Leading Up to Moby Dicks Rescue

A Plea for Sanctuary:

From John Russell of  http://www.ecostation.org to Lisa  the owner of the Big Fish

for our fishy friend MOBY DICK

Dear Tory:

My name is Lisa. My family and myself were directed to you as a 'last resort' in our attempt to save our vegetarian pet Pacu Pirahna from an untimley demise. My son purchsed this 5-inch fishy a few years ago w/o doing his research. 'MOBY DICK' has now grown to be a two and a half foot behemoth. We are desperately attempting to find a new home for Moby, who is confined to an inadequate 85 gallon glass tank.
We cannot afford a larger tank and a modest upgrade would still not solve the problem. As I now know he is a breed that continues to grow to its environment. Sadly, he is barely able to move to turn around without great effort.

We have done what we can do to make him comfortable, but it is a battle we are quickly losing. I have researched online for a possible new home for Moby-contracted all -to no avail. We live here in the San Fernando Valley, and have even considered releasing him in a local lake. The thought of out pet having just one more 'happey swim' before perishing is enticing. BUT-we are aware it is not only illegal, but ecologically and morally wrong. I have enjoyed your website, and seen that you have taken in all sorts of orphaned animals. We would be willing to make a monthly donation, knowing that your loving organization is largely volunteer.

One last thing.... Moby is a fish with a huge personality. Who knew? And to think I was taught to believe fish were neurologically unfeeling, with a pea-sized brain. Boy! is that a misconception. He is extremely social. He has a fishy love affair going on with my grown daughter (he picks favorites). He enjoys being loved and petted. He moves up close to my daughter and begs for physical attention.

He wiggles and giggles (Okay, maybe giggles is an exaggeration'). He most definitely responds to his name, and differently to each of us. We hand-feed him special treats. He's gentle and never bites. We have always had a variety of pets. He is no less interactive and loving in his own way.

We love him and hope you might find a way to help us. Thank you for the generous work you do and your kind consideration.

Sincerly
Lisa

Tony's Responsed:

Hi Lisa. We are working on a solution. Unfortunately we don't have an easy one. I have spoken to our aquarist and he has a client in mind that many be able to take him on. If not, he is going to see if it is feasible to switch around some of our current fish to make the space. I will touch base with you in a few days as soon as I hear more. We will do our best to help Moby out!

Tony Russell
STAR Eco Station
310-842-8060
Tory@starinc.org
www.ecostation.org

This email conversation transpired in May of 2012. So the race was on for some space. Next Sue contacted Randy De Troit and the rest is history.

MOVING MOBY DICK

MOVING MOBY DICK-In the Valley of the Jolly Pacu

A small Pacu bought at a local fish store grew and grew and grew and when it outgrew it's tank after 7 years, the owner began frantically trying to locate a new home for him. This oversized champ, a gregarious big fellow, tough to the core and smart, even recognized his owner similar to how a dog would react to its owner upon arrival home.

Yes friends and admirers, this mission became a reality this last Sunday afternoon when Randy De Troit and crew took on the task of relocation. Or to quote many Craiglist's advertisers 'rehome'. In this case it wasn't for a fee but pure and plain unadulterated love. The owner of 'Moby Dick', as what she named it,

was distraught over the many rejections to rehome him she received as time went on and circumstances grew dire. Here you see her pet it like one would a dog or cat. Push came to shove and sure enuf and up to the task, Randy De Troit came to Moby's rescue and became his guardian angel.

We will document with video and photos, this outgoing and friendly loyal companions' plight and eventual rehoming to 'greener pastures' and more specifically a wider and longer tank for him in which to frolic his merry tail around.

She was about to throw her hands up in the air and give up. She was preparing for the worst: her precious fish leaving his physical body and going to heaven. You see he was in a tank that was too small for him to even turn around. Many people can relate to this dilemma as a pet can grow out of control.

He would eventually just lay on his side for shear frustration. She had plans to bury him in the backyard. But alas, along came Randy De Troit, the fish savior and champion to the animal world at large.

We will try to enact that day and the events that took place for your interest and education. Just in case you need a big fish rescued and you don't know where to go or who to turn to; it's Randy De Troit, the proprietor of 'PET SAFE HOME' 'where animals come home to stay and live out their natural life without ever having to pay rent or a dime for water and power.

