Rays on a budget- My (somewhat long) story w/pics
- Thread starter Clearwater guy
- Start date
Thanks for the inquiry. I'm pretty focused on the wholesale aspect of my tilapia business at this point, but I always am able to assist with small orders for those who find me through this topic here on MFK. I'll send you an email so that you can let me know what you are looking for.
Mike
Mike
jeff lamb;4576139; said:
The other Rays seem unphased. Assuming that no-one had a miscarriage or anything, I expect things to keep going without interruption...but I still notice the "empty space" that Mr Leo should be occupying.
I actually just got back from Lowes with the remaining things I needed to get the 2nd pool running, and I'm preparing for a shipment that will be coming as soon as I am ready.
As for the pool outside, I am amazed that the tilapia out there have been doing great still we've had several cold days here and a few nights in the 30's.. The do need to come in real soon, and I purchased an umbrella net to catch them with.... but for now, all I have done is cut their feeding way down.
Mike
Well, its 2010...but we havn't advanced to the age where a little bit of wind won't knock out power to 5000 people.
Beautiful, sunny day...just real windy.
Anyhow, since I don't have a $5000 automatic backup power system, and my cold-fusion reactior isn't done yet (still waiting on technology), I am stuck here manning a gasoline generator with extension cords running down into the basement, to all the essential life support systems, and then back up the stairs to my little light and my computer.
It's been over 8 hours now. I did manage to ship out 2 rays still, and that was pretty neat too... I was going to postpone, but they had already done their 2 days without eating, and I had already driven 20 miles each way to spend 50 cents on 2 bag-buddies... I ordered bag buddies, but I must not be good with language or something because apparently "expedited delivery" to some ebay sellers means that "I'll ship it out 5 days from now"... So I was able to pull out the last of my hot water from the pressure tank (well), and then use my little digital temp probe to mix it back in with cold water, and then as I'm acclimating them, I start realizing that it gets dark earlier now...and I'm running all over trying to get things into "feeling position"... I ended up getting it all handled, except I took my marker, paper, and packing tape to the UPS center with me so I could see in order to make the "this side up, don't be a jerk and kill the fish" label.
I'd really rather be sleeping right now. I actually think I'm going to have to make another trip to the gas station though.... I'd love to get a bunch more beer, but tomorrow is going to be rough enough as it is...
I did get to measure that I have over 2 hours of battery back-up on the new Tilapia hatching system. That's pretty nice, because I really don't need to lose another couple thousand eggs right now, and it took me that amount of time to realize that this is the real deal, and I'd better get to work on a plan here.
I could go a coupe hours at a time without the generator, but what good would it do me to try and sleep while having to trust my stupid cell phone to wake me up again...so here I am.
I should have been putting the finishing touches on the plumbing for the 2nd pool...Yes, I finally got most of it done, and it's been filling for...well, it WAS filling for about a day. I didn't put the "up-elbows" on the drain outlets yet, so I'm just tricking water into pool #1 and it overflows out of the sump to pool #2. It's full enough now, where earlier tonight I saw (with the flashlight) that little "shoulda got ate but went down the drain to live in the sump for 2 months" Tilapia had found his way in there and was swimming around like he'd just found the New World or something.
I'm running out of brain cells to power any more logical thought... I'm not a late-night person at all...
I'd better get a few other things done on here and power down the PC... Generator already ran out of gas once...and I really hate it when the computer goes "bleep" and it gets dark in there... But thats what happens when you find a more important use for your UPS.
Mike
Beautiful, sunny day...just real windy.
Anyhow, since I don't have a $5000 automatic backup power system, and my cold-fusion reactior isn't done yet (still waiting on technology), I am stuck here manning a gasoline generator with extension cords running down into the basement, to all the essential life support systems, and then back up the stairs to my little light and my computer.
