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  1. J

    My emersed experiments....

    Glad to hear that. :) Here is my Mi Oya, emersed, for comparison. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
  2. J

    My emersed experiments....

    Probably not 'Mi Oya', as it tends to be long leaved, very red, and has an undulating edge. I would caution against adding a variety tag, like Mi Oya, Kompakt, Indonesia, etc., at this point. These names denote very specific plants sources, that adhere to a set of characteristics. When you find...
  3. J

    My emersed experiments....

    One I did the other day, C. cordata var diderici. I use a fresh razor and slice straight down. Once I get to the 'bottom', I score a straight line connecting the cut and it will snap right off. You can also just cut all the way around leaving just the flowers. I was unsuccessfully trying self...
  4. J

    Crypts That Can Turn Reddish Purple?

    All grown in the manner described above, keei 'Bau' has less clay though. Pic order: keei 'Bau', usteriana 'Bogner', sp 'Silver Queen', wendtii 'Mi Oya', pontederiifolia, nurii var raubensis 'Rosen Maiden', xwillisii var lucens. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
  5. J

    Crypts That Can Turn Reddish Purple?

    Cryptocoryne blassii, its a synonym of Cryptocoryne cordata var siamensis, https://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/sia/sia.html . It should be fairly easy to locate in Europe. I'm not sure the rules here on pointing people to sources, so I can pm you for further details of you'd...
  6. J

    Crypts That Can Turn Reddish Purple?

    I'm not sure if Richard Sexton is on these forums, but he'll definitely agree. He is a fierce advocate for nails as an iron source for Crypts. He grows most, if not all, with solid iron. In very basic terms, bacteria in anaerobic conditions will eat the rust produced, releasing soluble...
  7. J

    Crypts That Can Turn Reddish Purple?

    C. affinis 'Metallic Red' can have great red, copper, and burgundy colors. Probably will have to get it off a hobbyist, not from a store. Its a very hardy Crypt. Two things tend to cause red in normally green Crypts, high light and high iron. Not all will respond the same, but iron tends to...
  8. J

    My emersed experiments....

    You don't need to unbury them, they are fully above the soil, the swelling at the bottom is the kettle. Only a few have kettles below the soil. Just looking at the top/limb of the spathe, I can tell you it's Cryptocoryne wendtii, possibly the compact variety. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
  9. J

    Is there a perfect way to euthanise

    As long as it is 85+% eugenol for proper dosage, according to the AVMA, clove oil is an acceptable method of euthanasia(dosed to 400 mg/L) for at least 10 minutes. The University of Texas recommends pithing afterwards to be sure the fish is not just anesthetized. So either way, you should be...
  10. J

    Is there a perfect way to euthanise

    If it's eating and seems to be enjoying life, let it live. If there comes a point it can't sustain itself and/or stops "normal", healthy rasbora behavior, then I'd think about euthanasia. If that time comes, I highly recommend fast and complete destruction of the brain. Many people have given...
  11. J

    Is there a perfect way to euthanise

    I'm not sure why you think it is awful. A toothpick is plenty large to cause total brain destruction in a small fish like a neon. Their brains are not that big. CO2 is definitely considered cruel in many countries, and as I and others have stated, is illegal in many cases. CO2 dissolved in...
  12. J

    Is there a perfect way to euthanise

    The most humane method to euthanize is rapid destruction of the brain. This doesn't have to be gruesome. A toothpick can be used with a small fish, for large fish a paring knife will do. Because of the rapid death, very little blood is released. There is a slight spasm, but that is to be...
  13. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    The post isn't about disease treatment, there is a whole forum elsewhere for that. Forget I mentioned Hexamita. The type of pathogen does not matter. Do you have an opinion on a soil choice to mix with peat moss?
  14. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    The post is about what should the OP mix with peat moss for a great soil in a discus tank. My recommendation was loam, a naturally mineralized soil. As loam is harvested normally several feet below the surface, there is a lower risk of introduced pathogens. Once again the exact pathogen could be...
  15. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    I guess I should have said it is spread most commonly through contaminated soil, typically by birds. Soil is not required for its presence. Being easily treated really isn't the point, nor was the particular organism. There is a whole host of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa commonly found in soil...
  16. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    I completely get what you mean, and to some degree, I'm sure it can be applied to discus. In general though, captive bred discus have developed stronger immune systems and are not nearly as sensitive as their wild counterparts. Most of the infections and diseases we are referring to, like...
  17. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    I've noticed similar behaviour differences in 'wild' setups, expecially in cichlids. From angels that follow young peacock bass feeding, snatching up floating particles as the bass foraged. Even timid, yet extremely aggressive pike cichlid males, became more outgoing, and peaceful with more...
  18. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    In the past, I've introduced many different pond animals and protists. In systems without fish, you can even watch daily zooplankton swarm migrations to the surface. It's quite interesting. I did not realize you were in Italy. Volcanic soils are excellent, possibly better. If you can find a...
  19. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    Organic soils do have their place and give fantastic results, just with discus and disease sensitivity, there's a risk. As additional biodiversity, you'll be very limited to some degree. The freshwater hobby just never progressed that way, unlike the marine hobby. There are all sorts of...
  20. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    Baking will kill most macro-organisms and microbes, but may bacteria and fungal spores can survive extreme temperatures(200 degrees F). If you bake at a higher temp, you will truly sterilize the soil, but may destroy many of the organic compounds. If these burn, it may even produce carcinogens...
  21. J

    Crypt substrate recommendations?

    A few others in a different system, same soil, no soil cap.
  22. J

    Crypt substrate recommendations?

    Personally, I only grow crypts emersed, but in general, most of my 56 varieties are kept with a 50/50 to 30/70 mixture of sandy loam/peat moss, capped with special kitty natural. Some have perlite too, to loosen the soil (species typically grown in beech leaves) with the 70% peat mix. Soil...
  23. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    50 species/varieties
  24. J

    Sphagnum peat and... ?

    Hexamita is a common soil pathogen, something discus are very sensitive to. Also, any native forest soil will have lots of organic material which most likely will cause nutrient issues for the first month or so. Rather than mix peat with forest soil, maybe mix it with a loam. Loam can be thought...
  25. J

    leaves as a substrate cap

    Thought I'd add this real quick if your still interested. From, How to make a peatswamp-aquarium with Cryptocorye and BarclayaI with some notes on fish: https://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Cryptocoryne/Botanical/Documents/Berge/Berge2014.pdf
  26. J

    To flood or not to?

    Pros and cons go both ways. Personally, I prefer to plant without water so I don't have deal with the plants natural buoyancy fighting me.
  27. J

    leaves as a substrate cap

    Another vote for a sand capping here, mostly due to mess. If it was something you wanted to do, I'd add a bit of powdered bentonite clay to act as a flocculant. Adding oak leaves, I definitely recommend this, it looks so good! An old tank of mine.
  28. J

    Has anyone tried LED bulbs such as Philips for lighting their tank?

    Philips makes a PAR38 led bulb that easily grows plants. I don't remember the kelvin rating(5500 or 6500) but many reef aquarium keepers use them in their sumps to grow macro algae.
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