Hi Scarlet. I don't think it matters about if a plant is really bamboo or not, but you are correct that lucky bamboo is not really a bamboo plant. All that matters, of course, is that you love your plant. It was my understanding that the rocks are glued together for shipping. They are supposed to dissolve over time, but apparently this did not happen for your plant. When you have a few moments, you should be able to gently pry the rocks apart. You may just want to chip away at it in your spare time. Sometimes a stalk will turn yellow. This can mean that the stalk is dying for some reason. If the stalk is getting squisy and looks infected with fungus or other growth, definitely remove it from the group. Otherwise, it can create problems with your remaining stalks. If the stalk is otherwise healthy, you can give it a chance to see if it still has some healthy growth. There are other reasons besides infections, fungus and infestations that turn lucky bamboo yellow. An additional reason is too much sun, but that would not happen to one stalk. Overfertilization can happen too, but you state you have not been feeding the plant. Be sure that water you use does not have chemicals in it such as chlorine and fluoride. Too cool or hot of temperatures can be a culprit as well, but again, I don't think that would happen to one stalk. You do want to fertilize your plant with a very light dose every now and then. All plants need to eat something besides what they get from soaking up sun. If you do end up cutting the yellow part of the stalk off, you may wish to root your cutting in water if the top part is still healthy and not infested with anything. Best wishes for your lucky bamboo and you!

Read the link below for info on ammonia levels. I do hope the 'guy' meant .02?! Here's an excerpt from the article: IMPORTANT: pH contributes to the toxicity of Ammonia. At higher pH values, ammonia is more toxic. Below pH 7.2 most Ammonia is ionized to 'Ammonium' and is far less toxic. This has relevance if you are considering raising the pH in a system with accumulating ammonias.***** end quote When it comes to water quality and changes do whatever the instructions say. I have treated fish and did 50% change of water every day and adjusted the med levels accordingly. BUT......some meds should not be added again after the first treatment due to possible overdose and death. Personally, I think it's better to have a weaker dose, caused by partial water changes, than poor water quality. I have also treated fish with this problem for a couple of days and then put them back in a clean, balanced pond and they did fine. What's the condition and temp of your pond now? Here is a link that might be useful: ammonia

I should have mentioned this before (it was late!), but I think #1 is your best layout b/c of... Workflow, (Yes, it would be better to have refrigerator --> Sink --> Range, but only if you have a Prep Sink or you don't have a DW. With only one sink, the DW gets in the way of that arrangement, so this is better) Logical separation of the major zones, Easy access to refrigerator & MW for both kitchen work & snacks, No zone-crossing, and Protection of the Prep & Cooking Zones from through-traffic in the kitchen. Note that even though the refrigerator is farther into the kitchen, it's a straight shot to get to it from the LR, table space, or bedroom areas...and no interfering with work going on in the kitchen! I know you have an OTR MW in your layout, but to be honest with you, I really do not recommend one. They're usually very ineffective hoods b/c they're too shallow and b/c they're just not designed that well as a hood (they're real purpose is a MW, venting is more of an afterthought) They're rather short for a MW (at least my sister's is...but she has a very, very tiny kitchen and had no other place for a MW, so she's stuck with it) They're not the safest things to use b/c they're so high and you have to reach up and over a hot range as well as steaming/splattering/smoking food. If you're short or a child, they become very dangerous b/c you're either reaching inside above or at your eye level or you're using a chair to get to it. Try taking a dish full of water (use cold for safety!) out of a shelf that's as high as an OTR MW is...unless you're incredibly well-coordinated, you'll have trouble blindly reaching up & in and then blindly pulling it out while keeping it perfectly level and perfectly "calm" so nothing sloshes over the edge. Your youngest will certainly not be able to do this even when she's old enough to start using the MW. Now, imagine doing this with boiling water/steam, smoke, or high heat rising or grease splattering... If someone needs to use the MW while someone else is working at the range, you'll have a bottleneck...this could be someone who's defrosting something for dinner, cooking veggies or other dish for dinner, or someone trolling for a snack. A MW drawer, regular one mounted below the counter/on the counter/hanging from upper cabinets, or a built-in one is much safer and easier to use. [If any of you are even slightly tall, then I'd nix the idea of mounting a regular one below the counter b/c of bending over, reaching in, and pulling out...all would be done blindly for someone even the slightest bit tall. (Besides, drawers are great...you open it, look down, stir, close...all without taking the dish out! Plus, it has a "cool" factor...especially favorable with the guys!)] Pantry... It depends on the handles you use & whether you have hinges on the wall side of the cabinet. But since you seem to only have a 30" deep wall, even the hardware & hinges...

Sounds good. I'm glad the thread I started helped you. Al (Tapla), has incredible knowledge about these trees any many others. If you read thoroughly through that thread where he was offering me advice, you should definitely get a feel for pruning. In the right conditions, these trees grow insanely fast! chop it back a bit and stick it outside in direct sunlight when the weather warms up again next year. Leave it there all summer. You may notice leaves turn white and fall off, but when the new growth comes out, it'll be thicker and fuller than ever. You could have a great looking tree by the end of next summer! when in direct sunlight, you will need to water more often. repot in June and use 5 parts pine bark mulch, 1 part peat and 1 part perlite. Al's gritty mix is also a great option, or so I've read from many. You may need to prune some roots too. Since you've had that tree 9 years, the root system has to be hindering its ability to grow and take up nutrients as the roots are probably all strangling each other at this point. just make sure you don't over water it right now. You could also elevate the pot and add some wicks to help remove some of the perched water in the soil. I've done that and it works wonders. Do you water in sips, or do you water till it starts coming out the drain hole at the bottom? The skewer method works pretty well. Stick it in, it it comes out with dirt sticking to it, the soil is still wet. If it comes out clean / with very little soil sticking to it, it's time to water.