This winter has been harsher than most with strong storms early and no January thaw. Sadly I am living with my parents currently and they have rules on fish and water disposal (no flushing dead fish or putting fish water down the drain) so I have to go down a hill and dump it in the woods. The result of this strong winter was my driveway being walled in by snowbanks cutting off the hill with walls of snow. I tried to wait out winter until the anow melts enough to due water changes like usual (last winter had normal snowfalls so this issue never arose). Today I had a major die off in my minnow tank. I had to do a water tank and throw out the dead. the snow was solid enough I could go over a low part of the snowbank and change water in 2 of my 3 tanks. (i'll get the killies tomarrow). Though by the second time I was sinking in almost to the knees in spots.

I tried to wait out winter and I lost. A few minnows (one looks sickly), my darters, and my baby rock bass survived. This winter is awful.

I feel your pain. When I was living with my parents last summer I tried to dump out the fish water in the garden because I knew that it, full of nitrates, would be excellent fertilizer for the plants. They complained that it smelled and they forced me to carry water change water really far away. Sometimes the people you're living with don't really understand your hobby and you have to accommodate them. It'll get better. Now that I'm back in the dorm I can cart water around and make as many spills as I want without having to clean them up on someone else's time table. I also got a bit smarter about my tank and planted lots of living plants. Now the nitrate is 0 ppm at steady state and I don't really need to do water changes like I used to.

Life will get better. Make the most of the situation that you can. I'm sorry that your fish died.

Edited by EricaWieser, 04 March 2011 - 08:28 AM.