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Coach's 29 Gallon - Cichlid Restart (Post #68)

8K views 67 replies 18 participants last post by  CAM6467 
#1 · (Edited)
Skip to post #68 to see my new 29g cichlid tank from the start!!!
 
#33 ·
Great news! My eco-complete came in today! Dr Foster and Smith is a great company to purchase through. My substrate came in faster than anticipated and was delivered in great shape! I'm a few "small" steps away from getting this 29g up and running again.

I will have the hardscape finished by the end of the day tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have some plants on order tomorrow evening. Here's a list of what I've got my eye on:

  • Lilaeopsis (Brazilian Micro Sword)
  • Red Tiger Lotus
  • Cryptocoryne Parva
  • Lobelia Cardinalis
  • Broad Leaf Chain Sword
  • Red Sword Melon
  • Amazon Sword

I already have some java fern and anubias nana. I'll re-arrange these if needed to get the look that I'm after.

If you have any of the listed species and would like to sell, please send me a PM. Otherwise, it's off to the SNS for me!

Updates and pictures coming soon....
 
#34 ·
Well, I got a good chance to do some work today after church. My wife (pregnant with our 2nd child) took about a four hour nap with our 20 month old daughter! It was perfect timing!!

I started by draining the water from the 29g. It was a nasty task. Once the water was out, I scooped as much of the MTS and capping material out as I could by hand. After that, it was outside to the backyard and a water-hose to finish off the failed MTS project.

In the process, I discovered that the "manzanita" that I purchased is quite decayed. Pretty much every bit of it was sort of spongy...if that makes any sense to you. That being said, it wasn't rotten to the point of falling apart. In fact, this may be a typical stage in the life of manzi in the aquarium. Oh well, it's back in the tank and looks fine.

After I got it cleaned out to my liking, I got it back inside, hooked the plumbing back up, then began the task of arranging my hardscape. As you can see in the following picture, I decided to create a manzi structure on the middle-right of the tank. This is where my anubias and moss will call home. To the left of the tank, I created a tiered look using petrified wood. The EC is about 1-2" deep on the near side of the petrified wood and about 3-4" deep behind the petrified wood. This gives me the ability to keep plants out of each other's areas more effectively and provides nice depth to the tank.

FTS (12/2/12 about 10 minutes after it was filled):


Obviously, I am in need of plants in a bad way. I posted a WTB in the SNS earlier today. It's been a while since I was a regular on TPT, and the SNS has certainly changed over the past couple of years. I've had some good contact via my WTB, and I'm hoping to have some of the plants that I'm after in this tank within a couple weeks.

The anubias, as you can tell from the previous picture, are ready to rock-n-roll. I was shocked at how healthy they each looked after almost a year in what amounts to aquatic hell. I'm pretty confident that I can't kill anubias!

I had initially purchased one large needle java fern when I first established my MTS attempt. That one fern produced five very healthy babies that had 4-5 leaves each. I took all of the fern that was healthy looking and tied it to a rock. This is an idea that I picked up off another TPT'er recently. It should make it easier to make changes in the future. All I have to do is move the rock to make an immediate change in the tank.

Here's what I made using my java ferns:

Here's how it is going to sit in the tank...

....and here it is inside the tank:


And to finish off the post, here's a shot of the tank as it sits right now:


I'm going to eventually move the fava fern rock to the far right-rear corner to help hide the xp1's intake. I like the way it looks like one solid fern with multiple leaves. Hopefully it will continue to grow and eventually look even nicer than it does today!

I'm going to make a trip to a welding supply shop here in Alvarado tomorrow afternoon so I can get my pressurized CO2 up and running again. Anybody have any idea how long CO2 resistant line lasts? Mine is over two years old now (With less than one year of actual use under its belt).

I have a package on its way to my house this week. I'm going to position the koralia nano to flow opposite the flow of my xp1's outflow spray bar. Hopefully this and the CO2 will help me combat algae in this setup.

The water is quite murky at the moment, but I'm sure it'll be cleared up by this time tomorrow.

Thanks for reading my novel! Comments are enjoyed!!

Charlie
 
#35 ·
I'm thinking that a substantial WC is in order for tonight. The water is still pretty milkish, and I'm hoping that it's just part of the process. I don't remember having any issues at all with my 10g using eco-complete. I'm certain that after a 90% WC, I'll have better clarity. It may take a few major WCs, but I'll get what I'm after before too long.

