window tank rescape

I redid some stuff in here, too. Full tank shot (a tad blurry, so hard to get a good photo of this):

On one end, I pulled some crypt moehlmannii that was growing into areas it wouldn't have space (into the anubias thicket, under the log). The original parent plant in center has lost all its leaves, but there's a row of younger plants off runners up against the glass now. Thinned out the vals too- mostly pulling out leaves that had decay. Added a small piece of hardscape with buces and subwassertang on it (just in front of the large anubias there)

Most of the work I did was central- pulling out crypts from the back wall and moving them into the center, shifting smaller crypts from the center to further back, and pulling up most of the dwarf sag (which didn't end up staying tank height after all) moving them to the foreground. They're doing okay after all- I found lots of new baby ones!

Tucker the paradise fish kept getting in the pictures

Also trimmed and replanted more rotalas to make a further wall of them against the rear glass. Which is hard to see as it's backlit from the window-

Moved a few more plants around on this side, too- but mostly noticable is just the addition of another buce clump from the angel tank.

The leaves on my madagascar lace come and go. Never seem to have more than two or three really healthy ones at a time- sigh.

Here's Tucker who kept getting in front of the camera, but never held still of course!

His tail fin has got short again, lost its filaments, and he's been kind of pale lately. So I'm concerned for his health, too. (White clouds look totally fine. In fact, they're still breeding. The first two fry I saw this year are half-grown already, swimming in the open with adults now. There's one smaller fry half their size- probably two months old, and another much smaller fry several weeks old I'm guessing. So at least four!)

Angle shot-

I do like seeing the sun come through the plant leaves, like here- but found it was too much this time. Or my faulty maintenance. Found some cyanobacteria (aka blue-green alage) behind the bolbitis driftwood, against the window side glass. Icky stuff. Dismayed because that means definitely my tank has too much mulm buildup, and I'm afraid it will be hard to get rid of.

I've done another water change, cleaned filter sponge (found the housing of one was cracked, so I did a little repair with fishing line) and temporarily blocked out some of the window light. Tomorrow going to do another water change with thorough gravel vac in that problem area. Felt like I was on my feet nearly all day working on this tank- far longer than I expected to!

So that's my big update for now.

unnamed paradise

While the angelfish tank is occupying my mind a lot these days, nothing could be easier than the 33L, or the centerpiece fish destined to go in it- my new paradise guy is still doing great. Haven't quite decided on his name yet.

The tank he'll go into- I tried to get a full length photo today- both with window light coming thru

and with a temporary backdrop 

Noted that I'm pleased how the dwarf sag has done so far

loss and gain in the 33

First the good: madagascar lace is sending up a new leaf shoot:

White cloud fry! There's more than I thought. I counted at least ten yesterday. A few are large enough I can make out red color starting on the tail fin, and a sparkle of the bright blue streak. Here's one- left of center in the middle of the leopard vals. So tiny!

My two of the third generation, are almost as big as the other adults, now. They're only slightly smaller and I have to look close to tell them apart. But I lost one of the grown males. Yesterday saw he had an odd swelling low in the belly, directly over the pelvic fins. Few hours later found him floating listlessly in the plants, breathing but not moving otherwise.

I scooped him out of the tank- way too easily- a very bad sign. Looks like something ruptured- internal bleeding. I don't know why or how it happened, but it's not curable. I ended his suffering under a brick in the garden, where his body will now feed my pink clematis. 

I'm sorry, little fish. Your brightness will now merge with the flowers.

crazy minnow

One of my white clouds ate a snail. I don't know if it was alive when he first grabbed it, or one that was ailing and he was dashing all over the tank to keep other fish from taking it. That's him in the back- it's not a snail on the glass, it's in his mouth. 

I was worried he'd choke! but later, the snail body sticking out of his mouth is smaller, so he must be getting it down.

tank greenery

I put a white backdrop on my 33L and attempted a full tank shot:

The hygro is looking very nice, colored up on top.

I still like this rosette plant, and still don't know what it is. Seems to be doing well, whereas the dwarf sword I moved, isn't.

