Shilo

Aww Shucks, thanks Peety :oops: Aqua, Have a look at http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm You will need a PH and a KH test kit. By entering your figures the calculator it will tell you how much CO2 you are adding to the tank. You want to be in the green part of the chart. It is hard to add too much CO2 with a DIY system unless you have a very small tank. Beware of shaking the bottle to much since a yeast foam explosion could happen and the gunk will enter the tank (although the fish may end up having a good party with the amount of alcohol in it :lol: ) I think a bell works better then a airstone. It dissolves more C02 compared to the stone which allows most of the bubbles to float to the surface. You don't need to go to the extent I did, just use an upside down clear container stuck to the tank wall and allow the gas to bubble out of the tube into it. If it is placed near some current more will be absorbed by the water. An airstone will clog after a short period of time. Now to increase your lighting, throw in some ferts and bring out the pruning scissors.

Hi Bill, Being from the Northland area you could be right about having laterite in the backyard. I went for a laterite "hunt" when I was up that way in March. One of the easiest places to find it was on the road side on the KeriKeri / Okaihau Rd (Lake Omapere), on the lake end of the road about a km before the SH1 intersection. Of course taking it from the roadside may not be the best for the tank. I never grabbed any because of roadworks in the area where lime was being laid down. Not to mention the ethics of digging up the roadside and the weird looks I would have got! 8) For more info and other outcrops take a look at http://www.med.govt.nz/crown_minerals/minerals/docs/comreports/report15_iron.pdf. Personally I'm happy with my Kitti Litter / Gravel / Jobes Palm and Fern substrate. But the Laterite "hunt" was an interesting excercise.

Warning: These things can be expensive and cause addictions I had in my old tank a large happy common Pleco (the tank was kept clean and regular water changes) who was the sole occupant for about 2 years. One day I made the mistake of noticing some planaria :evil: , and decided the cure was a few tetras. Of course buying a "few" tetras means coming home with some loaches and SAE's as well. The fish quickly cleaned out the worms, and started to grow thus forcing me to up-size my tank. A large tank is empty without plants, so a jungle was produced. Unfortunately the Pleco didn't like his new home and started landscaping so he was donated to Fees shop. The removal of 20 odd cm of fish from the tank meant I could get more and different varieties. Thus the expensive addiction! So beware of these "harmless worms"

The concept of using a sump would be an advantage. You can keep the heater out of the tank to avoid the risk of it breaking and cleaning the filter would be easier then a canister but as Ira pointed out the biological filtration of a wet /dry is not needed (same as a canisters biological portion of the filter). The media used in a W/D is for converting ammonia & nitrites to nitrates. If you where going down this route, don't bother with bio balls etc just use some floss in the w/d to filter out any solids. To clean you just whip out the floss and rinse. Water changes and gravel vacs will still be needed to remove any small organic that escape the floss. Any biological media used won't stop these getting through. A sump would be a lot of work to set up though. A large internal sponge / floss filter will work just as well and a mesh tube could be used to protect the heater.

It works for Blue-Green Algae as well. Although it won't cure your tank (you need to change your water parameters to cure it), zapping with hydrogen peroxide is a good way of getting revenge You can also use it on real algae instead of bleach. I just use some straight Jif Oxy-Gel (from the supermarket) as the hydrogen peroxide source. Doesn't harm the tank at all.

This doesn't answer your question, but you might find it interesting reading. Niwa are currently doing tests on seahorse aquaculture and are enriching the brine shrimp (feeding up before feeding out) to increase growth rates. http://www.niwa.cri.nz/ncfa/fau/2003-06/seahorse You might want to try emailing the author about fry food. Cheers Shilo

The AP Dry Tab's Nitrite colour chart is graded differently to the Hagens. There colours are also easier to match. This may account for them being more accurate. Not sure about the other Dry Tab verse. Hagen tests. I test weekly (at least) and find the Hagen better value for money. The Dry-Tab refills are around $14 (I think) for 20 tests ($25.65 for starter kit) while the Hagen is $18.70 for 75 tests. If I only tested once a fortnight or monthly then the Dry-Tabs would be my preference. Casey Just looked at your profile, your defiantly in a position to do some accurate testing Aquarium filtration and commercial waste treatment have a lot in common (expect size!) is there any new treatment processes that can be miniturised for an aquarium?

