Streetwise

Tannins do lower the pH a certain amount, but your baseline is your local water.

The color is not an accurate indicator for anything besides tannins, although it usually suggests a reduction in pH. My photos and test results are in my journals.

You can have dark tannin environments without going below 7.00 pH.

I traded Dwarf Water Lettuce to a local pet store for credit.

An organic soil tank with big pieces of Mopani wood is a nice way to start a tannin-rich tank. I like 1-1.5 inches of organic topsoil from a local composter, with a modest cap of 2-4 mm gravel. My Homestead journal documents the tank that I setup for my folks. Tannins pair well with hard water, as they drive the pH down, and provide some antibacterial benefits. I’ll do a pH test on my next visit, but I think it drops pH.

I have kept terrestrial moss on wood, but only at and above the waterline.

I could be wrong, but they looked identical except for the printing on the cardboard packaging, but even that was fairly similar. They seemed to have the same low-iron glass, black silicone, and identical size offerings. I have an idea. Maybe Aquarium Masters makes the tanks, and Deep Blue packaged, marketed, and distributed them in the USA. Seapora showed an address in Canada when I was searching. Perhaps Seapora was playing the same role as Deep Blue, but in Canada, but now also distributes in the US, when some sort of exclusivity contract expired.

I like those tanks and bought out a local store when I found out that they going away. My rimmed units are labeled Aquarium Masters. Now they seem to be back under the Seapora brand, and they are back at a different local pet store. I have also seen them in an Aquarium Co-Op warehouse video tour. I can’t find a Seapora site, but this is Aquarium Masters: http://www.aquariumindustrial.com

I have gone through an evolution in my tanks with usage of sand. My first planted tank had fairly deep soil, and about the same depth of sand. Some of my plants struggled. I started using a slightly thinner layer of sand, and then gravel over that. My next tank, whenever that is, will probably dispense with using sand at all. The biggest wakeup call was when I broke down my tubs last fall, and saw how rotted some of my plants got in the roots, and the soil smelled a little bit like a septic system. Re-reading the book, I think I was choking out the soil and creating problems. Now I want to use just enough 2-4mm gravel to hold down the soil, but still allow it to breathe. Most of this stuff is documented in my journals.

Hi, @Doug_E, For this style, I recommend 1-1.5 inches of organic soil, with a modest gravel cap. I also recommend getting this book in print or digital format. I have the Apple version for bookmarks on my iPhone. https://dianawalstad.com I love live plants, and using lots of them to make ecosystems. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/live-plants

I have heard that rice is overrated. I am in IT, so get on that search!

That looks like the color of Cyanobacteria in a marine tank.

I wouldn’t risk my own boat, but the story would be epic. I may just live vicariously, and visit the Co-Op instead on a trip. I would also like to buy Bob Perry a cup of coffee, from across the room.

This is another PNW race on my bucket list as a New England sailor: The Double Damned, from Cascade Locks to the Dalles, Oregon: https://hryc.clubexpress.com It looks like it is canceled this year. We also canceled some events, since we have the most fun with both American and Canadian competitors. Next year!

I think that there are some waterproof enclosures for various action cameras that allow a cable-connection for power and/or streaming, such as GoPro and DJI. Those cameras are waterproof or water-resistant on their own, but not when wired. You will spend more.

Brilliant idea to laminate the card! The strip seems to still have a decent amount of water on it, but I don’t want to speculate on any effects, since I am not an expert on testing. @Cory is an expert.

@WhitecloudDynasty is a master breeder, as far as I am concerned!

The Apex Neptune is effectively an aquarium robot, and you can control so much stuff, even dosing. Check out all the modules available: https://www.neptunesystems.com We have a thread about the system: I mostly just use mine for monitoring and alerts, including a leak detection kit.

That is awesome. Well done! Here is a project that might be fun for you to check out: http://sampsonboat.co.uk https://sampsonboat.co.uk/about/ He has posted over 100 videos documenting every step of the process. I haven't been keeping up, but I will skim the updates when I see them on Sailing Anarchy.

Cheers @Patrick_G! Here are some photos I took of Mashnee, after her restoration. She is a Herreshoff-built Buzzards Bay 30 from 1902. My dad wrote a couple of articles about the restoration project at Darling Boatworks in my hometown: https://lcyc.info/files/Binnacle 2008-08-24.pdf The owners documented the restoration with a video slideshow. This beauty was on Lake Champlain for many years before being donated to MIT Sailing.

I could use more snails in one tank. I love them, but so does my Yo-yo loach!

Here is the referenced video.

The 4K Logitech webcam can take excellent photos and videos, including right next to the glass. It might be a dry solution for filming and streaming your aquariums. If you remove the monitor mount, you will reveal a tripod mount. The software provides focal control, and you can use the focused feed live. For forum journals, it can be a fun tool to film shrimp or fish. It needs a modern computer setup, but not any capture hardware.

ACO also has a specimen box now too!

I’ve never joined a fish club, but they might have fees for web hosting, or some other ongoing expenses.