somewhat improved

I've switched to using the finer sponges. The tank is cleaner.

Still have the coarse 'pro' sponges temporarily sitting in the background, for bacteria transfer. And I have prior pieces of clay pot, tiny spare sponge filters and extra hydro I sponge tucked behind the driftwood out of sight. A reservoir of the good bacteria, I guess you could say. If I ever need a QT in a hurry, I'll just pull those pieces out and jump-start an empty tank.

I know there's still mulm settling on things, but it's not as much as before, and I find it more tolerable since I don't see stuff drifting around in the water column all the time (only when the kuhlis stir things up). Even though I was sick this past week so skipped a water change day, the nitrates stayed below ten. (I've noticed however, that the frogbits do better if I only change 25% at a time. I think otherwise the nutrients are just too low for them). Here's a few pics

blue buce ridge

the young anubias barteri I grew from a rhizome piece

Windelov fern on the rock on the driftwood. Too soon to tell if it's happier in here, but it's definitely growing out new leaves already!

more buces in the front

Looking down into the tank- can see the buce 'green wavy' on the rocks. And a leaf I accidentally tore with the siphon hose on the right

I thinned out this anubias thicket a bit- moved some into my 20H tetra tank.

darker anubias afzelii in the front corner

The tank is now sparse on driftwood. I found the angels acting very skittish earlier in the week, and two of the sticks knocked over. I guess when the fish dart behind them, they tend to knock some aside. Maybe that is what's always frightening them. I pulled out all the sticks that tend to fall down, and rearranged the last three so they prop each other up (should have been more careful to do that when I first set it all up). They now have more room to freely swim behind the driftwood sticks, instead of pressing against the back wall. It's too soon to tell yet, but I think after a few days of this new arrangement, the angels seem less nervous.

Now I have trouble getting a good side view photo-

because they usually face me, watching sharp for food offerings

(note the zebra nerite in the background of above pic- my apple snail finally died, and I moved in here the last zebra nerite from the paradise fish tank)

My larger angel- he doesn't have a single name- I always call him Mr. Beautiful, or Gorgeous, or Handsome- as in "hey, there Handsome, are you hungry?" or "why hello, Gorgeous"- it looks like his left gill cover is receding a bit. The one that's curled. Here for comparison- the normal one, and then the other side. When the fish breathes, I can see the edge of the gill flutter on that short side. It doesn't show red, though. I don't know if this is genetic, or because tank conditions haven't been perfect.... I read somewhere it's maybe caused by the fish growing up too fast. Oh, probably I shouldn't have been stuffing them with three feedings a day when they first came in!

and I'm sorry to say but my beautiful Skye, I wish she (I'm guessing which is male/female, but it's easier to say he/she than it, so...) didn't have this really dark mark behind her eye. It's a heavy blot. And the angle of her lower jaw makes it look like her nose turns down. I just don't find her as attractive as Mr. Beautiful. The Gorgeous angel also has dark mark behind the eye, but his isn't obvious all the time, and it's not as pronounced. Skye looks like someone punched her and gave her a black eye.