# Cryptocoryne Parva Carpet



## Akwaskape

Thought I'd post up a picture of my Parva Carpet, its about 2 years old and going stronger than ever.


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## Greenfinger2

Good looking Carpet there


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## Akwaskape

@Greenfinger2 
thanks I do love my parva


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## foxfish

Looks great!


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## Akwaskape

@foxfish 
thank you


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## EnderUK

I was slowly doing the same with Cryptocoryne pygmaea until I stripped my tank, that's the mission over the next year


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## Akwaskape

@EnderUK Slowly being the operative word . Im really happy with it, this tank had been a thick matt of plants for so long. Took this picture a few months back when I finally got the courage to start hacking it into shape. At one point it had rooted frogbit that had grown 4 inches above the surface and ludwigia drapesing all over the edges.


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## Akwaskape




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## Matt Warner

That carpet looks really nice. What are the specs of your tank and what fertilisation are you using?


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## Martin in Holland

awesome thick carpet...also thick substrate layer, did you do this on purpose?


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## Akwaskape

@Matt Warner @Martin in China 
thanks for the likes 
The tank is a Clearseal 18x10x10 so prob makes the bed look a bit deeper. But agreed it is a little deeper than you'd expect. 

Starting at the top the tube is an Arcadia freshwater T8 11w if mem serves me And the photoperiod is 10 hours.
The water column has no supplements whatsoever, the only chem I use is prime.
The filter is an eheim pickup 45 with the sponge taken out. Nice constant flow for the crypts. Consistency is king
The substrate is tropica growth dirt capped with Seachem onyx sand (it's actually more like gravel, I don't do sand)
And it's about 18 months old.


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## Akwaskape




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## Akwaskape




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## Akwaskape




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## Akwaskape

Above is a few pics last one is pretty recent.


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## EnderUK

Akwaskape said:


> @EnderUK Slowly being the operative word . Im really happy with it, this tank had been a thick matt of plants for so long. Took this picture a few months back when I finally got the courage to start hacking it into shape. At one point it had rooted frogbit that had grown 4 inches above the surface and ludwigia drapesing all over the edges.



I'm guessing you're doing what I'm doing, plant, let it grow, take out and split the rosette into small bits and replanting?


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## Akwaskape

@EnderUK 
no I just bought about 5 pots from tropica. I split them down, got about 3 bits from each pot and planted them and just let them do their thing. I didnt think they liked being messed about with too much.


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## Tim Harrison

Sorry if I've missed the crucial detail but is it a low-energy tank? Superb carpet either way tho'...


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## Akwaskape

Hi @Troi 
specs are above ^ im not sure where I would put it.
I love the 'low energy' label btw

For me high tech is around water chemistry.

This has a light, a pump and a heater but no co2 or liquid carbon nor any ferts so im leaning towards Low tech. And it's dirted.


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## Jose

Its low tech which doesnt necessarily mean low light.


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## Akwaskape

@Jose 
It's an interesting one b'cos I wouldn't say this is high light. Runs at less than 0.5w/ltr for what that's worth. I'd say moderate lighting. And yes low tech.

My concept of high tech is pretty much co2 or liquid carbon. Then high light is incidental Along with all the ferts etc.


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## Jose

Totally agree akwaskape. I reckon though there is pretty high light in there because of the height of the tank or at least medium as you say.


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## Tim Harrison

Akwaskape said:


> Hi @Troi
> specs are above ^ im not sure where I would put it.
> I love the 'low energy' label btw
> 
> For me high tech is around water chemistry.
> 
> This has a light, a pump and a heater but no co2 or liquid carbon nor any ferts so im leaning towards Low tech. And it's dirted.


Definitely in the low-energy category...which makes the carpet even more awesome...


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## Akwaskape

@Troi 
Thank you


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## Akwaskape

Hi all
had a bit of a tidy up last night, really happy how this tank is maturing


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## Jose

Lovely man. And there is no surface ripple or anything in it is there?


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## Akwaskape

@Jose 
thanks man 
no, surface ripple just a slow movement in the tank to shift nutrient around.


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## Chrisvx220

Stunning! What other plants do you have in there? 
I have just set up my first planted tank this weekend and have included parva as part of my mixed carpet, I would be over the moon if they grow anywhere near as well as yours have! 

How often are you noticing new leaves appear?


