Tank updates:
On Sunday I added the 7 pygmy cories, and 2 sparkling gouramis from my dad's 45L to this tank. I'm really glad I moved them, there used to be more cories (11), and in this tank one of the gouramis immediately tried to eat a medium-sized cull shrimp, confirming my dad's suspicions that they were eating the baby crystal shrimps. There's more to this update in my other journal The Mossy Spider, the crystals now have their own tank to live in, shared with the refuge black shrimps from this tank that I've saved from the jaws of Mr Apisto (who I now call Mr Daffodil, inspired by his Narcissus-like staring at himself in the glass and lovely long orange fins).
As the pygmy corydoras were IMMEDIATELY SO CUTE AND HAPPY .... I bought 19 more yesterday. Only asked for 15 but the guy couldn't be bothered to count them all and I'm not complaining, so now I have a lovely group of 26. Honestly, what an absolute delight. The fish from the shop went in the tank, were shocked for 5 mins (I did drip acclimate), then were swimming around happily all together, wiggling joyfully, with the original pygmies joining them, and they haven't stopped since. They sometimes swim in a big school, sometimes small groups, sometimes in pairs, and often sit on the bottom and sift the sand but they're all active and using all parts of the tank. I guess they will settle down in a few weeks and I'll never see them again, but fingers crossed with this size group and scaping it will be ok. Honestly if I had a bigger tank I'd get 100. Another benefit is as they're so small, they really enhance the scale of the tank marvelously. A+ fish, would recommend.
I also bought 10 more kuhli loaches, which are so tiny - the size of matchsticks. Again, I only wanted 6 - 8, but when there's only 10 left in the shop, who am I to say no to a few more? Obviously they're very shy but they've come out to eat sinking loach pellets which is a great start.
The sparkling gouramis are a bit hmmmmm right now because the apistos don't like them, and seem to single them out to chase more than the other fish, it seems the apistos understand that they are more of a threat than the other peaceful fish. On the other hand they seem to invite it, because they often follow Mr Daffodil around curiously, and then get chased when he realises it, though he hasn't actually got them. I wish I had space for another nano tank that they could live in as a group alone, but I don't. I think things will be alright long term once my plants have grown in more (buying more plants today to fill in the gaps left by co2 dodginess), they like to really hide and ambush.
Finally... Ms Apisto has confirmed that they can indeed breed and have eggs hatch in this 50/50 rain/tap tank, by coming out this morning with an enormous group of babies. They're currently nomming on the wood, hopefully there's some good microfauna in there for them. Not sure how many, if any, will make it, but she's scaring every fish away successfully right now, and I'm adding a little extra live food daily to keep the others satisfied.
Pics tonight, going to finally harass my partner enough to get the camera out as my phone is really not up to the job.