Hi
Its been nearly 9 months this tank is running now,(despite some heavy rescaping somewhere in the middle) and i'd like to share some of the latest pictures i have tanken.
Like i said the tank as been running for nearly 9 months now and its basically in cruise control,it does not give me much trouble apart from the weekly water change and maintenance and i must admit every now and then i've been a bit complacent with it.
The fish and shrimp all look happy and healthy so no worries there.
On the other hand the plants are growing and slowly taking over the tank. It might not be one of the best scapes around but i like it.
Plant behaviour:
Valisneria nana - this plant was removed. It never adapted to the tank and slowly whitered and died. I did not placed any other in its stead and decided to let the higrophyla grow and fill the empty space.
Highrophila polysperma rosanervig - this plant as all higrophylas does not stop growing. I did trimmings to get a bush effect wich it worked.
Cryptocorne wendii brown - this plant as changed its original emersed green color to the submersed brown and as taken all over the center background of the tank. But this week i started to notice some melting on some of the leaves so i trimmed all the melting leaves of.
I know this plant sometimes melts and grows back again but i hope that it does not happen to mine because i like it just the way it is.
Heteranthera Zoosterofila - I am a bit disappointed with this plant. It grows fast and i used before and got a big and healthy bush. But this time it grows healthy,but even with trims i have no bush. Besides after a while it starts to get ugly and i have to trimm most of it.
The problem is it is the wrong plant for that area of my scape,its a very tight space between the rocks and the glass so it only grows up. And after a while the new growth covers the rest of the plant making it look ugly.
I will look into alternatives to replace this plant.
Rotala rotundifolia - This plant was growing fast and healthy,but when it reached the top of the tank and i did a good trimm on it all growth stoped. Its been slowly recovering for the past month but it does not look as good as it did before the trimming.
Staurygene reppens - this plant is slowly taking over the middleground on the left side of the tank and formed a pretty bush. But on the right side i decided to be a bit of cheapskate and use cuttings from the left to make a bush take over that side too. The result even though its been growing healthy is not soo good. It grows mainly up and despite trimming as not gained volume and formed a bush.
Might end up having to get a second plant for that side.
Eliocharis parvula - Its there, it grows, but it does not form a carpet. Pretty disappointed with another failure to form one. Its been there since the beginning of the tank 9 months ago. For a time it was forming a carpet but them it stopped and whitered.
Echinodorus tenellus - its taken over both sides of the tank at the front and with some minor arrangements to the tank its now spreading more to the middle to an area originally intended for my failed parvula carpet. Happy with this plant.
Floating plants - On one of my trips to the fish shop to buy shrimp to my wife's tank i good some extra bagagge. together with the shrimp came some floting plant, no more than a couple of leaves that by accident ended up in the wife's tank.
It took over her tank in 3 months.
I liked the effect, the chance to provide some hiding space for my fish and also the chance to use my light to full potencial without risking algae soup.So i decided to give it a try.
With the higher light and fertilizer it took over my tank in a couple of weeks. And i really mean took over on the pictures and videos you can't see that much because right before i took off half of the amount to keep it under control.
I don't know the name of this plant though.wonder if anyone can help with that.
Fish beahaviour :
For years i kept angelfish in my tanks. This time i wanted something diferent and i can't say i'm disapointed with my choice.
Amano shrimps - what started as help for my cleaning crew is now my favourite in the whole tank. I love these unstopable workers. No matter what they just don't stop moving around the tank.
But with time my shrimps have developed a patern in their behaviour. During the day they keep mainly in the plants. In the evening,even though the light of he tank is still on they come out. Its also the time i normally arrive home so it just looks like they come out to welcome me back.
Sometimes the females have eggs but i have not tried to breed them yet.
Siamese algae eater - i have three of these. I like them and have been thinking of adding three more,there's no shortage of algae for them anyway but on the other hand these three do tend to fight each other so i have left the idea on hold.
Zebra danios - These one's are a lively bunch the don't always form a shoal yet they come running to the front of the tank as soon as they see me. I normally put my hands on the water and leave them there and they swim around it and between the fingers nibling.
Been thinking about trying to breed them in another tank.
Rasboras espei - The true shoaling fish of my tank no matter what this bunch always stays together. they are slower and calmer than the zebras but their colors make a good addition to the tank.
Glowlight danios - the silent partners i have six of them and they do stay together but the numbers are too few to call it a shoal,they normally try to blend in with the raboras. They also like to hide behind all the higrophyla.
And now the pictures hope you guys like it.
The tank on the 01-09-2012
The tank on the 05-09-2012
The tank today 10-10-2012
And two videos:
have you left enough room behind your rocks for all of your plants? I kinda goofed on that in my tank 
