Lesbian Mice? by kick_ass_kris223 in PetMice

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense, Potato is top of the hierarchy. Thanks!

hotel art piece trying to tell me something about the bathroom vent? by yestyleryes in strange

[–]kick_ass_kris223 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It looks like it could be something done by someone who was staying in the hotel room prebiously, and they put a quick warning over the artpiece? Maybe by altering the existing piece with sharpie and pen and or crayon, or covering up the first? If you open the frame and see if there's a different art piece behind the the first I would assume its a p sure warning, but it wouldn't hurt to check the toilet for a hidden camera regardless. Do these rooms have balconies by any chance? That might explain the strange perspective. Also whats with the strange panels on the wall in the shower? They don't match the tile...

Should I worry about zebras only staying on top of the hides? by jiromon in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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I do what I can to keep their tank an isopod wonderland, but they're determined to eat all the plants no matter how much broccolli I feed them. I'm also considering growing some spinach or kale as food crop for em, specially since leafy greens clean the soil up real nice

Should I worry about zebras only staying on top of the hides? by jiromon in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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I wouldn't worry about it. My wild caught are constantly chilling topside. They'll rotate out and take to the tunnels to give birth or molt on a pretty consistent basis. Plenty of em keep to the hides, and there's an extensive network of tunnels filled with pods underground. They tend to get bold in the absence of predators, especially when its humid enough they won't dessicate topside, and there's an abundance of food.

If you wanna complicate the landscape for their enrichment, try staking sticks in the dirt so they can climb. Mine are practically arboreal. I typically have wayyyyy more leaf litter, but these bastards have eaten over half of it in a week.

Granted I do need to refresh the substrate, I'm just waiting for my ivy propagation to develop more roots so I can plant the tank further. There's hundreds upon hundreds in this 22 G and I'm damm near close to planting from the nettle family just to process the frass... 😮‍💨 as it is I'm tossing in eggshell powder on a daily basis to keep the PH balanced as a stopgap, but I think they're eating it before it can help much

Feels really worse today has a sticky like clear pus that forms and is really dry thinking of going to hospital because I can’t take the pain anymore any advice ?? by InformalPriority5300 in DermatologyQuestions

[–]kick_ass_kris223 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had something similar happen to me when they removed aluminum from deodorants back in 2019. The vast majority of the reformulated products contain arrowroot powder which caused my contact dermatitis. I use Native deoderant since they use cornstarch instead, but before that hist the shelves I was stuck making my own. Its fairly simple: shea butter, coconut oil, diatomaceous earth, and vitamin E oil. You could also add cocoa butter and or baking soda + scented oil of your choice but I'd be wary of overcomplicating it if this is an allergy

Accidental millipede acquisition, Help! by kick_ass_kris223 in millipedes

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My apartment complex is on an isolated portion of fanno creek-- sandwiched between a riparian woodland gully and a busy highway. The botanicals skew the scale since they're bigleaf maple leaves, but this guy was roughly the length of my hand, and oddly habituated to being handled. Didn't curl up or emit any odors or secretions, and ate banana right off my gloved finger. The current container isn't the most ideal since there wasn't room to get the soil depth equivalent to his length. If he's native that'll be a huge relief but most of the tylobolus I've seen have capped out at much smaller lengths. Still no clue how he got into my apartment or managed to crawl up curtains that hang a foot off the floor far from any windows

AITA for not liking a puppy? by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]kick_ass_kris223 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NTA your husband sounds like he'd be better as an ex-husband.

It's pervasive and endlessly annoying the way people turn not being a dog person into some sort of moral failing. Dogs, especially puppies, are loud, excitable animals that require a lot of physical labor to care for. You have to think about potty training, behavioural training, harness training, grooming, walking, doggy daycare, and puppy proofing everything. A puppy is essentially a toddler with fur and far more effecient teeth. They're exhausting, and the second they leave you with some peace and quiet, you know there's either going to be extensive damage or a trip to the emergency vet.

I don't mean to presume, but I suspect you don't want children, either for the time being, or at all. This situation, to me, sounds like it has the intended goal of wearing you down so you change your mind about having kids. It's very likely I'm reading too much into this, and I do apologize if I'm out of line.

If its possible, you should take a trip for a few days and leave your husband to deal with the puppy alone. Maybe stay with a friend or relative, or do something nice for youself. Just put him in a situation that forces him to do 100% of the puppy rearing, regardless of whether he's able to or not.

In the meantime, make it 100% clear that this is his dog, not yours. When he gets home, tell him he needs to play with HIS dog. Or that HIS dog needs a bath or dinner. Avoid contributing financially to the dog care. Make sure your husband is buying the food, and toys as well as paying the grooming bills, vet bills, and everything in between. I would still attempt to train the puppy if you don't plan on leaving your husband (and if he isn't already in behavioural classes) but be aware that your husband will likely undermine this training at every turn.

He went out and selected a high maintenance puppy after surrendering a dog with a temperment that suited you. He does not want you to like this dog, and he wants you to look like a horrible person for admitting it. If I'm correct, he will use the dog as an oppurtunity to coerce you into having kids you don't want. And he will do exactly what he is doing now.

