Andrew's High Tech EBI - RCS, CRS and Fish!

[cawolf86]

Timelined pictures from each update go here
Day 125 - 7/27/12

Day 80 - 6/12/12

Day 60 - 5/22/12

Day 45 - 5/7/12

Day 25 - 4/15/12

Day 14 - 4/4/12

Day 6 - 3/28/12

Day 1 - 3/22/12


Hey there,

this is a thread I want to start to have a way to track my progress and share my (hopeful) success in my first attempt at a nano. I have kept 55 and 29 gallon planted tanks in the past with a varying degree of "low tech" and "high tech". This Ebi is being set up in an apartment I keep to stay at during the part of the week I work.

For now I know I want to attempt to dry start a carpet - currently HC.
Stand - Ikea desk leg
Tank - Fluval Ebi 7.9 gallon
Light - Finnex 26w clip-on
Filter - Eheim 2232 with custom acrylic pipes by TPT member undecided and delayed lily pipes since the seller decided to never make them
Heater - Hydor 200w in-line or possibly none depending on my temp
Substrate - 2 bags of fluval shrimp stratum
CO2 - Paintball tank with aquatek regulator
Ferts - Osmocote+ root tabs with EI dosing
Hardscape - Random metamorphic stones from my yard
Plants - Fow now just HC (thanks mgamer)
Fauna - For now I will be transferring my RCS from another tank

Got my HC from mgamer in the mail today and planted for my first attempt at a DSM. Got 2 2x2 clumps which was more than enough to heavily plant the tank. I have a Coralife T5NO 2x14w haphazardly propped over the tank until next week when my Finnex clip-on comes in. Finnex lamp in hand!

Thanks for looking!

Pics as of today - Day 1 of planting - 3/22/12

[crazydaz]

Looks like you are off to a great start so far!! Are you going to let it fully carpet before adding water??

[GMYukonon24s]

I agree that does look like a good start.

[cawolf86]

Thanks. My goal is to get it rooted and spread enough so it stays when I fill it. Im going to give it at least a month.

And thanks for the positive comments. I got an awesome batch of HC to work with.


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[dasob85]

nice!

[cawolf86]

Thanks. I had to do a bad thing these few days. I had to leave my tank unattended during the dry start. I misted heavily right before I left and placed a small dish with water in the tank. Hopefully it will sustain for a few days.


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[FlyingHellFish]

Hahahhah I love your light set up with the boxes, I did a very similar thing on my Edge in the early days.

[cawolf86]

Originally Posted by FlyingHellFish

Hahahhah I love your light set up with the boxes, I did a very similar thing on my Edge in the early days.

Had to improvise with a 30" light. Haha. Bright side to this is I have a Finnex 26w in hand to change out when I am back at this residence on Wednesday morning.


....hoping I have HC to go back too. I'll post a pic either way

[FlyingHellFish]

I too am growing some HC Carpet in a Fluval but it's the Edge 6 gallon. Definitely post a picture, mine is going through a yellowing phase and I would like to see what your 26 watt will do.

[cawolf86]

Are you using stock lighting? LED?

I will post a picture after my days with no misting. Then after some time under the 26 watt light.


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[FlyingHellFish]

I think I might have too much light, despite what everyone is saying I'm finding a 23 watt on a 6 gallon to be a bit overkill.

It's a 23 watt 6500 K CFL, the lighting on the tank was replaced with the 42 LED light bar that is used for the 12 gallon. I just pretty much brought a 12 gallon light bar and placed it on my 6.

I think the lighting is turning my HC into a burnt yellow mess, so just watch how your HC is doing.

The side of the tank that has little light is much greener.

[cawolf86]

So you have the 23 watt CFL and the LEDs running?

The Ebi is also 13.7" high with my lamp being approx 16.5" off the substrate - I a thinking that the Edge is a lot shorter?

I will update though when I get back to it Wednesday.

I am also going to be moving the tank 100 miles down to my main residence so it can have proper attention and be misted daily if needed. I have very little slope so hopefully it survives the ride.

[FlyingHellFish]

Yes, do update as we both are growing Cuba and I would like to see which route is better. I was going to do the whole dry start but couldn't do the whole misty spray required.

Yeah the Edge is shorter, I have all the required fert plus Co2 at 30 ppm. I'm thinking I have too much light and it's burning the plants.

How your Cuba spreading? Any algae forming at the bottom yet? There was another journal which had horrible algae on his substrate and it had to be trashed. I think his water was too high or something.

I remember moving my Edge 6 gallon and the slope completely level out, careful.

[somewhatshocked]

You likely aren't "burning" your plants with too much light. At least not with a CFL. Browning around the edges is normal as the plant transitions

Algae during a dry start can be avoided by keeping the water level just beneath the surface of the substrate. If there is an outbreak, due to overabundance of nutrients being added, it's easy to remedy with a bit of Excel or watered down peroxide.

There's not much useful in Fluval Stratum so any algae outbreak likely wasn't caused by the substrate itself.

Originally Posted by FlyingHellFish

I have all the required fert plus Co2 at 30 ppm. I'm thinking I have too much light and it's burning the plants.

How your Cuba spreading? Any algae forming at the bottom yet? There was another journal which had horrible algae on his substrate and it had to be trashed. I think his water was too high or something.

I remember moving my Edge 6 gallon and the slope completely level out, careful.

[cawolf86]

Day 6 Update
3-28-2012

So I am back to my tank after a 4 day absence - I left right after starting the tank. I will be moving this tank down to my main residence after my 4 days of work so it can get a little more attention.

Major updates
- Received my Finnex lamp in the mail and got it installed.
-Decided I will be moving the tank (good luck...)
-Gathered all my CO2 equipment for when I fill it eventually.
-Dug up all my old dry ferts from GLA.

Top shot of growth - Day 6


Front shot of growth - Day 6

TBH I don't really see any major changes in height, spread, or color of the HC. I think it might look a little "plumper" but maybe it's my eyes playing tricks on me.

The moisture level in the tank seemed to stay good with 4 days gone - I may have over misted before I left because I just airline drained about 4oz of water that was over the substrate level.

Light installed and wrapped up again


Blue LED "Moonlight" effect from Finnex


Couple questions if anyone sees this:

For fertilizers I am debating going with Rootmedic one-step or possibly making solutions of my existing ferts since dry dosing this tank will be a pain - even with my tiny spoons. Thoughts?

Should I dose excel if I see algae? None yet but I am thinking that I left the water too high and I may get some.

Thanks!