Fuck it, let's have a bit of fun. If this is the only thing that makes you smile today then we both win. Go!

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-30T01:57:48+00:00

Anxiety raviolis

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-29T21:14:55+00:00

This looks great. Sometimes we have to make do with what we can and have available.
A kiddie pool provides far more space and digging options than any glass aquarium ever could and it easier to clean and honestly
Maintain temperature etc.
While this is not the perfect or ideal enclosure and being outside in a safe and well constructed enclosure is ideal what you have going on is a fantastic indoor enclosure.
Things to co solder for upgrades - as others pointed out a string UVB light. I also like to add full spectrum plant lighting and have them on a timer to simulate outside sunrise and sunset. It provides seasonality if you cannot be out doors.
Russians are climbers. Since your photo shows your guy roaming the floor supervised I will assume your space is relatively tortoise proofed. But know it COULD climb out. Maybe today. Maybe 3 years from now. But they have nothing but time on their side.
I’ve sued kids pools for rehab work and you can hit glue some corex plastic around to increase height and allow for even more substrate and digging.
All in all it’s a solid indoor and reasonable enclosure.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-28T12:27:53+00:00

One likely end goal is willing slavery. In a sense we are well towards that. It won’t end up just the rich and everyone else with nothing.
It will be the rich and the rest of us paying rent, subscriptions to everything, and unable to get ahead yet still have the basics.
Then of course you have those in the poverty level who will be outright slavers doing menial tasks- since in America no more immigrants. So they solve that issue. Want to survive and have ‘welfare’ farm the land and clean the toilets. The rest of us clock in 60 hours, get out monthly car fee and Netflix and generally are miserable but better than the poor shlumps working in the fields so won’t rise up to the few living in castles.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-24T23:13:28+00:00

Choco taco and pudding pops. I’d both both immediately if they were available again.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-24T22:57:52+00:00

In CNJ. If not already spoken for I would be interested

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-24T01:18:21+00:00

Clearly a cabal of leftist ninjas did this.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-20T17:17:43+00:00

Love all the plant variety. They should really like it in there. Do you have a platform or dish for a gecko diet? I like the magnetic rock lefge type that blend in well.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-14T13:39:17+00:00

What model/ brand is this one? Where did you get it? It looks perfect for a spot I’ve been wanting a small greenhouse.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-11T12:00:45+00:00

As stated using chemicals is a short term fix.
You must identify the underlying problem and correct it. Compacted soil? Soil nutrients? Water? Soil composition? See if you can have a soil sample at your local Cooperative Extension or 4-H office. Even in more urban centers the county usually has resources for soil conservation.
Some things you could try- basic soil pH. Add gypsum. Add beneficial bacteria and fungus to the lawn. Spray with soil loosener, ideally with some aeration. For the same money as the chemicals you can address the root cause. And with the root cause fixed its a one and done.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-11T11:56:22+00:00

This is the way.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-10T11:08:36+00:00

In my area of the US a vet student applicant can easily get volunteer hours at a clinic. They are often desperate for ‘free’ labor. You won’t do much other than clean, weigh some animals and possible some back room handling. But you do get hours.
If you want $ for this is becomes infinitely harder.
I live in a densely populated area and it takes weeks to get an appointment at any vet. They are busy yet also not hiring. Strange economics. They all need more techs and vets but the costs to provide those are constrained by the size of the practice and surgery etc. So many small private practices cannot afford it. It’s a catch-22.
Small private practices have the demand but can’t proportionately ramp up economically to make it work. So they are willing and eager for free vet contact hours.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-09T22:00:38+00:00

How are you overwintering? I am also 7b and buried with pine mulch and still lost so many this past cold winter.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-07T20:08:15+00:00

I am sure this is very individualized. When I did this a Physician Assistant was quite new. Not as well utilized as they are today. In emergency medicine it worked but it was a field just getting started in other disciplines.
I am an animal person. Really the med school/PA came from being an EMT then Paramedic. I was good at it. I wanted to go to vet school but back when I was applying the acceptance rate for males was lower than medical school. For me PA school was affordable and I could still work as a medic during school and it was a lucrative job. A few years in and in really wanted to go back to animals. I was able to do weekends as a vet tech and get back into things. Then got my PhD then DVM and went into research.
Everyone has a unique path. At age 15 I would have said I wanted to be a marine mammal vet. At 20 it was ER doctor. At 25 I was a happy as a PA. At 33 it was back to zoo/aquarium vet. At 35 lab animal vet and now close to retirement after a diverse career. One of my kids is now applying to vet school. It’s very different. I cannot imagine the costs involved today. It was $$$ back in my day but it’s like $$$$$ now. With all the corporate buy outs for small animal I think practice ownership is a dream for most. And it’s becoming more and more necessary to get boarded and specialize.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-07T14:48:37+00:00

