Jagadeesh's Elysian Gills

[thespinningsadhu]

4 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

It sucks so bad but I know that I rescued and helped all of them and I wouldn't change a thing.

Me, either. I'm so much better having had them and loved them. They taught me so, so much. The first two literally kept me alive. I was a raging alcoholic.

 

I had to euthanize my baby girl Pearl. I rescued her from a puppy mill. Riddled with mammary tumors, infected teeth, etc. We removed all the teeth and all the tumors. About eight years later she got another tumor that couldn't be removed as it was attached to something vital that the doctor couldn't so much as nick. She started having seizures. So, I'd always wondered "how do you know if it's time, how do you know it's not too early or they won't get better"... but, as you know, your heart tells you without a shadow of a doubt. 

 

I'm getting sad, choked up, and emotional. I'd go look at some titties but I'm gay. 

 

What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, they just waved.

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, thespinningsadhu said:

Me, either. I'm so much better having had them and loved them. They taught me so, so much. The first two literally kept me alive. I was a raging alcoholic.

 

I had to euthanize my baby girl Pearl. I rescued her from a puppy mill. Riddled with mammary tumors, infected teeth, etc. We removed all the teeth and all the tumors. About eight years later she got another tumor that couldn't be removed as it was attached to something vital that the doctor couldn't so much as nick. She started having seizures. So, I'd always wondered "how do you know if it's time, how do you know it's not too early or they won't get better"... but, as you know, your heart tells you without a shadow of a doubt. 

 

I'm getting sad, choked up, and emotional. I'd go look at some titties but I'm gay. 

 

What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing, they just waved.

 

 

 

[thespinningsadhu]

6 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Grey Gardens, mother darling!

oh. my. GAWD.

 

We are ####ing SOUL MATES. I'm touched in some very deep places right now...

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, thespinningsadhu said:

oh. my. GAWD.

 

We are ####ing SOUL MATES. I'm touched in some very deep places right now...

I love the original documentary and I love the HBO movie too.  They were so fascinating.  I mean, wtf. 

[thespinningsadhu]

14 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

I understand your situation.

 

In the beginning the tank takes all your time and thought. Its never ending.

Then you get to a point where it doesn't, its mostly about maintenance.

 

I did find that I let go of my other interests as well. I stopped playing piano and my art/crafts/reading was put on the back burner.

 

I am now at the point where I am starting up my other interests because the tanks need less of my time.

 

Getting to that point is about getting the tank to that stage and controlling our obseessiveness...

 

I too am an animal lover. I have 3 cats, 1 that passed last yr.  They are my babies.

 

I hope all is well with your fur babies.

 

 

Lol. 

 

I get calmed as well. Takes me away from everything else.

 

I too every night am spying my tank between 2am and 3am. 

You've been such a great source of sound advice and information. 

 

I just lay here and stare at the tank. I'm up at three a.m. checking on the rose bubble. I tell myself "Why don't you draw and paint the tank inhabitants?" as I lay there and stare at the tank. I used to play them songs and sing while I was staring. But mindless picking doesn't equal practice. 

 

I seriously don't want to give it up. But I've learned to listen to that voice that gives me the warning "stop now". I've not heeded too many times in my life and it always ends badly. 

 

Honestly, one of the straws that broke my back was one of your comments the other night about Hawaiian black sand and how it's awful for trapping stuff. I'd already paid for and ordered it and I'm all SHIT. I don't want to replace pretty substrate that traps detritus with pretty substrate that traps detritus. LOL

 

6 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

I love the original documentary and I love the HBO movie too.  They were so fascinating.  I mean, wtf. 

Yes! The original doc is my fave!! And Drew Barrymore did such a good job. 

[WV Reefer]

7 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

You've been such a great source of sound advice and information. 

 

I just lay here and stare at the tank. I'm up at three a.m. checking on the rose bubble. I tell myself "Why don't you draw and paint the tank inhabitants?" as I lay there and stare at the tank. I used to play them songs and sing while I was staring. But mindless picking doesn't equal practice. 

 

I seriously don't want to give it up. But I've learned to listen to that voice that gives me the warning "stop now". I've not heeded too many times in my life and it always ends badly. 

