Ludwigia and Cycling

It appears that the 6.6 is about finished cycling. I have a few more tests to run. I have to be certain the nitrites are gone. I did a 90% water change today, and set up the plants and driftwood. I don't love this driftwood piece in this tank. but I don't have any other pieces to put in there and I'm not buying more. A carpet would look so nice in there. I wonder what I could try.

I found some ludwigia at Petco. I had to go up there because that damn Aqueon heater in the 55 was still knocking. I suspect that's just the way the heater is, but I'm not taking any chances that something terrible could happen. (Electrocution, for example.) I bought a replacement heater, a Petco brand which I'm not too impressed by, and saw that they'd received a shipment of plants. There were three lovely red ludwigias in their tank. I bought two. One for the 6.6 and one for the 55.

I also bought this:

I *think* it's rotala indica. I see something similar labled dwarf bonsai, but then there's a comment that says that it's no longer that species but in fact a rotala. So I am going with rotala indica. I've asked the forum, though.

Meanwhile, Jerkface's log still needs to be water-logged, hence the rock on top of it. It needs, I suspect, better lighting. Which means a new lid. And more money. Phooey.

Edit: Tonight the damn nitrites were way high again in the 6.6. I don't understand. I did a 90% change today, and they nitrites were so low yesterday. What. The. Hell. I guess Jerkface isn't going anywhere.