new amanos

I recently got two new Amano shrimp. Gave them a short QT period in the hornwort jar. It was acquiring quite a bit of hair algae so I thought the shrimps could clean it up while I make sure they aren't going to transmit ich to my fishes.

They stayed in the jar five days.

It was a bit chilly in there- unheated- hence the blue extremities again. I wrapped the jar in a wool scarf at night to retain some heat.

Hard to get any photos because they kept scrambling around constantly, plus the jar side distorts image.

But it was nice to see something living in there- and I swear the hornwort grew greener and thicker with the addition of shrimp waste... I did pluck out the large trumpet snails while shrimps were in residence, to not overload the small space.

small new things

I have made another effort to grow moss on things. Rubber banded some onto pieces of a broken clay pot (boiled, edges sanded).

This one blocks a gap into the kuhli loach space under the bolbitis ferns. Kuhlis can go thru the gaps under the shard, serpae tetras don't fit and won't push their way through the relatively stiff fronds.

I tried again to use plastic mesh. This time folded in half and cut a curve. Laid moss bits inside, folded it shut again and sewed the edges with fishing line. Where the plastic was creased it bulges a bit, just enough to wedge a suction cup holder onto.

It doesn't look like much, yet. The shrimps like to walk on it, but of course none of them did so while I was taking photos.

I made a similar, smaller one for Perry's tank. Because the moss seemed to grow pretty well in the unheated environment.

Perry also got a cave, of the largest pot shard with java fern 'trident' babies tied on. I thought it looked cool behind the vallisneria. Except he doesn't use it. Sleeps on top corner of the tank by some roots. Even when made nervous by my pouring new water in on maint day (and I do it slowly) he prefers to hide under his driftwood sticks or behind the filter box.

I'm thinking of moving it into the main tank already, where the residents will make use of it- the kuhlis at least. And quite a few of the trident fern bits in there are finally growing new leaves, but not adhering to their rocks. So I'd rather tie them down again. Plus when I glance at the window tank now, my eye goes first to the bolder orange of the pot shard. I'd rather my eye be drawn first to the brightness of the fish...

inverts

One of my Malaya shrimp. Just molted the day before.

smaller Amano shrimp- I can still tell the younger ones apart by size, but they are quickly catching up to the older trio.

I think all three of my zebra nerite snails are male.

quite a few times now I have seen mating between the orange tomato nerite and one or another of the zebras- but never between two zebras- and the position of the snails is another reason why I guess so. Except I don't know how reliable that information is, where I read it. But the tomato nerite is my oldest one now- appears to be slowing down- and if new nerite eggs quit appearing after, then I'll know.

coleus cuttings galore

I have so many coleus in the house right now, and quite a few were getting top-heavy or starting to flower. So took a bunch of cuttings to use on the paradise fish tank- they are spending several days in jars with a few water changes to make sure well rinsed off first.

This older jar of lime/orange variety which I took just to have more for the front yard

already has soooo many roots, but I'm not allowed to get my hands dirty yet, so it has to wait. Maybe I will just trim the roots... or if it rots well, there's many more so no great loss. (I managed to pot up the mandinilla, but it was tricky and coleus with lots of wet roots would probably get dirt on my hands even using gloves, not going to try until I have the okay).

I've started putting most of the potted coleus into the coldframe house during daytime. It stays around sixty in there until sundown. Not that they need a huge boost of proper sunlight, but I just like to see something green in the frame. Haven't started any seed yet. That has to wait too. It's going to be a late garden for me this year.

Center on the floor there is the only full coleus I have left from last summer. I found a gardening forum thread on getting coleus cuttings through winter. People call this method "taking stumps". And my error this year was probably not trimming roots along with tops, and not downsizing the pot.

Here's one of the 'kiwi fern' offspring.

The others are still in kitchen windowsill.

coldframe spring

Brought my coldframe house out onto the deck. Not much in it yet.

I thought I did good to have so little wear it didn't need to be stripped of plastic, repainted and rewrapped this year. But I should have done it anyway. It was very difficult to maneuver up the stairs without a good grip under the frame horizontals, and the plastic got torn so needed repatching (used packing tape. This has worked fine before, short term.) Also it held some residual humidity in there all winter and there was a smell of mold. I wiped it down with bleach and aired it out; odor is gone but I probably need to repaint or replace the lower boards on the sides that are there to block the draft.

out of the tank

Pennywort keeps on growing, slowly. Leaves never increase in size like I've seen examples of emerged growth in pots. I keep thinking I will attempt in the aquarium again...

houseplant stuff

Potted up the cuttings off my daughter's plant, as soon as they showed nubbins of roots. From a few pictures I compared, I think this plant is a medinilla. Update 1/31/20: nope! I just positively identified- it's Philodendron Micans aka Hirt's Velvet Leaf Bronze philodendron, or just a Velvet Philodendron.

My sweet potato vine cuttings are looking better-

And have grown more new leaves!

Odd thing I noticed on my creeping charlie plant. One of the stems is twisted around itself. Looks like it's been that way for a while.

here's another view of that. I wonder what caused it. Don't see it on any of the other stems.

fixing

Tried to repair my ceramic outdoor pot with aquarium silicone.

The job I did failed. I could not get the pieces a snug fit and it leaks. Well, back to its original use then. It will look very pretty with purple 'kiwi fern' coleus. If the seal holds up to the weight of soil, that is.... but I will miss having water lettuce on the deck all summer. Might try to find a new container just for that!

peppered cories

Lucky on windelov

perched above Leo (adult male)

They're still spawning all the time. Found an egg stuck on the very tip of a windelov frond (it wasn't on the glass).

My fishes in here seem to be out of the woods- no more gill flukes (I hope, and if that's what it was). Improved conditions. But if any more fry grow out, it will be overstocked again.

getting better?

Last week I saw there were a few lumps of white sticky stuff in the angle where leaves join stem, on my elephant bush plant. Mealybugs? I removed them and wiped down the area, haven't seen a recurrence but I bet it isn't that easy to get rid of.

Most of the tiny bits of tarragon I stuck into soil dried up and died. But it appears one or two have taken.

early spring

at least, it feels like- with rain and warmer weather. I took a walk around the yard and a few photos. Green in the mud and dead leaves-

daylilies:

new leaves on vinca:

arum

tulips

oops camera cord got in this picture

sedums coming up around the stump- very small foliage still

a few sweet peas sprouted on their own

several of my younger hellebores are budding!

rosemary is sad, looks barely alive

Nandina stayed green all winter. I hope it grows more this year.

Holly shrub by the lower deck is so lush it almost glows.

Lots of new leaves. Seems to like the dehumidifier water I dump on it.

I've reseeded some more bare spots in the front lawn, during this week of rain. Back yard has tons of moss invading the sad lawn- way more than any other year before. It's nice that it is bright green, but unless walking careful and flatfoot it gets torn up so easily. Hm. I did scatter vermicompost and ashes on the front yard this past fall, but not the back. I think it shows. Gah. I'm fond of mosses but really need to improve the lawn health instead.

A few tufts of moss have made it onto my roof. I kind of like that.