Filling Up Space

I have to write something in between ads, per the rules and everything, but I seem to have more ads to write than any thing about my life, self or perspective. So I sat there, looking at something for about 5 minutes wondering what to write about when I realized, I've never written about that to which I was staring.

I'll bet you didn't know I have an aquarium. Yep. I have cats and dogs and it's easy to talk about cats and dogs to just about anyone but unless you are really in to aquariums, no one seems to be interested. But, I have to fill some space so today, I am going to talk about my aquarium.

Isn't this exciting!?

To start, it's a 40 gallon tank, what some may call a "breeder" tank meaning it's not tall and it's not what they call, "long". Anyway, it is ever changing as I'm always thinking of new ways to design it. Right now I have gravel, black gravel, but have some sand I've had and never opened and am thinking I'm going to change it over to sand.

That ought to be loads of fun. And I hope I don't kill any fish in the process. And I wish I would have started out with sand in the first place. We'll see what happens. I'm thinking I'm going to do that when the Christmas weekend gets here because I'll finally have time off to be able to do it and monitor and not have to rush off to yet another job. For four days, I get to sit on my butt, at home, and do whatever I damn well please.

Actually, I have some plans for Christmas but you don't get to hear about them yet.

So, I have live plants, I know some of the names of those plants. I don't get hung up on names, never have. Even back when I was really in to music, I knew the name of the bands, of course, but didn't give a crap about the name of the band members. Everyone around me was all, "Oh that's Jello Biafra" or, "That's Morrissey". Yah, who cares. I don't give a crap what their names are, I just like the music. Same with clothes. Don't care about the name. Do I like the way it looks? Ok, then I'm getting it, who gives a shit who designed it.

Same with my plants. I like the way they look, I try them out, I see if they do well, I keep them if they do. I don't give a crap about names. I have a couple of them that are thriving to the point that I'm thinking I may have to sell off the cuttings. I don't remember what they are called, (I'd have to look it up), but I love the look and they grow well so I can take cuttings and plant those and basically have a nicely planted tank for the price of a few plants.

I don't know what the hell I'm doing with live plants. I don't do the CO2 b.s. I don't fertilize. I just stick the plants in and hope for the best and thus far, the best is happening. So anyway, I have about 20 plants...some of those are the cuttings of the one I mentioned earlier. Some of those are sword something plants...grassy type stuff that is supposed to spread and cover the bottom...excuse me, official lingo: substrate, (eye roll), of the tank. Not sure how those are doing because they don't seem to be spreading. Hence, why I think the sand might do some good.

So, black gravel, 20 plants and I also have driftwood, (dark), a medium sized rock looking decoration, a castle, (it's not complete without a castle), and what I call my Lord Of The Rings Rock. It's a pretty tall decoration and it always reminds me of LOTR...that scene where...Gandalf...wait, wrong movie...whatever, see? I don't do names. Anyway, the good wizard, is up on that tall, dark rock mountain fighting with the eyeball guy. Mordor comes to mind. Anyway, it reminds me of that rock mountain.

I also have, not in tank but soon will be in tank, a rock formation that will "elevate" some of the sand so it looks like I have different levels. I anticipate this to look really cool and it's high time I put it to use. And then I have another rock formation that I have not used yet, either that I think I'll add after doing the sand.

Ultimately, I wanted to start aquascaping and make it look all artsy and cool so my fish feel like they are not in a tank but out in the wild.