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Thread: My tank set up, will it survive??

  1. #1
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    My tank set up, will it survive??

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    Dear experienced forumers, the following is the set up in my tank. I have some concern regarding the amount of lightings and the heat generated from the lights. Please read on and help me out with your duly replies.


    Thank you in advance.


    Beginners Info Sheet
    ++++++++++++++++++

    Tank Dimensions (3ft x 18 inches x 18 inches):
    Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : ??
    Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 4 X FL tubes (25W BioLux, some China Brand)
    CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : 1 bubble per 3 seconds
    Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) : Tank
    Substrate Used : Can't remember brand, comes in a small white colour pail. Pungent free.
    Liquid Fertilizers Used : Floravit and Iron pills
    Frequency of fertilization :
    Tank Temperature : 28 DegC
    Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) : Canister
    Filter media used : Top level - Bioballs + cparse Wool, 2nd level - Ceramics Rings + Fine Wool.


    Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
    ---------------------------------------

    Carbonate Hardness (kh): ?
    Total Hardness (gH): ?
    PH : ?
    NH4 (ppm): ?
    NO2 (ppm): ?
    NO3 (ppm): ?
    PO4 (ppm): ?
    Fe (ppm): ?

    Bioload (Your Fish and Plants)
    ------------------------------

    Still at cycle-thru stage, officially planted on the 14th Feb, so no fish yet.
    Plants mainly bought from the Ah-Pek shop at Paris Ris Fish-Farm Road. The one within the Mermaid right at the back.

    Plants:
    Moss - Not sure which type, all tied to drift wood
    Lily - big light green type, I got info from "TheList", suspect maybe Nuphar Japanica.
    Red colour arrow-head
    Green colour arrow-head, look like mini water-lily, the leaves float on the surface.
    Vallisneria americana, I think...... like tap-grass but spiral shape
    Micranthemum umbrosum, I think so too...... but lighter green in colour
    Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, I think..... for the lawn
    Lilaeopsis mauritiana, I think so too ...... not sure if thisis the correct type. Got the name off Tropica website
    Hydrocotyle leucocephala, look like water-crest


    <State what fishes and plants you have to the best of your ability>
    Would like to put in Riccia once the tank settle down. But was told riccia is very difficult to maintain.
    Some possible habitants in the tank would be:
    Tetra - Neon, Cardinal, Diamond
    Otos, SAE (which is better???)
    Black Mollies (to clean the surface scum)
    Shrimps - Malayan or Yamato (which is better???)
    Pencil fish or rummy-nose to watch (wife loves these 2 specices)


    Describe your problem :

    Worry about the light intensity currently in the tank may not be sufficient, currently using 4 X 25W FL tubes rated biolux type. Looks white but worry may be blueish.
    These lightings were bought from another shop off at Paris Ris Fish Farm road, really good buy but to realise later that the balast give out too much heat and the FL tube (2 1/2 feet) is difficult to get hold.
    I had attach a link to my tank and you can see my tank is enclosed within a cabinate, so I am afraid the heat generated from the lightings will get trapped within the enclosure and the water temperature might rise to a undesirable level. But think about it, what is the ideal temp??

    CO2 rating, what is a good CO2 rating? Currently running 1 bubble per 3 sec. Will that affect the moss growth. Was told Moss grows better with abundant CO2.

    What is the cycle-thru timing for a new tank. Will a week be enough to let the water hardness setttle?


  2. #2
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    Hope you don't mind, I'll answer your post in point form for simplicity... OK you wrote:

    Tank Dimensions (3ft x 18 inches x 18 inches):

    OK based on your dimensions, you have a tank volume of about 120L (assuming 10cm off the bottom for gravel, and water line is 5 cm from the top).

    Lighting Intensity(No of Watts) : ??
    Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 4 X FL tubes (25W BioLux, some China Brand)

    With 4 tubes of 25W, it gives you 100W, which means you have roughly 3W/G which is the typical amount recommended. Just remember to cut back on your initial lighting hours until your tank settles in... abt 8hrs would be good. Are your biolux tubes from NEC or Osram... both have a name called biolux

    CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : 1 bubble per 3 seconds
    Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) : Tank

    Your CO2 is OK, though you should check your PH/KH to give you an indicator on whether it is too high. Without fish inside, its hard to know whether there is a risk of CO2 toxicity.

    Substrate Used : Can't remember brand, comes in a small white colour pail. Pungent free.

    Is your substrate dennerle deponit?

    Liquid Fertilizers Used : Floravit and Iron pills
    Frequency of fertilization :

    For liquid ferts, you can cut that out for now... your plants should have enough from your substrate, and also some of your base fert would probaly have leeched out during setup...

    Tank Temperature : 28 DegC

    Your Tank temp is fine. Just don't choose plants which need very cold water

    Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) : Canister
    Filter media used : Top level - Bioballs + cparse Wool, 2nd level - Ceramics Rings + Fine Wool.

    Filter type and media is also no problem.

    Chemical Properties (Fill what you can)
    ---------------------------------------

    Carbonate Hardness (kh): ?
    Total Hardness (gH): ?
    PH : ?
    NH4 (ppm): ?
    NO2 (ppm): ?
    NO3 (ppm): ?
    PO4 (ppm): ?
    Fe (ppm): ?

    I notice you have not filled in any chemical properties... it would be helpful is you could invest in 3 test kits... KH/PH/ and later NO3. These are probably the most tested parameters for planted tanks.

