Lucky Break

Having learned the benefits of UV light sterilization for aquariums, I purchased a recommended brand. This model reportedly has the most replaceable parts and works well despite an early issue with excessive bulb heat melting some plastic components. Yikes.

The Sunsun JUP-02 provides ideal flow for a 29 gallon tank.

I first needed to lower the water level to accommodate the surprising bulk. Now it's installed and running as I type, but a disaster almost happened during the installation process. In the image below I'd already lowered the water level from the very brim (!) of my bucket. It took an effort to patiently dip without spilling more than a few drops. Whew!

The bucket sits atop my (insufficient)
plastic drop cloth. Disaster averted!

My husband saw me bailing water later but I spared him the exact reason why. Sometimes, he's better off not knowing my stupider stunts. ~shakes head~ And I didn't lie, wanting to further reduce the bucket's weight by that point.
 
Can you believe I came so close to flooding the carpet? Though this carelessness never occured before, should I place some sort of overflow tray under the bucket?

 
-

Bouncing Back (fingers crossed; not what you think)

As indicated by my caveat, this title does not pertain to our overbearing global upheaval. In the midst of all this sorrow I’m lucky to have found comfort in my revived aquarist hobby, my enlivened twenty-nine gallon aquarium providing true joy. Finding one tiny resident distressed the other evening jarred my tenuous hold on optimism. If you're interested, here is a video but be WARNED that it includes a post mortem goldfish examination.
 


I know that losing one tropical fish can’t compare to losing a longer lived mammalian companion. But after the extensive fish deaths in January of 2019, it distressed me to the point of tears. Following quick research I despaired further. The ugly, so-called ‘dropsy’ condition is no diagnosis. Rather, the distorting bloat is a symptom of many problems. Now it seems stress or injury created the issues. There’s no way to know for sure, but this poser (below) has been acting aggressive. 

Disregarding the instant euthanasia recommended by some, I took one determined hobbyist’s advice, spending four hours scrambling to set up and regulate a medicated hospital tank. To my delight, the swelling had all but disappeared as of last night. Returned to the main tank, this spotfin goby appears comfortable despite some scales remaining ruffled (known as 'pine coning), respiration seeming normal.

Still hiding, which I totally understand.

Have you ever heard of dropsy? Did you know fish can be bullies?

 
-

Capitulating, Cracked, & Curious

My husband finally convinced me that wearing some kind of face covering isn’t silly or self centered and fosters community wellness. Of course, conceding to this new reality didn’t stop me putting a personal spin on it. I still felt a bit weird, of course, but with a somewhat bohemian style hiding shaggy hair and graying roots. ~grin~ My mother gave me this quality felt hat with attached scarf decades ago. When I have worn it, the scarf was usually not needed and tucked up into the crown.

I knotted the two ends behind my head
over the wider fabric attachment.

The next little tidbit brought me down a peg, thwarting my aim to be active and upbeat. While loading the dishwasher I cooked a strip of bacon in the microwave. This brand is super thick, so I set the timer for longer than usual. A crackling sound brought me over in a hurry. I turned off the microwave and proceeded to toast a bit of bread. When attempting to retrieve my plate, however, it came out in two pieces. It’s a blessing the remains didn’t fall and shatter, at least, but my mother-in-law helped me pick out this China set for my wedding gift registry about a year before her death.

I debated hiding the pieces, not out of embarrassment or anything but because this seemed another little jab from the universe that might sadden my husband. Fortunately he took the mishap well, stating we could always order more plates and mostly curious as to the cause. Don’t tell him I cried a little afterward. ~sigh~ I am trying (in fact, rather successful to the point these tears surprised me).

My aquarium remains a comforting distraction. Admiring minutia led to a little mystery. I have yet to find any aquarium images with this particular growth pattern. I’ll try another search and reduce the amount of time lighting the tank.

See the fine line of white horizontal
threads at center? They're growing
on a decoration (right) in a line
while bubbles flow behind...

This little development almost makes me think of fairies. ~wink~ That whimsical admiration won’t hold if it grows out of control, though, yet the arched shapes (at back) in this video are particularly interesting.

Can you imagine how a microwave safe plate managed to crack? What do you think about the growth in my aquarium?

-

Deep Sea 'Invasion'

Normally I adore all creatures, well mostly, including those from the undersea world. To have one visit my home would be delightful if not for the skewer in one tentacle. It doesn’t look like a friendly implement.

Looks like a fishing expedition to me...

I managed to remove the stick from the octopus. Extricating my finger proved a bit more difficult. But as you can guess, I succeeded unharmed.

At least I nipped this in the bud; our poor
veterinarian lost many saltwater fish
to a hitchhiking mantis shrimp.
And he has a degree in
oceanography!

Are you familiar with the colorful mantis shrimp? Did you know even the most educated saltwater enthusiasts sometimes insert coral into a tank without knowing the rock carries a predator in hiding?

-

Bedraggeled Beauty & Fantastical Fun - a Random Virtual Tour of My Eclectic Aquarium Design (I spent too long goofing around and I'm too tired to reorganize the images)

Robin on a Rainy Day

Backside of Miniature Seahorse 'Aquarium'

A Trio of (Vintage) Goldfish Encounter the Goth Garden

Silly serpent eating a faded & once floating fake lionfish

Japanese Village

Floating islands inspired by  overpriced online merchandise.
I repurposed old decor using scissors & lots of super glue.
Suspended from excess air tubing via fishing line, they
are occasional hangouts for my spotfin gobies.

Fantasy Section: Mermaid on Manta Ray Meeting Unicorns
The 3D laser glass of mother & colt were gifted long ago
by my dear big brother S and sweet sister (-in-law) T
I searched for these tank safe LEDs to enhance my
two unicorns without being quite so blinding
as lit displayed on a shelf. The mermaid
figurine was a vintage eBay find
(Lucky me on all counts!)

Decorative Sea Horse Aquarium (within an Aquarium)