Admittedly

I took a productive detour, experimenting with rings in the tank for plants. Some plants will be in rings, others not, a few will have growth medium suspended in the ring (by landscape fabric).

Some plants are more prolific than others, and it’s possible to have too many plants. I’ll play around with medleys too, mixing and matching.

If they take, growth will be slow. Baby steps work well here, as I’ve never water-gardened.

As I research and learn, the now obvious role of plants as an integral half of a healthy, balanced cycle/biome becomes clearer and clearer. . They trade 02 for C02, absorb the waste products of the fish and food (mainly ammonia and nitrate), provide shelter and shade (habitat) for the fish, shade for the tank in summer (sun+water=algae, NO BUENO) among other aspects of symbiosis.

The big flat light blue insulation sheet and pieces seen on the left have been on top of the water during dark hours lowering heat transfer. The tank temp is crawling up into the very low forties, but that’s a welcome direction no matter it’s pace.