temporary mess

today- going thru some transition. It breaks my heart, but I am selling my aponogeton crisups plants. Someone local came and picked up two today, another one is shipping out monday and a little later the last two are shipping out on a plant swap. I pulled three today during the wc (to siphon out as much disturbed mulm as possible) this one is still floating in the tank until it's time to pack it up.

They must have been hogging the light, mostly- because when I pulled them, the roots coming up disturbed a lot of fine pale stuff looks like material from the root tabs I put in five weeks ago. It was a big surprise to see that the two flower stalks were coming from the one largest plant. I didn't know it would put out two flowers simultaneously. I will really miss these plants but they are just getting too massive and don't look like they're done growing yet. (I think I will get a few more apono capuronii, though. With the thinner leaves I don't think they will overwhelm the tank as quickly, and if I remember to pinch them before hit the ceiling, should keep in check better.)

The fishes seem okay with the disruption this caused- they are swimming about excitedly as they always do during a water change. Not sure if I harmed any shrimps yet. Will be replacing the empty space left by the removed aponos with the large bolbitis I got in weeks ago. Perry should be moving out of that QT soon.

My window tank got torn down again today,

so water parameters are all bad. I haven't tested yet but the snails are climbing the walls...  I am still uneasy about the uneveness of my stand's top surface, so I bought a sheet of dense rigid foam insulation board to put underneath and distribute the weight. It's pink. I spray-painted plastidip to the edges to make them black, but- it kind of seeped into the foam and caused the edge to become slightly concave, plus little bits of the original color still show overall dull gray look. I hope it hasn't affected the integrity of the board? I'll have to get black masking tape or electric tape to cover it up still.

So my cories are still in the bucket. I am feeding them very lightly- half or less the usual serving, only once every other day. Water parameters still good in there. Some of them look pale, but no clamped fins and they move around animatedly when I drop in a food pellet or momentarily turn off the air stream to check on them (can't see well when the water is agitated by the filter).

I thought the elodea looked kind of cute all dropped in a cup together.

Here's that windelov I pegged to the wall with suction cups.

Right now I like this corner best... the java fern 'red' are starting to grow a few new fiddleheads- that's nice to see. And there's the bit of crypt retrospiralis and vallisneria I moved in.