A bacterial explosion has struck our 40-gallon fish tank. I was a fish geek; then I lived without a tank until five or six years ago. Maria and I have both enjoyed the fish, and she has come to love the snails and writes about them all the time.
In the past week, there has been a striking bacterial bloom.
Sometimes new tanks get this if the water mix is off-balance, sometimes older tanks get it when bacteria builds up in the gravel or corners. It is rarely fatal to fish, but it can be a tricky process getting the tank to clear.
I’m adding fresh water every day, inserting medicines and probiotics into the water, changing the filter regularly. I have some good and tested fish gurus who advise me.
The bloom is beautiful in its own eerie way, and if I stay at it, which I will, it should start to clear up in a few days. I like having a fish tank again, I find it challenging and calming.
But the fish tank eco-system is fragile and complicated, and it is always challenging. I suppose that’s what I like about it. Fish and snails are all doing well.
The thing I love about life is that no two days are ever the same.
Yesterday, I got a warning light on the Toyota Rav dashboard, it signaled a tire with low air pressure. As it happens, I was driving by Rishinki’s Automotive, our regular garage mechanic.
I pulled in, showed him the warning light, and he told me to stay put and got his air pressure house. Each one of the four tires needed some air and he filled each one and the warning light went off.
Clint wouldn’t take any money for his immediate and effective response and seven minutes after the warning light came on, it was off. I shuddered to think what this would have meant if I were still living in New York or New Jersey.
I love my small town, and I love the flow of life here. We are different, and often disagree, but we live close together and remain a community. We are there for one another when we need help.
I won’t forget the three big men in trucks who rushed over to my car as it hung over a ravine last winter and pulled me out of it. They never asked who I voted for, they just came to help.
You’re wrong about New York and New Jersey. Every Toyota dealer offers drive-through service for tires, and they do exactly what your guy did: check the pressure, fill up the tires, no charge, you’re on your way in minutes. There’s nothing unusual about what happened to you.
I lived in NJ for 25 years, we must have lived in very different parts of the state..
My experience with the low-pressure warning light on my previous and current Toyotas is that they almost always light up when the weather turns cold. What was enough pressure when the tires stayed warm isn’t enough when they get really cold. I also have a wonderful local garage and they are always willing to put some air in to bring them up to normal. And they don’t charge a penny for it! Small town living has real benefits!!