Puffer dentistry and June bugs
Today I accomplished my second successful dentistry on my neon puffer, or avocado puffer, or golden puffer, or Auriglobus modestus. The puffer "community" largely accepts this species as one of the few purely freshwater varieties in the hobby trade.
Interesting note: apparently there is some concern and debate about use of clove oil on puffers for their dentistry as some hobbyists have reported after repeat dentistry work the puffers become slower and slower to return to normal after the anesthetization wears off, and after enough treatments brain damage is believed to have occurred or the fishes never wake back up.
Oh, about "puffer dentistry:" you knock the puffer out in a bowl of tank water with a drop or two of clove oil, ratio depending on volume, wait until the fish looks like it's dead, about a minute and a half, then scoop up the fish in your net and peel back the mouth and trim the beak, which is much like a parrot's beak but it continually grows without crustaceans to feed on regularly. I'd used baby nail clippers in the past but this time used a tiny pair of cuticle clippers and that worked great.
I don't want to get too controversial today but trust me, I'm going to dedicate a whole blog post one day about puffers, my 5 year experience with a wide variety of species (when I say experience don't mistake that for "expertise" as I am no way an "expert" and in no way hope that you consider me one and only take my words with a dose of common sense mixed with the experience and "expertise" of other hobbyists), and the bullshit I've encountered online.
Now for the second topic of today's post: June bugs!
I actually embarked on a 21 day vegan detox/elimination of all processed foods/ weight loss venture/ body spring cleaning a year ago. Long story short, I lost weight but felt awful practically the entire time. I had to "cheat" by eating eggs twice or three times a week. And I actually experimented with a number of june bugs and made june bug flour out of sauteeing the critters. Yes, it tasted great, but I was in a pretty psychotic state of mind you'll note if you'll watch the video diary we made.
I know I said I wouldn't get controversial, but I will never go vegan again. In fact, I consider veganism dangerous nutritionally for anyone longterm, and I seem to be particularly set to requiring small amounts of animal protein pretty regularly. If you're interested in this sort of stuff, I've provided a couple links to what I believe and consider scientifically sound and also based in evolutionary common sense.
Anyway, June bugs show up in our neck of the woods here in southwestern/southcentral NC mid to late June/early or mid July, depending on the heat and rain. They are about the perfect insects nutritionally for your freshwater fish, especially your big fish when the adult bugs start flying around and hitting you in the face like drunken kamikaze bumblebees. Plus you get a cool bonus as June bugs are iridescent and emerald and golden colored -- your fish will bless your substrate with flakes of shinies for months after the June bug cycle goes dormant again.
June bugs are also good eats for your local back yard chickens, as can be attested by Ming-Ming and Tuck below.
Josh
PS
More info on paleolithic nutrition:
http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/
http://www.paleonu.com/
Interesting note: apparently there is some concern and debate about use of clove oil on puffers for their dentistry as some hobbyists have reported after repeat dentistry work the puffers become slower and slower to return to normal after the anesthetization wears off, and after enough treatments brain damage is believed to have occurred or the fishes never wake back up.
Oh, about "puffer dentistry:" you knock the puffer out in a bowl of tank water with a drop or two of clove oil, ratio depending on volume, wait until the fish looks like it's dead, about a minute and a half, then scoop up the fish in your net and peel back the mouth and trim the beak, which is much like a parrot's beak but it continually grows without crustaceans to feed on regularly. I'd used baby nail clippers in the past but this time used a tiny pair of cuticle clippers and that worked great.
I don't want to get too controversial today but trust me, I'm going to dedicate a whole blog post one day about puffers, my 5 year experience with a wide variety of species (when I say experience don't mistake that for "expertise" as I am no way an "expert" and in no way hope that you consider me one and only take my words with a dose of common sense mixed with the experience and "expertise" of other hobbyists), and the bullshit I've encountered online.
Now for the second topic of today's post: June bugs!
I actually embarked on a 21 day vegan detox/elimination of all processed foods/ weight loss venture/ body spring cleaning a year ago. Long story short, I lost weight but felt awful practically the entire time. I had to "cheat" by eating eggs twice or three times a week. And I actually experimented with a number of june bugs and made june bug flour out of sauteeing the critters. Yes, it tasted great, but I was in a pretty psychotic state of mind you'll note if you'll watch the video diary we made.
I know I said I wouldn't get controversial, but I will never go vegan again. In fact, I consider veganism dangerous nutritionally for anyone longterm, and I seem to be particularly set to requiring small amounts of animal protein pretty regularly. If you're interested in this sort of stuff, I've provided a couple links to what I believe and consider scientifically sound and also based in evolutionary common sense.
Anyway, June bugs show up in our neck of the woods here in southwestern/southcentral NC mid to late June/early or mid July, depending on the heat and rain. They are about the perfect insects nutritionally for your freshwater fish, especially your big fish when the adult bugs start flying around and hitting you in the face like drunken kamikaze bumblebees. Plus you get a cool bonus as June bugs are iridescent and emerald and golden colored -- your fish will bless your substrate with flakes of shinies for months after the June bug cycle goes dormant again.
June bugs are also good eats for your local back yard chickens, as can be attested by Ming-Ming and Tuck below.
Josh
PS
More info on paleolithic nutrition:
http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/
http://www.paleonu.com/
posted by Josh Day at 6:24 PM
1 Comments:
Wow! And I thought brushing my dogs' teeth was a challenge. I love puffers but since I have a reef tank, I can't have one. They are so adoreable and friendly!
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