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## Akwaskape

@Chrisvx220 
thank you!
Initially the Parva was painfully slow. It can take a while, as I think in the early stages most of what it's doing is under the substrate. But it will get there. It took about 9 months to fill out the carpet from around 5 pots in this 18" tank.
Btw checked out your set up, looking good. But no I'd on the 2 mystery plants soz


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## Akwaskape

@Chrisvx220 
other plants;
crypt Mi Oya
crypt Legroi
crypt Balansae
Ludwigia Repens
And an Aponogeton Crispus. It set seed early and I left it. Now there are lots of baby Apono's popping up here and there. and of course the floating plants. Pretty essential in any dirted / low tech set up.


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## Akwaskape

Update 
the Mi Oya is flourishing, it's actually becomming imposing.


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## Akwaskape

And iv ended up removing one of the rocks back left. It was blocking the light to the Apono Crispus, which was struggling. So I thought I would give it a chance. If it doesn't bounce back then I guess it will be taken over by crypt runners that are starting to appear back there, either way I'll be happy


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## Greenfinger2

Hi Akwaskape, Wonderful


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## Akwaskape

Hi @Greenfinger2 
Thank you


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## Chrisvx220

Thanks for the info, mine are currently starting the initial melting phase hopefully while putting out roots and preparing to grow new leaves
Might have to keep my eye out for some of those Mi Oya they are lovely! 

I don't have any floaters in mine at the moment, why is it that you recommend them for soil/low tech tanks, guessing at light penetration reduction?


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## Akwaskape

@Chrisvx220
I think the Mi Oya also goes under the name Wendtii Red. It's a form of Wendtii found in the Mi Oya river. Being one of the Wendtii it's a pretty reliable crypt as well 
light diffusion is prob minimal, the main reason I use floaters (I'm used to being on USA sights, ive always wanted to use the term 'floaters' but think it implies something else over there lol) is to strip the water column of all the excess nutrients and help the tank balance through the early vulnerable, to algae, stage.


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## Chrisvx220

Great, thanks. I will have to try to get hold of a few floaters


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## Akwaskape

Cool
keep an eye out for
Salvinia (def a top contender,  good size not fiddly to crop)
Hornwort one of the best / manageable every low tech tank should have this aka foxtail. It's a great indicator as to what's happening in the tank.
Dwarf water lettuce same as salvinia and very pretty
Duckweed great nitrate puller, but small and can get messy
Riccia fluitans creates a beautiful matt on the surface
Amazon frogbit can get long roots and find the substrate. Personally I like it when it does that as it goes ballistic and flowers but not to everyone's taste
thanks
nathan


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## Chrisvx220

That's great info, thanks. Quite fancy the frogbit as love the look of suspended roots and the tank is 24" deep so they could comfortably get quite long!


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## dw1305

Hi all, 





Akwaskape said:


> keep an eye out for
> Salvinia (def a top contender, good size not fiddly to crop)
> Hornwort one of the best / manageable every low tech tank should have this aka foxtail. It's a great indicator as to what's happening in the tank.
> Dwarf water lettuce same as salvinia and very pretty
> Duckweed great nitrate puller, but small and can get messy
> Riccia fluitans creates a beautiful matt on the surface
> Amazon frogbit can get long roots and find the substrate. Personally I like it when it does that as it goes ballistic and flowers but not to everyone's taste


 Great list. I have floaters on all my tanks, and <"I use all of these">. I've got spare if you can't get them locally. 

I'd add _Riccia_ to the _"can get messy list", and Ceratopteris thalictroides _to the great sub-surface floaters with Hornwort (_Ceratophyllum_).





Akwaskape said:


> It's a great indicator as to what's happening in the tank


 I do this as well, I use the health of the plants as an indicator of nutrient status. I like Amazon Frogbit for this, I started with Duckweed (_Lemna minor_), which is why I called it the "Duckweed Index", but Duckweed dies in soft, nutrient poor water, whilst _Limnobium_ just looks sickly.

The only one that I can't keep going is _Phyllanthus fluitans_, it always gets overgrown by the other plants. I've recently picked up some _Azolla caroliniana_ (from the restored bit of the Wilts. and Berks. canal at Lacock), and I'm going to give that a go as well. 





Akwaskape said:


> Dwarf water lettuce


Is it really "Dwarf"?  I bought some via Ebay, but it was all just small _Pistia stratiotes_. I've put the "Dwarf" plants on the pond in the summer and they grew into full sized rosettes. 

cheers Darrel


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## parotet

Wow, great tank... congrats!


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## Akwaskape

Hi Darrel
agreed Riccia can get messy and the trend for hob's doesn't help either.

