plastic baskets

My tank has a slightly new look. Unfortunately, I had my camera on the wrong setting when took these photos, so they are awfully small.

I sewed some basket containers out of plastic canvas-

for the crypts and aponogetons. The previous containers I had fashioned from strawberry baskets weren't working out for me- after time the plastic turns opaque white which I consider something of an eyesore, and the gravel kept leaking out the bottom slots.

Already I prefer my handmade baskets- they blend in very well with the background, the gravel stays mostly in place, and I can make them any dimension I want.

Here's M. Beautiful- still pretty chill with the tetras. Only once this week did he 'crash around' when someone walked downstairs- and I can't tell why. Maybe he was resting and startled awake.

glimpse of a kuhli- this one is Sassy

happy java fern in the front corner- since I took this pic a few days ago, it has sprouted a new fiddlehead!

notes on some tanks

My paradise fishes appear to be fully recovered. I was concerned for a while that Perry still had lingering parasite load- he often lay on the bottom of the tank, or hid. Lady looked fine. Then I did the third water change to reduce salt- and brought home a good amount of floaters from fish club- more salvinia minima and hornwort, very healthy-looking stuff. Most of it went straight into my window tank. Perry's demeanor immediately changed. I realized then, a lot of the plants had probably done poorly due to the medications I'd been using on the tank. Now that they're mostly cleared out, the stem plants are perking up again and Perry once more races back and forth across the tank eager for his meals. I'm glad I tried out the tiny-leaved ludwigia arcuata- it's starting to look nice in here (although have to look close to appreciate it).

In the 45 downstairs, my angelfish is settling in with the new companions. Rarely looks pale or frightened now. Still occasionally will startle and move off when I walk down into the hall, but he doesn't crash around like used to. I'm very glad. I give a bit more at feeding times now, and scatter it across the tank instead of dropping in one spot at surface- so all the fishes can have a chance. This makes M. Beautiful a lot more active- swimming eagerly around to snag the largest bites- instead of liesurely plucking food from the surface. The blackskirt tetras are getting a little bolder, darting in near the angel after food themselves. Yesterday for the first time I saw M. Beautiful threaten them- turning his body horizontal (I think of it as "planing" though I doubt that's an actual term) to make quick dashes at them. They easily get out of his way. I guess he sees them as competitors for food, now- but if I just sprinkle food on surface like I used to, the tetras won't come for as much.

It is going to be longer before I can bring my other four tetras into this tank, if at all. I should have been more cautious. When I got them from the store- just over 2 weeks ago now- there were a few fish in one other tank -further down the wall- that looked like were starting to get ich. That should have made me leave, not buy fish. But I did. Sure glad I quarantined like usual. Few days after bringing them home, two of them suddenly had white spots, all over. I started treating the QT tank every day with a 25% wc and dosing meds- I tried using Tetra Ick Guard which has victoria green and acriflavine. Being careful to wash my hands and use a siphon hose that's just for the QT tank.

They appeared to be getting better and I was feeling hopeful for full recovery, until the day I forgot to replug the heater in after doing a larger wc- fifty percent- because I thought the treatment was done. Temp dropped that night, in the morning I found the problem, plugged the heater back in immediately- but all four tetras white spots now. When I had only have one tablet left of the Ick Guard but the fish looked bad- they are hanging still in one area and didn't come to the front for food like before. Now I don't know if I can beat it. They look positively awful this morning. Starting to get fin rot, which is advancing rapidly. Two of the smaller ones are having trouble swimming. I did a large wc this morning and dosed meds again- using Fungus Guard which has a higher concentration of acriflavine and victoria green (as far as I can tell) because my only other med on hand is the Ick Attack- which doesn't seem as strong. Now the water is tinted and the tank shrouded and I hope I don't come home to dead fish.

It was a poor idea to have new fishes in QT over holiday season- I get distracted so much going on, do the wc late or can't find meds fast enough...

cold tank

Perry often sits still - either in a top corner of the tank, or substrate level behind his filter. I can't tell if he's sleeping more, lethargic in the winter chill, or feeling unwell. Once I started feeing Lady this morning, he perked up and came over to take his bites.

