On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 23:38:46 GMT, Victor Martinez opined:


Wood makes a wonderful addition to a tank, plus it helps soften and
acidify our hard and alkaline water. You might want to boil the wood for
a few hours and then let it soak, weighted down until it no longer floats.

What about the larger pieces? Can I solarize them in the sun inside a clear
plastic bag with some water in it?

So do I. However, fish do die a bit often, sometimes it's my fault,
sometimes it's their fault (suicide by jumping). I love aquaria because
it gives me a chance to develop a tiny ecosystem that I try to make as
balanced as possible.

That's how I feel. We have more than sufficient room for the inch number of
fish we have. We could probably fit 75 more fish in there, but I'll only do
that if it's balanced. The pond outside seems to strike a balance with no help
from us, but the aquarium is a bit different. I will say it is ten times easier
to care for a large aquarium than it was for the 30 gal.

One other thing; while at Petsmart today I noticed they were selling dwarf mondo
(Ophiopogon) in the plant area. I was not aware it could be used as a water
plant. If it is, I would love to dig out a patch of the black dwarf mondo I
have and use that. Have you heard anything about this plant being submerged?


Indeed. Plus folks can easily kill a thread they're not interested in.

Oh that would be way too difficult. They'd much rather complain!
V