(no subject)

Dear Amanda,

Thanks for your comments. I admit that the book does take more than one
reading to really understand how interconnected all of the ideas are. For
example, water hardness affects so many things that the subject comes up
again and again in many of the book's chapters. In contrast, reading a book
on plant taxonomy is much easier, because the organization of material is so
transparent. I tried to do as much cross-referencing as possible within the
book but even then aquarium ecology is still a tough subject to organize!
I'm glad you are considering energy consumption factors. I see no
reason to spend a fortune on lighting in circumstances where sunlight could
be easily used. You can always tape paper or Aluminum foil to the back of
the tank if you feel the tank gets too much.
Below are my answers to your questions:

***Unless you are breeding Tetras (maintaining normal sex ratios and proper
egg development seem to require a certain water softness level), the
softwater fish themselves do very well in moderately hard water or even
hardwater. Since writing the book, I am becoming even more convinced that
softwater tanks (GH and KHs of around 3) are probably not going to do well
(poor plant growth and algae takeovers). While my book focused on adding C,
Mg, and K, having enough bicarbonate (as a carbon source for plants) is
probably equally important.

***I think an 8 week adjustment period (if you can wait) is not a bad idea.
At some point I'd like to repeat the experiment described in the book, but
extend the submerging test to 12 weeks. A few cautions: Keep the tank dark
so you don't start up a thriving algae culture in this tank. Also, unless
you filter or circulate the overlying water during this period, I'd cover
soil in the tank with just 6 inches of water to get the submerged conditions
you want without making it too deoxygenated. Every inch of water prevents
more oxygen from diffusing into soil environment. You want anaerobic
conditions, but not "Septic Tank type" anaerobic conditions.
Let me re-iterate here again not to mix soils or add amendments to make
the soil more fertile. It simply isn't necessary in tanks without CO2
injection.

I would be interested to hear how your tank does. It sounds like you've
given it considerable thought. Good luck!


Diana Walstad

(no subject)

I heard an interview last night in which a man who coaches world-class tenors said that he encourages his performers to think of their favorite food during really sexy, romantic operatic pieces in order to get the correct passion and enthusiasm. One of them sings to the ultimate pastrami sandwich, etc. Now why it is better to think about food instead of love and passion in order to create the best semblance thereof? And then I realized that sex is really kind of a cheap high, big ol' nerve bundles in strategic locations jacked straight to the pleasure centers of the brain. "Come on little mammal, press the shiny pink button, you know you want to... *Bzzzt!*" Whereas a pastrami sandwich (I assume, having never partaken) is a much more intellectual and, dare I say it, complex pleasure. Well, perhaps I'm just a sexual philistine then. What about scented candles, lickable love jelly, whips, chains, long tickly feathers? Pshaw! Window dressing. If you ate the pastrami sandwich during foreplay would that make it a sexual act? (Well, I suppose it might actually.) Additionally, this is an activity whose operatic climax is distinguished by an inability to produce one's own name and perhaps some unfortunate drooling. As fine as this may seem at the time, this is probably not Technicolor recording mode. Pastrami sandwich reveries are probably much more complete and accessible.

Uh, anyway, maybe it's time to talk about the imminent arrival of my in-laws now. There's a buzz kill. No, I don't want to talk about that. Back to packing.