Very first tank (planted, low tech)

[Connswater]

missing one

Suspect more swimming room, more pygmy cats and perhaps a bit of carbon filtration/aeration to just improve the water quality in the dark depths under foliage and roots and above mulmn would help but I've found 2 years if bought adult is about the norm, a little longer if bought as tiny little babies - but then the challenges of catching and transporting immature fish. All looks incredibly natural and better for this type of arrangement than I've ever managed. But the overgrowth is always an issue, my "wildlife" terrestrial garden is going the same way and my main tank is being taken over by an Amazon sword.

 

[megwattscreative]

I've improved aeration and created more swimming room, so this all sounds good! I did buy them as full size adults. Luckily There'll be a lot more room too when I remove the next lily. Thank you for the kind words. I don't have any active substrate and lean dose so it has taken a while to get to this stage, but now I'm here the emergent growth is just ridiculous.

 

[megwattscreative]

As promised!! Very little adorable teeny tiny pygmy cories!! Not really, they're full sized adults, but I can't get over how nice it is having silly fish in the quarantine tank in the bedroom. I'm pretty besotted with them, tbh.


I bought six in total, and think I have approx 2-3 females in this group, plus the one already in the main tank. Honestly it's hard to tell, they're still too shell shocked to be breeding in their new home. They've calmed down a lot since I bought them last Thurs - glass skating occasionally, but nothing too manic. They've found their favourite basking spots (large round stones) and silliest exits (wriggling through the moss like a jungle gym). I did have to turn the heater up as I noticed them crowding around the heater - it's at 23/24° now, rather than 22°c. Hopefully they'll be okay at 22°c in the main tank. I'm very excited to see a larger shoal in the main tank!

My plan is to quarantine them for 6 weeks, keep a good eye on them and feed them bug bites. Once they're less skittish I'll give them microworms too 🙂 I think this may be a new food for them, although I'm honestly not sure. I've been doing water changes every 3 days or so to make sure the water quality is all good - I was planning daily, but work is kicking my ass atm. This is a very mature quarantine tank, so not too worried. They are so ridiculously cute it's unbelievable. Next time I think about livestock, whenever that may be, it will be a Cory Bonanza.

As predicted, everyone is fairing much better in the main tank with increased aeration under the log (air stone), a bit of a clean up of hidden debris in the leaf litter and some more swimming room. Thanks for the advice @Connswater!

 

[Cazza]

Looking good. The Pygmies are so cute!

 

[megwattscreative]

Hi all, a fun update for ya!


The tank is not looking very aquascapey at the moment, but it is looking very functional. I've completely abandoned the moss wall - think I used the wrong kind of capillary matting (read: not capillary matting) to start off with, and it's been a constant battle between high light, dry air or humid moulding depending on the moss species and the fussy syngonium. The aquatic moss is slowly making its way up so that's something, but I've also added some scindapsus, tradescantia cuttings I pinched from bnm and ficus pumila cuttings. We'll see how it goes 🙂 I don't mind the industrial look (I went to UEA and enjoy a bit of concrete brutalism), but I would definitely like more green. Hoping the ficus will really take off once it's properly rooted in the moss.

For emergent planting, the giant peace lilies have been removed and a syngonium and ficus microcarpa have taken their place. The ficus microcarpa has transitioned fantastically - it's a brilliant plant. The syngonium had white fly, but that's sorted (free fish food!) and it's recovering well. I originally removed it because the peace lilies were hogging the light and it looked very sorry for itself. The 2nd giant peace lily has been jerry rigged into the corner using a pot plant holder I made a while back, a peg and some sieves as a counter weight (yes it's ridiculous, but it's what I had 😉).

"Innovation breeds contempt", probably

I am still debating what to do with this singed giant - for now it can add filtration without blocking out ALL the light to the tank and wedging its roots into the mattenfilter.

I've added the 6 quarantined Cory's after a month of observation and speaking with @dw1305, and what a difference! They're still quite shy (moving was a stressful process), but I've seen 8/10 now in the tank - my 4 originals, and 4 of the new ones. It could possibly be all 10, there's very little to tell the newbies apart. My original cories are a lot more outgoing already, and everyone is integrating nicely. I recently posted in the fish subforum about finless stuffing his face with mulm during the Great Rearrange, which subsequently got stuck in one of his gills. I've removed a lot of mulm from the tank to prevent this happening again - I use a lot of leaf litter for tannins and need to be better about removing it. I was quite worried about intervening with finless as he's just so small and fragile, but I'm pleased to say he's managed to shake almost all of it out, with no intervention from me. I'm genuinely amazed he's still alive, and honestly quite proud of myself.
He may look like a warning on a cigarette packet, but he's as chipper as ever. I've been feeding freeze dried Artemia as my microworm colonies took a bit of a hit in the heatwave, and he goes absolutely feral for them.

