Hi Gran, here is some information I found at:http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/pink.php Pink algae is not really an algae, it is a type of bacteria. When the bacteria colonise a surface you will notice it in the form of a pink or clear slimy layer. Pink algae (i.e. pink bacteria colonies) are not very common in aquariums but they do occur. The main place where you can encounter pink algae is instead in swimming pools. Swimming pools located near the ocean seem to be at especially high risk. It is also possible to contaminate your pool with pink algae if you do not thoroughly clean swimsuits, under water goggles, water toys etcetera after a visit to the sea. As mentioned above, pink algae will form slimy pink or clear layers over various surfaces. Brushing it off is normally fairly easy, but simply removing the slime is rarely enough to put a halt to the problem. If a serious infestation occurs, it can turn the water cloudy, almost like milk. Algaecides and other anti-algae treatments are often inefficient against pink algae since the pink slime is caused by bacteria, not by true algae. There are however formulas that will kill both algae and most types of bacteria. The most common form of treatment against pink algae in a swimming pool is to use chlorine in combination with special anti-pink algae products. Most pool stores will offer some type of anti-pink algae product, but the exact content varies a lot from manufacturer to manufacturer. This is one example of a commonly used pink algae treatment: �Clean equipment, swimsuits, toys etcetera with diluted bleach. �Brush all effected areas thoroughly (this step should be repeated frequently throughout the cleaning process). �Purchase an anti-pink algae product and follow the instructions from the manufacturer. �Make sure that the pH-value is in the 7.0-7.2 range, since this will make the chlorine more effective. �Superchlorinate the pool. �Add a sodium bromide product to the water. Bromine is known to be especially effective against pink algae. �Let your toys and pool equipment (brushes, nets, hoses and so on) soak in the superchlorinated water. �Turn off the filter and clean it meticulously. �Circulate the water continuously and back-wash the filter. �Once the problem is under control, continue to back-wash the filter and clean it out again to remove any pink bacteria colonies that might be living inside the filter. �A clarifier can be necessary to remove dead algae and organic debris from the water. �Resume normal filtration and chlorination. Your's Koily, Lorraine

Well, the wormies are in their home. Bedding is shredded cardboard and newspaper soaked and wrung out like a sponge, and i have a toilet paper roll in one corner with previously frozen fruits and veggies. We're starting smallish, with only about 100 worms from a bait shop, and if they seem happy we'll add some more. Koby helped put them in last night and we kept the lid off and the light on hoping to encourage them to head south. This morning I couldn't resist a peek, and it looks like the majority of them are pretty much where we left them in the middle, but have burrowed down some. I guess I expected them to "disappear" faster, and nobody's headed over to the food corner yet. Being a bit of a "picker" I nudged a couple that were nearest the surface and they wiggled healthily and disappeared. Now to resist the temptation of checking for a couple days...or should I keep a closer eye on them until we're sure they're happy? Between the worms and slug farm, my boyfriend is positive I've lost my mind...

Thanks for asking mom2emall. We are doing well! DH & I are in marriage counseling; I really love our counselor, she is GREAT. My friend recommended her---her older sister and her husband saw this woman 2 years ago and they claim she saved their marriage. So far, she has been great. She is very down to earth and gives good, practical solutions; she is great about teaching us to communicate and to nourish our marriage. DH has been great. This whole situation has really brought him to his knees in a lot of ways--it's like his eyes have been opened to so many things, and there is a real sense of change in him. He wrote me a letter and read it in counseling---and basically "made ammends" to me for all the ways he's hurt me, and all the things he's done or not done that have contributed to the demise of our relationship. It was good (although sad) to hear him acknowledge his mistakes. I appreciated that so much and I know it can't have been easy for him. At some point, I need to reciprocate. I am also seeing someone by myself, a psychiatrist. I've come to the conclusion---through myself, but also through the marriage counselor--that I have a lot of emotional pain over being the child of an alcoholic mother and emotional/verbal abuse I went through. I don't blame my parents or the things I went through, but I do recognize their impact on WHO I am now and HOW I carry it with me, and how it affects every relationship I have. I need to work through it so I can LET IT GO. So I am trying to do a lot of work on myself so I can be a better mother, wife and person. But marriage wise, we are doing better than ever. I feel very much recommitted to each other, almost like this is the start of things for us. We have a brand new idea of what marriage and family is. We have A LOT of work to do but it's a good start. :)

I must also add that HER circumstances have drastically changed as well. At the time the agreement was made, she was living alone in the home she and my SO bought together. She wasn't making the payments because she said she didnt have any finanical help paying the mortgage. So the fact that she needed extra money to pay for the roof over her and her sons head was factored into the amount. Well.... the house ended up being foreclosed on because she didnt make a single payment for an entire year, and about 2 months after child support was finalized, she ended up moving in with her boyfriend at his house. And she no longer pays rent or mortgage or utilities or anything. So I really think with all the changing factors, something should change.... right??? This post was edited by blessedlife90 on Thu, Jun 13, 13 at 9:19