I want to be a Middle Class Santa

a reply to: TheRedneck

as cheesy as it sound i hope thats what happens ,and with how angry the little buggers can be it will also teach them about life and death and sort of the birds and the bees , i started with about 9 2 years ago and now i had at max 40 of those little guys ,then the power went out and i lost a bunch of fish but the breeding pairs survived . my main tank is about 200 gallons and has about 38 fish in it now down from a peak of about 105(alot were guppies that got eaten sadly)

none of the fish in the tank should get along in theory but its mostly a peaceful affair until the angel fish lay eggs and the oscars eat them

gorumi,tiger oscars,jack dempsys ,angel fish,peacock,mubuna,cuban ciclids one HUGE pleco, a chocolate pleco and 3 albino plecos currently in the tank and im still probably forgetting some. i got into fish through the ex and was mostly a way to help entertain and teach her young daughter . most tanks i got for free or discounted through FB groups and slowly it turned into a hoarding habit basically lol so glad to be able to give some to a worthy cause . the school plans to set up a web cam for them so when they do that ill try to remember to post the link

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

Gourami were always my favorites. Close second were T-barbs.

I tried salt water but didn't have much success. I hear the tech has improved.

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

Haha, I'm afraid I know very little about fish myself. Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I won a small aquarium in a local store giveaway, and stocked it with guppies. Everything was fine, but I wanted some plants in it for the guppies to hide in, so I found some in the river and brought them home. Two nights later I walked into my room and there were these... things... crawling out of the tank and all over my room. We wound up having to disinfect the tank and pretty much the entire room. I never did find out what they were, but they were ugly and slimy and everywhere.

Lesson learned: don't get plants out of the river.

I always wanted a salt water aquarium built into my house. I even priced some. A custom tank, large enough to actually create a self-sustaining environment (meaning never needing cleaned), was going to run about $10,000 with all the equipment needed (filters, heaters, professional setup, fish, the whole thing). At one time I had hopes of affording one, but it seems that hope has faded since I am now disabled.

TheRedneck

a reply to: Phage

yeah i only do fresh water ,salt water tanks can turn on you in a moment and take waaaaaaay more maintenance and effort and even keeping my big tank clean with 3 canister filters some times gets tedious

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

They're awesome though, if successful.

My cousin had one for a while. He put a small octopus in it, which was cool, watching it eat everything else in the tank and rearrange the furniture.

Critter made a break for freedom. Escaped the tank but didn't quite make it to the ocean, which was about 5,000 feet below and 10 miles away. Middle of the backyard was as far as he got. Poor guy. Freedom!

a reply to: JAGStorm

I hate Xmas with a vengeance always have even as a kid ,but i would not be giving to the rich or middle class as they have it all and it will just end up in the garage or the back of a cupboard after a few months and the amount of packaging that goes to a landfill in January is staggering .

Same with xmas cards and trees , they used to be a living thing until some weird creature chopped them down all for a few days of festivity .

For the last decade i have bought cheap computers fixed them up with some ram and a OS and given them to people who would never have managed it themselves ,Ditto with family they know not to bother with me as i really am the Grinch at Christmas and cannot be bothered with all the fuss and noise but i will do work around their homes through the year for them free , been doing that for 30 years or more and just tonight i volunteered to do work in my sisters this week as per usual

Having a roof over your head and food in your belly is all that matters really but now days it is all about having the latest apple or PlayStation and poor families put themselves in debt just to put a smile on the little monsters faces .

I really feel for guys with a large family come birthdays and Xmas with what some of my friends spend they are working for months just to pay for it all

Ba Humbug

a reply to: stonerwilliam

For the last decade i have bought cheap computers fixed them up with some ram and a OS and given them to people who would never have managed it themselves

That's a great idea, I've done it few times myself. Not as a Chistmas gift though.

a reply to: Phage

They are a fantastic invention if used correctly Phage like most things , getting one many years ago saved me from myself and i like to show people how easy it is to get online ,especially the older people who imagine it is like magic and cost a fortune , i recently hooked a neighbour up with the grandad internet plan and a computer i picked up for 20 bucks i through in a ssd for him showed him the basics and he is in heaven with Youtube and his music , the simplest of things can have a great effect on some people like him , paying the first month of internet plus phone was only 13 bucks here in the uk and the ssd cost more than the computer but 50 $ covered it all . He puts my bins out and runs to the shop for me so it was a good trade for both of us , but left to his own it would never have happened .

But when i popped in to his yesterday morning he was like a kid happy as hell with the world at his finger tips now and music blaring out and that is a story that i have seen dozens of times over the years

While I would love to win the lotto, and share with those I know I need it, I do what I can, with what I have now.
Since I love raising chickens and ducks, I have a surplus of egg all the time, even though I do sell some to the neighbors. ( I am the cheapest in the neighborhood, at 1.00 a dozen.)
I usually have several dozen I take to the basic needs center in town, that gives free clothes and food to the needy.

And for some reason only the universe knows, I always seem to get behind people at the gas station, trying to count out change for their gas. It happens a really weird amount of time.
But if I have an extra 2o bucks on me, I just offer to pay if it is that amount or less.

Sometimes being "Santa" feels right, no matter the time of year.

And yes, wrong it may be, but I do hope Karma is good to me, in my next life.

a reply to: chiefsmom

Since I love raising chickens and ducks, I have a surplus of egg all the time, even though I do sell some to the neighbors. ( I am the cheapest in the neighborhood, at 1.00 a dozen.)

I love that. I recently bought some store eggs and they were horrible. They actually didn't resemble normal eggs.
the yolks were tiny and the white part was excessive. YUCK.

well so far they have enjoyed the xmas gifts the baristas got theirs early and even though i told them to not open them one of them did lol ended up feeling bad i didnt have a coin for the manager so ended up giving her my back up carry piece a S&W 642 airlight 38 , it was good for a laugh as most younglings dont seem to know what gold coins are so had to explain to her that selling it private party vs a pawn shop would yield the highest return. and im sort of secret santaing for my friend in ny whos going through a rough patch and didnt have much to spoil her kids with so got her daughter a pair of AF1s that she had wanted and her son a year of x box live (hes a nerd like me ) now i just have to hope they dont get lost in the mail .


if any one is trying to think of any other "notable" causes to do this year go visit/adopt a shelter pet or donate food/time ,go look for peoples lost pets that you see on the flyer or just buy a homeless person a meal or two ,visit your local va and talk to the veterans or go visit an old folks home as the holidays can be sad for those with out families .