So, I’ve decided to start a blog about aquariums. Why, you might ask? Well, it’s quite simple, I like aquariums — freshwater planted aquariums specifically. I’m active participant in my local aquatic plant club, GWAPA, and would like to start documenting some of my experiences in the hobby. I hope to keep this blog updated at least once per week, probably corresponding to my weekly water changes. Let me introduce you to my tanks:

20G Jungle Tank

This tank has a breeding population of apistogramma borelli, which readily breed inside the hollow bog wood, and moss/plant cover. There’s currently an amalgamation of plants including: hygrophila corymbosa “narrow long leaf”, hygrophila polysperma, sagittaria subulata, utricularia graminifolia, ludwigia sp. “cuba”, ludwigia palustris, ranunculus inundatus, heteranthera zosterifolia, and assorted java, taiwan, fisidens sp. mosses.

40G Breeder Tank w/ADA Amazonia Substrate
This is my first attempt at an iwagumi scape. A breeding population of apistogramma panduro are the main occupants in this tank. Most of the aquarium is covered by eleocharis acicularis, with more stargrass, rotala macrandra “green”, limnophila aromatica, and nymphea “red lotus” occupying the back left.

75G – My Largest Tank

This is an old picture of my 75G tank. You will soon see some updated pictures of the tank, along with a dairy of DIY attempts to build a scape. As you can see, I have no problem adding as many plants as I can get my hands on inside this tank!

54G – Rainbow/Low Maintenence Tank

This is the tank that I never do anything to, outside of changing the water every two weeks. The anubias may not look perfect, but they keeping growing, and the rainbowfish stay happy and show great color. There is also an assortment of loaches, cories, and plecos hidden in this tank.

Rather than trying to write up a coherent essay about myself, I decided to use a FAQ format:

How did you get into aquariums?

Growing up, I had aquarium on and off with varying degrees of success. I never tried live plants when younger, but I did keep all of the common ornamental fish, plus some of the shrimp, snails, crayfish, crabs, and newts that were available. My childhood AGA 20G-high tank is still in use today!

When did you start adding live plants to your tanks?

Back in 2002, my wife thought it would be a good idea to add an aquarium to our living room. Little did she know, that this small room accessory would turn into a renewed obsession with aquariums. As soon as we decided to setup an aquarium, I started researching what other folks were doing on the Internet. For no particular reason, other than the beautiful pictures I saw on the web, I decided to try a few common plants (swords, ludwigia, anacharis) from PetSmart. Additionally, a co-worker bought me Amano’s Nature Aquarium, which introduced me to planted tanks on a whole new level. From there, it’s just history.

What is a guitarfish?

I first came up with the name “guitarfish” to use as a handle on an online forum. Unable to come up with any “good” handles, I started to think of the things I enjoy. I love to play my guitar, and I love my aquariums. Thus guitar + aquarium fish = guitarfish. Little did I know, at the time, that there is actually a family, Rhinobatidae, of rays called guitarfish. I apologize in advance to any visitors to this site looking for large ocean rays, only to find a site about freshwater weeds and attractive bait fish.

You like nature, huh?

Growing up, I spent a lot of time running through the woods, climbing trees, catching frogs, watching deer and squirrels, and generally spending time outdoors. This has given me a large appreciation for the natural world. I’d much rather spend my vacations hiking on wilderness trails then going through amusement parks. (I do enjoy a good roller coaster on occasion, however.) When I visit these nature parks, I try to photograph them, and share them on this site. I don’t think most aquarists’ interest in nature is confined to a glass box filled with water.

What camera do you use?

Right now, I’m using the Canon Rebel XTi (400D) with a variety of lenses. If you like or dislike one of my photos (or articles), I love to receive comments and criticism.