We have sprouts!!!

So I have some good news and some bad news.  The bad news is we lost a couple more fish.  I think I over stocked the tank with 24 fish, and we have lost about 4 of them I think over the couple of weeks it has been since I got them.  I think I have been so worried about over feeding them that I infact have been under feeding them.  I have been checking the PH and everything so far we seem to be doing pretty good.  I think the bio-filter I added is really helping to stabilize things until the plants can get growing.

Also I found out a source to get Hydroton which is the best growing media for this sort of thing.  But the problem is that I have already have a grow bed full of landscaping rocks.  So I think it is time we start designing the second grow bed.  Then I can have one of the rock and one of the hydroton, to see which is the most effective.  I am still trying to figure out how I am going to hook a second grow bed into the system.  It would be nice to have it so that it fills up one tank, that drains and then it fills up the second tank and so on.  I worry that if I try to fill up both of the grow beds there won't be any water left in the aquarium!  We will see, I am also going to redesign the siphon I think it will work much better and be much simpler to put together.

Alright so on to the good news we have sprouts!  Very tiny they might be but I am excited!

You can see them a little bit here.  It is really hard to take pictures of something so small.

 You can see these pretty easily!  I know they are so small but you have to start somewhere.

 Here you can see them, I wish this focused in a little better but you get the idea.  Hoping we see some more growth shortly. I added some liquid seaweed to the tank which should help the plants grow.  I think I am going to take a stab at Paella tomorrow since the Patriots aren't playing till Monday Night Football.