[JJ09]

Yep, I have sponge filters running on airlines in all my tanks. So there's a decent amount of surface agitation. Hornwort does great (but I not my favorite how it looks), salvinia and duckweed struggle, frogbit and water lettuce just outright died. I haven't tried watersprite in a long time- used to grow that rooted. Maybe it would work? Hm.

 

[Econde]

Yep, I have sponge filters running on airlines in all my tanks. So there's a decent amount of surface agitation. Hornwort does great (but I not my favorite how it looks), salvinia and duckweed struggle, frogbit and water lettuce just outright died. I haven't tried watersprite in a long time- used to grow that rooted. Maybe it would work? Hm.

Might be worth a try. Sucks when plants that everyone else grows doesn't work out for us. Ah well. Such is our hobby .

 

[JJ09]

Ha, no kidding. You know what I can't grow, that's supposed to be easy? Java fern. And moss, I've tried several kinds, they all falter and die. My crypts and buces do great, though!

 

[JJ09]

A few days ago I noticed one of my guppies wasn't feeding, but just hanging around at surface. Then was always in the corner by the heater-

and closer look saw it's very bloated. I fasted the tank two days and fed cooked pea bits after, but this one fish never ate any.

I moved it to a container with plants, because I didn't want the others to pick at it, if it's contagious? I thought about giving epsom salt bath, but then the fish lost eqilibrium, and the end was not long after.

So now only seven little blue guppies.

 

[JJ09]

I lost another guppy, earlier in the week after tank maintenance. When I dose liquid vitamins, the small fishes always dart around gobbling up the granules. I never thought this would harm them, but later in the day found one blue guppy expired on the substrate, looking bloated. I will start stirring that into a cup of tank water to dissolve first, from now on. Six guppies now.

 

[JJ09]

I moved two shrimps in here, out of the 1.5 gal jar.

They've already done a good job cleaning hair/thread algae off the filter sponge.

Incidentally, might notice from the first pic- my rotala stems are suddenly doing a lot better. I'm thinking what's different- there's fewer fishes (though so small is that really much difference?) I shifted the light strip further back on the tank, there's more plants- I added vals a while back- and I've been doing smaller water changes, 2 or 3 gallons instead of 5 per week. I'm guessing it's the last- as it leaves more nutrients in the water, or having moved the light. Whichever, I'm glad as the tank looks nicer with that bright corner.

Bonus pic: some buces flowering

 

[JJ09]

Wow this thread is long overdue for some updates. Which I've been keeping on my garden blog elsewhere- here's the highlights:
-5/03/21- Added some twisty vals (not sure what exact species) somebody gave me.

Cleaned up more lower leaves off buces (algae spots), and planted one bit of buce 'isabella' on the driftwood- you can just see it in the back there. Removed a lot of windelov fern from the wood because it's just not doing great in here

Most of a full tank shot:

I now only have three blue male panda guppies in here, and two females. More baby guppies again. (Feeding them to the angelfish).

- 5/17/21- Added a bit of creeping jenny in the corner. Short end view. Look how nice my crypts have grown!

 

[JJ09]

I think I lost another male guppy. It hasn't showed up for feeding, yesterday or today. I've had them all for just about two years now, so not surprised. I did look at bettas when I was at the LFS recently- only one caught my eye and it had those thicker 'dragon scales' which are striking but I've read so many stories of them going blind from scales growing over the eyes. . . so I didn't get one, sigh.

 

[JJ09]

Just saw that one of my remaining blue guppies has a white lump behind pectoral fin joint. As if bursting out of the skin. Just like what had showed up on my betta Samblu (who died soon after). I never knew for sure what it was- a tumor, or lymphocystis (my best guess)- nor if this is the same thing. But I suspect this guppy doesn't have long.

 

[JJ09]

Rotalas are getting real nice and one has started to trail across the surface. I was going to trim and replant to multiply it, but kind of like having it across the top, so I left it alone.

One blue buce is flowering.

I found some of the crypt parva were getting overshadowed a lot by crypt becketti, so I shifted them all into a front corner- but I need to add some substrate. I do have more safe-t-sorb in a bag, just need to sift out the dust, and soak it . . .

There's more baby guppies, again.

 

[JJ09]

Gave away all the guppies. Here some photos from a few weeks ago (before the guppies were out). Full tank shot:

Overhead, with the crypt lutea. I planted a few more creeping jenny stems in that corner.

Really liking now, how the rotala trails across the surface.

Crypt parva, front corner. I swear I still only have four plants, in years it's never grown more.

 

[Plinkploop]

😂😂 parva's lack of growth is kind of what I love most about it. It's like placing fake plants. They never grow but they never die 😂😂

 

[JJ09]

😂😂 parva's lack of growth is kind of what I love most about it. It's like placing fake plants. They never grow but they never die 😂😂

Ha ha, yeah. I find it frustrating, though. Would love to have this all across the foreground- but when I got it as tissue-culture pkg, most didn't survive for me. I'd have to buy a lot.

 

[Plinkploop]

You'd have to wait a while for it to grow in too 😅

 

[ytro]

I just read your entire journal - A wonderfully written, incredibly engaging story of this tank! So sorry about the passing of Oliver and Samblu. You did a great job trying to recover them from their sickness. Very neat watching Lucky grow up and seeing the progression with your plant growth. Thank you for sharing and please keep posting your updates! 👍

 

[JJ09]

I just read your entire journal - A wonderfully written, incredibly engaging story of this tank! So sorry about the passing of Oliver and Samblu. You did a great job trying to recover them from their sickness. Very neat watching Lucky grow up and seeing the progression with your plant growth. Thank you for sharing and please keep posting your updates! 👍

Thanks so much. I do enjoy writing about it- in excessive detail sometimes, probably. Nice to know it's appreciated!