window tank update

The 'trident' java fern I left floating in here had a few baby plants, I went to cut just those pieces off-

and found a regular row of nodules on the underside of the leaf, where more young plants will sprout. All over! I'm tired of seeing a large leaf drifting in the center of the tank, so I cut it up into segments around the sprouting plantlets and left them to float while they develop.

Anubias I moved in here seem to be doing fine- new leaf looks okay.

Windelov ferns as usual, doing great. Cut out a few older, deteriorating leaves but there's plenty new ones.

Behind them on the driftwood can see the various java ferns. They're not doing so great. Older leaves all melted and some new fiddleheads were coming up, but I don't think they look quite right.

Little wall of crypt retrospiralis and vallisneria in the back corner, coming along. The vals seem happier with the low temps and and lack of ferts in this tank than the crypts. But I do see newer leaves growing on the crypts among those that are melting, and a lot of new roots have emerged too.

Found that tiny bit of crypt root that was adrift in here since some changes in the past few weeks. Tucked it back into substrate nearer the foreground where I can see it. I can't tell if it's a bit of crypt parva, or crypt wilisii. You can see through these pics the subwassertang is kinda scraggly now. The terminal ends of it thinner, not as wide and it's not spreading nearly as much. I think because of the cold.

and here's the main occupant. I am starting to wonder if I have a female paradise fish. Aside from a small trailing tip on top of the caudal fin, there's no sign of the longer tail a male develops. Or the brighter colors. But I've only had Perry two months, so time may well tell...

I like this full-tank shot better because you can see Perry in it, if it weren't for the presence of my arms...

in my tiny pond

I got into the container pond today. Just to see what was up. I did not find anything alive- except for one leech, which I threw into the lawn haha. It's the reason why I'm still reluctant to transfer any of these plants into my indoor tanks.... although the hornwort in here looks fantastic. This is the amount of it, not even spread out pretty in the water, but just set on the decking while I removed stuff to clean. It has great color and density- seems like the amount of shading greater duckweed and water lettuce plants have created is perfect for it now.

The three water lettuce still look healthy enough, even though outer leaves are yellowing and melting  away. Roots are nice and thick.

Spirodela polyrhiza also very thick- their roots felt like fur against my hand when I was scooping them out! The undersides are a bold rosy red.

One of the water lettuce plants had a stem growing from its underside smoother and thicker than a regular root. I think if it didn't get too cold soon, this would spread sideways and grow a new plantlet?

I was also suprised that a few of the outer, fading leaves I pulled off came away with roots attached to them. I wonder what would happen if I left these in water- would they re-generate a new plant too?

The water was really murky. I couldn't tell if there were still any trumpet snails alive in there. I pulled out some hair algae and used shrimp net to scoop out coarse debris, dead plant parts and more algae.

Replacing everything- my three water lettuces are smaller, but tidier now for what time remains to them.

a small media transfer-

The other day, midweek, I noticed more fine particles than normal, loose in the water column of my main tank. Thought back and pretty sure it's been five weeks or longer since I rinsed media in the canister. Plus looked like Sassy had a few small sores on the skin, so cleaner water would help.

My two new serpaes in the tenner- the smaller one I call Spit still tends to have very bright red around the eyes when it goes pale (occurs when the lights are on- from stress?) I wondered for a day if it had septicemia. Tested the water, 0.25 ammonia. Probably a mini cycle happening since I added the two fish. Thought a bit more media from the main would help. So I opened up the canister filter on the 38- yeah, it had lots of dark mulm. I rinsed half the sponges and poured out the dirty water from the bottom, but left the other parts to clean next time.

While I was in there finally made some mesh bags to hold the bio-media- I'm tired of scooping it out with my hands every time. I took these bags that once held oranges or onions- they've been rinsed clean. Sewed ends shut just below the metal crimps with fishing line, then used pliers to undo the crimping and remove the metal pieces. First bag I sewed shut the other end before placing it back in the canister, other two bags (one was already in there) I left open at top and just fold over under the grid that sits just below canister lid/motor housing. Then I can still remove some of the bio-media pieces if I need to, for another tank...

I also took out one of the smaller pieces of fine poly media, to fit inside the sponge filter in the tenner, as extra filtration and boosting the bacteria colony. So far these bright coppery fishes seem fine... they are even growing back their fins. I don't have a recent pic (my camera just died needs recharging) but the larger Ziggy, its anal fin used to be split and that is healed completely. I was afraid of course, they would beat each other up in confinement like has happened to me before. They do keep flaring and angling their bodies broadside to each other in dominance displays. But either the full planting, or the abundance of food, or just the better conditions overall in this tank to any QT setup I've made, keeps them from feeling they have to attack each other too much. Or I'm just lucky so far.

I am giving them small feedings two or three times a day, trying to keep them well-fed and encourage fast healing and growth. They especially love the gold pearls, and have readily eaten everything- even an offering of aphids and another of small caterpillars.

fewer gastropods

I didn't have an overpopulation problem again yet, but someone on the planted tank forum asked so I picked out about two dozen malaysian trumpet snails to sell and mailed them this morning. Why is it that when I don't care about finding snails, they're all over the walls of the tank at night, but when I want some, they are hiding and I have to search.

