Darwin In Action

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 I have an aquarium, and I keep freshwater fish and aquatic plants in it. I recently decided I needed to give it a remodel....change over to natural looking gravel, add an under gravel filter, and add some different fish and plants. 


It's a slow process, you have to let the tank "cycle": it sits for a while to build up beneficial bacteria. Then you add plants and slowly increase lights as the plants grow, and at some point add fish. By cycling the tank slowly,it's better for the fish and keeps dreaded algae blooms in check. 

I researched plants, looking for many that are slow growing (so I'm not trimming them constantly) and relatively hardy. I'm trying a ton of different varieties to see which do well in my water parameters (ph over 7, gh 120, kh 40). 



Some of them will make it, some won't... A little Darwin in action, adapt or die. They are all tiny right now. I had a few struggling Amazon sword, and some very happy java fern, and I'm adding:

  • Ludwigia Rubin × 2
  • Nymphaea Rubra × 2
  • Ceratopteris Siliquosa × 1
  • Vallisneria Contortionist × 2
  • Rotala Rotundifolia Green Compact x1
  • Bacopa Australis × 1
  • Bacopa Caroliniana × 1
  • Cryptocoryne Tropica × 2
  • Cryptocoryne Parva × 2
  • Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Brown' × 2
  • Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green × 2
  • Anubias Barteri Round × 2
  • Anubias Golden [Mini Size] × 2
  • Helanthium Tenellum (Dwarf Chain Sword) × 2

I'll see in a few months which ones survive! Next up.... A few new fish.

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