Here's a shot of the tank prior to the WC:


And again after adding fresh, new water:


The java fern rock is in its final resting place, hiding the xp1's intake. Hopefully those ferns will grow larger enough to take over that entire corner.

Here are some ideas that I've come up with for the aquascape here:

  • The back-left corner is reserved for a sword of some type. I'm thinking red melon or perhaps a kleiner bar. I'm basically envisioning something with some pop taking up much of that back corner.
  • Just to the right of the proposed sword just mentioned, I'm seeing some lobelia cardinalis bunched up in a tight group.
  • Just to the right of the lobelia patch, I'm thinking that a nice red tiger lotus would look good.
  • The area between that nice chunk of petrified wood and the front glass is reserved for my ground cover plant. I'm considering lilaeopsis brasiliensis. I would like for that area to become dominated by that carpet style plant. I've seen it in others' tanks and it is pretty nice.
  • The anubias nana that I already have in place are looking pretty nice, IMO. That being said, I think that I want to get some more to try to cover as much of the low lying manzi as I can.
  • I want to put some christmas moss or fissidens on the upper reaches of the manzi branches here and there to create a more natural look.
  • The far right-front corner is intended for some cryptocoryne parva or some dwarf sag. I don't know, I just want something that stays about 3-4" high and makes something of a little bush.

As you may have noticed, I'm trying to stay away from the stem plants for now as I have grown to despise the constant, never ending trimming that comes with those plants. However, I am fond of the rotala family and may have to make some changes in my philosophy once that bug bites hard enough!

As always, comments/suggestions/complaints/critiques are ALWAYS welcome and rather enjoyed!!

Charlie
 
#36 ·
So I decided that I should go ahead and hook up my CO2 system seeing as how I took some time during my lunch to get my bottle refilled. That turned out to be a free endeavor because I teach the son of the welding supply manager! This job DOES have its perks!!

Unfortunately, my needle valve was clogged completely. I had to take remove it from the rest of my regulator/solenoid and, using a 1/16" drill bit, drill out the clog. Honestly, this was a simple, ten minute task. Here's a shot of the system up and running (Please try to overlook the nasty, old vinyl tubing):



I'm currently running it at ~1-2 bbs. I can't find my drop checker, so I'm just going to take it easy on the flow rate for the time being. I'm in the market for a good drop checker or a good DIY idea. Let me hear your idea(s).

I have a plant order that should be here tomorrow. I've also picked up some stuff on the SNS. Everything should be here by week's end. Here's a list of what I purchased so far:
  • Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis
  • Red Melon Sword
  • Anubias Nana
  • Red Tiger Lotus
  • Blyxa Japonica
  • Cryptocoryne Parva
  • Jungle Val
  • Frogbit

I'M STILL LOOKING FOR LOBELIA CARDINALIS, SO LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP!!!

This, as you probably know, is a very exciting part of keeping a planted tank, the wait for your stuff!!
 
#37 ·
My Koralia nano 240, Seachem Flourish, and root tabs arrived Wednesday evening. The Koralia has made an immediate impact on the flow within my tank. There really isn't much surface film left, and I'm seeing movement in every area. NO DEAD SPOTS!! YAY!!!

I'm hoping that my plant packages begin coming in today. I'm expecting Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis, Red Melon Sword, Anubias Nana, Red Tiger Lotus, Blyxa Japonica, Cryptocoryne Parva, Jungle Val, Frogbit, Crypt Wendtii tropica red, and lobelia cardinalis.

I'm looking forward to having this tank fully planted by the end of the weekend. I'll have PLENTY of picture updates as planting begins...

Charlie
 
#39 ·
I received several packages this morning. In those packages were my frogbit, crypt wendtii tropica red, lobelia cardinalis, anubias nana, rotala sp. "green", ludwigia repens x arcuata, hydrocoryle verticillata, and flame moss. Some of these were a surprise to me upon arrival, but that's what makes shopping for plants on the SNS so great! You're always going to wind up getting either more than you paid for or some bonus extras that you didn't expect! I love it.

I am still waiting on a shipment from aquariumplants.com. I'm not sure what the deal is. I ordered Sunday at 9:00pm with 2nd day air and I'm still waiting almost a week later... I'm a bit upset, but I'll just be patient and see how it unfolds...

Now then, let's get on with the pictures...

