maoripho3nix

Bought some of the hydroton clay today, went to wash it as you do with all substrates, found that 90% of the fired clay floats on top or mid water. The other 10% once sifted out i guess could be used for a gravel, the smallest size you can buy aint that small, bout the size of a fingernail on your smallest finger. Its not really that attractive, if they made smaller pellets then maybe yes. Still not a good idea to use this as the oxygen retained in most of the pellets makes it very light, if you were to put a layer of fine gravel on top, the clay would most likely sift out and float, making the fine gravel sink underneath it. HTH anyone who was willing to give it a shot like myself

Its most likely going to be the shrimp in there but I bought ahead of things incase I wanted to ditch the shrimp idea and use tetras instead. I know my descriptions dont seem much of a professional setup, hoping sooner or later ill have a better budget to work with, then ill upgrade tank,filter,lighting etc on my current budget the lamp/cfl combo will have to do for now. Can't wait though, ive seen the pic of your tank setup, i like it The tank setup im doing is really budget/newbie, but in order for me to learn im starting off with it. LOL as i said in my post I dont trust myself enough to do DIY electrical equipment, not that the kids will touch as they know better, but I would rather buy something budget for now that is properly closed and covered, so then my mind is at ease. I know the combination is pointless, but I have read that shrimp require higher oxygen levels than normal. Will the oxygen levels without the added o2 be sufficient enough for the shrimp?? Thanx heaps for your comments guys, helps us newbies a lot on stuff that has been enthusiast tested by yourselves, gives us better knowledge on what works and what doesnt on different levels of ingenuity and budget

Thanks for the quick reply, atleast I know these are an option now. Will the lighting be sufficient enough for the glosso? Will using 2 lights make a difference? or will i just need a higher K lightbulb? Ive read that if there isn't enough lighting the glosso stems up instead of out like a carpet, which will be the effect im going for. Thanks for the help/confirmation

OK So I'm quite new to the whole aquarium scene, and haven't gone ahead to buy the big expensive equipment yet as I'm a solo dad 8) on a tight budget. So far I have been studying what to use etc and gone from there to collect prices for items I need to buy. My end goal as a newbie and just to start off in keeping an aquarium, is to have a small glosso planted aquarium with either Shrimp, or Cardinal Tetras. I wanted to use Hemianthus callitrichoides "Cuba", but its hard to source it. As I said before I have been studying and budgeting, starting from the bottom up. So far the things I have purchased are: Aquarium Kit - Aquarium (31.5Lx18.5Wx 24.5H) with Aqua One Clear View Hang on Filter (200l/hr) JBL Aquabasis Aquarium Gravel DIY Co2 Kit with Diffuser Air pump + accessories Heater (In case of tropical fish) Glosso Plants (on hold) Fish/Shrimp (on hold) Now my next step is lighting :oops: , I have read through posts and the sticky FAQ on lighting etc. Some of it is jargon, other stuff I do get. But most of the posts relate to fluorescent tubes, expensive aquarium lights and so on. Dont get me wrong this is great info and I hope to get to a point where I can afford to get the generic equipment that most people use. However I have seen few pics of people using what seems like desk lamps :-? (they may be special aquarium lamps not sure), usually free standing or clipped on to the aquarium. I have thought of the DIY concept of lighting, but firstly I dont trust myself (I am no qualified sparky), second its only a small tank and it would seem stupid to do such a project for a small tank, third I still want the tank to look presentable in its future spot in the lounge. As my budget is very tight, I thought using a desk/aquarium lamp might be the alternative for now to lighting the aquarium and also for the highly required light for my glosso plants that will be in it. My questions are..... Are they ordinary desk lamps? Can I use them? What light bulbs do I get for them? Detailed specs? :oops: Are there any special/extra requirements running these instead of fluorescent tubes? Keep in mind I'm new to the concept, and I'm on a tight budget. :roll: Anything that can save me money in purchasing and running costs is gonna be good (as would be the same for all of us im sure). I've heard of people using power saver bulbs with excellent results, anyone care to comment on please do. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks

Thanks for the directions antwan, will have to take the kids up there for a look (and a swim if its a nice day) Might be other critters there too, it gets quite deep up poripori just past the bridge if i remember

OOOOooo secret spot, I live in Tauranga and there are a lot of streams, creeks, rivers, outlets etc. But hard to get to the source of most of them as they usually start amongst private farms up in the hills. I don't like getting from water further down as who knows whats been washed off into it. There are about 6 outlets in my area (Ohauiti/Hairini), all are used as drains for wash off from streets etc. It would be good if LFS had more information on safe collection and keeping of our native FW Shrimp. Or possibly selling at LFS. Anyone with any known spots to collect FW Shrimp from in TGA?? Preferably ones that aren't on private property, and that are easily accessible by road/vehicle

A possible alternative Hydroton Clay, similar to the professional substrates i talked of earlier. Anyone use this product in Hydroponics? or used in a tank??

