Multi-Tank Syndrome - Confessions Of An MTS Sufferer By Littlefish

I would never have realised that plants classed as easy could create tanks that look like this, and learning about the plants & different 'scaping designs is fascinating. I thoroughly enjoying it. 

Love this comment... that's exactly what I'm trying to prove on my site!

And no I'm not reretting it in the slightest...only problem is I now have too many requests for me to do the same for other people! I can't keep up!!

Wow your tanks look fabulous. You are seriously selling the MTS thing! (I am increasingly envious with each new tank 'scape I see) But I barely have time to look after one tank at the moment, so it is the fish welfare that is restraining me.

However, I have some bogwood soaking in a bucket that I'm planning to incorporate into my tank at the weekend. I will be taking some serious inspiration from your South American tank. 

Thanks for all of your very positive comments on the tanks.

Let me now introduce you to the marbled hatchetfish that I purchased yesterday, and have settled into their quarantine tank fairly quickly. They are tiny little things, and I think that they have lovely markings.

After forgetting to pick up shrimps and snails yesterday, I popped back to the store this morning and got a bag of amano shrimp (along with a bonus baby rabbit snail), and a bag of horned nerite snails (clithon corona). They are very young/small, and I almost can't believe the shrimp are the same as some of the massive females I've got in the other tanks - they are big girls. 

Oh, @fcmf you know me too well. 
It is quite a struggle not to get carried away with fish as the local MA has recently had a delivery, so there are lots of lovely fish to look at. My will power is getting tested as I struggle to keep to my plans. 

 
Now I have two obsessions, fish and plants. The local MA has also set up an extra 8ft plant tank, and two extra 3ft plant tanks recently, so now they have a lot more choice too.

Lovin' those Hatchets...   

Not strictly fish-related, but certainly aquatic, and part of my multi-tank syndrome.

This is what it looks like when your axolotls wait until you've finished cleaning their tank, then one of them takes a massive pooh, and tries to bury it in the sand.     

I've trimmed the carpeting plants in the tree stump tank. I've also thinned out and removed some of the crypts, which were quite heavily planted to start with, and then grew like weeds and started to take over the tank. 
I've been a bit heavy handed with the trimming, but I want to encourage the carpeting plants as much as possible. The marsilia hirsuta is still my favourite, it's so pretty.
I also need to confess that I'd incorrectly calculated the volume of my tank, and always though it was a slim-line tank with a volume of a maximum 140L. It isn't, it is standard depth, with a max. volume of 220L. After planting etc. the volume is actually 170L, and this means that I can recalculate my stock levels.
Having explained my concerns to Matt  with regards to putting Harri the BN into the tank (she'd probabaly trash the carpeting plants), and seeing how small the marbled hatchets are, we've discussed only using very small fish. I'll get more marbled hatchets, use the black neon tetras I've already got (and increase their numbers), and get some salt & pepper corys for the bottom. All fish are around 3cm, should look more in proportion to each other, and more in proportion to the delicate planting. 
@Matt  I've also changed to an FX4 filter, but with wider nozzles on the output, so I won't blast the hatchets out of the water, an don't have to think about where to site a spray bar in this tank. Is there anything else I need to do with this tank and/or the planting before we start thinking about adding fish?

Tree stump tank looks really lovely too.

I also need to confess that I'd incorrectly calculated the volume of my tank, and always though it was a slim-line tank with a volume of a maximum 140L. It isn't, it is standard depth, with a max. volume of 220L. After planting etc. the volume is actually 170L

At this point, a smile broke out as I read this, as I knew what this meant.    I agree that having fish of similar proportion to one another and also to the decor of the tank is important.  Would love to read how you get on with the habrosus cories that you're proposing which are lovely - very envious.
 

@Matt  I've also changed to an FX4 filter, but with wider nozzles on the output, so I won't blast the hatchets out of the water, an don't have to think about where to site a spray bar in this tank. Is there anything else I need to do with this tank and/or the planting before we start thinking about adding fish?

Looking at the tank now (and I must admit I'm a bit of a fan of what I'm about to suggest... just look at my photos in the gallery section... what would you think to doing a vallis background? The back potentially looks quite bare...

The more this tank gets the better it will look 

I'd love to see an up close photo of the marsilea hirsuta as you often fave about it and must admit I'm getting quite jealous that I can't find any locally!