Daniel

I think this kind of tank is the way to go. So peaceful and enjoyable.

Yeah, all of my stuff is in the ground and that seems to make a difference when it comes to what can be tolerated at the extremes.

Does the low temperature, low 50s cause a problem? I ask, because I often see really high temperatures, like in the 90s or low temperature like yours in my outdoor pools and it doesn't seem to cause problems in the same way high or low temperatures cause in my indoor aquariums. I guess what I'm trying to say is for some reason temperature extremes do not seem as harmful when they happen outdoors. Has this been your experience?

If the fry are really small I start with green water which has all kinds of stuff, including rotifers: If the fry is big enough start with or has grown, I switch to baby brine shrimp. When I overfeed, which is quite often, I get hydra. The hydra don't worry me though. I think they look pretty cool.

I live in 7a (near Chapel Hill, NC). The pool is fairly big, so didn't freeze over. I don't think heaters are needed.

I agree with @Fish Folk. I like the convenience of the strips. And if I need a more precise answer I have the lab equipment I need.

The first thing I kept were guppies in quart jars when I was 9. I got the idea from reading the story Gallons of Guppies with Henry Huggins. I was fascinated by watching gravid female guppies give birth. Some of the babies were Golden, and at that point I was hooked. My first proper fish tank, a 10 gallon aquarium with a box filter and a heater didn't go well. I stocked it with a dozen neon tetras. Later when fishing with my dad, I netted a baby sunfish. I asked my dad if I could take it home and put it at my new aquarium. He said he didn't think it was a good idea and predicted a little sunfish would eat my neon tetras. I wasn't deterred and blurted "don't worry dad, neon tetras are the fastest fish in the world!" He shrugged and we took the sunfish home and put it in my aquarium and all seemed well. The next morning when I turned on the lights the only fish I could find in the tank was that baby sunfish. The neons had all disappeared. At that point I realized where the neons might be and burst into tears. Dad help me take the sunfish back to the lake. I miss my Dad.

Someone asked for a fish ID on a Synodontis eupterus recently on the Forum and I started typing out "It is a Pooka" before catching myself. 🙂

What I like about the rice fish is they are tough as nails with seemingly low maintenance requirements. They are active colorful top water fish which makes them excellent for outdoor ponds and pools. My rice fish keeping technique is beyond minimal. I bought half a dozen last year and put them in my big Daphnia pool. I see them everyday but I haven't ever fed them or netted many out. During the first summer their numbers increased exponentially, but over the winter their population dropped to 2 or 3 dozen. This year I added angelfish and swordtails to the pool and I think the angelfish eat a fair amount of rice fish. Naturally the Daphnia population is very small at this point.

I think it is a verified Hobbit sighting!

Your plants are doing most of the work. I think you can go for a very long time, maybe indefinitely without water changes. As long as the parameters are good, all you really need is a top off when needed.

Good work @OnlyGenusCaps, I think it is Potamogeton crispus.

Maybe a 'Gold Tetra'?

Either is fine. I tend to mediums for everything, but I am sure the small is big enough for the 20 gallon.

I keep them.

If it were me, I would just get one. I have a couple of 75 gallon aquariums and both have 1 medium size spongefilter in each tank.

I did when we lived up in rural 'holler' years ago. I just got my ramps patch started in the woods behind my house last year. It will be a while before it is big enough to collect from.

Reading an article from you would be wonderful! @Anita is the person to reach out to.

How cow! You have good eyes. I wouldn't have been able to tell which variety it was without the label. Yes, it is 'Red Toch' short for Tochliavri, which is the city in the Republic of Georgia that this variety originally came from.

Just harvested the garlic for this year. Here is some of it curing. We keep it out the sun with good airflow across it for about 10 days before we braid it.

Happy upcoming anniversary everyone! We just put a call out for Articles:

As part of the upcoming C.A.R.E. Forum Anniversary on July 14, this thread is dedicated to articles written by our very own forum members! In order to include as many members as possible—from newbie writers to experienced wordsmiths—we will be accepting three types of Forum Member Article (FMA): Self-Posted Article (SPA): an article written and self-posted by a forum member. SPAs have not been reviewed by an editor. Reviewed Article (RA): an article written by a forum member that has been reviewed by an editor. RAs have been reviewed for basic grammar and style only. RAs are self-posted by the author. Sticky Article (SA): an article written by a forum member that has passed editorial review and final approval. SAs are showcase pieces that are reviewed for grammar, style, and quality. Following final approval, SAs are uploaded as a sticky post by the thread administrator. Our FMAs will be similar in layout and writing style to the Aquarium Co-Op blog, with perhaps the exception of Aquarium Science articles. Review a few blog posts to become familiar with this writing style and article layout. To achieve a consistent look across all articles, we ask that all authors use the following writing tools: FMA Writer Guidelines — instructions on how to write the content FMA Template — models the layout, photo credits, and citations To minimize clutter and keep FMAs easily searchable, please do not post comments, discussions, or questions to this FMA thread. All non-article posts will be removed. For comments or discussions, please start a new topic thread and link back to the article you would like to discuss. If you have a question, first check whether it is answered in the writer guidelines or article template. If your question is not answered in either of these resources, please send DM your question to @Anita. Article Categories: Tips & Tutorials—practical application based on firsthand experience Personal Narrative—funny story, life lesson, significant event, personal philosophy Care Guide—firsthand experience, backed with references Aquarium Science—interesting science, written for the layperson If you are not sure what category your article fits into, please DM @Anita Let’s Get This Party Started! And one last favor from your managing editor and primary contact, @Anita Our FMA team consists of volunteers, all of whom have generously offered to help share the workload. I ask you to be mindful of their time and remain respectful in all communications. Bear in mind that if eight authors wait until July 10th to submit their articles for review, we will end up disappointing a whole bunch of people. To help make your editor's job easier, please follow the writing guidelines and use the article template. Please DM @Anita with questions or concerns. Thank you! 😎

I have always wanted a product like that, but have had to resort to just collecting or growing live foods.

In the wild fish eat what is available and it is often seasonal. According Heiko Bleher a lot of what Discus eat are things like detritus and berries. It is certainly not what we feed Discus. With pygmy sunfish I have seen where they live in the wild and have an idea what they eat. They will eat anything that moves, which is mostly aquatic invertebrates, like copepods or insect larva, etc.

I don't know how missed you and Brandy and @Shadow_Arboron the Day 1 list. I did list s1_ above.