So, time for another update!
The Odessas have done a fine job shredding them emmersed tops I planted, so most have gone, leaves me a few gaps, but I'll fill in with tops trimmed in the tank in time.
My new plants arrived from CO2Art yesterday, another Anubias Nana, plus an Anubias Nana Mini. I didn't want to wait until water change tomorrow as most of the planting positions would still be underwater with the tank half empty, so I tried to work fast with superglue gel.
The Nana was actually two separate rhizomes, so that was handy. I've glued them in where I want them, hard to get the perfect position with the shapes of plant I had to work with, but once they establish I'm sure they will fill in and turn their leaves to the light to give a more natural look.
The Mini was more difficult. This came as one piece and was a very dense clump, so when I tried to cut through I ended up with two bigger pieces and three smaller off cuts. I've glued these in and I'm hoping they look more natural once settled in a bit more.
One lesson learnt today is that gluing tiny bits of Nana Mini = fingers stuck together + Anubias stuck to fingers! Thankfully I have superglue remover in my model making kit.
The most exciting news is the introduction of my feature pair of fish! I decided that I would try the Kribensis, so went to MA and bought the dominant pair from their tank. They are aclimated and in and exploring their new home together. Although it's true they can be aggressive when spawning, the general consensus seems to be that they are good community fish. There are plenty of nooks and crannies, densely planted areas at the back, plus a cave under my bogwood, so they should be able to establish their own spot when they are ready and hopefully no problems.
I'll try to get some pics later after lights on.