the tenner 2

Things seem to be going right here, although I still have some a bit of hairy black algae on the leaf margins, a bit of brown debris on the foliage. Still unsure if this is diatoms or debris stirred up off the driftwood. I don't gravel vac anymore, there's at least two small trumpet snails in there so let them do the job.

 The java ferns are starting to look nice. I am pleased with how tethering them to the stones worked out. Makes it really easy to move the plants around if I need to (you're supposed to move the decor/plant arrangement around when introducing new fish so that the established occupants are more concerned with changes in their environment and territory, than in hassling the newcomers. I've never really done that because all my plants were rooted in the substrate or tied to large driftwood pieces that I had no leeway for- if I moved them, they'd be over the rooted plants).

Anubias seems to sprout a new leaf every week, so I know its happy.

Saw the kuhli loach last night- I've named him Sam. I drop in a fraction of an algae wafer after dark- several hours after dark- and then peer into the tank in dim light a little later. Before the kuhli ventures out to eat, the barbs follow scent to the food (Oliver didn't this time) so they all pigged out. Same thing in the larger aquarium- I dropped a fourth of an algae wafer into the java fern "cave" several hours after dark- but when I looked later, all the barbs were swarming in there. I did see a glimpse of striped loach body, so my kuhlis are still alive- but I don't know how to feed them without the barbs getting more than their share- if I go lighter on feeding the main community, the platies loose out (one looks skinny today). I need some space small enough for the loaches to get into, but keep the other fishes out, if I want to feed them by themselves. Maybe a tunnel of some kind....