Re: hardwater plants and "No, there _was_ no salt in the ocean

[Thomas Barr <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

Scott said:
 
> There was some really good talk in the hallways -- won't be
> on tape.  Great slides of plants growing in the wild in
> pure calcium carbonate -- now there's a substrate I bet you
> haven't tried!

That's what the plants in the Ichetuckenee grow on, pure limestone. It's
very very hard water in the Santa Ynez River also.
You don't have to go to the wilds of jungle, when a side trip from Disney
World will suffice:-)
 
> Hopefully Chuck Gadd's talk on using plant performance
> instead of test kits will be packaged into an article for
> wider dissemination -- Howeever, if the auction was any
> indication, test kits are a cheaper way to go than plants
> ;-)

Yay! I think the hobby itself is somewhat anti test kit. There are those
that are using them and those that use them occasionally but most average
folks don't want to spend 50$ for a decent NO3 test kit etc. I did not start
off doing much testing, like Chuck, I looked at the plants and compared them
to the best pics I could fine. I heard he did great and Claus gave him two
green thumbs up!   
 
> Highest auction sales:  2 packets of Pellia sold for about
> $70 or $80 each, after fierce bidding.  Rumor has it that,
> over the course of the next year, this plant is going to
> become as popular as 5 o'clock shadows in Hollywood.

Great, we can always assimilate a new weed. Now who exactly got this plant?
Inquiring minds want to know.
 
> Most often quoted person was easily Tom Barr -- although,
> surprisingly enough, the salinity of the ocean didn't
> actually come up for discussion at all ;-)

Darn!!! 

Actually.......... it depends on WHEN in the geologic history that we are
talking about. The Oceans at one point were indeed freshwater. The Oceans
were not salty back billions of years ago but slowly became salty. So with
that, I could make the statement that the oceans at one point had no/very
little salt in them. So even the outrageous claim appears to be true if this
is considered.
Crow does taste good.

> Tropica's Claus Christensen had a decided opinion on
> Cavan's monster grey slime.
> "It is not growing, it's moving!"   This was averred by
> Claus when someone said that a particular "algae," after
> loads of it were manually removed from a tank, could fully
> grow back in just 45 minutes.

Plasmodial Slime mold or zoospore forming algae.
Cavan sent me some awhile back but it was mush by the time I got it.
Cavan can try again if he wished. Got slime? Send it.
 
> The Friday tour was incredible.  It included a lfs (Village
> Tropical Fish), which on Sunday seemed to be a continuation
> of the convention as scads of folks returned on their way
> to the airport for purchases of fish and plants -- glosso
> for about $2 bucks?

You folks _paid_ money for Gloss:)?
 
> Aquarium Design Group--The Senske display gallery was a
> bittersweet lesson in humility.  These tanks were so nice,
> if there was a hardware store nearby, I would have bought a
> hammer to take back and use on my own miserable excuses for
> planted tanks.  The ADG's were excellent examples of the
> use of a just a few species and the artful placement of
> wood and rocks to fill a large space with movement, depth,
> and character.

Well pics are expected by the rest of us but we also know that pics don't do
tanks justice. They sound awesome. I have my diving equipment, I wonder if
they'd let me dive in their tanks?
 
> Aquarium Environments -- Even more nice display tanks --
> some really really big tanks, suggesting more than a few
> ideas to us.  Texas Bar-B-Q and plenty of it.

Big 'ins are good 'ins.
 
> To Chuck Gadd:  Best Shirt.  This shirt was true *blue* to
> the tropical motif without relying on obvious use of green
> -- or perhaps it is a sign of why he avoids
> color-comparison test kits ;-)

Well next time he'll show up with a SeaChem or a Tropica shirt:)
 
> Erik Olson:  Hardest Working Man in the AGA -- and who
> knows how many other organizations.  Hard working, talented
> and this guy is likeable, too.  Unfair Unfair Unfair!

I'll give this one a dozen Amens! The AGA is one of the nicest groups of
folks that anyone will meet. Most are speakers, authors and certainly unpaid
tireless workers!'
Congrats on another well done event!!!
 
> And finally, Tom Barr:  Most Conspicuously Present Without
> Actually Being Present.

I was present, just not there. I was out checking the salinity of the Ocean
and collecting marine algae aboard the "Discovery" near some islands Sat. I
could not weasel out of this obligation.
They called it a "meat dive". If I hurry I will not be Shark bait. No one
else wanted to dive in and explore the underwater forest:-) The lab stinks
to high heaven as the presses are drying.

> Scott H.

Well I am sorry I had to miss it. I was sick and disorganized last time but
I'll be coming to the next one no matter what.

Regards, 
Tom Barr