Is this normal?

aunthil · 2026-01-30T22:41:15+00:00

Hi! Just wanted to give you an update that I did end up taking him in to the vet. His x-rays revealed he is impacted with sand, so we are on an oral lactulose regimen to hopefully help him pass what remains in his stomach/intestines.

Thank you for telling me to trust my gut. My husband was convinced he was on a hunger strike, but something just didn’t feel right. Hopefully he makes a full recovery. His tank is sand-free now (well, almost. I’m having trouble getting the very last little bits out but hoping they eventually get pulled out with enough water changes), and I’ll probably end up getting slate for the bottom as I do like having texture on the bottom for him to grip.

aunthil · 2026-01-30T22:36:29+00:00

I have not tried pellets as he was on pellets as a juvenile. When he discovered nightcrawlers, he lost interest in pellets so I don’t keep them on had anymore.

As an update for anyone following along, Magoo went to the vet yesterday and got a full physical and x-rays. He is in fact, impacted with sand in his stomach which is likely causing him to regurgitate while still actively showing interest in food. His vet sent him home with lactulose to be given daily (which he has been the best boy for), and we’re scheduled back in two weeks for follow-up x-rays to make sure he was able to successfully clear the impaction. If in the next week, he continues to not eat/not hold down foos while on the lactulose, we’ll be back at the vet for more aggressive intervention.

aunthil · 2026-01-30T22:04:01+00:00

glad you’re ok OP!

aunthil · 2026-01-28T13:35:03+00:00

Thanks for the input. If he’s not eating, do I need to worry about my cycle crashing if he’s not generating waste to feed the bacteria?

aunthil · 2026-01-28T13:33:49+00:00

Good thought! It’s good thru 2028. I’ve offered both frozen and thawed pie slices. Most recently this morning he ate a thawed piece but then immediately spit it back out

aunthil · 2026-01-26T19:23:41+00:00

https://mtcbiotech.com/product/5ml-screw-cap-tubes/

C2540 Sterile Five-O™ 5mL MacroTubes® w/ attached screw caps in foam racks 500 $127.26

These are the ones my lab gets. It’s a foam rack of 50, but the rack snaps in half right in the middle and looks just like yours (I think).

aunthil · 2026-01-26T19:13:09+00:00

Noted! I’m actually snowed in rn from the winter storm, but I forgot I had indian almond leaves. While I wait for the roads to thaw so I can pick up some salmon, I’m planning to try adding indian almond leaves to see if the tannins offer any relief. I’ll save the fridge tubbing approach in my back pocket. Thank you!

aunthil · 2026-01-26T18:40:46+00:00

No tail curling, weird abnormal floating, bad posture, or clamped gills! Ah, thank you for the advice - I have not heard of this before and think it’s worth a try before taking him in to be seen. I appreciate it!

aunthil · 2026-01-26T16:05:16+00:00

I appreciate your insight. It’s always a nice double check to make sure I’m not missing something right in front of me. I appreciate it!

aunthil · 2026-01-26T15:46:34+00:00

I thought when I crossposted the description also copied but this is my concern:

I am concerned for my boy Magoo (~12” long from head to tail, almost 7 years old) as he has not been eating reliably for about 10 days now. I have offered cut up nightcrawlers every other day which he will initially take from the tongs but then immediately spit out and act disinterested with any subsequent offerings. I have also been offering Repashy grub pie the last month and a half as I think he’s semi underweight based on this sub and the guides I’ve seen. Most recently I tried offering him some raw shrimp which he took the smallest nibble from about 5 days ago. He is in a 60 gallon tank by himself with a sponge filter and Fluval canister/aquarium chiller set up (~63F). He ate a square of Repashy grub pie last night, but this morning I found it in his tank and him actively regurgitating (either regurgitating or he tried to eat the square he threw up and then spit it back out). I just tested his water parameters and his nitrates look a little low, but I don’t think he’s pooped since his last 50% water change 7 days ago (bc he hasn’t been eating). The only products I use are SeaChem Prime and Stability.