Fussy? - Nah, Scientific? - Far from it, But paranoid? - Umm well.... I test for NH3-4, NO2, NO3, PO4, PH, Gh, KH, and CO2 = 3 * KH * 10( 7-pH ). :roll: Had a 4.9ppm reading on Saturday night (the 1st colour seen since cycling the tank) and realised that my Tetras count was wrong. Found it in the filter system, the poor thing had gone on a hydroslide ride. Its amasing how such a small fish could cause such a large ammonia spike in a 125ltr. A 50% panic water change and Sunday night I had a clear reading again. Ammonia tests do come in useful even in an established tank. Ira / Caryl Also saw this kit at Hollywoods in Auck. But I didn't see any replacement bottles so assumed you would have to buy the boxes when a bottle in the kit ran out. Could be false economy in the long run. But then again by buying boxes you end up with 4 pipettes and 6 test tubes you don't need. Can you buy refill bottles?

Hi Casey, Is this the Ammonia tester? My Hagen kits have 1 bottle for Ammonia (yellow box), 2 bottles in the NitrIte kit (pink box) and 3 bottles in the NitrAte kit (puple box). But yes all liquids are clear. The Dry Tabs I used before used to show ammonia in all my samples if I used both tabs. I would imagine your kit is the same. There are 2 forms of Ammonia NH3 and NH4. NH3 is toxic to the fish but NH4 is much less so. One bottle will be checking NH3 and the other NH4. Try testing separately. If you get a reaction with the NH3 bottle then panic, otherwise ignore the NH4 unless it is very dark. Also always make sure your test tubes are rinsed out with the water you are about to test and never touch the water in the tube with your fingers otherwise you can get false readings. P.S. I have 7 tests - my kitchen bench looks like a laboratory on water change days

Hi Kimbo, translation follows: Like your body, plants need a good balance in their diet. At the moment your plants have an abundance of phosphates to feed on but nothing else. Imagine if you only had lollies to eat, nice, but without vitamins, complex carbos and protein you will also soon start to fade away. With a balanced diet you will find you are able to eat more lollies! This is what is happening to your plants. They are surrounded by lollies (phosphates) but can't process them all without the other nutrients they need. Of course your fish are providing some nitrogen and trace elements when they process their food, but every bit of fish food you add to the tank supplies more phosphate then the plants can handle (with the available nutrients) and this phosphate slowly builds up. A planted tank is just a matter of balance. To grow plants need light, CO2, Macro nutrients (Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphate) and Micro nutrients otherwise called Trace Elements (Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, etc). Plants use certain amounts of each nutrient in the process of growing. If there is an excess of one or the other then it just builds up in the water. Here is where water changes come in. A weekly water change (normally 50% in a planted tank) gets rid of any excess nutrient and resets the water parameters for the following week. In addition to water changes, you can increase light, CO2 levels, and nutrients to make your plants grow more. This will mean the plants are able to use more phosphate from the tank and your levels will decrease. It is also fun watching your plants blow bubbles (pearling) Confused? Don't blame you, after 4 months of researching planted tanks I still am! To summarize: Do a water change of 25-50% every week to reset levels Feed you plants with something like Nutrafins Plant Gro (iron enriched) Start at the recommended dose then increase by a capful each week until your plants start to come right. Commercial ferts become expensive after awhile (especially if you have high light levels and add CO2) so start looking at DIY ferts (PMDD etc). Almost forgot, not all plants get their nutrients from the water. If you have any rooted plants (Swords etc), then poke a Jobes Palm and Fern fertilizer stick into the gravel underneith them. Make sure you poke it deep in the gravel so its nutrients don't enter the water column and cause an algae problem. Hope this rambling helps. Cheers Shilo

"Click" is Loache language for "GET AWAY FROM MY FOOD!!!" I have Skunk Loachs (similar to Clowns) who click at each other when they come out of their holes and decide to chase each other around the tank. When it 1st happened I got out of bed and started looking everywhere for the Clicker beetle that was stuck underneath something and bugging me :oops: Cheers Shilo

