six barbs

My Cherry Barbs, on the other hand, have been doing great. I added three more today- a male and two more females. Here the bags floating to equalize temperature (one has the Oto in it).

Two of the fish are smaller. They don't act nearly as skittish as the first three did when introduced; I think having others of their kind already in the tank helps them feel at ease. It's nice to see the six of them calming moving around in the back sheltered by plants, picking at things.

No sign of stress or disease, no fungus. They are not as shy anymore, come forward at feeding time. I do have to dip hand in and release flakes into the water, as they won't surface for it. I bought some sinking shrimp pellets to try feeding them. I tried giving them freeze-dried bloodworms but the things won't sink, and if I released them under the water, the dried worms floated up faster than I could move my hand out when the fish would approach. So the Zebra Danios ended up pigging out on those. Will have to find another method of delivery for that food, or find something else... Also gave an algae/spirulina wafer the other night- the Barbs recognized it as food and the largest, bright male was picking at it energetically, chasing the zebra fish away. He would allow the boldest cherry female next to him, but sometimes chase her off as well. But in the morning most of it was still there, disintegrated (and needing to be siphoned out). I think when it was all one piece they couldn't get bites off, and when it got soft they weren't interested anymore? Next time will break some up into small pieces, see if they eat that... but I'm glad they are actively eating.

new little oto

My aquarium is not exactly as I had dreamed, but at least it is beginning to take shape. I lost another Otocinclus- the one called Leo- he quit eating, kept getting skinnier- didn't touch the zucchini, or cling to the glass, finally lay collapsed on the bottom. Died last night. Left me with just Tilda (for dwarf catfish). I think Tilda is a survivor, now- this fish always looks well-rounded and alert. But I don't want it to be lonely.

I had already planned to get a few more Cherry Barb today to fill out the group.  I was going to get four barbs, but then saw a lone otocinclus. It looked healthy and perky, so I got this one and just three barbs. Figured one more fish wouldn't overload the bio-filter, just replace the lost one. The new little Oto is more golden in color, and its stripe solid all the way through the tail. Maybe a different subspecies? After much reading I have taken a new track on introducing fish, although it's not highly recommended. I'm putting them straight in the home tank, with slow acclimation, hoping the reduced stress will prevent disease outbreak. Dosing with melafix again too, for a few days. Dropped a bit of zucchini into the bag while new Oto was floating- read a suggestion somewhere that this will calm them, having something to nibble on. Not sure if it helped. But soon after release the new fish was hanging out in heater corner with Tilda- it's a smaller fish by half, but already scraping algae off the wall.

Hope this one makes it. I don't want to buy any more of these fish, they are difficult to pull through the first weeks and it's getting discouraging loosing one after another.

ginger!

The Ginger is coming up! A few little shoots re-emerging. I've moved it back out outside, now that the weather is warming up.

green nubbin

surprise from a Pepper plant! A tiny roundness that might just grow into a pepper.

It's also got new leaves sprouting up and down the stem:

cherry barbs

I have three new fish:

Still unable to use my QT tank- Nitrite levels skyrocketing- this time I simply put the new fish straight into the home tank. With preventative dose of melafix, supposed to suppress disease outbreak and the reduced stress of moving straight into home environment helps with that too. So far they are doing fine, although I was upset at loosing Sparky.

The new fish are very attractive. The male is a bright pinkish hue

and the females golden orange and cream, with horizontal bands. They have little whiskers (barbs) and slightly downturned mouths.

They are much calmer fish than my Zebra Danios, and for the first few days hid in the plants. (The Aponogeton is thinned out some; I've had to start cutting out stems as the leaves die back. A few of them are already sprouting new shoots. I added a few root tabs of fertilizer across the back of the tank; the older Aponogeton had stopped at four leaves- no new growth in a week or two- but once I put in the root tabs a new shoot emerged just a day later).