Here's another thing I moved- a new crypt moehlmanii shoot. It was growing out to the right of the thicket

I pulled it out very carefully, exposing the runner all the way to the parent crypt, shifted it to the opposite side (left, where it is now) and reburied the roots and runner. 

Madagascar lace plant continues to wow me. It has several more new leaves- the youngest is paler.

In the tenner, the rotalas are getting real nice and one has started to trail across the surface. I was going to trim and replant to multiply it, but kind of like having it across the top.

One blue buce is flowering.

I found some of the crypt parva were getting overshadowed a lot by crypt becketti, so I shifted them all into a front corner-

Moved the severum out of the regular QT into his own little container. The festivums were really starting to harass him, I saw one tug at his tail, and the largest (Foxface) chased him away from all the food. I moved him into 8 gal bin with small heater, sponge filter, etc. 

He showed a white spot on the tail- fungus? or just injury? so I hope will benefit from some daily small partial wc. I found a buyer for him, but have to get him healed up. 

Hard to get a photo now because the bin sides are semi-opaque, and he hides a lot- nervous being by himself I bet- but here's a few from when I had netted him out of the first QT.

Minor split in the caudal fin-

In my 55, I'm eagerly watching growth on my aponogeton capuronii, and wishing the younger shoots of crypt balansae would grow faster. Feeling iffy about the crypt retrospiralis, and have decided I'm not really fond of the corkscrew vals. The leopard vals are so much more vigorous, and I do like how straight and tall they get. I think I would rather have more crypts, with their slightly thicker leaves, in those planter baskets. Maybe aponogeton crispus again (how I miss that plant) or even some kind of long-leaved sword. . . 

creeping jenny and lace

First news: my madagascar lace plant put out a new leaf!

My angelfish is a week past her final parasite treatment, seems to be fine!

The creeping jenny (aka money plant) I trimmed and floated in a jar of water, started growing roots, so I've put some in each tank to see how they do- one stem in this corner of the 55

One in the tenner- lower right here (short side view)

several in the 33L in different spots, not sure which level of light will be best for them (also a short end shot) 

and one stem in the middle of the shrimp bowl

33L a bit of new

I never thought I would have this plant: Madagascar lace.

It naturally has these gaps in the tissue cells that make it look so pretty and delicate. I've read it can be a bit tricky to keep- if not good water circulation, the gaps tend to get clogged with detritus. Also it does better in cooler water but then naturally goes through a dormant period every year with dieback. Also it might all die back from the transplant shock so must have patience to see if it will live for me.

It was a total surprise, in this box packed with plants that a friend in the fish club gave me- from someone who is moving to another state and was thus taking down her tanks. Most of the package was some kind of spiral vallisneria- that's all gone into other tanks because need stable temperatures- but also this one madagascar lace, and one I can't identify. I think it's some kind of sword- it has a familiar rosette growth. Narrow leaves, though.

There were lots of snails. Brown ramshorns- like the one in pic above- and plenty of pond snails, with their cute little 'horns'.

I moved a few things last maintenance day. My dwarf sword isn't doing well. I think it does poorly every winter and then revives with warmer months- but also maybe it needs better light. I moved it from the front back to the center of the tank.

I cut and replanted tops of a few buces. Also moved some small ones into the shrimp bowl. And pulled out two small pale anemic-looking plants- this one that's been growing up against the front glass, and another I found a bit further back. The runners I slowly tugged out of the substrate led straight back to the first crypt moehlmanii- I think they're doing so poorly because too much competition from other plants nearby.

Here's quick attempt at a full tank shot- 

The white clouds are spawning again. Lots of excited activity low among the plants, quivering fins and males rising through the water column displaying side-by-side. I am not making any effort to raise fry this time with fine foods and frequent water changes. Found one week-old fry the other day, and promptly caught it to feed my angelfish. Simply because a dozen white clouds already pushes the limit of stocking for this tank. 

My second generation of the minnows are all adult size now, I can't tell them apart from the original three parents. The two from the third generation are quickly maturing. They are both out regularly feeding with the adults in the main part of water column, now. The larger of the two is already half adult size, and the smaller one is a third of adult size. I tried for a few pics- young fish to the left here, adult male displaying lower right

Young fish in the center, adults blur above