Sparkling Gourami Aquarium - Day 260
Hey friends,
Welcome to this week’s edition of Wednesday updates!
Today’s Update: The Sparkling Gourami Aquarium - Day 260
Over the past 37 weeks, this ecosystem has been one of my favorites to sit down, relax, and watch the fish and shrimp go about their day. The plants are thriving, and there’s hardly any algae to be seen.
I recently did a big maintenance session and unfortunately forgot to take a picture beforehand. Trust me when I say it was overgrown! I pulled out a bucketload of plants and tidied it up a lot. Currently, the aquarium is in the ‘rough’ stage where the plants need to grow back in; it’ll only take a week or two.
The majority of plants in this tank have been thriving, with only a couple of exceptions. One of these is the Crypt flamingo. It’s certainly not unhealthy, but it hasn’t grown as I hoped it would. It’s supposed to go a vibrant pink colour, but it has just stayed green. There could be a few reasons for this, the main one being light. The crypt often gets shadowed by the trident fern and the stem plants. Maybe if it were out in the open a bit more, it would colour up more. That being said, I quite like the natural tones of green it brings to the centre of the tank, so I’m going to leave it where it is.
If you saw the build video, you’ll know I made this tank for some absolutely stunning sparkling gouramis. I’m glad to say they’re doing really well and have put on some size since introducing them. I snapped this picture of one a couple of months back. I can definitely see why they are called ‘sparkling’ gouramis!
Before trimming this tank last week, I noticed a baby cherry shrimp, and upon closer inspection, there are about 10 of them! Although they are arguably one of the easiest creatures to breed in an aquarium, it’s always super rewarding when they do, as it's a sign that the ecosystem is thriving!
Top Tips for This Ecosystem
Test the Water - A cheap test kit is super handy when it comes to an aquarium. I test the water a couple of times a week to determine if I need to do a water change, as well as ensuring pH and KH are stable for the fish and shrimp.
Add Fertilizer - This aquarium is packed with plants that demand lots of nutrients. Although the stem plants can get them from the substrate, epiphytes like the anubias and trident fern pull nutrients from the water column. Adding fertilizer will help them to thrive.
Be Patient - I know it can be hard to hear, but sometimes you just have to be patient. The aquarium is never going to look how you imagined on day 1 or even day 30. The plants need time to establish and grow in. The wait is worth it in the end!
Upcoming Project Spotlight
This is an exciting one: I just got hold of 5 tomato vampire crabs! They’ll be going inside my giant ecosystem paludarium that is yet to be released. I’m super excited to share this one with you in the near future :)
Subscriber Showcase
This week’s showcase goes to Harrison, who made this stunning 20-gallon aquascape that is soon to be home to a betta fish. If you ask me, that’s one lucky fish!
If you didn’t get featured this time, don’t worry as there’s always next week. Feel free to resubmit your ecosystem :)
To potentially feature in next week’s subscriber showcase, reply to this email with a picture and a short description of one of your ecosystems. Or email me at terrariumdesigns1@gmail.com
Additional Resources
Check out my terrarium making ebook, it’s packed full of useful information that will help you make a terrarium! https://terrariumdesigns.co.uk/products/ebook