hovmoller

Just wondering if the plant experts out there have any good advice that would improve my tank. Any plant suggestions or especially regarding the lighting - if it's enough, correct colour etc. Setup: 300L Rio - 2xT5 54w tubes - Day & Nature (9000k & 4100k) 50cm water depth. JBL base stuff underneath gravel. Have added CO2 now (thanks to the great DIY CO2 thread) which dropped my pH from 7.2 to 6.0 overnight.. so I'm guessing a lot of the CO2 is getting disolved into the water. Plants: Amazon, Argentine, Chain and Micro Chain Swords. Anubias, a bit of twisted Val and some Ambulia that I'm sure will do well no matter what I do I also have a bucket full of xmas moss that I recently took out but am unsure of what to do with it now.. (taking out the driftwood is not an option because it is mounted on a tile under the JBL base layer. If I had to attach anything to the wood it would have to be done in the water) Any help is much appreciated.. this is my first go ever at a real planted tank. Here's a current picture (have just cut down all Ambulia to get some fresh shoots come up)

No more eggs I'm guessing they were not fertilized... I guess shooting from the other side of the fence is no easy feat.

I think you are.. I can't see how the existing broken glass would give any real support to the 4mm even though you glue them together.. too risky IMO... Great project though.. wish I could fit a tank that size where I live

True... I tested again this morning and it was around pH 6.0.. I think it has stabilized now.. It's the Amazon community tank so 6 is ok.. fish seem happy as ever.. Question: I usually do a large WC of 40-50% every week.. my tap water is pH 7.2-7.4.. Would my fish get a shock if I do that now?

What about a slow drip? does anyone do that? I think Henward does.. Then the water would always be changing.. but at the rate you wanted eg. 10%/day

Wow!... it dropped my pH from 7.2 to 6.2 in 4 hours!.. Hope it won't keep dropping

I saw some of your questions earlier and I guess the terminology is confusing.. Best to use the terms "cold water" and "tropical" for unheated and heated aquariums respectively

I used brown sugar... read a bunch of places that it worked better then normal sugar.. hence the colour.

Saturday afternoon... what to do?... Got inspired by the talk about DIY CO2.. thought: "I can do that!" The bottle: And my temporary improvised diffuser:

Hi Renee.. Welcome Bad choice of name once you get some experience!

Ok.. never kept goldfish before.. then whatever Mountain minnows you can fit in there like you suggested... would still return the 15L though...IMO thats too small a body of water to keep any fish in.

If I were you I would take the little tank back and get my money back.. then buy a used set on TM eg. 30-40L with an internal filter, light and air.. you should be able to find something around the $50mark. Nothing wrong with used, most times it just needs a good clean.. Then you could get a few goldfish for the kids to enjoy

Perhaps mods can combine both Supasi and P44's posts into one sticky?

Ok so the calculation is based on the following: (coldest time of year) Tank temp: 28 Room temp: 10 Bottom 25mm poly, all other sides uninsulated. At this scenario you will need a minimum of 740 watt total to keep the tank temperature stable.. Of course this is worst case scenario so if I were you I would keep the 500w in there and maybe put an extra 300w in during winter.

No problem.. What is the coldest the room temperature will get to? No poly on back or sides?

If you tell me the following I can use my heat loss calculator to calculate the max wattage you will need at the coldest time of year: 1. Dims of tank 2. Which sides and how thick is covered with polystyrene. 3. The temperature you want the tank at and the coldest the room its in will get over the winter

I think you should brush up your biology knowledge there Josh The only thing (natural anyway) that can turn CO2 into O2 is a plant.. it's called photosynthesis I think what you mean is that the CO2 dissipates quicker from the water the more surface agitation there is.

Sorry to hear that Josh.. hope you make something work.. Fighters or Clowns?.. Do what makes you tick... within your budget

She is still carrying the eggs.. after 2 days that would indicate that the eggs are fertile yes?

I stopped in 1999 when I came to NZ. I was a student and moved around alot, flatting in different house etc.. Now I've finally got my residency, a secure job and a nice place to live so started the hobby again last year.. In all those years I really missed keeping fish but was never really able to.. sooo satisfying to get into it again though

Window maker, Killifish breeder & Mediator!... Well said Barrie

Sorry David I thought you were finished I will throw this one in anyway because I have just finished typing it: Can someone enlighten me please.. I am curious to why here in NZ: Crossocheilus siamensis (Siamese Algae Eater) is called "Black Line Flying Fox" Corydoras Sterbai (Sterbai Cory) is called "Golden Leopard Cory" or something like that.. At first I thought it might be because these species are not on the allow list and therefore imported and sold under a pseudo common name but they are both on the list.. Speaking of the whole common name vs scientific name.. Why did someone change an otherwise fine common name?? (and yes David I know this one of the reasons why common names can confuse in the first place, just wondering if anybody know the reasoning behind these names?)

I guess I should not make statements about what the "kiwi way" is since I am not one myself. I certainly see your point Mcculloch and I admit I did not think of it from that point of view when first suggesting the idea about the register. I guess it just made sense to me after reading all the posts about how we let species die out in NZ and what a shame that is.. beside that it would be very interresting to be able to get and idea of poulation sizes of different species.. very indicatively of course but it would paint a picture. There seem to be more resistance than acceptance of such a register and if that is the consensus then lets leave things the way they are.

2002 - An entry for Geophagus taeniopareius.. Interresting...

Yes sure it is but a very bleak view on what will happen if we enter what fish we keep on a website.