Bettas, Foxes, and Owls, oh my!
Mar. 10th, 2020 10:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiramaru7Last week my betta Fishie went to that great pond in the sky. I had him a long time & he basically died of old age. I kinda knew it was coming as he had slowed down and hid most of the time and barely ate. I gave him a "burial at sea" and did a 50% water change on his tank since Snailie was still zooming around his tank. While that was going on, I had been slowly gathering what I needed to start another tank as I wanted another betta. So I got another sponge filter on Amazon, a bag of gravel & a "moon rock" (little ceramic cave) from Walmart along with air tubing, silk plants from Petco & another tank from Petco. They're small 2 1/2 gallon tanks & cuz they don't make tops for them, I had gone to AC Moore before they closed & bought plastic canvas which I cut to size & which makes a good, cheap tank cover. I do get evaporation issues, but when it gets to about a 1/4 inch from the top, I do a quick 2, 3 cup water change, using a turkey baster I got from the supermarket. (The dollar store only stocks them during Thanksgiving. XD) So all's good. I also picked up a thermometer strip & some moss balls from Petco. The moss balls I shared between my 3 tanks (I also have a 10 gallon full of self replicating Guppies. XD) They help with keeping the tank clean, by breaking down ammonia & nitrites (or nitrates?) Anyway, when I saw a few videos on Youtube about "glo-bettas" I had to get one.
They're controversial, since they're genetically modified by injecting jellyfish cells into the fish embryos (I think. XD The process is trademarked & patented) so they will glow from bio luminescence. I think they're cool, since they're genetic chimeras. Anyways, as luck would have it, I was wanting a female betta, not to breed, but just to have it as a pet, & glo-betta females are rather cheap. It used to be female veiltails were slightly cheaper than males, which are really cheap at about $4 a fish, compared to fancier males which can start at $10 & go up, depending on what you want. So I combined my wants & got a cute lil female glo-betta, I named Daisy. She's kinda highlighter yellow that's been greened down a bit (she's called neon green), with faint greening in her pectoral & dorsal fins. Her tail & caudal fins are faintly red. She's fat & sassy & has settled into Fishie's old tank rather nicely. I put her in there since the gravel is light beige & all the plants are dark green, except for a dark purple flowery one. She looks good against the dark background & while she doesn't glow like she would under a black/blue light, she does glow from the right angle.
When I went to get her tank from Petco, I looked over the bettas they had. There were a lot of "dead" ones of various colors, but I was looking for something light colored as I was looking for someone to put in Fishie's tank. I saw a gorgeous White Orchid male, but $20, or was it $25 was a lot to spend on a fish. Fishie was only $13 (now up to $15). Then I saw him, a pretty, purple-ish red, "old school," veiltail. He was sleek & lively, & perfect. I got him & named him Valentino as he reminded me of a Valentine. He spent a few days in Fishie's old tank, before being moved to the new tank with the brighter colored plants (I guess to go along with the glo-fish craze.) I meantime cycled his new tank by swapping filters & letting it sit for a few days.
Anyways, I was supposed to go to the Family Pet Expo, but Dad said not too with all the corona virus going around, so we went to Petco & he got me Daisy & a snail for Valentino's tank. It would have been her tank, but looking at her & how bright everything was, I thought she's get lost in it, so Valentino got it instead. They're both set up the same, with the only difference being, the gravel in one tank was the left over natural rocks from my guppy tank & the other has an orangey brown gravel I got from Walmart. (It was the closest they had to a natural looking substrate.) Also to make up for not going to the Family Pet Expo, Dad took me to the golf course where the foxes live. We got to see them & he took pix & one ran past me to close, I could have taken its pix with my phone, had I been expecting it. XD
On Sunday, we got up early & went out on the Island to this fancy area with million dollar homes on the beach where a male snowy owl was. OMG! He was just hanging on some junk in someone's million dollar yard, just chilling. :D He was too cute for words & with the warm weather this week, he'll probably head back up north sooner than later. It won't be long before the eagles & ospreys start nesting. I hope the owls in the one park come back this year & nest there again. :D Baby owls are just too cute! :D (I'm also hoping we can make a side trip to the carousel there so I can get a quick ride in. *LOVES carousels*)
They're controversial, since they're genetically modified by injecting jellyfish cells into the fish embryos (I think. XD The process is trademarked & patented) so they will glow from bio luminescence. I think they're cool, since they're genetic chimeras. Anyways, as luck would have it, I was wanting a female betta, not to breed, but just to have it as a pet, & glo-betta females are rather cheap. It used to be female veiltails were slightly cheaper than males, which are really cheap at about $4 a fish, compared to fancier males which can start at $10 & go up, depending on what you want. So I combined my wants & got a cute lil female glo-betta, I named Daisy. She's kinda highlighter yellow that's been greened down a bit (she's called neon green), with faint greening in her pectoral & dorsal fins. Her tail & caudal fins are faintly red. She's fat & sassy & has settled into Fishie's old tank rather nicely. I put her in there since the gravel is light beige & all the plants are dark green, except for a dark purple flowery one. She looks good against the dark background & while she doesn't glow like she would under a black/blue light, she does glow from the right angle.
