1. Thank You to our 2017 sponsors!

2. Beyond Cats & Dogs: Caring for fish and checking in on chickens
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Presented on: September 19, 2017
Presenters:
Jordan Di Marco
Dogma Catma Pet Sitting
Kim Tank Apronstrings Pet Sitting

3. Dogma Catma Pet Sitting
Jordan Di Marco
Dogma Catma Pet Sitting

4. Objectives Understanding the basics of fish keeping
Spotting problems and addressing issues while pet sitting
Specific questions to ask clients

5. Freshwater tanks
Most common
Easier to care for
“Beginner” tanks

6. Saltwater tanks More laborious Fish have specific environments
Fish are more delicate (and expensive!)

7. Bettas Can live in tanks without filtration
Males cannot be housed together but can do well in community tanks
Betta bowl basics

8. Goldfish Relatives of carp Should not live in bowls, filtration a must
Heavy waste producers
Cold water fish

9. Koi Ponds Pond care and maintenance Hibernation Feeding
Filtration and aeration

10. The Nitrogen Cycle

11. Breakdown Overcrowding “New Tank Syndrome” Improper/faulty equipment
1” of fish per 1 gallon
2” of fish per 1 gallon (goldfish, carp, koi)
3” of fish per square foot (saltwater)
“New Tank Syndrome”
Improper/faulty equipment
Fish diseases

12. Water Testing pH measures alkalinity and acidity
Freshwater fish do well between
Saltwater fish are more fragile and prefer
Water hardiness (dH or GH)
Amount of calcium carbonate in the water
Salinity
Specific gravity, ratio to equal volume distilled
Saltwater tanks should maintain
Ammonia, nitrates and nitrites
Ideally all 3 of these should measure close to zero
Improper balance of chemistry, fish waste, overcrowding

13. Water testing kits Available where fish are sold Easy to use
Will give you a baseline measurement

14. Feeding fish Flake, pellet and frozen food How much? How often?
Different foods for different “environments” within the tank

15. Lighting
Specialized bulbs
Lighting for plant photosynthesis
Timers

16. Pet Sitting for fish What should you ask clients?
Are lights on timers?
Will you need me to do maintenance on the tank while you are away?
Familiarize yourself with equipment
Do you have a sick tank?

17. If you don’t know how it works
Tank Maintenance
Can be complex depending on tank
Water changes
Filter changes
Algae scrub
If you don’t know how it works
– don’t unplug it!

18. Tank maintenance tools

19. Contract Liability concerns PSI contract Sick fish Fish die off
Water damage
Power outage
Faulty or improper equipment
PSI contract

20. Kim Tank Apronstrings Pet Sitting

21. Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To avoid predators!

22. Basic Chicken Care

23. The Nesting Instinct

24. What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?