FTS (Post planting):


Shot from right side:


Shot from left side:


Aerial view of lobelia cardinals and new anubias nana (Taken underwater using lifeproof case on iPhone):


Close up of original anubias nana:


Lobelia cardinalis patch:


View of c. wendtii tropica red behind the anubias nana and driftwood:


Frogbit and new Koralia Nano 240:


Flame moss that I didn't know I was getting. I decided to tie it up and allow it to sort of grow out before I attach it to the driftwood. I'm sure that it'll probably end up getting tied to the driftwood the day my package from aquariumplants.com arrives. Here's the pic:


That's it for now. I'll have more once my final package arrives.

Comments and suggestions are appreciated,

Charlie
 
#41 ·
Yeah Bear, I was actually trying to stay away from stem plants for now due to the high maintenance that I've experienced with them before. However, since I received two little bunches of such nice stem plants I'm going to have to change my plans a bit. I'm sure that I'll be able to have a sizable bush of both the rotala and ludwigia within a couple of months if all goes well.

I'm not too pleased with aquariumplants.com. I placed my plant order on the 3rd and paid for 2nd day air shipping and I'm STILL waiting!!! I'm at a loss here...

I just need to remain patient! That's going to be my biggest challenge this time around, patience.

Tell me your thoughts. Should I try to place the melon sword in the back-left corner or shall I grow the stems out and turn them loose in that corner?

I would like some suggestions here. I want opinions. What would you do with this aquarium?

Thanks for your help!

Charlie
 
#42 ·
I honestly don't see a melon sword, I'm blind. But if its in there you don't want it too close to the glass considering how fast they grow. Any sword will need lots of room, might even outgrow the tank.
I would reposition the crypt as well for basically the same reason although that shouldn't get too big. My crypts fill in nicely in my 29. Without taking up too much room.
 
#44 ·
Oh, aquariumplants.com. I usually buy from this forum's Sell/trade, most of the time I've had good experience. Locally there's a small community here in SA we tend to trade among each other. D/FW has a club I think but that's a bit of a drive from Alvarado for swappage.
 
#46 · (Edited)
I appreciate it bud! I'm not new to the planted tank scene, but I'm definitely not very accomplished yet. I'm hoping that this setup can be my first TRULY successful planted aquarium.
 
#47 ·
Well, I've got a couple of things to be concerned about already....

1. My shipment from aquariumplants.com has STILL NOT ARRIVED!!!!

2. My hydor inline heater is leaking. It's a very small leak, like 1/2 tablespoon per hour type of leak. I have no clue where the leak is coming from. The inlet and output connections are solid. The leak was not there two days ago and all of a sudden appeared sometime today. I currently have a cup under the leak to catch the droplets, but I need a more permanent solution. Any suggestions?

I'm very upset about my plant order. Hopefully they aren't completely DOA due to this cold. Ugh! I'm just very annoyed.
 
#49 ·
What is and where can I get Manzanita driftwood from PC1? What is PC1, and what their website?
 
#50 ·
PC1 is a TPT member. Just search for that handle under the "Search" tab at the top-right side of the homepage.

If you're looking for some nice pieces, PC1 is the way to go!
 
#51 ·
Well, I believe that I've narrowed down why/how my inline heater is leaking. This past weekend I received a few plant orders in the mail. I decided to go ahead and plant them, so I unplugged the canister filter to limit the water movement during the process. Unfortunately, I forgot to plug it back in when I was finished. That tank sat for about 24 hours with only the Koralia circulating water. Sounds pretty innocent until you take into consideration that I left the hydor inline heater plugged in the entire time.

When I got home from work yesterday afternoon, I sat down to take a look at the tank. I noticed a spec of something flowing through the tank. As it passed in front of the spray-bar of my xp1, I noticed that it didn't get pushed by the current of water coming out of the holes in the spray-bar. That's when I realized that I had left it unplugged. I plugged it in, watched as the built up CO2 was pushed out and water began flowing again like normal.

I then left to go meet with my family to pick up some venison that I had processed after going hunting a couple weekends back. When I returned home from that trip is when I noticed the water collecting on the top of my canister filter.

After doing a little research last night, I'm convinced that the glass tube within the hydor broke when the colder water from the tank came into contact with it after I plugged the canister filter back in.

I know that this is my fault, but I read that Hydor has a fail-safe protection feature that is supposed to shut the unit off in the case of a cessation of water flow.

Is that true? If so, do you think that I could have my unit replaced? Any advice/suggestions/comments are GREATLY appreciated and anticipated.