Gratifying to see them eat a bit yesterday for the first time; the Danios are quicker and dash to the top for food; while the Barbs look for things at midlevel and bottom of the tank, not the water surface. Even though there are only two Danios and they're a bit smaller than the new fish, they easily hog all the food. Today I tried putting a pinch of flakes in by lowering my hand into the water and then releasing the food, but the Barbs were frightened of my hand and by the time they moved back to investigate, Danios had gobbled it all up. The Barbs did get a little bit, but at this point the Danios were overeating so I didn't give any more. I think when they get bolder it won't be such a problem, and I will try some sinking foods.

seedlings

Well, not everything sprouted in my greenhouse jugs. The only one I have left on balcony has these seedlings, nearly big enough to prick out. I think it's the flowering tobacco.

more plant pics!

Just because I can't get over how lovely the aquarium is starting to look. It really is like an underwater garden now. The fish appear almost incidental, although I'm of course planning to get a few more soon!

Lighting difficult to get good photos; I'm in learning stages still. Here some photos taken with the aquarium light off. The look is quite different, softer, leaves more translucent.

aquarium plants

Today was a major change-out for some plants; don't want to disrupt things anymore so probably the last time I will add plants in a long while. The plants came into today- more Aponogeton Crispus. Quite a number were small specimens, and some all the leaves browned. Only the largest fullest plants had a significant number of leaves still green. But I think the company compensated for that; there was one extra plant included.

To prepare the plants I rinsed them under running tapwater (chlorine) then dipped in conditioned tank water to rinse again. Next snipped the roots off evenly -about a third of the length- it stimulates growth and makes a lot easier to handle in planting as well. Removed the worst-looking foliage. I did have to trim off quite a lot.

From the tank pulled out all the Vallisneria, gave it to an acquaintance who also has an aquarium (mollies).

Here's the tank just after all the Val was removed, water level still low from the wc.

I have Aponogeton all across the back of the aquarium now, just like I wanted. They look really brown in the tank, especially next to the new leaves of the established plant- but still stunning in my estimation. Center one here is the largest, nicest specimen with most green remaining.

I moved a few other plants around (hoping this doesn't throw them into shock) and feel like the tank is finally approaching the look I've been imagining.

The smaller, straight-edged Amazon Sword are paired in front center now; I hadn't noticed before that one grew slightly larger than the other. Had a nice robust root system going, feel a bit bad for moving it just when it apparently was starting to take off. But now I'm not going to touch anything again. (Aside from neccessary trimming)

I like to look at the plants from above sometimes, too:

My Cryptocoryne looks leggy compared to photos I see online. I think its affected by the lighting. I wish it had a low dense growth habit but I am pleased nonetheless; I bought this plant because it can adapt to low light levels, and gives my aquatic environment some variety. I'm starting to love its blue-green hues, "hammered" leaf texture, pinkish stems.

Anubias is going strong, and looks lovely now that the Otos have begun to clean the broad leaves off. Roots going straight down striking into the gravel now; one even seems to have tunneled all the way through the driftwood.

I am very pleased with the Aponogeton purchase. Confident that as the dulled foliage dies back, new green shoots will spring up as the first plant proved to grow well.

Also enjoy very much now the variety of shapes, textures and colors of all the different plants in my tank. I think I have eight species now (not counting the algae, of which there are at least three types!)

The fish are interested in the new plants as well.

eating cuke

Gave the Otos a slice of cucumber and for the first time one of the larger fish discovered it. I usually drop the vegetable piece in last thing at night and pull out around noon following day but this time left it in a few hours longer (I lifted it out first to make sure not stinking yet), because they seemed to be feeding so eagerly. And I was glad, because the larger Oto (calling it Leonard now) had been looking skinny.

Sparky and Leo:

Amusing pic of the third dwarf catfish, Tilda, suckered to the glass head-down. They have cleaned the tank of algae so well now glass is sparkling clear.

lettuces and chard

are all growing well (except for the few my kid pulled up)
Romaine lettuce:

Simpson lettuce:

Swiss Chard:

these all grew from seed I'd saved in my fridge. Lettuces from the seed packet I bought five years ago!