70L planted - first tank

[LFNfan]

Another milestone for my tank - fry!
The white cloud mountain minnows have gone forth and multiplied. I can see four tiny black dashes, maybe about 3mm in length bipping around the limnophila sessiliflora at the top of the tank. They stay in a small patch.
I'm not planning on raising them separately or with infusoria etc so I'm not sure how much longer they have in them #callous but it's a amazing to see these lil things nevertheless. I have moved some slightly algae-ish salvinia into the vicinity, partly thinking that might be a food source, but mostly just to ease my conscience.

 

[The Miniaturist]

That's great, happy whiteclouds, I do hope they survive!
I was amazed to find a sparkling gourami fry in one of my tanks a couple of weeks ago. How it managed to avoid the adults & my weekly maintenance is anyone's guess!

 

[LFNfan]

It's aliiiiiive!!

Just spotted a tiny whitecloud darting out of the limnophila sessiliflora at feeding time. Must be no more than 1cm long, but lovely colours and very active chasing the food as it settles down through the water and then darting back into cover. Can't believe it - one survived!

Attached a very rough current tank pic. Apols for the reflections. Not much has changed - still quite jungle-y immersed and emersed.

 

[LFNfan]

Couple of white cloud mountain minnows flaring at each other. Fascinating to see. Such great fish. Picture does not do it any justice.

 

[LFNfan]

Limnophila sessiliflora going emergent!

Maybe 'getting out more' was its new year resolution.

 

[LFNfan]

A 'win' for the Duckweed index - I noticed some of my frogbit looking a bit peaky. Checked my auto-dosing and the macros line is blocked with crystallised ferts. No Macros getting through. Ugh! No idea how long it's been like that. After clearing the lines with a bent wire coat hanger, happy to report that normal service has resumed.

 

[LFNfan]

Happy Third Birthday 70L first planted tank!

Inspired by the future look of my second tank, I decided to hack back the jungle of my first tank (for the second time), rearrange the hardscape, and put some of the new tiny crypts and ferns from my second tank into the first. Rehomed the pothos, and removed an absolute mat of roots from the spider plant that had burrowed into the substrate.

I'm relatively pleased with the hardscape for now, although it's entirely unoriginal and a bit too centred. Yes, my spraypaint background has failed. Yes, you can see the top of the eggcrate where I supported the standing rocks (flat substrate syndrome!). Yes, all the new leaves on the anubias had to go because they were growing six inches out the top of the tank. But I look past that!

Plants-wise, the crypts, ferns, moss is making me feel new in the hobby! They are small and fiddly and float and are gonna grow and fill out sooooo sloooowly! I find myself peering up against the glass: 'oh, is that a millimetre of new root on that crypt?'(yes!) 'oh, is that another emersed leaf falling off?' (yes) 'where has that fern I re-planted yesterday floated off to now?' (stuck under the frogbit roots).

Every day's a learning day. 🙂 I'm looking forward to seeing how things look in a month or two.

I also bought a 'proper' (inexpensive) 'aquatic LED light' to replace my Screwfix led strip. I'm pleased with it.

I'm also enjoying my new ramshorns (thanks @mlgt ). A lovely mix of colours - some redder, one black, one a bit more yellow. Quite a few clutches of eggs splotched here and there, so more are on the way!