Jamie S. Johnson's 20 gallon planted aquarium:

I've lived my 31 years in South Carolina. Grew up in Johnsonville, now live in Greenwood. MS Chemistry degree from Clemson University ('91). I had a 10 gallon goldfish, guppy, etc. tank from 5-10 years old. It had the wonderful double incandescent light hood and colored gravel (red, green, whatever). My mom always had colored bulbs in the hood. <g> Had I stopped the hobby at age 10,
I would've never tried again. Goldfish and guppies makes for bad memories.

In college, I bought a 20gal to keep in my apt. It housed the cheapy, puppymill African cichlids, with red gravel. All bad again. I never changed the water like I was supposed to. No parameter
measurements were ever taken. After they bit it, I got three Oscars which quickly outgrew the tank. I planted the Apont. bulbs from Walmart and they always grew a few leaves. That was it though,
the things would just die. I tried some other plants from time to time, but NEVER had any luck. I now know my water sucked, my lighting was way too low and my maintenance was non-existent. It
was a college tank. I drained nearly all the water from it at the end of every semester and hauled it home in the front seat of my car. The fish somehow made it. This went on for two to three years. I
always saw pictures of beautiful planted tanks in magazines and books and thought they were *professionally* done and that I didn't have the capability.

I moved to Greenwood in '92. I had a girlfriend in Clemson still. She had bought a 10 gallon and wanted my help. I happened on a pair of Kribs and bought them for her. They spawned in a week. That pissed me off, none of my fish ever spawned! I set up my tank in G'wood with community fish. Still no water measurements and still very slack in the water changing department. I ALWAYS had some type of algae growing. I thought it was just something you lived with. My plants never grew. I used those fertilizer tablets that dissolve in the water column. I never knew how bad that was. Whew!!!

I bought a 55gal mid '93. I also got another 20gallon a little later. I keep convicts and dempseys in the 55. They bred and did well. A little too well. They all got huge. Still no water testing and still
slack on changes. I REALLY didn't think constant water changes made a big enough difference to do it all the time. The other 20 was made into a vivarium or paludarium, to each his own. I bought fire-bellied frogs and newts for it. I used a lot of common golf course water plants and an nice sword in it also. All the LFS suck at fish and plants. You may see a sword or fern every now and then.

Around '96-97, a friend told me about Dan Q.'s site and all the plants available. I read all his write-ups on planted tanks and I started doing massive searches on the net to see what I could find.
I was excited to know I could grow them myself. I was still sceptical. Steve Teban's, Erik Olson's, and George Booth's sites gave me loads of info. I converted my community 20g into a kitty
litter/sand tank. A few months later I added a DYI CO2 bottle and another light. I found a store 60 miles away in Augusta, GA that carried all kinds of plants. I loaded it down and finally found some
SAEs 6 months later. I subscribed to the APD around the same time as I started my searching. I had plants coming out the top. I got rid of all the cichlids in the 55g and converted it to a African
tank. That was mid '98. I started with 5 Neo. brichardi, but now have about 100 of all sizes, but only 5 grownups. I also have 4 yellow labs and 4 blue peacocks, half grown. The planted tank now
has 8 Apisto. borelliis of varying sizes, 2 SAEs and some glass shrimp. A 20# CO2 tank was installed last year and better lighting. Tons of overruns of bolbiltis and ferns are contantly going into the 55 from the planted 20. Hydrocotyle is rampant in the frog 20g. It has lighting upgrades, too. Since the planted tank was started, water measurements are done all the time, on all tanks. I keep
everything as good as it can be kept. No algae (except spot) and everything grows great. If not for the internet, I'd still be fighting cherry barbs and gouramis, as well as algae. The net has given me
the fever for about 4 solid years now. That includes Apistos, Africans, plants, frogs, and newts. I feel I know more now that I could ever find in a lifetime searching books and magazines for info. I kept the library hot for a long time.

The wife and I are planning on moving into our first home next year and I can't wait to have my own fishroom or basement. I drool thinking of it.<g> I would like to breed Apistos (a friend at work has
the fever, too) and sell them to others. I'd also like bigger tanks for my plants. We'll see...