When I went to get her tank from Petco, I looked over the bettas they had. There were a lot of "dead" ones of various colors, but I was looking for something light colored as I was looking for someone to put in Fishie's tank. I saw a gorgeous White Orchid male, but $20, or was it $25 was a lot to spend on a fish. Fishie was only $13 (now up to $15). Then I saw him, a pretty, purple-ish red, "old school," veiltail. He was sleek & lively, & perfect. I got him & named him Valentino as he reminded me of a Valentine. He spent a few days in Fishie's old tank, before being moved to the new tank with the brighter colored plants (I guess to go along with the glo-fish craze.) I meantime cycled his new tank by swapping filters & letting it sit for a few days.
Anyways, I was supposed to go to the Family Pet Expo, but Dad said not too with all the corona virus going around, so we went to Petco & he got me Daisy & a snail for Valentino's tank. It would have been her tank, but looking at her & how bright everything was, I thought she's get lost in it, so Valentino got it instead. They're both set up the same, with the only difference being, the gravel in one tank was the left over natural rocks from my guppy tank & the other has an orangey brown gravel I got from Walmart. (It was the closest they had to a natural looking substrate.) Also to make up for not going to the Family Pet Expo, Dad took me to the golf course where the foxes live. We got to see them & he took pix & one ran past me to close, I could have taken its pix with my phone, had I been expecting it. XD
On Sunday, we got up early & went out on the Island to this fancy area with million dollar homes on the beach where a male snowy owl was. OMG! He was just hanging on some junk in someone's million dollar yard, just chilling. :D He was too cute for words & with the warm weather this week, he'll probably head back up north sooner than later. It won't be long before the eagles & ospreys start nesting. I hope the owls in the one park come back this year & nest there again. :D Baby owls are just too cute! :D (I'm also hoping we can make a side trip to the carousel there so I can get a quick ride in. *LOVES carousels*)
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Date: 2020-03-11 03:43 pm (UTC)You’re welcome! I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes moss balls. There’s just something about them that I can’t help but love. Oh, neat! More moss balls! XD
*huggles* You’re welcome!Those pictures are amazing! The owl is just chilling out like there’s nothing going on at all. So relaxed! And the fox is so majestic! I’m glad you were able to see them!
We live right along a goose migration route and we hear them loud and clear twice a year. Some came through this morning and were so loud the dogs looked around. Then I’ve seen hawks just hanging out on the power lines and riding the air currents. I’ve never checked out the web cam, but I’ll have to try to remember if they come back this year.
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Date: 2020-03-11 04:51 pm (UTC)Me too!They really cool! And they made me feel like an anime character when they were on their own. I remember watching this one anime where the main characters traveled around Japan by train & bought some as souvenirs. XD So I kinda do want to get some. :D
*huggles* Thanks! I'm glad you liked them! :D He's just too cute for words! I wish I could walk up to him & huggle him! XD And the foxes, I'd have fun playing with them like they were puppies! One of my f-listers said they should have kits soon, & I think I know where the den is, so I hope we can see them! :D Peeps were feeding them dog biscuits & I hope they don't turn them into nuisance animals. ^^;
Cool! I live near a school that's strangely not part of our district, although I've seen district trucks there... XD Anyways, they have a HUGE field, where lil kids play soccer on Sundays & bigger kids play baseball during the spring/summer, where TONS of geese gather. So you'll often see and hear them going overhead, so I know how LOUD they are! I guess the neighborhood dogs are used to them as they don't bark or anything when the geese go by. Cool!! Every so often we get a howk that visits our bird feeder... for birds! XD Last time it almost hit a young tree & the power lines behind it. XD Nature is wonderful, ne? :D You should!! If you do see something, send me the link! I'd LOVE to see it! :D
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Date: 2020-03-11 09:05 pm (UTC)I don’t see them often, but I always have to check them out when I do. I can’t explain why I think they’re so neat, but it’s okay. Not everything needs to be explained!
