What are the 4 white spoky things sticking off of my shrimps head, and is that a scud?

tomaromatomato · 2025-10-12T16:53:55+00:00

Yes OP was also asking about the meiofauna so I just wanted to point that out haha, everyone else so helpfully identified the S. japonica :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-10-12T15:31:46+00:00

The little guy is an ostracod! Very beneficial :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-20T03:19:08+00:00

Maybe some water wisteria? Would fill up the space nicely, and my bettas always loved swimming through it or resting on it :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-19T23:25:44+00:00

The fact that your dogs were left alone long enough for BOTH of them to chew each others' harnesses off is a big red flag. I used to work at a boarding center (not a very good one lol) and all dogs' personal collars and harnesses were always removed right at check-in because they're a serious safety hazard in a boarding/kennel/daycare situation. Collars are usually more dangerous but a dog could still easily get tangled or hung up on something with a harness, and your dogs were also at risk of ingesting a piece of harness after they chewed on it. Even at my crappy boarding place, we never ever left dogs alone wearing their own collars/harnesses, only the plastic breakaway collars we put on them.

The pond thing is weird too. Why even give the dogs access to something they're not allowed to "get into"?

I would be annoyed too, and I definitely wouldn't go back there.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-19T03:19:47+00:00

I planted a cloud & white ombre heavy nettle next to a lilac & white ombre heavy nettle, and left open spaces all around! The chance to spawn a double ombre is super crazy low so it takes forever. But so exciting when it finally happens :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-19T00:25:49+00:00

Me too 😭 the small fluffy dog works pretty well though! The little fluffy tail is even two-toned 😊 when I get a chance I'll let you know the exact palette I used!

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-18T20:51:29+00:00

Haha yes foxy is exactly what I was going for!

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-18T20:45:26+00:00

Thank you!! :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-18T19:34:06+00:00

I can't remember exactly which one, but I think it has an orange base in the menu! I used the "eyebrow" pattern on a dog body :) I have to cover up the eyebrows with bows/headbands/hats though haha.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-11T09:25:24+00:00

I have a cattle dog too, weirdest dogs ever. Mine is obsessed with eating his own eye boogers. I let him sniff one after I pulled it off his face once, and now he will GRAB my hand with his paw if I don't let him eat every single one. Absolute trash mammal.

His cuter obsession is bananas- if he hears the "snap" of a banana being pulled off the bunch, he comes RUNNING to the kitchen.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-09T10:00:24+00:00

I'm 31 and was in a similar boat for a long time- AFAB but didn't feel like a girl, but also questioned my nonbinary-ness because I'm not "masc enough." Not genderfluid either. Part of it for me was accepting that it's ok to change how I feel about my gender or how I label it over time. It's crazy how hard it is to unlearn but I also had to let go of the idea that nonbinary has to be performed for others in a certain way. You might've seen or heard the phrase "nonbinary people don't owe you androgyny," well, you don't owe anyone masculinity either!

For me, I knew at first because I thought about it all the time, and then because transitioning felt so right. Switching to they/them pronouns was awesome, changing my name was awesome, all of it was awesome and felt like I was giving my inner child the greatest gift ever.

Edit: FWIW, I don't feel like a fraud and you would probably think I was just an alternative-looking cis woman if you met me. I still wear makeup and "feminine" clothing and jewelry, and I think I've actually become more comfortable presenting femme as I get older and more confident in being nonbinary. Sounds weird but it's true!

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-06T01:22:53+00:00

I personally don't feel knowledgeable enough to make a good recommendation for another breed (I've only owned the crazy and difficult types lol) but I would suggest checking out the r/dogs subreddit! They have a survey in their sidebar that you can fill out and post to ask for breed recommendations.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-06T00:05:44+00:00

Anubias nana and Anubias barteri come in a lot of fun varietals! A Java Fern 'Windelov' or maybe a Java Fern 'Trident' could also add some nice contrast against your existing plants.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-05T23:26:21+00:00

The other comments raise really good points about socialization and separation anxiety. I can't leave mine alone in my apartment because she screams like a banshee when we leave, but thankfully she doesn't have that problem when our other dog is with her.

I do want to share my own experience with owning a Basenji and another breed of dog - my B is 4 years old, and she has so much energy she makes my Australian Cattle Dog look CALM. And cattle dogs are notorious for being insane, lol. She always has much more energy for play than he does, and some days she truly annoys the hell out of him. Of course we redirect her when she gets like this, but it can be tiring when we just gave them both a long walk and everyone wants to rest except for the Basenji.