Hope you enjoy the update/photo book. I've been avoiding photographing whilst it's so unaquascapey, but hey, life is short. Wishing you all good tank times 🙂

 

[Connswater]

peace lilies were hogging the light

A problem for sure, the tank is looking very healthy and the moss wall can be addressed in time. I've never managed to get tradescantia to adapt to my tank which is odd since it roots in water...gardeners garters, this plant has adapted though for me, hardly a surprise I suppose, sold as a marginal by some. Good greens in your plants - the magic of light and fertiliser!

 

[megwattscreative]

Thanks @Connswater! I love the green. I've barely been dosing recently, as I removed the large peace lilies that were doing the brunt of the work. Lights on for 12 hours, plus some natural sunlight in the mornings. Adding approx .75g of chelated iron every weekly water change and a smidge of solufeed 2:4:1 when the frogbit demands it. I lost some very battered alternanthera reineckii I got as a freebie from Urmston aquatics, but I think it needs a higher nutrient substrate than my playsand. It's a gorgeous plant, but just doesn't seem to enjoy life in this tank.

Edit: I've found with tradescantia that the stems are the issue in water - they can be prone to rot. Mine are placed so that the roots are submerged, but not the actual stem. This is completely guesswork, but it works well for me 🙂

 

[Onoma1]

The two tea strainer solution restraining the peace lilly is so, so British. Sort of, "omg the peace lilly is taking over the tank" ... "No not the peace lilly" ..." What can we do" ... "disaster becons"... " no wait" ..."I have a solution"...(drum roll)..." tea strainers."

Elegant, the perfect solution and could only occur here.

More seriously, the plants look very healthy as do the fish. I really like it. A testament to your care for both plants and fish.
I had a similar problem with my moss wall using Epiweb which I solved with a very cheap pump and piping to create a drip wall. Admittedly, I paid a premium for it as a package (which I wouldn't do again).

 

[megwattscreative]

I'll have you know @Onoma1 these are my fishtank tea strainers (aka duckweed sieves). My personal tea strainers are perfectly tucked away in the drawer, organised by mesh density 😅

 

[Onoma1]

Duckweed tea strainers and official tea strainers in one household...🤔 hygienic, sensible, however, again the fact you have multiple tea strainers for different purposes ...only in the UK. I rest my case. 🤣

 

[megwattscreative]

Hi all, hope you're well!

A little tank update:



Excuse the mulm on the sand, I'm in the midst of a quite intensive substrate clean!

THE FISHY BIT

MY PROBLEMATIC FAVES
Noticed some fin rot and a white fungal patina on 2 of my older lady pygmy corydoras, so I've dosed the tank with esha 2000 and done a big water change and substrate clean today. I'm not entirely sure what prompted the decline, but I think it could be a combination of increased cory friskiness and my lackluster approach to substrate maintenance, combined with no water changes (only top ups) whilst I was away on holiday. It's only the corys that seem effected, making me think it's something to do with the bottom. Luckily the ladies are looking a hell of a lot better post esha!

A POSSIBLE LOSS, AND A QUESTION
Having said that, I think I may have lost a green neon. There's no chance I'll find the body (if it's not been eaten) - I bought them fully grown about 1.5 years ago, so it's possible it was just old age. I'm really not certain, but I'll keep an eye out for any remnants. It's also possible it's just hiding from me!

I think I have 4 left - here's the question. Do I get more, and bulk up the shoal, or do I let these 4 live out their lives together without additions? I do like them a lot, but I think they are the main culprits in the corydoras egg disappearance cases (I've literally watched them spawn camp the females,in every sense of the word). @dw1305 also has some beautiful, spare dicrossus filamentosus that I'm eyeing up if all goes well. What d'you reckon; add more tetras, or wait for the dicrossus addition?

