More than 25 members and guests came out to enjoy Jebriel Houdroj’s fascinating presentation on Bucephalandra. He shared how to successfully grow Bucephalandra both submersed and emersed, and walked us through key steps in plant preparation, from identifying root and rhizome rot to carefully cleaning plants with soft tools.

Jebriel explained how to influence Bucephalandra colors by adjusting aquarium conditions, showing how deeper reds emerge in acidic water, while neutral to alkaline water brings out stunning blues and purples. He highlighted how critical stable water parameters are for healthy growth, with swings in hardness, nutrients, or TDS leading to leaf melt or dormancy.

In a surprising twist, Jebriel encouraged planting Bucephalandra directly into nutrient-rich aquasoil, busting the myth that the rhizome must always stay fully exposed. He also compared different emersed cultivation methods, recommending circulating water bins over traditional soil-bottomed bins for cleaner setups and healthier plants.

We also learned about Bucephalandra’s unique pollination challenges including the rare production of liquid pollen and the tricky interstice staminodes that help trap pollen during blooming. Jebriel even walked through how to properly dissect a flower to identify different species.

Finally, he closed with an important message about conservation, urging the community to appreciate and cultivate Bucephalandra responsibly to help prevent exploitation and extinction in the wild.

After the talk, everyone had a chance to win donated Oase items in a lively raffle. The day wrapped up with an exciting auction, featuring plant donations from Jebriel and a large low-iron tank generously donated by Nick Kinser.

About twenty members and non-members attended the March GWAPA meeting. Alex, our presenter, discussed the how-to of taking pictures of aquariums and their inhabitants. First of all, you will need a tripod. Also, it is helpful to illuminate the tanks from behind, and you can do this by using a background that lights up. Using a hairdryer which is taped to the tank creates a ripple effect which makes more natural pictures. The photos should be taken when it is dark outside, so nighttime is ideal. Make sure though that the stem plants have not closed up for the day. RGB light panels can be helpful when playing with the colors. Finally, to block outside light, you can use aluminum to cover the sides of a tank or even part of the top. You’ll need to take hundreds of photos to find good ones. At a photoshoot, Alex takes 500-1,000 pictures over a period of 2-3 hours. A raffle of donated Oase products and an auction followed the talk.

About twenty people showed up to the February GWAPA meeting in Gaithersburg. Corey, the president, gave a talk on floating plants. She discussed the good things and also some drawbacks of keeping these plants and then detailed the various species. A raffle with Oase donations followed the presentation. Then we had our regular auction of plants and fish. Some of the fish were donated by Splashy Fish, an aquarium store in Springfield, Virginia.