Sometimes these things happen. It seems that you tried to keep the water parameters of those in the angel's natural environment. It is said that most fish can adapt to different water conditions, and that is true. I feel that when water parameters are close to that of a fishes natural environment, even though these are "farm" raised and not wild caught, the fish has a better chance of defense against disease and parasites that they normally would fight off on there own. Who knows? With that said, some of these trace elements in a bottle may cause problems????>> I am sure it is nothing you did wrong. I have noticed parasites in newer fish that come up even after a month in a QT tank. That is why I now leave them in QT for 2 months, 3 if I can. Maybe try a different supplier for replacements. I am considering just ordering from Live Aquaria.com , a division of drs foster smith. The delivery fee is a little steep, but if you order in bulk it is worth it. They have a 14 day, after delivery guarantee. It is an overnight Fedex delivery (explanation of high delivery cost, $30)as long as I can be home on the day of delivery it is worth it. Maybe it is worth it to check a site that offers advise that is specific to angels. I know there are a few, but i have never really checked into them enough for a reccomendation. Maybe start a new thread here to see if anyone has any ideas.

My mother taught me to can, and as soon as I felt proficient, I began to develop my own habits, and they weren't necessarily like hers. She always put up jams and jellies with a seal of paraffin. She had decent luck in that the wax seldom pulled away from the jars, but mine always did. I also liked to give those away for gifts at Christmas, and began processing them. It was a pleasant time for me when she'd come over to help me put up goods for my pantry. She was good in the kitchen and fast, and I will do somewhere around three or four hundred jars of food of a summer. But, for years, and years, as I bottled my jams and then put them in the BWB, she'd always say "you don't need to do that, you know". LOLOL. The year or so before she died, she finally didn't give me that advice anymore. sigh. Both of my children do their own food preservation, my son as well as my daughter! My daughter started to pressure can things that up until very recently were considered safe to HWB, like tomatoes. I'm starting to follow suit. Her exact words were, it's just as easy to run them through a pressure canner, you can be SURE of its safety, and actually it's done more quickly, saving time and energy. As for the comment that one is more likely to be food poisoned in a restaurant than with home canning. Well, that is probably true, the statistics for that are waaaaaaaaaay higher, BUT the type of poisoning you will get from home canning low acids foods (botulism) improperly is a lot more lethal and deadly than most forms of listeria, e. coli, or salmonella. Botulism is a killer.

Instead of calling CPS, why not buy your friend a really good parenting book, that addresses some of the issues they have. Yes, it sounds as though your friend resents the child and probably the stepson moving in with her. But perhaps you could go to lunch with her and talk to her about how hard it must be for this boy to lose his mother, and the changes this child must be facing. See, through your friendship with this woman, if you can help her to feel compassion for this child. Tell her that you understand how hard this must be for her, and yet can she find it within herself to have compassion for a little boy who must be confused, hurting, and anxious. Encourage her to feed him what he is used to eating, and to slowly introduce new foods, and to give him a "child's" chewable vitamin for nutrition. The boys dad should take a parenting class for single fathers so that he has someone to ask questions from. Perhaps the YMCA has something. But I would think it is your friendship with the family that could help this little boy. Perhaps you could go shopping with your friend, and help her pick up a few toys and books for the child. If money is an issue, go to garage sales, and children's resale shops. See, through your positive encouragement, if you can help her to see this as a sweet blessing, instead of something to resent and be cross about.

Hi Vesters. So many things you wrote struck a chord with me as we experienced the same issues with my SD, who is now 14. We've had custody of her since she was 5, after gaining emergency and then full custody though a very nasty battle. After DH and his ex divorced SM moved SD hours away. SD began sleeping in her bed, showering with her, being completely dependent on her mom. BM thrived on this - it made her feel needed and important. SD couldn't (or wouldn't) do or try anything on her own. SD became BM's 'bff' and confidant - all at the mature age of 3. This continued until BM found a boyfriend, and then SD was kicked into her own bed in her own room on a different floor and told to go to sleep. Once that relationship ended SD was needed again and back in BM's bed, all the while hearing about BM's relationship woes. Fast forward a few years. We have custody, SD sees her mom EOW. She's still trying to have SD sleep with her (between boyfriends) and be dependent on her. The 'bff' behavior is worsening and we're hearing all about BM's love life from SD. SD is getting stomach aches right before visitations and worrying about how to take care of her mom. All so appropriate for a mother/daughter relationship. And then there was. . . "BM also used to say things to SD (right after I came on the scene) like, "I'd never let a man come between us" and "You're the only one I need" which sounds innocent enough, but it was very much meant as a "look at your father, moving on with his life, I'll never let that happen to us." I could have written that. BM is always saying this. . . in between the men in her life. But what SD figured out about 2 years ago is that her mom is full of sh@t. She started to see all these behaviors factored around her mom and what her mom needed on her mom's schedule. She was blinded by the 'my mom needs me' and 'my mom loves me best' until then, but with the help of her counselor and a little maturity she started to figure it out. I won't say she doesn't fall back into buying her mom's crud every now and again, but for the main part she can she the behavior for who it is really about - mom, not SD. I tell you all this so you know you are not alone, and also to give you hope. Your SD needs help, and she needs her dad to help her receive it, but she can recover from this. I will tell you one thing SD's counselor shared with us that was helpful for SD and for our tongues as we weren't biting them so hard. When you say "I'm always a little uncomfortable when she talks so openly about her BM with me (because I know the "real deal"), yet I'm always very careful to make sure I speak loving and positively about her ." you need to stop. This doesn't mean speak negatively, but you don't have to put a good spin on bad actions. Don't try to make mom's bad action ok. Don't make excuses for her. Listen to SD, let her know you understand why she would be upset, help her with generalized, non leading questions discover why she's upset, but don't then tell her it's all ok and mommy knows best. Later, when she figures out mommy doesn't, you will be seen as a liar. It's ok to say sometimes mommy's get confused, or mommy's make mistakes. This is likely better pronounced by DH at first, but you need to know that you don't have to be positive. Just don't be negative, if you get what I mean. :-) Good luck. Keep us updated, and keep your chin up. You are doing the right thing.