Part of the reason for not feeding the fish in winter is becuase even though the fish seem hungry, the filter bacteria is not working correctly and cannot handle the ammonia the fish will produce by eating. Also, a winter fast is good for the fish because it forces females to absorbe any unlaid eggs, thus helping to prevent egg impactions in the spring.

But Misti...you'll still hang around KT right??? Personally, I could never leave Flarda, but sometimes folks hafta do what they gotta do. I wish you & Chris all the luck in the world! I'll try to hold down the fort here in Sunnyland...LOL I'd be interested in some of your Orchids and Broms for sure! Uncertain how far you are from Anna Maria Island (Bradenton), but I'd like to give it go for the 21st. :)

Sorry, I just updated my profile so my email should show up, but if it doesn't my emial is miyukid03@yahoo.com. THank you.

that is AWESOME. just awesome. question - we are in the process of choosing appliances for our outdoor kitchen (will be nothing near as cool as yours, sadly) and are wondering about an icemaker. i see that you have one - do you love it? does it work well and meet your expectations? how much ice does it make in a day? we've been told by one builder that they don't tend to last very long or don't make the amount of ice one would expect. really, i'd be happy with just a large freezer that would hold ice and keep it frozen that we could dip into to make blender drinks.. thanks for any info - :)