DubbieBoy

Hi Henry, No sensor, just a solenoid to turn the gas off at night. pH sensors are really not necessary - more of an overpriced luxury item for the technophiles who like to see a number The fish and plants aren’t half as concerned about these details as we are. Its very easy to set the flow rate and once done, you can forget about it. I did find a digital pH meter reassuring and helpful initially to confirm I wasn’t overdoing anything but now I’m not nearly as concerned about pH fluctuations as I was in the early days. Just ensure your carbonate hardness is high enough to buffer a bit, 4-8 is good. Dunedin water is extremely soft so that’s one thing I do keep an eye on. I do have a VERY good needle valve to set the flow; its one of these... http://www.swagelok.com/shopping/produc ... part=B-SS4 ...makes it a lot easier to control things consistently, its mounted after the regulator. It has a vernier scales on the dial so that I can reset the flow to exactly where it was when the gas bottle gets refilled. Handy. If I had to recommend one ‘accessory’ over all others, it would be this valve. I had the tank made by Redwood Aquatics in Christchurch who did a great job. I take comfort in the fact that its made out of all 10mm glass. It cost about $200. Transporting it home to Dunners in the back of the car was fun I just wish I had the carpentry skills to make a nice cover for it and to house the lighting. I keep meaning to have a go but... The Fluval internal you see in the pic was there purely to drive the (then) CO2 reactor. Main tank filtering is carried out (now) by two canister filters, an Eheim 2224 and a Fluval 104 connected in series so the Fluval acts as a mechanical prefilter, like this – This way I can change all the floss in the Fluval in a matter of minutes but leave the Eheim alone to act as a biological filter. This has been working well for me. I do find the planted tank produces quite a bit of detritus and plant matter and requires good mechanical filtration to keep the water completely clear. I’m not using that particular CO2 reactor any more; I switched to a glass diffuser which was working great until I broke it . I like the glass diffusers but I’m going to try and get a plastic version, the glass ones are too fragile for me. I had the diffuser housed entirely inside the body of the Fluval internal so that the impellor was blowing out a mist of tiny CO2 bubbles and wafting them about the tank. This has been the most effective method I’ve found for gas exchange and the plants loved it. The extra circulation just below the water surface was helpful too; since I’ve taken out that internal pump, I’ve had a problem with algae overgrowing my Riccia because the water is too still. With a bit of current moving the Riccia about, algae was never a problem. I must get on to that... Water movement is important and discourages algae, still water creates problems under high light. No, no special substrate other than a fine gravel. While I’m sure laterite etc... is great for many plant species like swords and other primarily root feeders, I tend not to keep those, they get too damn big. I prefer grass plants myself and they just don’t require substrate ferts. Other ferts however, are crucial. I use include Seachem Flourish for trace elements, a fantastic product, Flourish Iron too, on occasion. For macro-ferts, I add KNO3 for nitrogen, KH2PO4 for phosphate, K2SO4 for potassium and MgSO4 for magnesium. Distressingly often! After a good prune-out, I can go for about a month before it turns into a total jungle in there and I have to haul out handfuls. With stem plants, I just wrap groups of 5-6 stems together with some filter wool and shove the bases into a small cup which has a 1oz fishing weight in the bottom. They sink straight down but can’t root in the substrate (also allows groups of plants to be repositioned if desired). Then when I need to mow 3-4 weeks later, I just pull the whole lot up and replant the tops. Because the roots are confined inside the cups, they don’t drag up a whole mess of mulm and gunk with them, quick and clean (I try not to interfere with the gravel at all if I can avoid it, I don’t vacuum it either. I find trumpet snails do a magnificent job keeping it nicely rotovated and aerated). About every four-five months I have to severely cull the grasses back as they can start to look a bit tired and get root-bound. I replant the best of them and away they go again. No worries, always happy to talk about this stuff. For me, keeping the maintenance to a minimum is important and unfortunately, proper planted tanks require maintenance, simple as that. When regularly tended to, they are magnificent; when neglected, they quickly become an eyesore. The flipside of encouraging vigorous plant growth is that the plants grow vigorously

Happy to oblige Pics in the gallery... http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/my-planted-cube-vt9283.html -DB

Both pumps running, no reason not to have the fluval running also and to not do so might overly strain the eheim I think. Just one set of pipework in the tank (the eheim intake and spraybar sets) obviously. Good pressure and current out of the spraybar too, its positioned vertically.