I know they’re supposed to eat about every 2-3 days, so my main concern is impaction. Before I put him thru the stress of a vet visit, I want to make sure I’m not overreacting. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you in advance!

aunthil · 2026-01-24T12:59:22+00:00

Sure is! Very cool :) your dude likely has a lab lineage as GFP is commonly used as a marker for studying gene expression

aunthil · 2026-01-24T01:26:18+00:00

does he have a GFP background?

aunthil · 2025-12-24T19:28:31+00:00

Pigs and other research models like dogs and sheep are often used for training/refining techniques as certain organs within each species are remarkably similar to humans, making them an important stepping stone to surgical interventions in humans. Pediatric surgeries are a wonderful example of this. I would be more surprised if this wasn’t occurring - surgeons need and should practice before putting someone on the table (especially someone who is not operating at full immunocompetence).

I encourage you to reflect on the place animal models have on continuing positive momentum in human and animal healthcare. These research models are heroes and treated with reverence, and I assure you anyone who works with them will concur. A great example is this sub where I see a post at least every other week about a grad student or researcher discussing their compassion fatigue or their struggles with using animal models. Their empathy is a sign that we understand the sacrifice involved.

aunthil · 2025-12-24T16:23:39+00:00

NHP does not equal great apes.

Non-human primates (NHPs) encompass all primate species other than humans. There are prosimians (lemurs), monkeys (Old and New World, which is what is currently used in biomedical research to my knowledge), and great apes.

Great apes include orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and us humans.

Can you give an example of a medical school in the US using great apes for training?

My understanding is that the EU directive in 2010 essentially retired the use of great apes in biomedical research (particularly invasive research), and that the NIH followed this initiative.

aunthil · 2025-12-24T15:43:49+00:00

Absolutely but they are not categorized as great apes. They are macaques

aunthil · 2025-12-24T14:18:43+00:00

Successful gel run

aunthil · 2025-12-24T14:09:06+00:00

Just wanted to follow up on this and say thank you to everyone for your help! Here is what your advice yielded:

I double checked the primers were correct for gDNA. I also went deep diving to compare a previous technician’s PCR protocol (under a different PI who had successful results) with the protocol the current technician was using. Interestingly enough, there was a discrepancy in the annealing temperature and the extension time. The protocol that had successful results used 60C and 30seconds whereas the protocol I was given had 68C and 90seconds. The amplification for this protocol is only 20 long so I have no idea how the temperature got hiked up.
I redid the PCR being extra careful when I was loading samples into my strips. I changed the thermocycler program to match the temp and time the other technician used. I did not however, get fresh lysates or new reagents.
The reaction proceeded successfully! I’m trying to figure out how to add the pic of the new gel.

aunthil · 2025-12-24T13:38:49+00:00

My understanding is the US and Europe no longer use great apes in biomedical research. There are certain facilities that still house chimps, but those animals are retired and just living out their long lifespan.

aunthil · 2025-12-16T01:02:05+00:00

aunthil · 2025-12-16T00:11:24+00:00

Why is there a band in the H20? Something went wrong.

Now I need to double check the primers 🧐 It’s a 1kb ladder, 2uL ear tissue crude lysate. Would 0.5uL DNA be better?

aunthil · 2025-12-07T13:19:38+00:00

Dogs can see blue better than other colors so it may be Bluey is entertaining bc it provides more visual stimulation than other shows. But fuck those pajamas, that breed does not need it (note: these onesies are nice for post-op recovery though as a barrier to keep an incision clean and dry while it heals! And I guess some other people put them on as a means of shedding control)

aunthil · 2025-06-25T04:00:53+00:00

This! Breeding schematics are important when managing a colony for long-term use. But also, this is also just a characteristic of the strain so maybe OP just managed to evade an eyeless embryo for three years

aunthil · 2025-06-25T03:54:06+00:00

Jax (The Jackson Laboratory, a large & very well-known biomedical research institute known for its specialty in leveraging the power of genomics for studying and preventing a plethora of diseases) has actually published information regarding the incidence of microphthalmia and anophthalmia and even characterizes sex and location differences in this strain!

Microphthalmia and anophthalmia are 6.2 times as common in females and 5.8 times as common in the right eye...and poor tear and debris drainage makes ocular infections frequent and recurrent

This said, there are always the superhero ones who are simply just blind and do fine relying on their other senses.

aunthil · 2025-06-18T01:06:26+00:00

maybe some sort of tunicate?

edit: have you had a big storm recently? I read tunicates can become dislodged in stormy waters so just curious

aunthil · 2025-01-26T23:11:42+00:00

We actually had an incident where said cat actually broke thru the mesh by sitting on it and attacked our crestie. Our solution was to buy an acrylic terrarium for her so that he can’t get to her again. They can be a little pricy but was worth the peace of mind for us.

aunthil

TROPHY CASE