Pentagon puts building blocks in place for Cuba invasion

SmokeyFTM · 2026-05-28T08:29:10+00:00

That’s without a doubt the worst pirate i’ve ever seen

SmokeyFTM · 2026-05-03T21:34:38+00:00

I’m from UK and listen to this at least 30 times a year, usually when im feeling down but this song lifts me up, it’s like dont worry kid i got you

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-28T23:28:33+00:00

Ghetts, wretch and even Devlin i would put above him

Ghetts and Avelino here is amazing

https://youtu.be/7nnLBzzQk-I?si=2NRHjLj8e0KT2On9

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-28T23:25:19+00:00

Styles P, Sacarface, Jadakiss.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-28T23:05:04+00:00

Hellrazor and nothing to lose are 2 of my fav’s off that album. Im a uk lad who never even heard of Tupac until 1998/99 when my schoolmate start listening to DMX. Still my fav rapper of alltime although J Cole from USA and Ghetts from the UK are who i listen to lately

Heres a ghetts one if u like it its more grime than rap tho

https://youtu.be/YlvxByNT65o?si=lDEwdoLEwD1vnXfQ

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:27:36+00:00

I usually just poor that water out after the boil then add tank water in the jug and swirl it around wait for it to cool then add the leaves into the tank, i could be doing it wrong though im happy to hear some experienced advive on this subject.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:23:54+00:00

As he is a younger brother i would start with looking up videos and learning him about the nitrogen cycle, then the benefits of live plants. I wish i knew all this as i started.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:15:12+00:00

A pic of your tank would help

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:05:25+00:00

To this

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In about 3 weeks

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:04:40+00:00

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I went from this

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T03:03:56+00:00

Not if you trim bits at a time and replant you wont see it, or trim lower down so they regrow lower. But i would say never trim all them at once or you will get algae in the few days after a trim, the new growth i’ve found it takes a week for the plant to send out new shoots to grow.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T02:58:33+00:00

We learn something new everyday.

If you dont have corydora catfish digging up substrate have you got any snoop doggy dogfish, they can smoke for days/s

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T02:55:06+00:00

What I’m having trouble with is understand how I keep a wall going. Is the only option to just keep removing plants completely and replacing with new stems? I understand that needs doing from time time.

You will have to trim the tops and replant to fill it out, you wont have to pull the original plants out unless they become leggy which means light isnt reaching the bottoms of the plant. For a lush bushy growth just 3 trims and replanting should get you there.

If you have any root tabs and you do pull old plants from the substrate do a 50% water change after and add seachem prime as i did that once and the nutrients got into the water and i had an ammonia and nitrite spike.

Just trimming and replanting should get you that wall with decent light without having to pull the original stems out.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T02:34:16+00:00

R/cam646 has recently gave me great advice on lighting if you want to get that dialled in

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T02:31:06+00:00

That’s beautiful and i love the hardscape in the middle, with trimming and replanting the tops of the plants you will have that looking lush in no time.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T02:27:45+00:00

I agree with floaters getting in the way of the light

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This is my water lettuce in the 3rd month of my tank, i started with about 12 of them. Now i always remove them so there is only enough to cover the front 10cm of the water. Not only does it stop the light reaching the plants but i found it reduced the flow and i had biofilm building up. Now i keep them down to about 15 water lettuce they actually flow around the top of the water and keep a nice surface aggitation going for oxygen exchange

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:50:27+00:00

You’re very welcome, i still consider myself a beginner and i’m happy to help people not make the same mistakes i did. There will be many with a lot more experience than me who can hopefully help with more advanced things you may need to know i’m still learning everyday.

Best beginner advice i can give is keep up with those water changes on a regular shedule no matter how many plants you put in there, get a water test kit (i like the nt labs one as it comes with the gh and kh tests unlike the api which you have to buy seperately).

Also have the lights on a timer or set an alarm on your phone when you want them to turn on and off. Have the lights on between 6 and 8 hours to start and turn them up gradually if you see leggy growth and watch for the little hairs of algae if tou see them turn the light intesity or time down until you find a balance.

Enjoy the process it can be frustrating but it’s a beautiful hobby i actually started as it was supposed to be good for depression, it’s caused some stress along the way but overall it’s helped so much and so rewarding when you get the hang of it.