I got my 104 new from petplanet on this forum for $80 (plus P&P). I think you'll find it hard to beat that price even 2nd hand or through TradeMe. With the new range of 5th generation Fluvals now on the market, you should be able to pick up an X04 for not-a-lot. Just one thing to bear in mind is that canister filters are designed to operate under slight negative pressure, so its probably a good idea to approximately match the outputs and don't have a more powerful pump trying to push past a lesser pump, better the other way around. With pumps in series, the flow rate will the same but the pressure will be higher. Good luck with it

Something that’s been working well for me which I thought I’d share... Planted tanks are my particular weakness and my 200l tank had been filtered solely via an Eheim 2224 up to a few weeks ago. I had been trying to eliminate the usual yellowish caste in the water due to tannins leaching out of driftwood and the normal solution to this would be activated carbon in the filter. Because it’s a planted tank though, I didn’t want to leave carbon in there long term, I was more hoping to put it in for the few days prior to a water change and then quickly and conveniently remove and dump it. So I was on the lookout for an inline chamber that I could fill with carbon and splice into the filter outlet hose via a couple of quick release taps, something that could be quickly added or removed without having to disassemble the whole filter every time, preferably without even having to get my hands wet (because I knew that if that was required, the carbon would just sit in there for weeks at a time...). Anyway, to cut a long story short, it occurred to me that what I was looking for was best described by, well, a canister filter. So now I have a Fluval 104 basically acting as an inline prefilter to the Eheim (output from the Fluval goes straight into the input for the Eheim and from the Eheim back to the tank). The huge advantage for me with this is that now the Eheim never really gets dirty or needs cleaning, its there purely as a bio filter. All of the mechanical filtration occurs in the Fluval, which just contains foam and floss. This means that it can be mucked out in a matter of minutes because the media doesn’t need to be cleaned out in tank water or anything, it just gets dumped and replaced with entirely fresh floss each time, easy as. All the mature bio-media stays with the Eheim. This saves a lot of time for me (and I don’t have nearly as much free time to spend on the tank as I would like) and it means the mechanical filter medium gets replaced far more often than it would if I had to strip down the Eheim every time to do it. Also, I’ve never felt that the Eheim was all that great at mechanical filtration or removing very fine particulates and that the brand-name replacement filter pads just cost silly-money that I’m not prepared to pay, but the Fluval filled entirely with cheap polyester floss does a magnificent job. The upshot, and what prompts this post, is that the water is now quite stunningly clear – the fish literally appear suspended in nothing. I’d say its on a par with a diatom filter for clarity. I have also included some Seachem Purigen in a compartment of the Fluval which is also doing sterling work. One of my greater frustrations with this hobby has been that I just haven’t had the amount of time to devote to it that I would like and that, planted tanks in particular, require. Anything that lessens the time taken up by routine maintenance is a major bonus.

My spraybar is vertical rather than horizontal, down one back corner so you get the circulation but not the surface agitation. Works well for me.

I thought my water had been evaporating a little faster than usual but last night I noticed a thin film of water around the base of the tank and it seems I have a small leak developing. I can actually see where its coming from, along the bottom edge where the base and a side panel meet; maybe a single drop of water every few minutes beads out. My question is, is this the sort of thing that might re-seal itself given time or should I be making plans to actively remedy this? (Is there a possibility it could suddenly get significantly worse?? ) It’s a small leak so I’m not panicking, just yet. But its right at the base, below the gravel etc so it would require a complete strip down to repair . The tank is 60cms deep so there’s a fair bit of pressure involved, its about two years old. My other question would be then, if I do need to effect a repair, what’s the procedure? I assume I can just apply some silicone over the top of the existing seal, the old silicone doesn’t need to be cut out or anything? And can somebody please recommend a particular product?

