'm sure my kitchen (or house for that matter) would resemble that nicely! :lol:


You know the exact feeling, then! Same color, but different betta entirely. Just.... no thank you. 

Thanks on your compliments! 80's are awesome, too! I've watched the Goldbergs mostly for the reminiscing feeling... although I didn't live in that era I feel my family was kind of stuck in it... LOL. As a kid I hated 80's clothes b/c it was all my mom would let me wear :roll: Clothes she wore as kid hand me downed. Mostly those jeans with the teeny tiny high waist, baloon hips, and tiny ankles. I had no idea until recently there were actually awesome style clothes in the 80's, just not owned by my mom, LOL. 
You should start collecting stuff now for your future home- as the years go by it's harder to find and not to mention more expensive!


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

I am so very sorry to hear about Emmett! He was a lucky boy to have had such a good home with you. What a special thing to bury him in the Aloe plant. Each of our fish are special in their own way and take a special place in our hearts forever.


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Just saw your Lucy pictures. Oh that is fabulous!! Yes I am old enough to have watched the shows lol. Your vintage and antique stuff is great! I love that kind of stuff. My husband and I love to go looking at shops when we get a chance. He collects old creamer bottles and coins. He also found a cool old gumball machine. I like a lot of the vintage toys and some of the old kitchen stuff and posters like you have. Your cat is such a cutie too! 

What do you think about Eco complete or Fluorite? Do the plants seem to do as well in that? I have only tried organic dirt or mineralized topsoil with sand topper. I agree that the vacuums can really suck up the sand fast but one thing I have done lately is go ahead and suck the sand and plant debris I want out. After I dump the water and debris, I rinse the sand really well and add it back with a small cup. If you take the cup in upright and then flip it after immersed you can pretty much place sand back where you want it without a ton of sediment floating. I have a small DYI with tubing for small suction. It is great not to get the sand but drawback is that it takes longer. 

I am pondering one of those banana plants. They look really cool. Does it have to have a lot of light?


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Sorry full of questions here. Do you use root tabs with your Eco complete or do any additional supplements? Pondering what type of substrate to do in new 10 gallon.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

OoOo another collector! 

I haven't tried organic soil, b/c I couldn't find any local.  I do like the eco-complete, and I haven't used any extra ferts, tho I do use co2 (the cheap set up in a aerosol can type) I do have a ton of MTS snails to help fertilize tho. So that might help quite a bit.
The only plant that hasn't done well in my tank is the Mexican oak Leaf, and i think it's a high light plant so that is my problem.

That is a really good idea on the sand- I am going to start doing that! 

The banana plants do seem to need more light, so I have to stick it right out in the light. Also, they will fool you and make you think they are dead, losing leaves and some "bananas", but after the initial shock (about 2 months worth for me) wears off it comes back and looks happy.  The hardest part is keeping it anchored without killing it- it really likes to float. Tying string to a rock has worked for me, the roots will grow and anchor itself just like java and anubias.

Questions don't bother me, it's a fish forum, it's what we like to talk about!!  ^^


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

:blueyay: Yay! Scored the toaster oven! Not the exact one, but almost exact for a lot less $ and still like new. *hugs my hubby*


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I like hearing about non-fish things too, like your Shaun and toaster oven. 

I LOVE your "Lucy" comic. That is perfect. That little couch. LOL! Tiny betta sized couch, hahaha, I was just giggling like mad reading that.

Also, I really enjoyed hearing about Emmett's special cuteness things he did. SIP dear little man. He had OCD, it doesn't get any cuter than that. Peek-a-boo-betta.

The pink EE girl is amazing. Wow.


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## DangerousAngel (Mar 26, 2015)

Innerbeauty said:


> You know the exact feeling, then! Same color, but different betta entirely. Just.... no thank you.
> 
> Thanks on your compliments! 80's are awesome, too! I've watched the Goldbergs mostly for the reminiscing feeling... although I didn't live in that era I feel my family was kind of stuck in it... LOL. As a kid I hated 80's clothes b/c it was all my mom would let me wear :roll: Clothes she wore as kid hand me downed. Mostly those jeans with the teeny tiny high waist, baloon hips, and tiny ankles. I had no idea until recently there were actually awesome style clothes in the 80's, just not owned by my mom, LOL.
> You should start collecting stuff now for your future home- as the years go by it's harder to find and not to mention more expensive!


