I also finally got around to re-filling the fish tank today. It was almost halfway down. I'm so glad my fish are incredibly hardy. As long as the bubbler is still going and the heater is on, they don't seem to mind. I only feed them about once a month because the tank is left completely natural and they do fantastic with the natural ecosystem in there. I love it. It's almost maintenance free. Let me be clear though - the smaller the tank, the harder it is to get a perfect balance. This happens to be a 29-gallon tank, and I wouldn't attempt it with anything less. It's been up and running longer than I've been alive. I inherited it from a relative when they passed away. Current inhabitants include two weather loaches, two black-skirt tetras, one or two red-eye tetras, and a female betta. An odd assortment to be sure. I'm considering putting my male betta in there too as he would probably be happier with more space than in the little cylinder aquaponic tank he's in now. I haven't fully decided yet.
I got my plant stand moved over by the kitty castle, and the light has been tested, but not wired in yet. Once I get that hooked up (maybe today or tomorrow) then I'll be able to start some indoor plants... Lettuce is at the top of my list, but I'm toying with the idea of a dwarf tomato plant or maybe some basil. I guess I'll make those choices when I get to them.
The girls did some laundry today and we ran out of laundry soap. Time to make some more! The recipe is really easy to remember, and the kids love making it...
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Laundry Detergent:
1 bar of unscented Dove or Irish Spring soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda (arm and hammer - WASHING, not BAKING soda!)
Just run the bar of soap through the cheese grater to make fine little curled pieces. Then mix the other two ingredients and mix them together.
Use 2 Tablespoons per small load, adjust as you need. For especially big loads or very dirty clothes, we will use up to 6 TBS per load (about 1/3 cup).
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Perhaps next time I will marinate the chicken the day before. That might make a better dish overall.