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To make a long story short, my name is Don. I'm a craps/blackjack dealer, former Buddhist monk, in a new apartment after leaving the monastery, and back into fish. My mom and dad had an aquarium back in '62--a 20g was HUGE back then--fish in college, and a salt water reef in Florida 10 years ago. This time I decided since I can't garden in the desert, I'll grow plants in a fish tank, and maybe keep some fish, too. (A very long story?)
When I get into something, I get into it. Buddhist monk, remember?
So I found a 55gal at a garage sale for $75, with stand, to start. I began to research. Watched a ton of You Tube videos. Bought a big sack of Miracle Grow organic potting soil, topped it with the leftover gravel from the garage sale, found a perfect driftwood stump on Mt. Charleston along with some great rocks, hauled back into town on the back of my Kawasaki Voyager, and started putting together my ******* bailing-wire-and-duct tape fish tank, complete with $10 Walmart utility light, five dollar gooseneck clip-ons, and plants. Did I mention I have been going around Petsmarts in Vegas and buying up their dying plants for $1 a piece?
As long as Petsmart is killing plants in a rack, we should take advantage and save as many plants and as much money as we can. They don't last long encased in plastic under intense lighting. I've gotten more than a hundred dollars retail for less than $20 bucks. Search and keep from being destroyed.
I appreciate all the info I've gotten here, and elsewhere, so maybe I can give a little back. I found an incredibly knowledgeable fish store owner--a true font of wisdom except for pricing and breath, which causes watery eyes and breathing problems of my own because of both--who has really increased my knowledge. (Did you know that the start of the "season" for importing fish begins in late May for South American and Asian species?) (Did you know that Brazil has changed their laws or rules relaxing the exportation of ornamental fish so we should be seeing some stuff not seen in years?)
As I said above, when I start a hobby, I jump in with both feet and complete immersion, so I hope I can pass along anything I pick up along the way. Once upon a time, I was into bonsai big time. 50 trees. Something I learned in that hobby I'm transferring to this one: When you get plants, trim the tops back before you plant them in your tank. When we would make a tree bonsai, we would severely cut back both the roots--to fit the top--and the top to fit the now much smaller root system. I believe the same thing applies to our aquarium plants, which balance themselves by shedding leaves, which melt. This might solve that problem.
Namasakan.
Formerly Ajahn Gatasaro, but you can call me Don.
When I get into something, I get into it. Buddhist monk, remember?
So I found a 55gal at a garage sale for $75, with stand, to start. I began to research. Watched a ton of You Tube videos. Bought a big sack of Miracle Grow organic potting soil, topped it with the leftover gravel from the garage sale, found a perfect driftwood stump on Mt. Charleston along with some great rocks, hauled back into town on the back of my Kawasaki Voyager, and started putting together my ******* bailing-wire-and-duct tape fish tank, complete with $10 Walmart utility light, five dollar gooseneck clip-ons, and plants. Did I mention I have been going around Petsmarts in Vegas and buying up their dying plants for $1 a piece?
As long as Petsmart is killing plants in a rack, we should take advantage and save as many plants and as much money as we can. They don't last long encased in plastic under intense lighting. I've gotten more than a hundred dollars retail for less than $20 bucks. Search and keep from being destroyed.
I appreciate all the info I've gotten here, and elsewhere, so maybe I can give a little back. I found an incredibly knowledgeable fish store owner--a true font of wisdom except for pricing and breath, which causes watery eyes and breathing problems of my own because of both--who has really increased my knowledge. (Did you know that the start of the "season" for importing fish begins in late May for South American and Asian species?) (Did you know that Brazil has changed their laws or rules relaxing the exportation of ornamental fish so we should be seeing some stuff not seen in years?)
As I said above, when I start a hobby, I jump in with both feet and complete immersion, so I hope I can pass along anything I pick up along the way. Once upon a time, I was into bonsai big time. 50 trees. Something I learned in that hobby I'm transferring to this one: When you get plants, trim the tops back before you plant them in your tank. When we would make a tree bonsai, we would severely cut back both the roots--to fit the top--and the top to fit the now much smaller root system. I believe the same thing applies to our aquarium plants, which balance themselves by shedding leaves, which melt. This might solve that problem.
Namasakan.
Formerly Ajahn Gatasaro, but you can call me Don.
) and they would school together pretty often. They would do their own thing for awhile, but most of the time stuck together. They are really neat fish and once you have them for a while their colors really pop! My single dwarf rainbow right now schools with my diamond tetras, it's really cute.
