Lots have happened since I last posted, about 6 weeks ago.

Thor, my lone SAE and a great tank cleaner, died.

One of the Rasbora maculata disappeared.

I've had to remove and destroy two dozen shrimp borne of the Norns' breeding frenzy back in February. I transferred a couple of them to the 10g tank.

I've been experiencing slow plant growth and regular blooms of hair algae and green algae. Because of the algae problem, I bought 5 gallons of RO water and will start introducing this phosphate-free solution to drive a nail through the heart of the algae problem.

I tried a new lighting system that dramatically increased overhead light, eliminating the need for my homegrown side-lighting system. I think the increased light exacerbated the algae problem, so I restored the original lighting and replaced the 8W/T5 with an actinic compact fluorescent that boasts much higher K (18,000), despite the same wattage.

Today, I brought home two Otocinclus affinis to fill the valuable role Thor left behind. I also brought home a new Rasbora maculata to keep the other one company. So, now, I have two of everything for a small, varietal conserve