Although, I have a new phosphate test kit, one of the Hagen ones. When I tried it out on a water sample to which I had added some KH2PO4, it still detected nothing when it should have been off the scale. It really makes me wonder about the usefulness of those things.

Pinsara - are you saying you have no fish in there at all? In this case, its even more likely that its a nutrient deficiency rather than an excess. If everything was hunky-dorey while you were adding ferts regularly and then things went downhill when this was interrupted, it seems the algae might have gotten a chance to take hold. But once you start fertilising again, your bloom may well dissappear of its own accord. Flourish doesn't contain macronutrients (nitrates and phosphates - the plant equivalent to 'meat'n'veg'), its purely a trace elements supplement (more akin to chocolate and vitamins - essential, but in smaller amounts ). If your tank contains a reasonable amount of plant mass and very few, or no?, fish, then I'd suggest you look add dosing some macros.

I think it also depends on how heavily your tank is planted. In a sparsely planted tank, or a situation where the plants are not really thriving and actively growing, then phosphates and nitrates in the water column may promote algae and one should try and remove them. On the other hand, in a heavily planted tank with good growth, nitrates and phosphates in the water column are both necessary and desirable. In their absence, the plants become starved and growth slows down, allowing algae to come knocking, so they must actually be added in healthy amounts. Phosphorus is after all an essential plant nutrient just like Nitrogen and Potassium, a certain amount is essential. When the higher order plants are thriving, the algae are not. It may be that that the best way to eliminate algae is to add more ferts. So, IMHO, algae may be caused by either too much or too little phosphate, it depends on the other parameters too. This is a little counter-intuitive. It all depends on the individual setup and there are no hard and fast rules. It is incorrect to state that phosphate causes algae; phosphate causes algae in certain (perhaps even most?) situations, sure. There are different guidelines for 'planted' versus 'non-planted' or sparsely planted tanks. I believe the best way to completely eliminate algae is to address why the plants themselves are not doing well enough to prevent it, whether it be insufficient light, CO2, ferts, whatever. Manufacturers of aquarium products tend to try and reduce and eliminate phosphate from foods etc because of its association with algae, to the extent that planted tanks easily become starved of phosphate entirely. I know I have to throw it in raw quite regularly and it doesn't promote algae in my situation, my plants need it. As plantman says, get your plants to outcompete the algae; fast growing plants are the best algicide of all. Other remedies address the symptoms but not the cause, so it goes away for a while and then returns. Better to address the root (ha ha ) cause.

Well, at the moment the reflectors are just sitting directly on the glass so the lamps themselves are maybe only an inch from the glass surface (I've tried using acrylic instead of glass but it warps terribly). The glass cracking problem is a combination of the heat from the lamps and the stress caused by cutting out a back corner of the glass to accommodate some filter tubes. The cracking starts from the cut area in response to heating and cooling. I expect that as soon as the lamps are properly mounted in a hood and slightly further from the surface, no longer making direct contact, that the glass cracking will no longer be a problem. This is the current setup... As you can see, my cat also enjoys the heat and the view up there... I've managed to stop her jumping up there by applying double-sided sticky tape; she hates it! As regards putting vents in, I'm going to try and use two layers of gaps in the lid and offset them to limit the amount of light escaping. Umm, hope that makes some sort of sense... - DB

I really wouldn't recommend restricting the output from a DIY CO2 generator - they can actually build up a LOT of pressure, to the extent that the bottle may explode (very messy and smelly too ) Equally, small plastic airpump valves can't control the pressure either. Maybe the best may to limit the amount of gas produced is just to limit the amount of yeast, you'll get less gas and your mix will last longer. Or keep it somewhere cool. A pH of 7.2-7.4 is really not particularly high. Have fun!!

