Two years later

I'm not much of a blogger any more, especially not much of a fish blogger. My last post, A blank slate, was supposed to be my story of how I created a new tank, and how wonderfully it all turned out. I'd let things grow, and I'd be able to post the kind of beautiful pictures I posted in A lack of updates.

Things didn't work out that way.

Instead, it's been two years of algae problems and no more than modest successes. Two years of disappointingly messy tanks and long periods of neglected maintenance.

A tank that goes well is a joy to behold. The plants look gorgeous, the fish set things off ever so nicely. If you fall behind on your maintenance, the robust system just takes care of itself. But a tank that never quite settles out right is an ongoing struggle. It's hard to motivate yourself when things aren't going well. Algae outbreak, mediocre plant growth, all sorts of things like that. But that's the kind of tank that needs more interventions, not less. If you don't do it, the whole system just limps along.