My first attempt at 4ft Planted Setup

[Shadow]

I seen Dracaena marginata (red grass thing near filter inlet) and Selaginella wildernowii (near the driftwood).

For tank your size 2bps is not enough, I even inject more than 2bps for my 2x1x1ft tank. Of course it also depend on the way you inject CO2.

[wongce]

You bought the red grass in aquastar right? i saw they have bunch of them... fyi,generally most underwater plants will not stand up without water except ferns... easy identification..

the aunties at aquastar does not know about plants..if you need help, ask the white hair uncle..he is more experienced..

both aquastar & Y618 sold those plants..i think they are more for vivariums...

[np73]

You bought the red grass in aquastar right? i saw they have bunch of them... fyi,generally most underwater plants will not stand up without water except ferns... easy identification..

the aunties at aquastar does not know about plants..if you need help, ask the white hair uncle..he is more experienced..

both aquastar & Y618 sold those plants..i think they are more for vivariums...

Bingo!! luckily they are cheapo plants $3-4. So can really just chuck away,.....or....wait for it........i set up a vavarium!!!

[naz]

Hello,
Yupz I have an 89G, 2.5 deep tank. I recently upgraded from 4x54w T5 aquazonic to 6x54w T5HO. But of course set on 3 different timers. The effects is MARVELOUS! Less than 1 min pearling everywhere even HC, Riccia!

As for the CO2 was from 3bps, to 2bps. You can chk online for Co2 chart estimate. More or less its just a guide. Kh is important to maintain.

As for lights T5HO have more lumens output thus better penetration.
If ur using T5 n feel that light penetration is poor (signs and symptoms from plants - Riccia/HC is a good guideline) You can chose higher k but you will compramise light spectrums.

Scheduled Dosing & water changes is another important element.

I too burnt my wallet from all the trials n error but the learning curve is priceless after you see all the progress.

Another important tip is Read Read Read! There's so many references online, just don't get bald reading it!

LoL!

[Shadow]

If you want to use those ph/kh chart, make sure you do not have anything that alter the water pH and kH. For example, you can't use the chart if you are using ADA soil because the pH will be low and kH will be 0. Another example is if you have seiryu rocks, because it alter the kH.

[naz]

Hehehe..
Thanks bro shadow. Anyways, I'm falling in live with the Riccia and thinking of using 80% for scaping! Which means I have to let go my plants.

[np73]

and started it up. Flowrate is now much better. Filter input and output of the 2260 opposite ends of the one side of the tank, while the input and output of the 2028 on the other side of the tank. My guesstimate is that the flowrate in tank now is 1700l/hr (minus flowrate slowdown due to distance and the chiller). Effective filter capacity is now 20l.

Over Friday and Saturday nights, I began removing the 2 meshes of hairgrass (previously I wrongly IDed them as HC) from the tank. Put them in a plastic tub filled with water, separated them from the mesh, bunched 3 shoots together and planted them till the whole foreground was filled. I was mindful to keep them around 1inch apart on the substrate. However I was just too lazy to trim them first before planting. Hope this doesnt backfire on me later on.

Anyway I noticed one of my guppies died and the carcass was devoured by the resident ramhorn. By this morning, the carcass was reduced to nothing. Took that ramhorn just all of 2 whole days to finish off the carcass. Eat = shit = ammonia production. Time to check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels! I used the test strips (not sure which brand (think its API) to check and the findings are shocking:

Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 20ppm

Not sure what to make of it, but if the test results are correct, my tank is cycled?!!! LOL
Its just been all of 8-9 days!!!

I will follow up with another round of checks on the levels tonight and a few days later. I still dont quite believe the tank is already cycled.
This time I will use the drip solution test instead of the test strips. See if the results are still the same.

In any case, I still think its too early to load the tanks with inhabitants. In my mind, Im still undecided on what to keep in there. The "bus stop" structure (as my daug calls it) was setup with shrimps in mind. hmmmmm

Attachment 25986Attachment 25987

[np73]

A strange thing happened. All except 2 of 20 guppies died (im assuming here coz i dont even see them swimmig around in the tank) by time I got home from work. The ramhorns are all okay however. Ammonia ad nitrite still measure zero. Nitrate was a little high still around 20ppm. Measured my ph and that's around 6.5. Co2 was probably high around 4bps. Maybe oxygen deprivation killed them?? Think I will have to install a small air pump just to aerate the water during the non- photo periods.

