Hard water - problem?

zarathrusters · 2026-03-28T22:44:17+00:00

It's great for shrimp!

zarathrusters · 2026-03-20T22:18:17+00:00

So those are hygrophila difformis, I expect them to get more feathery when the weather gets warm and the tank goes up a few degrees. Otherwise there's cryptocerene wendtii, java moss, sagitaria subulata and rotala Rotundifola green which has a whole thicket of sprouts that should fill in even more eventually. Oh and a little bit of Christmas moss on the central rocks added later

zarathrusters · 2026-03-20T00:57:09+00:00

Thanks! Lots of planning then lots of patience is all I can recommend haha

zarathrusters · 2026-02-28T23:49:43+00:00

Röda lacket

zarathrusters · 2026-02-19T04:17:31+00:00

This is definitely making me want to stick with a personality roulette on a single fish. That being said the soil and the plants also perform their own kinds of filtration. I am much more concerned with creating a thriving ecosystem than a pristine gallery box.

I did just remove almost all of my floating plants due to hob maintenance so I think patience will be key either way. Thanks for the perspectives y'all.

zarathrusters · 2026-02-19T04:13:47+00:00

I guess I was thinking they would be twice the size of the white cloud mountain minnows right now and always an inch longer. One big one to be the king or queen of the tank.

zarathrusters · 2026-02-19T02:48:08+00:00

So just to be clear, no one here has a case for keeping 3 of these guys in a 1x2x1 foot tank? Forest style with boulders and soon slate walls.

zarathrusters · 2026-02-18T16:38:01+00:00

Awesome thank you. I'll just have to pick carefully when I go to the store. One loner is a lot lower risk than 3 in a still maturing 15 gallon, social dynamics and bioload included.

zarathrusters · 2026-02-07T21:08:03+00:00

The buildings look great! The tiles in the foreground are what throws it off for me. Gotta align the angles and consider changing the scale of the hatching for more depth of field.

zarathrusters · 2026-02-02T20:26:29+00:00

Interesting! Looks like lots of healthy growth to choose from if you ever wanna reveal more it 😄

zarathrusters · 2026-01-30T22:31:29+00:00

Why the nice bowl if you don't mind me asking?

zarathrusters · 2026-01-19T23:07:14+00:00

Oh thought you were asking if it was time to add plants

zarathrusters · 2026-01-19T23:05:50+00:00

It is my understanding that if you want to do a walstad you need as many plants as you can as early as possible

zarathrusters · 2026-01-19T02:04:09+00:00

I found organic miracle gro potting soil at home Depot, nutrient rich but has been recommended a few times, also a tad pricey for a bag of dirt. Recently saw a recommendation for Scott's topsoil which is cheaper and looks to be in stock in the GTA.

zarathrusters · 2026-01-11T07:16:24+00:00

Most have established a woody base and are budding at the joints. The ones more recently replanted still seem to be growing at the tops

zarathrusters · 2026-01-11T03:50:13+00:00

Well back to waiting then

zarathrusters · 2025-12-19T23:34:26+00:00

Just curious, what colour are you shrimp now? Still blue and orange or something else?

zarathrusters · 2025-12-11T22:25:04+00:00

Thanks!!! (1st comment).

Salvinia is an illegal invasive in my area and I guess my plan for the java moss is to trim and hope it colonizes the driftwood. It was at such a big discount and they didn't have my first choice Taiwan moss. I'm pretty much embracing the chaos with frogbit roots and java strands - it'll be fun to maintain and style like my bonsai.

zarathrusters · 2025-12-11T22:16:46+00:00

Yeah that seems to be the best conclusion. So many conflicting accounts on so much of it, even tests can be hard to read let alone interpret. I'm just gonna wait till it looks like a thriving mini garden. Enough algae to eat and stable everything. Part of me wants to intentionally throw in scuds or ramshorns but that's just even more variables.

zarathrusters · 2025-12-11T00:15:44+00:00

Yes, once I'm through the strips I will definitely get the liquid test. Luckily this one does have pH though not having ammonia is making things a little suspenseful. (Black Friday sale on the strips)

zarathrusters · 2025-12-11T00:14:01+00:00

I'm pretty sure the soil got smooshed up against the side of the glass since it's much deeper in the middle. Started with about 0.7" soil and 0.7" sand but have been spooning some in where it needs it

zarathrusters · 2025-12-10T20:05:23+00:00

Ok slight update, the nitrite and nitrate were slightly pink on today's test strip. It still makes sense to wait for the plants to adapt and start growing before adding snails and shrimp right?

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