Do!aqua Plant Glass Cube20: Quasi-Wabi

[sandiegoryu]

I would also love to know the genus and species of the mini microsword.

[Ugly Genius]

Welcome, Jose. And thanks. Wow, readers in Portugal! Too cool!
Mini Microsword is Lilaeopisis nova "mini".
I've been giving some out here and there and hopefully soon, this will be a commonly available plant with increased number of people growing it.

[Craigthor]

UG if you ever get a portion of that Mini Microsword to sell LMK I am working out some plans of some thing.

[Ugly Genius]

Craig, absolutely. Just PM my your address and I'll send some out to you this week when I do another shipment for another member here. Money not necessary. Think of it as a baby present. (Your wife does like Mini Microsword, right?)

With all the malaise/attention on Source, Riven Tanglewood, et al, I pretty much ignored old Quasi-Wabi.
Growth, which was already too dense at last posting is even worse now.
That said, the large plant mass does allow for a virtually maintenance-free tank. I haven't changed the water in weeks, scraped algae, or done much of anything.

Anyway, here's some photos. (Note, after writing the above, I trimmed a little.)

My reason for not trimming (besides being lazy) is that I was thinking I would use some of the plants in Source when I fill it. As I'm only using Mini Microsword and Mini Pellia in Source, however, the my reason for not trimming turns into a well-intentioned procrastination excuse.

Story of my life, really.

[fastfreddie]

You know you've done well when you can ignore a tank for a while, come back, and things just seem even better. Looks great right now IMO!

[@marko@]

i like the jungle look.
i think the tank looks great right now!

[Ugly Genius]

Thanks, fast and marko.

Just now UPS delivered my copy of Nature Aquarium World Book 2. This is the first time I've ever seen this book. I've had the first book for years and am always reading it; it's my toilet reading book. (I know: TMI). Until now, I had never actually seen what is inside Book 2. (Don't worry, I read this one in the living room.)

For those who don't know, Nature Aquarium World Book 2 focuses on nano tanks done by the maestro himself, Takashi Amano. Beautiful stuff. Highly recommended to frequent visitors to TPT's Nano Tank section of the forum. Great ideas in there.

As always, Amano's work inspired and humbled me. To think that he made all the tanks in this book fifteen to twenty years ago!
I've yet to see a person with his eye for aesthetic balance and plant health in this hobby.1 No one comes close. And to think that he did it without someone to emulate like we have him.

Seeing all of his beautiful tanks got me to missing my own small tank. So I trimmed a little and took some photos.

What's most amazing about this tank -- besides the fact that it's one of my longest-lasting tanks -- is that the three CRSs you see in there are still in there.
I mean, they haven't died!
Those of you who have read all my journals from the get-go are well aware of the heartbreak I've endured at claws of shrimp. The fact that some of the reportedly most sensitive shrimp are okay after all this time in my smallest tank, less than two gallons, is a friggin' miracle.
They give me faith that maybe -- just maybe! -- I can love again.2

__________
1. The persons who come close to Amano in skill, usually fall off the rails somewhere along the way and drop into the overly-scientific (dark) side of the hobby and become obsessed with the plant growth/health, algae, the cell structure of Glosso leaves emersed versus submersed, fertilizing, CO2 levels, water change schedules, the merits of Rena over Eheim (and visa versa), turning cat litter into a substrate better than Aqua Soil, growing plants in zero gravity so as to circumvent driftwood fungus outbreaks, and all other kinds of nerd stuff, instead of focusing on beauty.
Or they start a salt water tank and never come back.

2. I've never been able to successfully breed them, though -- I can't get my CRSs to "get it on" and have babies.

[CL]

This tank is incredible! Beautiful! Stunning! Lush! Awesome! The crs are the icing on the cake! Enter it into a contest! Really, do it! Now! (I love exc!amation po!nts lately)

Or they start a salt water tank and never come back.

Who exactly are you talking about? Me? Mac? Med?

[Francis Xavier]

I always liked Quasi-Wabi it's pretty cool. The only thing I wish it had was a little red again!

[Vladdy]

Nice tank!

Originally Posted by Ugly Genius

I've never been able to successfully breed them, though -- I can't get my CRSs to "get it on" and have babies.

Same with my red cherry shrimp.

[jose faria]

Hi UG,
This little beautiful tank, it's easily becaming one of my all time favs.

[legomaniac89]

I just realized that I have never commented on this tank. I love it! The CRS look like they should be about 6" long with all of the depth you have in here.

[Ugly Genius]

[Craigthor]

Very,very nice so when ya trimming it back and starting over? Thought we had lost ya to your new TV.

[Reginald2]

Originally Posted by Craigthor

Very,very nice so when ya trimming it back and starting over? Thought we had lost ya to your new TV.

TV is cool and all, but let's face it: sometimes the same old stuff gets a little boring. The fish tank on the other hand...

Craig is right though, it does seem like this tank has been on the same channel for a while