Journal Frank's Dutch Attempt

[FrankZ]

New additions are:

Ludwigia inclinata meta
Staurogyne porto velho
Persicaria São Paulo
Rotala ramosioir Florida
Rotala tulunadensis

 

[FrankZ]

I just upped my game to a whole new level.

 

[Burr740]

Better sharpen them scissors!!

 

[FrankZ]

All the up rooting and rearrangement a couple weeks back caused a wicked green slime algae out break. I rush through the up rooting to get it done before the new plants arrived. I should have done one patch then waited a few days then another. Oh well it is clearing up. Shrimp love the stuff but my diamond tetras absolutely destroy any shrimp I add, I might have to move them into the Acara tank to teach them some manners.

All of the new plants took a hit from the slime algae, especially the rotala florida. It lost all its purple and turned olive drab. It seems to be gaining some back in the new tips. I did have a few stems melt in the bunch but I replanted and them seem to be doing ok. Not sure what the stem melt is about other than being covered in schmutz made them want to get out of dodge ASAP.

My FX4 motor is slowly dying so rather than just replace in kind, I add a 3500 jebao external pump so I have much more flow options and reduced electric usage.

Starting tomorrow I’m dropping the light intensity by half and keeping the photo period at 8 hours. I’m getting my shoulder fixed next week and will be one armed for the summer so I don’t want to try to trim and replant weekly left handed.

 

[FrankZ]

Oh yeah, the xyris has put off two baby plants and a third is starting. I removed the first two and replanted them in front of the parent plants. This is such a cool looking plant. I can’t wait for it to get taller and fill in.

 

[Koan]

I’m getting my shoulder fixed next week

Bugger, rotator cuff surgery is the worst I actually had five different orthopedists in a row vigorously talk me out of it. A very strange experience.

But I still had to have a total wrist rebuild from that same injury, and pre-purchase of one of these was actually a requirement of one of those orthopedists. It's hopefully standard of care now:
If your surgeon doesn't provide one, seriously don't miss it! it is an absolute miracle They wrap the recirculation pad in under the initial bandages after surgery, so your icing for those first seven days until recheck is automated, almost continuous and completely dry.

It's an icewater sump for your shoulder you just stay crashed on the couch, and have someone else periodically refill your ice in the pump bucket.

My surgeon actually didn't use them until me, but he agreed to go with it and now uses it for all his patients.  It makes all the difference for your eventual range of motion recovery.

Plus the relief is heaven

So sorry you have to deal with this!

 

[FrankZ]

Bugger, rotator cuff surgery is the worst I actually had five different orthopedists in a row vigorously talk me out of it. A very strange experience.

But I still had to have a total wrist rebuild from that same injury, and pre-purchase of one of these was actually a requirement of one of those orthopedists. It's hopefully standard of care now:
View attachment 5063If your surgeon doesn't provide one, seriously don't miss it! it is an absolute miracle They wrap the recirculation pad in under the initial bandages after surgery, so your icing for those first seven days until recheck is automated, almost continuous and completely dry.

It's a sump for your shoulder
you just stay crashed on the couch, and have someone else periodically refill your ice in the pump bucket.

My surgeon actually didn't use them until me, but he agreed to go with it and now uses it for all his patients.  It makes all the difference for your eventual range of motion recovery.

Plus the relief is heaven

So sorry you have to deal with this!

Actually my rotator cuff is perfectly intact. It’s the labrum that’s torn in 3 spots. Two in the front and one in the back plus a cyst at the one tear - which is normal go figure.

I’ll ask about the cooling unit. I did get a TENS unit to help with the nerve pain and back spasm from my shoulder rolling front and my back muscles trying to keep it in place. It’s been a bad time let me tell ya

 

[Koan]

It’s the labrum that’s torn in 3 spots. Two in the front and one in the back plus a cyst

Oh that's great news! your recovery will be way less horrible.

You can buy the unit direct from DME, I did

If your surgeon is a tool like so many orthopedists are, always feel free to push back and make him set it up for you at procedure anyway

 

[FrankZ]

Oh that's great news! your recovery will be way less horrible.

You can buy the unit direct from DME, I did

If your surgeon is a tool like so many orthopedists are, always feel free to push back and make him set it up for you at procedure anyway

I’ll just use my HSA. I have three appts this week with different specialists before the day of surgery plus trying to work full time. Very grateful for my work situation.

 

[FrankZ]

Everything is growing and color is still nice. Even shows up half way decent with a terrible phone photo.

My shoulder is feeling pretty good, although the at home PT is awful. I tried to trim and replant some of the pogo stellate left handed and boy was that a humbling experience. Until my right arm is clear for more than just range of motion I’m stuck just trimming and chucking the tops.

The ludwigia meta needs a trim but I’m loving the orange so I’m going to hold off as long as I can. I would really like to trim and replant the tops but that isn’t in the cards right now.

Rotala tulu is growing better than I expected. I figured it would be mush or burnt sticks by now. The rotala florida is getting some purple back in the tips and growing but some of the stems are gettting soft down low. Might have to ask my wife to do some planted on those LOL.

I am probably going to rearrange things again once I’m more capable. The right side is very tall and the left is short. I guess I could fix that with better trimming. We shall see.

As for the drop checkers, I’m just playing around them to see speed of color change and to give me something easy to do while I can’t do much. I don’t trust drop checkers as far as I can throw and right now that’s about 2 feet.

 

[Unexpected]

Feel better my friend. Tank is looking good even though you are bound up!

 

[Burr740]

Glad the surgery went well, stay strong brotha! Tank is looking better and better

 

[FrankZ]

Bugger, rotator cuff surgery is the worst I actually had five different orthopedists in a row vigorously talk me out of it. A very strange experience.

