http://humboldt.edu/~scimus/Essays/Evol ... bbeRef.htm
At a loss...after necropsy on my GSP's
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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- Location: southern Maryland
Refractometers use optical properties of the liquid being examined. They are portable and there's not much to go wrong (unless you drop one!). The scale seen through the viewfinder shows salinity in both ppt (which I prefer) and SG (which is used by most aquarists because hydrometers measure specific gravity directly and infer salinity). Expect to pay 40.79 on sale at http://www.drsfostersmith.com or a little less on ebay. The meters use conductivity to measure salinity and are more precise (commonly measure to 0.1ppt).
I learned about "point wells" from the landlord of the cottage when we lost our water. He and I pounded in pipes (joining them with threaded connectors) one night as far as we could with a sledge hammer (about 10' from the septic - a good warning sign) and 15' above the high tide line. It was affordable ($100/month) and I could walk to my lab, selling my old car to a local waterman who wanted the engine for his boat. There are still communities that lack ANY water or septic. We moved from the cottage to a waterfront place in need of a caretaker that had both outhouses and indoor plumbing. Biologist pay has not improved - we'll have openings next month for seasonal biologists (no benefits) that won't pay enough to cover rent, let alone other normal living expenses. LOL- we ate blue crabs, fish and oysters every day because we could catch them!
I learned about "point wells" from the landlord of the cottage when we lost our water. He and I pounded in pipes (joining them with threaded connectors) one night as far as we could with a sledge hammer (about 10' from the septic - a good warning sign) and 15' above the high tide line. It was affordable ($100/month) and I could walk to my lab, selling my old car to a local waterman who wanted the engine for his boat. There are still communities that lack ANY water or septic. We moved from the cottage to a waterfront place in need of a caretaker that had both outhouses and indoor plumbing. Biologist pay has not improved - we'll have openings next month for seasonal biologists (no benefits) that won't pay enough to cover rent, let alone other normal living expenses. LOL- we ate blue crabs, fish and oysters every day because we could catch them!
O.K. I am still cracking up about Peregrin'e comment that you've ruined his "mystic experience" with his refractor...way too funny!
Guess I'm going to have a hard time finding one from the late 1800's...Interesting to see how they developed over time. Trying to get one out of the Smithsonian could be tricky...ha. I love history and really thought the article was kinda cool, RTR.
Chesapeake Swellfish, thanks for breaking it down for me in "blond- speak" (not trying to offend any blondes cuz I am one). I seem to remember them from my biology classes at UCSB. I think I'll go ahead and order one from the site you forwarded, thanks for the tip; it's probably less expensive than the two hydrometers I purchased...sheez. I did notice that the water tested from the tap after chlorination (before full-flushing), that it was making the hydrometer show a much higher reading than normal...I was playing in the sink; pretending to be Mr. Science. That makes sense right since chlorine has sodium as part of it's chemical make-up..? My husband was pre-med before he went to the dark-side and became an attorney; he's interested in the water chemistry..sometimes providing me with more confusion than help...I mean he still has the Periodic table memorized
Too bad not much in the way of work out in your neck of the woods...I just heard they hired a few new biologists at the Hatfield Science Center over in Newport, Or. Nice too because it's tied to the university and gives great benefits.
Chesapeake S., you mentioned that you aerate your new water overnight. Do you have temperature issues that way? We all prefer our house temp a little on the cool side. When I had to warm up all that bottled water from the LFD, I had to stick it in the smallest room in my house and crank-up the heat. I know I'll be paying for that next month.
Thanks for the grins, laughs and help!
K
Guess I'm going to have a hard time finding one from the late 1800's...Interesting to see how they developed over time. Trying to get one out of the Smithsonian could be tricky...ha. I love history and really thought the article was kinda cool, RTR.
