tzqng8

Water Paramaters:

30g Barbs

• Ammonia - .25ppm
• Nitrites - 0ppm
• Nitrates - 5ppm

5g Hex - Mori

• Ammonia - 0ppm
• Nitrites - 0ppm
• Nitrates - 0ppm

Haven't been posting as much lately. I found out over the weekend that my Grandfather back in Indiana is not doing very well at all. Just been kind of worried about him and my Mom who is there trying to take care of him. Actually, both of my sets of Grandparents are actually are still alive, so I've been very lucky so far. But, odds are I'll be making an emergency trip back home pretty soon. Not the way I would have preferred to do it.

Anywho, this isn't my personal soap opera, but rather a fish blog. So, let's talk about the fish!

Well, everything is going better under the water. The Barbs and Chino the Swordtail are getting along well and doing fine. They are being real fighters for going through this tank while it is cycling. CURSE YOU SAFESTART! I continue doing water changes and water tests daily. .25ppm of Ammonia are generally present within 24 hours while Nitrites stay steady at 0ppm and Nitrates stay steady at 5ppm.

I switched to a feeding schedule of once per day right now. Mori gets his bloodworms and the Barbs and Chino get their Tetra Tropical Color Flakes. I crush them up as they are all pretty small still and thow them in. It's a frenzy! I watch them for about 3 minutes. If they get it all eaten up before then, I give them a little more.

Working hard for the fishies, so they better treat me right! That was terrible...

Shawnie

sending prayers for your grampa,,and yes very lucky to have them all still..life is too short for some....glad to know the fishies are all trecking along with you as well!! goodluck

Lucy

Sorry about your grandpa, I hope he make a recovery.


I've wondered how your fish were doing. Hard lesson with the Safe Start, but reading your blog, hopefully others will take heed.

You've been so thorough, you probably covered this, have you tested your tap water?

tzqng8

Thanks for the well wishes. At this point, I just want him to be at peace and not to suffer.

He has Parkinsons Disease and has for about 5 years or so. It has steadily gotten worse. But now, they have found cancer in his colon. They don't even think he can survive the surgery, but if they don't operate, he'll exsanguinate, so... He has decided to go for surgery. It is tomorrow. That was all probably but it was to illustrate the fact that he won't be running a marathon anytime soon! But thank you for the well wishes. It means a lot.


Indeed. The old fashioned "fishless cycling" is the tried and true method for results.

I have. It comes out clean. But, that was when I first got the kit. Maybe I should do that again. I will, tonight.

HatchetHaven

Yay! I really was wondering why you weren't updating as usual. How's Mori, by the way?

I hope your granddad gets better!

tzqng8

Mori's doing great, thanks for asking. He seems to be very happy in his home and still dances around everytime he thinks he is about to be fed. I really enjoy having him around.

Thank you for the well wishes for my Grandfather as well.

Good luck with your new Betta as well!

jdhef

Good luck to your Grandfather.

I just wanted to relay a little BioSpira story. I used BioSpira to set up my 5 gallon Betta tank. I put the stuff in the water and put the Betta in. I didn't test my water for the recomended week. The following week I then did a 50% water change and went away on vacation for a week. Before doing my water change on Saturday morning I tested the water Ammonia 0, Nitrites .25! Nitrates 10.

I found this alarming, so I tested my water again last night (Monday) with the same result. So apparently the BioSpira did not do it's job properly and I'm having a nitite cycle. I guess your right, there really are no shortcuts!

tzqng8

Some people have had great luck with BIO-Spira and even Tetra SafeStart, but not us! With BIO-Spira, it had to be kept cold so that was often the reason to get a "bad batch." With SafeStart, it doesn't even have to be kept refrigerated! So, how the heck do you get a bad batch? I have no idea, but I have few dead catfish that would like the answer to that question.

Anyway, hope your Betta is doing well now and thanks for the well wishes for Grandpa.

jdhef

Your Welcome.

Yeah, my Betta seems to be fine, but I guess I'll be changing water daily for awhile

Lucy

You know you have the support of all your friends with fish.

tzqng8

Amen brother. Amen.

Thanks Lucy. That means a lot to me. I'm more worried about my Mom, I think. My Grandfather is a Korean War Vet and has a Purple Heart to show for it. I know he is terrified to face this part of his life, as would we all, but he knows how to manage terrifying situations. My Mom, on the other hand, while an extremely strong woman, can't envision her life without her father. She'll make it, too, but it will be hard time for the family.

All of your kind words make a world of difference. So thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

jdhef

Having lost both, it is definetly harder to lose a parent, than a grandparent. But your mom will make it through. Hang in there!

tzqng8

Sorry to hear that you have lost both. However, I wasn't trying to compare me to my Mom. Was comparing my Grandfather to my Mom. My Grandfather is a tough man and has lived a long, happy life. My Mom is really sensitive and doesn't feel like she has much to look forward to if her Dad is gone. Was kind of making a joke that I think this is harder on my Mom (watching her Dad die) than it is on my Grandad (the man who is actually dying!).

For me, I just feel terrible that I am thousands of miles away while it is all going on. I am one of the few people in my family to have moved away from our small town.

Shawnie

its hard for all to loose a loved one..and strength comes in different shapes n sizes...all I can say is enjoy the time now, and get lots of pics...they live on forever ...I lost my mom and gram within the same week last year..u find the strength somehow but it doesnt come until later with time...I tip my hat to grampa..I appreciate his giving and his courage to take on this new battle in his life...how old is he?

tzqng8

The hard part is that he doesn't want to talk to me and won't let anyone really take pictures of him for the last couple of years since his Parkinson's has come on heavy. His speech is very hard to understand and he tremors pretty bad. I don't care about any of that stuff, but he does. So, I haven't got to see him or talk to him in a couple of years. Even the emails stopped a year or so ago.

He's in his late 70's. He was always such a strong man and had so much life in him. It is hard to see him in this state, but in a lot of ways, he is even stronger now! I have infinite respect for that man.

Shawnie

I do too and I dont even know him...id say its time for a visit even if he doesnt want it...I remember when my gram was on her last few days, her strength still shinned thru...that generation is soooooo stubborn but so strong at the same time...my sister refused to see her in her last weeks..it was her way of dealing with her being the strong one in her mind and she to this day, never saw her sick..so each of us deal in different ways...your grampa is an amazing man!! cherish that and carry it on

tzqng8

I'm his name sake (his first name is Noel, which is my middle name) so I assure you, I will!

Thanks so much for the comments. They help getting through it.

Shawnie

talking is the best medicine..sometimes its just harder for others..especially men for some reason..and thats no dig trust me