Asgard is now a little over 5 months old. Many of the hardy stem plants I introduced to combat early algae problems are ready for replacement. The original Rotala, Ludwigia, and Microsword are darkening either from insufficient light at their dense bases or from months of strong fertilization.

So, I decided to radically overhaul the landscape. Today, I dropped by Nippon and Ocean Aquarium and picked up three types of Cryptos, fresh Rotala, and some Pygmy Anubias from Africa. I also bought a star-grass-type plant, although I'm pretty sure it's not Star Grass (I have yet to identify it through books or the web. Research suggests that it may be Hygrophila corymbosa "crispa," but I can't find any pictures of this particular variant.). I've also been cultivating Java Fern in Vishnu's old habitat, which I transfered to Asgard. Finally, I took cuttings from the original Ludwigia, which are quite healthy and dropping root threads, and planted them in place of the original Ludwigia.

Now, the tank looks a little sparse. I've planted the Rotala and Ludwigia less densely than I originally did to help light reach lower leaves. I also want to move away from dramatic stem plants like Rotala and Ludwigia and move more toward grassy plains-style plants, which was the original idea.