Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Update: My Planted Aquarium

I've had my new "hobby" up and running for a few months now. Generally, it is going very well and I haven't had too many problems. I put a stronger full spectrum light with more wattage on it and most of my plants are growing like gangbusters. I installed a more reliable heater and put in two powerheads. The soil under the gravel seems to be working and it hasn't made a mess. There have been a few unfortunate fish deaths, but not many, and I have around 40 fish in the tank. I think I could add a few more, but everyone is happy, so I'm not going to mess with it. Besides, my platys had a few babies! There are two that have survived the wild world of big fish and hide almost all the time. One is featured in the video below (a little out of focus). It is really small with gigantic eyes. Some of my favorite fish are my clown loaches. These were a little tough to keep happy at first. Two died, and I got two more and they are doing really well. They are very shy but interact with each other a lot, and almost have a little personality. I have a snail population explosion going on, and am in the process of culling the herd. The loaches eat baby snails, but just cannot keep up with the little hermaphroditic egg layers.

In the video you'll notice the water looks a little green. My filter that I got with the tank off craigslist is lame. The filter material clogs up quickly and I have to frequently buy new ones - from WalMart. I hate shopping at WalMart. So, I ordered a new canister filter that will be here on Thursday. It has very good reviews and should clear up the water quickly. I actually read that it will "polish" the water. We'll see. When I started this I was a little worried about the time commitment for a 55 gallon fish tank, but it has been totally manageable. Besides, Charlotte and Elise love sitting in their high chairs and watching the fish.

It is nice to have a hobby besides astronomy. There just have not been clear nights lately. I would love to pull out my telescope and check out Mars and some winter sky stuff, but that darn El NiƱo!

I used my new Flip video camera for this and the flip video editing software - so no fancy iMovie stuff. It is basic and quick and works. Enjoy!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Seattle Aquarium Visit

On Sunday we met my parents, and Tim and Meghan in Seattle for a visit to the aquarium! Steph and I were quite adventurous and walked on to the Bremerton ferry - with just the girls and their stuff - No car for us! It was really great to take my daughters somewhere where I spent many hours as a kid. There have been many changes to the aquarium over the years, but it is still a place where family can enjoy the animals and each other. The looks on the girls' faces were priceless! We had a wonderful time and finished with lunch at Red Robin and a stop at Magic Mouse toys in Pioneer Square. Finally it was time to end the day with the ferry ride home and two very tired, but happy little girls.