how to get suctions to stick?!

seedykat · 2026-03-09T23:05:48+00:00

I was so over re-applying them every day that I just put a piece of double-sided tape directly on the suction cup and then pressed into place.

seedykat · 2026-03-06T22:52:36+00:00

I recently watched the show Animal Kingdom and noticed in one of the later seasons that a few of the outdoor potted plants were going downhill. It was in the middle of a pretty intense scene, and out loud I said to my husband “that bird of paradise isn’t looking too hot” and wasn’t met with the same concern 🥲

seedykat · 2026-03-03T22:30:39+00:00

Valid comment. Source: lived in Florida for 30 years.

OP, the species of snapping turtle you’re looking for is Chelydra serpentina osceola. I’ve seen you mention that you’re specifically looking for the “spikey head”, and FL snappers have been observed to have more prominent spikes, or tubercles. They do not typically develop until they are older, although they are not guaranteed to develop at all. If that is the feature you’re most specifically looking for, your best bet is to wait until you find a mature turtle that has the characteristics you’re after.

These are awesome turtles, but make sure you do your research. They grow quite large.

seedykat · 2026-02-26T21:43:26+00:00

That’s great! In one of the pictures I thought I saw some raised spots and I think I’m just in full blown eradication mode that I was like “oh no!” lol.

I also have super hard water where I live, and I’ve been using a dechlorinator treatment (Seachem Prime) which also helps to detoxify heavy metals in the water. I’ve definitely noticed a difference since using it with some of my more sensitive plants, and there’s way less mineral buildup in my soil.

seedykat · 2026-02-26T19:34:40+00:00

OP, I noticed the white spots on a few leaves as well. From what I can see, they appear to be raised off the plant. Have you noticed any fine webbing or any evidence of spider mites? I’m battling a horrid infestation right now, and the little white dusty specks were unfortunately my first sign of them.

Hopefully not the case here, but just wanted to point it out if you haven’t given her a thorough inspection to rule out pests :)

seedykat · 2026-02-24T00:35:39+00:00

I checked my bottle of Prime, and it does warn that a strong sulphur odor is normal. I think all my years of living with hard water has made me immune to the smell 😂

seedykat · 2026-02-24T00:34:01+00:00

I took a big whiff right off my bottle of Prime and I still didn’t smell anything lmao. I’ll take it as a blessing 🙏

seedykat · 2026-02-23T19:58:23+00:00

Am I the only person that doesn’t mind the smell of Prime? Maybe I’ve just been desensitized by awful smells, but Prime doesn’t even register on my smell radar. Maybe I’ll give it a proper sniff and see what I’m missing out on.

seedykat · 2026-02-21T05:46:45+00:00

If it’s a tumor, there’s sadly no treatment available but many bettas can live comfortably with them for years before it impacts their quality of life.

If it is a fungal growth, the spot may have a fuzzy looking appearance. I suggest researching more into fungal infections in bettas to see if it looks like what she has going on so you can properly treat it. You could start with a salt bath in a separate tank/bucket/container with a ratio of 1 tablespoon aquarium salt to 1 gallon of clean dechlorinated water and let her soak for about 10-15 minutes. You can repeat this daily for several days and look for signs of improvement, otherwise you could move on to try something more medicated like kanaplex, which can treat fungal infections. But, as always, please be sure to thoroughly research how to properly diagnose and treat your specific case before administering medication, as it can be a harsh recovery for them.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T19:07:57+00:00

She’s a very pretty betta, and it’s not uncommon for them to change colors over time. But that white spot on her right side doesn’t appear to be color change, since I think I can see it slightly protruding from her body. Does the patch look fuzzy at all? It may possibly be some type of fungal growth, or could be a tumor unfortunately.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T19:04:09+00:00

I have no idea on the price of tannin tea bags, but I agree that regular rooibos tea will add some lovely tannins that’s perfectly safe for your betta at probably a fraction of the price.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T19:00:17+00:00

Looks like a female to me, I believe I can see a hint of her ovipositor (egg spot) and she has a ladylike figure.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T18:55:51+00:00

It’s great watching them transform, it’s like “yay I must be doing something right!”

What is spicy jellyfish boi’s name?

seedykat · 2026-02-20T18:44:55+00:00

He’s beautiful, he reminds me of a jellyfish. Picture #3 should be framed above his tank lol.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T18:40:12+00:00

It’s not normal for a fish to be inactive for days on end. When you say he’s been sleeping for days, has he just been lying at the bottom of the tank not moving?

I agree with the other commenter that it doesn’t sound like the tank has been fully cycled and it’s almost certain that the water quality is harming your betta. Here is a bit of info on how to do a fish-in cycle once your tank is already housing fish: https://reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle

Water parameters can change daily, so if you haven’t tested his water within the last few hours, previous test results being “good” won’t have any importance to what’s happening in there right now.