I saw them to a few weeks ago. No they weren't the Brazilian puffers (looked nothing like the pic you showed me Ira), more a overall greenish colouring with some yellow. Very small when I saw them but since there was no scientific labeling on the tank and since puffers can vary enormously in their temperament, I wouldn't want to risk them in a community tank. A species tank like Aqua was suggesting would probably be a good idea unless they are identified as one of the non-aggressive ones. Maybe the staff know the scientific name? Hey Aqua it wasn't you I saw doing puffer imitations in front of the tank was it :oops: :oops:

The plants have been in the tank for a couple of months now, so for anybody who wants to take this option and save money then its time for an update: Lilaeopsis brasiliensis Covering the gravel nicely. I had originally split the mass of plants into 6 sections and planted. These sections never took off, so I uprooted 4 of them and teased out the roots as much as I could without beaking it all up into 1000 pieces. I then dug a big hole, popped a section in and poured gravel over the top to hold it in place. There are now runners going in all directions and the plant is spreading rapidly. The 2 unteased sections have not spread. The new leaves are smaller and narrower then when it was emerged. Ophiopogon japonicus (Mondo grass) All three plants had started to slowly die off. One completely rotted away. Off the remaining 2 one has now sprouted 6 healthy new leaves and the other has produced a runner which has a new plantlet growing at a fast rate. The original plant is neither growing or dying off. I had added a Jobes Palm & Fern stick under them which I think made the difference. Lysimachia nummularia aurea (Golden Moneywort) In this case it was to much of a good thing. I ended up throwing 3/4 of it away since I wanted more variety in the tank. Over the 2 months the plant has changed. I has lost its old leaves and replaced them with new ones about 1/4 the size. These new leaves are a nice light green and not the golden colour of the original plant. I actually prefer the light green as it catches the light and "glows" It is a steady grower but algae’s easily. In the tank the plant will grow straight up. Bacopa monniera (Babies Tears) If there was ever a monster in the tank this would be it! It wants to take control and I have to trim it every few days to teach it who's boss. Like the moneywort it grows straight up when submerged but has kept the same leaf shape. When it reaches the surface it starts to grow horizontally with vertical stalks coming off it. It grows with equal ease in full light or shade. Good as a background "wall" in the tank. Ludwigia Unsure what sort but it is a red leaved variety. Picked up at the pond section of Palmers. It also grows straight up when submerged. Algae’s very easy and if shaded will have green leaves. In bright light, CO2 and fertilizers it has bright pink leaves and grows at a good rate. In the month I've had it I have already trimmed it twice and replanted the cuttings. A beautiful plant that is probably the highlight of the tank. For somebody starting a planted tank I recommend taking a look at the local garden center. The plants available are normally in a much better condition and you get a lot more for your $. You also don't have to worry about introducing snails or disease to the tank. Just make sure you wash out all the dirt from the roots and don't be surprised if it changes into a different form or colour. Hope this helps somebody.

May not help much, but take a look at these links: http://www.2cah.com/pandora/Disease.html#Growth http://www.fishpalace.org/danscomments.html#Lumps

On the contrary Cayrl, you can make what ever you want easily enough without complicated maths. Just think things through, doodle on that important piece of paper at work and research as much as possible. Of course if you want it to be "perfect" then get a phd in quantum physics, but a DIY filter system (or anything else) drawn up on a bit paper and which works as intended is just as good as one where the parameters are designed with mathematics. It probably would be better since the boundaries between the system working or not wouldn't be so fine and unlike a mathematical model, a level of caution would have been added. Don't be scared of DIY by "complications" since anything you make can be remade. Knowing when to stop fiddling with the contraption is the hard bit (my problem :oops: )

Yeap, my head is spinning !! :roll:

If unsure on pipe size (despite the maths which make my head spin) get the larger size then expected. I use 2X 13mm pipes from the 2 pumps (312ltr/hr each at tank level), the outlet pipe (overflow to sump) is 20mm with a reducer to stop any gurgling. The U shape syphon between the inner and outer containers of the overflow is 35mm (pvc sink u bend). With these dimensions I have no problems with any water overflowing. Use the size pipe that fits your pump as the first guide, double it for the outlet pipe then double this one for your syphon. Not exact science but allows for plenty of room for error. You can always reduce the flow with valves but you can't increase it without replumbing your system. See link below for an example system (needs updating)

Hey that was fun!! Combined it with shampooing my hair and can now confirm that your theory is correct and fish do blow bubbles :lol: Don't right her off to fast as she still has to eat ( Probably more so with the amount of exercise she is getting), and she will either give up chasing the imaginary mozzie or else wear through the glass. If she starts losing condition then worry and consider replacing her. The SAE's in my tank are great for cleaning the more delicate leaf plants which the Bristlenose is to "clumsy" to attach to.

