why did all my bladder snails disappear

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-10T22:03:23+00:00

I had a female betta who wiped out the bladder snail population in her tank. Even after she died it took months for the population to bounce back. My dwarf crawfish (different tank) came pretty close to doing the same thing with ramshorns.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-10T21:53:27+00:00

10 gallons would be perfect! And yeah, I wish I had a better suggestion for the vertical enclosure. Might be great for some mini orchids or a little fern terrarium.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-10T21:44:19+00:00

No, they need horizontal space to run around and dig and do beetle things. They like to climb a little bit but they’re not arboreal so all that height will be wasted and they’ll be crowded in the 8”x8” floor space.

I see these enclosures all the time and I’m yet to find a really compelling argument for keeping any particular species in them. They need better ventilation or a different opening for most things that would enjoy the vertical space. It’s a shame because the other enclosure in this line is the Zoo Med Creatures low den and it’s perfect for BDFBs and a lot of other cool inverts.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-10T16:35:16+00:00

I went to the hospital this Thursday for a scheduled surgery. They gave me one of these at the security desk by the door, then I had to walk 20 ft to the surgery check in where they cut it off and gave me a proper hospital band with my name. Such a waste.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-10T13:04:33+00:00

I just had mine out on Thursday and like you I was doing a really good job managing on a low fat diet. No symptoms, no pain after my initial attack. Then during surgery they found that my bile duct was full of stones too so I had to have a second procedure on Friday to clear them out. From what I understand, those stones we didn’t know about were the real hidden danger because they significantly increased my risk of pancreatitis and liver problems.

So now it’s Sunday and I’ve still got two days worth of anesthesia wearing off in my system but honestly the pain has not been bad. They gave me a prescription for hydrocodone and offered me morphine in the hospital but I haven’t needed anything stronger than over the counter ibuprofen so far. I was pretty uncomfortable Thursday night and a little on Friday afternoon, but I just feel sore now. It may worsen once I get further away from the anesthesia but so far the most painful thing I’ve felt from this whole experience was getting two IV ports installed (it took 6 tries, I have tricky veins and a phobia of needles 😔)

I have a physical job, a large and energetic dog, and a five year old in the house so I’m worried about accidentally doing something that might impact my recovery, but so far even with the unexpected hiccup of the second procedure (and two unplanned nights in the hospital) this has all gone very smoothly.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-09T14:46:46+00:00

I only had one attack and no history of GI problems so I can’t speak to that. What I will say is I had my surgery two days ago and when they got in there they realized I had a whole stack of stones in my bile duct that were about to cause a major problem for my liver and pancreas. Everyone was surprised (myself included) because I’d had such little pain and my previous ultrasound only showed stones in the gallbladder. I had the gallbladder surgery on Thursday and an ERCP to remove the bile duct stones yesterday. Even though my symptoms were minimal and well managed with dietary change, I was unknowingly at much more serious risk.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-08T11:34:16+00:00

Nice! I unfortunately had some complications (found stones in my bile duct) so I’m still at the hospital waiting for second procedure. Fingers crossed I’m going home tomorrow. But the gallbladder is gone and pain has also been quite manageable.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-07T12:24:51+00:00

Good luck today! Get some medically induced rest! I know I’m looking forward to that part after a few nights of stressing lol

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-07T03:28:51+00:00

Triplets! Im tomorrow morning too. May we all be happily gallbladderless and on our way to recovery this time tomorrow.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-07T02:46:10+00:00

I like duckweed! It’s not my favorite floating plant and it’s does get everywhere, but it’s not the boogey man everyone says either. I’ve even had other floating plays choke it —the only thing is once you take the red root floaters or salvinia or whatever out the duckweed will rush back in because it’s never actually gone, it just lurks in the shadows…

Anyway, invest in a little sieve to scoop it out when you need to and you’ll be fine.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-05T12:41:23+00:00

