Denizens of the Goldfish Tank

Can't forget the goldfish. The most ideal video subjects, because they won't stay put. It may be cold outside today; it sure doesn't look like that in here. Even the pleco is out nibbling at the algae. I am still learning to use Movie Maker. I am now using the recommended publish settings for better quality, while keeping the file size no bigger than the original clip. That means less pixels. It's due for a water change. I'll tackle that next week.

Now A Video With Goldfish Too

Tank was too dirty to show before. When does it ever stay clean? Maybe after the fish are gone. Did you know the common goldfish can live indefinitely? World records had one living 43 years. All it needs is nutrition and good filtration. Mine has gone through some adverse conditions. Only the size of its environment will be a factor here. Now, I can't wait to get a calico and black variety.

Fish Videos

I was wondering what to do with the videos I took recently. There was no professional set up, but I must admit they turned out great. I was able to use the editing tools in Youtube to unify the screen resolution from different cameras and add an acoustic track, among other things.

Update: The videos themselves was edited in Windows Movie Maker. I used it to split the clips. After I upload the video to Youtube, I add the text and transitions.

Trumpet Snail

Trumpet Snail, a photo by cin_kong on Flickr.

I would not be tooting my own horn if I did not have something worth mentioning. This one is a result of a combination of digital zoom and macro mode. It was too small for me to pick up with my fingers, looks real good when it floated into view.

Snails

Welcome to my snail bowl. This is the overflow space for my prolific aquatic gastropods. So far I have two species: 1 trumpet snail and the rest ramshorn snail.

All of the ramshorn snails I have came from one snail. I have well over a hundred by now. That one laid eggs. Then the offsprings laid eggs. Their offsprings laid eggs. Well. You get the picture. They have a preference. Glass no acrylic. Anything else inside is fair game. I realized that when I found egg clutches hatching on this silk plant.

Despite what I read about the trumpet snail, there was only one successful second generation. I saw no eggs. It just broke off from the tip of its parent's shell. Most of the time, it burrows in the gravel. The odd time I saw the slug part, it was quite revolting.

When they are not eating each other, I feed them fish flakes. Unlike fish, their food are allowed to go untouched for days before they will actually eat.

Since I got them, I have not had to flush the dead fish down the toilet, because these little buggers make short work of decomposing plants and animals, themselves included. Makes picking out empty shells just as tedious as transplanting a live one.

Ammonia in the water cleaner will kill them. I don't know if it's humane or not. Probably doesn't matter anyway. They were supposed to get rid of algae, but goldfish have voracious appetites, so the population has not had a chance to mature.

Ramshorn on glass and leaf.

Trumpet on the bottom