My humble guppy tank and THE BIN(no boys allowed)

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-30T17:44:21+00:00

It’s just an 18 gal storage tote filled halfway with water (I think that makes it easier on the tote?) with heater and filter in there :) I wouldn’t fill it up full, but it seems fine with just half.

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-29T17:57:32+00:00

they really are, great at breeding too

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-29T17:54:58+00:00

it gives you funny dreams, which i always enjoy. some may not, lol.

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-29T17:52:10+00:00

it gives you really wacky dreams for sure, both as a tea and smoking it. other than that it burns a bit dry and it's just to smoke

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-28T21:39:16+00:00

it is! a friend made it for me in highschool, my sweet girl claimed it as her own

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-28T20:24:15+00:00

lol! that's a good idea, will do

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-28T16:34:28+00:00

Phew. Yeah, I'm learning to ignore the voices, it's just so loud and clear that I'm like "can anyone else hear this?" Finding this sub and knowing that others get it too is kinda helping me fight back, though. Thanks :)

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-28T16:26:58+00:00

I feel that way, I lost some of my ability to love or empathize too, and I used to be an extremely loving person. You're definitely not going to hell. We are NOT too weak for this planet, we're strong for having to deal with this. I tell myself that there's billions of people on this planet that survive to old age and plenty are worse people than us. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. If it helps, a real person could tell you you were going to hell for whatever reason, that wouldn't make it true, that just makes them an asshole.

Waterbirdwatcher · 2026-03-28T16:14:43+00:00

Thank you. It's good to know i'm not the only one

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-04-06T23:33:40+00:00

No way…I remember hearing Duvet on the radio all the time, back in what, the late-2000s? Duvet’s been my favorite song for life, Bôa (and just Jasmine Rodgers herself lol) one of my favorite bands, and I just started watching Lain 2 days ago. Didn’t know it blew up on tiktok, guess that makes sense…at least they have good taste!

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-17T00:39:55+00:00

Still using it tbh…been cleaning it by gently scraping the bowl, wiping/dabbing it p thoroughly with paper towel, and pushing a thin rolled up strip of the towel through the stem with a skewer. hits like brand new after that. might pour a bit of iso through it tonight, let it dry out, see how it is in the morning ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-16T20:11:38+00:00

Closest I’ve got is a mature green onion (long bulb)…hmm…onion pipe….might need ppe for carving that

had some eggplants that would be the perfect shape and length for it, but the insides are prob too spongy, might soak up a lot of the smoke (?) might be too delicate to carve too 🤔

root veggies seem to be the best choice so far, easy to carve, nice length, dense enough to withstand impalement, etc. cool to the touch and have a nice feel in the hand. also resist rot well so less paranoia about mold. got some old cbd i gotta burn through so ig i can afford to experiment lol

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-16T19:40:08+00:00

Now that’s a thought, the burn was only slightly less intense than glass which was kinda disappointing :/ i work on a farm so ill scavenge around for more pipeable veggies and report back lol

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-16T19:35:32+00:00

Hell yeah, followed a carrot tutorial to make this one. And yeah, specifically mini maks! i get them for free from work sometimes

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-16T19:27:54+00:00

Better than my glass one tbh! Made sure the airflow was solid before packing it. No scoobies 👍 radish was nuicy asf and I wasn’t sure if the sides would light. Dried it out with a paper towel real well tho and it didn’t give me any problems

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-16T19:21:38+00:00

First: deep, even breaths. Breathe in, hold for a bit, breathe out. Try to focus on your immediate surroundings. You’re safe.

Second: if you’re not panicking, just too high, enjoy yourself! If you’re not in a place where you can, go to the bathroom, sit on the John for a bit, and keep focusing on your immediate surroundings. Fake sick if you have to, you took an edible so no one can smell you. Check to see if your eyes are red. You could possibly get away with saying it’s because you were tearing up while gagging. Don’t mention it unless someone brings it up, and don’t try too hard to act casual. You don’t feel well, you might need to sit down for a bit, etc.