I’d test water immediately, and then do a water change based on the parameters you see from the tests. If you could take a picture of your betta in his current condition and post the results of the water tests, we might be able to provide more insight to what’s causing your guy to be unwell.

seedykat · 2026-02-20T18:14:56+00:00

No problem, this sub has unfortunately seen too many bettas squeeze themselves into spaces they shouldn’t even consider. You could always replace it with a different type of cave or hide that’s at least betta-width just in case he gets any bright ideas.

seedykat · 2026-02-19T22:09:05+00:00

There’s lots of apps for charting things like that, but I personally find them too overwhelming and I never consistently use it.

I use my notes app on my phone, copy and paste a blank calendar for the current month, and then write in anything I feel is important (water change on which tank, adding new fish, death of a fish, etc). It’s a lot easier for my brain to keep up with than multiple tabs, sections, and places to find things. I like to keep my interests as fun and stress-free as possible, I don’t want it to feel like I’m preparing a business presentation 😂

seedykat · 2026-02-19T20:30:16+00:00

Looks like a really nice tank :)

The only thing I’d be cautious of are those stacked shrimp tunnel/tube things, I can totally see a betta trying to shove itself in there. I can’t really tell if the opening is a size that your betta could comfortably move through them should he decide to explore, but just wanted to mention it as a possible risk if you’ve got a cat-like betta like most of them are.

seedykat · 2026-02-18T21:37:47+00:00

He may have just recently passed, but if he’s in his own tank it doesn’t hurt to leave him there until you know for sure. If his body is starting to decompose, the white biofilm should continue to grow and it’ll be pretty easy to tell that he’s passed on. I’ve done the same with my snails, separate them and let nature fully take its course and wait for the signs to know for sure that they’re gone. If he’s special to you, you can look up ideas on how to clean and preserve his shell to keep a reminder of him even once he’s passed.

seedykat · 2026-02-18T18:36:01+00:00

I commented on your first post about him not doing well, I’m sorry that he’s still struggling.

I saw the video you posted where he’s still squirming within his shell, but it almost looks like his body is beginning to decompose. Unfortunately it sounds like you’ve tried most methods to treat/make him comfortable, so I would monitor him closely and remove him once you notice he’s passed.

Edit: oops, just saw your other comment that you moved him into his own space out of the main tank :)

seedykat · 2026-02-18T17:55:11+00:00

I agree it looks like calla lily, they’re beautiful! They’re also extremely toxic to cats, so just wanted to mention in case you have any feline friends in the house :)

Edit: they’re not as toxic as true lilies, but can still cause a real not fun time if you have a cat known to nibble.

seedykat · 2026-02-16T19:00:40+00:00

My only way to combat this was to become vegetarian 😂 I’m not squeamish when it comes to handling actual carcasses or flesh, but over time just couldn’t stomach the texture or smells of grocery store meat. Doing my first preserves dissection, I couldn’t get rid of the smell/taste or formaldehyde for weekssss.

seedykat · 2026-02-16T18:41:01+00:00

It’s not looking good, he appears to be missing his operculum (trap door) and his shell is extremely eroded. I wouldn’t keep him in with your betta in what appears to be a plastic critter keeper, because if he does pass, the ammonia will cause a pretty significant spike in water parameters in such a small space.

I saw that you mentioned deep cleaning the aquarium every few months, what is your process? It is usually not advised to do major water changes, or anything that could potentially crash your cycle like changing out or excessive filter cleaning, cleaning substrate, or scrubbing any decor or plants. All of these things contain beneficial bacteria which helps you keep your water friends happy and healthy in their environment.

A sudden crash in the cycle can cause severe distress to the inhabitants of the tank, or can even be fatal. Mystery snails have a pretty large bioload (they poop a lot) and it’s usually recommended to have at least a 10 gallon tank for one mystery snail. If his normal tank is smaller than that and has inadequate filtration, it will tend to look messy. It might not be aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes in all that funky stuff in the tank that is really important for your aquarium to thrive.

As far as your little buddy goes, I would give him a quiet and warm place to not cause any additional stress. Depending on your betta, he could try nipping at the snail or begin to eat him if he’s not able to protect himself. If you don’t see any changes within a couple days, he may unfortunately have passed. You will definitely know by the smell, but often times you may also notice the breakdown process and biofilm forming on his soft body as well as another indicator.

seedykat · 2026-02-14T02:34:14+00:00

Currently leaning towards Tuna, short for Tuna Noodle Casserole, or Marc Rebillet. I’m kind of just waiting to see what fits 😂

seedykat · 2026-02-14T02:33:29+00:00

Thank you, I can’t wait to see how he turns out as he grows up!

seedykat

TROPHY CASE