Well, the even funnier thing is I gave up growing strawberries altogether during these intervening years until now! You're timing is impeccable : ). I'm growing some on my deck, in a 18 gal container, as opposed to in my raised beds, and they're fruiting as we speak. Don't know how they'll taste - I'll keep you posted. Based on the comments from back then and yours, now, I think my problem probably was lack of sun and/or heat. They're getting more sun on the deck, but we've also had a few bouts of unseasonably cold and rainy weather since they started fruiting, so I don't know what to expect. This time the variety I'm growing is Sparkle. I will say the plants are very productive, much more so than the ones I grew in the beds back then.

Forgive me but has the betta died allready? I thought it was hanging by a thread. A 25 watt heater will keep the water a consistant temperature. If you go with a heater, do not get the type that is "factory preset" usually a kinda small box looking thing that claims it is good for bowls and aquariums up to 5 gallons. They have been known to fry fish, while some have had success with them, I wouldn't trust it. When it comes time that your bio-bag (I think thats what Whisper calls them)is tatered and shreded, just replace the bag, dont discard the old one, but cut it into pieces small enough to fit in with the carbon, don't replace the carbon for that change but maybe remove some to make room for the cut bio-bag.This will allow the bacteria that has grown on the old one to "seed" the new.-However, what I'm still unsure of is what the "biological" part of the filter is... ---- The biological part of the filter is where the beneficial bacteria grows. Because the bacteria is alive it is called biological.One of the bacterias feeds off the ammonia in the water collumn (from fish crap and decayed food, etc), it. This produces nitrITE,another bacteria that is growing on the filter uses the nitrITE and turns it into nitrATE. This is good, because ammonia and nitITE are toxic to fish, nitrATE isn't toxic as long as its kept at a low level. That is why we do PWCs, to remove the nitrATE that is produced, allong with other dissolved organics in your little ecosystem. Since your aquariumis small needs to be done more frequently, as a rule of thumb. After a while you can determine what amount of water and how often it needs to be changed. One aid in this determination is a complete water test set. In the case of your filter the best place to let it grow is the white bag with the clip. The carbon also hosts the bacteria, but since the carbon exhausts after a while (or gets less effective at its job) it needs to be replaced. Rather then removeing both hosts to the bacteria and leaving no biological filtration, you just discard the old carbon and replace and keep the bag that has bacteria on it allready. As far as aging water, if you are only doing small water changes, frequently the small amount of water you are replacing should not affect the water too drastically. This is not allways the case though some well water(and city) has a high concentration of CO2 in it. This causes the water to be very acidic. When the CO2 escapes'the pH can rise rapidly to a base. This can stress fish, especially delicate ones. I have this situation and I just use an airstone in a bucket of water to "gas it out" if I amdoing a large water change. Aging over night or for a few days will also do the trick. You do however need a good water conditioner, like Prime or Amquel, that removes chlorine/chloramine and ammonia, if you have treated water from a water co----Alagae, with all the nutrients that may have built in the water + ones that are allready there + light 24/7 will give you an algae bloom, no doubt. If you do the PWC's and limit the light the algae will starve and go away. For a quicker results, use no light, or very little for a week or 2. This includes sunlight from a window. Some people have even covered the glass with a paper bag or something for a complete blackout.Read the original link I gave you, its long but no more longwinded then me. Oh yeah, the food varied diet is good, some have had great success with just a quality betta pellet like hikari. If you want to try something else you can even get live brine shrimp from a good LFS or start a hatchery of your own one day, its pretty interesting. My betta is a typical betta, a pig, he'll eat anything.

i soak the pinto beans over night.. or else all day(at least 8 hours) after rinsing and draining 3 or 4 times first..then soak for 8 + hours..then drain one more time and put in the crockpot with fresh water. then i cook them all night on high...and then the next day ...still on high. by early or mid afternoon they are ready to eat. i add some chopped onion...before i cook them. then the next day add some crushed fresh garlic. then about an hour or so before you are ready to eat..(or after they are tender) we add the salt and pepper. (sometimes we only use salt and pepper and no onion/garlic..if dont have one handy). we live at 6000+ feet....we were at 7,300 or so. i find i have to cook my beans on HIGH for often times over 12 hours...and then on low or warm or simmer. I'm still experimenting after living here for 6+ years in colorado ...(where husband is from) as I'm from the south east. i find it the easiest and healthiest meal..because can eat pinto beans in a bowl as soup..or just beans..or can make burritos..or tostadas...use them the next day with eggs...for a western breakfast...et..(we are vegetarian) i also make pinto beans friday afternoon and cook all night and day a lot on the weekend bc we observe the 7th day sabbath..and for me its the simplest...meal for sabbath..to observe it...without a bunch of cooking and preparation. the anasazi beans which we also can get around here...cook up much faster...it depends what mood you are in....im still experimenting...(the important thing is never to add the salt until they are already tender ...(at the very last). i also throw in dried parsley or cilantro..for green color..et....

Turning does seem to help the process. Mine take 2 years here in MO. I don't water them but after the first year I combine several bins into one (since they shrink anyway). That turning helps the undigested stuff on the outside get mixed in, and redistributes dry and wet parts.