[wongce]

IMHO,always pump in oxygen esp you have plants + fishes.. plants take in oxygen when there is no photo period... try to hunt for bodies of fishes before they rot or you will get ammonia spike..

secondly, the small air pump acts as a secondary oxygen provider in case you filter breakdown for what ever stupid reasons..

did you fish always stay on the top of the water? if the answer is YES, then your CO2 is too high for fishes..

Ramhorns are pest..super hardy.. i'm trying to catch them one by one by hand since I started my tank, once they breed..you will have a headache clearing them...unless you really like snails..

if you are more towards planting, maybe you can reduce the numbers of fishes so less worries about oxygen levels

[p0rky]

Great setup bro! Thanks for sharing

[np73]

Last night added a drop checker and it's dark green ie ph in 6.8 range.
However this contradicts the results of the API test kit which says my ph should have been 6-6.5
Kh tests show hardness of 2 (ppm?). Based on these ph and kh readings, my co2 level should be hovering between 24-37ppm. Sounds a litle high.

I've now lowered the co2 intake to tank to 3bps and will take further readings tonight.

On a side note, I have removed all the vivarium specific plants from the tank.

A co2 reactor was added to the mix just to have optimal co2 distibution in tank


In any case ie now lowered

[Shadow]

Which drop checker are you suing? some drop checker brand required to use kh=4 solution to dilute the reagent. but don't be surprise because you are using GEX soil which is known to lower the pH. What your drop checker measure is the pH that purely cause by CO2. You should trust it.

[np73]

I'm using the ANS checker. Didnt say it needs 4dkh solution. Said specifically to use tank water.
Last nights measurements look much better.

Ph 6.5, gh 10(!!), kh 2, co2 24ppm, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20ppm

I did a 50% wc last night so hopefully the nitrate and gh levels will come down.

[naz]

Hehehe.. overdosed gh? Not so bad because fish can tolerance high gh. Never trust those instructions! Learnt my lesson while dosing kh, it shot up by 4dkh and so does the ph. Lost some livestock.
As for the nitrate, you need to maintain ard 15ppm.

I too have problem trusting the drop checker. This is something interesting I've observed so far, it's pointless to pump or rather overpump , CO2. The water will have a saturation point, which apparently have some link to kH.

My observations from CO2 reactor:
Over dosing CO2:
Morning - CO2 absorbs easily into chamber (less excess seen at the top of chamber.
Afternoon - excess CO2 built up at the top of the chamber while more fine bubbles seen in the aquarium.
Late evening - HALF The chamber Filled with CO2! The result a catastrophic biological damage which leads to white cloudy water and eventually green water!

Pretty much if you graph it, CO2 dosing is a curve and need to coincide with the lighting duration / intensity.

[Shadow]

I'm using the ANS checker. Didnt say it needs 4dkh solution. Said specifically to use tank water.

You should not use tank water because you tank water kh and ph can be affected by soil and filter media. The purpose of drop checked is to eliminate these contaminant and measuring ph that only contributed by co2.

For example if you are using ADA soil you will get yellow color even though you did not inject co2. That because ADA soil cause ph = 6 and kh = 0

[np73]

You should not use tank water because you tank water kh and ph can be affected by soil and filter media. The purpose of drop checked is to eliminate these contaminant and measuring ph that only contributed by co2.

For example if you are using ADA soil you will get yellow color even though you did not inject co2. That because ADA soil cause ph = 6 and kh = 0

Actually Im eying the CAL DoubleCheck Drop Checker. Saw in a few online stores they are going for ard $60. Looks interesting. Even comes with its own reference solution! Perfect for semi-lazy bums like me who are too lazy even to prepare his own 4dkh solution. Its been said on a few other sites too that tank water should not be used for the precise reason you mentioned, hence my own scepticism at the drop checker results.

Think you have just successfully poisoned me into getting the CAL checker!
Nothing like the delicate and curvy silhouette, which draws a man's attention immediately to the 2 round globes........ on the double check drop checker.

[Cheesetian]

That is a really nice set-up man!

[Shadow]

you can actually just buy CAL solution . I believe dennerle solution also premixed.

[np73]

Attachment 26071
Side facing the living room
Drop checker at top right corner, e2028 inlet at top right corner, e2260 inlet at bottom left.


Attachment 26072
Side facing the door
Reactor in top right corner (connected to e2028 and co2 system), circulation pump/wavemaker in top left corner (just to circulate things to back of tank)

Attachment 26073
ANS Checker
dark green colour (based on tank water as reference solution)



Why oh why are the jap HG growing so slowly?? Practically not much growth at all.

[limz_777]

whats the ' bus stop ' structure about ?