New tank...a little over exposed
A quick post today about the tank.
Things seem to be running smoothly. I’ve watched the ammonia have a small spike…then level out to zero – which meant time to add critters.
I have 2 cory catfish, 2 red ramshorn snails, 20 MTSs, and 5 red cherry shrimp. It sounds like a lot…but all small creatures and low bio load impact. Plus they all help to eat & process some of the gunk I added to jump start the bacteria. So they are, essentially, my first clean up crew. They get to all the visible gunk that settles on plants, top of gravel, heater, etc and make my tank look nicer. The hidden stuff remains to feed the ecosystem.
There is visible algae growth (and of course a rise in nitrates! Woo hoo) which the critters also seem to be dining on. This is a sign it’s time to heavily plant the box filter. Early planted cuttings of several test succulents are doing well and rooting quickly. I have a few more parts to add to prevent roots growing down the intake tube, but will soon take a day to switch all my succulents to this tank. The monstera in the middle has taken hold, firmed up some droopy parts after transplant & is showing some vigorous new growth. I’ve added some mint, aloe & creeping fig to the monstera basket and all seem to be doing well.
The early success of the filter box is a good sign. Should it continue to perform well, I’m going to start making plans to build 2 more for the tank in my bedroom. I’d like the extra square footage for growth so I can try to grow much more than tomatoes this year.
