Life is different here, but the fishroom routines are satisfying. I can't sit still with mine. @Back in the fold inspired me with a recent comment about needing to be very hands on with his killies, and I took it to heart. I decided to resurrect my old style of killie breeding. I've been keeping pairs in 10 gallon tanks and letting them breed naturally, but I've lost a few species when that didn't work out. I had twelve 5.5 gallon tanks I was using to store things in, and I cleaned them all up yesterday. I modified a rack and made big changes in my fishroom. It's time to reduce the size. This is a plan I've had as I'm getting older, and have to be realistic. In my 30s and 40s I worked long hours and didn't always have time to play in the fish set up - now I'm retired, but those around me are also getting older, and that has its own dynamics.
So I emptied 19 tanks yesterday (out of sixty...). Today, I remove their gravel/sand, and stack them. I replaced them with my 2 homemade 25 gallons, and 8 5.5 killie breeding, bare tanks with mops. So 185 gallons out, 90 gallons in. That'll do for now, I say, but I never mean it.
Eventually, the other fives will slot in for tens, and I plan on storing 8 more 10 gallons. They're too old and beaten up to sell - the newest ones have 2003 manufacturer's stickers on them. That'll speed up water changes. I still have underused tanks and fishless planted ones in case I get to travel and go fishing this winter.
Reductions can be gradual over the winter. It's still always going to look like a seedy pet shop out in that garage. I always wanted one of those.
and WVU at 4pm.
