Finally getting set up at my new house in Minnesota. Only fish I have seen since I moved are the lovely gamefish that my husband has brought home. Two days ago I hit my 55th year as a fishkeeper. Cannot WAIT until this tank is finally ready to receive them!
So happy for you to have an excellent LFS nearby! Also a bit jealous. I am in Southern Maryland now, and options are slim.
Good luck with the new tanks and the new house!
Nice to meet you. I kept fish in Minneapolis/St. Paul for over a decade and used to shop at World of Fish. I'm delighted to hear that there are more LFS opening around there. It was always a drive, but sure easier to find fish stores there than in the DC area. I think the same was true for anything beyond the big box stores. I miss Minneapolis/St. Paul bookstores, surplus stores, cafes, etc.
I hope you enjoy your new home and that you come by here to post pictures of your tanks when they are up and running!
PJ
Why do you think there are so many more LFSs in Minnesota and Wisconsin? A bigger local market or lower rent making it more possible to have a profitable business?
I have 3 tanks infested with Malaysian Trumpet Snails getting nuked with Potassium Permanganate right now. I just can't tolerate them and hate that I can't move plants around my tanks because of those darn snails. There's another species that has equally hard shells. I don't know what it's called but it's very tiny, not much bigger than the head of a pin full-grown, and forms extremely tight little flat spirals. They multiply like crazy and litter the tank glass. They also must die. I can control pond snails and Ramshorn snails but these other ones make me so crazy that I'm willing to nuke the tank with KMnO4 and have to recycle the filter just to get rid of them. Ugh!
One thing about having big barbs now, they can really take care of business when it comes to the softer shelled snails. The Clown Barbs are just as efficient as Clown Loaches in hunting down and feasting on pond snails.
Can't wait to see pics of your new fish.
What is the name of this great LFS?
What ya going to put in it? Trout? Bass? Bluegill? Stonerollers? Or something more tropical?
First barrel in. Second one trickling. I forgot how much bigger and brighter the background would be once there was water in it!
You flirt! Oh, you mean the sunbather in the second pic. Oh, well. Going with RO and raw well water, 2:1 gives me 8dKH. The plants will love the high iron content. Waiting for my TDS meter to check that. pH is 6.6. Got a propylene glycol barrel on Saturday and am washing the heck out of it. Might start producing RO water tonight, so maybe Friday I can put some in the tank. Will take more than 2 barrels to fill it.
You are looking younger. Snow in the background must be doing it. We do not see such around here.
So how did you solve your water concerns? RO or stream water or ??
I have to say if I were a tropical fish all cozy and warm in my heated tank and saw an aquarium background of snow-capped mountains I might just turn belly up, four fins in the air from a fishy heart attack! Unless you're keeping your husband's game fish in the tank :)
Hans Peter Jr coming soon?