It was early afternoon this past Sunday when Randy De Troit loaded up his van with buckets, straps, dollies, and larger pail,

to save Moby's life. A cameraman rode along to document with photos and video. They arrived in the rain, a good sign for fisherman of the old school kind who traditionally do much better in the rain.

So arriving wet and in a downpour, with lights, camera and plenty of action they began their mission. Here was the crew for rescue and the anxious family awaiting and praying for a miracle, about to relinquish rights to their baby whale almost. Lights were set up in the small living-room where the transfer was to begin and a small but eager audience and sympathizers had gathered. Randy began by fill his trusty pail with water from the tank, then stabilizing himself, tried to barehand the large fish by leaning over the edge of the tank while standing on a chair.

But Moby proved to be too frantic and too slippery a customer.

So he moved to the plan 'B' which was to use a strap with some friction to capture and hold the fish in order to raise him high enough to clear the top of the tank, extract then lower him down into the red plastic bucket they brought for just this purpose. This procedure proved to be a success and Moby landed smack dab in the bucket splishing and a splashing, displacing water all the while. 'It was a hell of a day at sea sir'.

After securing him with a lid, the two women present offered to lift the bucket housing Moby outside and into the cargo bay of the SUV. He was safely secured as the crew rolled out of the driveway and onto the freeway 101 heading south. A careful drive ensued to insure no more water would spill and would calm the big fish down.

After reaching their destination: PET SAFE HOME, the fish was carried bucket and all near to the location of his new abode: a 190 gallon glass tank already filled, recycled, treated and bio-balled. His new habitat would insure him more room to move around more freely and to actually grow more in size.

Cichlids Get Two New Tankmates

Hey now, set up the 125 gallon tank I received from a guy who had a snake in it. But it holds water just fine.
So here is the before and after. I don't usually take the cabinets unless I have room for it. So I just modify and/or construct my own to fit the space.

 Here as you can see I used a Trader Joe's recycled cabinet and it works just fine. Especially after adding 3 large cinder blocks between it and the wood directly under the tank. You can easily see how the board is necessary to be able to sustain such a great weight. Then it also allows me to place my tools and food close for easy access.

I also painted the whole kitchen bright yellow as you can see and the fish get a tank with a view of the backyard. I get almost no algae buildup that I can see.
I do not like bending over to view my fish. Some like it hot, some cold. I like it so I can stand and view the fish. I can always sit and view so then I am looking up depending on the chair. You might want to think about tank placement before you place it; moving issues later can be more problematic. I am staining and sealing two more cabinets before I even bring them into the house. Here's one reinforced with black enamel first:

Got an under gravel filter powered by an Aqua Clear 70 Power Head Pump shown here. And the pipe through which it pumps water.

I also employ the Emperor 400 which I really find efficient to the max for the power it draws. Easy to clean and always keep a spare impeller in addition to the regular media it comes with and replacement types.With and without the top of course.

I love these Oscars as I do all my fish and just rescued a red tailed catfish

 from a guy that was downsizing and moving. So this huge catfish had to be relocated or rehomed as a Craigslist afficiondo will know in a wink. They are all about their rehoming attitudes there just look. Some more honest with it than others. So I drove over there and got busy with moving a large catfish that most people can't or won't accommodate. Just like kids I guess: Feed them and take good care of them and they grow. Then you can't get rid of them.


So here you see the Oscars taking notice of their two new friends. I have a Pacu that was biting other fish in another tank. But he got checked in once I placed him with the Oscar pack.

Then comes big daddy cat and here are shots of him (see top). He was quite the model and poser for these and seems to love the camera, who knew?

So then I was feeding them whole shrimp for the sake of the catfish that was swallowing them whole and lo and behold the smallest Oscar of the bunch the almost albino one takes a hold of a whole shrimp. So now I call him 'PIG'. They are all my buds though and they surely recognize me whenever I come to the glass.

Tree Stump Removal

I hired a couple guys to help me remove some of the more unsightly stumps; the trees were already cut down a few times and began to grow back. Looking to spread out some good top soil, then complete the chicken coop/rabbit condo run along the back fence. Trying to get this done before the rain comes in. Looking for help with construction and development of such and have most of the wood, first main coop, some other hutches. Just need to hook it all together. This is one of the stages in tree stump removal. It's loud so turn down your sound. Thanx for watching.