BREEDING THE UNBREEDABLE?
In bizarre news, I'm slightly perplexed at the sundadanio axelrodi. I know they're considered basically impossible to breed in the hobby, and I assumed as such in my tank. They're my hardiest fish by far, and have been showing breeding behaviour and intense colouring for at least the last 9 months. Today I've noticed that one of the sundadanio's, a male, is about 1/2 the size of the other ones. Could it be a parasite, a skinnier fella, or is this one new? If I didn't know how difficult they are to breed I'd assume it's more juvenile, but I honestly don't know if that's possible and I can't believe I wouldn't have noticed it until it just appeared. Pic attached:
It's quite hard to get comparison photos but I will try and get some better ones. The man in question is the tiddly one at the front in both pics. If they have bred, I've absolutely no idea how. I'm guessing they haven't, I am just perplexed. Any ideas, or concerns I should have re the skinny fella?

THE PLANTY BIT


Really enjoying trailing plants growing up from the water line. I've also got some male shield ferns (I think, I can't quite remember) that have grown from spores from the first moss I collected all that time ago. Tradescantia looks lush, creeping fig is creeping, and it's generally just a good time. Thanks all for the plant advice 🙂

Still not entirely sure what to do with the giant peace lily. Think I might just @AlecF it and chuck it in the stairwell a la edinburgh tenements. I've been slowly moving plants out there, and no one's complained so far...

Thanks as always for all your help and advice all 🙂

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
It looks like a juvenile, they tend to look as if "their fins are too big for them".

Cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

It looks like a juvenile, they tend to look as if "their fins are too big for them".

Unsurprisingly couldn't find any pictures of Sundanio fry, but these "Corydoras" juveniles show what I mean <"How to raise your fry? – Planet Corydoras">.

From <"Breeding and fry development in Corydoras rabauti">.

cheers Darrel

 

[megwattscreative]

Updates from the not moss wall 🙂)

Some sort of liverwort (?)


various climbers - any advice on getting scindapsus to shingle?
Ferns coming in 🙂

Right at the back! Some original outdoor moss from deepest wettest coldest manchester thriving in my tropical tank 🙂 (I have it at 22° - maybe should go up?)

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Some sort of liverwort (?)
View attachment 232415

Yes, or possibly fern prothalli, if I was to guess "fern prothallus" would be the one.

Cheers Darrel

 

[PeerUnk]

Some original outdoor moss from deepest wettest coldest manchester thriving in my tropical tank

I love nature because of it. Sometimes something green just start growing somewhere you don’t expect.

I’m no way an expert on semi wet terrestrial plants, but I’ve noticed you have Callisia repens growing. It’s an awesome hardy plant when having it feet wet. I have it growing emersed in my aquarium hood. A true prolific grower.

Thanks for the update!

 

[Davycc]

I'll have you know @Onoma1 these are my fishtank tea strainers (aka duckweed sieves). My personal tea strainers are perfectly tucked away in the drawer, organised by mesh density 😅

I hope they are nowhere near the !!Potato Masher

 

[megwattscreative]

I love nature because of it. Sometimes something green just start growing somewhere you don’t expect.

I’m no way an expert on semi wet terrestrial plants, but I’ve noticed you have Callisia repens growing. It’s an awesome hardy plant when having it feet wet. I have it growing emersed in my aquarium hood. A true prolific grower.

Thanks for the update!

This is the origin of the ferns too - when I originally built this set up, I used moss from the red brick outside. A lot of it died off - too hot and dry at the top, too wet at the bottom - but the ferns have grown from spores left over over the last year and a half 🙂

 

[PARAGUAY]

I love to see what's growing on canal lock walls, you get all kinds of interesting ferns, mosses ,plants there.

 

[Onoma1]

Right at the back! Some original outdoor moss from deepest wettest coldest manchester thriving in my tropical tank 🙂 (I have it at 22° - maybe should go up?)

I did a similar thing and used some from my garden wall in Greater Manchester for my first 'scape'. I nievely placed it on top of a rock emerging from the water in an impossible but aesthetically pleasing position. The moss had it's edges in the water and was directly under the light. It thrived and was removed only after a nettle seed and ash tree seed germinated in it. From memory @dw1305 dryly identified the nettle seedling. That stung.

I think the moss was showing off in the face of adversity or was just defiantly thriving. Both responses are adaptive survival mechanisms for anything (plant or human) growing in North Manchester!