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My low cost DIY med/high tech setup! 56k warning

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  danstock 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello from Nova Scotia, Canada!

My name is Dan and freshwater aquariums have been my main hobby for the past 3+ years. I've gone through a lot of changes and have learned a lot. I currently have a 55g Mbuna Cichlid biotope-type tank, a low-tech/low light planted 10g fry tank (for a brood of cichlid offspring and a project for down the road once they outgrow it) and, the tank I'd like to show you today: my 33g heavily planted community tank.

About a year ago, I decided to convert to live plants from the fake plastic ones I'd been used for the previous 2 years. I would buy live plants without research, struggle to keep them alive and my tank looking good all while I studied and learned from all of my mistakes. My goal was to create an inexpensive setup using my obsessive personality to make it clean, functional and cheap without it looking trashy or being difficult to maintain. Over the past 12 months I have tried many setups and slowly tweaked it into what I have today. I believe I have finally accomplished my goal!

From the point of converting from my stock lighting and plastic plants to ending up with a CO2 injected, LED lit, EI fert dosed tank that seems to be growing nicely with a very reasonable maintenance schedule, I would say I have spent maybe $150-200 CAN all told. Not bad at all.


My tank is lit by five 10 watt LED flood lights that I purchased for $12.95 each (shipped) from China. Each one is set on a separate timer to come on and off at 15 minute intervals creating a basic sunrise/sunset effect (see gif image below). I know they're not the most intense lighting (and are likely the weak point of my setup), but they were inexpensive, they give a great shimmer and they seem to be growing things no problem.





The next part of my DIY setup is my CO2 system. I have 3 separate 2 litre bottles filled with a mix that gives me consistant production for about 4 weeks per bottle. However, I am able to isolate and replace 1 bottle each week (colour coded) using shut off and check valves, without impacting the production of the other 2 bottles, and have been able to maintain a consistant ~2 BPS at all times. The system is assembled entirely from push-to-lock fittings and CO2 resistant tubing and DIY CO2 bottle caps purchased from China for under $30 total. Creates an entirely leak-free system that flows through a glass bubble counter and needle valve control and is injected through a ceramic disk diffuser mounted directly below my filter intake. My drop checker stays bright green constantly. I also use timed airtones hidden under the rockscape in order to off-gas CO2 at night. Seems to work very well and is simple/cheap to maintain. Just 2 cups of sugar per week.





I am in week #2 of EI dosing using dry ferts I purchased online and this has made the biggest difference by a mile! I have mixed up bottles of Macro and Micro nutrients based on my measurments and dose on alternating days following a colour coded schedule (so my wife can easily do it while I'm away). Each bottle should last 4 months or so and has refilling instructions on the label (again, for easy maintenance).



The substrate is entirely pool filter sand, but I have placed Seachem root tabs all over to assist the root feeders. It seems to be working.

All that's left now is to let things fill in and start trimming to thicken up some of the stem plants and follow some more pleasing lines (instead of the flat look it has now). I will keep this updated with how things progress over time!


Here is a picture taken this morning (Sept. 18th, 2013):




Lastly, here is a gif I made showing my sunrise/sunset effect that was acheived by setting each floodlight on it's own timer (moonlighting provided by a FishBowl Innovations moon tube and controller - using a 28 day moon cycle).




Enjoy!
 
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