Hi Guys, As Luke says, use less yeast and the mix will last much longer. As yeast ferments the sugar, there is a gradual buildup of ethanol which is toxic to the organisms themselves and kills them off. After your mix has been brewing for a couple of days, take a big sniff and you'll see what I mean By adding less yeast, you'll slow this down a lot but still get plenty of gas. As the Dunedin water is sooo soft (which is good for your washing machine and for your kettle!), it has no buffering capacity to speak of, which is why the pH of your tank water is liable to change quite quickly even with a small amount of CO2. The best way to get around this is to add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, NOT baking powder which is different!). There's a rule of thumb that 1 tspn, or about 6g, should raise the KH of 50 litres by 4dKH. As with all things, do it slowly. I would aim for a KH of between 4 and 6 degrees (there are good test kits available at Pet Warehouse and at Pet Planet). Having said that, however, my own advice would be not to bother interfering with the pH at all. In smaller tanks, particularly with low KH, it can be hard to control pH via CO2 injection, even with pressurised systems. With a DIY setup, its even harder. But then, I don't really believe the fish care all that much as long as the pH is reasonable and stable. We probably do more harm than good a lot of the time when we try and control these things, especially in smaller tanks. You've got two DIY CO2 producers going - so grow lots of plants!! If you're not so interested in the plants but moreso the fish, there are probably better ways of decreasing your pH than with CO2.

Yep; I've got three 55W CFs over my tank, under reflectors, and they do produce much heat (and a lotta light!). So far my biggest problem with them has been cracking (6mm!) cover glasses But the plant growth! OH the PLANT GROWTH!! I'm also at the stage of trying to decide how to incorporate them inside a hood, some cooling will certainly be necessary I think. I'm going to use a 12V computer case fan (one of the totally silent ones) to blow air through the hood and just provide plenty of ventilation really. Also considering using some baffles or vents in the top that would prevent light escaping out into the room but allow warm air convect out.

Hi Kookie, 'tis done. - DB

Avoid Duckweed like the plague that it is. -DB

Link for good info on this... http://www.teamonslaught.fsnet.co.uk/co2_info.htm - DB

Its my understanding that both OZ and NZ both use the British CO2 gas connection fittings, as opposed to the US which uses their own CGA 320 fitting which is incompatible with anywhere else... I had a good link for distinguishing the two, if I can dredge it up, I'll post it.

Yep, Seachem Flourish is yer man! Great product.

I fish them out with a tea-strainer, run it under the tap to wash 'em off and then just dump them in - the fish LOVE them, especially the Rams. And because I have a layer of floating Riccia on the surface, the mossie larvae can hide out and the fish can then hunt for the rest of the day!

NOT my auction nor is it anything to do with me, just thought this might be of interest to somebody. Don't see this stuff up there very often... http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auct ... d=42711986

Ouch Apple Snails treat tanks like a salad-bar! Pretty cool critters otherwise tho'. I have one (Sheila) which I keep isolated in a nice glass vase on the coffee table and I feed her (it, whatever... Apple snails aren't hermaphrodites so it could actually be a girl...) riccia and lettuce leaves which she simply DEVOURS! Mostly she just plods about, doing snail stuff... Just mail me a self-addressed envelope (I recommend the A5 $5 prepaid fastpost padded envelopes from the postshop which hold a good sized pottle) and I'll return it to you. I'll PM you the address. I'm gearing up to do a whole lot of pruning just as soon as I get a chance as there's barely room for the fish in there at the moment. Would you be interested in some other plant cuttings too? Might need a bigger envelope tho' - DB

Hi peanuts, Did the Riccia I sent you before not do so well then? My tank is still churning it out so if you want to send down another SAE, I'll get more Riccia to you? But you may have to change something about your setup if a new batch is to be any more likely to flourish. Think LIGHT and lots of it - DB

Before I 'installed' the Riccia, I had seen this happen with Vallis - I dosed (recommended amount) of Excel and all my Valls just melted away, completely. Nothing else, just the Vallis. And I have heard of this happening to others elsewhere too on other forums and I firmly believe the Excel was the cause, it was just too coincidental to be anything else. Don't get me wrong, I think its a great product (if not for the purpose for which the manufacturer intended, its far more useful as a BBAlgicide than a CO2 supplement IMHO), just some plant species appear to react badly to it.

My tank is still churning it out but if you can aquire it locally from BlueandKim you'll save yourself the postage costs