55 gallon tidy up

[raylove]

Finally got round to clearing some plants out of my 55 gallon today.
I removed about half of the vallis that had taken over as well as about five or six large handfuls of floating salvinia. I can finally see the fish once again and I think I've confirmed that I'm missing a pygmy chain loach. I was hoping I would flush him out as I lost one for months once before but it turned up eventually, but only saw 4 today.
I'm always reluctant to embark on a massive plant thinning because I'm afraid they won't grow back. I've lost a tank be full of vallis in the past as well as a tank full of hygrophila for no apparent reason after a clear out.

 

[Kolykaf]

Looking good! I love dwarf chain loaches. They are among the liveliest fish I’ve kept- so fun to watch. I gave mine away when I re-scaped my 75 gallon last April. I wanted to keep cories but couldn’t because the chain loaches would outcompete them for food. I’m happy with my black schultzei cories, but I’m sure that I will keep the loaches again someday.