Sorry for the long absence. Though it wasn't as bad as it sounds, I actually broke my back (in a small way) and it kept me from wanting to sit at the computer for extended periods. I have set up my big tank (the 75 gallon), and have had excellent luck with it. I use a layer of fertilized gravel under the normal gravel, and my plants grow like crazy. This is partly due to my use of 260 watts of compact flourescent lights in the hoods. Like you, I've had mass mortality in one group of fish. I had 10 cardinal tetras for several months with no sign of disease, till about the last 2 weeks. All but 2 died, while showing no sign of disease, no let-up in appetite, excellent color, and very plump stomachs. I suspect that since they were full sized when I bought them, and they only live about 3 years, it's just possible that I bought them too close to the end of their lives.

Incidentally.....I just received a book, Whose Bright Idea Was That? by Matthew Richardson, which mentions the first aquarium in history. Of course, it was in Mesopotamia. He says the Sumerians began building aquariums about 2000 BC. Since glass (the kind to look 'through' rather than look 'at') was still almost 2 millennia away, I suspect he is referring to a system of ornamental ponds looked down into, rather than into from the side. But still....the owner had written a poem to his fish, and suggested 16 species. These included the barbel, carp, sturgeon, catfish, and eel.