Hey, thought I'd actually make an introduction, especially since I expect I'll be pestering the good folks of this forum for help.
I'm a high school science teacher in Marysville and have been in the District for 28 years, the last 20 at Marysville Pilchuck HS. I grew up in Kent. I had several aquariums in my teens, which were inspired by a 10 gal community tank that my father maintained for a few years, I guess when I was especially impressionable. I had a couple of 20's and a 10 gal that I attempted to have, at various times, a community tank, a planted tank, Jack Dempseys, and a RB Piranha back in the good old days when they were available around here. I wasn't very successful on any of those fronts, looking back on it primarily due to complete lack of knowledge about what I was doing. I just stumbled and fumbled along.
In my dorm at the UW, I brought my 10 gal and set it up with a Black Moor and Red Capped Oranda with I think water sprite as the plant. The water supplied by Seattle was a huge improvement over what I had in Kent. I accidently discovered this when the plants grew extremely well, requiring me to pitch about half of them every week just to keep swimming area open for the fish. I was ecstatic. I finally had a successful aquarium. Successful enough to get voted the best dorm room on the floor in our semi-annual/semi-party voting day.
The next 25 years contained no aquariums. Career, family, kids, houses, cars, pets, all conspired to prevent one. Last summer, I purchased a 15 gal "cube" that I set up in an attempt to have as a planted tank. Though not as successful as I was hoping, at least the plants grow. Here's what I looks like tonight:
What looks like cloudiness in the water is actually glare off the floor lamp my wife was reading by when I snapped the pic.
Additionally, I just set up a 55 gal in my classroom a few weeks ago. It finished cycling a little over a week ago and it now has 3 cories and a very small threadfin squeaker. I'm still deciding on what else I want to stock in it. I really wanted piranhas again, but I recently discovered that some "genius" thinks that they're going to invade our waterways and banned them. Interesting that Oregon doesn't seem to be worried.
Oh well, I'll have to keep mulling that one over. That's about it for now. Good to be here and I look forward to talking to you.
Jeff
I'm a high school science teacher in Marysville and have been in the District for 28 years, the last 20 at Marysville Pilchuck HS. I grew up in Kent. I had several aquariums in my teens, which were inspired by a 10 gal community tank that my father maintained for a few years, I guess when I was especially impressionable. I had a couple of 20's and a 10 gal that I attempted to have, at various times, a community tank, a planted tank, Jack Dempseys, and a RB Piranha back in the good old days when they were available around here. I wasn't very successful on any of those fronts, looking back on it primarily due to complete lack of knowledge about what I was doing. I just stumbled and fumbled along.
In my dorm at the UW, I brought my 10 gal and set it up with a Black Moor and Red Capped Oranda with I think water sprite as the plant. The water supplied by Seattle was a huge improvement over what I had in Kent. I accidently discovered this when the plants grew extremely well, requiring me to pitch about half of them every week just to keep swimming area open for the fish. I was ecstatic. I finally had a successful aquarium. Successful enough to get voted the best dorm room on the floor in our semi-annual/semi-party voting day.
The next 25 years contained no aquariums. Career, family, kids, houses, cars, pets, all conspired to prevent one. Last summer, I purchased a 15 gal "cube" that I set up in an attempt to have as a planted tank. Though not as successful as I was hoping, at least the plants grow. Here's what I looks like tonight:
What looks like cloudiness in the water is actually glare off the floor lamp my wife was reading by when I snapped the pic.
Additionally, I just set up a 55 gal in my classroom a few weeks ago. It finished cycling a little over a week ago and it now has 3 cories and a very small threadfin squeaker. I'm still deciding on what else I want to stock in it. I really wanted piranhas again, but I recently discovered that some "genius" thinks that they're going to invade our waterways and banned them. Interesting that Oregon doesn't seem to be worried.
Oh well, I'll have to keep mulling that one over. That's about it for now. Good to be here and I look forward to talking to you.
Jeff