 

Honestly, one of the straws that broke my back was one of your comments the other night about Hawaiian black sand and how it's awful for trapping stuff. I'd already paid for and ordered it and I'm all SHIT. I don't want to replace pretty substrate that traps detritus with pretty substrate that traps detritus. LOL

 

Yes! The original doc is my fave!! And Drew Barrymore did such a good job. 

Drew Barrymore was sooo good. A lot of people didn't like it but I thought it was pretty damn good. 

 

"This is gonna be my big chance!"

 

 

 

As for the reefs......you know  best how to balance your life.  I certainly don't want you going on a bender over a fish tank!

 

I sing acoustic jams to my pets in the evenings while gazing at my tanks.  If I could paint or draw I would but that would just turn out gross. 

[Weetabix7]

19 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

I'm no good, but I love it. I'll share one. I make myself share them on Instagram as a lesson in imperfection. All my life I've never shared or performed if I didn't think it was perfect. 

 

I like to recreate loteria cards as an exercise. 

 

I keep a journal (several)

 

 

and if anyone knows my latest muse without looking at the tags and description then we are soul mates.

 

 

 

 

 

I like this, you have talent!!!

You sound to me like a Perfectionist. 

I am one myself, and it seems to me that that personality type tends to be drawn to this hobby and also tends to be the ones who stick with it long-term. 

As a Perfectionist, I gotta tell you..... you need to leave yourself room to breathe and room for error. 

I probably wouldn't be so intrusive as to say this in person, but seeing as how we're online & stuff I can get away with it. 

I will leave you with a quote from Robert Pirsig, who wrote Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

   "It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.... The only Zen you find on the top of the mountains is the Zen you bring up there."

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

I like this, you have talent!!!

You sound to me like a Perfectionist. 

I am one myself, and it seems to me that that personality type tends to be drawn to this hobby and also tends to be the ones who stick with it long-term. 

As a Perfectionist, I gotta tell you..... you need to leave yourself room to breathe and room for error. 

I probably wouldn't be so intrusive as to say this in person, but seeing as how we're online & stuff I can get away with it. 

I will leave you with a quote from Robert Pirsig, who wrote Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

   "It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.... The only Zen you find on the top of the mountains is the Zen you bring up there."

Yes !

[thespinningsadhu]

1 minute ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

I like this, you have talent!!!

You sound to me like a Perfectionist. 

I am one myself, and it seems to me that that personality type tends to be drawn to this hobby and also tends to be the ones who stick with it long-term. 

As a Perfectionist, I gotta tell you..... you need to leave yourself room to breathe and room for error. 

I probably wouldn't be so intrusive as to say this in person, but seeing as how we're online & stuff I can get away with it. 

I will leave you with a quote from Robert Pirsig, who wrote Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

   "It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.... The only Zen you find on the top of the mountains is the Zen you bring up there."

You got me misty again. Dammit.

[Weetabix7]

5 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

You got me misty again. Dammit.

 

That's one of the dangers with us overly sensitive Perfectionist types. 

Yah, yah, prob bad grammar, whatev, lol. 

Here, have a  and then do this, it'll make you feel better:  

You might look a little weird too, but that's ok, people like us are expected to do stuff like that & we can't disappoint the masses. 

[thespinningsadhu]

So, here's Dump Truck today. His belly doesn't look as distended and he kept pooping and pooping last night. He poops funny. He wiggles his whole body to do it. 

 

 

 

 

[Lula_Mae]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

So, here's Dump Truck today. His belly doesn't look as distended and he kept pooping and pooping last night. He poops funny. He wiggles his whole body to do it. 

 

 

 

 

The question is, does he hold his breath, turn red, and grunt when he poops the way babies do?

 

P.S. We will miss you!

[seabass]

Such a nice tank.  Somebody will be lucky to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

[thespinningsadhu]

2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

P.S. We will miss you!

I don't think I'll run away - I've made friends and I like to look at your tanks. I just won't participate as I will have nothing to offer.

2 minutes ago, seabass said:

I'm dead. Dead in the floor. How am I even typing?

[Weetabix7]

12 minutes ago, seabass said:

Such a nice tank.  Somebody will be lucky to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Weetabix7]

26 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

So, here's Dump Truck today. His belly doesn't look as distended and he kept pooping and pooping last night. He poops funny. He wiggles his whole body to do it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I honestly think he may have been getting overfed. 

