Subject: A Miniature Aquarium

Aquariums that hold between 15 and 40 liters of water are considered miniature aquariums or mini-tanks. This is not an aquarium for children or beginners, and will require a bit more work than a larger aquarium.

There are specific problems with the water in a mini-tank as it becomes murky much more quickly and needs more frequent changing than a larger tank.

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However, one of the advantages of the mini-tank is the limited amount of water. When you want a tank that requires very expensive soft water, the mini-tank is the ideal solution. Fish that depend solely on live food are more easily kept in a miniature tank, as live food is not always available year-round.

With a smaller tank, we can be more selective about the amounts we feed. You need to remember that smaller amounts of water required in these miniature tanks are not as constant as the larger amounts in standard aquariums.

Stocking one of the miniature aquariums can be a great deal of fun, as there are some fish that are so small they would virtually disappear in a large aquarium. Some of these miniature aquatic denizens include:

*Heterandria Formosa as a rule only grows to 3 cm, with the males being 1 cm shorter than that.

These tiny fish are much happier in a dedicated aquarium like the miniatures we are discussing here.

Delicately branched plants such at the Myriplhyllum or Caboma are ideal here, as it allows you to easily view your “killifish.”

They are given crumbled dry food and should be offered brine shrimp between feedings. Water temperature and light are not a big consideration for these live bearers, and their young will grow up without our help.

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*The everglades pygmy sunfish, or Elassoma evergladei, have the same minimal demands as the previously mentioned killifish, but eat only live food.

In this fish too, the young will grow up without our intervention. The black males with blue spots are very captivating during courtship dances.

These are just two of the fish that thrive in a small aquarium with little or no additional lighting and heat.

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Bill Anderson
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Subject: Chocolate, the Energy Food


There have been numerous studies done on the health benefits of chocolate. some dietitians (the ones we want to believe - say that chocolate contributes to a healthy diet. However, there is also some evidence in preliminary tests that are contradictory to this belief.

Chocolate is an energy dense food and responsible health care provider should use caution when making recommendations about including it in a healthy diet.

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While some studies have found that eating dark chocolate is not harmful to serum cholesterol levels, reports that dark chocolate is able to improve cholesterol concentrations are mixed. No matter what the effect of cocoa products on cholesterol concentrations, they have been shown to decrease the likelihood of LDL cholesterol oxidizing in tests. Another cardio-protective action of cocoa products is the ability to thin the blood by decreasing platelet activation.

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These studies have shown a decrease in platelet activity after being given cocoa beverages, cocoa flavonol supplements or dark chocolate Chocolate has been linked to cardiovascular disease because of the high concentration of fat, most of which is saturated. However, the saturated fat in chocolate is stearic acid, which does not seem to cause cholesterol levels to rise after it is eaten. Increased risk of heart disease has been associated with higher levels of stearic acid in some population studies. Mainly because foods that are high in stearic acid also have high levels of other saturated fats, these do cause elevation of cholesterol levels.

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Studies of Indians in Panama have observed low blood pressure even though consumption of cocoa is high.

Several clinical studies have supported this theory that cocoa may have favorable effects on blood pressure and flow. Other studies have shown that it would take at a minimum of 100 grams of flavonol rich dark chocolate to decrease blood pressure by an observable amount.

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Bill Anderson
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Subject: Types of Chocolate

A dusting of cocoa powder with a soft creamy center surrounded by a thin shell of chocolate would be a good description of Chocolate truffles.

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The European Union has been involved in a dispute about the definition of chocolate. However, chocolate is any product made of cocoa solids and cocoa fat.

Changing the time and temperature during the roasting process of the beans, and changing the quantities of cocoa solids and fats provide different flavors, another change comes from adding non-chocolate ingredients.

Several ways are used to reduce the cost of producing chocolate; reducing the cocoa solid content and using non-cocoa fat instead of cocoa fat (cocoa butter) are two of those ways. A popular ingredient in many foods any change in its cost has a big impact on the food industry.

