Eeeeeeeek! Terrarium emergency! Live SNAIL discovered!!!!
sahoyaref
19 years ago
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nathanhurst
19 years agomrbreeze
19 years agoRelated Discussions
First aquarium for small child
Comments (11)Would only like to add that the tank of course will be in your care, lol. (I have an extensive background and too many links so you can email me at sherryazure@yahoo.com if desired) but mainly read up on cycling and maturing a tank before the fish are added. FYI: It is always better to buy a heater for a small tank UNDER watted as they can and do break, overheat. 50 is way to much for a six gallon and 25 would have been perfect (never trust sales people). If it is a great quality should be ok just have it at slightly under where you want temp. (I have dozens of tanks and many therms and all read differently!) Sorry but one should NEVER carry a tank with water in it.. stress not only for tank but for fish. Not a toy and the spot should be chosen for security (ie won't be run into, knocked over, and level table (never near heater or window, but indirect light ok). While small they do stress and break. RE going back and forth, slow down lol, (this post is old but still responding for future readers) plan and do it one step at a time. Do not add fish until all is done and tank has set a bit and matured. Plants are like fish, they need chlorinated water and heat unless cold water plants which those are not, and none live in freezing temps (the cell walls will break down). See below on amount of sand, really not needed unless you have rooted plants which are not always good for beginners (again need to know requirements of, light requirements, fertilizers so on)... get some bunch like anacharis, float them or leave some with weights on... and research plants for later as your knowledge and experience grow. Sand becomes nasty if there are not strong root growth to uptake the poo (and other stuff).. it becomes a breeding ground for "negative" bacteria is too deep and gravel vacuuming not done. a fine layer is perfect for growing good bugs which keep the water cycled. .......................... Then depending on the size (your original size is indeed too small for any amount of any sized goldfish)six is great) of your aquarium you select your fish and that will also affect the type of filtration, heater and water qualities ph, hardness so on. Example: You would not want a betta in a set up with the filtration as mentioned in above posts - the fins would eventually get shredded. A small box filter with valves set on low would be more adequate. Lots of plants as they love to sit on them, hide under then so on (one betta per tank). Cooler temp, small school of fish such as white cloud mountain minnow would be perfect for that size. (they come from Chinese mountain streams.) I would do species only for such a small tank and beginner to boot. White clouds are great beginner fish and there are other small schooling fish but you have to be careful as that tank is too small for more then say 6 really small fish. Priscella tetra is another good choice for beginners. (that was before I read the last post) with six gallon you can add a few more fish, some bottom catfish such as cory catfish which also like to school. See, what fish you plan to get informs you as to your tank set up (after you read up on which are good for beginners) and again sales people (at least hear in NYC) can sale you things that grow huge, or say goldfish with tropical so it is up to you do do resaerch. ........................................... I would also consider plants such as Anubias which are low light easy to care for if they can be found. If not even the beginner Anacharis (not sure how to spell) and other easy to care for beginner plants will help greatly with water quality, security of fish (they hate bare tanks with lights a glare (instinct is to be secure from being eaten) and be careful of being sold land plants as aquarium. Sand is not really needed for bunch plants (Anubias have rizomes and it is never to be planted) but a 1/3 inch layer will help to cultivate the "bugs" bio bacteria which is part of a mature cycled tank and the sand will allow a culture there as well. With no experience in cycling the beginner reason for dead fish is that reason. Adding too many fish in an uncylcled tank. (over feeding, wrong maintenance so on). If you can get filter floss from an (healthy) established tank that will help greatly (put a bit in your filter). Add a few fish after a week or so with plants so on maturing a bit. This gives the "bugs ie organisms) time to establish. The plants will help as