Anglers are super cool, but they're not the easiest fish to care for and they're not for everyone. 

Sometimes you do absolutely everything right and still lose them. 

Also, my very first Angler (who was named Daffodil) was exactly the same type and coloration as Dump Truck. 

[WV Reefer]

19 minutes ago, seabass said:

Such a nice tank.  Somebody will be lucky to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 Lmfao

[Lugmos12]

1 hour ago, WV Reefer said:

For me it calms my mind..........

 

 

But that doesn't mean I'm not a freak, standing over the tank with a flashlight at 3am. lol

this made me laugh so f***ng hard LOL

 

 

 

@thespinningsadhu    hope everything turns out well for your babies! what will you be doing in India?

 

I'm new to the hobby as well and have become obsessed with the rockwork not looking like i imagine it, the corals, the water. it's obsessive for sure. But i'm hoping it will plateau.

 

 

[thespinningsadhu]

54 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

I honestly think he may have been getting overfed. 

Anglers are super cool, but they're not the easiest fish to care for and they're not for everyone. 

Sometimes you do absolutely everything right and still lose them. 

Also, my very first Angler (who was named Daffodil) was exactly the same type and coloration as Dump Truck. 

Here's the thing... I'm open to that being the reason... another expert told me the same thing privately. I just don't see how it's possible. I can count on two hands the shrimp that I've fed him. All sexy shrimp accounted for. All crabs. The only time I I could have possibly overfed (because it was in one day) was when I fed him two tiny chromis. I mean tiny. I got him 14 days ago. So, ten shrimp and two chromis in two weeks. It very well could have been too much, but I was following all the things I read - a couple of shrimp three to four times a week.  You know, when you look at it like that - it was overfeeding maybe. 12 food items in 12 days (because he didn't eat yesterday or today).  But he always, always had his lure out fishing. I took that to mean he was a good level of hungry. 

46 minutes ago, Lugmos12 said:

what will you be doing in India

It's where my guru's ashram is. I've always been attracted to the monastic life. I'll go over there and chase after enlightenment. I know I can do that here, but there feels like home more than home does. 

[fishfreak0114]

Well, I'm sad to see you leaving the hobby, I've enjoyed following your journey, but you know what's best.  I totally get how reefs can drown out the other hobbies, I used to read lots, play video games, occasionally art, now I spend a ton of time on NR, and reading about fish, and worrying about the tank, staring at the tank, taking pictures of the tank, shining a flashlight on everything after lights out.  But I don't mind it. 

 

This hobby is an obsession.  I mean, I'm a prime example of how fishkeeping in  general gives a person serious MTS.  First it was a 5g.  Added a 10g, a 3g, a 29g reef.  Followed by a 26, a 45g, and now I'm trying to convince my mom for a 2nd salt, an EVO 5.  I mean, I'll take this addiction over drugs, but I think drugs would be cheaper  

 

I love your art btw!  And I hope you enjoy India whenever you end up there

[thespinningsadhu]

45 minutes ago, fishfreak0114 said:

I love your art btw!  And I hope you enjoy India whenever you end up there

Thanks. ?

 

I'm not gone yet. I still have to take care of the tank and its critters until it sells. 

[Weetabix7]

7 minutes ago, thespinningsadhu said:

Thanks. ?

 

I'm not gone yet. i still have to take care of the tank and it's critters until it sells. 

 

I love what you are planning to pursue in India, hope you find what you're looking for. 

Do you have any kind of timeframe on that?

I would think you'd have a lot of stuff you'd need to wrap up and get in order here. 

[thespinningsadhu]

21 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

Do you have any kind of timeframe on that?

When my pooter scooters leave the body, which is, I hope, gonna be many more years. They're little dogs so I'm shooting for 17.

[thespinningsadhu]

Well, ya'll, Dump Truck is dead. 

 

I just walked in and I checked on him and he was clearly stressing. He appeared to be stuck between a rock and the aquarium wall. I nudged him loose with a chopstick. He swam to the front of the tank and then died. 

 

His gills have been still for ten for ten minutes now, but I'll give it another five before I remove him. 

 

Thanks for everyone's help and concern. 

[Madcat]

 I was dreading this update. I'm so sorry.