I pretty much just shoot...
this is obscure hobbies not sad ones
big +1 for you! I really enjoy aquascaping. I used to do bonsai but I find this the underwater version of it and it really is far more artistic and open ended. I'm just starting a new small low tech scape with a really neat piece of driftwood for my hardscape, now I really need some dwarf riccia to complete my vision.
Just a warning, ricca and low tech aren't always compatible and can be a challenge. Most, if not all, of my low light/co2 ricca attempts result in a nice pile of algae I ended up ripping out later on. When you do get it going, it requires a lot of maintenance to give it that lush carpet look you see in so many of the asian tanks - Amano. I don't mean to sound like a jerk, I've just been doing this for a long time. Give it whack though, post some pics! Noting beats a nice patch of thriving riccia growing so fast that you can actually see the o2 escaping (pearling) as it feasts.
I would recommend that anyone interested in aquascaping take the jump and make the investment. Get the metal halides, get a good co2 system and a diffuser, get the uv sterilizer. I spun my wheels for years trying all the DIY stuff from the sugar/yeast c02 reactors to kitty litter substrate to trying to make a good co2 diffuser out of parts found at the hardware store. About the only DIY stuff I do anymore is dosing ferts. I was/am a PMDD guy but have recently really started getting into the EI method and pretty much use it exclusively.
EI - Aquarium Plants - Barr Report - Subscribe to the Barr Report
Oh yeah, you could pick some riccia up at Arizona Aquatic Gardens. THE place to order plants on the web. I can't say enough about the quality of service. Plants arrive beautifully. Now is the time to order, cold weather is easier on shipping. Looks like they have some small clumps for $3. Oh, and the state of Indiana sucks for the aquarium hobbyist. There isn't a decent store in the state, and I have traveled from Merriville to Louisville to find one.
AZ Gardens - Aquarium Pond Plants Freshwater Aquarium Plants Aquarium Accessories
Circle City Aquarium Club is a great place to swap clippings as well.
CCAC - Circle City Aquarium Club
well I'll probably use the riccia for rocks, I'm still not completely sure I'll go the riccia route I'll probably go with dwarf baby tears for a carpet effect. I don't know if your familiar with them but there is a guy in bloomington who sells plants and inverts. Aquarium Plants For Sale | Rainforest Farms International | Learn About Aquarium Plants, Buy Aquarium Plants, Quality Provider of Aquarium Plants what style are you partial to, mano/natural, dutch, etc.?
First of all, I'm terrified of fish, so all this fishy talk has me a little freaked out.
But if we're talking about expensive hobbies, I play the clarinet. Not a cheap $200 plastic one. My clarinet is worth about $2000 but needs an overhaul at $450. I'm hoping for a brand new one someday, but I've fallen in love with a couple in the $3000 - $4000 range. And it's almost as expensive to feed as my guns. $20 for a box of reeds, which I'm lucky if I get 2-3 good ones out of. A reed when I'm playing hard-core might last a week. And oil, cork grease, sheet music, etc. But I absolutely love it. I wish I had more opportunities to play, but, alas, my day job takes away 50ish play hours away from me each week.
I also direct the handbell choir at my church and am very involved in my local community theatre. Yes, I'm a true music geek. I'm okay with that.