[EHEIM OPAL] Trimming

I did did another trim today. Here is a brief description of what has happened.
1. Trimmed the Syngonathus back and replanted them all in the left corner, removed some Staurogyne.
2. Red Macranda has been moved to the far left corner.
3. Proserpinaca has been replanted to the back right middle.

Future plans:
- I am hoping to try Pogostem helferi again. It is a lovely looking plant but does not seem to flourish in my tank. I might give it another go in future.
- I would like to get some larger taller driftwood for my tank but because the mosses are so well grown out on the right hand side, it makes it difficult for me to consider restarting that corner.

TIP: To propagate stem plants, trimming it 3/4 down near the base will produce extra shoots later on. These shoots can be harvested and replanted. Use tweezers to replant them.

[SHRIMP TANK] Face Patterns Discussion

I have noticed that some of my shrimp have a variety of facial patterns and colours. In the pictures above, there are a variety of patterns visible.

Top 2 Pictures

The Oldest shrimp "Black SS No Entry" is black with a two white spots which look like eyes on the top of its head. I would say the majority of my shrimp have this pattern (a genetic trait).

Middle 2 Pictures
The middle left picture shows the offspring of the shrimp above it. The one on the left has similar patterns to her while the one on the right has a crown on its head.
The middle right picture shows a Crystal Black Shrimp (A grade) with a white face. This is unusual considering its mother has a black face.

Bottom Picture
The bottom picture is a Crystal Red Shrimp from my colony with a red face. I find this is desirable but its legs are only partially coloured. I will be trying to select for shrimp with red face and legs.

TIP: When taking pictures of Crystal Shrimp, using a magnifying glass along with the camera can produce some spectacular closeups.

[EHEIM OPAL] Video

Here is a video of the tank I made this afternoon.
I did not want to spend too much time making it so it is simple and short.
The music is KPop so I apologise if you do not understand it. I found it cheerful and it suited the clip quite well so I included it.

TIP: Videos can be easily recorded from the Iphone and edited with Windows Movie Maker for an easy upload into youtube.

[EHEIM OPAL] Eriocaulon Splitting

Since I had success in splitting my Erios a few months back I have decided to give it another try. This time I have split one into 3 plants. (see the picture). Fingers crossed we will see how they grow as the foremost plant has no roots. The one in the middle is the unsplit one.

Also, I have trimmed my Crinum leaves in hope that it will produce an extra bulb. Although it is still young, the older leaves have gone dark since my past CO2 issues so I have trimmed them off.

Im having a lot of browser issues with firefox and it is very difficult for me to update my blog. I will try to update it again from time to time.


TIP: When splitting Eriocaulon, i use a razor blade. (preferably a scalpel blade) and i split it right down the middle so each portion still has roots. You will see the pinkish/purplish centre of the bulb in the middle. Do not worry about this. When replanting, it does help to have tweezers and grab it by the roots as you replant it.

[EHEIM OPAL] All is well

I apologise for the late updates. I am so busy these days and very tired and blue due to the Winter weather. I have been very lazy with my maintenance and trimming and hence the plants look a little overgrown. They are due for a trim this weekend.

Update on Eriocaulon Shiga
The Eriocaulon shiga that I divided into two a month back have grown extra leaves and look full again. They will be soon due for another split. If you look at the picture with the two Erios you will see the Syngonathus belem in the background. They look stunning. Right next to the Erios is the Tri-color lotus which has returned from the dead. It has now doubled in size and hopefully with mature into an adult.

Update on other plants
The Hemathius carpet is growing much better than expected as well - bright green with no dark spots. It must be consistency of the CO2. Ever since i solved the CO2 fluctuation problems the plants have kicked back with full force.

Peacock moss has kicked back and looks just amazing.

I will try my best to keep up with the updates. Thanks for your patience.

TIP: Erios can be divided by splitting it down the middle with a sharp blade.