Aquarium Plants - Barr Report - Blogs

drop checker not quite work

thinbear — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 06:06:31 GMT

I made ~1L of 4dkH solution on 3/19/2013, and I'm pretty excited when I knew the drop checker ordered 3 weeks ago arrived today (ship from Hong Kong).

Surprisingly the package come with a indicator, I thought it is a plus.
Then I tried to set the DC up. Fluid refused to get pass the narrow neck of the DC... solved using a plastic transfer pipettes.

Rinsed the DC with 4dkH well before dropping the indicator (with the cheap one from eBay). The color turns GREEN.
NOOOOOOOOO..........

Try again with the API pH regent, same green :(

Re-verify my 4dkH solution (prepared with 0.01g scale but kitchen measuring cup... so won't be very accurate), took exact 4 drops to turn the solution yellow with API kH test kit. But again, the kH test kit is not calibrated. (I don't quite get it yet, how can I using a not-so-sure self-made dKH solution to calibrate the test kit, and then use the test kit to verify the solution?)

Pump CO2 around the DC, it does turn yellow.

Did a few more forum readings...

Then I track down to the distilled water bought from grocery store. The pH is ~6.2 :mad:
Sigh... at least now I know what the problem is.

Looking for a pH 7 distilled water... possible?
(The big water bottle at work reads me pH6.8-7.0, I am planning to "steal" a good bit tomorrow...)

Day 2 Update:
Color of DC turn blue this morning. This could be due to:

evaporation rate inside DC > condensation rate form inside. ie. Surrounding environment is not humid enough. 4dkH solution inside DC become more and more concentrated and finally turns the reagent blue. (My DC was inside a DSM)
CO2 absorbed by the distilled water escaped. CO2 got no chance to escape inside the enclosed containers (distilled water and 4dkH bottles)

FS: S. repens and Blyxa

fleuramore — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:43:23 GMT

Originally Posted by aamir9110

Fleuramore, any possibility of you shipping this earlier? like this tue/wed? (week of 25th)
In that case . I take it.
Thanks.

Sure. I can do that... Send me a PM with your address.

substrate: Fe and worm casings

father fish — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:08:41 GMT

Originally Posted by father fish

I am anticipating using soluble mycorrhizae mixed with worm casings and ironite containing clay and sand. Will cap with 1" 21 gr silica and .25" powder sand. Diatomaceous powder and Age Old organic fert will go down as a light dusting on the glass before about 1" of the soil mix. Does this sound reasonable? This will be a non CO2 system.

Things for me to remind.

wouter — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:15:07 GMT

http://aquajaya.com/wp-content/uploa...-kh-ph-co2.png

Bit of an Impasse

Biollante — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:28:59 GMT

Hi,

I am at a bit of an impasse; I really cannot find a reasonable way of efficiently chelating individual metals with �household� items.

So far the recipes seem to be working well, they really are not for �dry dosing,� but work well mixed in a slightly acidic solution ( A little vinegar (acetic acid), lemon juice, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) anything to pull the pH down to 5 or so.

Also, nothing really beats ball-milling (same as you use for making gunpowder:eek:) for mixing the recipes.

Biollante

Substrate for the build

charlie — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:08:51 GMT

After researching substrates for quite sometime & having used eco complete & flourite with good success i wanted to try the soil based substrates,read all the hype & good qualities of the ADA magic , but due to it`s almost non existence in our neck of the woods i decided to try the new kid on the block Fluval Planted Startum in my 20 gallon long, after several months it has proven to be good enough for me, despite all the con`s i read on line to this day it is still doing well & buffering like the first month of use. this persuaded me to go with it, also the pro of being readily available locally, i used 5 X 9 KG. bags

Idealized Recipe with Ferrous Gluconate, C12H24FeO14●2 H2O

Biollante — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:26:10 GMT

Hi

I think you can easily substitute Ferrous Gluconate, C₁₂H₂₄FeO₁₄●2 H₂O.

In ferrous gluconate, properly Iron (II) gluconate, the gluconate, which is Gluconic acid, C₆H₁₂O₇ (the sugar in honey and fruits), is the chelate.

The problem is that gluconate; a much weaker chelate then EDTA.

I have not tried this and I am do not smart enough to know whether the excess EDTA picks up any of the iron from the weaker gluconate.

I suspect this formulation is definitely better for lower pH and daily dosing.

Idealized form with Ferrous Gluconate:

Note: The copper sulfate, Manganese (II) sulfate, and Zinc oxide need to be ground together with the EDTA first.

EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------159.3-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, -------------152-grams
C₁₂H₂₄FeO₁₄●2 H₂O, Iron (II) gluconate ---------------------------------------------610-grams
MnSO₄● H₂O, Manganese (II) sulfate monohydrate ----------------------------- 62-grams
ZnO, Zinc oxide----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
Na₂B₈O₁₃ ● 4H₂O, Solubor --------------------------------------------------------------- 6.7-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue)--------------------------- ----- 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum--------------------- 1-gram

16% EDTA
8.5% sulfate (2.9% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese (chelated)
1.5% Magnesium
1.4% Boron
.75% Sodium
.4% Zinc (chelated)
.1% Copper (chelated)
.06% Molybdenum

Biollante

Idealized recipe meets the Tom Barr recommended 5:1 Fe: B

Biollante — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:13:04 GMT

Hi,

In this �idealized� iteration, I am using readily available Fe₃O₄, Iron (II, III) oxide for the iron.

Since Plantex Nutritrace CSM has 7.0%, Iron and the Tom Barr recommended 5:1 Fe: B requires 1.4% Boron.
"Plantex Nutritrace CSM�," �CSM� stands for Chelated Secondary Micronutrient comes without Boron, hence the �+B� is added by the remarketer, popular aquarium plant fertilizer marketers mix 1 part Solubor to 25 parts Plantex Nutritrace CSM�. Since dilutes the product by 3.8% reducing the iron to 6.73% while adding 0.8% Boron.

This idealized recipe meets the Tom Barr recommended 5:1 Fe: B. While maintaining a full 7% iron.

Idealized form:

Note: 150-grams of EDTA are required (being safe) the rest 603.6-grams in this case cornstarch, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ can be substituted. Cornstarch adds a bit more organic material than EDTA but in the amounts we use for micronutrients, it is negligible.

EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------753.6-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, -------------152-grams
Fe₃O₄, Iron (II, III) oxide ----------------------------------------------------------------- 9.7-grams
MnSO₄● H₂O, Manganese (II) sulfate monohydrate ----------------------------- 62-grams
ZnO, Zinc oxide----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
Na₂B₈O₁₃ ● 4H₂O, Solubor --------------------------------------------------------------- 6.7-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue)--------------------------- ----- 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum--------------------- 1-gram

75.4% EDTA
8.5% sulfate (2.9% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese (chelated)
1.5% Magnesium
1.4% Boron
.75% Sodium
.4% Zinc (chelated)
.1% Copper (chelated)
.06% Molybdenum

Biollante

Probably the Closest to Real, Live CSM+B

Biollante — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:37:15 GMT

Hi,

This is probably the closest to real, live CSM+B.

Zinc oxide, ZnO is readily available in many places and for those concerned adds no sulfate.

Solubor, Na₂B₈O₁₃ ● 4H₂O is a readily available substitute for Borax and is what many add to �CSM� to get the �+B.� Solubor also adds half the Sodium of Borax.

Generic form w/ Mn (II) SO₄● H₂O, ZnO, Na₂B₈O₁₃ ● 4H₂O
EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------634-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, ----------------152-grams
Fe₂O₃●3 H₂O, Iron (III) oxide tri-hydrate, Rust³--------------------------------132-grams
MnSO₄● H₂O, Manganese (II) sulfate monohydrate ----------------------------- 62-grams
ZnO, Zinc oxide----------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
Na₂B₈O₁₃ ● 4H₂O, Solubor --------------------------------------------------------- 4-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue⁴)------------------------------- 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum--------------------- 1-gram

63.4% EDTA
8.5% sulfate (2.9% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese (chelated)
1.5% Magnesium
.8% Boron
.44% Sodium
.4% Zinc (chelated)
.1% Copper (chelated)
.06% Molybdenum

Biollante

Mn (II) SO4 Monohydrate Rather Than Penta-hydrate

Biollante — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:17:08 GMT

Hi Hans,

I used MnSO₄●5 H₂O, Manganese sulfate penta-hydrate in the formula; I have been told that the monohydrate, MnSO₄● H₂O is the most common form available for fertilizers. If your Manganese (II) sulfate is �pinkish,� it is the monohydrate.

