Hi no more fishin the tank. With what you have now, problems will arise. No red-tailed black shark either. They get to large for your tank and they are not the best choice for a community tank.And as for the 1 inch per gallon, that does not work either, for example a 2 inch gourami has a much bigger body than a 2 inch molly yes you could put 10 mollies in a 20 gal tank but would you put 10 gouramis in the same size tank

Hey Lisa, I knew you would say something about the Oriole. I just had to have mine closer!!! I just noticed it yesterday. I was so thrilled. I was surprised that they would build so close to the feeders and all the birds that gather to eat. I hope I see the babies fledge. The parents are pretty tame. They will come and feed the babies when I am sitting on the deck. I did NOT bring you hosp.!!! They were there before I came to visit you. LOL I wouldn't do that to you :) Can I borrow your redtail? I have so many rabbits and they are eating all of my bushes I planted for the birds!!! Thinking about you in Iowa!! Karen

TOTALLY ADORABLE!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing all your beautiful babies with us!

Isn't it, Lisa! Don't you just want to kiss those yellow lips? I know I do! LOL (But I don't.) No, I don't over-handle them, but Purple Martins, unlike many other native birds, have imprinted on humans from before the time of Columbus, and are not put off by human "assistance" when done in a calm and safe manor. I lower the gourd rack nearly daily and check the nests...well "nest" this year. When the chicks are between 10-12 days old I remove them from the nest and put them in a basket lined with a towel. I loosely cover them. Then I quickly remove all the old nesting material, check it for parasites, and refill the gourd with clean wood shavings or pine needles. I add about 1/2 teaspoon of Sevin dust under the shavings, form a new nest cup toward the back of the gourd, and replace the chicks. I have the materials all ready and can change out a nest in less than three minutes if it's not heavily invested with mites or blow fly larvae. Thankfully I've never experienced the latter and have had only minor out breaks of mites that were cured with a nest change and tiny sprinkle of Sevin. I've had adult birds dash into the gourd before I was finished and wait for me to return their chicks. They swoop around and fuss at me, but they are not distressed at all. By carefully monitoring their PMs, landlords will have higher fledge rates (The number of hatchlings that live to fly off on their own at 28 days of age.) It's all a numbers game with them; "every martin counts." By offering larger, safer, dryer nest sites (such as gourds or large 7x7x12 wooden cavities) ...by offering pre-built nests to conserve the returning adults strength... ...by daily (or as often as possible) monitoring to head off any potential parasite or predator problems There will be stronger adult birds to produce more eggs, and more viable eggs, with hatch and grow quickly into more strong and healthy martins. The same holds true for our native blue birds, chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, and other cavity nesters that have been killed off at alarming rates, some (such as the blue bird to the point of near extinction) by the imported non-native European starling and English house sparrow. Some birds will abandon their nests and young if they are interfered with. It's best to study the species, talk to experts, consulst the Audabon society and your local bird clubs, and do your best. I'm happy to say that for the past four years I've had 100% fledge of all the PM eggs laid at my colony. Even if you just offer a large plant saucer of fresh water daily, you're helping our native birds. They're a gift from Heaven, enjoy them. I'll jump down from my "save the Purple Martin" (and all cavity nesters!) soap box now. LOL Here is a link that might be useful: Purple Martin Conservation Association