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This set of pictures shows how happy my fish are with all the wood in the tank. I think you can almost see them smiling!

Whiteclouds and Bristle Nose (Female and baby)

Female bristle nose and even younger baby

Clown Pleco - this guy almost always stays in hiding but at this time he was checking out some of the upper branches.

The last two are of the whiteclouds. They have really been staying in a nice tight group right around the wood structure. I also have a new set of babies in the tank that have about doubled in size since last week. There are about six adolescent whiteclouds that were born in the tank. I know there have been more babies hatched in the tank but I am guessing they were consumed by their adult counter parts or the filter.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

hmmm...tried to change the name on the photobucket picture and it didn't work. Probably user error again.

I don't remember if you said your BNs spawned or if you just bought a baby pleco.

Nice shots, and your fish look really healthy and happy. I'm still loving your new DW.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I don't remember if you said your BNs spawned or if you just bought a baby pleco.

My BNs have been spawning for about a year now.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Wings ... love the scape ...That driftwood is to die for . Well done ..a first class scape .. you just keep getting better at this !!!!!!

Great shots of the BNs as well love the babies .


Garry

Here are a few up to date pictures for your viewing pleasure. I tried a new lighting method. Let me know what you think. I have done a pretty large trim over the last 2-3 weeks and it isn't exactly filled out yet but I think I am getting closer. One thing I still feel that needs to be refined is the star grass / rotala grouping.






55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Here is a picture of my 29G classroom tank. I didn't want to take over matty's thread anymore with it, so I thought I would show it here.




55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

wow the tank looks great! i love teh symmetry and how the scape directs the eye to right where the fish want to be... it its great!

the class room tank looks great as well. I bet the Kids love having a bigger tank with some bigger fish (not the standard 10g with neon tetras like most teachers get )

the plants are filling in well and the health is quite admirable. I quite wish that I to could grow my plants so well.

Where do you get your plants and how do you fert? do you have CO2? Just trying to figure some stuff out as I have no had the best luck with plants in the past...

\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

brandeeno,

the class room tank looks great as well. I bet the Kids love having a bigger tank with some bigger fish (not the standard 10g with neon tetras like most teachers get )

My students really enjoy the fish in the classroom. One of the coolest things for them is that the convicts breed so often. Yesterday they spawned for the 3rd time this school year. The male must be doing pretty well as he must be getting over the hill. I think he is at least 6 years old.

Where do you get your plants and how do you fert? do you have CO2? Just trying to figure some stuff out as I have no had the best luck with plants in the past...

Most of my plants come from another form that has a place to buy, sell, and trade goods. Buying from other hobbiest gets you great prices and normally quality plants. The 55G runs pressurized CO2 and I dose fertilizer according to the Estimated Index method from Tom Barr. I think one of the biggest things for running a planted tank is buying the correct plants for your setup. Let me know if you need any help.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

The 55 setup is still looking great. I think the hardscape is just perfect. Looks like the rotala is still recovering from being hacked up, but should look really good once it fills in again.

The 29 is a really nice looking tank as well, do the convicts leave the crypts alone? I thought they would uproot them.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I love the 55g setup.

The DW in the tank is about seven different branches. I used zip ties to hold some of them together

At first I thought you meant those plastic coated wires that come with freezer bags & I wondered about the wires eventually being exposed & rusting. But by zip ties, do you mean cable ties?

What age/year are your students. I'm sure they enjoy the tank & the breeding part must be interesting for them too. Do fry ever survive in there?

Cheers
TW

Zip ties or Cable ties I guess they are the same thing.

The cons do uproot the crypts from time to time. For the most part they don't mess with them.

My students are 5th graders. Right now there is a batch of young from a spawn a couple of weeks after school started. They spawned a week or so ago but they didn't make it. Yesterday they spawned for a third time. We will see what happens this time.

What do you thin of the lighting for the photos?

Thanks for stopping in!!


55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Here is a comparison shot. The first is of the tank with normal aquarium lights running. The second I had a 650W light mounted above the tank shining on the wall. The normal aquarium lights were also running. What do you think of photo quality between the two.

Normal aquarium lights.

Normal aquarium lights with a very bright back lighting.


55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I think the plants near the top of the tank look a bit washed out in the picture with back lighting. So I guess I like the shot with normal aquarium lighting a little better.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I agree with matty, although the bottom one looks a little more like a sunset shot, so does have it's own appeal.

Part of my preference for the top one, is that there is a little more illusion towards there being a background. I can't help having a preference for a tank with a dark (if not black) background, so the bottom shot, in which the "no background" look is more obvious, is a little disadvantaged when I make a choice. My opinion on the lighting might have been different, with a background.

