Live Plant Journal - Part 6

Sheila writes to tell about her experience with a 'helpful' young grandson.

Grandson Rearranges Tank
I went out of town for the weekend to spend some time with my soul sister and left my daughter and grandson at home. Boy that wasn't a good idea. I came home Sunday evening and was met by my grandson, Gavin. Gavin was very excited and couldn't wait to show me his handiwork. He took my hand and drug me into the living room. All I could say was "Lord have mercy on all the little children".

He informed me that he was playing with the fish and had no idea that he had done anything wrong, but he had knocked a sea shell onto the Anubias Nana and had uprooted a portion of the Cryptocoryne Petchii. Well, as my mom always says, "When you get lemons make some lemonade", so that is what I did.

I removed the sea shell and as luck would have it, no damage was done. Then I took the piece of the Cryptocorye Petchii and planted it on the far side of the tank and added a ball of the substrate gold. All is well!! As I was repairing the damage done I noticed that when I got my plants Don was nice enough to include a friend in the form of little snail that is now creeping through my tank.

New Growth
I also noticed that my Crypto Lucens has a little spout coming up out of the gravel. I'm not sure but I think a new leaf has opened on the Ozelot Sword as there is a small rather red leaf in the middle of that plant. I am also including a picture of my Horn Wort Fern as it has unfurled more and has made itself right at home.

Dying Leaves
While fixing the uprooted plant I noticed that my Narrow Java Fern is indeed losing some of its leaves just as Don said it would. I'll give it a few more days and then I'll snip those leaves off close to the base. Don warned me that this would more than likely happen with a couple of the plants so I was not shocked at this development.

All things accounted for I think that my tank is looking pretty good. I'll be adding a couple new fish in a few days, so keep a watch for that special event. ~ Sheila

Guide Notes
Sheila has experienced a problem that is common in families with young children. When setting up an aquarium it's important to teach your children to never put their hands into the tank. However, don't frighten them with warnings of impending doom if they do so. Explain that it isn't healthy for the fish to put anything in the tank, including food, toys, and their hands.

You can also tell them that the tank is the fishies private room, and they would appreciate having people stay out of their room. Most children can relate to wanting some private space of their own. If your children are too young to understand (ie: toddlers), you should place the aquarium in a location where they are not able to reach it at all.

... stay tuned, our series continues when Sheila discovers she made a planting error.

My thanks to Sheila for sharing her journal and to Don Matakis for sending plants and providing Sheila with expert advice.