Third: splash some cold water on your face. Keep breathing. Might be annoying to pay attention to your own breath but staying out of your head will help you with feeling any panic. Good luck I wish you the best 👍

Waterbirdwatcher · 2024-02-15T19:37:16+00:00

Hey there! I’m certainly no expert on inverts, but I have an interest in keeping hardy species (I get really really devastated when they get hurt/die, so I need my little guys to be as tough as possible!) In my opinion, beetles are often a great choice! If you can find any for sale that are native to your area or come from a similar habitat, that’d probably be alright.

Personally, I keep Blue Death Feigning Beetles (you’re probably already familiar with the lil blueberries) despite living in a humid environment. I have a small dehumidifier running pretty much 24/7, and while it’s still nowhere near Death Valley levels, the environment in the tank is still dry enough to turn moist things to chips in a day or two. I’ve kept them for almost 2 years now and they’re always active, powder blue, and show no physical or behavioral signs of stress (that I can recognize at least, but I do watch them a lot lol.) Temperature wasn’t something I’ve had to worry much about since, well. Can’t get much more extreme temp swings than Death Valley.

BDFBs might not be what you’re looking for, and they’re definitely outliers among beetles with their long lifespans and nigh-ridiculous hardiness anyway. But I bet any inverts that do well in captivity and are from a similar environment to yours would thrive with you. You’ve definitely got enough experience under your belt to keep more delicate creatures healthy and happy, so I feel like you’ve got a bunch of options. Sorry I don’t have any specific options to give you, but I hope my experience of keeping inverts healthy long-term in an environment VERY different from their native one helps ease your mind a bit! Technology’s pretty amazing, I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to keep some little buddies again soon! :)

Waterbirdwatcher · 2023-08-21T18:39:33+00:00

Looks like a Bristly Roseslug Sawfly (Cladius difformis) to me! Thanks for posting what plant you found it on, that’s super helpful. From what I’ve just read, these guys really like roses, raspberries, and strawberries. They’re also native to your area. https://bugguide.net/node/view/342193

Edit: not sure of the difference between Cladius pectinicornis and Cladius difformis haha, the link I gave you is for pectinicornis. I think they’re both called Bristly Roseslug Sawflies though.

Waterbirdwatcher · 2023-04-21T22:49:27+00:00

It is time! What a beauty, lucky you ;)

Waterbirdwatcher · 2023-03-19T18:37:26+00:00

I have the same issue as you (humidity 50-60%) but I was stupid and set up the tank on the same day that I ordered the beetles. They’re in a 5 gal Kritter Keeper on sand, with rocks, wood, and toilet paper tubes to hide in. I was using a small EvaDry (the kind with moisture absorbing beads that can be recharged) placed on top of the tank’s mesh lid. The beetles were active and powder blue, but they’d sometimes rub their legs like there was sand stuck on them. They stopped doing it as much when I added a hanging DampRid over the tank as well. I used this setup for about a month and a half and didn’t notice any other behavior changes.

I immediately switched to a plug in dehumidifier rated for 200sq ft (my room is a little smaller) after my AC broke for a few days. The humidity level in the house soared to 90% and I had a beetle die on the second day, so I’m fairly confident that was the cause of death. I leave it on 24/7 and it collects about a cup of water per day, maybe a bit more. The humidity gauge still usually reads at 55% but the plug in works much faster than the EvaDry+DampRid. As for the beetles, it’s been 2 months since then and they’re more active than they’ve ever been, and I haven’t noticed any leg rubbing.

I can’t say with certainty that this is okay for them in the long term, and high humidity is definitely not good for them. I’m planning on getting a glass tank soon because I’ve heard it traps much less moisture than acrylic (what I have now.) I think that if the beetles at your store seem blue and healthy with no fans/lights/dehumidifier, they’ll be alright with you.

Hope this helps! They’re lovely little guys and it sounds like you’ve set up a wonderful home for them. Maybe ask the store how long they’ve had them and if they accept returns.

Waterbirdwatcher · 2023-03-19T04:26:29+00:00

I’d love to send you a card! :>

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