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lydamorehouseI should never read fish magazines. I especially should never read fish magazines right before I got shopping for cat food at Petsmart.
Yesterday, I came home with a carbon dioxide kit for the 30 gallon tank. Why do I need one of those? Well, okay, I don't, not unless I have plants. I've always wanted a lush, planted aquarium for my fish to swim around in. Even though the goldfish have a tendency to rip up and/or eat every plant I put in their tank, I bought two large clumps of "moneywort." According to the little tag on the tank, they're supposed to tolerate low to moderate light. I don't have a fancy grow lamp on my tank, although I've always wanted one. But, the tank does get a couple of hours of fairly direct southern light in the late afternoon, and I planted the largest clump right in that spot. The CO2 maker is supposed to improve the plants because, just like their non-aquatic cousins, they "eat" CO2 and "breathe out" O2. I guess fish waste mostly ammonia, and if you want your plants to be healthy you need to add CO2. At least that's what the article told me, anyway.
I've tried plants before in the 10 gallon tank, and mostly they got brown and died. We'll see if the CO2 maker helps in the other tank. I spent 30 dollars on what is basically a container with a hose. Inside, I placed sugar and yeast and water. Just like making beer, there's a fermentation lock. Only, instead of percolating into the air, it's got a tube that leads it into a contraption in the water where the bubbles are released. It's supposed to take at least twelve hours before it gets going, but I saw a couple of bubbles this morning. I'm not sure I have it set up right, and it's one more thing for me to fiddle with in the tank.
It's funny because, when we were hanging out after the Intermedia Arts reading, my friend Barb asked me if I found all that cleaning and whatnot arduous. I said no, and it's clear that all ths messing around is really where I get my enjoyment of the hobby. I mean, yeah, I love just sitting and watching the fish flash around the tank and I get A LOT of satisfaction when dull, unhappy looking fish brought home from Petsmart not only improve, but flourish in under my care (okay, when I don't kill them... which, to be fair, I haven't done in a long time.)
The other thing I really enjoyed about reading AQUARISTS INTERNATIONAL was the article where the fish keeper admitted to spending the weekend parked in their lazy-boy just watching the fish all weekend. I could so do that, and I don't even have terribly interesting fish.
Yesterday, I came home with a carbon dioxide kit for the 30 gallon tank. Why do I need one of those? Well, okay, I don't, not unless I have plants. I've always wanted a lush, planted aquarium for my fish to swim around in. Even though the goldfish have a tendency to rip up and/or eat every plant I put in their tank, I bought two large clumps of "moneywort." According to the little tag on the tank, they're supposed to tolerate low to moderate light. I don't have a fancy grow lamp on my tank, although I've always wanted one. But, the tank does get a couple of hours of fairly direct southern light in the late afternoon, and I planted the largest clump right in that spot. The CO2 maker is supposed to improve the plants because, just like their non-aquatic cousins, they "eat" CO2 and "breathe out" O2. I guess fish waste mostly ammonia, and if you want your plants to be healthy you need to add CO2. At least that's what the article told me, anyway.
I've tried plants before in the 10 gallon tank, and mostly they got brown and died. We'll see if the CO2 maker helps in the other tank. I spent 30 dollars on what is basically a container with a hose. Inside, I placed sugar and yeast and water. Just like making beer, there's a fermentation lock. Only, instead of percolating into the air, it's got a tube that leads it into a contraption in the water where the bubbles are released. It's supposed to take at least twelve hours before it gets going, but I saw a couple of bubbles this morning. I'm not sure I have it set up right, and it's one more thing for me to fiddle with in the tank.
It's funny because, when we were hanging out after the Intermedia Arts reading, my friend Barb asked me if I found all that cleaning and whatnot arduous. I said no, and it's clear that all ths messing around is really where I get my enjoyment of the hobby. I mean, yeah, I love just sitting and watching the fish flash around the tank and I get A LOT of satisfaction when dull, unhappy looking fish brought home from Petsmart not only improve, but flourish in under my care (okay, when I don't kill them... which, to be fair, I haven't done in a long time.)
The other thing I really enjoyed about reading AQUARISTS INTERNATIONAL was the article where the fish keeper admitted to spending the weekend parked in their lazy-boy just watching the fish all weekend. I could so do that, and I don't even have terribly interesting fish.