Snail Spirals

Another progress picture of the Daffodil Runner-



Moving along fine. This is a fun, easy pattern.

Mostly what I wanted to post about today is my aquarium. Looky what I discovered yesterday:



I'm pretty sure this is a Malaysian trumpet snail, Melanoides tuberculata. These are livebearers, unlike the physids, which lay egg masses. Like the physids, these can overrun a tank, but I'm going to keep it because I like snails. If the snails become a problem, they can be thinned.

I also have other new residents of the tank. Three panda corydoras catfish!


Corydoras panda

Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to get more fish, but these are very small and having just three won't place that much stress on the system. The filter is so efficient, and is overpowered for the tank size to begin with that it should be OK.


Corydoras panda

They look like something out of Dr. Seuss, don't they?! Their mouth is underslung like most cories, and they have two barbels that are forked. It's really cool to watch them mouthing around on the gravel. Their barbels seem to be muscular, and they move them around to clasp the gravel pieces and feel for food particles. They also like to school together, and trundle around the tank all in a group looking for food.

I also got a new plant a couple weeks ago, to replace the "lily grass" that is well on its way out. I think it has two leaves left, and either doesn't like my water or isn't an aquatic at all. The new plant is the grassy stuff in the center back, and is Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae). So far it's doing well- no dead leaves.



So pretty! As you can see, the plants are happy. Compare this picture to the one from March 12. The Java fern, (left side, foreground) has almost doubled in bushiness! And last night I discovered another new leaf each on the Amazon Sword (left background) and tapegrass (right background).