<-- this handsome fellow here is a neolamprologus meeli shell dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika (Lake Tanganyika is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and houses 250 cichlid species most of which live at a depth of 590 ft )  N. Meeli is a somewhat rare shell dweller. all though not very colorful, these fish make a wonderful addition to an African Cichlid/ Tanganyikan tank. these guys lay there eggs in shells and when bearing will avidly guard the shell there brood is in. N. Meelis' as well as most shell dwellers , don't just claim one shell , they claim many. and These guys mate for life. 


 

This is my mating pair the female is the lighter of the two -------> the male is the darker shown above ^ and with his mate > There names are Eros and Psyche named after the Mythological couple . Eros ( the alternative name for cupid ) is the male and psyche id the female. Meelis' are known to breed well after a couple has established itself , but if stressed will eat their own young. When we purchased Eros and Psyche they had been guarding a shell... soon after they came home they stopped , we had brought the shell home in hopes that the babies would survive. They didn't. Now however, we are once again expecting another brood ,
These fish are very strong and I've watched them pic up a shell 3 times there size and move it to safety. These are some of my very favorite fish in my tank . despite not having very much  color they are very unique and a rather rare find 

Water hardness : hard 
PH: 7.5 to 8.5
Behavior: mildly aggressive , very aggressive with presence of eggs or fry 
Size: 4 to 7 cm ( about 2 inches ) 
Water temperature: 73 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit 
Demand in the hobby: low
Price Range : 7.00 ( what i paid for each for mine ) 

It may seem like a weird title for a blog post. You may be asking how do you recycle aquarium water? or is it paper, metal, glass or plastic? well before you pour your aquarium water down the drain. consider everything your wasting, fish tank water contains all kinds of key nutrients that will go to waste if not used. Waters your gardens and house plants with natural organic , aquarium waste, instead of mixing fresh "clean" water with chemicals that can burn your plants roots if mixed to strong. 

PLEASE NOTE: if your tank has recently been treated for a disease your aquarium water probably shouldn't be used to water plants. also Marine water (saltwater), shouldn't be used. 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Acidic-Fertilizer/step5/Fish-tank-fertilizer/
http://www.ehow.com/how_5627142_use-aquarium-water-plant-food.html http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/aquarium/msg0410485631938.html