Exactly! It's just not _him_. And knowing me, I'd probably break down every time I looked at him.

LOL That's awful! I have a fascination for the eras I didn't live in. I love the way of life, and how simple everything was.
You know, that's a good idea! But where would I put it! LMAO!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> I like hearing about non-fish things too, like your Shaun and toaster oven.
> 
> I LOVE your "Lucy" comic. That is perfect. That little couch. LOL! Tiny betta sized couch, hahaha, I was just giggling like mad reading that.
> 
> ...


Thank you! :grin: 

Yes, I very much miss that special little OCD boy. And the pink betta is my daily eye candy.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

DangerousAngel said:


> Exactly! It's just not _him_. And knowing me, I'd probably break down every time I looked at him.
> 
> LOL That's awful! I have a fascination for the eras I didn't live in. I love the way of life, and how simple everything was.
> You know, that's a good idea! But where would I put it! LMAO!


Me too. 

Yes, life used to be so simple. I was marveling at my waffle iron just the other morning. I can take it apart and put it back together again, no glue or cheap plastic on it, and it works. If it ever stops, I can repair it. And yet, it makes the tastiest waffles. People used to know how to make things correctly... my iron in from the early 1970's, or latter 60's.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

These pics are from the last week of sept, so a bit old, but anyways....


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

HAHAHAHAHAHA!! That was a fantastic comic. You have a shrimp named Cheeto?! That is adorable. Or is it a crawdad? I am not good at telling them apart yet. (I so desperately want shrimp...)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

LOL yes it is a crayfish/crawdad.  We had three and Cheeto was the last survivor... they were all male. I am not going to add any more of the to this tank- they would go to molt and an aggressive female (namely Indigo) would nip at them and they would die....  Dumb crays would not molt in the many special places I gave them, they would try to molt in a plant root or some dumb place betta accessible. Their names were Cheeto, Cheese Puff, and Cheddar. They were just so orange....


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

*squeal*

Those are the cutest names! Well too bad they didn't have "street smarts" around bettas. Nevah undress in public! 

When I was little, like 6 years old, I somehow caught a few crawdads (Florida) and brought them home and I was SO proud of them. I had them in a glass "betta bowl" on the back porch. In the morning I woke up and happily went to see them and THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT but I think legs and pinchers? Some very happy raccoon had gotten through the screening and had himself a nice prepared meal. I was so traumatized I still remember that. Poor little tiny-me. 

I watched crawdads/ crayfish on youtube carrying gravel around. So cute.

Your rocks look amazing, by the way. I tried to recreate your "look" in Zadok's tank with pebbles and bigger rocks.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> *squeal*
> 
> Those are the cutest names! Well too bad they didn't have "street smarts" around bettas. Nevah undress in public!
> 
> ...


Awww, poor little you! I used to catch crawdads, too! I made ponds in the creek by moving gravel and kept them in that.  Crawdads are such interesting and grump little creatures!

Thanks, I think your tanks always look amazing! 

We have had a streak of something bad here. Over the last couple of weeks I have lost Iris & Carbon, and Propane is probably close to leaving, too. Lucy & Indigo have also been sick. The first one to go was Iris, I noticed her acting a bit sluggish, so I QT'd her and treated her. All girls in the tank were getting along fine, no aggression, everybody fluttering at the top jumping and begging for food as usual. Iris just got worse and worse, and after 3 days I lost her. The day I lost her, I noticed Propane acting weird, so on the chance it was a spreading thing I QT'd _everybody. _2 days after QT Carbon became sick, and a few days after that Indigo. (although she got better fairly fast.) Somewhere in there Lucy became sick and I QT'd her, but I don't know what day. It took her 3 days to get better. I lost Carbon on Tuesday. Propane is still alive but barely. 

Symptom List:

Iris: Sluggish, a little swollen

Carbon: Sluggish, hiding in a little cave I gave her, 1 day before death her whole body became very swollen. (Not just the swim bladder, her whole body!) and she had a vertical dark stripe around her middle.

Propane: Looked like SBD, but after awhile included wild darting & twirling, won't not use one of her right pectoral fin OR her gill

Indigo: Sluggishness, bubble nest building, recovered fast

Lucy: Sluggish, bubble nest building (not normal for her or Indigo, seemed to be made out of boredom/depression) *note: Lucy has never been in the 20g or had anything from it put in her tank.*

Since I didn't know what I was dealing with, all fish underwent AQ Salt, epsom salt, and Kordon Blue dips at different times.