Chesapeake Swellfish, thanks for breaking it down for me in "blond- speak" (not trying to offend any blondes cuz I am one). I seem to remember them from my biology classes at UCSB. I think I'll go ahead and order one from the site you forwarded, thanks for the tip; it's probably less expensive than the two hydrometers I purchased...sheez. I did notice that the water tested from the tap after chlorination (before full-flushing), that it was making the hydrometer show a much higher reading than normal...I was playing in the sink; pretending to be Mr. Science. That makes sense right since chlorine has sodium as part of it's chemical make-up..? My husband was pre-med before he went to the dark-side and became an attorney; he's interested in the water chemistry..sometimes providing me with more confusion than help...I mean he still has the Periodic table memorized
Too bad not much in the way of work out in your neck of the woods...I just heard they hired a few new biologists at the Hatfield Science Center over in Newport, Or. Nice too because it's tied to the university and gives great benefits.
Chesapeake S., you mentioned that you aerate your new water overnight. Do you have temperature issues that way? We all prefer our house temp a little on the cool side. When I had to warm up all that bottled water from the LFD, I had to stick it in the smallest room in my house and crank-up the heat. I know I'll be paying for that next month.
Thanks for the grins, laughs and help!
K
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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- Location: southern Maryland
"a little on the cool side"? Yeah, our house is 64 during the day, 68 in the evening and 62 at night. When they're not shivering, I do hear a few complaints from my wife and daughter. The water comes out of the well at 63 so it stays about the same overnight. Before I start my gravel-vac, I put a 300w submersible heater in my new water & add it when its the same temp as my aquarium water - ~78/79. (Air temp to control water temp is more economical only when you have massive tanks - thousands of gals.) I'm a fanatic about checking temps - I always have a pocket "field" thermometer in my shirt pocket along with a pen and forceps. I have been known to pull out the forceps or thermometer to write a check or sign a credit slip. I need a pocket protector! (fleeting image of Michael Douglas' pocket protector in "Falling Down").
You'll never hear a blonde joke or a laugh at one out of me. Oddly enough, my blue-eyed blonde daughter tells appalling ones at the dinner table.
Corvallis is beautiful. I visited when the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists met there in 1981 & I presented my MS thesis research.
Funny you mentioned blue crabs - I just fed the puffers blue crab, their favorite food (I like to think).
You'll never hear a blonde joke or a laugh at one out of me. Oddly enough, my blue-eyed blonde daughter tells appalling ones at the dinner table.
Corvallis is beautiful. I visited when the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists met there in 1981 & I presented my MS thesis research.
Funny you mentioned blue crabs - I just fed the puffers blue crab, their favorite food (I like to think).
CS...
Thanks for filling me in on the 300 watt. submersible...How many tanks do you have, size etc.? At least your water coming from tap is 63*, ours is more like 45*. You don't think I'm doing it wrong then and just go for it by using the tap? I tried using a Python but it was a joke; 50 feet of tubing running through my house and still full of water when I'm done...water EVERYWHERE...I had to put my own foot down.
Happy to hear you have a blonde in your household... all the better. Being stereotyped can really stink, we are both often asked at parties to give our best blond and lawyer jokes..maybe we need new friends?
Loved, loved, loved the visual of you pulling a "field" theremometer out of your pocket a.k.a Michael Douglas style...funnily enough I used to see him in Santa Barbara all the time. His son, Cameron, age 29, used to go to elementary school with my little brother. Small world huh? I really like the picture you've implanted in my brain...I will have to start wearing shirts with a pocket so I can add my much needed pocket thermometer to my wardrobe.
Blue crab for dinner sounds, well heavenly, jealous of your fishies. My husband are trying the diet that's been around for about 8 years..."Eating For Your Type". It's based on your blood chemistry, not loving it so far...aren't doing it for weight loss; just trying something that makes sense. As a Norwegian, I can assume I wasn't exposed to a whole lot of mangos or chili peppers (my personal favs). Not looking forward to the tofu tonight, but I'm trying to buck up!