That's just my personal opinion & I see more & more the "no background" option is being used. If this tank is viewed from both sides, a background would not even be practical.

Cheers
TW

the first shot gives more depth to the scape and makes the tank look overall bigger. the second looks more confined and a bit more amature IMO. I also have to agree with matty on the washed out plants and DW towards the top an back of the scape.



\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Thanks for all the comments. I am really caught in the middle of the open feel from no background and the pop from the black background. I will probably continue to play with both.

On another note it looks like the tank will be coming down here in the next couple of weeks as my wife and I are soon to move into our first house. I think having fish tanks is the worst part about moving...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi Wings,
Congratulations on owning your first home!
Yes, tanks are but a few of the headaches involved
in moving.

Have fun

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hope the move goes well!/:'

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks gents! This is a rather small move. Maybe a mile or so. I just need to get my hands on some fish bags and make sure I have enough cooler space. I might have to swing by the LFS and see what he can do for me. We will have about 4 days to make the move so I am guessing I will have time to do it right and not loose a bunch of livestock.

My paradise fish spawned last night which was rather neat to watch but rather poor timing...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi Wings.

Congrats on the new house.

Can't wait to see how the tank looks post-move. Even though its not a big move I assume there will be new scape coming once you settle in.

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Even though its not a big move I assume there will be new scape coming once you settle in.

I plan on keeping things similar but I don't think I have ever had a scape stay the same for long...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Well the move has not happened yet. The original game plan was to close on the house the 26th but we hit a snag and we might be able to close this week.

Being that the tanks will be coming down for the move I wanted to take a few last pictures to share before they start up again.

One and a half gallon.






55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Here are a few pictures of the 55G.










55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Sorry I missed your update wings!

Your tanks are looking great...wanna trade? I'm really liking the 1.5 right now. The pelia looks pretty good in there and the rotala is sickeningly red!

I think the 55 would look even better if the stargrass and rotala would even out a bit....but that's just being picky. The baby pleco is awesome and that cherry shrimp looks like she can barely hold all those eggs in there!

Good luck with the closing and the move whenever it might happen!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks for stopping in Matty. Don't worry about missing the post. Action around here has been a little slim for a while now it seems. I guess some of it is the time of the year.

Rotala and Star Grass - These two plants are a huge timing game. The star grass grows amazingly fast. At the level it was cut down to in the last photo, it could be to the top of the tank in a week. There is also the timing of when I have a camera at hand. I have been using one of the school's cameras whenever I happen to use it for school.

The move - I am not so sure the deal is going to go through at this point. We have been waiting a few weeks now for the neighbor lady to sign a waver and she has still not made up her mind.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Can't remember if I said it before, but congratulations on the house purchase wings. That's great news.

You sure have some beautiful colours in your tank. Shame to pull them down, but look forward to seeing their rebirth when you have settled in your new home.

Cheers
TW

TW - the house deal fell through. It is a little bit of a bummer but if it wasn't meant to be then my wife and I are fine with it. I guess when we get back from MI we can start unpacking. It hasn't been much fun living in a box village the last month or so...





55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Well I brought home a camera from school again and snapped a few shots to share. Please let me know what you think.

First up is a photo of my new Ludwigia 'cuba'

Next is a center shot of the tank.

Last but not least


The rotala is about ready for another trim. It was looking pretty sweet last week but it is now getting a bit tall. I have been getting some really nice pearling as I have the flow from my canister bashing into the flow from my power head at the center of the tank. It has been helping the CO2 swirl longer in the tank.

All questions and comments are more than welcome!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Wow, not a speck of algae to be seen. I'm impressed.

Cheers
TW

Wow, not a speck of algae to be seen. I'm impressed.

Yeah right!! Most of it is just very small and if you lower the amount of light the camera takes in it just covers it up.

I have been having some issues with bba, green spot, and I had a very small spot with some green hairy stuff was growing. I think I got the later out of the tank though. Nothing is really taking over so I can't complain too much.

How are your tanks? Any updates??

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi,
With that quantity and variety of plants, I doubt that
you would have much, if any algae in that tank.
The plants are out compeating the algae.

Beautiful tank!

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Wow wings, that's looking awesome. I really like that ludwigia cuba. Your aquascape kinda reminds me a bit of a dutch scape in the second picture. Very masterful

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Here are some updated pictures. My wife and I are under contract for a house so it looks like the tanks days are numbered.






Enjoy the pictures. Please feel free to let me know what you think!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I got a box of fish earlier this week. I won't tell you what they are right away so lets play the guessing game for a little while.

Here are the pictures....







