Scorchio

There’s been some encouraging signs over the past couple of days, notably the green algal growth and where it is occurring. Firstly, the fact that algae is growing is a good sign, as it means the chlorine-bleached prior state has been converted into a biologically viable environment. Secondly, the fact the algae is growing primarily on the side where there are no plants is consistent with the fundamental reason I’m introducing so many plants in the first place. The idea that they will starve off the algal growth and eventually clean the fountain naturally, without intervention, is supported by this image (the sun reaches both sides equally through the day, so it isn’t simply a matter of shade). Great stuff!

Here’s a few close ups of plants that are particularly thriving. The mare’s tail (Hippuris vulgaris) is going absolutely nuts as expected, great to see, and I’ll keep an eye on perhaps separating it and planting it out in a few other places.

And check out the lily, new pads shooting up and unfurling beautifully.

Not all positive progress though. The water soldier (Stratiotes aloides) has definitely not made it. I can’t even find where it went, so either someone fished it out thinking it was detritus or it just rotted away after the shock of being transplanted to a different environment. I suspect the latter.

Also, the aquarium oxygenators that were anchored to the bottom in the previous update have completely wasted away within 3 days. Unsure what happened there, given hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is normally quite hardy. It may have been the temperature change, having come from a warm aquarium into water that’s been sitting consistently around 30 degrees. It could also be the pH: aquarium plants are used to near-neutral water, and being dropped into a pond sitting stubbornly at 9 is a shock on top of the heat. Bit concerned about what all this means for algal growth over the coming days.