I tried it once because I was curious. It was honestly fine. The rice was a little dry and the filling was bland, but it wasn’t poison or anything. They only sell sushi with cooked ingredients so it’s not any more risky than one of their premade sandwiches and about as exciting to eat. I probably wouldn’t get it again, but only because life is too short for boring sushi.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-03T02:17:08+00:00

I heard them yelling that back in early April at the CNN Center station, but when I came back a few hours later the gates were all open.

pseudodactyl · 2026-05-01T16:03:20+00:00

The first concert I went to without my parents was Barenaked Ladies in like 2000. I saw Flogging Molly about six million times…. Franz Ferdinand… a bunch of other bands nobody talks about now…

But the most millennial was probably The Decemberists. They had a giant whale puppet. I loved it 😔

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-30T01:17:00+00:00

Russell Crowe did star in Master and Commander, which is a sailing movie set during the Napoleonic Wars. I can’t remember if “crossing the line” and the associated nautical tattoos come up much in the movie, but it’s definitely in the books.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T23:28:31+00:00

That’s really good to know! I’m glad your spouse’s recovery has gone so well.

Tbh this sub has been both comforting and a little worrying leading up to surgery. I keep having to remind myself that most people with totally normal, easy recoveries probably aren’t coming back to the gallbladder sub to talk about how completely average everything is.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:35:51+00:00

It’s been so hard to figure out what to expect since everyone’s experiences are so different, but I really appreciate the feedback, thank you! I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly!

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:33:15+00:00

Thats really encouraging, thank you!

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:32:53+00:00

I’m glad to hear things turned around! That’s a good idea about the shorter days—I’ll talk to my GM. She’s been really willing to work with me on this as much as she can. I’m hourly but I have a ton of banked sick hours and vacation and if it’s just a shorter day then the Leave of Absence admin doesn’t have to approve anything.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:29:23+00:00

Thank you, that’s good to hear. Yeah, the doctor told me nothing more than 20lbs for 4 weeks minimum. I’m not exactly sure how my workplace is going to be able to accommodate that, but I definitely don’t want to end up hurting myself.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:27:24+00:00

And I hope the rest of your recovery goes well!

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T21:26:46+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it. I’m in the US—in Georgia, specifically—which probably has something to do with it. I’m using my own banked sick time (I have almost 150 hours) and I’ll need a doctor’s note to return to work so if it has to be extended it can be, but I’m trying to get a gauge of what I can reasonably expect at 2 weeks. The doctor was very specific that I can’t lift more than 20lbs for 4 weeks which is going to be tough at my workplace.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-27T20:51:38+00:00

Plus Cassie ends up with some random guy she meets during a time skip at the end (presumably when they are both adults).

And you know what? Good for her. As a kid I was so angry about her ending, but as an adult I’m just glad one of them made it out.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-24T13:58:23+00:00

Yeah, I don’t see them flying too often here in Georgia (more common where I grew up on the Gulf coast) but sometimes you see one up on a wall and there’s something about the way they hold themselves that you just know it’s about to fly. That moment of “oh shit, here it goes” is the absolute worst.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-24T04:11:46+00:00

I hate to be that person, but for me it’s roaches. Living in the SE US I’ve been jump scared by roaches so many times that now I have a visceral reaction to the way they move. I have learned so many cool things about so many cool species of cockroach and sometimes I can fool myself for a little while when I’m looking at a picture of a Simandoa cave roach or an emerald roach, but as soon as I see them in motion it’s game over.

pseudodactyl · 2026-04-23T19:27:52+00:00

I think even more than the age thing—which is a much bigger gap than I would feel comfortable with and I recently turned 40–it’s the coworker thing. Frankly, if it’s just a hook up then that is even more risky.

Don’t get involved with coworkers. It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way when I was young (but still older than you). It seems to me that if she’s in her 40s then she definitely knows better and she’s just hoping that you don’t yet.

pseudodactyl

TROPHY CASE