We collected two new kittens today, friends for Esther to keep her entertained during the day. I’ve finally moved enough boxes into the attic, so the kittens could have their own room. The third bedroom.
A ginger and white little boy, and a tabby and white little girl.
They have their own webpages here:-
I’ve been using two Hailea piston based, ACO-308 and ACO-208 air-pumps to provide air in the fish house, using a 22mm ring main “air-reservoir”. I purchased the first ACO-208 in September 2005, and when my generic 40lpm “Hi-Blow” failed when I moved just under tweleve months ago, purchased another larger ACO-308 to add to the “air-reservoir”. I’ve never really been happy with the amount of air, especially in the deeper tanks (> 2 foot). I switched to Hailea because they were cheaper to run, but I’ve since found, they cannot deliver the pressure and are noisy, my master bedroom is above the fish house, and I can hear the pumps through the floor!
So I’ve recently purchased a Japanese Secoh SLL-50, but I still wasn’t getting the required pressure required. After consultation with a DIY expert, we will call him SimonL at work, he mentioned that I needed to use 15mm and 22mm inserts in the Speedfit piping, and also cut the pipe using a poly pipe cutter, not a hacksaw (I knew this bit, but I didn’t think it would really matter!). I borrowed SimonL’s poly pipe cutter to re-cut all lengths of pipe, and disappeared to ScrewFix to purchase some pipe inserts (well I didn’t know, it didn’t say it on the pack!), re-assembled the ring main “air-reservoir” and like magic plenty of pressure!
Re-visited the fish house, 30 minutes later to find no air! I thought the ring main had failed, it wasn’t the ring main but the back-pressure on the diaphragms in the Secoh SLL-50, that had failed! I’d forgotten to open the bleed valve on the ring main, which usually feeds into a large volume of water, that I use to change in the tanks. So I purchased a Service Kit from KoiKit by JustKoi. Fantastic service, the service kit arrived promptly, Secoh pump serviced, diaphragms replaced, and to prevent this happening again I purchased Pressure Relief Valve and Pressure Guage Assembley from partsandpumps.co.uk, again Fantastic Customer Service, tell David I sent you!
This pressure relief valve is a pump protection device against over pressurisation. The valve will safely vent off any pressure over 0.2 Bar, and it’s been doing that!
I think I’ve got too much air now! But the leaks in the “air-reservoir” are fixed – Thanks SimonL
Secoh SLL-50 “Hi-Blow” Pump, with pressure relief valve and pressure guage assembley inline and connected to “air-reservoir”
Well to slugs anyway!
This is my secret weapon, it must have surprised the postie on Friday morning, with the label “Living Material Urgent” stickered on the parcel!
“Living Material Urgent”
The parcel contained:-
Nemaslug controls all common species of small to medium sized slugs (up to 8cm – 2.5-3 inches).
Nemaslug uses the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, which was discovered by scientists at the government research institute at Bristol, England.
I’ve also undertaken, an eight pronged attack to reduce slugs and snails:-
I hope my Hostas survive! because I’ve planted another two today, but these are blue ones, and slugs and snails don’t eat those!
Lindsey now has the painting bug! So she’s been painting our Antique Wagon/Cart with another flavour of Cuprinol Shades.
Antique Wagon
The weather has been so hot this weekend, I’ve been able to get on and give the final coats of paint to Hector’s House. Thanks to Lindsey because she touched-up the door and windows.
Shed completed.
So, onto the next DIY project, I’ve just bought myself a new toy, to replace a busted cordless drill, I’ve bought a new 18v combi cordless Makita drill, with electronic clutch, I’m just running around the house, drilling holes everywhere now! This is to enable me to complete the second loft and fully board it out, to free-up Bedroom 3 for the Nursery!
UPDATE The slugs and snails have still been eating my Hostas, the used coffee granuals did not work, so I’ve emptied 12kg of used coffee granuals on my garden for no reason! Strange because a friend, states they have been working fine for her, on her allotment, but she does get them from Starf***s! Maybe their coffee has something nasty in it! Unlike the Freetrade coffee granuals I’ve been using. But I’ve got a secret weapon for the slugs…!
I think this is a better photograph, these fry, are very very small approx 5mm, very difficult to see with the naked eye.
Taken with cheaper compact digital camera! Told you the macro function was better! (click thumbnail image to view larger image).
At the end of March, a label on a tank in a local pet shop caught my attention to some fish called Galaxy Rasbora, which later turned-out to be Microrasbora erythromicron., common names could be Crossbanded or Emerald Dwarf Rasbora.
Male Microrasbora erythromicron
Photograph courtesy of Mike Noren
I purchased these little fish (25mm), knowing they were Microrasbora erythromicron in a hope to breed them, I don’t think these are rare, but at present probably less common than the famous Galaxy Rasbora.
I checked the tank this evening, and I have a few fry from the trio.
I’m ecstatic, I haven’t felt like this since, breeding my first guppies, and that’s a long time ago!
Maybe I’ll now find that elusive Galaxy Rasbora, and give them the same “luving”, in a hope to breed them.
It’s taken over 400 shots to get the following pictures, glad I’ve got a digital camera. These were taken on the digital SLR, I’m running back in with the other camera, it has a better macro function (and it’s cheaper if it falls in the tank!)
fry at approx 5mm (click thumbnail for larger image)
single Microrasbora erythromicron fry (click thumbnail for larger image)
I received my package of Almost Natural Tropical Fish Food today from Ed in Pennsylvania, USA.
I’ve been looking for an alternative product for the fish house to bring fish into condition for breeding for a long time. I’ve received
Excerpt from Ed’s website
“Almost Natural Tropical Fish Foods” are offered by a true-blue tropical fish hobbyist for the other tropical fish hobbyists out there in the world who would rather go the extra mile and feed their fish a top quality tropical fish flake. This tropical fish food is hobbyist to hobbyists driven. One hobbyist helping other hobbyists. After looking at the ingredients and then the prices, you will see that it is being sold at extremely reasonable prices to you, the hobbyist.”
The contents of the package Super colour flake, Freshwater flake, Shrimp pellets.
Let me know if you are interested in placing an order from the UK, we can combine the order!
My hostas and bedding plants are getting worse, if I don’t do something soon, my plants will die, and will resemble stalks!
So my friendly, excellent Coffee Shop opposite where I work, Banjos, Museum Street, York has supplied me with some used Coffee Granules. If you are ever in York, pop in, and tell Beth, I sent you! Excellent Coffee, hot and cold baguettes.
Used Coffee Granules from Banjos, Museum Street, York
I’ve been pre-occupied with DIY on the house, but I’ve finally received the additional stands, to add six new tanks to the fish house.
I’ve also been working, on re-sealing the insulation in the fish house, and working on my new RO storage tanks – water experiment.
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