Worthy to Print Column | Big Fish in a Small Pond - King City Rustler

Posted: 11 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST

Have you noticed any strange looking grasshoppers around your house lately? They would be brown and they can almost fly. They are also quite a bit larger than your run-of-the-mill grasshopper, they may very well be locusts. It seems that is the only thing missing from the various plagues that have been visiting us lately. We are suffering from our good neighbor policy with China and they may be sending us more terrible scourges as the week goes by.

My wife is making me an appointment to receive the vaccine, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I pray that it will work, not only for me but for all our other folks that we need to protect. It's getting to the point that we don't know what to expect next. Living in the Salinas Valley, I appreciate how blessed we are to be in the food-growing business. We all need to eat, and we thank all the folks who work so hard to bring our food home.

That was quite a rainstorm we had last week. I know many folks who live in the surrounding areas had a very difficult time. I sure hope all things are dried out soon so life can continue. It didn't bother us too much in our little town as the fine people from Public Works kept our streets clear and safe. They are truly inspiring and I can't remember a time when they didn't grab a shovel or rake and pushed the water where it needed to go.

Speaking of water, when we moved to Gonzales many years ago I wanted to put in a fish pond. I know I have talked about my fish pond in other columns. When I first began the process, it didn't work well. I mean I dug the dirt out and sealed the pond with a waterproof liner, but I learned that the sun shined down right over the water. That turned the water green and you couldn't even tell I had fish.

I didn't learn very much about how to keep the pond clean and to make sure that the right kind of fish were in the pond. As time went on, I learned to drain the pond every year as the dirt and debris would collect and algae would grow. It wasn't until my son Austin decided to get an aquarium as a hobby. I bought comets for about a dime for my pond and he bought fancy goldfish for a lot more. They were beautiful.

He was standing in the yard when I asked him if he would help clean out my pond, so I could put his fish there. He wasn't keen on the idea, so I thought if I got started maybe he would be more interested. Well to make a long story short, I got busy and started watching videos on fountains and filters and how to keep algae down. So now I have a peaceful place to watch a watery community where we know each fish.

The water is clear and the fountains make the prettiest water sound that makes us feel at ease. You don't even need to feed the fish when the temperature goes below 50 degrees. But they are really something to see when Lorraine feeds them. They seem to know the time, as they gather around the bridge and they know when the neighbor's cat comes by in the middle of the night. The pond is deep enough that the cat just walks on by.

In case you don't drive by the right signs, I just want to point out that there are only 70 active cases of Covid-19 in Gonzales. Although that's a lot, it is much less than what we have been living with. Keep those masks on and keep washing your hands. I pray your family stays safe and peaceful. God Bless.

Check your aquariums! Zebra mussels have been found in aquarium plant products - KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com

Posted: 05 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PST

Zebra mussel inside the aquarium plant product called "moss balls." (Courtesy: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A plant meant for aquariums in the United States and imported from the Ukraine could contaminate your aquarium with invasive zebra mussels, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The plants are called "moss balls" but technically they aren't moss. Instead, they're a type of algae used for decoration and to help improve aquarium health. They're often used in betta fish aquariums and are sometimes sold as "Beta Buddy Marimo Balls," "Mini Marimo Moss Balls" and "Marimo Moss Ball Plants." TPWD says stores should remove these items from shelves, and customers should dispose of them.

People can safely dispose of moss balls by drying or freezing them or by putting them into a plastic zipper bag and then tossing them in the trash.

"Zebra mussels have already been introduced into many Texas lakes and are causing changes to the ecosystem along with damage to boats, water supply and control infrastructure," said Brian Van Zee, TPWD Inland Fisheries regional director. "It is important that we take all possible precautions to prevent them from being introduced elsewhere."

Zebra mussels are small shellfish that have triangular, brownish shells often with zebra stripes, hence the name. They could be attached to or growing inside the moss balls.

TPWD said in a release, "they are very small, growing to no more than an inch in size, and the individuals found on the moss balls in Texas were less than a quarter of an inch long."

Which stores might be selling these moss balls?

Petco and PetSmart are two of the stores TPWD named in its release:

"Petco stores have been working diligently to remove these products from their shelves, and I have informed PetSmart of the presence of zebra mussels within this product," said Jarret Barker, TPWD assistant law enforcement commander. "We urge any other pet and aquarium or retail store selling these 'moss balls' to remove this product from shelves and discontinue future sale."

Don't dump your aquarium water!

Did you know you shouldn't simply dump your aquarium water? That's one of the ways that invasive species often end up in our lakes and waterways. TPWD urges aquarium owners to never dump their tank water. They have an online resource to show people how to dispose of their aquarium water safely.

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