Instagram Famous (kinda)!
Hey! Long time, no type. After putting in my dual LED light panels with a daisy-chain of zip ties, my jalapeño plant has experienced a lot more growth than the other plants. Before I knew it, I had three peppers and the plant had reached the top of the grow lights. After posting my pictures to Instagram, Aquasprouts noticed and recently used my tank as a promotion for its light extenders on Instagram and Facebook. They were kind enough to ask my permission to share the photos. For doing so, they provided me with some free extenders to put on my tank. Thanks, Aquasprouts!
Tank Happenings
To get this growth, my digital timer is set to turn the grow lights on between 8 AM and 10 PM for a total of 14 hours of virtual sun. The pump is running for 15 minutes each hour and the oxygenator runs for the rest of the time; only shutting off when the submersible pump is running. I feed the two goldfish, who happily feed the plants for me, once per day, but I sometimes feed them more if they beg.
For maintenance, I scrub the tank walls using a magnetic scraper, remove any solids through net or siphon, and replace any water lost through evaporation. Typically, five gallons will have to be replaced per week.
Since my municipal water system does not use chlorides to treat the water, I can leave a bucket of water out for a day to dissipate the chlorine naturally. I check the water vitals once per month to make sure nothing is wrong.
The algae problem has decreased, but not eliminated, since moving the system from the Ikea Room to my bedroom, but I miss the quiet. I'm wondering where else I can put it where it's in view and in-mind.
Harvest
I have eaten the peppers, which had a good heat level, but hadn't harvested any of the other plants yet. I thought of making a pesto for the basil and thought of making an essential oil for the lemon balm, but I haven't had time to do this yet. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest on how to do this, but I have to commit. I've been getting a house ready for renting, so I haven't had a lot of time to do anything else.
Postings
I hope to post more often, but time gets away from me. Rest assured that I'm keeping up with the tank's maintenance. It's the harvesting that needs to be done, but not too much. The aquarium's water still needs to be cleaned.
