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Thread: Low light Java, moss and Crypt tank *update*

  1. #21
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    Hi Cameron,

    So long the plant is growing, it would need some form of carbon for its' main building block.

    Before you embark on CO2 injection (you can use those CO2 tank that makes over-the-counter gased drinks like Coca Cola), you may want to check the CO2 level in the tank. This can be done by using KH & PH kits. Let me know if you need guide on such readings to get indicative CO2 concentration.

  2. #22
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    Cameron,

    Freddy is the best person to answer technical questions but I've always believe CO2 injection always helps aquarium plants to grow better. A DIY yeast CO2 generator works just as well as a high-tech system except that you will have to keep refilling the bottle every 10 days or so.

    Your lighting seems a bit low. Although mosses and ferns can grow in low-light conditions, they grow a lot faster under high lighting. The lights that I use were bought from a hardware store and not from a fish shop. I'm using:

    Philips Fluotone
    TL-D 36W/865

    They are supposed to be "Extra long life and extra bright". Such lights are often used in places where high lighting is required, for instance, school classrooms and departmental stores. I believe you should be able to find something similar in South Africa. Compared to the lights sold in fish shops, these are far cheaper. And just as effective.

    Over here, people will freeze to death if the thermometer falls below 20 degrees C but those of us who grow mosses in our tanks will jump with joy. Generally, with mosses, we believe the colder it is, the better. I would think twice before putting in a heater.

    Loh K L

  3. #23
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    Dear Loh K L and Freddy

    I am very familiar with planted tanks running on DIY co2, been doing it for the last 3 years or so. Problem is that all of my co2 tanks eventually got BBA and so I just gave up on the co2 thing. This is the first tank I have that is low-light no co2 so this is new to me. I will need to decide what route to take but I believe a tad more light and a dash of co2 will probably help alot. But if I start to get BBA again I'm coming back to blame you guys
    Will keep you posted on the progress.

    As far as the temp is concerned: It might be ok for the mosses but I have a couple of Killies in this tank aswell. I am not very clued up on Killies, hence me joining this forum, so would the low temps be ok for them aswell? How low can I go?

    I think that Killies separate the men from the boys and at this point I am still a boy as I have had very bad luck at keeping Killies. Hopefuly this site will help me on my Killie adventures.

    Thanks for the all the advice so far, I'm enjoying it.

    Warm regards
    Cameron

  4. #24
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    Here's an update on my tank.


  5. #25
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    Nice, Cameron. I see you have put the spiralling diffuser to good use already

    Are you using DIY CO2? The spiralling diffuser works great with CO2 from a yeast bottle.

    Is that a spray bar at the top of the tank? Over here, most hobbyists do not use spray bars for the returning water. We use L-shaped tubes or the elbows from Eheim to direct the water back into the tank. Spray bars have the effect of agitating the water surface, thereby causing loss of CO2. It's like shaking a can of coke, if you know what I mean.

    It could be just my imagination but I thought I saw brown algae on the leaves of the Anubias. Brown algae is the easiest of algae to eradicate but I don't know if the fish is available in the shops of South Africa. Get an Otocinclus affinis or a Chinese algae-eater and the brown algae will disappear overnight.

    Loh K L

  6. #26
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    I see you have put the spiralling diffuser to good use already
    It's a sweet bit of equipment, I like it a lot, and it works surprisingly well. It's quite hypnotising watching the bubbles slowly rise to the surface

    Are you using DIY CO2? The spiralling diffuser works great with CO2 from a yeast bottle.
    Yes I'm still going the diy route, call me a cheapskate Seems to work great with this diffuser though.

    Is that a spray bar at the top of the tank? Over here, most hobbyists do not use spray bars for the returning water. We use L-shaped tubes or the elbows from Eheim to direct the water back into the tank.
    I have the spray bar pointing down towards the front of the tank at a 45 degree angle, there's not much surface agitation at all so hopefully I'm not wasting much co2. I think I'll try your method with an L tube and see how that goes, thanks for the suggestion.

