Hoe's Tank

[Hoe]

Wacktpt and Benny,

Ok here is my newly set up tank, 2 weeks old. Any comment?

[Wackytpt]

Hi Hoe,

Your scape lack depth. You need some middle ground plants to break between the tall plants and foreground plants.

[benny]

hmm... your plants are still not matured yet and have yet to fill the background and foreground. When they mature, it will look a lot better. However, the layout seems a little too structured (i.e. short in the front, middle and back are taller plants and the wall is made up of moss only).

Cheers,

[Hoe]

Wackytpt,
Great Advice!! Err...What sort of middle plants do you recommend? Something that is nice and not so demanding?

Benny,
Thanks for your comment. What can I do to improve? Need your expertise as I am still new here.

BTW, My plants are starting to either turn yellow, have holes in the leaves or simply melt away. I was beginning to get worried. So 2 days I started my DIY co2 project but couldnt get it running.No co2 came out. After testing all the parts, I realised my control valve was faulty. So managed to fix everything by yesterday morning and co2 was up and running in my tank.
And you know what happened? My plants BUBBLED in the afternoon!!!! I was overfilled with joy!!!.I never expected I could see o2 bubbles as my lighting is considered only low-medium(1.5wpg).
Is this an indication that I got the parameters right?
Do I off the co2 at night or leave it to run 24/7?

Tank setup:
3ftx1.4ftx1.5depth
Substrate: Japanese brand (the one for plant and shrimp)
Co2 : 2 bubbles per seccond
2x36w pl light, 8 hours daily
waterchange 20% weekly
dose quickgrow liquid fertilizer weekly
25 neons, 4 guppies, 4 tetras and 2 other fishes

[Jervis]

I am no expert yet... but I believe the amount of CO2 to dose is very much depending on your plants consumption... use your pH as a rough guide... you can purchase a CO2 tester like the ADA glass thingy

[Hoe]

Thanks, will buy a pH meter then. Considering the CO2 tester too, but right now, I am going by the trial and error method. So far, just after 2 days of CO2, my plants seems to grow faster and greener. CO2 seems so important!!!
My fishes are fat and happy all along.

[Jervis]

So far, just after 2 days of CO2, my plants seems to grow faster and greener. CO2 seems so important!!!

Yeah! I just set up mine today and I love the pearling effect

[sfk7]

Bro,

I can sense your happiness from just your words!!

Ha, would very much like to have the same results as you.

Mind telling me where did you get the control valve?

And its 2 packets of yeast ( what brand did you used? ) and 2 cups of sugar in a 3/4 full water filled 2L coke bottle?

Thanks!

[Jervis]

Bro,
Mind telling me where did you get the control valve?

And its 2 packets of yeast ( what brand did you used? ) and 2 cups of sugar in a 3/4 full water filled 2L coke bottle?

Bro I am definitely not that smart I am using CO2 tank with regulator and solenoid. Will try the DIY method at a later stage... no harm learning ... maybe you can teach me as I can be a bit slow when it comes to DIY-ing

[900801]

Yeast should be any brand in the supermarket.Not sure about 2L coke bottle but for 1.5 feet i use 3/4 boil put sugar then let the thing cool down before putting in the yeast.No need to shake anything.

[jason6142004]

Bro,

I can sense your happiness from just your words!!

Ha, would very much like to have the same results as you.

Mind telling me where did you get the control valve?

And its 2 packets of yeast ( what brand did you used? ) and 2 cups of sugar in a 3/4 full water filled 2L coke bottle?

Thanks!

any brand of yeast will do..i am using the brown colour packaging type

formula here: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=35832

[Hoe]

Bros,

Just to answer and share want I have learn from this DIY project:
1) For Control Valve you can get from any LFS, got mine from NA. There are the plastic and metal one (more x), sadly the metal one that I bought failed me.
2) Like what other bros said, any brand of yeast will do. Make sure you put in the right amount of yeast, the bubble count depends on the yeast. For me, I tried 2 teaspoons, too much bubbles came out for the last 2 days, but now is ok.
3) DIY for co2 is very easy!!!Whose who are afraid should try it. There is a discussion on this. Just follow the method. One thing I need to add is there should be a bypass, should the pressure buildup. Instead of doing in-line control valve, simply do a T-valve and add the control valve to the T-valve to regulate the pressure.
When it didnt work initially,I wanted to give up and buy a Co2 tank, but now I am enjoying co2 without causing me much damage to my wallet.
Best the all, the joy of seeing the plants bubbling is beyond words. This is better then sex!!!!





ok, not really.........sex is still better.

[jason6142004]

Bros,

Just to answer and share want I have learn from this DIY project:
1) For Control Valve you can get from any LFS, got mine from NA. There are the plastic and metal one (more x), sadly the metal one that I bought failed me.
2) Like what other bros said, any brand of yeast will do. Make sure you put in the right amount of yeast, the bubble count depends on the yeast. For me, I tried 2 teaspoons, too much bubbles came out for the last 2 days, but now is ok.
3) DIY for co2 is very easy!!!Whose who are afraid should try it. There is a discussion on this. Just follow the method. One thing I need to add is there should be a bypass, should the pressure buildup. Instead of doing in-line control valve, simply do a T-valve and add the control valve to the T-valve to regulate the pressure.
When it didnt work initially,I wanted to give up and buy a Co2 tank, but now I am enjoying co2 without causing me much damage to my wallet.
Best the all, the joy of seeing the plants bubbling is beyond words. This is better then sex!!!!





ok, not really.........sex is still better.

2 teaspoons of yeast?? will not produce too much bubbles??

[zoombee]

i like your moss wall. you using plastic mesh? 1 sheet or 2 sheet? how much u bought them?

[Hoe]

You are right. 2 teaspoon did produce a lot of bubbles (4 bubbles/s). Actually, I added 1 more teaspoon when the co2 didnt come out after the first day, thinking that the yeast is not enought.
Next time when I refill the bottle, I will use 1 teaspoon.
But for now, due to the extra bubbles, I installed a bypass valve, to control co2 rate. Another advanage is at night, i open the valve totally to let co2 escape into the air.

[Hoe]

Zoombee,
The moss wall was done using 2 sheets of plastic clamped together. 1 sheet (roughly the size of 3 ft tank) cost slightly less than a red note. So you may need 2 sheets if you have a 3 ft tank. You can get from most hardware shop. Get the one with 6-7mm gap.
My moss is starting to grow out out the mesh, can't wait for it to mature.