jinx-getmeabetta

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Only fishkeepers will get this flex but I got my peapuffer to eat pellet food 💪

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A rare thing here, a photo of myself. This is Duchess, my rescue who came from a guy who wanted to 'make room for a parrot' and she (Duchess) was just 'taking up space'. She is the sweetest little thing and besides missing a few toes from stuck shed (previous owner didn't provide a humid hide and let excess shed just build up), she's in overall good health. Breaks my heart that she just wasn't wanted anymore. I have a bioactive build in the works for her! She has no idea what amazing life lies ahead for her.

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Got the big chungus out for some evening sun!

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These days my job mainly consists of water changes and staring at coral all day... ❤️

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We do not, we sell over 60 bettas every week so they usually aren't at the store for very long. I don't neccessiarily agree with how the entire system is set up but it's certainly nicer than the tiny bowls we were using before.

So I've been working at my LFS during this pandemic since I lost my other job temporarily. We just finished remodeling our entire betta center! It holds 100 bettas and its running off of a filtered and heated sump system.

[jinx-getmeabetta]

So I've been working at my LFS during this pandemic since I lost my other job temporarily. We just finished remodeling our entire betta center! It holds 100 bettas and its running off of a filtered and heated sump system.

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Totally not fish related (though let's face it, I just love all animals). Anyways, Cricket update! He has reached 30 grams already and eats anything and everything I offer him. I have since upgraded his enclosure to an arid bioactive terrarium. So excited to continue to watch this little man grow! 💕

Those little mouth freckles just kill me 😍

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Some fishies, for a friends birthday.

paul

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Up close with Lady Marmalade eating a zucchini

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Churro. What are you doing 😂

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time to let the new pieces grow out on the right corner archway of the tank! successfully paired my clown with a new one 🤗

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Leave people who have weird/creepy pets alone ffs. Stop commenting on photos they post saying you wanna puke because their pet isn’t a cuddly kitten. Stop threatening to kill people’s pets because you have a phobia of them good god. Do you know how much of a freak you sound when you say shit like “oh if I was anywhere near that tarantula I would stomp it to death.” on some ones photos of their PETS. You sound like an entitled ass if you think it’s appropriate and justified to kill something for existing just because it makes you uncomfortable. Some people have legitimate serious phobias of dogs but if they were like hey I’m gonna fucking light your dog on fire and kill it you would think they were insane and cruel. It’s so incredibly rude to insult some ones pet that they love and care for because it makes you uneasy. I see this all the time when people post reptiles, tarantulas/spiders, or rats. Less so on the reptiles (unless it’s a snake) but definitely any animal that’s considered a “pest” species. If it upsets you then learn to deal with that anxiety in a constructive way instead of being an aggressive fuckin weirdo. Grow up. Unfollow them, or keep scrolling. 🙄 Also applies to in real life situations as well.

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Saltwater PSA

Research ANY fish you are buying BEFORE buying them.

This goes without saying, for every fish. But I want to bring special attention to the fact that despite logic and ethics, we are still collecting fish from the wild that WILL NOT (I repeat) WILL NOT eat frozen or prepared foods of any kind.

TL;DR There are PLENTY of saltwater fish that will only eat very specific LIVE food and will slowly starve in your aquarium if you don’t research and care for them properly.

The most commonly sold fish I see with this problem are Dragonettes. Also known as Mandarins, and incorrectly as “green mandarin gobies” (they are not gobies).

There are several species sold, and while some are more likely to eat frozen foods (such as spotted mandarins) the one above (Synchiropus splendidus) is more commonly sold and unfortunately less likely to eat anything but live copepods.

There is an idea that if you just “add them to an established tank” they will find enough food. Sometimes, they will. But sometimes, they won’t. This is because these fish are not the only fish that eat live copepods. Virtually ANY saltwater fish will eat them and if your tank has been up for months and you DO have copepods growing, your other fish are likely eating them and keeping them numbers low.

So unless you are actively culturing live copepods in your refugium or a dedicated culture tank, THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.

Yes, sometimes these fish eat frozen foods! This is great, and if you are going to buy one ask for them to be offered frozen and see if they eat BEFORE buying them. Because nine times out of ten, S. splendidus will NOT eat frozen.

And this is just the most commonly sold fish with this problem. There are plenty of other species that do not take to frozen or dry foods well, if at all. Yes, some do eventually learn to eat frozen. But many do not, and there is an initial period where they do not understand that they can eat frozen food!

Fish like lionfish, many angelfish, butterflies, etc. can all be very particular eaters with very particular diets. And if not provided for they can slowly starve in your aquarium. So please, do your research.

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Meet Cricket. ❤️

I feel so honored and lucky to have the opportunity to own and care for this little one. I owned a leo years ago in middle school, his name was Moab. Moab lived for 3 years and died of MBD with an impacted stomach (kept on sand). I loved Moab but I didn't understand how to properly care for him. I knew he was sick but my parents didn't feel it necessary to take a reptile to a vet for the care he needed. It was sad to watch him suffer and when he died I knew that one day I wanted to own another leo when I had the ability to properly care for one. Cricket is about 2 months old and a sweetheart. I have plans to convert the little one's tank to bioactive this year but since he/she is so little, I wanted to maintain a 'sterile' environment so I could monitor his/her health as my little one settles in. Cricket isn't a fish but certainly fits right in with my other scaly babies 💕

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Time to feed 😋

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Finally, a day off. Some much needed relaxation today with some strong coffee and a good book.

Officially 'retired' Squirt to my frag tank as any clown he's ever been with has bullied him to extreme stress. He is much happier these days as his color has returned and he is eating again.

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fish asks: 1,2,4

Hi!

1.) What type of fish have you/do you own?

Oh gosh... saltwater: Tangs (Currently have a scopus, kole eye, and yellow), damsels (currently have 3 pairs of clownfish divided between my tanks), about every type of goby you can think of, frogfish, and hawkfish are all I can think of right now. Since my husband maintains the entire saltwater department at my LFS I have a lot of hands on experience with different types of fish even if I don't own them.

Freshwater: Guppies, pea puffers, betta, cory cats, goldfish, and tetras.

2.) Which has been your favorite?

Hands down the gobies and my pea puffer. Currently own a yasha and yellow watchman who reside together with a pistol shrimp in my reef tank.

4.) Describe the next plausible tank update you'd like to do.

Honestly, I'm satisfied with how my current tanks are running. I am switching out my radion lights for kessils on my frag tank, if you want to consider that an update to a tank. I do have plans for either a predator tank or a seahorse tank in the future.