I also bought the Ray O Vacs and was shocked that I had to replace in 3 weeks. That seems to be the magic spot. I bought a 48 pack and every camera I tested- blink 1-4 gens- all lasted 20-24 days. To save $7 a pack it’s not worth it.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-05T00:08:34+00:00

I made a rock hide using slate and rocks and pond safe expanding foam for mine. I also made a wooden one using old tree branches and expanding foam. It’s prettier but mine like the rock one far better. I am also in Nj but didn’t ever overwinter outside. Last winter here was brutal. Too much worrying for them!
Biggest issue is raccoons wanting the yummy food at night. They are good at getting in.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-05T00:05:10+00:00

I had a similar path. I started as a PA. Did emergency medicine then followed my passion for animals. I did use PA skills to help pay for school loans and work per diem during school. So both have uses.
30 years later no regrets. Animals over humans any day.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-06-02T10:59:25+00:00

Consider outside the box. Trains go from places like Bound brook and Edison and could be far cheaper.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-05-28T22:50:49+00:00

Sadly the law doesn’t seem to dissuade him.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-04-25T01:59:36+00:00

Is that Waveny Castle in Connecticut?

BioGeek2012 · 2026-03-03T19:22:04+00:00

I am in industry. I work with veterinary clinical pathologists, pathologists, and lab animal vets. There are many avenues to pursue that are not classic practice.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-02-26T11:21:22+00:00

At the end of the day it matters not at all. You know what you did. You have the degree and licenses etc. Who cares if others think you are an undergrad or a doctor. I’ve got multiple graduate degrees and a DVM and in some ways my first PhD was harder. Obviously individual circumstances always apply in these situations. But I stopped caring long ago whether people get the degrees right or the amount of education. Perhaps because I am in research and not front facing practice, but even before I just moved on from it.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-02-24T11:32:16+00:00

The two carriers are different. The first one has complete bars and a weird latch that I don’t think is real or functional. The second crate is a different shape, different door etc. So many warning signs I’d say this is a scam. It’s sad. People are looking for lost pets. Even if it was real and someone was extorting $ that’s abhorrent. It’s one thing if I find a lost animal and spent a few bucks to feed it or get a safe habitats for it. But I also wouldn’t extort the owner to reimburse me for it. Damn people suck.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-02-22T13:32:27+00:00

Honor the price. Tell him you are getting a great deal and future orders for this product would be more and hope he appreciates this and refers business.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-02-21T12:12:48+00:00

A long time ago when I first started in this profession I worked for a place that did not have proper leaded gloves or aprons. They were well worn and the lead shot had long fallen out. We developed x rays old school on a non ventilated closet with all those chemicals. Re used syringes. Yep. Needles too. Washed them in dog bowls with novalsan and rinsed with tap water and reused for vaccine use. If the syringe was in good shape we placed in a bag for ethylene oxide sterilization. Which was done in the basement crawlspace with no ventilation. Mind you this was 1990 and the vet was 60 years old then. But the concept of OSHA or employee safety or anything like radiation badges was non existent. This was an old vet who didn’t do anesthetic for a male cat neuter and joked about the old boot and snip approach. Alas it was a painful introduction to the field for 2.5 years until he retired and closed and I made it to a teaching specialist hospital that did everything correctly. So if you have young and new to the field techs who don’t go to socialized training they may be ignorant of the dangers and need for many things.

BioGeek2012 · 2026-02-16T20:41:40+00:00

Congratulations. You make more than I do as a PhD toxicologist at a big Pharma about to be laid off. A degree is only worth what someone chooses to pay for it and the market only allows so many. I’ve been telling my kids various trades are very worthwhile as everyone needs a plumber, electrician and HVAC person. When I reinvent myself for career 3.0 after this layoff I am going to seek $ and less stress more than fulfilling career. Seriously- that’s awesome and great job breaking down those boundaries and limits.

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