Bernadette M. Chapman

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Bernadette M. Chapman Ralph Quillin runs the nation’s largest " Custom Leather Shop” … in Paris Kentucky.

The Quillin craftsmen and women make OVER 17,000 halters a year in the Main Street Stores

Quillin Leather & Tack moved to Main Street in Paris, KY in 1982. We're a full service tack and leather goods shop and one of the largest "Custom Shops" in the nation and hand crafts over 17,000 halters a year. With only a few exceptions, every leather item they sell is made in their Main Street workroom by craftsmen with a combined 80+ years of experience. Quillins' 12 employees produce a variety of products, from key tags, belts and dog collars to halters worn by leading stallions and multi-million dollar Keeneland sales toppers. Quillins supplies local and international customers and boasts a client list that reads like the whose who of the thoroughbred industry. Attention to detail, impeccable craftsmanship and personal service has made Quillin Leather & Tack synonymous with quality for OVER 30 years.

16 employees work in the two Main Street, Paris Kentucky Shop

Over 17,000 halters are hand made and shipped worldwide a year ... making Quillin Leather & Tack the nations LARGEST custom leather & halter shop. An equally impressive number of belts, dog collars, personnel leather goods are produced in their Main Street Shop. "it’s what you’d expect when the name on the outside is the same as the owners", Says Jim Fitzgerald local thoroughbred farm owner and long time customer.

😳🐟 A very important meeting is officially in progress… and judging by those faces, this could take a while. 😂Three littl...
09/23/2026

😳🐟 A very important meeting is officially in progress… and judging by those faces, this could take a while. 😂

Three little Corys have claimed their own leafy seats in the planted tank—two handling the face-to-face negotiations while the third appears to be supervising from below. 🌿

Whatever is on today’s agenda, snacks are probably involved. 😂🐟

✨ Please do not disturb—the Cory committee is in session.

😳🫐 Blueberry Muffin lasted about 10 minutes in the community tank before making one thing very clear—he wanted the place...
09/23/2026

😳🫐 Blueberry Muffin lasted about 10 minutes in the community tank before making one thing very clear—he wanted the place to himself. 😂

I ordered this little guy online and had a backup tank ready just in case. Good thing I did! After his rather dramatic introduction, he was quickly moved into his own 3-gallon temporary setup. 🐟💙

His 10-gallon upgrade is coming in the next couple of days, with plenty more room and a setup designed just for him. I’m excited to watch this little personality settle into his new home.

🫐💙 Meet Blueberry Muffin—the tiny fish with some seriously big attitude.

😳🐟 When an normally active betta suddenly starts spending most of his time on the bottom, I’d pay attention—especially w...
09/23/2026

😳🐟 When an normally active betta suddenly starts spending most of his time on the bottom, I’d pay attention—especially when the behavior improves after a water change and then returns.

One reassuring thing: that strange “ball” in the photo is actually a snail, not something that came from the betta. 🐌 The pale spot on his head and darker area on the fins are harder to diagnose from this photo alone, and I wouldn’t medicate based only on those marks.

I’d start by testing ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and temperature immediately. Ammonia and nitrite should both be 0 ppm, and make sure the heater is maintaining a stable betta-appropriate temperature around 78–80°F. Also watch for rapid breathing, clamped fins, bloating, loss of appetite, white/fuzzy growth, or worsening discoloration.

🔍 The fact that he perked up after the previous water change makes checking water quality the first priority. If you can share the exact test results and tank temperature, that would narrow things down considerably.

Local store has these assorted cichlids. Can these many be in one tank ? 🤔
09/23/2026

Local store has these assorted cichlids. Can these many be in one tank ? 🤔

😳🐌 When the snails are on the glass, plants, driftwood, rocks—and even the equipment—you know the population has gotten ...
09/23/2026

😳🐌 When the snails are on the glass, plants, driftwood, rocks—and even the equipment—you know the population has gotten out of hand.

The good news is you probably don’t need to tear down and restart the entire 25-gallon yet. These common “pest” snails often explode in number when there’s plenty of available food—uneaten fish food, algae, dying leaves and organic debris. Cutting feeding back temporarily, gravel-vacuuming thoroughly, removing deteriorating leaves, scraping algae and manually removing snails can gradually collapse the population.

Since vegetables and assassin snails haven’t been enough, I’d combine those steps with a baited snail trap overnight and repeat it regularly. Also inspect the underside of leaves, wood and equipment for egg clusters. I wouldn’t add loaches or puffers solely as snail control unless the tank is genuinely suitable for that species long-term.

