small tank query..

[dinoegg]

Hi all,

I am thinking of setting up 1 footer tank with riccia only.. can anyone help on my following questions?

1) Of course the first question.. the cost?
2) Filter needed?
3) Gravel needed as riccia is a rootless plant?
4) Currently i have a taiwanese brand CO2 cylinder and a normal regulator (no solenoid, no needle valve..etc).. can it be upgraded to support 2 tanks (I am having a 2 feet tank now).. and how to? what do I need and where to buy.. and how much??

Finally.. the most important question.. how to convience my wife to let me have another tank... maybe I can buy her a tortise since she keeps asking me to put a tortise in my 2 feet planted tank.. (will the tortise run out of stamina and get drown??)

Dino

[benetay]

shouldn't be a problem bout the cost. If you really intend to Buy a filter get the small internal ehiem models. For me if i'm doing the 1ft tank, i will not bother bout the filter.

Tying of riccia: Wood,tiles,stones,stainless steel mess.
when the Riccia,which in no time will cover the whole wood,tile,etc, you will not see the wood ,etc.

Yes riccia needs Co2 to grow nicely like a lawn. I will leave the Co2 thing for others to reply.

Buy another tank , terrainium tank =) can put tortise aslo =) in that way you have another tank. You say fair do one for her do one for yourself.

[Simon]

get Eden, much smaller than ehiem.. unless u wanna use the Ehiem Liberty

[benetay]

Ehiem liberty also can but for one feet abit difficult due to the tank height.

[vinz]

----------------
On 1/25/2002 12:29:11 PM

Finally.. the most important question.. how to convience my wife to let me have another tank... maybe I can buy her a tortise since she keeps asking me to put a tortise in my 2 feet planted tank.. (will the tortise run out of stamina and get drown??)

Dino
----------------

Convince wife... buy/borrow the Amano Nature Aquarium books and show her how beautiful a tank can be. Tell her that you'll be too busy maintaining your tanks, so she does not have to worry what you're doing when you're not at home or work. Impress her with your inclination towards artistic expression thru a beautifully planted tank [].

The most impt question to me. Tortoise or turtle/terrapin? Tortoises can't swim... sure drown.

As for terrapins/turtles... always a good idea to have at least a small easily accessible land area to rest on. There are some that are almost completely aquatic, but I think they need at least a shallow area to rest and breathe. Remember, they have lungs and no gills. More so if you have a strong flow at the surface as it means they cannot just float idly and rest. Also the hard shell varieties will need to bask in sunlight for a few hours a day to maintain the hardness of their shell.

Errmmm... not sure if they will go after your fish though.

[dinoegg]

----------------
On 1/25/2002 12:46:16 PM

get Eden, much smaller than ehiem.. unless u wanna use the Ehiem Liberty
----------------

Hi Simon, any website or picture for both the eden brand and Ehiem Lberty filter..

Actually, can do without filter and gravel or not??
trying to cut cost.. [] []

Dino

[dinoegg]

just talk to my wife.. [:] and as expected, her first respond.. 'ni fa shen jing ah' (you mah ah) [:][:]
then I quickly show her the tank picture which Mok put up at his website http://137.132.165.139/aquascape/ and she asked me to find more about the cost first..

so my challenge now is... try to include everything within $100. is it possible?.. bro and sis.. help help.. [] []

Things definitely needed :
1) Tank
2) Light - maybe do what Mok has done - use Ikea light, hope it is cheap..
3) Stuffs needed for the CO2 upgrade
4) Riccia - hopefully some kind souls can give me some (a little bit will do)
[:][:]

I think filter and gravel must go if I want to keep the cost within $100[] []

Dino

[scoobydoo]

----------------
On 1/25/2002 1:19:41 PM

just talk to my wife.. [:] and as expected, her first respond.. 'ni fa shen jing ah' (you mah ah) [:][:]
then I quickly show her the tank picture which Mok put up at his website http://137.132.165.139/aquascape/ and she asked me to find more about the cost first..

so my challenge now is... try to include everything within $100. is it possible?.. bro and sis.. help help.. [] []

Things definitely needed :
1) Tank
2) Light - maybe do what Mok has done - use Ikea light, hope it is cheap..
3) Stuffs needed for the CO2 upgrade
4) Riccia - hopefully some kind souls can give me some (a little bit will do)
[:][:]

I think filter and gravel must go if I want to keep the cost within $100[] []

Dino
----------------

Your wife's response is very normal...bring her to Pet Safari and see the tanks, then maybe she will agree. My wf also let me get my first 2ft after going to Pet Safari []

Nowadays, 2ft tank costs $24, 1ft maybe about $10-15, then if you get 1ft, CO2 can DIY, not sure about Ikea lights but I think should be able to get below $50 ??? As for riccia, i'll prune my tank next week and see how mcuh I can spare. Saving some for new tank

[benetay]

www.ehiem.com

Yes can be done within $100.
Riccia i have extra from my tank always appears.
One feet tank last time i got it from old fish farm road only 4bucks kekeke cos they shifting thats why. lights very cheap only. Maybe u wan to DIY your Co2 save cost =)

[Simon]

sorry cant find Eden filters anywhere

[mok]

Eden 304

[Simon]

IKEA lights is ard $15.. without bulb.. PL screw bulb very costly.. especially those OSRAM..

