Sooooooo......
Big changes in this tank, although ultimately I don't feel it will end up that much different longer term...
I was on the verge of ripping this down at the weekend, i'd already (2 weeks ago) removed almost all the echinodorus tennellus and quite a few other plants that have gone into the hi tech Roma.
However, we went to our local MA on Saturday morning as i needed some bits n pieces and we ended up looking at the bettas (again!).
Anyway, I did pull the tank down on Saturday evening, all plants were removed the shrimp caught and popped in my large bucket with a heater for the evening. There were about 15 red cherries plus a few more tiny teeny ones. Of these, all but 5 adults were given to a mate, I kept 5 back for myself.
The tank was completely emptied and scrubbed clean. I was going to use straight black gravel this time, as i think the Coulmbo Florabase aquasoil that was in there is fantastic stuff but I personally found it hard to work with. I compromised in the end and put a half inch layer of used aquasoil back down and then covered it with black gravel, best of both worlds then!
I kept the piece of wood with the microsorum mini and Bolbitis attached. I moved the wood forward so i can access all panes of glass for easier cleaning than before.
I replanted the few tennellus plants I kept in here before I filled it. There are other plants to still go back in here and i want a couple of extras
Obviously the flow from the Eden 501 through the acrylic pipes would be massively too fierce for a betta, but in a stroke of genius, a spare inlet filter mesh/shrimp guard I had pushed over the outlet diffuses the flow superbly! and so I could keep the mature filter as I was about to order a HOB to try... So with flow now sorted I now needed a lid...
45 minutes of messing with a sheet of greenhouse plastic glazing, stanley knife and a dremel had a rough and ready lid made that will do the job just fine.
The tank was also moved to the corner of the missus desk rather than a seperate unit, filter now placed at rear (i'll get a white background put on i reckon) and refilled and the 5 shrimp (& nerite) put back in. This was just after filling...
I've put a few more stems and small crypts back in since then and I plan to get some Cabomba or similar & Frogbit as well.
Yesterday we went to get a betta. My missus dwindled it down to 2 or 3 in our local MA and when final decision time came I just walked off to let her make the final decision. She chose one, instantly named Zurg by my 3 year old son (Zurg is Buzz Lightyears arch enemy, apparently lol).
Zurg was settled in midday yesterday and had the day in a dark room with no lights and the blinds shut. He had a really good look around and spent the rest of the day finding hidey holes which he always went into when I went to check on him.
When I went into the room this morning, he came straight out to see me and i waggled my finger near the feeding hole. He came right beneath it and happily took 4 or 5 Hikari betta pellets. My missus sent me a (tosh!) first photo of him at the front of the tank early today saying he was being very brave and friendly. Seems to be fine with the lights on and i'll be adding some floaters anyway. He should be happy in his new home
Appears since this morning that Zurg is quite photogenic
lol Some 'betta' images my OH has sent me today
I'll build the planting up a little more but there's enough to keep him happy in there for now.
Cheers,
Rob