Is that your blood !! :-P
Both are spectacular, and I'm quite sure you are hooked by those spinies...
like some of us here... LOL

no blood... i have tools LOL

Stephania...whats the best mix for soil on these guys

If you want a colourful heck, use rather inorganic mix : 3 part of pellet or crush pumice, one part of coarse perlite and add few more peat with a low Nitrogen slow released fertilizer.
Oh yet, a whole day of direct sunlight with your cold night...a bloody sure !

But, one of my friend here, grows H. glomerata in a pure river sand, it's work...at least look better than my fatty green heck!!

hdd,Stephania's mix sounds very good,and I'm going to try to obtain those ingrediants. I've been using the following with good results. A mix of peat,coarse sand,and perlite,in equal amounts,with a small amount of slow release fertilizer,8-8-8 if I can find it,14-14-14 if not.More in Spring,none added in Winter.I'm trying something new too,lining the bottom of the clay pot with about 1/4" of sphagnum moss,[compressed],so as to absorb water from the light sandy mix.Hopfully,to make the roots grow downward toward the moisture there,after the soil above drys out.
I see you have been visiting at Rare Exotics.Nice plants. I have too,and will post some pics soon.
Bob