If you're ever in Corvallis again, let me know. I've only been here since 1993. I'm sure it's changed a little since 1981, not so Norman Rockwell-ish but still small and quaint. A great place to raise kids; although now my oldest wants to attend college here at OSU and I was hoping he would spread his wings a little...(not bring home his dirty laundry is what I really mean. )
I may just purchase the refractometer from my LFD...I prefer to spend my money there and support his efforts. He is truly noble.
Hoping this post gets through, the data base was down last night and sending an auto-response (crossing fingers when I hit the "Submit" button.
Off to locate my snow-chains...
Karilyn
Thanks for filling me in on the 300 watt. submersible...How many tanks do you have, size etc.? At least your water coming from tap is 63*, ours is more like 45*. You don't think I'm doing it wrong then and just go for it by using the tap? I tried using a Python but it was a joke; 50 feet of tubing running through my house and still full of water when I'm done...water EVERYWHERE...I had to put my own foot down.
Happy to hear you have a blonde in your household...
all the better. Being stereotyped can really stink, we are both often asked at parties to give our best blond and lawyer jokes..maybe we need new friends?Loved, loved, loved the visual of you pulling a "field" theremometer out of your pocket a.k.a Michael Douglas style...funnily enough I used to see him in Santa Barbara all the time. His son, Cameron, age 29, used to go to elementary school with my little brother. Small world huh? I really like the picture you've implanted in my brain...I will have to start wearing shirts with a pocket so I can add my much needed pocket thermometer to my wardrobe.
Blue crab for dinner sounds, well heavenly, jealous of your fishies. My husband are trying the diet that's been around for about 8 years..."Eating For Your Type". It's based on your blood chemistry, not loving it so far...aren't doing it for weight loss; just trying something that makes sense. As a Norwegian, I can assume I wasn't exposed to a whole lot of mangos or chili peppers (my personal favs). Not looking forward to the tofu tonight, but I'm trying to buck up!
If you're ever in Corvallis again, let me know. I've only been here since 1993. I'm sure it's changed a little since 1981, not so Norman Rockwell-ish but still small and quaint. A great place to raise kids; although now my oldest wants to attend college here at OSU and I was hoping he would spread his wings a little...(not bring home his dirty laundry is what I really mean. )
I may just purchase the refractometer from my LFD...I prefer to spend my money there and support his efforts. He is truly noble.
Hoping this post gets through, the data base was down last night and sending an auto-response (crossing fingers when I hit the "Submit" button.
Off to locate my snow-chains...
Karilyn
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RTR
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LOL! I am a spoiled American - central heat/AC, set the thermostat and check it seasonally. In bitter cold with strong wind the house drops 2 degrees F and we both complain...
I don't use heaters in most of my tanks, as they are too warm anyway from my over-filtration. I do use heaters in the large reservoirs I use to age water to get matched temperature to the tanks.
I could not survive without the Python. Good floors and rugs and water buckets do not mix. Besides there are too many tanks to do manually and I am too old and infirm.
Spoiled Ugly American, but my fish like me.
I don't use heaters in most of my tanks, as they are too warm anyway from my over-filtration. I do use heaters in the large reservoirs I use to age water to get matched temperature to the tanks.
I could not survive without the Python. Good floors and rugs and water buckets do not mix. Besides there are too many tanks to do manually and I am too old and infirm.
Spoiled Ugly American, but my fish like me.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
RTR
Perhaps I was just too inept at handling the Python. We had our kitchen remodeled last summer and being a designer I had to go for the delicate/fancy faucet. Really had trouble finding the right adapter...thus sending me down the hallway to the guest bath. My Golden Retriever, Lacey, thought I wanted to play jump rope so I had to keep throwing her stuffed squirrel down the hall just to get some peace.
Do you think I'm not getting enough aeration by going the tap route? Not sure I could handle 25 gallons plus more on the floor (visions of second story collapsing).