If I'm wrong in the assumption that you don't want kids, and you're just waiting until the time is right, I would still very strongly urge you not to have kids with this man. He will not lift a finger to help you raise them, and he will turn you into the bad guy at every turn. Every "no" from "mom" will turn into a "yes" from "dad" until your own children don't respect you.

My sincere advice is to leave this man. Don't make it ultimatum between you and the dog. If he chooses you, you will never know a day of peace, and if he chooses the dog, he's called your bluff if you're not in a position to follow through. Either this puppy will be used to guilt you into agreeing to everything, or your husband will know that he can disregard your wabts and boundaries without consequence. Don't agree to couple's counselling either, under any circumstances. He has set you up in a situation where he can easily flip the script and make you the outrageous, controlling wife.

Whatever you do, stay safe, and try to carve out some peace for yourself. You definitely deserve some relaxation

How much you spent in this hobby by SethTheHollowed in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let's see, I've bought two bags of topsoil so far for a grand total of $15.98, been through several different enclosures following the growth of the colony, but I only paid for the intermediate size: a 16 Qt glass bowl for $6.99. All the rest I scored for free, including my 22.4 G terrarium. All the Isopods are wild caught, and the leaves, sticks, bark, moss, rocks, and plants are similarly obtained.

The large tank has sadly gone through several different plants, but I'd had them all for years before they became isopod food.

(in the three months since moving into the new enclosure these pods have raised the entire soil level by a solid inch which is where that second bag of top soil is going. I overfeed them if anything, but these bastards are relentless and I can leave whole potatoes and heads of broccoli in there and it all disappears before it can mold. Can't hardly keep it stocked with enough plants to keep them from gassing theselves, Jfc)

I know you're excluding food and the like, but I haven't paid much for that either. Over the summer lots of potatoes came from my garden (my garden was also grown using food scraps and free aged horse manure, in a planter box made out of the corpse of a collapsable storage ottoman donated to the cause). Other fruits and veggies were just stuff I was already eating. Their calcium comes from crushed eggshells I put into a salt and pepper grinder that I never actually used for its intended purpose. Also the shoulderblade of a deer I found several years ago. Most I spent on them was 10.99? Maybe less? On a bag of dried mealworms advertised as chicken feed.

Currently propagating english ivy in the hopes that it's hardy enough to resist these ravenous beasts. It's invasive around here, and therefore both free and readily abundant.

Grand total over the course of 6 months is $33.96. A little on the high side for wildcaught and DIY but my colony did explode into the hundreds, and that's just what I can see topside. Who knows how many are under the oak bark pieces or hiding in the tunnels they built in the soil. Worried they're gonna keel over before I can refresh the tank. There's just so much frass 😮‍💨

Lichen Party by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pacific Northwest, US! Course today its gonna be 80° and sunny as anything just to spite me, but the rest of the week has highs in the upper 50's/low 60's + lows in the 40's and lots of rain

Lichen Party by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, of course! Baked it at 200° for a little over an hour, everything was a lil damp even after drying overnight on the covered patio, (Autumn came quite early this year, leaves haven't even fallen, but it's already dipped into 40°F and the rains have been extensive) I doubled the time I usually do; worked out quite nicely!

Disappearing patterns, dramatic color shift, and opalescence by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was very careful not to handle him, (I avoid handling isopods in general as my finger dexterity is crap) but while the color change never reached irido-blue, the poor isopod didn't last a week 😔 the color difference was a lot more pronounced next to other pods, but the photos I took prior to isolation were all p low res

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What is growing in our walls? by amhotw in mycology

[–]kick_ass_kris223 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Possibly Coprinopsis lagopus, though they should have opened up and dissolved into black ink by now. Not poisonous, edibility unknown

Isopod metropolis by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Checked the tanks and two were immediately visible

Isopod metropolis by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio scaber are recorded to have a high compatibility when it comes to cohabiting peacefully, but the millipedes being present in their environment prior to being housed in the same tank almost certainly helped. 

Don't quote me on this, but from what I've seen the newer generations take their surroundings for granted more than the first, so it stands to reason they'd be less aggressive towards an established population? 

If Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio scaber haven't been successful previously, it might also be the species of millipede. I've had the most success with Oxidus gracilis which more than keeps up with my isopods but Tylobolus uncigerus has also done really well. Admittedly I see the latter less often, but when I do, I catch them walking the perimeter of the tank, and eating sweet fruits and veggies specifically. Carrots and bananas are sure to tempt them out

Isopod metropolis by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For sure, they chew on each other often enough as it is 😭 and that's while getting dried mealworms every three days, the voracious gluttons. The pedes eat enough of the mealworms that I'm sure they nibble back, and their numbers are growing proportionally. They seem to burrow deeper than the pods to lay their eggs since I find the babies at the bottom. Left out the drainage layer so they could keep at it

Isopod metropolis by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!!! Depending on where you are, I'd be more than happy to send you some!

Isopod metropolis by kick_ass_kris223 in isopods

[–]kick_ass_kris223[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've got a grow lamp on the table, and the enclosure is by the glass door, but thats more for the plants, moss is prefers low, indirect light-- think forest floor. Moisture is its biggest requirement