Lady's spunky as ever but had a white spot on her head yesterday

Not sure if I should dose the tank anymore- doing a good substrate cleaning at water changes, have removed a third of the salt so far.

Here's a bit of the new ludwigia arcuata I planted. There's more in the background against the glass.

Three more bits of wisteria sprouted roots. I planted them- can just see leaf at substrate level in the center here.

Here's another one, in the back just to left of crypts

in the angel tanks

There is still no trouble between M. Beautiful and the black skirt tetras- and I do think their presence is having a positive effect! Angelfish is beginning to act much calmer. Half the time he comes eagerly to the front waggling tail in anticipation when I walk downstairs- other times he still startles or turns away, but doesn't go pale as often, doesn't crash around in a panic anymore.

Tank seems a lot busier than I ever wanted, especially when the kuhlis smell food and dash all over the place searching it out. In a week I'll add the four more tetras out of QT. Gave up on my idea of having this just sticks and leaf litter. Starting to think of adding more plants: anubias coffefolia instead of anubias lanceolata, and I'd like to try my crypt wendtii in here, maybe some vals (in another planter) and attempt floaters again- dwarf water lettuce?

Here's the tank I'm not proud of- 20H where Skye lives alone (snails don't count as company)

Thinking I'll move all the anubias lanceolata in here if I do take them out of the 45- lighting is fine for it. This angelfish is always eager to greet a person- so much I have trouble getting a photo of it broadside.

I'm still going to attempt a re-introduction a week or so after moving the last of the tetras into the 45.

some tenner pics

Bunch of java fern 'windelov' on the driftwood- subwassertang is creeping through it. Anubias barteria growing out looks fine now- so I think the older piece I cut off was just dying back from adjustment.

a few older leaves on buces have ominous dark algae on leaf margins- but otherwise look fantastic. I need to get in there with small scissors and trim out the damaged leaves.

buce 'isabelle' and 'blue belle' on the skull

amano shrimp walking across more buces

crypt becketti is still among my favorites

short end- crypt becketti, buce 'selena', ludwigia whatever-it-is- grown a lot straighter now

other short end- at an angle

others are great

Not all the houseplants in my winter sun spot are doing poorly. Cuban oregano cheers me with its bright glow.

Salad burnet has grown back healthy young stems after I pulled out a bunch that looked pale. Tarragon I've been eating. Well, lithops still looks to be on death's door. But the rest are fine. On the floor (top to bottom, left to right): ice plant (before I moved it), curry plant, jade, mini geranium tree, salad burnet, chives, lithops, tarragon, cuban oregano, sweet potato vine.

On the little shelf, back to front: zebrina (wandering jew), mini geranium, and underneath the geranium's leaves are the younger succulents I've been trying to start-

the pretty one I think isn't ponytail, kalanchoe- not visible echeveria and two others I don't know the names of... . . .

lemon balm start

Of all the lemon balm cuttings I kept in water jars to have fresh tea for a while- one sprouted a little root. So I stuck it in a pot. It's a bit droopy because of chill I think- have to remember to move it off the windowsill overnights. Maybe if this grew enough I could keep it as my winter tea supply, and leave it alone to regrow every summer when the outside plant is thriving.

I found Albert!

The day I posted about missing that one, I did see a kuhli nose with white barbels poking out from behind the containers that hold crypt balansae and apono capuronii- it was down in the crevice between them. I thought well if the kuhli got in there, it can get out. Didn't see it again until today, I fed thawed bloodworms and again saw the kuhli nose poke up from the gap. Then Albert swam out- looking nice and plump so even if he was stuck in there a few days, suffered no harm.

spider plant repreive

I was going to get rid of this spider plant- either compost or freebie it- because I don't like how it droops out of the pot. Found the foliage got better color and stood more upright when I shifted its location again (less light) and reduced watering. Then I noticed there were nubbins of roots coming out along the stems, where they hung over the pot edge.

So I cut them shorter, tucked the stems into the soil and pinned them down with bent paper clips. I think it looks better now. Watering it very sparingly while I wait to see how it does, if those roots will grow out and take hold.

winter plant ills

This notched sweet potato vine is doing pretty well in the window spot- although one leaf edge blackened from draft. The other one- still in a jar of water- continues to have pale leaves. I finally caught the culprit- saw an insect on the window and thought: oh, there's a bug. Then I noticed it scooted sideways- and I recognized that motion. I darted over there and pinned it with my fingers- a leaf hopper. I bet it's what was making a few of the coleus look poorly, too. I inspected them all close, but didn't find any more bugs among those windowsill plants.

Others at the best spot for winter light- in front of the sliding door- aren't doing so well. The ice plant is worst of all- it keeps dropping leaves. I can't see any bugs on it- and I have tried spraying it twice- so finally I just separated it from the other plants. But it doesn't get as much light now.

Curry plant had this. I think it is some kind of mites. I pinched off all the stems that had this pale, slightly withered appearance

Making the plant go from this

to this

and then sprayed it with soapy oil/water mix, and rinsed twice, and pinched it back again when I found a few more ill-looking stems. Now it's down to this- but finally looks healthy.

Geranium plant had some pale, anemic-looking leaves, I pinched it back too.

Jade looked okay, but I gave it a serious trim, because upper stems were getting overbalanced. Here's two views of its new look.

Several other plants that share this window spot got doused in soapy water too just in case, and I moved everything out of the corner and vacuumed. I hope I've stopped the bug issue- this happens every year I bring plants in from outside. But seems I've got it more under control this time around. If I loose one, it might just be the ice plant.

new rue plants!

My rue cuttings seem to have taken! New leaves are sprouting- not at the crown as I expected, but from the base.

I removed the cloches. I'm glad I took these closeup pictures, too-

because found the lower stem covered in tiny bugs. Aphids or something. Bah. Probably what made my rosemary nearby look all peaky and sad. I dipped cotton swab in soapy water and wiped the stems and underside of leaves all down. Will have to check every other day make sure problem is gone. I'm happy to have more of this plant to set outside when spring comes.

angelfish companions

My angel Skye in the 20H is completely healed- lips close almost perfectly now. Begs like a puppy for attention (food). The other one still often looks pale- but quit bolting around tank in a panic after I added window screen mesh across top of tank to diffuse the light more. Also my husband is more careful to walk down the stairs slow instead of in a rush.

I had to pull out the philodendron cuttings, their ends were rotting. Threw away two, put the others back in a jar of water. Looked at my instructions online again- supposed to change the water daily until roots appear in about two weeks. So I'm trying that now, in a little jar on kitchen counter. Meanwhile there are still plenty of pothos roots in the water. They have straightened out some.

I seem to have lost Albert, my oldest kuhli loach (just over three years). Noticed hadn't seen him in a while, and then started looking for him. Yesterday I dropped in their favorite food- sinking Hikari wafers- and carefully watched, counted them. All seven black kuhlis are there- (one got sucked up accidentally in the siphon hose the other week, I found it swimming in the bucket, worried it was hurt but all look plump and active so I think it's okay) and the three striped ones that showed up to feed were easily identifiable as Tiger, Sassy and Monty- Albert is still missing. I think either he died and the snails recycled him, or one of those times I was removing leaf litter, I accidentally removed Albert too, and didn't notice.

I've been doing extra water changes on this tank mid-week, to take out the leaf litter. There was just waaaay too much of it, the breakdown of pin oak leaves (finally decaying after six months) caused so much mulm in the water. After four wc of 30% each, it's now almost clean. I will add a bit more leaf litter once I've done a little rescape, but just a few here and there.

I accidentally injured one of the black skirt tetras a few days ago, which made me very upset. Looking great after nearly two weeks in quarantine- they were often pale and skittish at first but after a week showed their dark markings most of the time, and flocked eagerly to the front of the tenner when I came by. But they still panicked at the appearance of the hose; I was siphoning for a water change looking close at the corners to make sure I picked up mulm when a tetra dashed in front of the hose and got stuck against it. Man, they are tough- the tetra thrashed and jerked free before I could stop the suction with my thumb- now it's got a red mark on one side of its head, and on the other a bleeding tear above the gill plate, with scales hanging loose. I hope the gills didn't get damaged, can't tell. It is of course pale and hiding but actually came out to feed end of day so perhaps will survive. Two days later the injury looked less red, the fish not hiding as much- though still hanging out in the back of the tank it came up to the front readily with the others, and color was better. I think it will be okay. Appears to be healing.

So I just introduced them to the angelfish tank today. Floating:

Mr. Beautiful kept a close eye on them. He has much better color now- although I had the lights dimmed for the rest of the day, so my camera performed poorly.

I watched them most of the day. Beautiful has not attempted to chase the tetras- in fact he seems wary of them. Tetras make no attempt to nip at the angelfish- they move quick out of the way if he approaches. They aren't hiding either, and have great color- I think they're immediately comfortable in here. They hang out mid water column, and are already displaying to each other, shimmying side-by-side shoving water at each other to vy for position in the hierarchy again.

I promptly went out and got four more tetras to put through quarantine in the 10g while it is still amply cycled. These guys look good, too- and one of them is full-grown, nearly twice the size of the others.

My hope is once I get ten of them in there, the angelfish will feel more secure. He did seem calmer today, until I walked by with a broom to sweep the floor. Freaked out and crashed into corners again. Sigh.

window tank- fish and plant updates

Got more Ich Attack friday and dosed the window tank again. Kept meds in it for two more days, fishes still look fine. Perry is super excited about food again- it's nice to see his appetite back. Lady has not shown spots for a week. Did a partial wc (5 gal) to begin removing the salt.

There is more algae now- I am not sure if because the plants weren't doing as well while meds were in the tank, or if winter sun hits the window different angle than summer, so I should have left the extra plastic layer on. Today I scraped all the glass and put the subwassertang back in- that might help some. If algae crops up again (there's soft brown stuff on walls and some plant leaves, and hard green spot algae on back glass) I'll rehang the plastic sheeting.

Bought a new plant on a whim last week. I don't often see plants in the nearby chain store, that I haven't tried already- except water lily bulbs. This was a tissue culture packet of ludwigia arcuata. The leaves are tiny. I am pretty sure now that my unknown 'temple plant' was never ludwigia arcuata, unless this one changes form dramatically when it re-adjusts. I was intrigued to read that it does fine in temperatures down to mid sixties, so wanted to try it in my window tank. I also planted some in the betta tank.

Ludwigia palustris all died- in every tank. Nearly all the water wisteria rotted to pieces in the 20H- only a few left now. The ones I had accidentally pulled up and found they had nice white roots, when I replanted them the lower stems promptly melted to mush. I took most of it out, trimmed off just the tops which were still green, and dropped those to float in the window tank, for the heck of it.
About ten floating pieces of it in the paradise fish tank now. Pleasantly surprised the other day I found one of those had sprouted new roots! So I planted it in the back of the tank, where it will get the best light. Not sure how it will look there if it actually grows out; I could relocate it later but in my experience every time I move a wisteria it goes through shock.

paradise fishes- still afflicted?

Three days ago I saw a new spot on Lady's head, and the day after suspected there was one on her pectoral fin- smaller than what showed up before- and Perry lost his appetite again. Did another 20% wc replacing aquarium salt for the gallons changed, but measured as heaping teaspoons this time, so a bit more. Continuing to dose Ich Attack each morning. The paradise fishes seem to tolerate it better, although now and then I find them just lying on the substrate. I've also been feeding them garlic-soaked food every other day, to discourage parasites from taking hold again. I think they're finally feeling better- this morning saw them trying to bite at each other through the mesh wall- especially Lady- with a lot more energy.

Meanwhile I've pulled out most of the subwassertang and am keeping it in two glass jars on my desk near window (indirect light). Because it's hard to avoid pulling out subwasser by accident when I'm doing so many wc siphoning close to the substrate. Also I figure if the subwasser is in the jar- without a fish host- for over a week, ich spores on it will die. There's one little ramshorn in here, and some tiny copepods and/or seed shrimp..