What are you doing today?

[GaryE]

It is an issue. Where I am, mosquitoes range freely in huge numbers. I allow some to get into my daphnia cultures, but control their escape. They don't get to feed on my neighbours. Well they do - we all get bitten as there is a large marsh about 1 km away. We aren't dealing with any notable disease issues here though. Dengue changes the situation.

My daphnia cultures are screened, but some mosquito larvae always get in.

It remains there are the most natural food for Bettas, and their prey in the wild.

I get bloodworms here, but only in small numbers, as occasional visitors.

 

[anewbie]

So i started updating the firmware on my ghl cluster of lx7004 (pile of junk); here is the deal the things work like the sort of computer you built in the 1970s where you have to download the new firmware via a special boot loader you trigger on the device (this can be done via software); then you have to power cycle the thing (it has no actual switch so you have to find the plug for each light in the cluster (in my case i have them on a 10 foot aquarium and the the plugs run to a power brick but each one is not labelled so i have to crawl under the aquarium behind the sump to figure out which plug go to which light - i have to do this for each light and each time the firmware fails (this ignores the fact that i also have to manually download the settings and restore them across firmware update).

Man back around 2010 the computers i was building were allowing better means for updating the bios - these things are truely 30 year old design - best avoided (though in truth the quality of the light is quite good; but it is one of those truely awful purchases i made).

 

[MaloK]

When I bought my second house... The place was beautiful near an 100 feet tall Oak wood that where like, hiding a stingy secret.

After 2 springs literally hiding inside not to get eaten alive. I decided to investigate where the source of these swarms of mosquito came from.

I didn't get far in the forest to find where they where coming from... A 10x10 puddle covered with nymphs... The dream for live food...

But hell in real life... Atm I was young and didn't really care and sprayed the pond with dish soap and killed them all...

Neighbours where asking each other "why the mosquito disappeared suddenly ???"

If they knew... I sprayed that pond every spring with dish soap for 11 years. Then the land was sold and the trees removed.

Today I'm still convinced I did the right thing. It was unbearable.

 

[GaryE]

My buddy and I had a great daphnia pond in a Spring flooded woods on the edge of what had been a golf course. We'd clamber down a hill, catch buckets of daphnia and even more mosquito larvae.
The golf course had been developed into multi-million (now, just million dollar then) mcmansions - big showy boxes with expensive fences. When we were confronted by locals who didn't like guys who looked like us and had nets, we convinced them we were officially researching for the upcoming season's mosquito populations. I still chuckle at the look on their faces when we said it was going to be a bumper crop, with more bugs than you could imagine.

One place had a pool worth more than my house, 50 feet from a seething mass of mosquito larvae.

Given that the poles on our nets had been bending under the weight of the larvae we were pulling in (we froze it) we weren't far off. If you become a millionaire, don't buy a house beside a swamp...

 

[anewbie]

I was trying to find something more efficient than my 1:1 RO water system given how much water i use (approx 1000 gallons a week or 2000 if we consider the waste) and i found a solution !

A distiller that makes 600 gallons a day and waste is only 0.25; there is only one catch - a tiny one but oh well it costs $60,000.... sigh.
(it is a pretty nice unit - quite efficient with regards to electricity as it is meant for lab use but i don't have a $60,000 grant to save 750 gallons a week and with all the cuts in grants for being energy efficient i doubt i could get one).

 

[Lanpenn]

While I investigate this, I found this old video from 2017, where I fed two bloodworms to my betta.


Photos from about September 2016, when I got an infestation of bloodworms. In this case, I suppose it was a pure culture of bloodworms, not from any other mosquito species (I believe it was rainwater).

 

[Alice B]

Where you been? Have not seen you around lately.

Cleaning and repairing koi ponds. about 2 weeks to go before it gets too hot for the long jobs. This is how I pay the bills. I am not retired.

 

[gwand]

I’m more tired than retired!

 

[Alice B]

I was digging out poison ivy today, that wasn't much fun. next to the pond and my hose was running thru the patch

 

[Alice B]

if I retired my daughters would keep me busy running their errands and they don't pay very well so I'm not retiring

 

[Lanpenn]

My buddy and I had a great daphnia pond in a Spring flooded woods on the edge of what had been a golf course. We'd clamber down a hill, catch buckets of daphnia and even more mosquito larvae.
The golf course had been developed into multi-million (now, just million dollar then) mcmansions - big showy boxes with expensive fences. When we were confronted by locals who didn't like guys who looked like us and had nets, we convinced them we were officially researching for the upcoming season's mosquito populations. I still chuckle at the look on their faces when we said it was going to be a bumper crop, with more bugs than you could imagine.

One place had a pool worth more than my house, 50 feet from a seething mass of mosquito larvae.

Given that the poles on our nets had been bending under the weight of the larvae we were pulling in (we froze it) we weren't far off. If you become a millionaire, don't buy a house beside a swamp...

I have always liked to explore and collect organisms from nature since my teenage years. In 2016, in my mother's friend's dam (I do not know if there is an English translation for açude), I collected several interesting animals, including Moina and copepods. For some time, I was able to cultivate them, since only a few were enough to produce dozens (in the case of the Moina), as well as for the copepods. Since I did not make any maintenance, such as a water change, the culture collapsed. But, for Moina and Daphnia, because they are often parthenogenetic, there is not any genetic variation, right? This could cause a crash in a population. I have never had any success with these creatures. By far, the live foods I have had more success with in these 13 years are from Hermetia illucens and Artemia franciscana.

 

[GaryE]

@Lanpenn
I have often wondered about fishkeeping in Brazil. A couple of times, I've been contacted by Brazilian hobbyists looking for African killifish eggs. Given the diversity that surrounded them, I took it as the old 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'.