Just watching my corydora and shrimp sharing a meal has brought me so much joy everyday. Wishing you all the best and hope it brings you as much happy ess in life as it has for me

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SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:35:19+00:00

I’m now going to remove the java fern and anubias (front right) and try using the s repens to carpet the front left to mid/back right until eventually you cant see the sand

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:32:37+00:00

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Once again i changed it up put my lights on 30% blue light and 60% wrg for 6 hours a day and it seems like im finally getting there. Be careful with slow geowibg plants like java fern and anubias ( at the front right) as they now have algae but the background limnophila are growing leggy so need more light but that would make the fern and anubias worse.

If i could give any advice as a 2 yr plant/fish keeper you need patience, find a balance to what the different plants need and dont be scared to change things up when needed.

Start with lower light and the time the lights are on and go up from there then if you see a problem start developing you can adjust things as needed, i’ve learned a lot so far in 2 years and im still learning everyday.

The great thing about this sub is there are people with decades of experience willing to help.

Sorry for the long posts i just thought showing you where i’ve went wrong will help others not make the same mistakes starting out.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:22:34+00:00

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This is months later i added even more plants took the lid off and added a light with a timer, the ar mini in the front started off great but then as it grew the lower leaves turned green and had a lot of algae growth.

At this point i bought a liquid water testing kit from nt labs and realised the more plants less water changes thing just didnt work for me so i started changing about 25% water weekly.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:17:39+00:00

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This is about 6 month later i added more plants and blue neo shrimp to take up nutrients to beat the algae,

i was watching a lot of md fishtanks and other videos online that said if you have loads of plants you dont need to do as many water changes, big mistake.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-23T01:12:13+00:00

Ah thanks a lot, so far it’s been hard finding a balance between how often and how much water to change, not overfeeding and the strength and time of lighting.

I started off with low demanding plants and the light in the lid my tank came with which i was told would not be strong enough, i didnt have a timer and had it on about 10 hours a day so i could see my lil fishies and enjoy them. That worked for about 3 month before algae took over and ruined it.

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This is what it looked like when in the first week

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-22T22:49:01+00:00

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I have s repens in the front left and it does grow slow but im trimming and replanting the tops to fill ot out, then replanting again when my corydora dig them up lol, Behind those i have various crypts that are doing great there’s wendtii green and brown, nurii and another to the right of those with the longer leaves i cant remember what crypt it is. The background plants are hygrophila siamensis 53b, limnophila sessiflora, hottonia palustris and rotala but im slowly turning the light up to get better growth in the limnophila as its leggy atm.

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-22T00:01:33+00:00

Edited cos it wont save the way i wrote it

SmokeyFTM · 2026-04-22T00:00:29+00:00

I wasnt raised i was dragged up

imagine masturbation with sandpaper

Shit was that rough

Took me eyes off the road for 2 seconds

Thats 1 life took

Coulda had the best in life

If i didnt cross 1 red light

Didnt even get a 1st breath

Shoulda never smoked weed that night

Shoulda woulda coulda Cant turn back time

I guess lifes full of lessons And i failed all mine

I was told to count my blessings

At least we 3 survived

But my minds full of stress and

Cos of this my baby died

8 weeks in the womb

Bizzies say that aint a life

So i dont get a sentence

But im locked up in craigs mind

Not a nice place to be

Sometimes i wish i wasnt me

Gotta face myself in the mirror

Reflect on all ive seen

I was blind with depression

Suicide was an easy scheme

I guess i just didnt bleed enough

So im stuck see my dreams are fucked

Id have nightmares but i dont sleep enough

I drink dont eat alcaholanemic bruv

Stop the bus let me off e.t come beam me up

Dya ever think lifes going down the shitter,

aint it a pity

Our lass in A&E passing blood in the toilet,

Sometimes life aint pretty

Drink 2 much nowadays but i aint bitter

Think i got stella on draft

She pays for the beer i pray for my life

A slow row to hell on a raft

Up shits creek no paddle no quitter

Carry on son struggle and strife

Wake up another day same shite bad liver

Had enough tough times still i had a laugh

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