Please donate when you can in any increment if even a dollar. Money goes directly for electricity, pet food, vet needs, supplies for water, tanks, filters, and all other mechanical tools. I do not accept any compensation for myself as salary as I am NOT a non-profit or profit for that matter. This is NOT a business but rather I am doing this out of the feeling I have for the animals and no other reason other than to keep my sanity in a totally unstable economy.

Savannah Devours His Cousin

Here is the newest addition to the family. He is a Savannah Monitor from the badlands of Africa. He's kinda bad hisself as goes to show in this video. Just recently acquired this monster, the kind they used for all those cheap dubbed Japanese movies where the monster is looming over the city! Right! Just an overdub of one of these monitors. He's friendly to me although I wouldn't extend a finger to him.

I can pick him up and carry him around, just don't let him get too close to your face. My turtles can be fairly aggressive and actually bite and they really hold on for dear life. But I was able to get out of ones iron clad hold one day. Got me by surprise. But much ado about nothing like this. This takes the cake. My new monitor will grow to more than 3 feet, he's a killer. Even killed somebody in his family, a snapping lizard of the garden variety kind.

He was caught outside and I kept him for a while and he stayed very healthy until he landed inside the monitors cage and got ate. Here is a perfect example of who you can and can't trust. My monitor will also eat boiled eggs, but for some reason not baby guinea pigs. I found that out this morning. But he supposedly loves mice and rats. We'll see how that turns out.

So here he completely devours his little cousin. I would call that murder in the first degree of course but he ate the evidence. That's why I shot this video tape as a witness and to use as evidence. But who could prosecute a cute thing like him really?

Please donate when you can in any increment if even a dollar. Money goes directly for electricity, pet food, vet needs, supplies for water, tanks, filters, and all other mechanical tools. I do not accept any compensation for myself as salary as I am NOT a non-profit or profit for that matter. This is NOT a business but rather I am doing this out of the feeling I have for the animals and no other reason other than to keep my sanity in a totally unstable economy.

Turtle Box

Here are the marching soldiers, they are trying to escape. I have two super large females and they are trying to lay eggs. So at this time I will separate them and give them some slack and place them in the box by themselves and see if they want to lay eggs on some CA dirt or some ocean sand. I have both. They most likely will lay eggs in the dirt so I might just mix some sand some CA dirt and some black dirt and see what they think about that. I might have the largest collection of over 8 inch Red Ear Sliders in the World, unless we're talking about a zoo somewhere. I am not running a race, it just be's like that when you rescue soooooooooo many large Red Ears, that outgrow their host and it does take a lot of space and time to make them comfortable.

As you can hear, they sound very much like marching soldiers, they are all trying to escape to see the world. Only a few have actually ended up for a short period in the wild. Some people tell me the turtle was coming down the hallway, really? So invite it in and get used to it. Many people put them in the bathtub similar to the way New Yorkers traveling to Miami, and buying a baby alligator found one day it was too big for the tub and the animal kept them from keeping clean. Unless they could shower or bathe at a friends house. But that get old. So many just flushed their overgrown alligators down the toilet and the sewer ended up with an overflow of alligators! Really.

Well I'd much rather people just put their ad on craigslist and then I can pick up the turtle and bring it back home to my rescue mission. I have rescued not only turtles, some lizards, and frogs, but many 100's of fish with the whole aquarium set up. People donate to me because they have a good feeling about me that I can handle it and have a heart and they are right again. I also take care of an elderly parent but she is in the hospital right now and healing and getting stronger. But when she arrives towards the end of the week, she will rejoice that I have added a few more larger turtles to our family.

Just to reiterate I do not sell animals. I rescue them and shelter them for their natural life. This is not a business for me. It is a passion that I developed for animals when I was very young. What I tell people is that I had at least 3 tanks, 2 hampster cages, down in my basement on a wood table. But life happened and I got busy with other interests. But now at this time, well since about 3 years already, I have set up many tanks in my home and rescued many oversized tropical fish, goldfish, plecos, catfish, Jack Dempseys, Blue Devils, my large collection of super huge Tiger Oscars. So stay tuned and we'll grow together.