55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Darn my membership ran out.... I guess I should fix that...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Alrighty..........my membership is back up and running.... in a little over an hour from now I will be signing papers to become an official home owner... and my tank will be coming down and reset back up here in the next week or so.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Congrats on the house Wings! those little new guys are pretty cool. I don't know what they are, going to fill us in?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Congrats on the house.

As for the fish... Rasbora borapetensis (Red-tailed Rasbora)??

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

congrates on the house,hopefully my girlfriend and i wont be far behind you,it feels like we have been saving money forever,but we nearlly have our deposit saved.
now for your tanks,they are very nice,those plants are just so green and red.
when i see tanks like this it makes me want to do something like that.
however,the fish i keep in a nice planted tank like that,would just tear them apart!
perhaps when we get our own house,i mite email you to steel some of your great ideas.
that shrimp,looks like shes ready to burst.
one qeustion i do have,what type of pleco is that little fellas resting on the wood.
will he eat some of your plants when he gets bigger.
just asking,as i have a huge pleco,(well fed too)and he has just ripped and ate my massive anubias plant to bits.it was over 40 cm high,it had like 45 levaes on it,vibrant green colour,but he just wrecked it.
anyway,good luck with your new place,and be carefull moving those beautiful tanks.
i hope they all go well 4 you when you set them back up,and dont foget to post up some new pics too.

Thanks for all the kind words! The house has been coming along well. I started moving some things in today. I think the tanks will be one of the last things to go. This move should go a little bit easier than the last one being this is just a 5 minute drive where the last one was about 15 hrs (which turned into a 3 day trip with many setback).

The little pleco on the driftwood is one of my baby BN plecos. No problems with plant being eaten.

The new fishes are not rasboras. They are native to the USA if that helps. I will hold out a little longer before given in with a name.

Lunch is over.... back to hauling things.....


55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Tanichthys albonubes
White Cloud Mountain fish.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

They are native to the USA if that helps.

I do have whiteclouds in the tank but they are not my new fish. See pictures again....

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

The new fishes are not rasboras. They are native to the USA if that helps.

hmmm... Lucania goodei, bluefin killifish?

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Lucania goodei, bluefin killifish

I'm slow on the draw these days hehehe, ya beat me to it GT !!

GT - That is correct! You jut earned 10 points in the name that fish game. It is a good thing the points don't matter!

These fish were wild collected out of South Carolina. I hooked up with Charlotte, NC aquarium club in late march to do native fish collecting around the area I live. All the fish we caught would have not have done well in my tank as they prefer much cooler water but it was still a great learning experience. The guy that ran the trip is from SC and he mailed me the killis a few weeks later.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Congratulations Wings. So this time, the purchase worked out for you. Nice to know the place is yours, isn't it?

Are your latest pics of the tanks in your new house, or from before they were taken down for the move?

Cheers
TW

hey Wingsdlc,
could you tell me more about the Charlotte, NC aquarium club?
Ive been living in charlotte for a couple years now, but i had no idea that there was an aquarium club here

TW - Everything has worked out really well with the house. Everything except for the tanks are not moved. Most of the stuff has not been put away yet though. My plan is to move the tanks next Saturday. To answer your question about the tank pictures, they are from the old place as the tank has not been moved yet. Guess you probably could have figured that out.

zachf92 - To tell the truth I don't know much about it either. I am not a member or anything. I just hooked up with them for that one outing. Here is a link to their website/forum that will be helpful for you.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks
Ive been looking for a aquarium club around here for a while now, but the only one I could find was the reef aquarium society, but i dont keep saltwater aquariums.

but anyway, the tanks look incredible, as well as your new bluefin killies. I know most people advise against keeping coldwater fish with tropical fish, but bluefin killies are typically resilient and should do well.

zachf92 - I also noticed that there is a club out of Hickory too. I think they meet the last Thursday of the month at the Catawba Science Center. I might check them out next week. They are a little closer to home than going into Charlotte.

Not all of the fish in my tank are tropical fish. The whiteclouds are more of a simitropical.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Last night the tank went into distruction zone. I started by removing the killifish, white clouds, and what I thought to be many of the cherry shrimp. Next came the plants. Each grouping was taken out, wrapped in paper towels and placed in a LARGE fish bag (the ones they line fish boxes with). The only group that was not wrapped up in the paper towels was the mass of anubias. After removing most of the plants came bottom feeders (rainbow shark, skunk loaches, plecos, and + or - at least 200 more cherry shrimp. It took my wife and I at least an hour to get of most of the shrimp. By 9pm we were kind of wiped out and called it a night.

The plants will remain in the large bag wrapped up until this weekend. They completely filled a large fish box. The fish are in in a 10G tank that was filled 50/50 with new water and old water and then placed with an over sized filter seeded with a filter pad from a running tank. Lastly the shrimp are in a 5G bucket with java moss and an air stone running. I thought it might be a bad a idea to dump that many shrimp in with quite a few fish in a 10G tank and no real hiding places.