Do you raise any ghost shrimp for feeding? As I stated before, 3 of mine are preggars, not just gut-loaded. What sort of behaviors, if any should I look for prior to them releasing eggs? Also what are your thoughts on crickets as a food source? I was thinking they might be somewhat risky like a feeder fish...I can just see my hubby rolling his eyes at a cricket nursery.
I'm sure you are not ugly, old or infirm...silly
Aren't we lucky to have fish that love us!
Looking at outside temps right now...20*...now that's cold...I'd rather be back in St. John snorkling...ah.....
Keep getting bumped off posting...grr...
K
Perhaps I was just too inept at handling the Python. We had our kitchen remodeled last summer and being a designer I had to go for the delicate/fancy faucet. Really had trouble finding the right adapter...thus sending me down the hallway to the guest bath. My Golden Retriever, Lacey, thought I wanted to play jump rope so I had to keep throwing her stuffed squirrel down the hall just to get some peace.
Do you think I'm not getting enough aeration by going the tap route? Not sure I could handle 25 gallons plus more on the floor (visions of second story collapsing).
Do you raise any ghost shrimp for feeding? As I stated before, 3 of mine are preggars, not just gut-loaded. What sort of behaviors, if any should I look for prior to them releasing eggs? Also what are your thoughts on crickets as a food source? I was thinking they might be somewhat risky like a feeder fish...I can just see my hubby rolling his eyes at a cricket nursery.
I'm sure you are not ugly, old or infirm...silly
Aren't we lucky to have fish that love us! Looking at outside temps right now...20*...now that's cold...I'd rather be back in St. John snorkling...ah.....
Keep getting bumped off posting...grr...
K
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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LOL - I'm spoiled too - I no longer heat with wood. The indoor pollution from the woodstove was so bad for my asthma that I couldn't climb stairs and was falling in love with the nurses in the ER who would inject me with epinephrine. So the new place has no carpets and the air is constantly filtered & duct has large in-line electrostatic filters. I figured you wouldn't run an aquarium filter for a few hours a day, why do the same for your indoor air? But I miss everything about heating with wood - the chainsaws, the splitting, the loading into my pickup. We still have chestnut oak trees down from hurricane Isabel, but the neighbors can't take any more firewood. Another indication of being spoiled is that I no longer stop to check the freshness of roadkill. (I do still stop for mushrooms though)
Karilyn, after reading your post, I took a tape measure & measured 59' from my tanks to the nearest sink. So, with only 2 tanks, plus the snail tank, I just use buckets. I'm sure once you develop a system, it will become second nature. Everybody has a slightly different system to fit their particular situation. I couldn't imagine filling buckets & going up/down stairs, for example. My tanks are at one end of my basement and the bathroom is at the other. I wish I'd done a tank room when I finished this basement 15 years ago, but fishkeeping wasn't a priority then with a very active boy running around bringing in snakes & lizards. So, I put my 5 gal buckets in the shower & fill with the shower head, then bring them over to "my area", put in salt & airstones for about a day before using. If I had more tanks, I'd use a trashcan type reservoir & pump to the tanks. There are some real heavy rubbermaid trashcans - I think one is called "roughneck"; I found mine at the dump (32 gal rubbermaid "brute") but I've used it to flush outboard motors, so I wouldn't consider it for a reservoir. A reservoir is in the future. The floor I put down is solid (not laminate) vinyl tile (looks like terra-cotta) that wipes up easily. I don't leave any open 5 gallon buckets around filled with water. I love a product called "gamma seal" sold by http://www.usplastic.com.
It has a very coarse threaded lid that you screw onto the bucket once you've attached the adapter-base to the top of the bucket. I drill a hole in the top for my airline. Without a lid, my cat Squint carries one of his ping-pong balls to a full bucket, drops it in & tries to pick it back up - sort of a feline version of bobbing for apples.
You are lucky to have a "noble" LFS - please post it in the LFS topic at the bottom. I'd support a good LFS too.
Snow chains! Good luck! Its 60 here and the windsurfers are out ! I'm getting too long & off-topic - will pm you the rest.
