Well, I guess this just means that for the rest of this tank's existence, I'll be adding "manually remove cladophora algae during water change" to my list of maintenance chores. The nasty stuff is even growing in the canister filter! Guess the indirect sunlight the tank gets is enough to penetrate the tinted XP3 plastic. Perhaps I should tape some black plastic to the filter to stop photosynthesizing organisms like clado from growing in there. The last thing I need is a reservoir of it!
I'm really beginning to hate Java moss. The clado hitchhiked its way into the tank on that, I think; but honestly it could have been from any number of plants, since I didn't do a dip treatment on any of them. I think when I do a new fish purchase (after my hospital tank is cleared out of the current inhabitants) I'll add a rosy barb and amano shrimp to the purchase list - both those critters will nibble on cladophora, where my oto cats, ancistrus, and nerite definitely aren't helping. I can't even get the ancistrus to eat cucumber instead of munching the Amazon swords! Small price to pay for having a cool fish, though. He hasn't done too much damage to the plants, and seems to concentrate on one leaf at a time.
I fiddled with the filter output and managed to set it so that the surface wasn't being circulated properly towards the skimmer, so this morning when I came downstairs the dwarf gourami had started building bubble nests. (Sorry for the lack of photo - I was busy this morning, and I don't think of taking pictures nearly as often as I should!) Much to their dismay I promptly fixed the outflow so that the skimmer will work properly.
On the CO2 front, I feel like my yeast isn't producing as much as it should be, but I am getting a bit of pearling on the swords so it's not as low as I feared. I've decided to get some Flourish Excel from Amazon to add carbon to the tank, which I'll deliver by spot-treating the clado as part of my control strategy. I did some mental math, and if I restrict myself to using 5mL/day (usual maintenance dose), I'll use up my on-order 500mL bottle in about three months. At $10/bottle, it will take five years of dosing at that level before the cost of the Excel will equal the start-up cost of a pressurized CO2 system. Guess who's not going pressurized anytime soon? I have no idea what the next five years will bring (kids, I hope!) but I can imagine not having a planted tank in that time. After all, I'm mostly in this for the fish, and freshwater fish don't require a lot of expensive equipment! I've set up entire aquariums for less than it would cost for a pressurized CO2 system.
The plants are really beginning to fill in - trim-and-replant on the H difformis is the main contributor. I have a few new plants on their way from another hobbyist that I'll need to find space for - another stem plant (H pinnatifada) and another variety of Anubias. I'll probably uproot some of the difformis in the middle for the pinnatifada, possibly moving the driftwood there forward as well for some more background space. Not sure yet where the Anubias gold will go; I'm also keeping half an eye out for another piece of driftwood for the right side of the tank, which would make a good perch for another Anubias.
Current photo, showing the bristlenose's complete disdain for the cucumber:
At least the otos, nerite, and one of the panda cories appreciates it. Even the blue rams will nibble on the cucumber now and then. Maybe the pleco likes it after it's spent a couple days in the tank; if the pattern holds true by tomorrow nothing but the rind and a few floating bits will be left. But I never see him eating it!
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