I feel like a weirdo saying this but - I've now entered the uglies stage and I'm excited!

[Anteres]

Now entering: the first diatom bloom. Also the glass is a little cloudy because I spilled saltwater on it and havent cleaned it off with vinegar yet. So far this has been up and running for two and a half weeks I think? I haven't done any water changes and have been topping off with freshwater as needed. I'm excited because I'm now able to see the first visible signs that life are finally starting to appear in my 5g bowl.