Interesting about the Phyllanthus fluitans as it's the one with red roots if I'm correct. I've got some coming from Sweden in a swap next week. Never tried it before, might try some of it on its own 
And Azolla is one Ive wanted to get, so if you get that established I might take you up on it 
I've  wondered that about the dwarf, as I've seen it in tanks looking humungous.

I've also been given some 'giant duckweed' a few months back and was curious about that, ring any bells it's definately larger but doesnt look anything like the smaller duckweed. Almost looks like miniature frogbit.
Thanks
Nathan


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## Akwaskape

Hi @parotet 
thank you


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## Akwaskape

Heres a pic of some Frogbit that got rooted in the substrate. This piece actually came out of the centre of the parva carpet, albeit slowly and gently. The tank was not cloudy at all, and i would happily have it root into any of my set ups. It may have contributed to the healthy parva now. I think of it as being an exchange mechanism between the air and the dirt. Pic quality is not great


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## Katch

Just gonna say wow. I'm just getting my head round a new low-tech tank I'm planning and this is exactly the kind of inspiration I needed.


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## Chrisvx220

Those roots are huge! Really incredible tank you have there, do you have any livestock in it too?


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## sciencefiction

Beautiful tanks akwaskape. Very healthy looking and well executed. What sort of light are you using over the tank?


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## Akwaskape

@Katch thank you
glad I could help, looking forward to seeing how it pans out


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## Akwaskape

@Chrisvx220 
thank you, it's stocked with pygmy cory, dwarf spotted rasboras and rili shrimp.
Sorry I do love a photo


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## Greenfinger2

Hi Akwaskape,Great photos


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## Akwaskape

sciencefiction said:


> Beautiful tanks akwaskape. Very healthy looking and well executed. What sort of light are you using over the tank?


@sciencefiction thank you, im using an Arcadia T8 freshwater lamp. I think it's 11w with a reflector. The freshwater tube is a great colour


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## Akwaskape

Cheers @Greenfinger2


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## dw1305

Hi all,





Akwaskape said:


> Phyllanthus fluitans as it's the one with red roots if I'm correct


That's the one "Red Root Floater". It has done well for a lot of people, just not me. 





Akwaskape said:


> And Azolla is one Ive wanted to get, so if you get that established I might take you up on it


 PM me in a couple of weeks, I should have some spare by then. 





Akwaskape said:


> I've also been given some 'giant duckweed' a few months back


 Sounds like _Spirodella polyrhiza_. I have had some (it is used a lot in phytoremediation), but I don't think I do now.  A lot of these plants grow well in hard nutrient rich water, but don't do well in soft water, nutrient poor, conditions

It has a "red dot" at the growing point and several roots from each leaf pad. 






Akwaskape said:


> it's stocked with pygmy cory, dwarf spotted rasboras and rili shrimp.


Quality fish, quality tank. Thanks for posting it.

cheers Darrel


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## Katch

@Akwaskape 

What are your local water params out of the tap? Soft/Hard?


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## Akwaskape

Katch said:


> @Akwaskape
> 
> What are your local water params out of the tap? Soft/Hard?



Ph 8.0
very hard water off the chart kh ang gh waste of money buying the kit Really.
Nitrates around 20-30ppm


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## Akwaskape

Thanks Darrel, that def looks like the one


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## Katch

Akwaskape said:


> Ph 8.0
> very hard water off the chart kh ang gh waste of money buying the kit Really.
> Nitrates around 20-30ppm



The complete opposite of my water down here in Cornwall.  Will be interesting to see how a similar setup works on my water...


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## Akwaskape

Katch said:


> The complete opposite of my water down here in Cornwall.  Will be interesting to see how a similar setup works on my water...


If I was a gambling man I'd say it wouldn't work?


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## Akwaskape

@Katch 
Cornwall lucky you, love the area. Usually stay a couple of times a year nr St Ives


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## Akwaskape

@Darrel
Very interesting read on the duckweed index Thanks!
Quick question about measuring the conductivity, as you can prob tell I have a practical understanding but not technical. I kind of get the conductivity piece, but didn't recognise the unit of measurement. Can this be paralleled to using a tds meter which I do?
And 100% on the water quality result once a floater or two take off in a tank.


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## dw1305

Hi all,





Akwaskape said:


> Can this be paralleled to using a tds meter which I do?


 Yes. TDS meters actually measure conductivity (in microSiemens) and then use a conversion factor (usually 0.64) to give an approximation of ppm TDS. 

So 100microS ~ 64ppm TDS.

