8 entries · Page 1 of 1
Just wanted to post an update, no real news... The tank's grown in a lot since those early sparse photos and honestly I'm happy just looking at it most evenings. The ember tetras school together nicely now and the apistos pair seems settled. Plants need a trim soon but otherwise not much to change.
Quiet week, not much to report... Noticed one of the apistos has been hanging out in the same corner near the wood most days, seems to have claimed it as a little territory. Everything else about the same.
The hygrophila pinnatifida is doing really well lately, putting out new leaves faster than the other plants and starting to spread along the wood. Rest of the tank is filling in slower but that one's clearly happy with something in the setup. Carpet still has a few gaps but it's noticeably fuller than a month ago.
Fighting some algae on the glass and a couple leaves this week, not fun.
Added the ember tetras today, 30 days after setup so I figured the tank was ready. Let the bag float for about 20 minutes then slowly added tank water over the next hour before netting them in. They scattered into the plants right away but by the evening a few were already out swimming around near the glass.
No fish yet, just letting things cycle... Been dosing a bottled bacteria product and ghost feeding a tiny pinch of food every couple days to keep something going for the bacteria to process. Water's clear at least, plants still small and sparse but no algae yet that I can see. Trying to be patient with this part.
Filled it up and got the filter running today. Everything looks so bare... The plants are tiny and spread out with a lot of substrate showing between them, hard to imagine it filling in eventually. Water's a little hazy still, hoping that clears in a day or two. No fish yet, just looking at an empty looking tank right now.
Spent the morning rinsing the fluval stratum before putting it in... Water kept coming out cloudy way longer than I expected. Hardscape is just the spiderwood for now, no water in the tank yet. Tried a few positions before settling on one I liked, though I'll probably second guess it once the water's in.