SUN HEALTH
MEDICAL CLINIC
Eddie Morfeld
Aquarist
Start:
age 4
Personal Experience
raised in New York City, his father brought home an aquarium and placed it on top of the fridge
as a kid, grew stuff in his own aquarium to give to store for credit
he often went to Central Park and in summers visited his cousins in Virginia country off on his own exploring nature and ponds/wildlife
later lived in Acadia National Park
Professional Experience:
commercial fisherman in Maine
aquascaper
aquatic farmer
children's nature educator
nursery keeper
Address:
Point Loma, San Diego and Sonora, Mexico
with his family
A Bit About the Aquarium
When Sun Health moved to Point Loma, the new location came with a 100 gallon aquarium that was saltwater. It was gorgeous and therapeutic with large puffer fish and other ocean fish. This system was "terminal", without intensive labor it would not survive. We had another professional aquarist care for it and thoroughly enjoyed it while it lasted. When the fish lived out their lives, we opted to convert the aquarium.
On 15th August 2026, a fresh water garden ecosystem was born. The doctor's best friend Eddie Morfeld created this beautiful ecosystem. To our pleasant surprise, to date we have not had to do a water change.
ECOSYTEM
HARDSCAPE
PEBBLES
Mexican beach pebbles
button size in middle tier and extra small in front tier
pro-biotic: biologic filtration because their surface area provides a habitat for bacteria that eat poop/algae
place for "marathon" side to side swimming
AQUATIC SOIL
Japanese volcanic rock mini pebbles
back tier
infused with bacteria
ROCK
these are the mountains
middle tier
Baja cresta Mexican rock, granite
blue gray with gold
SPONGE FILTER
in back of large mountain
middle tier
biologic filter
sponge houses bacteria and mechanically filters
BUBBLERS
sponge filter and bubble wall
middle tier
oxygenate controlling algae
bubbles sparkle like jewels in the water
effervescence: bubbles make you feel bubbly
FLORA
Plants feed off of the nutrients in the aquatic soil and some off the poop in the water column. Plants provide oxygen for fish.
Anacharis: Elodea: far back left, Argentinian, our longest plant, feeds heavily off the water column keeping it clear, when we moved it from right to left the right glass became cloudy, does better with root feeding so in dirted pot, ana means up and charis means grace/beauty, this plant usually floats if not anchored in nutrient rich substrate, it is floating gracefully to the front left
Amazon sword: Echinodorus from Amazon River: centerpiece, large broad leaves, heavy root feeder so in dirted pot, biologic filtration because broad leaves house bacteria
Vallisneria spiralis: ribbon streamers in center left, clear water column and soil, hopefully we get a growing forest
Water Wisteria: back right Indian forest, got them in air had dark purple brown leaves now submersed bright lime green, clears water column and soil, Eddie says may have a small purple flower if grows above the water
Bacopa: left side, growing a forest, round lime green leaves
Ludwigia: left peeking between rocks, red/orange/yellow/green leaves
Lily: we are not sure what it is, on left on glass jar, has no leaves on it, unsure if it will grow
Java Moss: Malaysian newly added on tier 2, fish/shrimp love this, I saw some white dots/string on it maybe eggs?
Alternanthera reineckii: right back corner, Bolivia South American, red lava rock containing iron in dirted pot keeps it red, amaranth
Sagitarria: in front of bubble wall, rhizome needs direct nutrients so placed loosely in tier 2
Anubia nana: in front of large mountains, rhizome needs direct nutrients so placed loosely in tier 2
Cryptocoryne wendtii: left of large mountains
Terrestrial
plants on top of the aquarium soak up nutrients through their roots
soak up waste and clean water
we have coleus, mint, and pothos
FAUNA
AMANO SHRIMP
the behind the scenes Japanese stars of the show
eat detritus/algae
with lights out can be seen swimming fast
SCUDS (COPEPODS)
live in the pebbles
eat poop/algae
we have a separate scud fish bowl on the glass shelf in the waiting room
scuds are live food for the fish
SNAILS
the East African nerite snails
zebra: striped orange, black, tiger: orange with black
clear the floor and glass of detritus/algae
FISH
7 Brazilian ember tetra
9 wild caught South American green neon tetra
exhaled CO2 helps plants make sugar and grow
poop helps plants grow
RELAX
ENJOY
EFFERVESCE