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Two jobs are associated with making chocolate candy:

· Chocolate makers produce couverture chocolate which is used by professional cooks. This form of chocolate melts smoothly and is glossy, however it needs tempering. Couverture chocolate has a minimum of 32% cocoa butter, allowing it to form a thinner coating often used to chocolate coat fruits, this is also the chocolate used in chocolate fountains.

· Chocolatiers use the finished couverture chocolate to make chocolate candy bars, truffles and other desert items.The first chocolate was drunk instead of being eaten, and was served only to the highest nobles and clergy of the Mesoamerican age. The Aztecs and Mayans created both sweet and bitter drinks by mixing the ground powder with water.

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Chocolate liquor (smooth liquid chocolate) blended in different quantities with cocoa butter makes different types of chocolate. The blends of ingredients showing the highest quantity first are:

· Plain dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor and sometimes vanilla

· Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or powdered milk and vanilla

· White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or powdered milk and vanilla

Notice that only the white chocolate has no cocoa liquor in it, the only ingredient that is actually from the cacao bean in white chocolate is the fat or cocoa butter which has a very distinct flavor.

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Bill Anderson
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Subject: The Spread of the Cacao Tree

The age of colonialism saw the start of the spread of the cacao tree, as did the introduction of cacao beans and chocolate as well. The first European to see cacao was Christopher Columbus, on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas. A large dugout was seen near an island off the coast of Honduras, it was the largest native vessel ever seen by the crew. Described as being as long as a galley, it was filled with trade goods including cacao beans.

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Seizing the vessel and its goods, the skipper was retained as a guide to Columbus. Ferdinand Columbus, his son, later wrote about this meeting, he was impressed by the value these natives placed on the cacao beans, he observed that when the beans were brought on board, if one dropped, the natives would pick it up as if something of great value had been lost. They did not realize that what they were seeing was the local money, in parts of Central America, as recently as the last century; some areas still use cacao beans as currency.

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Even though Columbus took the cacao beans back to Europe, their value was not known by the Spanish King and his court. When the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez brought back three chests of cacao beans twenty years later they were recognized as a treasure.

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Because cacao seeds are only viable for a short period of time, it was difficult for the cacao tree to make the move it needed to spread out of its native lands. The cacao tree is also very difficult to grow; it grows best when shaded by larger trees. The cacao trees are pollinated only by midges, which are small gnats, and the well manicured areas on most plantations do not allow for the midge to grow. Midges are found in the rot of the forest floors in dead animals, leaves and other waste.

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Bill Anderson
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Subject: The Processing Secrets of Chocolate

When the manufacturer receives the beans, they will probably combine several types from different regions and types of cacao, like coffee producers do. This is because the cacao from different plantations and even trees from the same plantation dont always have the same taste and aroma. In addition manufacturing procedures vary from one plant to another, timing temperature, proportions and processing are highly guarded secrets.

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Each processing step is controlled under the strictest sanitary conditions; the seeds are fumigated and placed in a clean, cool and airy location where they cant absorb any other flavors or odors. They are then sieved and cleaned which removes the pulp, pod pieces or any other unwanted waste that may have stayed in the beans during the drying process. The next procedure is weighing and blending them according to size, and then they are roasted in large
cylinders that rotate at a temperature of 250 to 350 degrees for between 30 minutes and two hours. This depends on the type of beans and the formula the manufacturer uses; this is the stage when they first begin to have the aroma and flavor of chocolate.

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After roasting the beans are allowed to cool and the seeds are shelled, this leaves only the meat which is called the “nibs”, nibs average 50 to 54% cocoa butter which is the natural vegetable fat of cacao. The seeds are then ground between large stone and heavy steel disks, called conching. This generates enough natural heat to liquefy the cocoa butter which is then removed. Removal of the cocoa butter leaves a thick dark paste called chocolate liquor, when molded this is unsweetened chocolate or bakers chocolate. If this is carried one step further and all of the cocoa butter is removed and it is ground into a fine powder this is called cocoa powder.

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Bill Anderson
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