[Michael Hoaster]

Thanks Kevin! Getting my tank back up and running took a lot longer than I expected. A lot of that was because of procrastination, and a lot was just life. Once I got through the major system hurdles I gained some momentum. Right now, all I have going is sand and rocks. It's not much to look at. But it is good to focus on the substrate, and adding the little guys that are so important to the ecosystem.

I'm of course anxious to get the manatee grass in. Should be this week! The two, little shoal grass plants have both put out new leaves, so that's encouraging. The snails, conch and cucumber all seem to be enjoying the diatoms. The mollies too. They've done especially well cleaning the back wall. I should be able to add worms soon. I just want to make sure there is enough for them to eat. They can probably get by on much less than I think.

It was fun, going through old pics for inspiration. It was also helpful to see what I liked, and what I didn't like. V1 was a jungle of color and life, and a whole lot of fun. Plus I learned a lot.

It will be another learning experience this time around, since I'm planning for things to be a bit different. I really want the manatee grass to dominate, with much less emphasis on macros. This will mean I'll have to modify my methods to get there. One of the biggest differences has already happened, with the large quantity of yard dirt included in the substrate. I'm thinking (hoping) that, with a fertile substrate, I'll have less dosing to do. The grasses should take off quicker, since they won't have to wait a year for the substrate to accumulate nutrients.

Of course, we'll have to see what Mother Nature has to say about all this! I'll be listening…