Streetwise

@Biotope19, the second design allows for a nice recliner, and perhaps a media setup as well.

Does your local water come from a well, or is it treated with chlorine, or chloramine?

Doh! I read a lot of threads, and I sometimes skim.

@KentFishFanUK, those photos are focused on the plants in the background. Try stepping back just a foot or so.

I get this a bit in my tank where my Yo-Yo loach eats pond snails. I also miss having snails clean the glass.

@James Black, you are further north, so you might have more available windows. I also keep a west-facing 1.25 tank, with a bit of a shadow, and a low-power light. Ignore the bucket of staging.

@Pattie, I am a very messy planted tank aquarist. Plants are always a good thing! If my plants are happy, my fish and shrimp are usually healthy.

Add as many plants as you can fit! Plants are amazing, and do so much good! I have hard water, and my fish are happy. https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/live-plants

I learned recently that I can also keep my Betta at room temperature without a heater, since I am not planning to breed. I moved a Betta as the final inhabitant in a community tank, and she plays nice with others.

Some of my favorite tanks are no-tech tanks in north-facing windows. With other directions, at least in the northern hemisphere, you might have more variables and seasonal drama.

Have you added any live plants yet?

I read the forum via Unread Posts. Sometimes, I have to hit that button to clear my backlog. We have grown enough that It is harder to read every thread, even just skimming.

I don’t see anything.

From the state of Vermont: Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are naturally found in fresh water in the U.S. and in Lake Champlain and other Vermont waters. Some types of cyanobacteria can release natural toxins or poisons (called cyanotoxins) into the water, especially when they die and break down. https://dec.vermont.gov/water/drinking-water/water-quality-monitoring/blue-green-algae/cyano-guidance

It is looking better, but I still have to replant a few plants that floated up. I need to drop in some more snails to help with the glass before my loach eats them.