One of my red tomato nerite snails died. For a few days it looked like was nearing the end- I found it several times lying upside down or on its side. Turned it upright and it would move a bit, but then fall over again. I pulled it out of the tank yesterday- it didn't smell bad yet but the operculum was loose so it was over. I am not surprised or sad, really- at best guess I'd had this snail nearly three years.

I think I only have two nerites in the main tank now? one tomato and one zebra...

seedheads

Echinacea made lots of prickly seedheads- I have left them on the plants, in hopes to get some self-sown. I've read that goldfinches and other birds like to eat the seed, but I haven't seen any birds come to mine.

Still eating herbs and the broccoli is greener (less caterpillars) but the real bright spot in my garden now is the marigold. I collected old flower heads from my favorite velvety red ones

They look kind of- unpleasant- with rumpled, wilted old petals

But tug those out and there's the nice seed

The dried ones have the best seed formed; I discarded all the heads plucked that were still green. And now I'm just deadheading and composting the remainder. I got such a pile of seed I don't need any more!

Celosia seed from the orange/pink flower (I forgot to include in an earlier post)- some chaff mixed in.

Seed I won't use: one pod of okra. Not surprised: the plants got so denuded by insects in the back bed, I pretty much forgot they were there.

Not quite seed yet: my clematis flower turned into a head of silky tassels.

And this last was a surprise: my husband's aunt sent me some flower seed.

She told me they were hollyhocks, but it doesn't match images I find

There's another kind in the mix, too- I recognize these- columbine.

And one or two very flat, round seed pods- perhaps this is the hollyhock.

I will just have to grow some in spring and find out!

Also in the little hand-tied packet was a hitchhiker: an earwig inside one of the seed cases. Dead, but it startled me when that fell out!

new green in the window tank

Some of the pieces of rhizome I buried by the tank wall are sprouting- tiny leaves of crypt retrospiralis.

And I am glad I held onto that loose leaf of 'red' java fern. It is finally sprouting tiny plantlets on the outer edges. These young plants are on the tip of an intact leaf.

cuttings...

My little jar of charlie plants has more roots now.

The full pot of it is doing okay. Some more leaves withered brown. I think perhaps the fish water is too rich for it. I'm trying it on tapwater for a while, every-other-week watering. It has perked up a lot, but it's hard for me to get a decent picture, to find the right angle.

I may have done the wrong thing by my 'wandering jew' plant. In a new spot on top of the mantlepiece, it had one nice long vine growing out, leaves a nice healthy shine. I thought I'd multiply the stems by cutting that vine up into several pieces and rooting them. Well, they're growing roots but they don't look happy about it.

two more

serpae tetras. I drove around to all the pet stores in reasonable distance this week. Looking for another betta, but I can't find one I really like... I drove out to the next town over to the lfs. Where I was wowed again- every time I go there I see something cool. A spiny puffer with eyes like blue jewels. Such an unreal face. A lionfish with long, drifting meancingly graceful fins. How does one keep a pet like that? doesn't it eat everything in sight? I guess it would be a saltwater species tank. And I saw a tank full of young angelfish- a swarm of them as big as the ball of my thumb. I have never seen baby angels so tiny. The tank of red parrot fish came up curiously to the glass when I looked at them again, and one made me feel so sympathetic- he had an eye damaged or injured- glassy flat with the pupil just a tiny peering slit. If I took fish home due to feeling sorry for them, It'd be that guy...

But no bettas (the lfs doesn't usually have them anyway). However I felt disappointed to drive all that way and go home empty-handed. I stopped at chain store 3 on the way back, and their tanks looked clean.... so kind of on a whim I picked up two more serpaes for my main tank. Right now they are in the tenner, so my oto is no longer alone.

Of course they all had bitten fins, those should grow back, but I don't know if they are really healthy... I know I wasn't going to buy fish from chain stores anymore, I probably shouldn't have. One keeps going very pale and then the eyes look red-rimmed.

I'm going to keep them in here a full month, or longer, to be sure... and maybe in that time I will find another betta.

I shouldn't name them yet, but I think of the darker one as Ziggy (its shoulder marking is wavy in the middle)

and the paler, small one- usually the aggressor of the two- Spit. It's a little spitfire.

Nice to see fish movement in the tank again. And my oto seems to appreciate having some company. He's been more active since I introduced the two tetras. Not fleeing from them, just out and about.

on my back deck

water lettuce is still holding on in the little container pond, but starting to look poorly. Duckweed doesn't seem to mind the chill yet.

Dill is big enough to eat on a regular basis again. I have plenty dried for winter use.

Summer savory has re-seeded and sprouted a few new plants, too.

Among the dry winding stems of the old ones.

moving in

My boston fern comes inside at night, now. It is still rather shabby compared to growth I've had in past years, but perked up a lot.

I'm also mostly keeping inside the tarragon plant now, from cold. My favorite, oldest pepper and the ginger have moved inside, by the basement sliding door. I'm running out of sun spaces near windows for wintering plants.