Streetwise

@MAC, I don’t mind. I am limiting myself to 20 gallons max while renting. I really want a bigger tank, but I don’t want to move it.

I moved 3 x 3.5 gallon rimless tanks downstairs. I made sure the dresser was flat, and carried each tank with its foam base. Moving is my biggest hobby fear.

In my school system, the teaching staff is made up of more women than men, especially for younger grades, and many of those teachers have classroom aquariums. I would hazard a guess that more children are introduced to aquariums by female fish keepers! This forum seems pretty inclusive and welcoming. We also seem to have a mix of young aquarists.

I barely see my Ember tetras, but I love them all the same.

I lost my last marine tank to a storm and flooding, and took a long break. I thought about a nano reef tank, and then saw some cool planted videos, but everything seemed complicated. Aquarium Co-Op provided a mellow approach with low blood pressure.

@Guppysnail, I can keep plants happy, especially in the cubes. Your last question is the most important. I still have to remove Duckweed, which is useful, but blocks light. I wish that I could improve this system to not have Duckweed and shrimp fry both end up in the last-chance bucket from skimming my other tanks.

I keep a number of small tanks, but my utility tanks and buckets really help me balance my hobby. These three 3.5 tanks are always cycled, and can host plants or fish: One is a previous organic soil Betta tank. The next is just mulm, filter, and light. The third adds plants and wood. This bucket setup includes an off-gas bucket, a plant/wood staging bucket, a last-chance bucket, and with a fine sponge pump, a garden bucket. The tiny pail is for my cat.

I am all about organic soil tanks, so I look forward to seeing your journey! Have fun!

@GardenStateGoldfish, and @Guppysnail, I would guess that slower flow collects more soil, and makes life easier for plants. In contrast, the big Bacopa that I collected was probably fed by wind flow oscillations, water treatment output, and the Laplatte river supplying the bay. It only had rocks as substrate, but it had the largest root system that I have seen in aquatic plants besides mangroves. I haven't really seen a hobby tank like it, but I could describe it if someone with a 120+ would like to try. There was no dirt, sand, or gravel. I did not keep anything long-term, for fear of Zebra mussels.

@Daniel, I also love the muck, mulm, and mess of local slow water. What is the typical geology of the waterways in your region? I know it is part of the the same Appalachian range we have in Vermont, but so many factors have shaped the ecology and geography.

Very interesting @ArchwayAquatics! What sports were notable that year? I won't Google it, since it is fun to share local information.

@Guppysnail, I agree that sand can choke substrate and roots because of its density. It needs flow or turnover. I collected the largest Bacopa I have seen from a local rocky environment.

I have about thirteen Fluval lights. The Nanos have a metal body and are excellent heat sinks. I don’t run my long models over glass, or above 50%, but they are warmer.

I want my organic waste to rejoin the substrate and help feed the plants. I don’t see it as pollution. However, I am running organic soil tanks where decomposition is part of the formula.

@Chad, I am very structured on anything that I can automate, but not in my personal habits, except for going to work, where I also try to automate (IT). You could try once a week, see how many bubbles escape, and judge by that. I do it when I am bored or annoyed.

Awesome Chad, that might have been my first post, because I thought it would be a good FAQ for the community! You might want to get into the habit of stabbing your substrate with wooden skewers to help it breathe. I still do it in my older tanks sometimes.

I have been thinking a lot about how substrate exists in nature, especially with gravel vs sand. My hobby context is with organic soil underneath, where I prefer gravel as a cap, but I don’t want to be too specific. I grew up on Lake Champlain, which has some of the oldest former reefs in the world, from when it was the Champlain Sea. However, there are very few sandy beaches on the lake. The two big ones are Sandbar State Park on the Vermont side, fed by the Lamoille River, and Ausable Point on the New York side, both cases where the rivers have been depositing sand for millennia. In the marine environment, we expect tons of flow, grinding down rocks and coral. Freshwater seems to have more conditions.

I like the woodsy smell. In my organic soil tanks, I am moving away from using sand in my caps, and now prefer the most minimal gravel cap. This better allows the soil to breathe, and mulm to settle through the gravel, and enrich the substrate. My outdoor tubs had way too much sand, and I dealt with septic smells when breaking them down last fall. I also saw the impact on plants, although the White Clouds were too bulletproof to care.

Images hosted on http sites won’t display on https sites like this one, at least in strict browsers like Safari. @Logan_C, can you please edit the first post and upload the photos?

@PineSong, I'll have to see if my dad has that book in his collection. I renamed the thread to include other boats. These Norwegian PSAs are awesome:

I did a little bit of fishing as a kid. When sailing on Lake Champlain, some of our races coincide with fishing tournaments. We observe proper right of way, dodge their lines, and wave. The lake has a lot of interesting species, and there is strong local support for fisheries, including breeding programs that sometimes involve local schools. I just looked up Lake Champlain International, who runs some fishing events, and I was impressed with their text: "People who care most about our natural resources are those who spent the most time out in them. Fishing is an excellent way to build a personal connection with water, with Lake Champlain, with a favorite lake, pond, or stream. It creates a treasured experience which in turn creates a deep respect and appreciation for what that resource can give you. People with that respect and appreciation are the stewards who will stand up and fight for the future of our water. They are the ones that will ensure a future of clean water, healthy fish, and happy people."

I found this really cool drone video: The footage is just spectacular!

This is cool. @Lowells Fish Lab, what are those containers? Do you have an Amazon link if they are not local purchases?

They have a new light, $870. The price might be similar to a pair of Kessil LEDs. https://www.neptunesystems.com/products/expansion-modules/sky-led-reef-aquarium-light/