It's been over 8 hours now. I did manage to ship out 2 rays still, and that was pretty neat too... I was going to postpone, but they had already done their 2 days without eating, and I had already driven 20 miles each way to spend 50 cents on 2 bag-buddies... I ordered bag buddies, but I must not be good with language or something because apparently "expedited delivery" to some ebay sellers means that "I'll ship it out 5 days from now"... So I was able to pull out the last of my hot water from the pressure tank (well), and then use my little digital temp probe to mix it back in with cold water, and then as I'm acclimating them, I start realizing that it gets dark earlier now...and I'm running all over trying to get things into "feeling position"... I ended up getting it all handled, except I took my marker, paper, and packing tape to the UPS center with me so I could see in order to make the "this side up, don't be a jerk and kill the fish" label.
I'd really rather be sleeping right now. I actually think I'm going to have to make another trip to the gas station though.... I'd love to get a bunch more beer, but tomorrow is going to be rough enough as it is...
I did get to measure that I have over 2 hours of battery back-up on the new Tilapia hatching system. That's pretty nice, because I really don't need to lose another couple thousand eggs right now, and it took me that amount of time to realize that this is the real deal, and I'd better get to work on a plan here.
I could go a coupe hours at a time without the generator, but what good would it do me to try and sleep while having to trust my stupid cell phone to wake me up again...so here I am.
I should have been putting the finishing touches on the plumbing for the 2nd pool...Yes, I finally got most of it done, and it's been filling for...well, it WAS filling for about a day. I didn't put the "up-elbows" on the drain outlets yet, so I'm just tricking water into pool #1 and it overflows out of the sump to pool #2. It's full enough now, where earlier tonight I saw (with the flashlight) that little "shoulda got ate but went down the drain to live in the sump for 2 months" Tilapia had found his way in there and was swimming around like he'd just found the New World or something.
I'm running out of brain cells to power any more logical thought... I'm not a late-night person at all...
I'd better get a few other things done on here and power down the PC... Generator already ran out of gas once...and I really hate it when the computer goes "bleep" and it gets dark in there... But thats what happens when you find a more important use for your UPS.
Mike
Power came back on at about 6am today...I finally went to bed at about 3:30am after topping off the generator and counting on dailight and my wife getting up for work to awaken me to check things out.
The ray pups made it Ok, after an intial scare about the little one, she "came to life" as she was being photographed in the bag...so the "calming agent" in the bag buddies must work a little better on the smaller pups. Whew.
Snapped a pic this morning of the hatching tank in action. It's been working great so far.
The ray pups made it Ok, after an intial scare about the little one, she "came to life" as she was being photographed in the bag...so the "calming agent" in the bag buddies must work a little better on the smaller pups. Whew.
Snapped a pic this morning of the hatching tank in action. It's been working great so far.
Man, you have had just about everything go wrong that could. I think you should be in the clear soon because you are running out of things that could possibly go wrong. I would say you are doing a dam good job of dealing with everything. It seams you are being tested. Good job so far, keep moving forward and keep your eye on your goals.
And your cat? As in your house cat (feline)? Very sorry to here that.
And your cat? As in your house cat (feline)? Very sorry to here that.
I never liked bag buddies. I had 2 fatalities using them and none after. Rays do best in a dark box, fresh clean water, and a nice dose of o2.... unless of course they get spooked and stab your wrist. Then you want to stab it with a screwdriver, but instead you ship it out anyway.
Clay;4585195; said:
I believe that I will either cut the pills in half, or use an actual fish sedative in it's place... since I have Oxygen here,, and bag buddies don't do anything about ammonia...the only reason I chose the bag buddies is for the "calming agent" (clove oil).
But If I use a poper sedative, I can just cut the dosage way down and put it right in the big bucket of water that I use to trickle into their container to acclimate them. I beleiev that it is a very good idea to use something to calm, or sedate them...not cool to have a freaked out pup using up extra oxygen and wearing itself out in the bag IMO.
Not to mention...acclimating them into water containing a mild sedative will make it much easier to deal with the barb. I was able to just use my fish handling gloves, and trim them with scissors...but it doesn't make them very happy...
I might look into finding some very small tubing that will work instead of trimming...but either way, I can't risk them puncturing a bag during shipping.
Mike