I know this is an old post, but has anyone tried these??? Did anyone get to a testing phase??? I looked into it recently, from what i have read hydroton is 100% natural heated clay,this makes the clay expand and become porous, the clay is tested often for quality assurance. Dust free, doesnt break down, and no discharge. Holds oxygen and not much water, can be used repeatedly (lasts a long time) if properly cleaned and sterilized. pH stabilized. however i did read in second quote it doesn't hold nutrients?????? Maybe not so nutrient based as other aquatic plant nutrient products, but a natural looking substrate?? Maybe it can be used with JBL balls. If anyone has tested please comment. If it was a success it would be good to know because its soooo cheap.

thanks for all the comments looking into the JBL products as they seem to be at most pet stores, went to the local pet store who had a "specials day:, and even join up to their fish club, and by doing so recieved a bag of goodies which included a JBL catalogue thanks for your help, and yep im i newbie, i have now update my profile with location etc.

Wow thanks for the prompt responses At the moment I dont have a setup as such, still in the studying phase 8) I know probably the best way to learn is from doing it myself, but I dont want to buy everything and just plant it to have it fail on me. Ive read up a lot about Aquascaping and find it interesting, enough to start as a hobby. I mean check this out.....how creative is this http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2009.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=0&id=87 Aquascaping enthusiasts have even adapted the use of Japanese technique of rock formations known as Iwagumi. http://www.aquascapingworld.com/magazine/Magazine/Iwagumi-Style.html So Im studying from the bottom of the tank up. :lol: I did have a friend in Australia who had a planted tank but he had more interest in the fish. Not that I dont, but I like the idea of a nice green, well planted tank with the fish as an extra, or possibly shrimp :lol: and obviously the fish would benefit from the plants. Yep the budget is a killer for me too haha. So at the moment I'm starting with a Nano setup, see how I do with that over a few months, then invest in a larger setup. So anyway back to the substrates, yes it was the results that got me thinking, how they not only benefit the plants but also the water chemistry. Both Tropica & Oliver Knott have done sampling and in return had results in healthier plants over longer periods of time, and also a balance in water chemistry. But thank you for your comments and I will look further into it. If I can source these products at a reasonable price I will update. Otherwise its the kiwi DIY way for me Thankyou

Hi, newbie here , kinda just getting into the aquascaping scene. Doing some extensive research before I go ahead and buy everything. I have a question on substrates. I guess most gravel, coloured or natural, sand etc falls under the name of substrate. However after a lot of reading (and also youtubing), I've noticed a lot of overseas/professional aquascapers using specially formulated substrates for their aquaplant setup, which are created to use as a substrate but also very beneficial to the plants. They are not your typical fake looking gravel, or fluro coloured gravel etc. infact it can't be considered a gravel as its more like a compressed or dried soil. It looks natural, are formulated to keep the balance of pH and hardness, and do not dissolve into or cloud the water. Sometimes some of the soil-type substrates are used as a base, for healthy growth of the roots of plants, and are covered by a layer of gravel or sand. Here are some examples of the substrates I'm talking about: This is Tropica (Located in Denmark) AquaCare Plant Substrate http://www.tropica.com/article.asp?type=news&id=682 This is NatureSoil by Oliver Knott (From Germany) you all probably know who he is, this is the best example I have seen. http://www.oliver-knott.com/naturesoil-bodengrund-aquarien+M52087573ab0.html This is Nature Aquarium aka Aqua Design Amano (Takashi Amano) http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_products/substrate_index.php Tropica, by the way, have a great website with great info and instructions, I personally have been using most of their guides etc to suck up info and know how. If you didnt know, Oliver Knott has won numerous European Aquascaping contests, and is asked to setup planted aquariums worldwide. The website above also has great info and instructions. Tetra-Fish also sell a range. Some videos containing the substrates in use: After all my mumbo jumbo, my questions are..... Can we get these products in NZ? (in terms of MAF screening soils/sands etc) If so, where can I get some? Ive been to nearly every pet store/supply store this side of Bay of Plenty (Tauranga Region), looked at most pet supply NZ websites.........and all I can find is Bucket-O-Gravel and the rest of the BS!! :evil: Am I looking too far into professionally packed soil-type substrates?? Is there a DIY alternative like using soil from a clean good source of good ol NZ dirt?? If someone knows where to get product like this please do tell. Thankyou