RE: NANFA-L-- Aquaria care while on trips

Bob Sinclair (rjs-in-silcom.com)
Sat, 25 Jun 2005 14:42:44 -0700

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_017F_01C57994.26F24720
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Re: NANFA-L-- my dartersTodd:

Oh, my...that's terrible. Unfortunately, I've had a few similar experiences
when off on extended trips. For the past couple of years, though, I've
depended on a young couple in the area to stop by every few days to
check my tanks. I post an instruction sheet on the refrigerator for
reference.

I put a small container of food on the cover of each aquarium to avoid
inadvertent problems. Basically, I've trained them a) not to over-feed,
and b) to look very carefully for any fishes that might have died, of old
age for the most part, so the water doesn't get fouled.

Bob

Casa Sueño
1025 N. Ontare Road
Santa Barbara CA 93105
34° 45' 12" N Lat. - 119° 73' 98" W Long.
Altitude 347 Ft.
www.nanfa.org
www.nativefish.org

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org [owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org]On Behalf Of
Crail, Todd
Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 5:46 AM
To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
Subject: RE: NANFA-L-- my darters

I'm going to second this setinment, and up the ante a bit. As recently as
two weeks ago, I had redlines-in-93 degrees. This was BY NO MEANS a
temperature that I was happy with (and thus why everyone finally came home),
there were extreme lethal and sub-lethal affects, the fish were overall flat
out stressed and there were mortalities among all species, except, oddly to
me... The rainbow shiners.

Anyway, this heat issue has been an ongoing problem because buildings and
grounds apparently don't respond to "experimental animals are dying"
requests over the summer... And basically... Everyone of the fish in our lab
have been-in-83 degrees or _warmer_ since late April, because the heating
and cooling is so fubar.

So in short... These fish have been maintained above the 80 degree mark
for two months without any lapse in the high temperatures. And.. While not
in full on breeding color, they were still quite lively and sharp in color.
While not exactly cool water fish, the redbands were screamin' red :)

And... It wasn't until I went to Costa Rica, someone else was feeding the
fish (or more accurately, _not_ feeding the fish) that mortalities began to
run rampant. It was just enough to tip the scale and take out about 70% of
my stock.

I firmly believe with a superior diet regimen (the Piscene Energetics
mysis is a key part of this), heavy aeration and undetectable to low nitrate
levels, even cold water fish (I had warpaint shiners in this mess too and
still have a couple) can withstand boughts of extremes in temperature.

I do really like Chip's dry ice chiller though. That might be a quick
solution in a bad situation like I had when the lab heated up as nasty as it
did.

Todd

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
  From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on behalf of geoffrey kimber
  Sent: Fri 6/24/2005 6:07 PM
  To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
  Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- my darters

You know, i have kept redlines in water that got up into the upper 70's. I just made sure that I had good, clean water with lots of aeration. I had a 55 gallon with an aquaclear 802. I would sometimes have losses, but usually when the water went bad.

------=_NextPart_000_017F_01C57994.26F24720 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> Re: NANFA-L-- my darters

Todd:
 
Oh, = my...that's=20 terrible. Unfortunately, I've had a few similar = experiences
when = off on extended=20 trips. For the past couple of years, though, I've
depended=20 on a young=20 couple in the area to stop by every few days to
check = my tanks. I=20 post an instruction sheet on the refrigerator for
reference.
 
I put a=20 small container of food on the cover of each aquarium to = avoid=20
inadvertent=20 problems. Basically, I've = trained=20 them a) not to over-feed, =
and b) to look=20 very carefully for any fishes that might have died, of=20 old
age for the=20 most part, so the = water doesn't=20 get=20 fouled.
 
Bob
 
Casa Sue=F1o
1025 N. Ontare Road
Santa Barbara = CA=20 93105
34=B0 45' 12" N Lat. - 119=B0 73' 98" W Long.
Altitude  = 347=20 Ft.
www.nanfa.org
www.nativefish.org

-----Original Message-----
From: = owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org=20 On Behalf Of Crail,=20 Todd
Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 5:46 AM
To:=20 nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
Subject: RE: NANFA-L-- my=20 darters

I'm going to second this = setinment, and=20 up the ante a bit.  As recently as two weeks ago, I had redlines = at 93=20 degrees.  This was BY NO MEANS a temperature that I was happy = with (and=20 thus why everyone finally came home), there were extreme lethal and = sub-lethal=20 affects, the fish were overall flat out stressed and there were = mortalities=20 among all species, except, oddly to me... The rainbow shiners. =20
 
Anyway, this heat = issue has been an=20 ongoing problem because buildings and grounds apparently don't = respond to=20 "experimental animals are dying" requests over the summer... And = basically...=20 Everyone of the fish in our lab have been-in-83 degrees or _warmer_ = since late=20 April, because the heating and cooling is so fubar.  =
 
So in short... These fish = have been=20 maintained above the 80 degree mark for two months without any lapse = in the=20 high temperatures.  And.. While not in full on breeding color, = they were=20 still quite lively and sharp in color.  While not exactly cool = water=20 fish, the redbands were screamin' red  :)
 
And... It wasn't until I = went to Costa=20 Rica, someone else was feeding the fish (or more accurately, _not_ = feeding the=20 fish) that mortalities began to run rampant.  It was just enough = to tip=20 the scale and take out about 70% of my stock.
 
I firmly believe with a = superior diet=20 regimen (the Piscene Energetics mysis is a key part of this), heavy=20 aeration and undetectable to low nitrate levels, even cold water = fish (I=20 had warpaint shiners in this mess too and still have a couple) can = withstand=20 boughts of extremes in temperature. 
 
I do really like Chip's dry = ice chiller=20 though.  That might be a quick solution in a bad situation like I = had=20 when the lab heated up as nasty as it did.
 
Todd 
 


From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on = behalf of=20 geoffrey kimber
Sent: Fri 6/24/2005 6:07 PM
To:=20 nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- my=20 darters

You know, i have kept redlines in water that got up = into the=20 upper
70's.  I just made sure that I had good, clean water = with lots=20 of
aeration.  I had a 55 gallon with an aquaclear 802.  I = would=20 sometimes
have losses, but usually when the water went=20 bad.

------=_NextPart_000_017F_01C57994.26F24720-- /----------------------------------------------------------------------- / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes / Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA, / visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are / consistent with the guidelines as per / http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get / help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at / http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml