the jar

After the 20H teardown, relocated my 1.5 gallon jar back to the front room. It's much better admired here. From straight side view it looks rather sparse- the bolbitis never filled in-

(but can see the greater duckweed has longer roots! It really does prefer motionless water)

As I usually look down on it at this angle, don't mind much- 

but also hope now it's in better light, the bolbitis might grow more- 

there's a new fiddlehead in center look close

I had to retie the buces which didn't hold well onto the rock- most are with fishing line now. So their profile is lower again

the anubias is doing great- I even had to trim out two leaves

The small crypts I planted in here just to see- they did okay

but there's only one stem of mermaid weed, still small

Plenty of snails in here- mostly ramshorns, lately I've been picking out the few trumpet snails I still find- 

and they're (of course) reproducing- here's a tiny baby

a barely visible line of curl

new leaves!

few weeks ago a new leaf emerged on my begonia-

I was going to take more photos as it grew, 

but when I remembered again it was already near-full size and only slightly brighter green than the rest.

More exciting is that another of my little african violet leaf cuttings pushed up a nubbin.

Just to the left at base of stem. It's the miniature 'Midnight Rascal'

The little 'Vintage Lace' is barely a week older, 

you can see how small its new growth still- 

can just make out the beginning form of leaves now- 

 a little older still is 'Lady in Red' looking like a proper baby plant and nearly ready for a real pot!

teardown

I finally took down this tank, a few days after the last of my black skirt tetras went to new home. It was supposed to be a temorary setup, but then I had it running for just over a year. As a growout tank for guppy fry, quarantine for new white clouds, breeding tank for the minnows, and then a holding tank when I decided could no longer keep the tetras. I was tempted to keep it running so I have a comfortable, stable place to put my angelfish when finally I have a tank moving day- from the 45 into newer 55- but I still don't have a serviceable stand for that, so it will probably be many more months.

I did move items over from the 20H into the 45, dropped into the background: two tiny sponge filters and one extra sponge and a mesh bag with some ceramic media. Idea being that when it's time for tank swap, I can set the angel up in the 20H w/those things from her home tank and the smaller heater on it, so she's got some beneficial bacteria alive at her side undisturbed while I'm arranging the new setup.

I dumped the hornwort in a bucket, if nobody wants it (posted on a local listing) I'll compost it in a few days.

Snails got divvied up between all the other tanks and the gallon+half jar- one nice blue ramshorn went into the tenner. Also put a few snails in each of three windowsill containers with the subwassertang:

Well, the biggest square one (that often temporarily held shrimps or fish) 

is on the table near the window

I know I've done this before, and it's doesn't last- but I'm just keeping the subwasser like this until sell or ROAK it

The smallest jar has the tiniest bits that I tediously picked out of the bottom of the tank with tweezers, as I don't want any of it going out with wastewater onto the garden since there's a stream downhill of me. 

Enough pictures of floating greenery yet? hey a new year needs that.

moved the small guys

I put my amano shrimps into tanks- two in the tenner and two in the window tank. Since there's not fish that will eat them (no betta, no paradise fish) right now, I figured they can help clear out the thread/hair algae, I can never get it all by hand. Also, now I can see them and find some amusement watching their busy antics. I dropped a few more snails in the 1.5 gal bowl to keep it going meanwhile...

In the tenner:

A day later there's significantly less algae on the sponge filter already!

Pics of the two in the 33L, among the blue buce 'Selena'

under a crypt

walking over the rock I failed to grow moss on

and through the standard vals (one has finally grown full tank height!)

blending in against the rock behind buce 'green wavy'

creeping back into the sagittaria thicket (growing up steadily!)

bonus pic of the buces in my tenner flowering

windowsill plants

the coleus are cheerful greens

though of course like usual I took cuttings too early in the fall- these photos from a week ago

already they are starting to get top-heaving in their pots

soon I will have to take cuttings to reduce height, and decide if I want to grow those on as well- 

which quickly becomes too many plants really

sweet potato vine fits in that category too, although I don't mind just letting it sprawl all over the place until spring

snow!

It's still coming down, with icy rain now. Pics from earlier this morning- snow on my panicle hydrangea

on the lavender and winter savory-

sweet alyssum- 

over the cloches I still have on the tokyo bekana

still green under there!

and my bench