45 has leaves

I added a lot more leaf litter. Took quite a while to sort, clean and soak oak leaves from last fall's stash, one plastic grocery bag full (a fraction of what I have saved up) turned out to be just the right amount. Most of them I trimmed and cut into smaller pieces this time.

It has the exact effect I was hoping for. The leaf litter hides all the rock anchors, so it looks like the plants are growing straight out of them.

Buces, smallest plants in here, barely poke up above the litter, I'm glad I tied them onto highest points of rocks. They should grow upwards and keep clear of it. I didn't think about it until I had dropped all the leaves in, but oops I have completely smothered all the subwassertang! And the small vals got covered, too. I bet a val might grow up out of the litter, but the subwassertang will probably die. That's okay, I have plenty more of it in other tanks. Not sure if it's the best choice in here anymore, unless I can encourage it to cling to the large driftwood piece. That might look nice.

One buce came loose from its stone and lodged for a while against the roots of anubias on driftwood. I hoped it would take hold there, but it's floated free by now. I'll have to tie it down again next time I have hands in the tank.

Largest anubias has a new leaf.

Some java ferns have new, young leaves growing too.

My apple snail has been topside feeding off the hornwort lately. I am often fascinated at how it manages to cling to a single, narrow stem of hornwort up there. Eventually its weight pulls the plant down, or it lets go and sinks down to the bottom of the tank again. It spreads its foot out wide when falling, like it is gliding through the water.

Such a handsome snail, even it I am annoyed at all its poops. (Most of that is hidden under the deeper leaf litter now.)

Kuhlis love the additional leaves. The entire tank floor is their hideout now. Here's a glimpse of one.

I've made a selection of forked sticks from dead branches that fell off our oak, maple and sycamore trees in the past few spring storms. Am prepping them for tank use- first I boiled them in my pressure cooker- this way and then taking them all out turned around to boil the other ends. For hours. Water stained very dark. Now I'm peeling bark off the sticks when I have time, and dropping into the tank where they just float, to let them get water logged.

Apple snail spends all its time up among the floating sticks, now. It is probably eating the biofilm or fungus that emerges, because I haven't seen any sign of that ugly white stuff that often appears on new wood in tanks. I don't mind letting the sticks float for a few weeks while the snail cleans them off, but I might tie stones to a few ends to start arranging them in the tank. I'm seeing a lot more ramshorn snails because they come up to feed off the wood, too. And somehow- unintentionally- I've introduced limpets into this tank. Probably on a plant. Oh well. They are not very noticeable in the large tank, and they do help keep the glass very clean.