Aquariums: Before and After (Zero Knowledge vs Some Knowledge)

Was gifted a 5 gallon tank with 5 Glofish tetras, glow gravel, plastic plants, mushroom house, and a fake rock with seeds planted on it’s fake moss. I knew NOTHING about this hobby but as soon as I received this gift I started doing some research. Fast forward to today and the tetras were given to an LFS, all the glow gravel, plastic plants, the mushroom house, the in tank filter, and the lid light have been removed. They have been replaced with shrimp, Neon Tetras, Least Killifish, bladder and trumpet snails, Fluval Stratum substrate, real plants, HOB filter, CO2, and a Hygger light. I’ve also dyed the tank silicon a light blue because that’s my favorite color (jk, I had to treat the neons for ich because I got them from an LFS that had them in a pond outside and that dyed all my stuff blue lol). The time between these two pictures is 4 months.

I’ve been learning a lot and this tank is so much fun to look at now. I tell people that the fish are the least interesting thing about this tank. Every day it’s different and I notice something new. Whether it’s the hydra growing, the scuds doing their thing, the shrimp flying around, the bladder snails floating in the middle of the water column like some sort of magician, or the plants sprouting new leaves in different directions. My wife makes so much fun of me because of how much time i spend with my face an inch away from the glass just staring into the tank looking at all the small details and things that are doing on in this eco system. Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are all at 0 and stay there with no water changes which makes me happy since that means the eco system is doing its thing. I’m now getting to the point that the plants are growing too fast and I’m having to trim and throw away instead of trim and replant. It makes me sad but one day I’ll get myself a 20 gallon and transfer stuff over.