I've never stuck my head in the tank and looked out, but maybe he can just see his reflection in the glass and wants to "hang out" with the more handsome school? :roll: Either that or there’s an equally crazy mozzie on the other side that he wants to get at! By the way why are crazy fish in these forums always referred as a "he" Seriously I also don't think temperature would be the cause. My tank went off the scale ( over 30C - 86F ) for a couple of days last month. Lost 2 tetras but the SAE's where still happy.

True John1, and that is how I measured my flow (when it flows back from the tank into the sump). But when building a system it is handy to know how much head you need before spending big $$$ on a pump. There would be nothing worse then building a DIY filter only to have to rebuild it because the pump is to weak, or worse transforming your peaceful tank into a whitewater rapid I was almost lucky and stumbled on a workable size when I brought my 1st one, I had wanted 2x this power thus the 2nd pump.

The packaging on pumps can be deceiving. The pumps I use have a 1000ltr / hr rating at outlet (max height 1.4m). At the 1.2m height from my sump to the top of the tank I get 312ltr / hr. At 1.4m there will probably only be a dribble. Constrictions in the tubes (narrow exit etc) and sharp bends will also lessen the end result. To increase my turnover I simply installed a 2nd one. To choose how powerful a pump you will need: http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/headpress.shtml (of course some manufacturers may "stretch" their measurements more then others) Heres some golden rules of plumbing a pump: http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/pumptips.shtml

As John said there are plenty of plans around: http://www.cyberreefguru.com/diy/guide/diy_section2.html http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/wetdry.htm http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/mattenfilter.shtml http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpygr/Mitsy%20Barrel.htm http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/grumpygr/main%20site/corrofilt.htm http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/articles/article023.htm http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/grantglazer/Aquarium/Tricklefilter.htm Everybody has their idea of the best type of filter, and when it comes to DIY the options for changing and improving a design are unlimited. You will probably end up with different types for the saltwater and freshwater tanks. Don’t read one review on a system and decide to build it, research it as much as possible and choose which conflicting opinion you think is correct. If somebody slams a particular filter it may be because it didn’t work for their particular setup (or not built right etc), or if somebody sings the praises of a design they may have not tried the alternatives. But my opinion: Freshwater - Wet Dry Filter with a prefilter built in, Saltwater - Skimmer then a Fluidized Bed Filter and Algae Scrubber in the sump. Of course I have only ever tried HOB"s and W/D filters. :-? Cheers Shilo

Alternatively make yourself an overflow using the container/siphon system: http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/grantglazer/Aquarium/tricklefilter.htm With these you can easily adjust the water level in the tank (lift or lower it) or change the capacity of the system (use a larger siphon tube), things you won't be able to do with a drilled overflow. Cheers Shilo

8x X-ray Tetras, 2x Siamese Algea Eaters's, 1x Bristlenose, 2x Skunk Loaches, 2x Apistogramma's, the 2 rainbows are the largest things in the tank. The 125ltr tank is heavily planted with a large swimming area in the front. Plenty of hidey holes, but the large rainbow will go on seek and destroy missions. He doesn’t chase the other fish much, and is scared of the loaches who gives him his own back if he gets too grumpy. That’s why I was wondering if an extra rainbow will spread the bullying load? But I'm comfortable with the number of fish in the tank and don't really want to add more unless necessary. Cheers Shilo

I have 2 rainbows which were almost equal size when I got them. Unfortunately one has out grown the other and has started picking on the smaller one. :evil: It has got to the stage where its fins are starting to get torn. Will a 3rd Rainbow help to ease the tension? Never are territorial and they both roam the tank (unless the small one is in hiding ) Any other ideas? Cheers Shilo