Even fishkeeping in warmer temperate zones of the US could be so easy. With a small backyard, closed in back porch or garage and not a whole lot of free time used, you could have moina year round. People tend to view live food as ultra-nerd time consuming, but once the warmth increases and I get my Daphnia pulex cultures going, they take at most 5 minutes a day. Most of that is walking to and from them. Throw in green water, catch Daphnia. It's easier than thawing frozen food.

I know regulations have really tightened as far as catching native fish in Brazil. A group of Americans were fined a few years ago for smuggling annual killifish eggs, and the trade in tropical fish out of Brazil is very controlled. Do Brazilians have access to their local species, or is it like here, where keeping native fish is often illegal?

 

[Lanpenn]

@Lanpenn
I have often wondered about fishkeeping in Brazil. A couple of times, I've been contacted by Brazilian hobbyists looking for African killifish eggs. Given the diversity that surrounded them, I took it as the old 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'.

Even fishkeeping in warmer temperate zones of the US could be so easy. With a small backyard, closed in back porch or garage and not a whole lot of free time used, you could have moina year round. People tend to view live food as ultra-nerd time consuming, but once the warmth increases and I get my Daphnia pulex cultures going, they take at most 5 minutes a day. Most of that is walking to and from them. Throw in green water, catch Daphnia. It's easier than thawing frozen food.

I know regulations have really tightened as far as catching native fish in Brazil. A group of Americans were fined a few years ago for smuggling annual killifish eggs, and the trade in tropical fish out of Brazil is very controlled. Do Brazilians have access to their local species, or is it like here, where keeping native fish is often illegal?

Not exactly, indeed, ornamental fishes such as Paracheirodon axelrodi are native to the Amazon River Basin (mostly collected by artisanal fishery, well, it is also a good business to export a pretty fish in exchange for U.S. dollars...), as well as some tetras, Corydoras, guppies, and other species, where you will find in several aquarium shops, mainly in metropolitan cities. For capturing fish for ornamental purposes only (no commercial), it is possible to get a Fishing License from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (only R$ 20). However, there are some restrictions on state and municipal laws, as well as in Permanent Preservation Areas (established by the Forestry Code of 2012). I do not know if capturing fish in Permanent Preservation Areas is possible and allowed.

The Interministerial Normative Instruction Number 001, of January, 3th 2012, establishes rules for the exploitation of native or exotic fish from continental waters for ornamental or aquarium purposes.

However, there are several other regulations and laws. As occurs in several other things in the Brazilian economy, there is a lack of alignment of the regulations of the different government bodies that act in regulating the sector, which makes the process of regularizing and legalizing enterprises slow and costly. Thanks to this burdensome bureaucracy, there are already Brazilian ornamental fishes that are already bred in captivity in foreign countries, while in Brazil, it is frequently artisanal fishing for fish such as cardinal tetra.

 

[anewbie]

Not exactly, indeed, ornamental fishes such as Paracheirodon axelrodi are native to the Amazon River Basin (mostly collected by artisanal fishery, well, it is also a good business to export a pretty fish in exchange for U.S. dollars...), as well as some tetras, Corydoras, guppies, and other species, where you will find in several aquarium shops, mainly in metropolitan cities. For capturing fish for ornamental purposes only (no commercial), it is possible to get a Fishing License from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (only R$ 20). However, there are some restrictions on state and municipal laws, as well as in Permanent Preservation Areas (established by the Forestry Code of 2012). I do not know if capturing fish in Permanent Preservation Areas is possible and allowed.

The Interministerial Normative Instruction Number 001, of January, 3th 2012, establishes rules for the exploitation of native or exotic fish from continental waters for ornamental or aquarium purposes.

However, there are several other regulations and laws. As occurs in several other things in the Brazilian economy, there is a lack of alignment of the regulations of the different government bodies that act in regulating the sector, which makes the process of regularizing and legalizing enterprises slow and costly. Thanks to this burdensome bureaucracy, there are already Brazilian ornamental fishes that are already bred in captivity in foreign countries, while in Brazil, it is frequently artisanal fishing for fish such as cardinal tetra.

I really don't understand Brazil; it seems like 1/2 the govt is trying to preserve species while the other half is trying to wipe them out. A person who does cataloging of various species of apistogramma mentioned that one location was totally wiped out by a new plant built over the water way.

 

[Oldspartan]

Hi all, been a few days. It is a tough business being chief cook and bottle washer. To top off the extra chores we had a continual stream of company sliding in to check on the lady. They were mostly reasonable with quick stays, but it seemed a steady stream of making coffee, serving coffee, washing cups. Did get a couple of casseroles and salads though. Finally, Wednesday I went to the local coffee shop and appropriated some of their cardboard cups at a modest price. The day after I did that the stream of people stopped. Go figure.

Today I took Linda out of the house for a ride. Her first time out since the procedure. We have some rough roads and before today did not want to risk jostling the shoulder and increasing the pain levels. She still has some bouts of pain but mostly a lower grade ache that diminishes by the day.

It was pouring but we donned our ponchos and went for a walk at a local wetland that has a boardwalk weaving through it. Saw geese, a heron, turtles and frogs. Sat on a bench like a couple of kids halfway through and shared a few warming sips from my flask and a soggy sandwich. It was like rolling the clock back 50 odd years. Fun in an uncomfortable way.

Linda is gradually gaining use of the arm and can now lift it to shoulder height. We are hoping for something close to full use soon.

Did I mention the rain? I emptied the rain gauge after dinner yesterday. After dinner tonight I went out and checked it. Three and a half inches of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours. I thought I saw a boat go by with a giraffe sticking out the pilot house, and the rain is supposed to continue into tomorrow morning.

Water changes are back on their five day cycle. Took some effort to get that back in order. I assume the fish are happy.