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hi hi!
the BBA is all gone and the tank is rather the same otherwise. I do not like the shape of it, I think it’s called a 27g column. Plants at the bottom just melt or grow too slow for it to be what I consider mentally engaging. Livestock deaths: I thought all the kuhlis, but was pleasantly suprised and saw one 2 nights ago, and 2 of seven black neons and 2 of 7 cardinal neon die in total. I think the reason was I was slightly too liberal with the Water Conditioner and I didnt know that it sucks to O2 right out of the water. The other fish are all lovely healthy with very nice color so I cant really blame myself as I am pretty good about water changes. However, I dont think I am going to put anything in it except for males growing-out from the "molly mill". I have them sexed and separated well and haven’t had any births in 6 months. I'm no longer actively trying to make that tank work as a planted tank.
The 10g "molly mill" has turned into my favorite tank to be completely honest. I had to toss my giant ball of susswassertang b/c while on a trip to disney the tank got overrun with green thread algae. I added about 10-12 cherry shrimp from a local enthusiast I got for $20. Theres now about 24 of them and 2 females are berried. Im also just adding plants here and there as I want. I have an SAE in there, which I know should go in a 20 minimum but hes a happy little guy and doesnt bother anyone. the green thread is almost all gone, and now I am turning the lights on longer to get more algae believe it or not. A couple tiny clippings of the suss that I was able to save are starting to grow on their own without any green thread as well. Ive added some java moss (free cause it was about dead and it may not survive anyway) , an anubias which has really nice color, some other reineckii Red and a rotilla and one other kind of plant I got for free since it looked so bad... It definitely has its problems and not really worth a photo, but theres so much action, that it is a fun tank to own. Ironically its the one I put the least amount of mental effort into, and its origin was an "emergency" home for baby fish.
I did set up another dirted tank... its a split down the middle 10g betta tank. I used smoked lexan with small holes drilled to separate, yet allow the water to circulate. But I dont think the opacity was high enough, its dark in the room as you look through it, but with LEDs it really blasts through, as they were constantly flaring at each other thru the separator and one died either of stress or maybe he did the 50yd dash in the 40yd gym and bonked himself too good.
I was very sad about this, as it was a tank that my girls and I set up together. We went to the local beach and gathered some driftwood and 2 buckets of sand (Lake ontario freshwater), We then went to a local swamp and grabbed about 2 handfuls of bog dirt and went and grabbed 2 nice amazon swords at the petshop on the way home. I grabbed some topsoil dirt from a raised bed garden that hasnt been fully planted(started last fall so the dirt has been washed pretty well by nature). Put the topsoil in the bucket just to get the wood chips out. Anway it was a really fun Daddy-daughter(s) adventure for the 8yo twins as we spent a whole day of it with the thought that the tank would be instantly cycled given the amount of microfauna/bioligicals being added from nature. I did add a precycled sponge filter for safety.
I sprinkled about a months worth of dry salts on the bottom, sprinkled some kitty litter over the top, then the 1" of topsoil and threw some of the bog dirt on top. then capped it without about 3-4" of sand and put the 2 large amazon swords in it. the girls also chose a plant or two from the molly mill.
I had a business trip for 2 days and one of the fish died while i was gone, had I been home I probably would have separated the fish. But the wife didnt know to communicate what the signs were, or what was normal vs what wasnt. Of course the one child was crushed. and I felt terrible.
Also the swords leaves air dried for a bit while I was setting it up and now are turning yellow/brown /translucent, I might have to just cut it way back and see if they recover.