Generic form w/ MnSO₄● H₂O ,
EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------626-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, ------------152-grams
Fe₂O₃●3 H₂O, Iron (III) oxide tri-hydrate, Rust³----------------------------------132-grams
MnSO₄● H₂O, Manganese (II) sulfate monohydrate --------------------------- 62-grams
ZnSO₄●7 H₂O, Zinc sulfate hepta-hydrate----------------------------------------- 18-grams
H₃BO₃, Boric acid-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue⁴)------------------------------ 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum------------------- 1-gram

62.6% EDTA
9.1% sulfate (3.4% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese
1.5% Magnesium
.87% Boron
.41% Zinc
.1% Copper
.06% Molybdenum

Biollante

Trace Nutrients

Biollante — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:42:35 GMT

Hi,

A do-it-yourself version of CSM+B, none of the measurements are terribly critical, the Copper and Boron are the most dangerous. The EDTA serves as both a chelating agent and filler, making up 59.9% of the product (64% of CSM+B).

I have not used this myself and am just beginning tests, so obviously use at your own risk. I have done this with a couple of variations; I will get into one later, specific to Hans� situation.¹

Since I started with the ingredients Hans has available² that are what I used. Since the hydrates were not specified, I went with the most common hydrates.

For those concerned with sulfate, this recipe contains 10.2% sulfates, and given the quantities added to the aquarium, I seriously doubt any adverse effect. Of course, it is also providing 6.86% plant-friendly Sulfur.

Thorough mixing is the main �trick,� all full of good intentions I started with mortar and pestle and ended with TheLoudCreatureWhatSharesMySpace�s spice grinder and power mixer�

This recipe results in one kilogram of product and allows for weighing in 1-gram increments a scale that reads to 0.1-gram is sufficient, as long as care is taken with the Copper and Boron, there really is not any great danger. Obviously, the recipe can be scaled (up or) down.

I found in a couple of runs that grinding, mixing and homogenizing the iron, Manganese, Copper and Zinc with the EDTA first, then adding (and grinding) the other ingredients seemed to work best.

Generic form,
EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------599-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, ------------152-grams
Fe₂O₃●3 H₂O, Iron (III) oxide tri-hydrate, Rust³-----------------------------------132-grams
MnSO₄●5 H₂O, Manganese sulfate penta-hydrate ----------------------------- 89-grams
ZnSO₄●7 H₂O, Zinc sulfate hepta-hydrate----------------------------------------- 18-grams
H₃BO₃, Boric acid-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue⁴)------------------------------ 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum------------------ 1-gram

59.9% EDTA
10.2% sulfate (3.4% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese
1.5% Magnesium
.87% Boron
.41% Zinc
.1% Copper
.06% Molybdenum

In real life Iron sulfate is easier to come by at the local garden shop.

Iron sulfate is usually available as the hepta-hydrate, FeSO₄●7 H₂O, it will appear green(ish). Heat it to 90⁰ C and it will eventually turn white(ish) to colorless and becoming the monohydrate.

Iron (II) sulfate hepta-hydrate version, a lot less EDTA.
EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------382-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, ------------152-grams
FeSO₄●7 H₂O, Iron (II) sulfate hepta-hydrate, -----------------------------------349-grams
MnSO₄●5 H₂O, Manganese sulfate penta-hydrate ----------------------------- 89-grams
ZnSO₄●7 H₂O, Zinc sulfate hepta-hydrate----------------------------------------- 18-grams
H₃BO₃, Boric acid-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue⁴)------------------------------ 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum------------------ 1-gram

38.2% EDTA
22.3% sulfate (7.4% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese
1.5% Magnesium
.87% Boron
.41% Zinc
.1% Copper
.06% Molybdenum

Borax (Na₂B₄O₇�10H₂O) may be more accessible and cheaper than Boric acid, though it does add a bit of Sodium.

Borax and Iron (II) sulfate hepta-hydrate version, a lot less EDTA.
EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-------------------------------------------380-grams
MgSO₄●7H₂O, Magnesium sulfate hepta-hydrate, Epsom salt, ------------152-grams
FeSO₄●7 H₂O, Iron (II) sulfate hepta-hydrate, -----------------------------------349-grams
MnSO₄●5 H₂O, Manganese sulfate penta-hydrate ----------------------------- 89-grams
ZnSO₄●7 H₂O, Zinc sulfate hepta-hydrate----------------------------------------- 18-grams
Na₂B₄O₇�10H₂O, Borax------------------------------------------------------------------ 7-grams
CuSO₄●5H₂O, Copper sulfate penta-hydrate (blue⁴)------------------------------ 4-grams
H₂MoO₄, Molybdic acid or dihydroxidodioxidomolybdenum------------------ 1-gram

38% EDTA
22.3% sulfate (7.4% Sulfur)
7% Iron (chelated)
2%Mangenese
1.5% Magnesium
.84% Sodium
.79% Boron
.41% Zinc
.1% Copper
.06% Molybdenum

Biollante
¹Hans, posting as wasserman asked in his thread Micro Fertilizer DIY Formula.:)
²Is it possible to mix the below dry solution to create the DIY version of micro fertz.
- B ==> from H3BO3
- Cu ==> from CuSO4
- Mn ==> from MnSO4
- Mo ==> from H2MoO4
- Zn ==> from ZnSO4
etc
³Rust is included since it is universally available and generally beyond regulatory control. The precise composition can vary, but is a viable alternative.
⁴If it is CuSO₄ and it is blue, it is the penta-hydrate, CuSO₄●5H₂O and easily produced by individuals.