You can only measure "Total Dissolved Solids" by evaporating a known volume of water to dryness and weighing the residue. You usually do this using a filter paper in the bottom of the beaker, but you need to keep the filter paper in a desiccator until the last moment (before you weigh it), or the weight tends to go down during the experiment, rather than up.

cheers Darrel


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## Akwaskape

That makes sense, thanks. I new my maths a level would come in handy one day


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## Akwaskape

I aim to hold my dirted tanks around 5-10ppm nitrates and around 450 tds.


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## dw1305

Hi all,





Akwaskape said:


> Very interesting read on the duckweed index


I'm pleased you enjoyed it. 

I started thinking about it when the technician who worked in the water quality lab. and looked after the "bioindicators" etc. retired, and I started to maintain the lab. As things worked out the work wound down and we never got a replacement staff member, which freed up the tanks etc for other usages. 

I knew that the filtration systems we had (mainly planted trickle filters) could deal with huge bioloads, so from there it was a small jump to the realisation that the same approach could produce very clean water from a less polluted water source.

cheers Darrel


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## dw1305

Hi all,





Akwaskape said:


> I aim to hold my dirted tanks around 5-10ppm nitrates


My suspicion would be that most planted low tech. tanks have that sort of range of NO3 values. 

The problem is that it is really difficult to get accurate nitrate levels without proper analytical kit. We use "Ion Selective Electrodes" for most quick testing etc. The probes have a limited life and cost £300 and the meter itself (which can also measure other ions and pH, with different electrodes) is ~£1000. You also need nitrate standards etc. Even with this sort of kit you are only getting a ball-park figure, and in some situations not even that. 





Akwaskape said:


> and around 450 tds.


 Conductivity is a really straight forward measurement, you really can just dip the meter in (without any calibration etc) and get a reliable and accurate measurement. If you have very hard water nearly all of that conductivity will be calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) ions.

cheers Darrel


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## Akwaskape

One of the rili shrimp working away on the parva.


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## Ryan Thang To

Akwaskape said:


> One of the rili shrimp working away on the parva.


Amazing picture


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## Akwaskape

Cheers


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## banthaman.jm

Really great scape and journal 
Jim


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## Akwaskape

Thanks Jim 

Sustainable Aquaria


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## Akwaskape




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## Akwaskape

Update
another trim. Removed some of the plants, that had spread either by seed or by runner, from carpet. You can now see its intended width. I've also added a crypt albida back left hoping it will have enough height to creep over the rocks. And finally the Apono Crispus sent out a new leaf. The first in 6 months or so. I think this was due to me shifting the left two rocks slightly forward and this has allowed for some direct light to hit the lower parts of the plant. You can just make it out top left ish. Now if I can only get a dozen more.

Hope you enjoy it


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## jagillham

Great thread (just read the lot!). Comparing the latest photo with the first you can see just how well it has come on


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## Akwaskape

@jagillham 
thank you, it's seems to get sharper and more defined by the week now it's well and truly established.


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## Dave wants nano

Awesome tank! The floating plants gives it a lovely feel.


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## Chris Jackson

Loving the Parva carpet and the feel of this tank.... good things come to those who wait!


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## Akwaskape

@Dave wants nano @Chris Jackson 
Thanks guys appreciate it. Def a slow burner but unstoppable now. Tbh needs a good trim, I'll try and post up an update soon enough. Some nice Aponogeton Crispus Red action going atm


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## dw1305

Hi all, 





dw1305 said:


> PM me in a couple of weeks, I should have some spare by then.


 I now have plenty of spare_ Azolla _if any-one wants to give it a go? I can post it as a "large letter",  so I'm asking for £2 as a donation to the forum.

cheers Darrel


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## GHNelson

Hi Darrel
I will take a very small portion!
You may have my address?
Cheers
hoggie


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## dw1305

Hi all, 





hogan53 said:


> You may have my address?


 I do, I'll get it in the post tomorrow AM.

cheers Darrel


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## GHNelson

Lovely...thanks Darrel


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## dw1305

Hi all,





dw1305 said:


> I do, I'll get it in the post tomorrow AM.


Hopefully with Hoggie tomorrow. 

When I collected it the plant (March from Wilts. and Berks. canal at Lacock) it was bright red, and it was only when it went green that it started growing, but I don't know whether growth or colour change occurred first. 

cheers Darrel


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## GHNelson

Hi Darrel 
Recived the  floaters  yesterday. ...will  make a donation on Sunday......at work at the moment! 
Cheers
 hoggie


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## Joe Turner

Impressive growth from such a slow grower, nice one!


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