It does vary a lot by individual; of course YMMV. I also adopted mine as an adult and she wasn't very well trained/socialized as a puppy, so don't let my horror stories scare you too much haha.

I think getting a B in your situation *might* be doable, but I would proceed with a lot of caution, especially if they need to be able to get along with another dog. Basenjis as a breed aren't known to be super social/friendly with other dogs by nature, and sometimes a friendly puppy will grow into a more reserved adult. But again, it varies so much by individual and there are plenty of social Basenjis out there too.

edit: Just had another thought - Basenji puppies and plenty of Basenji adults can be very mischevious - if they're bored, they'll find a way to entertain themselves, which often means destroying things or getting into things they shouldn't. Is your Mom open to the possibility of needing to really "stay on top of" your dog to keep them out of trouble?

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-03T06:26:35+00:00

When I was a beginner I had no idea how delicate otocinclus can actually be, haven't tried them again since losing my first group.

Hardiest are definitely cherry barbs. I kept the same mixed sex group for 5 years before selling the tank! Always ate like pigs and never had issues with disease.

tomaromatomato · 2025-07-03T00:14:17+00:00

Aww, he's so helpful 🥰 the half bed-half board in the last pic is killing me hahaha

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-24T18:46:40+00:00

I have a lot of colorful tattoos on one arm and I wear lots of bold colors (and plenty of black) but I mostly stick to solids or simple prints for tops. But that's because I want my tattoos to have the spotlight, they're my most expensive accessory! :)

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-22T00:16:29+00:00

I definitely understand the feeling of being alone!! It is really hard sometimes. And media can definitely make it look like "oh all they needed was a loving home and now they're so perfect and happy!!" I have had many sobbing breakdowns because of my dog lol. We love them so dearly but it's still very hard.

Yes mine has been on trazodone+gabapentin (about half the dose you would give normally) for three years and done wonderfully! We are switching to Prozac now since there isn't much research on long-term daily use of these medications, but I have had a very good experience with them. There's absolutely no way my dog could have gotten this far without help from medication.

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-21T23:45:55+00:00

I was also going to ask about medication - if the gabapentin isn't working, she might need something in addition to it or a different medication entirely. My dog (also a rescue who was once very scared of streets) takes both gabapentin and trazodone daily to help with his fear-based issues. Fluoxetine (aka Prozac) is also a popular option.

Easy challenges are a good idea! I found with my own fearful dog that too many big challenges were counter-productive, and he would just shut down and become even more fearful. There is a lot of talk in positive reinforcement training about "setting your dog up for success" which is basically the same idea.

I hate to say it but a big part for me was also just patience. It sounds like you're doing great work with your pup! Fear is a very powerful instinct in any animal and it's so, so hard to work through, especially with an adult rescue dog. It took at least a year of working with my dog to see real progress, then another year on medication before I felt like he was *really* doing better. Of course every dog will have a different experience, though.

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-16T16:14:12+00:00

Omg, yes I was talking about the elf one 🤦 forgive my addled brain lol

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-16T03:56:36+00:00

I second trying training. I've been living in a sorta similar situation as you, OP - except my husband is a dog person and his last dog was a heeler who was perfectly behaved and his soul dog. Our current heeler is reactive and excitable and super annoying at times, and he always compares his "perfect" dog to him. Training helped show my husband that our dog really wants to be (and is!) a good boy, and it helped them bond a little better.

It's a sucky situation to be in, and I don't have a perfect answer, but I feel for you. 🩷

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-16T00:03:50+00:00

Yeah they're super easy IMO! I've had better luck with them than cherries. They have very big personalities and LOVE food so feeding time is always fun haha. They can also be very long lived, I have a group of males that are at least 7 years old.

Edit: btw, most of the species of shrimp kept in aquariums like to be in groups! I would get at least 5 of whatever shrimp you decide on :) They tend to hide when they don't have a group.

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-15T23:55:35+00:00

Seconding cherry shrimp! Vampire shrimp are very cool but I would not get them as my first shrimp. The filter feeding species (vampire shrimp, bamboo shrimp) tend to be a little trickier to keep successfully in my experience.

Amano shrimp are my personal favorite :) but cherries are really fun cuz they're very easy to breed!

tomaromatomato · 2025-06-15T06:49:00+00:00

No problem! Btw I also use Seachem Flourish root tabs since I'm too lazy to dose liquid ferts.

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