I think I should note, also, that I pre soak pellets and fast them on Saturday and feed peas on Sunday. No change has been made on how I keep the tanks, water tests are normal and heaters are working, filtration too.

Firework (in her own tank) is doing beautifully, still.... Miracle, Ivana, and Helium are batting a hundred thankfully. I put them back in the 20 gallon yesterday. All other life in the 20 are doing great.

My kids have also had the flu. High fevers and one of them throwing up. Poor babies are doing fine today though. Fevers are gone and smiles are back.
My hubby went on the first day of deer season without me. :/ 

On a lighter note, I purchased some Ladies Home Journals from 1949 and some of the articles make me giggle. One of them was (not exact quote since I'm not near the magazine to copy) "don't give in to the Food Fads- Food Fad Quacks will tell you to eat Whole Grain Flour instead of White Enriched, and Raw Milk from Small Farm Cows instead of Pasteurized, etc etc" :lol::roll: They went on to say that While bleached flour is so good for you b/c it has been artificially enriched, and is far better than home ground wheat flour, so don't buy a wheat grinder from a food fad quack! hahahaha They also talked down Distilled Water... I have a brother that the doctor prescribed he can only take distilled water fur to his fragile system.
Also ads for cold creams that will make you beautiful, skinny, and popular. Since when does a cream make you lose weight?! ;-)


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## LittleStar (Oct 2, 2015)

Yeah they sure did beat the commercial and consume drum in any way they could and I see that continues today only now we've all had enough experience to know better!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

LittleStar said:


> Yeah they sure did beat the commercial and consume drum in any way they could and I see that continues today only now we've all had enough experience to know better!


LOL, yes!  I think there are still a lot of lies told and issues being covered up, (such as harmful chemicals in bath & beauty products) but then it was much easier to get people to blindly follow it... and we now have journalists that make it their life's work exposing such things.

What is that fish in your avatar?! It looks like a small whale! :-D I would love to see a more up close pic!


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Alas, this dress is too small for me, but I just love it. I found it on Etsy. Aren't the colors just gorgeous! Also, some shoes I found that I love.
I just know if I got them I would get dressed and my husband would let out his ever famous phrase, "You can't go to town looking like that!" ;-) Whatever. I was born in the wrong generation I suppose. So back on go the cowboy boots and denim skirt and he's happy.....


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Still feeling sorry for myself about missing deer season and losing my girl bettas, so I'm still window shopping, and found another pretty dress. (more than one actually.....)


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Umm, I would totally wear that 1st dress to town.  I can be super casual pajamas all day and then be happy in a dress too. I used to be "allergic" to dresses but got over that...heh.

Well, that is too sad about your fish getting ill. Could the flu be effecting them, you think? 

Those ads. Geesh. That was in "the dark ages" before the internet. LOL. Now it is so easy to research. I never have fit in, I doubt I would have fallen for the "enriched" white flour. I am sure my grandma must have had a subscription. She still uses cold cream and makes sammiches  with white bread. Haha.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> Well, that is too sad about your fish getting ill. Could the flu be effecting them, you think?


Well, I didn't know what to think at first but I am like 78% positive it is our well water now. We have all been sick, including some of our animals, and fish. It all started when we had our well worked on. Ever since our water has tasted like metal to me.

Helium died, very quickly, Indigo got sick again. She's still not 100%, but getting better since I purchased water and put everybody in it.
I purchased a water filter pitcher and filled their tank with the filtered water. Indigo is still in isolation, but I put Miracle and Ivana back in the 20g. Now I'm seeing the first signs of aggression I've ever really seen. It's mild, but they do chase eachother. :-( It's to be expected. I'm not going to go the trouble of buying more girls- (I believe mine are too much older than the ones I could buy, I just don't think that would work) I am going to buy a ten gallon and put one of them in it, and if Indigo gets better I'm going to re-home her to somebody who can give her a proper home. 

Miracle and Ivana are separated now.

By the time I put the filtered water in, I lost the last crayfish and a few snails.

