Ikea waterfall "update."
A good bit of time ago I posted asking about a pump that clogged during tank cycling. Life happened and answering questions didn't happen. I'm sorry for ghosting on my own post.
This project has been one problem after another, but it's slowly coming together! "Updates" even though I haven't shared it yet in any honest capacity.
An Ikea FABRIKÖR conversion. Empty it's about 12-ish gallons, filled as I have it it's about 10. This is still my old pump, a fountain pump rated for a 10-20 gallon tank but it still cloggs pretty often. It's surrounded by course foam, fine filter floss, and window screen. Every time I clean the pump, about every two days, it's a snot-like clump of biofilm. I have a bigger pump, I just haven't had the time to install it yet.
At the moment the water has been planted for about three weeks, not that you'd know it. Everything still looks melty and not much has spread, despite the injected Co2. The rotala OJ in the back isn't doing too bad so I cut and replanted it four or five days ago.
The christmas and sphagnum moss are doing well above the waterline, but below is another story. I'm trying to get it to cover the pump box and fill in between the rocks and the roots. I know it takes time, I'm just impatient and might buy some more to stuff it in.
The upper part still needs more plants. All of those cork shelves are plant-holes mostly for ferns. I have one weird looking asparagus fern that I'll change out. Finding ferns this time of year has been difficult! Mostly looking for rabbit's foot, maidenhair, if I could find small licorice ferns I'd love some! I have an eyelash fern in there, I like it more than I thought I would and will probably get more.
I'm hoping to finish filling it out over the next month or so, as stores are refreshed.
I'm not sure how I feel about the lighting yet. It's nice and bright up top, which is good for those plants! But a LOT less bright in the middle of the water portion. Which I know the fish prefer, but the plants might not? I have to keep an eye on it.
At the moment there are seven chili rasbora, a crap-ton of bladder snails, even more shrimp, and an assassin snail. Given how much biofilm there is, and how the snails exploded from it, I fully expect the shrimp to do so as well. Again.
I have so many shrimp.
And tons of springtails already! Good thing they walk on water. They've been able to climb back out when I see clumps of them floating. The Frogbit helps.
I'm having a tannin problem. Not that I mind the tannins, and I know the fish like them. But it's a little strong. Most of my shrimp are orange and you can't see them in orange water! I keep doing water changes, but there's a lot of cork. It's going to take time.
I'd still like to add decor. More fairy and fantasy stuff to go with the tea-set themed waterfall. Hidden between the plants. I'm planning glowing crystals too I just haven't had time to do much more than maintenance. So that's the next bit, after the pump replacement.