4ft - advice/input needed

**TheDane** · 7th Oct 2007, 23:18

Hello everybody,

I have now been running this tank for 1,5 month since I rebuild the whole thing. Water still seems a bit unclear. I may be a bit unpatient about the whole thing, but I would like to get some advice as to whether I'm on the right track or if there are some major things that need to be adjusted. I thought that the water would be clear now and that the plant growth would be healthy, but no such luck yet.

Setup:
Tank to be seen from three sides in custom build cabinet (designed by my wife so please say it looks nice)

Tank: 120cm x 45cm x 45cm = 250 liters
Light: 4x55W (two white and two red)
Filter: Eheim 2024 external with skimmer
CO2: disposable can with bell (just put that in two days ago) (how often will I have to fill the bell?)
Sand (don't know name) with some substrate and some soil in the bottom 0.5 cm.
Temperature: 28 during the day (I fan at night and temperature drops to 26).
Two very large pieces of driftwood down the center of tank.

Water change is 1/3 once a week. I have added liquid fertilizer and bacteria as per instructions on bottles. Root monster under most plants.

Fish: pretty much a random (read: beginner) selection at this stage, but just got two good size discus from a friend and the plan is to have them form the basis for the future (at the moment they still don't look too good with some minor fin problems, but hopefully that will go away soon).

Shrimp: just introduced 10 Yamato on Friday. I have picked up two dead ones and I can't locate any of the rest....

Plants: also random selection. I have tried various taller plants but they seem to die of quickly. The bottom plants hardly grow.

Algae: green on glass every now and then and a problem with the black brush algae on wood (just started on algae remover to try and get rid of it).

Future: would like to have angel hair or other all over bottom. Nicely and densely planted in a way that will still work with the need for three side viewing. A blend of fish which will work with the discus. Get the Yamato to work. Clear water.

I want to get the concept right before I start to buy the plants needed. I now realize I should have sorted out the plants first and then the fish...

Any advice? Any suggestions on layout? Any suggestions on what plants to get?

**Shadow** · 8th Oct 2007, 10:33

Bro your cabinet tank is look nice

Your BBA is because of CO2. With tank your size, your better use pressurize CO2.

You green algae on the glass is because of probably direct sunlight, probably from the door. Simple way to get rid of it is using UV light.

If I were you, I will clear up the righthand side and plant more at left hand side (near the building wall). I'm assuming that I want to be able to enjoy the tank from all 3 site. The grass type plant, is that C.helfery? If so, put that one clossest to the wall, it will grow very long.

It is normal for plant to melt, because most of the plant sell at LFS was grown emerse.

The idea is to make very think jungle at the back (nearest building wall) and slowly thinning up and emty at front

How long is your Aquarium light on?

**eddyq** · 8th Oct 2007, 21:21

Nice custom tank, quite a pleasing sight in the living room. Nice big woods and well place. I also prefer planting the tall plants to the left side and the right side bare. Also plants shorter plants like E. Tenellus or Cryptocoryne beside the woods. Or attach Java ferns on the wood.

And it good to get a pressurize CO2 tank. It better to use all white light 6500k for planted tank.

**TheDane** · 8th Oct 2007, 22:58

Lights are on for about 8 hours a day.

I'm confused about the lights - I thought that a planted tank needed white and red light? It has been white all along and just got to red lights on Friday to mix it up.

Discus just started to have hundreds of tiny tiny small white dots on them. What might that be?

**Jungle-mania** · 8th Oct 2007, 23:25

You have white spots on your discus, that might lead to ich. Best to get some white spot medication soon as they are contagious. Also do a quick water change of about 50% every 3 to 4 days for the next 2 weeks. Also you have too little plants for your tank. I think it's best one of our gurus here take a visit to your place and have a look. It sounds like you might need more help.

**TheDane** · 9th Oct 2007, 19:11

Thanks for the input. If any guru out there is interested in coming by and do a provide some "turn-around" advice for the tank I would be really interested. I live near River Valley and Delta Road.

Any pressurized CO2 systems better than others?

Now there is also a white film forming on surface - despite Eheim skimmer...

TheDane

**Shadow** · 9th Oct 2007, 19:27

Any pressurized CO2 systems better than others?

The black and silver color one is life time warranty and if you bought it from NA (Nature Aquarium) at Thomson there, you can exchage 1 to 1 during refill. Cut down your down time

Some people don't like it though, they said that you might exchange it with old/faulty/etc tank

Now there is also a white film forming on surface - despite Eheim skimmer...

You might install it wrongly

**BFG** · 11th Oct 2007, 12:10

The surface skimmer need to be adjusted properly.

**Roy1967** · 11th Oct 2007, 17:28

I agreed with most that suggest planting the "bigger" plants near the wall. You wanted to view from 3 sides, i guess the challenge may be the dimension of your tank (length = 120, breadth = 45). I would suggest that you get some moss tied to some BW/DW for a sloping effect.

**zenscape** · 11th Oct 2007, 19:41

Dane, you don't have to mix red tube to your light set for planted tank. Just curious, your tube is 55W and it should be PL light. Do they sell red PL light?

Make sure the white tubes have a colour temperature between 6000k and 8000k.

White spots on your discus is likely to be ich. Turn off your fan for a while as I read somewhere that higher temp in the tank will help. Yes, get a good medication.

**Roy1967** · 11th Oct 2007, 20:59

Yes, they do sell red PL lights. My neighbour also change theirs to red which I don't agree. After some time, the plant don't look healthy at all

**zenscape** · 11th Oct 2007, 21:29

Is it a new trend to have red light? I am a bit out-dated

But red light is about 1800K and at most, represents dusk and dawn. Plants would not benefit from this range of light. For aesthetic purpose?

**Roy1967** · 11th Oct 2007, 21:54

I don't really know much about the wattage as I don't believe in it. Some hobbist or even LFS have the misconception of red is good for plants? If I am not wrong, that's the reason why they mixed 2 red with 2 whites?