baby white clouds!

My white cloud fry are three weeks old tomorrow. They're growing fast! 

I'm feeding them four or five times a day now- most of the feedings are first bites, and once a day they also get something pulverized from my regular fish foods. I'm doing partial water changes every other day now- two gallons- and have filled the tank a bit more, it's holding eight or nine gallons now. 

They all have a bright sky blue streak from the eye across the body now, and I can see red color in their triangular tail fins. Five fry in this photo-

I do see them picking at things off the leaf litter

and filter sponge now. 

These photos are from today. 

Blue streak!

Although not in clear focus, these are my favorite photos so far:

fishes update

My angelfish completed third dose of kanaplex on thursday. Yesterday I did a larger water change- over thirty percent. She looks better! The fins have stopped degrading, the rip in dorsal is healed, pelvic and anal fins are starting to grow back out, and edges of caudal and pectorals look cleaner. Redness on body edges is lessened. Still looks inflamed at the joint where pectorals join the body, but not as much as before. I'm trying to decide if I should dose another round of kanaplex or do something else . . . 

Paradise fish still baffles me. I'm starting to wonder if maybe he has a physical obstruction in his throat? maybe a bit of shell from eating snails? Two days ago he was lively, looking at me through the glass, interested in food. I watched close as he ate. He got down one NLS pellet just fine- although the chewing seemed to take a while. He took another, and struggled with that one. Chewed and chewed, then food bits started shedding out the gills and finally he spat out the half-masticated pellet. Made that clacking noise with his throat working again, then darted for air and now hangs around listless again, not seeing me, not interested to eat. Backlit here so the photo is pale...

Meanwhile the other fishes in his tank are doing great- the white clouds chase around, the female plump already I bet they'd spawn if I put them with the subwassertang again. It looks like I didn't actually sort the male guppies from females soon enough with the second generation- my three younger females are all very fat now, and I've found a few babies in the 33L. I net them out and feed to Miss Beautiful. The two older females aren't getting fat again, and that's the only way I can tell the moms from their daughters!

garden full

I haven't been out there much this past week, nor taken any photos in a while- but we have been eating something every day out of the garden. First to ripen were the cherry tomatoes, and cherokee purple

The larger tomatoes are now starting to blush. So far no hornworms, no squirrels stealing bites, no blossom end rot. I didn't think they would do so well in my new bed without the well-established soil, but looks like I'll actually have good tomatoes this year!

Zucchini have grown

and grown- here sprinkled with cinnamon to try and slow the powdery mildew.

Bright yellow cuke and cantaloupe blossoms-

Cantaloupe sprawling out of the bed

The root bed is full up-

we've been eating the beets. Pulled at golf-ball size, their greens are very nice cooked with olive oil and garlic

detroit red beets-

and golden beets-

Had turnips a few times, too. Not too fond of the greens, though I eat 'em because they're healthy- I've tried cooking several different ways and still can't get away from the bitterness. Found the way I like turnips best is cut into small cubes, cooked with fresh dill, butter and green peas. It's good alongside fish.

Carrots all ferny, but none ready to pull yet- maybe not till fall.

Herb bed full-

view from the end- still haven't eaten those green onions yet

Lemon balm is bolting to flower. I've started cutting it back, using all the little leaves off each section for fresh tea and freezing the larger ones for winter use.

Sage isn't as large this season- got overwhelmed by nepitella on one side, sorrel and winter savory on the others. I cut the savory and nepitella down periodically just to scatter their pungent leaves in other beds.

Sculpit did better in the garden spot this year- funny little balloon flowers

I finally got tired of the lettuce towers filling up space in the greens bed, and pulled them out for compost yesterday.

Now it's easier to see the blue collards gone to seed- starting to fall over and dry out, soon will collect them

Collards in the next bed are done now- too bitter. Caterpillars have been eating them more often than us. I'm going to cut them down this week,

let regrow in fall -as these glaze collards are already doing.

But we are still eating leaf beet chard and swiss chard!

About a week ago I planted out the newer tokyo bekana into the garden. On a day of thunderstorms, to avoid transplant shock. They did okay- except got riddled with slug holes.

Put out beer traps and caught some slugs- now the newer leaves look a bit better, so maybe we'll get to eat some of this after all.

Sugar snap peas are pretty much done.

A few pods that I missed the last time I picked for eating, are left to develop seed for next year.

Behind them the purple pole beans are climbing! I trimmed a few before they got out of my reach, but missed others which are winding into the euonymus shrub and across the top support string.

I really like standing behind the beans against the house, where it's cool.

Starting to flower!

My one pepper plant died. I was about to give up on the 'callaloo' amaranth also, but glad that I just cut it back instead- it recovered and although has a bit of insect damage,

looks good enough to try and eat now!

This other plant in that bed is new one for me this year- the sunberry.

It's doing well! looks like I'll actually have berries to eat, if the birds don't get them first.

That's the update on all my edibles- excepting the herbs in pots. More for next time.