Karilyn, after reading your post, I took a tape measure & measured 59' from my tanks to the nearest sink. So, with only 2 tanks, plus the snail tank, I just use buckets. I'm sure once you develop a system, it will become second nature. Everybody has a slightly different system to fit their particular situation. I couldn't imagine filling buckets & going up/down stairs, for example. My tanks are at one end of my basement and the bathroom is at the other. I wish I'd done a tank room when I finished this basement 15 years ago, but fishkeeping wasn't a priority then with a very active boy running around bringing in snakes & lizards. So, I put my 5 gal buckets in the shower & fill with the shower head, then bring them over to "my area", put in salt & airstones for about a day before using. If I had more tanks, I'd use a trashcan type reservoir & pump to the tanks. There are some real heavy rubbermaid trashcans - I think one is called "roughneck"; I found mine at the dump (32 gal rubbermaid "brute") but I've used it to flush outboard motors, so I wouldn't consider it for a reservoir. A reservoir is in the future. The floor I put down is solid (not laminate) vinyl tile (looks like terra-cotta) that wipes up easily. I don't leave any open 5 gallon buckets around filled with water. I love a product called "gamma seal" sold by http://www.usplastic.com.
It has a very coarse threaded lid that you screw onto the bucket once you've attached the adapter-base to the top of the bucket. I drill a hole in the top for my airline. Without a lid, my cat Squint carries one of his ping-pong balls to a full bucket, drops it in & tries to pick it back up - sort of a feline version of bobbing for apples.
You are lucky to have a "noble" LFS - please post it in the LFS topic at the bottom. I'd support a good LFS too.
Snow chains! Good luck! Its 60 here and the windsurfers are out ! I'm getting too long & off-topic - will pm you the rest.
Last edited by ChesapeakeSwellfish on Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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Oops - was composing while you were posting. My well water definitely needs aeration.
PP is the forum's cricket expert. I calculated that she uses 14,000 crickets/year. The cricket nation has wanted/warning posters in their post offices with her picture.
Figure 8 pounds/gal for water weight.
Snails are easier to raise than ghost shrimp. I just got some for my birthday. (Some of us really know how to live it up...)
PP is the forum's cricket expert. I calculated that she uses 14,000 crickets/year. The cricket nation has wanted/warning posters in their post offices with her picture.
Figure 8 pounds/gal for water weight.
Snails are easier to raise than ghost shrimp. I just got some for my birthday. (Some of us really know how to live it up...)
Gee whiz, Sorry to hear about the asthma...my hubby suffers from the same thing, better now after shot therapy (looked like torture to me) We refer to firewood supply and demand as "Chainsaw Sunday".
Our home is one three levels...so my snail hatchery is in the daylight basement 25+ gallon Tupperware set-up, along with a male guppy in a 6 gallon (he was a stowaway with snails and didn't have the heart to send him home)...also keep a 10 gallon hospital tank set up and ready to go at a moments notice. Luckily my kitty leaves well enough alone; to old to bob for fishes...
55 gallon Oceanic is set up in the family room near kitchen...over the year I've become accustomed to the "Bucket Brigade" my 14 year old son likes to help and calls the tank "Mommy T.V." Better than PlayStation 2 if you ask me, and it's great for the forearms. I'll really consider doing the other system that you mentioned; I want to give my future guys the best possible care. Sounds like you really have it down to a science (advantage you being a biologist...grins), I can totally see your system in my head. I had to create DIY for my koi pond....4-100 gallon soy sauce barrels with rolled floss, bio balls etc. and U.V. light...no "experts" available here at the time 1995 so sometimes you have to figure things out for yourself. Really appreciate the advice of those that have "been there".
Still giggling over the idea of Jeni's face in cricket post offices everywhere...does that aid them with keeping their "beaks" trim and healthy or just fun food to shake things up a bit? A friend of mine here had an Archer fish...I loved watching him "spit' at crickets, talk about fast food!