well. (Look up ammonia poisoning in fish as it is a really painful way to go, burns the delicate gills.) When you add the fish, do so slowly... any ph difference of a small increment can cause shock and death (as well as temperature change of a small increment)... (There are a great many good beginner books on this, most of mine are from the 50's on up, lol and still serve me well without all the high tech stuff). I lower the lights to avoid stress, put new fish (I always get tons more water from the store) in quarantine tank with filter, heater, towel over end so low light (they are super stressed from bagging (I bag my own and never dump them in - scoop) and transport and stress results in lower immunity and disease)... I put lid on tank (or grid) and slowly with small airline tubing with knot in it trickle new water into the quarantine. Just a little for first day (again depends on ph of your water and stores)...slowly take out some and dribble in new and over time they will be acclimated and you can also watch for disease outbreak. Soft silk plants will greatly add to there comfort. A bare tank is a huge stress for fish. Well there is much more, feeding (eyes are usually size of stomach and do not overfeed) a few flakes (rotate with frozen or live, can learn about this later) twice a day. (smaller faster fish smaller more frequent feeding a few flakes each - that's it). they will nibble on bugs that grow on plants as well (algaes as well) to supplement diet. Again, as a child I went to the library and read for months and set up tank and waited for it to mature before even considering adding fish. This is the number one reason for fish dying or getting sick. And as your child grows older this is a great tool for educational purposes. Good luck and be careful of getting hooked! (it is a habit that can last a lifetime, lol) Best Sherry...See MoreSnail rescue society
Comments (88)I found this site trying to find a way to save a poor little snail I accidentally stepped on. I'm so upset and then I come here and see comments where you sick b!tches are cutting snails out of their shell, stepping on them on purpose, throwing them against walls and throwing them in the street and more. What the hell is wrong with you sick people?!!!?!??!!! How can you have absolutely no respect for life?! I'm horrified! You're torturing an innocent life. It doesn't matter if they're the biggest or the smallest of animals/insects. It's a life you twisted psychopaths! I can't begin to understand how so many of you could be so friggin' cruel. I don't know how any of you can look at yourselves much less sleep soundly at night after doing what you've done to these innocent lives. If you all feel comfortable enough to share something so awful, I can't imagine the things you've done you're too ashamed to admit. You're horrible excuses for human beings and you lack any compassion or respect for life. Shame on you all!! Before you even try to turn it around on me and/or call me a hypocrite because animals die for my food, you should know, I don't eat meat. I'm a strict vegan who doesn't consume any animal products I found this site trying to find a way to save a poor little snail I accidentally stepped on. I'm so upset and then I come here and see comments where you sick b!tches are cutting snails out of their shell, stepping on them on purpose, throwing them against walls and throwing them in the street and more. What the hell is wrong with you sick people?!!!?!??!!! How can you have absolutely no respect for life?! I'm horrified! You're torturing an innocent life. It doesn't matter if they're the biggest or the smallest of animals/insects. It's a life you twisted psychopaths! I can't begin to understand how so many of you could be so friggin' cruel. I don't know how any of you can look at yourselves much less sleep soundly at night after doing what you've done to these innocent lives. If you all feel comfortable enough to share something so awful, I can't imagine the things you've done you're too ashamed to admit. You're horrible excuses for human beings and you lack any compassion or respect for life. I feel complete and utter disgust for all of you who are doing such horrible things to these innocent snails. Shame on you all!! Before you even try to turn it around on me and/or call me a hypocrite because animals die for my food, you should know, I don't eat meat. I'm a strict vegan who doesn't consume any animal products because unlike any of you; I do have the upmost respect for life and I refuse to let anything suffer on my behave. Shame! Shame! SHAME! ON! YOU! ALL!!!!...See MoreSalt Water Fish Tank converted to Terrarium?
