plant breakthrough

At least, that's what it feels like today. Things were looking- slightly off, earlier this week. I thought: they lack something. Going leaner with ferts and lighter on wc probably not a good idea. Midweek I gave a half dose of ferts, and started to worry about one of the cory cat's barbels. Today I spent a good three hours on the tank. Cleaned out some melting windelov fronds, some anubias and buce leaves that were attracting algae, some crypt parva root hairs that were going all over the place, dug up by mts (I think). All of a sudden it looks much cleaner.

Then I did a very meticulous cleaning and rearranged some plants. Very slowly to avoid harming the fry. Fifty percent wc at the end of it, plus a gentle filter rinse. Here's a ton of photos, because I was so happy with the results. First off, I cut out the java skull's tongue. It was just starting to obstruct the view, so to speak.

The ferns themselves look remarkably better today. I clipped out a few fronds that were looking anemic, trimmed one piece and refastened it to the front. Going to clip the rhizome in center too, to encourage more sprouting.

It's hard to get a photo that really shows it, but this narrower anubias lanceolata on a small piece of wood, I cut and re-fastened part of that too. It got its rhizome cut two weeks ago, and a new sprout is showing. Trimmed the end that was growing off the wood, and re-tied on the other side. Now it has three pieces on there.

Here's the full short end. I don't show up to the surface because I trimmed and replanted lots of the rotalas, so they are all mid-height right now.

One of the main things I did today was moved and cleaning up all the buces. I trimmed off ugly leaves, divided some, cut back straggly roots, and replanted deeper (hoping they won't get uprooted again). Moved most of them to the sides, 'Selena' on this end- and anubias in the corner-

View of that edge from the other side:

I'm not sure what these buces are called, anymore, lined up now on the other short side. They seem to keep rounder leaves than 'Selena'

But they could just have a different growth habit from being in a different part of the tank? This one looked so delicate compared to the other 'Selena' I thought it was another variety. But it was growing in deeper shade under the windelov fern for a long time, so maybe that made it narrower in leaf? It's got the same color, I replanted it with the others.

My current favorites, the 'blue belle', are grouped in front of the skull cave

and on the other side still in the background- kind of hard to see, but they're in back center here:

Photo of the other short side.

Since I moved most of the buces from where they crowded in front of the driftwood piece, it's created a kind of tunnel under the fronds.

I was hoping the cories would still feel sheltered under there and move through the space freely, without having to fight thru thickets of buce foliage and roots. Where I can see them easily.

I did leave a few buces there, so they feel safe from my eyes (or the camera's mouth). Moved up snug against the glass, so the fish will use the open space between.

I've moved most of the leaf litter to sit below the driftwood/windelov overhang. Cory in there.

From above- the main anubias on the driftwood is now in several pieces, too. Its younger scion long enough now got its rhizome clipped, and the main piece has walked completely off the hardscape and is headed towards the skull. I cut its rhizome just where it leaves the wood- but didn't move any pieces. The free piece of anubias is still standing like that, held up by its roots that go all the way down into substrate. Too bad I can't show you that effect, its on the other side.

Last but not least, I still have subwassertang in here. It's healthier than the subwasser in my other tanks. I pick up loose bits of it to move into Perry's domain. You can barely see it here, growing on the ridge backside of driftwood, between the crypt stems and the windelov fronds

I dosed dry ferts, but only potassium and phosphate. Nitrates were high enough I didn't feel the need to add any of that. Micros will get dosed tomorrow morning. At the end of it all, my plants (especially the windelov fern) were pearling like crazy. I haven't seen that effect in quite some time. I think I finally made another step forward.

I don't know how much difference this has made, but I also upped the flow on the sponge filter. And am keeping it rinsed weekly, so there is better surface agitation. I wonder if that helps with oxygen and C02 levels.