But definetely take a look at my new addition 'Turtle Box' video that I just shot today. It's hot and I got enough time to clean their outdoor tanks which give them plenty of room to roam and eat and sun, but have serious plans to construct a major pond in my backyard. There is the space for it. Just need a few more items to put it into motion. SO watch the video and look out for more blogs about chickens, they are too numerous to mention but hey they lay good eggs and I'm eating them best believe it.

I'm just touching on a few other subjex as I have totally neglected my blog between taking care of mom and my pet safe home, I have been spinning. So I will highlight my newest 135 gallon tank set up just recently for my large sized Oscars with photos, but no video at this time, only because I will wait for better light so I can really shoot them in depth; their movements, playful and eating.

A little history behind the tank is that I had two different quantities of black substrate and just combined them for a total stretch across the bottom. I acquired it from a kid that worked at a pet store and had an affinity for snakes, so he had two large boa's in this tank and it took some cleaning to get it clear and snakes as you know can smell funky. So he took out the two snakes then offered to sell them to me and I almost went for it. I played with the small one for a while and he was all over the place; I do have roomates and thought that for just an instant if he escaped, I would probably have roomates jumping out the windows. So I nixed that idea and just took the tank plain. Slid it into the back seat with the help of the kids father and I was good to go.

The tank stood for a while until I could get the exact stand for it. I did so one day when Trader Joe's was remodeling some of their food storage containers and let me have a beautiful solid, light wood, 6 foot stand on which I place the tank. But not before placing a couple of square cinder blocks to give me more height. Don't you just hate when a tank is too far down, and you are only comfortable sitting down on a chair or straining your back to see the fish. Not in Pet Safe Home, we don't play that. We get our tanks up to speed so no back straining here.

I have a Marineland Emperor 400 Power Filter http://www.thatpetplace.com/emperor-400-power-filter-80-gal?gdftrk=gdfV2226_a_7c268_a_7c6967_a_7c214081&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc
that I employ for this tank that needed to be scrubbed with white vinegar inside and out before being able to put into service. Somebody had left it caked with light or creme colored mineral deposits that could have included salt. So my personal solution is to use a metal scraper first because I'm only scraping plastic and there's no serious harm of scratching it and if you do so what. I have dug grooves into a few when my elbow grease went through the roof. But if that is what it takes to get the job done, so be it. I would wrap the scraper in a small towel after lightly soaking it in the white vinegar, the brand you get at 99 cents store, so don't pay anymore for it. It doesn't smell bad because it is a salad dressing, but it is strong so don't let it permeate your nose, as it will burn.

So scrape first the plastic whenever you can reach the tiny grooves and the mostly flat surfaces. Then go in for the kill with the scraper wrapped in the towel. At that point it will immediately begin to look better and be healthier for the fish in the long run because you don't know what is mixed up in that substance. You would much rather just not have it caked on the filter especially the part that is immersed in water. It also will keep the filter from running properly in the long and short run.

Next you can just rub harder on the surface with the towel alone with plenty of vinegar dipped on it. At some point you will become satisfied with your results and you can dip the whole plastic enclosure into plain water and let sit at least over night. What I like to do is to keep rinsing/dumping it for a few days before I even consider using it. Then I employ it without the fish so it can recycle and any residue from the vinegar will dissipate and your job is done, for now.

I will address the cleaning of the filter and charcoal housing at a later date. I want to go to dinner and I'm starving from cleaning tanks today so that will have to wait. But I promise to come back and post more often. The methods I explain are my own personal and they can work for you. But if for some reason,  something doesn't work for you, get over it and adjust it. I don't like to use bleach on filters although I will use it on an empty tank especially a turtle tank as it can smell to high heaven after just a few short days without a super external cannister and I will go into the Magnum 350 as I have two older ones and a newer design model that I swear by. So stay tuned. porous ceramic noodles

One more quick mention is that your noise level of any hanging on back filters will be extremely subdued by filling the tank to peak level. I have found this little trick will save your ears especially if you cannot block out dripping water while watching television. I have a few tanks within ear shot of the television in the kitchen. Will show some pix later, I'm out.

Please donate when you can in any increment if even a dollar. Money goes directly for electricity, pet food, vet needs, supplies for water, tanks, filters, and all other mechanical tools. I do not accept any compensation for myself as salary as I am NOT a non-profit or profit for that matter. This is NOT a business but rather I am doing this out of the feeling I have for the animals and no other reason other than to keep my sanity in a totally unstable economy.