Thanks,

Charlie
 
#52 ·
It looks like you may have some fighting currents in your setup as it stands right now.

I would put the filter intake, the filter spraybar, and the powerhead all on one side of the tank. Angle the powerhead up and across, aiming at the opposite corner, creating some surface agitation. This will help with gas exchange and loop the water through the tank, pushing detritus towards the filter intake.

I have a similar setup and struggled with C02 distribution as well as some oxygen issues. After everything was set up correctly, those problems largely disappeared.

I'm also amazed at how little dirt is spread through the tank. It all settles on one side.
 
#53 ·
I may have gotten lucky in my case but I have a Hydor inline heater in my 55g turtle tank. A couple of times my XP3 filter became clogged for maybe a week with the hydor still running.

Luckily, I shut everything down to clean out the tubing and restarted everything with no ill effects. Not sure if the cutoff took effect or it had sufficient time to cool as I removed the obstruction.
 
#54 ·
Just dosed the tank. I'm taking the EI strategy. Let me know if you think that what I'm up to is good/bad/in-between. I'm not new to dry dosing, but I've never really had time to learn the do's and don'ts. The last time I used dry frets, I was only able to use them for about 6 months (My 20L that is no longer with us) before I moved.

This tank, as you know, is a 29 gallon. I have 62 watts of t5ho (10,000k & 6,700k) lighting, pressurized CO2 running at about 5 bubbles per second, and PLENTY of circulation. I'm following these steps:

50% WC weekly
1/4 tsp KNO3 3x per week
1/16ish tsp KH2PO4 3x per week
1/16ish tsp trace 3x per week
Root tabs being used liberally (probably 10-15 in the substrate currently)
Seachem Flourish (full cap) once per week

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Charlie
 
#55 ·
Just ran some water parameter tests...
  • pH - 7.2-7.6
  • Ammonia - <0.25 ppm
  • Nitrite - 0 ppm
  • Nitrate - <5.0 ppm

I tried to test my GH and KH using my API test kits, but I could never see the color change that was referenced to in the instructions. My 5ml of tank water turned dark blue immediately and never budged even after 20 drops of the KH test solution. I had the same misery with the GH test kit. This is the second one of these kits that I've purchased over the years and I've never had any luck reading GH nor KH...:(

Some of my crypts are starting to melt. I've read that this is somewhat normal activity for newly planted crypts. Here are some shots of the crypts. Some of the melting is pretty obvious, some isn't. I'm assuming that it'll happen and, if I am lucky, the plants will regrow...





Sorry about the poor photographs. All I have is my iPhone, and I'm not going to be spending any big money for a fancy camera anytime soon! Maybe one of these days....

Anyhow, I'm pretty pleased with the progress of this tank so far. I called aquariumplants.com today and confirmed that my order will be shipped tomorrow morning with an ETA of this Friday. I'm glad that my package is actually going to be shipped, but it sure seems like a lot more than the 2nd day air that I paid for!

Sadly, my heater is still leaking. Luckily, however, the leak is very minor. I put a cup under the heater today to catch the droplets. In the 10 hours that I was away, I caught just about one full tablespoon's worth of water. I'm not happy that I have a leak, but I can live with this minor leak for now. I'll have to wait for my next pay check before I can afford to spend anything more on this tank (As my wife keeps reminding me)! I'm just going to order a new hydor 200w in-line heater.

I also just noticed that I have at least one good sized pond snail making its way across the back glass. I'm sure that I'll have an entire colony by the end of the month. Sounds like a loach is in order once this tank has sufficiently cycled.

Speaking of that, my water parameter readings above indicate that I have an obvious lack of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the tank. I've been adding fish food daily to add ammonia to the water column. I'm not sure if my readings are an indication of a thriving bacteria colony or if they are evidence of a lack of a nitrogen cycle. I used the same filter and media that I had for over a year with my MTS "swamp". I'm guessing that I probably have a healthy bacteria colony in my canister!:)

In the process of re-organizing the garage, I discovered my old plastic storage tub filled with aquarium stuff. Now I have access to my old CO2 drop checker. All I need now is to make some 4 dKH solution and I'll be able to visually see where my CO2 levels are!!

I'm so sorry for the novel that I just wrote! I'm just VERY long winded when it comes to this thread.