Lucy also got sick again, Firework is still fine. (?) I think this water issue is also why I lost Emmett. It seemed like the more water changes I did, the sicker everyone got. (When fish started getting sick and in hospital, obviously I had to water change every day, even the ones not sick, who became sick IN hospital tanks) I am also noting that I do use water conditioner. On sick fish I used Kordon blue, Epsom & AQ Salts, and in desperation on Carbon I also used Betta Fix. (although I've been told it doesn't work.)


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Well, here I am again.

I've had a BUNCH of crud happen the last couple months and I hope it is all over and I can move on. To save time, I am simply going to say the only fish I have left are Miracle, Ivana, and Firework. I also lost my snails, crayfish, and a large amount of plants for an unknown reason. (But I am thinking it is either our well water, pesticides from a neighbor field, or both.) To the best of my memory, firework has never been sick and I credit it to the fact I have never used our well water in her tank, only store bought. She has little baby snails in there, too, and her plants couldn't do better. :-D

I am now using filtered water to fill my tanks. (Which is a LONG process!) I am using PUR faucet filters and a PUR pitcher. It seems to be working, all Miracle and Ivana haven't been sick again and the plants are reviving. I just made an order to JD Aquatics for more crays and plants, and also ordered some Carbon Rilis from another seller. I am so happy my tanks are stable again. 
Weird algae is showing up in the 20 and in Lucy's old tank. (which now houses Ivana.) It's thick and bright green and kind of "hairy". It's been a pain to clean up. 

Miracle is such a survivor. I wish I could be more like her. (in a weird way... I know she's just a fish) She is THRIVING and always has. I have to be careful feeding her, she will bite and shake my finger if she catches me. Ivana, on the other hand, is just a lover. She loves to get her fins stroked every morning. She also loves following around the two pink ramshorns in her tank. (I had given my brother some and they had babies, so I got to replenish my snail population! I put the only pinks I got in Ivana's tank, in memory of Fred and Ethel who died.)

In Firework's tank I had put a teeny tiny baby mystery snail from my brothers tank. One tiny baby turned into two... HOW did that happen?! Do the babies split or something? ;-):roll: Anyway, they get to move to the 20 gallon sometime this week, as the biggest is getting close to the size of a pea. I think that one is going to be blue. I am still unsure on the smaller... they all look so pinkish when they are that small! Like little baby mice.

Shaun the cat is getting fat. And still as bouncy and playfull as ever. The boys carry him around EVERYWHERE. Caleb (6) loves to build a "Ice Cream & Pizza Shop" in his room, and he insists on making a box with a pillow in it for the cat. Sometimes the cat is in the "Customer Waiting Chair" and Caleb will politely tell the "customer" they have to stand. That's just the way it is. Shaun is his shop partner. I continue to tell him a cat in an ice cream parlor is a health code violation. ;-) I made signs for his "shop" that are numbered with pictures of what can be ordered. It really helped his dyslexic mind with the sight of numbers. He now knows them by heart and doesn't forget how to write them in school. Play is one of the most powerful school tools!
Another note on Shaun....
My husband and I were watching the newest Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World, cuddled together in a recliner, one night after the kids were asleep. (It's my guilty pleasure, I love reptiles and the dinosaurs just fascinate me) Anyway, the huge hybrid dinosaur was reaching in to try to grab people in this little gift shop booth where they were hiding, and the cat suddenly jumped into our laps. It's a good thing I had just went to the bathroom and peed. :shock:
Shaun literately bounces off the walls all day. He plays tag with the kids. He is also very loving. My favorite thing he does, when I bend down and do the slow blink at him (which is supposed to convey love and peace to cats) he will blink back and reach up with his front paws and hug my face while purring. It lasts about 2 seconds, but it's as sweet as be. He only does it to me. :-D

I have a new rooster!!! He is really pretty, being black with streaks of silver and feathers on his feet. A really good friend gave him to me. His name is pending.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

To further comment on a comment my previous post...
A Jurassic World predator.... So cool. It's too bad they are not coming from a creationist view. Seeing the bones of these creatures in person is incredible, for me it is like stars. They are proof that God is _AWESOME_!

Off topic, I think a bug landed in my drinking cup and I just swallowed it. A little ironic while I'm staring at this picture.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Range of emotions. Sad, happy, giggling like mad, scary full body chills. 

I laughed at the thought of Shaun getting in the waiting customer chair. It is so hard to find good help these days! 

