The Puffer Forum

The shop I deal with has a fish compatibility chart but it doesn't list rays .... I'll post the chart here but I hope I don't step on any toes for doing so.

38 years old and I suffered my first heart attack today... dang it was a little scary. Hypothermia, numbness.. lots of flashing lights and sirens... I'll be taking the next 2 days off and slowly work to get the room preped for the tank. If it all goes to schedule we'll be planting in the next month.

PP... as a personal request... this should be moved to the FW section as I won't be able to afford a SW tank of this size. We'll make our 30 gal a SW tank with some horses and pipe fish.

Life changing event here....

Got a call today from the catpey guy.. can't do the install on the 10th. Which means, we'll have to move the tank in, and when he comes have to move it back out and back in again. What a pain!

Oh my! That's not good. I'm glad to hear you're still kicking. Please stay healthy and I hope you have a full recovery.

Thanks for all the well - wishes; here and in PM. I should be ok. It was a severe reaction to some cough syrup I had.. caused the tachicardia (sp?) and that cause hypothermia. My Blood O2 rate was 98~100% but still had some hallucinations afterwards haha a little trippy. Now I understand why cooks boil that stuff down and sell it on the streets. One of those "don't try this at home things".

With luck and a little monotoring I'll be 100% within the week.

Do they know what caused the reaction? Allergic reaction to a particular ingredient? Accidental overdose? Bad interactions?

Good thing it wasn't actually a heart problem. Sounds like you don't have to worry too much about a major recurrence.

Wow J-P hope you are able to get some rest! Feel better

Wow, scary stuff! Thank goodness there was an identifiable and treatable cause!

Flutter wrote:Do they know what caused the reaction? Allergic reaction to a particular ingredient? Accidental overdose? Bad interactions?.

The doctor said it was all of the above, too much of it, allergic reaction and in combination to ventilin... oh well

Wow, aren't you lucky! Got all three

Ok some of my swag arrived today.. happy happy joy joy.
1) 50 python clean & fill,
1) bottle of biosupport to help start the cycling
1) Medium range digital Ammonia reader
3) tubes of clear aquarium silicone.

BUT I forgot to order a FW test kit... dang, there's always somthing.

I wouldn't trust that Biosupport--what's in it? Is it refrigerated?

its non refered, (do not store above 120F / 49C)
says 300 million live bacteria per teaspoon (5ml) / 1 teaspoon per 10 US gallons (40L).
safe for all fresh and salt water water fish and inverts.
Oddly enough it does not have a lot# or a use by date. No chemical ingredients listed and the type of bacterial cultures aren't listed either.

I always though SW and FW bacteria was different....

Yeah... exactly. I wouldn't use it. Just cycle by fishless cycling.

This is just more forward thinking out loud more than anything else .... on the top section of the tank there will be 2 sections of tank that will have no direct filtration. I was considering using a power head to circulate the water. The reason being: The "Great Lakes Effect".
In this situation only the top 5% actually gets refreshed while the bottom 95% remains stagnant.
The current from the great lakes moves the top portion of the water over the estuary, plus evaporation, while the bottom remains polluted from our environment and fish waste.
The problem arises how do we eliminate / cycle the waste from the bottom? If I use small powerheads in the opposite directions, this in theory would evenly distribute the pollutants evenly and they would wash away over the estuary; similar a figure 8 motion. This would eliminate the need for a filter in that compartment. Another problem arises in this config.... structure. Wood, rocks, plans and fish themselves would disturb the current and reduce its efficiency.

This raises the question of a “hydroponic” or “aquaponic” tank. If pollutants are introduced from one tank to the next, can they be reduced effectively by plant matter alone? Thus the “great lakes effect” : The first unit has the cleanest water and the water is degraded until it reaches its final destination: the filter / the ocean. In a large environment where water changes happen naturally via precipitation (be it rain fall, snow) or spring water, the damaging effects are limited. In a “closed circuit” environment, the only water changes are due to evaporation but, it is still recycled water. Can the plant life and substrate provide adequate filtration?

Again in a “closed circuit” situation, the substrate will eventually run out of nutrients, unless there is a balance between aquatic waste and plant consumption.

Just thinking out loud... and had to write it down before I got distracted so I can come back to it later...