*huggles* You’re welcome! They’re such gorgeous shots! I would love the cuddle all of them, so you aren’t alone. XD Oh, I hope you manage to catch a glimpse of the kits! And I really hope they don’t end up becoming nuisance animals.
They geese usually don’t bother the dogs, but they were so loud this morning they couldn’t seem to ignore them. What a silly hawk! It just wants to be like all of the other birds! Nature really is amazing! If I find the cam and when they’re nesting, I’ll make sure to send a link!
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Date: 2020-03-12 12:11 am (UTC)Exactly! They keep them by the bettas & since I'm always checking those out, I look at the moss balls too. XD
*huggles* Thanks! Dad takes some awesome pix! I think if I could have my own zoo of cute things to cuddle & pet, I would! XD Thanks! Maybe at the end of the month, we'll see them. :D I think the ones we've seen are a pair & their previous kits, who are all grown up. Yeah! Although, once the country club opens up & peeps start playing golf, I don't think you'll have idiots trying to feed them.
They must have been low flying & a ton of them! Then again, a couple of them can make a ton of noise too! XD Yeah. We think it was a juvie, so not too smart yet when it comes to feeding itself. XD It sooo is!! :D Thanks! :D
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Date: 2020-03-13 02:11 pm (UTC)*huggles* You’re welcome! He really does! I would, too. How can you not adore cute, cuddly critters? You’re welcome! I hope you get to see them! I hope people stop feeding them once the club opens up. Wild animals are awesome to see, but they really shouldn’t be fed.
I don’t know how many there were, but they were LOUD. Aw. Poor little thing. XD I’m sure the little guy has gotten the hang of things now!
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Date: 2020-03-13 02:41 pm (UTC)*huggles* Thanks! Exactly! It would be sooo much fun cuddling and playing with them! :D Thanks! I hope so too! I couldn't agree more.
*LAUGHS* That's geese for you! Even a small flock can be NOISY!! He's got to learn & making mistakes is one way to do it. :D He's make a few kills judging by all the feathers that occasionally show up near the feeders. XD
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Date: 2020-03-14 04:15 pm (UTC)*huggles* You’re welcome! It really would be, as long as all of the cute critters are friendly and open to cuddles! You’re welcome!
So true! XD That’s a very good point. Poor little birds that are becoming hawk snacks... Still, it’s good that he seems to be getting the hang of being a hawk!
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Date: 2020-03-14 06:15 pm (UTC)*more huggles* Yup!! :D
*nods* It's sad they get eaten, but everyone needs to eat & some rather eat "chicken" than "salad." ;P When he shows up as he's got a couple of blocks to hunt in. I haven't filled up the feeders in a few days, either it was rainy or way too COLD to go outside, but now that it's gotten warmer & staying warmer I really need to. XD So not so many birds here, so I guess he's hunting elsewhere.
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Date: 2020-03-16 06:25 pm (UTC)I’m one of those people that feels bad that the animals had to die, but I’m still eating them. It sort of, “I’m really sorry you died, little guy, but I really appreciate you feeding me.” It’s like that with the birds: I feel bad for them, but a hawk’s gotta eat! I’m sure the birds will happily come back once the feeders are filled again. I just hope the hawk has gotten better at stopping before he runs into things!
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Date: 2020-03-16 07:19 pm (UTC)Aaah... I LOVE that way of looking at it! :D This is true! They have,along with the squirrels. >_> Me too or he's going to hurt himself. XD
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Date: 2020-03-17 12:18 am (UTC):D Yeah, squirrels do love bird feeders! They always empty ours out. And we really don’t want him to hurt himself!
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Date: 2020-03-17 08:04 pm (UTC):D And they raid our garbage cans when I don't fill the feeder fast enough! Dad had a pic of one popping out of the hole they chewed in the lid. XD Nope! Unless he was lucky enough to get picked up & taken to Sweet Briar nature center. They rehab wildlife & if they can't go back into the wild, they become an educational animal. But I think he'd rather be in nature. :D
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Date: 2020-03-18 03:29 pm (UTC)It’s they’re way of letting you know that they’re tired of waiting and you should fill the feeder immediately! XD I’m sure he would much rather be out in nature, but if something happens and he needs care, I hope he gets lucky enough to get taken in!
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Date: 2020-03-18 07:06 pm (UTC)Aaah... cheeky lil boogers, eh? ;D Yeah, me too! And since I rarely see him, I really hope hope he's okay! :D
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Date: 2020-03-18 09:09 pm (UTC)They are! They just want to get their message across to you! I hope he’s okay, too!
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Date: 2020-03-18 10:04 pm (UTC)They sooo ARE!! I wish they wouldn't. XD Yeah! :D