Saturday, June 19, 2004
THE POWER OF PAIRS
Today, as I was changing water and pruning plants in Asgard, it struck me how happy I am with the balance of life in the tank. The algae problem I've been aggressively tackling is abating, though not quite beaten. The bright-red lotus is compact and healthy, a crown atop a driftwood mound of Riccia, Java Moss, and Christmas Moss.
The centerpiece of the tank, which was once its plants, is now its fish. A pair of miniature Rasboras, a pair of miniature Rocket killifish, and a pair of Otocinclus co-exist happily in their respective layers in the water column. The killies spend most of their time at the surface, the Rasboras in the middle, and the Otos either near the bottom or attached to the tank's sides. Rounding out this mini conserve are, of course, the remaining offspring of my original Tiger shrimp, three or four small specimens, and the lone Crystal Red shrimp, who just laid eggs. The low-watt T5 bulb I'm using while the algae dies back casts a faint pinkish hue, which causes the Rasboras and killies to glow.
The centerpiece of the tank, which was once its plants, is now its fish. A pair of miniature Rasboras, a pair of miniature Rocket killifish, and a pair of Otocinclus co-exist happily in their respective layers in the water column. The killies spend most of their time at the surface, the Rasboras in the middle, and the Otos either near the bottom or attached to the tank's sides. Rounding out this mini conserve are, of course, the remaining offspring of my original Tiger shrimp, three or four small specimens, and the lone Crystal Red shrimp, who just laid eggs. The low-watt T5 bulb I'm using while the algae dies back casts a faint pinkish hue, which causes the Rasboras and killies to glow.
Saturday, June 12, 2004
ASGARD UPDATE
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
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
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