    Bioload (Your Fish and Plants)
    ------------------------------

    Still at cycle-thru stage, officially planted on the 14th Feb, so no fish yet.
    Plants mainly bought from the Ah-Pek shop at Paris Ris Fish-Farm Road. The one within the Mermaid right at the back.

    When introducing fish, we usually start off with hardy algae eating species... this way we can avoid feeding, clear your plants of algae, and kick off your cycling process. Take note... your cycling process doesn't really start until you have fish... not unless you are doing a fishless cycle... i.e. no fish means no NH3/NH4 means no NO2 means no NO3...

    Plants:
    Moss - Not sure which type, all tied to drift wood
    Lily - big light green type, I got info from "TheList", suspect maybe Nuphar Japanica.
    Red colour arrow-head
    Green colour arrow-head, look like mini water-lily, the leaves float on the surface.
    Vallisneria americana, I think...... like tap-grass but spiral shape
    Micranthemum umbrosum, I think so too...... but lighter green in colour
    Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, I think..... for the lawn
    Lilaeopsis mauritiana, I think so too ...... not sure if thisis the correct type. Got the name off Tropica website
    Hydrocotyle leucocephala, look like water-crest

    No comments on your plant selection


    <State what fishes and plants you have to the best of your ability>
    Would like to put in Riccia once the tank settle down. But was told riccia is very difficult to maintain.

    Riccia is an easy plant to grow... but maintenance can be a pain as you need to regularly trim your riccia, and weigh it down nicely so it doesn't float up... can also be quite messy... some people love it some people hate it... Me, due to time constraints I steer clear of it.

    Some possible habitants in the tank would be:
    Tetra - Neon, Cardinal, Diamond
    Otos, SAE (which is better???)
    Allen

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    Thanks Allen!!



    Tested PH and KH last night,

    PH - 6.5
    KH - 5.5

  4. #4
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    OK... thats not surprising... I suggest you cut down on your CO2... using the calculators on chuck gadds webby, that means you have a whopping 52ppm of CO2... which will probably kill any fish you plan to put in. Since you have no fish at the mo you probably won't see any problems yet. Drop your CO2 to 2bps and check your PH after a couple of hours (during lights out)...

    secondly, what test kit are you using for KH? Just wondering cuz few test kits have a 0.5 dKH accuracy. IF your KH is 5.5 did you add something to boost your KH? Or have you added any PH-down solutions?
    Allen

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    Allen,

    A bit confuse now about the CO2 rate. I think he mentioned 1 bubble per 3 second and you advise him to reduce it to 2bps?? Or I am the one that is confuse?

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    Hahahaha good one... Thanks for pointing that out... My Mistake I'm getting more and more sotong. I thought he mentioned 1 second 3 bubbles

    Now thats puzzling... its very unlikely that a 0.33bps rate will result in a 52 ppm CO2 level especially since the KH is 5.5!.... Which could mean a few things

    1) he is actually using 3bps
    2) His PH measurement is off... (this is likely as a 0.1 ph error results in a large error in the co2/ph/kh table)
    3) there is a mistake in his KH measurement
    4) There are the presence of other buffers like phosphate buffers
    Allen

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    I suppose it's my mistake, I am using the PH (JBL) colour code chart for the KH measurement. The solution in the KH tester look yellow, so I assume it is 5.5 (from the colour code chart).

    The KH tester is some Taiwan brand, maroon colour box.
    PH tester is JBL.

    Maybe I am terribly wrong about the KH, sorry for my assumption that makes an *** outa U and ME.
    Get it, *** U ME.

    The bubble rate was a bubble in 3 second, but I had just raised it to 1bps.
    Will test again the PH and KH tonight.

    But first of all, what is the reference for KH?? Can I use the same colour chart that came with the PF tester?

    Thanks.

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    ----------------

    But first of all, what is the reference for KH?? Can I use the same colour chart that came with the PF tester?

    Thanks.
    ----------------
    No you cannot use the same color chart for PH to check you KH. The taiwanese brand u use should have some instructions on how to check the KH... For example, for the JBL KH tests, you need to drip your KH solution into about 5ml of tank water and count the number of drops before it turns yellow... the number of drops is your KH.
    Allen

  9. #9
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    Thanks for the tips.

    I had edited the initial message and picture of my tank is able to show now on the message.

    This is actually my second project, my very first project was a year ago and all the plants died within a month since I used all the wrong methods and wrong foundation, wrong equipments. The CO2 tank is the only equipment left behind from the last disasterous effort.

    Hope the plants in this tank lives longer than the last one.

    Must Pray, pray!! []

  10. #10
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    unable to view... or am I the only one?
    Cheers and Regards,
    Billy Cheong

    I'm not always dumb,
    Just most of the time...

  11. #11
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    I used to be able to see it. Not anymore. I think yahoo does not allow external linking. Post the URL to your album instead.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  12. #12
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    Opps, strange. I can see my picture on my screen.

    Anyway, here is the link:

    http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/9cee0...lr0U.Ae7.xqBJN

  13. #13
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    That link won't work either... you have to give the public access URL... looks like this - http://photos.yahoo.com/username.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  14. #14
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  15. #15
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    yep... these work.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

  16. #16
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    Any update on your KH?
    Allen

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    Oh, that slip my mind totally yesterday. Will try to find time later today.

  18. #18
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    I'm suspecting the kH ahuold be very low as you CO2 injection very low. Won't be surprise if the kH is less than 1deg.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

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