Operation Face Lift Underway

np...photos show running progress. ;o).

Gettn ready to add the rest of the SMS.

 

Battery charged and ready to resume. Here's the latest pic. Adding the last of the SMS now.

 

Ok, I think I have all the SMS added now. I may have to add more later when I get to the actual scaping part. But that won't be an issue. I cheated on the last two additions. After rinsing, I just dipped the collender(sp) down in tank and emptied it. Actually worked quite well if I must say.

BPs and Cories are extremely active. Think the Cories are doing the "happy" dance. Hope not...at least not yet anyways as I still have to clean the glass.

Latest pic with all of it added. Will do some smoothing in a bit to get a feel for lay of the land.

 

Last pic of the day. Wanted to start getting the plants that will be staying back in there. Only temporary location as final scaping still has a lot of work to pull off.

 

Glass is a bit dirty, but water is still a little hazy from the change over. Stired up quite a bit of stuff.

The thing floating to the right is one the pre-filters. I removed them during the process so the filters could pick up more. They will be going back on today.

 

Grrrrr...minor delay. Went down to get the cardinal plant from one of the jungles.....GONE! Crap. Just too overgrown I guess and didn't get much light. Oh well...will have to find some more.

 

Back in action. Downloaded the last in progress pics I took from the other day. I had to throw some plants in there so they wouldn't perish. The BPs as well decided they wanted to decorate on their own so it doesn't look like this at the moment. I think they are just mad at me for taking away their hideaways.

Started to make the first hideaway:


Just some plants. Not all permanent.


Picked up materials to redo the hides and make some terrain features. Still working on replacing some of the plants I lost in the jungles.

BTW...tank cleared up nicely. The cories are even hanging out closer than before. Wouldn't have thought changing substrates would have done that. Maybe just better flow in the tank at the moment.

 

Thx. Just gotta get the hides built so the BPs will hopefully be happy. They are just having a hayday in there. Rootin up under the driftwood throwing the SMS all over the place. One of them did finally find the tunnel on the left, but as you can see in the above pic..they have fully exposed it which causes a reconstruct. Kinda funny in that only about an inch of opening is left so he has got himself a nice place. I'll get an updated pic today. Threw in some more plants as well. At this time, only the Anubias and Echinodorus Angustifolia sp. 'vesuvius' are staying. I may keep the Ricca in here if it turns out nice. I will be adding some moss and fissidens as well.

 

Haven't been able to manage much work on this the past few days. The BPs continue to tear up the place. It's kinda funny actually. They are burrowing under the two pieces of driftwood. I have built one hide structure yesterday. Silicone is curring and will be ready to place in the tank tomorrow. Hopefully this will help calm them down. I'll start constructing another one tomorrow as well. I took some pics and will get them up then as well.

 

Have some time to get some progress pics. Here is where we left off.

* Note to self * Don't hire BNPs as interior decorators.

As you can see...the BPs didn't like their setup and decided to do some rearranging.

 

I have constructed the first hideaway and placed it in the tank. Fishies wasted no time investigating. I will be placing plants in front of and on top of the structure.

Intial placement in the tank. The grey streak is a long fin coming out from it:


Here's a female Cherry Barb coming out after an inspection:


Front shot. Anubias will be placed in front. There will be about an inch between the plants and the wall to allow for fishies and snails. Same CB going back in.

 

Bonus Shot: Since change over and addition of the ricca and Polygonum sp. Kawagoeanum, the Cherry Barbs have been hanging out here. The pair of Oto's have as well been hanging out here.

 

Woops.....One of the pictures didn't work. I have sent Anthony a corrected link to fix it.

Technical difficulties...please stand by

 

All fixed now....Thx Anthony.

Now you can see what the BPs left me to work with. Their own little two fishy wrecking crew company.