Comments (9)First of all, to the best of my knowledge the everglades are a protected area, and any collection of wild plants is generally considered to be illegal (at least here in Canada it is). You also would be running a high risk of introducing molds or other fungi or parasites of some kind or worse, snails and slugs, into your terrarium, so it's really not worth the 'free' material! Most terrariums, even the most beautiful ones, are largely composed of common houseplants, which are really quite cheap. You can buy the little pots for $1, and they will grow very quickly into large plants in a terrarium because they just love the humidity so much! (If you have enough light). BTW, what kind of light did you have on your salt tank? And take your time planning this, because it was a lot of work for me to re-do my 85 gallon terr to make the waterfeature work and the landscape more interesting, and it would be 3 times that amount of work if you ended up re-doing your tank because you rushed through it the first time! One thing you could do now, besides reading, is visit a good greenhouse or nursery, or even a Home Depot with a good plant department near you, and look at all the plants and write down which ones you like. Then research them on the 'net to see how big they get, if they can take being constantly moist, etc. Good terrarium plants: stay small or are easily trimmed back without ruining the appearance of the plant, love high humidity, are not invasive (unless you don't mind trimming them back frequently), have interesting leaf shapes or patterns or colour (though you also need some 'plain' stuff, or the terrarium becomes too 'busy' and you don't appreciate the unique plants), like a constant moisture level (no drying out between waterings, except for plants mounted up high, close to the lights), and do not require extremely high light levels. Anything that needs full sun in nature is a bad choice for a terrarium unless you have a metal halide bulb, but that can cause problems with overheating if you're not careful. Since you're in Florida, humidity isn't exactly a problem, so you should listen to everything gary says about needing fans, not needing a cover for your tank, and how to cool your tank in the very hot summers (fans)....See MorePerimenopausal and other Earthly delights
Comments (0)Hi Ladies, I am new to this forum and found it because I was desperately searching the web for new coping strategy ideas. I am 44. No period in 6 months. Rt. ovary and tube removed two years ago, along w/ uterine lining, and implants in bladder for Endometriosis. Year later...emergency surgery for ruptured appendix, that apparently had been perforated for "at least several weeks" according to surgeon. Twas a miracle I survived, but I did, however, I have never really obtained my pre-surgical health status. Have adhesions in my uterus and in abdominal cavity, which can make eating a challenge. I struggle to maintain 115 lbs. after losing to about 102. Have recently discovered that I have 3 bulging discs and 4 benign spinal column vascular tumors. Then, started having balance issues, and this "all-over body pain" several of you have described. Was referred to a neurologist, and brain MRI showed several small "white foci" spots or lesions on my brain, possibly suggesting MS. But nerve tests and blood markers were normal. So, I am basically in a holding pattern until they run the tests again in a couple of months. I am having radical night sweats, hot flashes during the day, mood swings, foggy brain, phantom burning sensations all over my body and face, chronic migraine headaches, and skin irritations. I think that the hormonal stuff, fibromyalgia, and MS type symptoms are related somehow, and I have been reading and trying a variety of things that I will share in hopes it helps some of you. The big challenge is to get up every day, accomplish something, keep moving the body, and eat healthy! Even with all your efforts, it seems like there are just days when nothing seems to work. I have a pain mgmt. doc that gives me Tramadol and Vicodin. I take on average two of each a day, but take time off from the drugs btwn. prescriptions refills to help my bowels adjust and not become too dependent on meds, and to totally feel my body and try new ways to deal w/ symptoms. I do not sleep well and usually give up about pre-dawn. I used to medicate and try to get a little more sleep, but decided to try another approach and seize the day. I hobble out of bed right out into the garden where I meditate, pick snails off my plants, prune, meditate, talk out-loud to God, give thanks, and sometimes feel my grandmother (an avid life-long gardener, now dead over 20 years) near me. And, I remember her little words of wisdom about growing things, life and literature. A routine has become very important, to my self-esteem and sanity. From there, I tend to my house in some way to make a tidy and happy environment for myself and my family. Some days I have to lay down again by mid-morning. If I do, I try to do some laying down type of easy movement to stretch and do some phys. therapy exercises for back and pelvic floor. I do NOT watch TV at all, and taking that mindless chatter and background noise helped a lot! I listen to NPR