I started by trying a DIY painted background, which lasted a short time as I didn't like the way it turned out. I then learned how easy it is to scrape paint off glass, though a bit messy to clean up. Current background is blue fading to black, and I'm much happier with it.
Substrate is about 50% Fluorite, my first bag of the stuff. If I were to do it over again, it would be 100% Fluorite. Lighting is (again) my first purchase of double NO fluorescent strip lights. Bulbs are a mixture of CoraLife 50/50's and Tritons.
This is also the first tank that I tried DIY CO2 injection. Amazing results -- good growth and oxygen bubbles pearling on the leaves within the first day.
There used to be some temporary mollies in here. They were meant to be temporary, and in the meantime of course they had babies. They lone since been relocated. Currently this one has cherry barbs, kuhli loaches (which I rarely see), an Ancistrus pleco, and gets so thick with plants that I routinely toss out handfuls.
Note the sponge over power filter (got tired of fishing out the baby mollies). The large java fern towards the right parented several plantlets that have helped to fill out the driftwood. Amazon swords are doing much better now that I'm putting Jobe's spikes in the substrate. Small stand of crypts in back right, doing fine and setting off a few plantlets.
The grass-like plants on the left turned out to be terrestrial plants, and lived a slow death til I pulled them out and discarded them.
Hair, that is. Or beard, whatever, it's a nasty thing. I stumbled across some SAE's (Crossocheilus siamensis), and double checked their identity at thekrib. Did an excellent job in the 32, and I moved one off to the 20 gallon for the same miracle work. Unfortunately, tankmate was found dried up on floor that evening, but the survivor continues to work hard at eliminating the stuff.
Link to IDing SAE's at thekrib.com
