55 setup

I bought an angle iron stand for my 55 and moved everything into it yesterday. (It's supposed to have slightly bent legs, that's so you can fit a second tank underneath which I am not going to do btw).

It was an all-day project. I started around 9am and was finally done moving the last fish after 3, but then there was a lot of cleanup and tidying to do afterwards. Phew! It was much easier than past tank moves I've done. Experience is finally paying off I suppose. I leveled the stand and filled the tank on thursday, but it was off by 1/8" so in the morning I drained it to about 12 gallons and adjusted the shims. Now only off by 1/16" in one direction, which is within tolerance. First thing to move in were the bunches of hornwort. And a few guppies which are not very wary, so I kept scooping them up with the gallon pitcher when taking water over! My goal was for most of the 55 to get refilled with water from the 45 tank, and I met that.

At half full, moved over the filters and heater. I had to cut the uplift tubes shorter. Sanded rough and sharp spots off the edges (from where I'd used the hacksaw) and dropped the removed pieces of tube in the background. Thought the kuhlis might like hiding in them. I have the heater low in the tank and horizontal this time, also bumped the temp up a degree and so far it seems to be keeping it very steady near 80 with more even distribution- the 45 often had cooler areas I'd notice when I put my hand in. (All the pics dim because no light on top yet, and excuse reflections)

Next the basket planter with the giant vals (thought it was 'rubra', although someone told me online that what I actually have is vallisneria americana, that the store mislabeled them)

Its leaves reach all the way across the four-foot tank

Then I moved over all the baskets with tall plants. Delighted to see that some of my other crypts and even the aponogeton are showing more growth (here's crypt balansae)

and the leopard vals have runners going off the basket edges (I clipped them and replanted into gaps)

Then the driftwood pieces with anubias

and smaller pieces with buces

I really thought the hardest part of everything would be catching the fishes- but it wasn't. I partly filled a large plastic bag, laid it on side in the bottom of the 45 (which at that point only had enough water to just clear the tip of Miss Beautiful's dorsal fin) and just coaxed her into a corner. Bagged, momentarily in a bucket:

I floated it for a bit to equalize temperature (had a small heater going in the 45 while I was rearranging plants, but still I think there was a temp difference). She was quite eager to get out.

Released! Hasn't acted stressed at all. Seems to feel quite at home.

I did have some misgivings she might startle from people appearing suddenly in the room from around the corner that goes to the front door- kind of a high-traffic area. But she hasn't. She startles sometimes but just moves easily away, no crashing into walls yet. I really think the extra foot of space is going to make a huge difference for her. I put all the hornwort stems thick on this short end to screen it for her

There she is- coming over to look at me- just left and behind the filter uplift tube.

A look down the short end to the vals

My light doesn't fit this tank- and I couldn't find the type I wanted at local store so I ordered one online. While I wait for it to arrive I have the LED over one half and a lamp by the other end just to keep the vals alive.

Full tank in dim ambient light. More pics tomorrow!

Oh, and the kuhlis came over last of all, when nothing was left in the 45 but some mulm. I just used two nets against the edges. All the extra bits of sponge, ceramic media in a mesh bag etc that I had lying hidden in the back of the tank, moved over too. I wanted this to be as low-stress an event for my angel as possible. And it worked- I didn't see any hint of ammonia or nitrite spike when tested water params this morning. 

purple dead nettle

Not enough chard to use for any dish, so I picked a bunch of nettles from around the yard.

After washing and picking the best leaves off the stems, there was about half this left. Made 'green' tortillas with it. Has a very attractive scent when cooking that I can't quite describe, but nobody notices the flavor when they actually eat them. There was some left over, so the next day I sautéed the remainder, added it to my wrap with some leftover rice and smoked cheese. It was surprisingly good. Rest of the family was having noodles and veggies (I figured nobody else would want the day-old tortillas which get a little tough). But my husband and oldest asked for sautéed nettles on their noodles, and they liked it! So I'm glad I picked a lot.

There are a few small patches of purple dead nettle around corners of the garden. It grows much better under the trees on the shady sideyard, where I've just let fallen leaves drift and tossed broken twigs to break down. I will keep encouraging those patches and maybe pull out the faltering ones by the garden beds. Mock strawberry and cuban oregano do better around the garden anyway.

two small things

Either they are starving, it is too cold, or the amano shrimps are picking them off at night- but today every time I looked, could only find one white cloud fry. I don't know why they hang at the surface instead of down near the driftwood where there might be more microscopic food- and a few of the fry I saw yesterday did look thin- so I made sure to dip in a speck of first bites a few times today. This one its belly has stayed plump but still I guess if it were summer more of them might make it. (No, I don't feel like setting up a growout tank for fry again, but I'll make a little effort to help a few along in here). 

The tiny green smidge of plant that came up in my mini african violet pot is quickly forming two leaves. 

Also so very small that it's hard to see, but very pleasing too.

new fry

I've seen the white clouds chasing and flirting now and then- but didn't expect anything to come of it until summer months when the tank's a lot warmer. Today a bright surprise- tiny speck of fish skipping around just under the water surface! I peered closer and count four or five, they look to be maybe a week old. Wish I'd know there were fry in here! I'd have been more careful with the siphon hose when doing water changes. I probably sucked some up yesterday and never knew it.

To give the fry more cover and stuff to pick food off of, I moved over all the faltering salvinia minima from the guppy tank, and dropped in most of the hornwort that had been in the 20H. Now the top of the 33L is all green cover (might have to thin some of that back out if other plants in the tank start looking poorly). I did try giving them a bit of first bites powder food, but the space is so big it's a wonder they can even find it. I dip toothpick in the powder, the dip into the tank near the fry. I think some of them got some of it, but I won't stress over doing this all the time- I suppose in this bigger, mature planted tank they'll find enough aufwuchs so I'll mostly just watch and see how many make it.

45 full tank shots

Though at an angle, as taken from the couch across the room.

Pretty much the same photo with Miss Beautiful in different spots:

She's nearly recovered now, still just part of the pectoral fin missing.

And I'm really pleased how well the new vals are growing in! Everything seems to be doing a lot better since I took out one of the pothos stems.

crypt moehlmanii unfurling a leaf

spaced over about a week and a half

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.