One reassuring detail: most common bladder, ramshorn and trumpet-type pest snails aren’t dangerous to the fish and generally don't eat healthy plants. They’re usually more of a population-management problem than an aquarium emergency.

🐟🌿 I’d fight the food source and keep removing them before sacrificing this whole setup—it looks far too established to restart without trying that first.

From this top-down photo, I wouldn’t confidently call any of these female yet.All five have noticeable bristles around t...
09/23/2026

From this top-down photo, I wouldn’t confidently call any of these female yet.

All five have noticeable bristles around the snout. With Bristlenose plecos, mature males typically develop larger, more numerous bristles extending up the center/top of the snout, while females usually have much smaller bristles mainly around the lip/snout edge.

If these are already mature, the bottom-right and center fish look the most male-like to me. The others could potentially be females or younger males, but the photo alone isn’t enough for a reliable sexing.

A clear side/front photo of each fish would make it much easier to tell.

😳🐟 Coming home after three months and losing fish while trying to fix the water is rough—especially when you thought the...
09/23/2026

😳🐟 Coming home after three months and losing fish while trying to fix the water is rough—especially when you thought the nitrates were finally coming down.

With 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, the biofilter appears to still be converting waste. But nitrate around 80 ppm is high enough that I’d focus on getting it down and, just as importantly, figuring out why it rebounds so quickly. API recommends adjusting water changes so nitrate stays below about 40 ppm between changes.

For now, I’d test the tap/source water for nitrate, continue partial water changes with temperature-matched conditioned water, siphon accumulated waste from the sand, remove dead plant material, check behind/under the driftwood, and make sure the filter isn’t packed with decomposing debris. Feed lightly while you stabilize things. Also retest carefully—the API nitrate test requires vigorous mixing of the reagents, so technique matters.

One important detail: Prime isn't actually removing nitrate from the aquarium. Seachem says it may temporarily detoxify/bind nitrate, but the nitrate remains in the system and can still show on a test. Water changes physically remove it.

And with only 6 neons and 2 bronze corys in a planted 20-gallon, I'd definitely investigate the source of that rapid nitrate rebound rather than assuming those remaining fish are simply producing that much waste. 🌿🐟

😳🐟 I said aquariums were a passion… then somehow a 55-gallon followed me home. 😂Now I’ve got a completely blank canvas a...
09/23/2026

😳🐟 I said aquariums were a passion… then somehow a 55-gallon followed me home. 😂

Now I’ve got a completely blank canvas and way too many ideas—plants, hardscape, filtration, lighting, and eventually the perfect stocking plan. 🌿🐠 After seeing how much life a planted tank can bring to a room, I’m excited to see what this bigger setup could become.

If any aquarium brands are interested in sponsoring or collaborating on a 55-gallon build, I’d be happy to discuss the project and document the setup and progress. ✨

The tank is here. Now the fun part begins. 🌿🐟

😳🐟 Now THIS is a 10-gallon that looks ready for some tiny residents.With the plants, sand, driftwood, established snails...
09/23/2026

😳🐟 Now THIS is a 10-gallon that looks ready for some tiny residents.

With the plants, sand, driftwood, established snails and all that root structure, I’d lean toward one proper group of nano fish rather than squeezing several species together. Some great options are 8–10 ember tetras, 8–10 chili rasboras, a small group of clown killifish, or 6–8 celestial pearl danios. Ember tetras in particular are commonly recommended in groups of at least six, with roughly 8–10 fitting a planted 10-gallon well.

Ricefish are cool, but depending on the exact species, I’d personally prefer giving an active group more horizontal swimming room. If the killifish you saw were clown killifish, those would be especially interesting here—but I'd add a secure lid because killifish can be talented jumpers.

🌿 My pick for this exact tank would probably be a little school of ember tetras or chili rasboras. Against all that green, they'd look fantastic without making the tank feel crowded.

😳🏠 I had plans to work on the dollhouse kitchen today… apparently someone else had plans for the living room. 😂🐈Next pro...
09/23/2026

😳🏠 I had plans to work on the dollhouse kitchen today… apparently someone else had plans for the living room. 😂🐈

Next project is gluing down the kitchen floor—sticky contact paper attached to foam board to get that little black-and-white floor finished properly. 🔨✨

Meanwhile, I seem to have acquired a slightly oversized tenant downstairs. No rent, no appointment, and absolutely no concern about fitting the scale of the house. 😂

Kitchen renovation may be delayed while management deals with the new resident. 🐈🏠

Address

3948 Camel Back Road
Paris, KY
74120

Telephone

+18599870215

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