Co2 absorption

ChaosLord — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:04:29 GMT

[QUOTE=Florin Ilia;79028]I think Tom Barr recommends a "de-mister" device in here somewhere, some sort of sponge on the filter outflow, but I can't find it now sorry. Maybe he will just chime in here and repeat his advice :)[/QUOTE]
Does this work?
I would try this if it does.
Is this right?
Intake-canister-atomizer-output-sponge
The sponge stops the 7up effect.

My 79 gallon starfire tank

charlie — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:35:02 GMT

Hi all, i acquired this tank in Nov 2011 from a store in Toronto Canada ( Aquainspiration) this meant a 1 day trip for me & some friends that involved a 8.5 hr round trip drive, i live in Ottawa Canada.
The tank si an ADA knock off -79 gallon -120cm x50cm x 50cm

I will updaate this thread as time permits

Attached Thumbnails

No Intention to Offend, I Will Delete Offending Useless Posts

Biollante — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:39:21 GMT

Hi All,

I will blog this stuff here in case anyone is interested.
There is no intention to offend, I am a real gasbag, I thought it interesting but it offends

I find myself unable to follow the threads, I read and understand them, but there seems to be a �presumed knowledge,� it eludes me�

Biollante
Can too much co2 be a bad thing?

Removed as offensive from post #5
Streptococcus & Serious Eye Infections, Ok So Neon Tetra Disease
Hi,

Erythromycin is generally most effective in alkaline conditions generally pH 7.2 is listed as the minimum effective pH.

A couple of problems Erythromycin, is very harsh stuff, for aquatic situations, mainly effective for serious eye infections (Gram-positive) and Streptococcus, beyond that not overly effective. Even then I would not recommend the use of Erythromycin in any tank that hasn�t been established for at least a year. In my ever-humble-potted-plant opinion Erythromycin are over-rated for aquatic infections.

Since cyanobacteria have Gram-negative cell walls, Erythromycin is not a terribly good choice, as always in as diverse a group as cyanobacteria, there are exceptions.

Then I am one of those evil plant monsters that simply do not think �shortcuts� in general are a good idea.

Why not change the conditions to favor your desired plants, critters and microbes?

Biollante

Removed as offensive to original poster, post #7
Hi,

A couple of things just to make sure we are speaking the same language�

We always capitalized the �Gram� in Gram-positive or negative, as we are referring to a person not a SI mass unit.
The Gram-positive or negative refers generally to the cell wall of bacteria.
Erythromycin is not per se Gram-positive it has to do with the difference in uptake, about 100 fold greater for Gram-positive than negative.

I would love to see the microphotographs. We should be able to see the type of cyanobacteria and perhaps the microbial zoo making their homes or at least their living in and around the colony.

The staining technique, the Cliff Notes version, makes it very clear very quickly, as to whether it is a Gram-positive or negative.

A factor many aquarist miss is that cyanobacteria fix Nitrogen and I think helps explain the reason it is so often associated with new aquariums though these are marine it gives a good explanation. I believe that the �shortcuts� many advise actually exacerbate the problem and work to favor the cyanobacteria. Since our friendlier Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacteria are slower doubling Nitrogen fixers.

One problem with just cranking up the Carbon dioxide in a cycling tank is it may slow the good bacteria. Likely,¹ the best bet is to oxygenate, cyanobacteria are sensitive to oxygen while our friendly Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacteria² require and are invigorated by oxygen.

This is among the reasons a good first step is a series of large water changes when faced with a major outbreak of cyanobacteria in the aquarium.

Trying to mend my old-gasbag ways so if anyone is interested I have more, if not�

Biollante
¹The only bet in my ever-humble-potted-plant opinion.
²I am aware there is a change of opinion on precisely which bacteria do what and that it is obvious there are indeed a series of bacteria at work and is beyond the scope of this conversation.

Request of OP whom I offended
Hi B,
No Intention to Offend, I Will Delete Offending Useless Post
I only know what I read, I have no magical powers, some is an attempt to get information out, my bad, it is an old-gasbag thing.