Thanks for reading,

Charlie
 
#56 · (Edited)
Very strange times. My heater has decided to quit leaking sometime today.:confused::confused::confused: I can't even begin to explain that one boys and girls. I'll just keep an eye on the unit and the temp within the tank. If all stays good, I guess luck is finally on my side!

Great news. It seems that the delivery of my plants from aquariumplants.com is on the horizon. I received a shipment confirmation email this morning. The ETA is for Friday. I can't wait to get stuff planted!

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for me and my little family. Two years ago this April, my wife and I were blessed with a baby girl. Tomorrow, we go to the doctor to see what the gender of our new little one is. As any father would be, I'm hoping for a boy! Honestly, though, I'm really only concerned that our baby is happy and HEALTHY!!! Very exciting times!!!!!!!!

Hopefully I'll have some pictures in my next post. Thanks for reading,

Charlie
 
#57 ·
Well, today was an awesome day! My wife and I went to the doctor and found out that we are going to have our second daughter in early May!!! I couldn't be more excited! I want a son very strongly, but there's something special about a daughter. It'll be interesting to see how they both get me wrapped equally around their little fingers!

Anyhow, I went ahead and rigged up my drop checker:


It's been underwater for about an hour. No color change so far. Blue as can be...

Crypts are melting away to nothing mostly. I'm assuming that they were grown out of water and are just getting used to the immersed life.

Other stuff starting to show some signs of life.

FTS shots to show growth (12/8/2012 vs. 12/13/2012):



Not much growth to brag about, but things are starting to perk up.

On a side note, I'm having some trouble with my CO2 system. I have the working pressure adjusted to ~40psi going through the solenoid. I adjust the needle valve to allow probably 5-10 bubbles per second. What ticks me off is that I have to readjust this thing daily to maintain that type of output. Why does the rate at which CO2 gas is released through my bubble counter constantly changing even when nothing is changed as far as the regulator and needle valve are concerned? This has me pretty upset right now...
 
#58 ·
First Off CONGRATS on the News of your Daughter!!!!

I really like the scape of the rocks and wood! And your plants seem to be coming along well! The crypts were probably grown immersed, like you said, if you purchased them on-line. Some people here also grow immersed plants, so I would check with who you bought them from! Melting is a normal thing for them though, even going from one tank to another in my aquariums has made a few different types go through a melting period! But usually you will see new growth in a week or so!

For your question/problem with the bubble count, I will try to help. I looked back in the journal and from the pics I can't tell what kind of needle valve you have. When I first started using pressurized Co2 I had a Cheepo Ice Maker Needle valve, and even though it worked, I had trouble adjusting it daily! I finally just started leaving it on 24-7 and running a air stone at night so the count wouldn't go haywire! Finally I went to a good needle valve , a Nibco nv-55 IIRC, and it has solved the problem! BUT even with a good needle valve it took a few days of playing with the pressure the regulator was set at and adjusting the needle valve to get it where I wanted it! I think it is set at 35# from the bottle was the sweet spot I finally found!

SO after all that spill, IF the needle valve is a good one, then you will probably need to play with the output pressure from the tank to get it to set where you want it! Sorry about the rambling! ;)

On the lack of Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, I would probably guess you still have good bacteria in it, and it is working on the food waste you are adding to the tank. OR it could be the plants, or a combo of both! BUT I would GO SLOW when adding fish, because with not much of a bio load in the tank the bacteria colony will "Shrink" to the amount of waste in the tank that it can feed on! So if you add a bunch of fish at one time it very well could start a Cycle since there won't be enough bacteria to take on a big load. At least that is in a fish only tank, but with plants you have a bit of a buffer "built in" but the plants can only consume so much!

Also since the filter was off for a extended amount of time the bacteria in it could have been killed off as well, so I would just recommend to go slow with fish or inverts!

Have you found the leak in the heater yet??? That would SCARE ME, BIG TIME!!! After seeing how much damage can come from a leaking canister filter overnight, I would FIND THE LEAK ASAP!!! A little water goes A LONG WAY on the floor!!!!

Well I hope I didn't talk your eyes dry!!! AWESOME NEWS on the Baby!!! We had a boy the first time out, and we stopped there, but I have 2 nieces, and I LOVE them to death!!! So I can only imagine having 2 Daughters!!! Yall are truly Blessed!!!

Holler back at me if you need any clarification on what I wrote! LOL Ya know Us Texas Boys have to stick together!!! ;) ;) ;)

Best of luck, have a Merry Christmas!
Drew
 
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