[kenzo]

i got extra ikea stand and pl light.

if u wan, i let go for $35 including stand and 18 Watt Philip Ecotone PL bulb.

ur co2 can diy. so cost negligible.

1 ft tank maybe $20.

gravel - $5-$10.

filter - $20.

riccia - $5.

altogether less than $100.

[dinoegg]

Thank guys..

I think now the main issue is how to DIY the CO2 system to support 2 tanks. Have studied www.ervin.per.sg website for details, it seemed that I have to get the following stuffs :

1) Polyurethane tubing ~ $5
2) 3 x needle valves (which I don't have any now) ~ $54
3) 1 x T-connector ~ $1
4) Bubble counter ~ ?

At least $60 excluding tank, light, gravel, plant..etc

Another method is DIY CO2 using yeast method..
but 1 question, how to control the bubble rate and how often to top up the yeast and sugar.. etc??

Plus another stupid question, where to buy the yeast? [] [] LFS??

Kenzo, any photos for your lighting set.

Dino

[vinz]

----------------
On 1/25/2002 7:17:03 PM

Thank guys..

I think now the main issue is how to DIY the CO2 system to support 2 tanks. Have studied www.ervin.per.sg website for details, it seemed that I have to get the following stuffs :

1) Polyurethane tubing ~ $5
2) 3 x needle valves (which I don't have any now) ~ $54
3) 1 x T-connector ~ $1
4) Bubble counter ~ ?

At least $60 excluding tank, light, gravel, plant..etc

Another method is DIY CO2 using yeast method..
but 1 question, how to control the bubble rate and how often to top up the yeast and sugar.. etc??

Plus another stupid question, where to buy the yeast? [] [] LFS??

Kenzo, any photos for your lighting set.

Dino
----------------

You can get baker's yeast from most supermarkets. Depending on the mix, you'll have to change the mixture probably every 2 weeks.

Do you already have an existing CO2 cyclinder? Actually you can get away with using just a T-Joint and 1 needle valve (and 1 more that should be on your CO2 regulator). Connected with tubing in this order:

[regulator]
/
[check valve 1]
(on your regulator)
/
[t-joint] -- [needle valve 2] -- [bubble counter 2] -- [check valve] -- [fish tank 2]
/
[bubble counter 1]
/
[check valve]
/
[fish tank 1]

1. Close needle valve 2.
2. Open the needle valve on your regulator SLOWLY. You should see counter 1 bubbling. Adjust until you get the combined bubble rate in counter 1.
3. Open needle valve 2 and adjust until the bubble rate balances out to your desired rate.
4. Fine tune by adjusting the 2 needle valves.

Errr... get it?

[wks]

Hi dinoegg, y don't u get a 2 footer, soon u will find riccia very boring and u would like to add other plants as well. A bigger tank will be able to satisfy your creative mind. I never regret getting my 3 footer.

[dinoegg]

Hi Vinz,

Yes, I got it...
I do have a CO2 cylinder + regulator but no needle valve.. which mean I still have to buy 2 needle valve.. still it is cheaper than getting 3.. thanks for the advice..

What is a check valve???[] []

wks : I am having a 2 footer now (just setup only < 2mths).. I have riccia before and I understand the pain and high maintenance effort needed, especially when it is mixed with other plants.. but I missed the nice 'bubbling' effect and that's why I just want to setup a small tank with riccia only... [:]

Btw, I just went to C328... trying to look for the Ehiem Liberty.. Wah.. quite expensive.. about$48.. .. cannot find Eden leh.. Mok where do you get you filter from??? C328 also doesn't sell the cubic tank (1 footer).. a bit disappointed..

Saw C328 selling some turtle-like (???) creatures which my wife likes very much.. (I pull her along with me.. haha).. if I do happened to setup the 1 footer tank with riccia + malaysian shrimps.. will these turtle eats the shrimps or not as I do know some people feed their tortise with veggie and 'hay bee' (dried shrimps)..

Dino

[dinoegg]

Mok..

saw your reply.. 17 at petmart.. thanks..

Dino

[Simon]

dino, try petmart

[ryan]

hey becareful with the turtle k? it eats like almost anything! i once caught a wild one and kept it in a dragon pot in my garden, it climbed out after a while and soon it killed 4 EXPENSIVE goldfish in my pond... i checked out amano's book 2 for you... his mini tanks from 100mm to 150mm do not have filters but his 250mm tanks do... he does not use any gravel for the small tanks... but uses some wall matts to anchor down the stemmed plants... but if u just want to plant riccia then no need for gravel! can save more money... i've been using DIY CO2 for many months now... as i'm only 16, i cannot afford to but co2 tank... i use 2x1.5 liter bottles connected to a t connecter then to bubble counter then to co2 diffuser,,, i'm running 2x2feet tanks now... i think for a tank as small as 1 feet... u should just use 1 bottle DIY co2... really! amano uses co2 at 1 bubble per 5 seconds for his 250mm... his riccia in that tank bubbling nicely... if u add too much co2, your shrimps might just DIE! if too lazy to make the DIY bottle caps then just buy JBL bio co2 lah... same thing just that u are paying alittle more... and the *sugar* they use turns blue... then instead of buying their refill, u can refill with your own sugar! haiya... when it comes to budget, its best to ask students lile me!!! good luck!!! []