Long time no talk! I think it's safe to say that this year has turned out a LOT different than we all anticipated! 

2020 was supposed to a big year for me... we planned to get married, honeymoon in Hawaii, then go on an epic trek in the Borneo rainforest searching for giant tropical pitcher plants. Needless to say all of that was cancelled. Sigh...

Being home in quarantine all the time has its upsides though. I finally had the time to raise another spawn of Betta rubra and I've been expanding my tropical pitcher plant collection! I posted several videos on Betta rubra and Nepenthes on my YouTube channel and it feels good to be back. I am finally finding that elusive balance between work and my personal life. I absolutely love teaching, but I will say that I would never wish upon ANYONE the stress of learning how to teach full-time in a public high school! The learning curve is steep and the work-life balance is almost impossible, but I LOVE my students and colleagues!

I also started a separate website on my tropical pitcher plants called the Nepenthes Diary. Nepenthes are certainly less demanding than fish - no water changes, slow growing, interesting to research and collect, and just spectacular plants overall. Check it out! I hope to expand my fish breeding again in the future... probably when I retire!

A few new videos for you below! 

Until next time
​~Gianne
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The mama pindu from the previous blog post released her fry today! They are SO CUTE. Dr. Coleman had his timing down pat and collected the fry before she released them into the tank with their voracious relatives. 

Today we had another awesome episode on Selective Breeding with Joep van Esch! We covered a great variety of topics. Thanks to everyone that joined us! You lovely viewers are what make these livestreams happen! Also make sure to check out Joep's YouTube Channel too!

Hello all!

Thanks everyone that attended my livestream on Sunday. I have been having a difficult time in the fish room lately and the stream really cheered me up. It seems like a lot of fish keepers are running into troubles with their fish lately, but the important part is to keep moving. This hobby is not easy! You need grit and resilience to continue work through the inevitable problems that may come up!

​To continue with the healing process, I decided to edit some video footage from happier times. I actually converted my 20 gallon long tank into a planted tank wayyy back during Spring Break! I really love how this tank turned out and it is a joy to have as a focal point in my fish room.

I have had planted tanks in the past, but I decided that I really wanted to step this one up with a new light and try some plants that aren't normally offered in local fish club auctions. Luckily, Aquarium Co-Op has awesome deals that do just that! When you order an Aquarium Co-Op Plant Package, you don't know what you are going to get - they hand pick their best looking plants and try to create a nice selection that will look great in your tank. I got the 29 gallon/20 Long Planted Aquarium Starter Package because I obviously needed a light as well. I was extremely pleased with all of the plants and equipment that came with the package! 

Total list of what I got in the 29 gallon/20 Long Planted Aquarium Starer Package

Overall I was super excited with what I got in the package! I really appreciated all the little surprises when I was unboxing the plants! The quality, health, and selection of the plants was fantastic and I had a ton of fun playing with them while aquascaping the tank. I also love the light and all of the additional pieces of equipment that came in the package to support the health of my tank. Stay tuned for Part 2: Hardscape and Planting!

Forgive my voice for sounding like I've been chain smoking for 40 years lol - feeling quite sick >.< Hope you enjoy! I also love hearing about new foods to try with my fish, so let me know!

Overview of the live and frozen food I feed my fish.

Going over all the medications that I keep on hand. Better to be prepared!

Disgusting worms!!! >.<

An entire video devoted to my little red eye red belly puffer fish! Love this little dude.

Snails need more love! They do so much work in the fish room - not only do they clean algae, but they also eat left over food in your fry tanks.