I still do not understand Erythromycin, but I am not very bright in that way, it was the Erythromycin, three times no less, more than anything else that mislead me.

Biollante
:nonchalance:

My First Tank

Matsyendra — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 10:32:21 GMT

I still remember my first fish tank so clearly, with fondness and a pang...

I was in my second year of Uni, living on my own in a furnished one bedroom unit, and paying rent that was WAY too high. I could not afford to have a phone, I did not have a television and the radio was my only form of entertainment. I lived on salads as I didn't even have the gas connected. To earn a bit of extra income the landlord would give me little jobs to do... mowing lawn etc.

Across the road from where I did my grocery shopping was a very busy little pet shop. I would often go in there, wander around and look at the fishes. I don't know why I was drawn to fishes... maybe it was because they were the only pet I could have living in a unit but I just loved watching them swim around.

What I thought at the time was a VERY cool :cool:, hexagonal aquarium kept taking my eye... One day the owner saw me checking it out and when I asked him how much it was, it was pricey... the tank alone was $120 and way too much for me on my tiny student income. He could tell I was hesitating that I really wanted it and he wanted my sale.

He offered it to me for $100 bucks and he would throw in a tiny filter, a couple of fish, gravel, one or two plants and one of those resin "logs" with a hole at each end and in the middle for my fishies to swim through (I still have it) ... I really couldn't afford to, it meant I was going to have a lean week, but I couldn't resist and I walked home lugging this quite large tank with me. No light, no heater.

The two fish... this really gorgeous TINY, baby comet gold fish... it looked like a miniature Koi, one of those white speckled ones, black, white and orange, like a tortoiseshell cat... and a white cloud mountain minnow. They were the best of friends. The gold fish eventually got way bigger than my mountain minnow... they stayed friends though.

As I read books about fish keeping, they always made it seem so hard, you needed to measure this and adjust that.... make sure the temperature was in the right range... blah blah blah. I did absolutely NONE of it, I changed 25% water every week and that was it. I remember thinking that keeping fish was way too easy... and for me... it was.

I lit the tank from off of one side with a little incandescent study lamp. It was SO beautiful to look at, simple and yet profoundly tranquil.

I spent hours watching my little fishies swim about. A few weeks later I bought a couple of Rosy Barbs, lucky me, without knowing anything at all I selected a male and a female... I was always really particular which fish I bought, I would watch them all for at least 10 minutes and select the very specific fish I wanted, even if it was neons which all look pretty much the same. The owner always had to get the exact fish I wanted, any other would simply not do. It would be an odd tail marking or something similar that would catch my eye and I knew I had to have it.

At the same time that I bought my Rosy Barbs, I also bought a "Sucking Catfish"... oh man he (she?) was awesome, he would sit on or in his little resin log... and sort of wink... one eye only... I remember thinking that I could train him to wink at me whenever I wanted. I spent hours looking at him, making my eye wink in the same way he did his.. with a little bit of a tilt... and amazingly... within a few days... if I winked, he would wink back. It was AWESOME... I used to show friends and they would be amazed. It was THE most beautiful tank I ever owned... I miss it.

I kept reading and learning... yet I did not one thing the books suggested. I cared not for hardness or pH or ammonia...ppm? do you think I could be bothered? I still think that most of the hoo haa over fish keeping is overrated. I mean here I was keeping a goldfish with tropicals in a cold water tank, no heating, no special care and they were thriving... my Rosy Barbs eventually tried breeding... but then ate the eggs. I was living in Adelaide, South Australia, winters were COLD... yet my fishes were full of life. I even had glass catfish in my tank. Too many fish for my tank, it didn't seem to matter. Hatchet fish.. I had TWO of those. I mean most of these fishes come from completely different parts of the world...

I knew a bit about fish keeping, diseases, needs. Even though I knew what to do, I did whatever I wanted and everything seemed to just swim along.

I became one of the pet shops best customers... and about a year later I told them that they had to employ me, and they did. I became "The Fish Guy". All sales of fish, tanks and paraphernalia, care of tanks etc... all of it ... through me.

As I look back, how innocent and naive I was. :rolleyes:

Because really... I had NO clue.

I have kept fish tanks for years now... all types of fish, rarely anything too exotic.. I know my limits and they all do well, I have never paid too much attention to doing anything special for them... keeping fish seems too easy. I still do not have a water heater.. but now I live in the tropics.

Then one day,, I decided that I wanted the damn plants that I bought ... to well... stay alive...

It was the end of innocence...

;)