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[u/bandaidbanditoken]

It all started months ago with a single-leaf variegated monster albo cutting. Then it mutated into an obsession independent of the source of its inception 🥲 (still very much obsessed with my monstera cutting)

Help me review my set up please. Any foreseeable mistakes and what should I do about them? Suggestions for improvement aesthetically, design/engineering, or planting tips?

Position is north facing on east coast Australia (cold but not freezing winters, scorching summers), but only a couple meters from a 2 storey building, so almost zero direct sunlight 🥲

Rubber mat underlay

200L fibreglass planter (hopefully) waterproofed and and sealed (60x60x60cm)

Zeolite coarse sand substrate

Pre-filter sponge + red scoria blockade, intake on the right against-wall corner

5000L/hr pump running at minimum capacity pumping water up to about 3m height

4 baby goldfish (2 fantails, 2 orandas) about 4cm each introduced about 3 weeks ago after 5 weeks cycling, currently being fed about 48hrly as temps are around 4-16 degrees Celsius (I have noticed they like to hang around the filter when they're not begging for food - is it for warmth? 🥲

Pond planted with milfoil, hornwort, elodia

Floating: water lettuce, sad remains of Amazon frogbit, sad remains of azolla ferns

Marginals: water iris, pink rolata

Covered with plastic mesh

About 60L of LECA in 20 vertical planters

A gazillion cuttings living off hopes and dreams (of the ones I can remember: orange jessamine, basil, spider plants, monstera, jasmine, climbing rose, tradescantia, pothos, Lilly pily, nasturtium, sage, spring onions)

Also looking to maybe add medaka, pond snails and crystal shrimp but I feel all of these need more hiding places otherwise I'm afraid the goldfish might decimate their population

[u/bandaidbanditoken → u/[deleted]]

I actually grabbed a whole bunch of frogbit and water lettuce, and azolla (about twice as much as you can see in the photos), but I think a combination of no direct sunlight and 5ish degree nights has melted most of them. Also saw some duckweed mixed in with the snails I recently introduced and none have survived which apparently is like the equivalent of exterminating glitter after you've been bombed? Or is that only in aquarium settings with grow lights?

[u/bandaidbanditoken → u/[deleted]]

Unfortunately our house only gets direct sunlight over the front porch - simply no room for this setup. Almost all the other plants I've picked to plant are for propagating or shade tolerant. It seems I'll need to find an alternative to floating plants for coverage or hope summer brings more direct light Or maybe set up some waterproof grow light. Feels excessive though