But I still had to have a total wrist rebuild from that same injury, and pre-purchase of one of these was actually a requirement of one of those orthopedists. It's hopefully standard of care now:
View attachment 5063If your surgeon doesn't provide one, seriously don't miss it! it is an absolute miracle They wrap the recirculation pad in under the initial bandages after surgery, so your icing for those first seven days until recheck is automated, almost continuous and completely dry.

It's an icewater sump for your shoulder you just stay crashed on the couch, and have someone else periodically refill your ice in the pump bucket.

My surgeon actually didn't use them until me, but he agreed to go with it and now uses it for all his patients.  It makes all the difference for your eventual range of motion recovery.

Plus the relief is heaven

So sorry you have to deal with this!

@Koan Thank you so much for this recommendation!! I got one of those and boy is it amazing. Super easy to use. The one I got has a timer for off and one. Just need to change out the frozen water bottles every couple of hours. Now that I’m moving around more it’s a bit inconvenient having to strap back in but for a couple TV marathon it is still my go to ice method.

 

[Koan]

boy is it amazing. Super easy to use

Right? Hey you are so welcome, I'm glad to hear it's helping! Your PT will be happy with how quickly your recovery progresses too.

 

[FrankZ]

Did some stuff today. Major thing was move the fern to the left and add an anubias wall in its place. The tank looks fuller and has more depth now I need to trim the groupings to match.

Hacked the meta down but kept two tall stems mainly to see if I can plant left handed any better. Took way to many tries to get the tweezers deep enough without loosing the stem. I can at least use the scissors decent enough.
A couple weeks back I asked @fablau about getting some anubias. He delivered big time right after I was put on the DL so I’ve had a giant pile of awesome anubias floating in two of my low tech tanks. They look great and did great there until I had the kids help me make the wall. Only downside was all my low tech tanks have duckweed and riccia everywhere. Despite my best efforts I gave my Dutch gonacyphilist. I had to spend a long time netting out that crap as it floated free. I’m sure I didn’t get it all.


The São Paulo needs the old leaves trimmed off and the rugosa street needs some love. I had to spend a long time netting out the aquatic STD I mentioned above so I’ll handle the São Paulo and rugosa later.

 

[fablau]

View attachment 5153
Did some stuff today. Major thing was move the fern to the left and add an anubias wall in its place. The tank looks fuller and has more depth now I need to trim the groupings to match.

Hacked the meta down but kept two tall stems mainly to see if I can plant left handed any better. Took way to many tries to get the tweezers deep enough without loosing the stem. I can at least use the scissors decent enough.
A couple weeks back I asked @fablau about getting some anubias. He delivered big time right after I was put on the DL so I’ve had a giant pile of awesome anubias floating in two of my low tech tanks. They look great and did great there until I had the kids help me make the wall. Only downside was all my low tech tanks have duckweed and riccia everywhere. Despite my best efforts I gave my Dutch gonacyphilist. I had to spend a long time netting out that crap as it floated free. I’m sure I didn’t get it all.


The São Paulo needs the old leaves trimmed off and the rugosa street needs some love. I had to spend a long time netting out the aquatic STD I mentioned above so I’ll handle the São Paulo and rugosa later.

It looks great Frank! I am sorry about the duckweed though. I have some of that stuff floating around as well, and I try to keep it at bay as much as I can. I hate it. I hope you didn't get it from me, that'd make me feel terrible!

 

[SkaleyAquatics]

Only downside was all my low tech tanks have duckweed and riccia everywhere. Despite my best efforts I gave my Dutch gonacyphilist. I had to spend a long time netting out that crap as it floated free. I’m sure I didn’t get it all.

I'd try to look for it every day, when I eradicated from this same 40gal when it was low tech I was pulling some everyday for a few weeks, eventually I got it all but that was alot of work to get rid of it. Now I'm swimming in it, in the fish room but I don't mind so much in there currently. But that'll change when I end up redoing the room.

 

[FrankZ]

I hate it. I hope you didn't get it from me, that'd make me feel terrible!

It wasn’t from you so don’t feel bad. My 40 gallon is covered in duckweed and has riccia growing from everything. I don’t mind the duckweed nearly as much as the riccia

 

[fablau]

It wasn’t from you so don’t feel bad. My 40 gallon is covered in duckweed and has riccia growing from everything. I don’t mind the duckweed nearly as much as the riccia

I am glad it wasn't from me! But if you say the riccia is worse than the duckweed, I can't imagine what a pest can be! I have been struggling with duckweed for the past 5 years. I keep removing it to the last (apparently) spot, but it keeps coming back. I should probably try to put a goldfish? I have goldfish in my pond, and I see them eating it. But I am afraid goldfish would eat my plants as well If you have any more ideas on how to get rid of that stuff, that'd be great.

 

[FrankZ]

I am glad it wasn't from me! But if you say the riccia is worse than the duckweed, I can't imagine what a pest can be! I have been struggling with duckweed for the past 5 years. I keep removing it to the last (apparently) spot, but it keeps coming back. I should probably try to put a goldfish? I have goldfish in my pond, and I see them eating it. But I am afraid goldfish would eat my plants as well If you have any more ideas on how to get rid of that stuff, that'd be great.

Here is the riccia in my 40. Stuck through everything. I clear it out every month or so but never get it all. All it takes is one tiny piece.

For duckweed netting everyday like what @SkaleyAquatics said, netting works the best for me. When I had rainbow cichlids they would it all of it, they left other plants alone but present other issues with rearranging the tank to their liking.