Take care, have a great weekend...heading over to the coast to watch the incoming storms at a friend's beach house...spoiled rotten huh? You enjoy that 60* weather...
K
Our home is one three levels...so my snail hatchery is in the daylight basement 25+ gallon Tupperware set-up, along with a male guppy in a 6 gallon (he was a stowaway with snails and didn't have the heart to send him home)...also keep a 10 gallon hospital tank set up and ready to go at a moments notice. Luckily my kitty leaves well enough alone; to old to bob for fishes...
55 gallon Oceanic is set up in the family room near kitchen...over the year I've become accustomed to the "Bucket Brigade" my 14 year old son likes to help and calls the tank "Mommy T.V." Better than PlayStation 2 if you ask me, and it's great for the forearms. I'll really consider doing the other system that you mentioned; I want to give my future guys the best possible care. Sounds like you really have it down to a science (advantage you being a biologist...grins), I can totally see your system in my head. I had to create DIY for my koi pond....4-100 gallon soy sauce barrels with rolled floss, bio balls etc. and U.V. light...no "experts" available here at the time 1995 so sometimes you have to figure things out for yourself. Really appreciate the advice of those that have "been there".
Still giggling over the idea of Jeni's face in cricket post offices everywhere...does that aid them with keeping their "beaks" trim and healthy or just fun food to shake things up a bit? A friend of mine here had an Archer fish...I loved watching him "spit' at crickets, talk about fast food!
Take care, have a great weekend...heading over to the coast to watch the incoming storms at a friend's beach house...spoiled rotten huh? You enjoy that 60* weather...
K
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RTR
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Do remember that I operate two dozen tanks on two floors, but do have a waterproof fish room (designed in, lowest outlet is 40" above the floor, most are chest high, many are on the ceiling, along with towel hooks) with dedicated laudry tub and a hose holder above that tub for the Python. 
I started with a 50' Python, but when I moved the River Tank to the boundry between the LR & DR, and added the 65 to the LR, I needed more hose, so got the 20' extension. I can reach all the tanks from the tank room hookup.
I use Jumbo rubbermaids on casters for reservoirs in the tank room, elsewhere I use empty tanks (which of course do not count into the tank total - they are accessories, only occupied tanks count).
I started with a 50' Python, but when I moved the River Tank to the boundry between the LR & DR, and added the 65 to the LR, I needed more hose, so got the 20' extension. I can reach all the tanks from the tank room hookup.
I use Jumbo rubbermaids on casters for reservoirs in the tank room, elsewhere I use empty tanks (which of course do not count into the tank total - they are accessories, only occupied tanks count).
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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RTR
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Locally there used to be a "gentleman's agreement" on property valuations for tax purposes being only a percentage of real estate value. No more. Our next 3-year cycle tax assessment is a shocking whopper as well, but the actual sale prices in this highly mixed neighborhood have gone up astronomically, so they can justify it. I would not consider letting the assessors inside, or they would raise the assessment.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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ChesapeakeSwellfish
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I'm sure you already know that you can get assessment comparables at MD Dept of Assessments and Taxation at: http://www.datstate.md.us A lot of people don't realize that what they thought was "private" is really public information. You can get assessments of every house on your street or neighborhood in a couple of keystrokes. Sales data are tough to interpret because each sale has unique terms, but the assessment data is there for all to see.
I appealed my last assessment 3 years ago and won a 10% reduction in the assessment, but it was an academic exercise since taxes are capped at 10% annually. It would be extremely difficult to get an assessment reduced enough to pay less than the 10% annual tax increase - even if you use the argument that you are so busy doing water changes that you let the place fall into disrepair.
I appealed my last assessment 3 years ago and won a 10% reduction in the assessment, but it was an academic exercise since taxes are capped at 10% annually. It would be extremely difficult to get an assessment reduced enough to pay less than the 10% annual tax increase - even if you use the argument that you are so busy doing water changes that you let the place fall into disrepair.