it's all in buckets again

My 33 gallon tank - sigh -

Because of this:

I'm paranoid I guess. It could be nothing- cosmetic flaw only- and the fact that I haven't seen any sign of leaks yet points to that. BUT- it could be a weakened seam that will slowly give way and bust open several years down the road. And I can't stand worrying about that every time I look at my tank, instead of enjoying it. I'm taking it in for a replacement today. It means all day work teardown and setup again.

The cycle had almost finished- nitrites dropped suddenly from being off-the-chart to less than 0.25ppm yesterday. I was ready and poised to do the big water change, clean up the plants, and introduce the paradise fishes a day later. Now it will be a bit longer. Better safe than sorry, though. It would always be on my mind if I didn't replace it now.

I've done something different with my paradise fish in the basement. Every day I put a few drops of water from each fish tank into the other- so they can get each other's scent and hormones or whatever. I am curious if it would be helpful for the introduction, and it does get a reaction. The female tries even harder to get through the glass and flexes her lips at Perry. The male doesn't extend his mouth, but flares his tail while turning colors pale. I am still wondering if this will work out... . . .