    It could be just my imagination but I thought I saw brown algae on the leaves of the Anubias. Brown algae is the easiest of algae to eradicate but I don't know if the fish is available in the shops of South Africa. Get an Otocinclus affinis or a Chinese algae-eater and the brown algae will disappear overnight.
    There is a bit of Detritus on the leaves but I can safely say that there is absolutely no visible algae in this tank. I'll try and take some close ups soon so you can see the leaves more clearly. If i add Ottos they might starve to death I do have a chinese algae eater, he lives outside in my pond, he's a HUGE bugger, but there's no chance of catching him due to all the pond weeds and hiding places. I will be adding 10 Emperor Tetras to the tank next week, I think now with the addition of co2 the plants will enjoy the extra Nitrates from the fish, I'm trying to keep this tank as natural as possible without adding many chemicals to it, so far it seems quite balanced (touch wood).

    Thanks for taking a squizz Loh.

    Warm regards
    Cameron

  7. #27
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    Hi Cameron,

    There something wrong with my browser the last few days, I cannot make any posting.

    The tank has matured well, congratulation! I agree with KL on addition of Otocinclus affinis but not the chinese algae eater for your tank. Unlike chinese algae eater's large appetite, Otto will clean the leafs without damaging them. Otto also munch and clean woods. Your tank can easily support (provide enough food) one or two Ottos for long run.

  8. #28
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    Thanks FC,

    Good to see your browser is working again

  9. #29
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    Nice tank! I really like how simple but beautiful it is!

    -Andrew

  10. #30
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    I said I would post some close up pics of the leaves. Plant health is fairly good, I'm using a fertiliser specially designed by a local professor to suit our SA water which is fairly soft. The ferts do not contain N&P (The high fish load takes care of that).








  11. #31
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    Good looking tank there Cameron. For some reason the first sets of pictures will not load for me. Anyone else having this issue?
    Joe

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by timebomb
    I'm aware of the generation code in our names, Gan. If you noticed, my daughters have the same middle name - "Pei". My brothers' daughters all carry the same middle name too. My daughters are Pei Si and Pei Ying while their cousins are Pei Yan, Pei Hong and Pei San.

    But the tradition of using a generation name is slowly dying. These days, parents place more importance on choosing a good English name for their children. There are even parents who have decided not to give their children Chinese names altogether.

    I"m one of the few people in my generation who chose not to give my children English names. Really, I'm a dying breed.

    Loh K L
    Hey guys, Being in the USA thats very interesting to hear, Its a bit similar over here but basically backwards. First name is given mine's Andrew, then Middle, Might be random but usually is some significance for firstborn Mine's Lee which is my father's and my grandfathers and his fathers, Then Hill which is my family name..

    Thats really interesting though Loh, My Name your way would probably be something like Hill (Generation) Andrew? Thats pretty cool Sign my paper in school that way see if I get strange looks..........

    As for ditching cultural names I think thats wrong... Something to be proud of, but hell I'm just an american kid, I can see switching the name around for when living here to make it easier though. One of my friends has done this (W/out me realizing it lol)

    -Andrew

  13. #33
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    My story is even funnier.

    My given name (Wright) is normally a family name in English cultures. I have no middle name, it is only the initial H. My family name is Huntley. I also possess, but don't use, the suffix Junior.

    How did this come about? It was because my grandmother's maiden family name was Hand. My father was born a year or two after the famous flight by the Wright Brothers. Her pediatrician had a bizarre sense of humor and suggested they call my father Wright Hand Huntley. My terminally anti-social grandparents actually took his stupid joke seriously, so that's what my father was named.

    He despised it all his life, but agreed to name me the same, with one big change. The middle name would be dropped and only the initial letter H was to be on my birth certificate. He thought eliminating the joke was enough.

    Little did he know that it would have no effect whatsoever on those folks that insist on reversing my first and last names. After a three year fight with the local college's computer, I still turned up, this spring, as Huntley Wright! It plays hell with my attempts to get academic pricing on Microsoft and Adobe software.

    I hope this makes some of you folks with traditional Chinese names feel less alone when we western folks can't get your given and family names straight. It even happens to your bloviator emeritus (or is that emeritus bloviator?).

    Wright
    01 760 872-3995
    805 Valley West Circle
    Bishop, CA 93514 USA

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