Week 2.. Getting More Fish And The Plants

This my cat Willow keeping a watchful eye on one of the spotted Mollies that we have bought,with the credit voucher.We also have bought three more Spotted Mollies,Four Neon Tetras,An Orange coloured Guppy and a Silver Molly that sneaked into the plastic bag because it was desperate to find a new home...

A friend of mine who have a tank gave me two Platy's on Friday a Male and a Female and I have named them Romeo and Juliet.Romeo is busy chasing Juliet round the tank so I expect we will soon have fry swimming round the tank.

The fish have settled in really well and enjoy wizzing round the tank in a line much to the annoyance of Willow...

Week 2..Adding The First Fish And Plants

This is Molly,the first fish we were given by the fish man to try out because the water wasn't clearing and had gone a bit of a green colour...eek.

Molly as we had called her is actually a spotted Molly type as you can see by the markings survived the night so we were then able to go back to the shop to get some more. We were given a £10 credit note for use to buy some more fish,so we havn't actually had to buy any yet as such....

Week 1..Preparing The Tank For Fish And Plants

This is the tank with all the bubbles clinging to the sides.On the right is the heater that we have set to between 24c or 75F.As long as the temperature doesn't go higher or lower than that we shouldn't have any problems....

On the left is part of the filtration system,the water goes up the tube along through the filters and then falls like a waterfall back into the tank.We have also put a layer of gravel in the bottom but by the looks of things we will need a bit more adding ready for the plants...

My Fish Tank

As promised this is the fish tank that I have bought with part of the money that I recived at Christmas.It is a 45 Litre{10 gallon} tank and this is the tank after we had taken it from out of the box.

Stuart filled the tank with tap water and then added the chemicals after switching everything on.We have had to leave it for over a week on a ' cycle' as per the instructions so that the friendly bacteria could get to work and so that it starts to become acceptable to fish and plants..

Computer Problems

Well what a week I have had with this Laptop.A virus tried to come in a couple of weeks ago but thankfully was stopped by my antivirus softwear.The problem though meant that it slowed my computer down so much that I could have hand delivered the emails quicker.

While I was out babysitting last night for one of my village friends,Stuart got onto the computer and managed to put things right by installing a new card to replace the Belkin card that I had been using. He also got rid of two programmes that may have also been slowing everything down.

Babysitting was good last night as the eleven year old son had one of those Wii games for Christmas so between me Jack and Alicia the four year old we had lots of fun playing skittles,tennis and basketball.Talk about laughing so much,really good way to release tension and to wear ones self out.

My new fish tank is coming on well,despite Willow trying to catch the fish as they whizz round and round the tank.Our first fish was a female Spotted Molly,closely followed by three more Spotted Mollies,Four Neon Tetras,One orange Guppy and a white fish that somehow found it's way into the net at the shop and into the plastic bag,we brought them home in.We also got three plants and a small lump of wood that they can pick around in.

This past week they have had fun and games playing follow the leader round and round the tank,first one way and then the other.Poor Willow has been mezmorised with them,though Poppy isn't bothered with them in the least.I went to visit two of my friends this afternoon who have a tank of fish and ended up coming home with a pair of orange ones that I have named Romeo and Juliet.I don't think it will be long before we see new little fry swimming about,that's iff they don't get eaten first that is.

It has been bitterly cold this week and have had an awful cold wind that cuts right through you,brrr.Up in the Northern part of the country they have had blizzards but apart from a small flurry this teatime there hasn't been much about at all down here.I personally love the snow as I think it brightens up the countryside,but I never like it when it starts to melt and goes all slushy.

I managed to get down to the Greenhouse this morning to prick out some Iris seedlings that I had sown the other week and they are now in individual pots where they hopefully will grow on.I have also sown some double Hollyhocks namely Chaters Double Mixed,which are one of my favourites.I do so like the colours of them but don't like it when they get the dreaded rust on the leaves.I always pick off the worst leaves,but find that eventually the plants start to go downhill a bit.

The first snowdrops are out in flower in the garden and also Helleborus Niger,the Christmas Rose.It is a lovely pure white colour and is a pleasure to see on a freezing cold morning.

Thursday's Ramblings...

