Pictured above is an aquarium that Jared and I established in late 2004. It is currently maintained most capably by Jared’s father Dennison in New Hampshire. It is stocked entirely with plants that originated from a 150 gallon angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) aquarium I had enjoyed in Miami from 2003-2004. The dominant plants are Cryptocoryne wendtii, Crinum thaianum, and Microsorum pteropus (Java fern). All of these plants are hardy, and don’t require much special care. The aquarium is stocked with a variety of standard “community” freshwater fish such as tetras, platys, and rasboras. This aquarium is a nice example of a natural, planted aquarium that requires a low degree of maintenance, yet rewards with a high amount of peaceful satisfaction.

Today my good friend Carlos and I made a morning dive excursion off of Miami to visit the Neptune Memorial Reef. I had heard about this artificial reef quite a while ago when it had been originally proposed to simply be a “replica” of Atlantis. It seems that the goals of the project shifted towards a more realistic and profitable goal by becoming the world’s first underwater cemetery and memorial park. The first phase of construction was completed in November 2007, and I’ve been looking forward to taking a first-hand look ever since.

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