I haven't gotten up.the nerve to see that Jurassic World movie. I would have nightmares for...years, probably. *whimper* was it good? I loved the original movie when it came out.

I really .missed your posts! I feel like I can relate to so much that you write.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I really relate to your posts, too!! Sometimes I wish I could come to your house for a magical fishy/alpaca/chickeny/ratty/cute-children vacation. 

The movie was really good! I was really afraid it would disappoint me, but I am very pleased with it. They even left a bit at the beginning to leave room for more movies! (yay!) So cool. The plot is about how they re-created Jurassic Park but it's not full of security holes. Apparently as time goes by people are "tired" of regular dinosaurs (C'mon, Really? tired of huge reptiles?!) so they create a genetically modified hybrid in the lab using a T-Rex as the base gene. Unfortunately, they also made it smarter and meaner than anything else, so of course it manages to escape and wreak havoc while the park is full of tourists. 

Another thing I forgot to mention. I purchased some beautiful guppies. I put them in a hospital tank for QT, and our house was very warm. We left for the day, and apparently one of my kids plugged the heater on, (which I had in their tank for if it got cooler, but had not yet set it to the proper temp) the heater was on high and when I got home the gups were dead. Hadn't even had a chance to name them. Kids now know to quit messing with the fish tank stuff. Always ask if you think something is not right. >< My son is hugely mechanical, and he cannot resist "fixing" anything, even as simple as, Whoops, their heater isn't plugged in! ay yi yi.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Boys. Ah. So sorry about your gups. My son was just obsessed with steering wheels. He would "drive" anything...even the knobs on the washing machine (making "vroom vroom" noises all the while). Boys, boys.  Even quarantine can't keep a fish safe from that.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Boys are most certainly dangerous. :shock: Just today I had to take my son in a gas station bathroom... It was small with stone floors and walls and about a zillion stainless steel trash cans. I swear he made so much noise people probably thought we were in there target practicing with .22's. He is normally crazy klutzy, but today he has some sinus issues and it's really throwing him off kilter. He knocked over a trash can three times, slammed a door twice, and ran into something about every .4 seconds. At the time I was thinking her needed a tutu with as much twirling he was doing. It would have went really well with his sock monkey hat.  We were the only two in there until a lady cautiously entered, her expression that of mouse entering a cat's lair. All I could do was apologize and skirt him out of there as fast as I could.

Not only that, but on our way IN the bathroom we passed a highway patrolman. I smiled at him, Joshua (4yr son) smiled, and just as we passed him, Joshua says, (very loudly I might add) "POOP!"..... :shock:..... _WHY_?! He doesn't even know. It's just one of those parental moments where you go "What the heck are you thinking?!"

I took a few pictures of Firework today. Now that's she's fully adult, she reminds me a lot of that fish on Finding Nemo, the really big one that eats Coral and the eggs. If you've never seen this movie, this reference will be lost on you. Anyway, at any given point in the day, I can look over at her and she's staring at me like _that_. Like quiet and spooky, and I swear I can hear the deep throaty growl. (yeah, like fish can growl ;-)) Such a grumpy lil thing. It's when she thinks she's alone that she does all her firework-y shenanigans now. Like the POP, Boom!, Swirl at the Top! Stuff.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

More Firework photos. I know, I seriously need to clean this tank of the algae stuff. :|

Firework has some bright orange flecks on her now. I'm curious where this is going.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

ROFL. I laughed so hard I made wheezing sounds. Need oxygen.

Cautiously entered...LOL...POOP!...ROFL.

okay Firework and Antigua need to get together. They would be a beautiful couple. 

Right now Daughter is trying to take my Teddy Bear and my penguin. Look you have a million stuffed animals, I have *two*. And I NEED them to sleep. But no, she wants them.


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## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> ROFL. I laughed so hard I made wheezing sounds. Need oxygen.
> 
> Cautiously entered...LOL...POOP!...ROFL.
> 
> ...


LOL Why do kids do that?! They always want what you have... whether it be granola while they have gummie bears. :roll:

OoOo Imagine the babies Firework and Antigua could have.... :shock: :-D

We have had colds and my youngest had an ear infection. I am so tired. On a better not, I introduced the carbon rilli shrimp to the 20 gallon and they are having a party in there. So cute.


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