Well,I haven't posted for a couple of days,well properly that is as I havn't been feeling 100%.I am still trying to watch the sugar I am consuming and have finally finished the last of the Christmas chokkie{A Very large,and I mean very large Toblerone bought for me by my darling hubby} so hopefully now I can begin to get somwhere in cutting out sugar from my life.It is shocking just how much sugar there is in products we buy as well as the fat and salt that I have previously mentioned...tut tut.No wonder there are so many health problems in the world.

What I do now,when I have my breakfast is to put either some chopped up grapes on top or either strawberries or raspberries instead of the fake sugar I have been using....

For my lunch I had a nice Fish Cake which I cooked in the oven,and served it up with potato's,peas and carrots.I found it quiet filling..

As the weather was pleasant with the sun shining and blue skies I decided to go out again for my daily walk.It was bitterly cold out so I made sure I wrapped up warm.I take my camera with me in case I see some good photographic material...

The builders will soon be finished our shopping area so we are looking forward to being able to pop down there to get anything we need instead of having to trek three miles to the nearest shop.I expect that is something we took for granted where we used to live because all the shops we needed were only 500 yards from where we used to live so we were spoilt in many ways. We could quiet easily walk to them. With luck the food shop should be opening next month fingers crossed...

I have just had to run out to the kitchen because while I was busy typing this my apple that I was stewing on the hob was begining to burn so now I will be having cremated apple for dinner to go with the crackers and cream cheese I have eaten already..If the smoke detector goes off I nearly break my neck tripping over Willow as he normally runs under my feet and tries to trip me up as I rush out to the kitchen...

I had a laugh yesterday morning.I was looking everywhere for Poppy as I hadn't seen her since I got up.Stuart said he hadn't seen her so put on my coat and shoes and went off round to the garage in case she had been locked in there all night.I called out here name and expected her to come running out.No sign of her so I went round to the shed to see if she had spent the night in the company of the Guneia Pigs.Still no sign of her.I turned and walked back to the house with a bit of a heavy heart and thinking the worst that she had been run over and had crawled under a bush to die...

Stuart asked if I had found her and I said No as I took my coat and shoes off and walked back into the warm lounge..Guess what,there was Poppy where she had been all the time,sitting in her basket and looking at me as if to say 'Why didn't you look in here first.I have been here all the time'.. I really must get my glasses lens cleaned...sigh.

Watch this space folks...

Saturday Ramblings

Well it is the start of another weekend,though I expect it will go just as fast as it usually does.Didn't sleep well last night and then when I did go to sleep I never woke up until 8ish which is late for me,though not for Stuart.I only woke up because Willow was having a nibble on my arm...Ouch.
By the time we had eaten breakfast it had already been raining yet again for some time.Will it never end.!!!
Went to the shops and did our grocery shopping and amongst other things bought some more Organic eggs as well as the Free Range Chicken I bought last week,I am certainly trying.Tesco's wanted nearly £10 for an Organic one and there were more on the shelves than what there was when I popped in last week.

We were glad to get back home and got the shopping stowed away before having a quick bite to eat.By then the rain had stopped,but it still left everything damp and squidgy,urrgh.

After lunch we drove out to one of the DIY sheds to buy some more tile adhesive and grout so that Stuart could do some tile laying in the new Conservatory he is building.

On the way home I suggested popping along to the fish place along the dual carriageway near where we live to choose the Aquarium I would like to buy,with some of the money I received for Christmas.It is about time I treated myself as I never seem to always thinking of others before myself.I look at it,that I don't smoke{unlike Stuart},hardly drink and very rarely go out for a meal,so have decided to buy something that will give me lots of pleasure for many years to come.
We were in the fish shop for what seems like hours before settling on a Bowl 45 which is basicly one of the round Orb types but is made of glass.

We have spent quiet some time setting it up and have now turned on the heater after letting it stand full of water for an hour in room temperature.Stuart has now added the gravel,though he forgot to wash it first {We both forgot that one} and has added the chemicalswhich should give the water the cinditions and bacteria ready for the fish.We have been told to wait five days before taking a water sample to the fish shopto have it checked to make sure it is all going ok.
The tank is bubbling away at the moment,and I can't wait to see it full of fish.I am thinking of Neon or Cardinal Tetras,and I have been offered already some Guppies,which no doubt will end up breeding all over the place...

I will keep you all posted as to how we get on.Watch this space and Thankyou for visiting my blog....xx