Tonight I plan to remove the shrimp we didn't get to, drain the tank, removed the gravel and transport the set up to the new house. The 2x4 stand is going to go though some modifications to make it a little more presentable in the house. Hopefully I won't have to move it for a long time.

I will hopefully post pictures of the set up process.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I know how exhausting a tank move can be. Sounds like you have a good plan though. Good luck, I hope it continues to go well! BTW that's a lot of cherry shrimp

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Whew, sounds exhausting.

Wow, so many shrimp surviving around your fish. How many shrimp did you start off with?



Cheers
TW

I think I started out with a batch of 10 or so. Sometime later I added another 10 or so to mix up the gene pool. That was all back in Michigan before the big move down to North Carolina a couple of years ago. I am not sure how many shrimp made it down here. I would have to guess 50-100? I gave away tons of shrimp before I left Michigan.

This weekend I modified the stand so that the long brace pieces rest on notched out 2x4s instead of bolts. I also shortened the legs by about 10 inches. When I first made that stand it was for my 40G long a much shorter tank than the 55G. The last year or so I have had to stand on a chair to do anything at the bottom of the tank. I had been a real pain. The stand got a coat of black rustoleum paint yesterday from my wonderful wife. It might look a little more presentable in the house now.

The fish and shrimp seem to be doing well in their small hotel rooms. I have not checked on my plants that are still wrapped up in paper towels in bag. I think most of them should be alright though.

The tank will probably go up late tonight or tomorrow.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Here is the new set up. The plants still need to fill in a bit and then get trimmed up nicer. Overall I a pretty happy with the setup up. I just have to be careful with the driftwood.








While planting the ET I learned that my little bluefin killi fish will bite! Little stinkers!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I like the new layout! Going for the valley look instead of the island look? I can't even tell if that's the same DW or not. Oh, and is that potomageton?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I like the new layout! Going for the valley look instead of the island look? I can't even tell if that's the same DW or not. Oh, and is that potomageton?

Matty! Thanks for stopping by!

I have been wanting to do a valley scape for a while now. Instead of doing the normal beach look using sand I am going to try for a meadow with the ET.

Same DW, it is in individual sticks so the layout possibilities are endless.

potomageton?? Where?




55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Well done, that's one sweet set up.
Is it me or are the small plants in the foreground blooming?

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Is it me or are the small plants in the foreground blooming?

Kellyjhw - thanks for stopping in!! The foreground plants do flower but the flowers are very small and you probably can't seem them in the photos.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Oh, looked like potomogeton in the front left running up into the rocks.

Never liked sand myself so I like the decision to go with ET.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Oh, looked like potomogeton in the front left running up into the rocks.

Never liked sand myself so I like the decision to go with ET.

I can see what you are talking about now. I think sand would be a little bit of a pain. Besides that this is a planted tank not a sand box...

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi,
I'm enjoying the "rebirth" of the tank. Looks terrific.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Thanks Frank! I had a lot of fun setting up the tank again. All of the plants seem do be doing well except the Elatine Americana. It seems to be melting away. Maybe it will come back.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I think the scape has potential to grow out into something beautiful. I wish I could such pieces as wood as you're using in your tank. Here in Finland the wood is imported from other countries and goes for ridiculous prices. the small pieces I have in my tank cost about 20 to 30 EUR a piece (40 USD), something like what you have would go for over 100 USD, as much as I love the wood, it's not worth that much to me

I'm looking forward to seeing what your tank looks like in about a month time.

Martin

Nice driftwood arrangement Wings. Like it a lot.

Forgive my ignorance - what does ET stand for. I think I follow that it is the little foreground plant, but what is it's full name.

Cheers
TW

Hi
I think the "ET" is Echinodorus tenellus.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank - ET very well could stand for that.... I do have it in the tank but it is not the plant I was mentioning. ET ment Elatine triandra. I guess I shouldn't be so lazy with my typing and using acronyms.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Hi Wings,
Neat! A North American plant for the foreground.
http://www.aquaticplantnews.com/apn/propagating-elatine-triandra/

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

ooh.. I like the choice of Elatine It should give you a nice lush foreground pretty quickly without being as fiddly or fussy as HC or glosso. I've seen a few tanks recently that have used Elatine gratioloides (native Australian species) to great effect.

The rest of the tank is looking great too.. I'm envious of your ability to produce a great looking newly set up tank. Whenever I plant a tank it always looks odd and unfinished for weeks after setup until everything settles in, recovers from transport shock and starts growing again.

G_T

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.