He's Such A Softie :)

[Meeresstille]

I had to do something to save my plants! All those holey leaves just aren't pretty to look at, so today I went and got 2 Assassin snails to help battle the snail baby boom in my 40 gallon tank. The only problem was I couldn't keep the big Sulawesi snail in that tank with the Assassin snails. and I put her in with my Betta, Malcolm.
 
He is already living with 8 red cherry shrimp, they are out in the open, doing what shrimps do, and he is not bothering with them at all. But I wasn't sure how he would handle this addition, and I do have a ten gallon I could set up if need be!
 
Looks like we're doing OK. He'd spent some time checking out his new roomie, and as I was watching them I wondered if the positive re-inforcements and Counter Conditioning used on dogs would work here, so I dropped some Betta Pellets in there hoping he would see the snail as something positive. He did find these a lot more interesting than the snail. For now, anyways!  
I'm wondering though if I should set up the 10 gallon and move everyone over.....?
 

 

 

[Meeresstille]

Well, I had a day off today and decided to make use of those free hours by setting up the 10 gallon. The plan was to do a biotope, so I started with black laterite.
 

 
I wanted some branches in the biotope and used this nice leggy one I already had. It was covered in java moss and I removed just about all of it. There still are the java ferns on it, I thought if I want to remove them later I still could then. In the back on the right hand side is a second piece of wood, that is covered in java moss, I later placed it more upright to buffer the waterfall from the filter somewhat.
 

 
Plant wise the vallisneria is OK I think, then there is the brown crypt and the java ferns. After work tomorrow I will stop by at a shop where I know they have Tiger Lotus. I know my lighting will not be enough for it in the long run, but the plan is to change this in the coming weeks. The Anubia will have to come out at some point, and be replaced with a South East Asian plant. Not sure yet what plant/s, but if anyone has a suggestion I'd be very happy to hear it!