or books on tape. In bed, and especially w/ headaches, I use a sleep mask to cut out all light. I am blessed to have a great hard-working partner and a small business that allows me to work from home, and often from bed. Sitting and typing for more than an hour or so does not work for me. To keep moving, I return to the garden a few times a day, even for a few minutes to breathe deeply. I do a health shake every day with the following stuff: probiotic yogurt, fresh fruit/berries/ etc., liquid Vitamin B12 (given initially as injections from Neuro. doc for deficiency, which really helped w/ brain fog and some of the neuropathy),liquid D3, liquid multi-vitamin, protein powder, flax meal, flax oil, chia seeds. Just found some chrondroitin w/ no fish product to add to the mix. Depending on status of bowels I adjust ingredients, and if I can't tolerate it, I make fresh vegetable broths or chicken broth. For anxiety, I use Valerian Root sometimes or Tension Tamer Tea. I have Ambien for sleep sometimes, but really try not to make that a habit either. Any more exercise is tricky as it seems to have a severe back-lash in terms of pain and fatigue. I live on an extreme hill-side so let the garden gently guide me up and down those stairs. But, it is hard, and there are days that the joints and feet just throb. Arnica is a good rub, and Capsaicin is a good rub - just keep it away from eyes and your bum and any open cuts, because it will burn. The Cap. helps w/ the aching nerve-type pain better than Arnica, and some studies suggest that its benefit accumulates over time and can really promote healing. Because my mom's mother died at 45 of ovarian cancer, and my mom has had breast cancer and a lot of skin cancers, HRT is not advised. I am quite fair and have had some pre-melanomas remove from my legs. One grew back and had to be removed 3 times, but so far no actual malignancies. Have also had some lumps in my breast. Have had core biopsy and needle aspiration, and while these cells are "highly differentiated" and termed "pre-cancer" none of those have been malignant. I totally understand the mind-space that possible frightening possible diagnosis can mean, so I try to keep a balance between doing diligence on my own behalf to be able to speak to docs. But, it is important to not claim your diagnosis or possible diagnosis as an identity. Learned that the hard way. I have also tried to learn new things - how to make a Wordpress blog, how to Skype, how to edit little movies, and help my nephew write songs and edit the tracks using GarageBand. It is important not to let a doc refuse you pain meds for chronic pain. It is important not to lose yourself in pain meds. It is important to have periods where you feel the pain and find ways to distract yourself to build tolerance and hopefully new neuropathways in your brain. I wrote a feature article about Neurofeedback a few years ago and am going to try that soon. It is brain training that involves real-time EEG. You look at a screen and try to think in such a way that accomplishes a task - like controlling a graduated bar that bounces up and down. When you do it, a bell rings. It worked wonders with a friend who had a terrible car accident and was in a coma, and lost short term memory. It also worked wonders w/ a niece w/ learning disabilities. I visit the chiropractor and have a massage when I can, but the expense is prohibitive for an ongoing routine there. So sometimes a hot bath, sometimes a vigorous rub on myself where I can reach...The other hard fact I've had to realize is that my immediate family loves me and want to understand, but they get tired of hearing my complaints. I try to find other outlets and reserve my best for them. They know, and I am not talking about being a silent martyr, but care-taking is hard too. It can make people feel trapped and frustrated and even resentful. I have seen chronic illness destroy relationships. Great right? Yet another thing to try to cope with, but it is the truth, and if any of you have ever done like a pain management seminar, that topic will come up. Sometimes days I cry a little, and I go ahead and let it out when I am alone, but when it's done, I pet my animals, pick myself up, dust myself off, pluck snails in the garden, smell earth and sky, and just keep going. Life is precious, and even in this state, I find that there is so much joy and beauty to be found, and taking ownership of all I can, taking responsibility for making life work somehow...makes it easier. I can feel proud of myself most of the time. This experience has made me a lot wiser and more compassionate. And, if I am about to really blow my top, a little marijuana doesn't hurt either. Not too much. Just a little. Sparks the appetite, calms the nerves, sometimes inspires creativity, sometimes helps sleep. Discovered it when my partner's father was going through chemotherapy. Worked great for him too. Have smoked it and used it in a tea. So, that's my story. Hope it helps someone. I will keep on "casting a wide net," and if I find things that work, even for a little while, because nothing seems to be the consistent cure-all, I will share. - Blessings and peace to you all...See Moresahoyaref
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