Doc’s the Building an 75 Gallon planted tank

[drhemlock2]

Hello all,
I am attempting to build a 75 gallon Planted tank, I was going to go with a 90 Gallon but could not get transportation to my house for it (my car is very small).
I have been building a nice stand for it along with designing some of the equipment that I can make myself lighting etc. I plan on using LED lighting of which I will use Arduinio technology to control some of the equipment as needed.
I have already decided on the livestock and in the planning choosing of the plants that I would like. I have also ordered an API master test kit as well as a water hardness test kit to check my water parameters. I have gotten a local water report on the parameters in my city but need to make sure I know all of them as this will decide on what equipment if any is needed in addition.
I hope that as this gets going I can help on additional help as I get this puppy rolling thanks to all that have helped me so far
Doc

[drhemlock2]

i have been reading a lot about CO2 and am wondering if a setup is needed for a heavy planted low light tank setup. i will have some sclare angels as well as a few cats all a little under the full grown size in inches for the tank do not want to overstock. i will be using playsand for substrate and one maybe two marineland 350 canister filters for filtration and possible filter material if needed. i plan on using customized PVC pipes for input and output of the pumps. would CO2 effect the PVC? used in the tank itself not for the fittings of the CO2 reactor. lighting will be LED at the needed levels,
doc

[Kathyy]

Sounds like you have been doing your homework!

PVC is fine with CO2. I do change my mind about the returns all the time so maybe my DIY spraybars don't really get a long term workout but they haven't gotten brittle or anything.

I haven't used sand but folks around here seem to have a marked preference for pool filter sand over play sand. It has larger grains that settle down when disturbed faster than play sand.

You don't need CO2 if light is low. Even with low light CO2 is helpful though.

[drhemlock2]

tap water as of 9/11/2012
i was able to test my tap water tonight and here is what i have found. what do you think i am a little concerned about the KH will i need to conpensate to bring it down for angels some small plecos and some cories?
13 KH
6.6 PH
.025 Ammonia
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
thanks
doc

[Hoppy]

If your tap water is 13 degrees of KH and 6.6 pH, there is something in the water that needs to be identified. 13 degrees of KH is very high, and the pH will almost have to also be high. If you have 13 ppm KH, that is very low KH, consistent with 6.6 pH. How did you measure the KH?

[drhemlock2]

i used tropic marin kh alkalinity test using the more sensitive test of 10 ml of water and it says to count the drops added then divide by 2. the test said it should go from green to a red orange when it senses the amount of kh. this came out to be 26 drops. after each drop i flippedthe test uobe to make sure it was mixed right. the test kit id both for salt/freshwater. i looked all over to see if it was ppm and it appears so. the ph was in fact 6.4. or should i apologize.

[drhemlock2]

the other water parms. were done using the API master kit and i followed the instructions totally shaking the testing solutions exactly like told to do.
doc

[drhemlock2]

i got these from the local water board here and this is what they gave me.
Barium 0.154 PPM
Copper 0.0479 PPM
Lead 0.002 PPM
Flouride 1.4 PPM
Nitrate-N 0.100 PPM
Sodium 13.9 PPM
Sulfate. 023 PPM
Triahomethanes 25.0 PPM
HAA5 whatever this 3.3 PPM
doc

[drhemlock2]

i plan on using a 10 gallon QT tank but i am also putting together a med kit for it is there any meds that i should have on hand just in case. as i have to mail order everything around here i need to know what i need to have on hand so i do not have to wait. also what needs to be in the QT tank i would assume a heater and some kind of filtration. i plan to put this puppy on wheels so i can place it next to the 75 gallon tank and for easier access.
doc

[Hoppy]

Originally Posted by drhemlock2

i used tropic marin kh alkalinity test using the more sensitive test of 10 ml of water and it says to count the drops added then divide by 2. the test said it should go from green to a red orange when it senses the amount of kh. this came out to be 26 drops. after each drop i flippedthe test uobe to make sure it was mixed right. the test kit id both for salt/freshwater. i looked all over to see if it was ppm and it appears so. the ph was in fact 6.4. or should i apologize.

Apologize for what? I always assume that KH is expressed as degrees unless it says ppm, so it was my mistake. Sorry.

13 ppm of KH is really low. I think you can live with it, but I also think I would be worried enough that I would want to add enough bicarbonate of soda, baking soda, to raise the KH by one degree or about 20 ppm. That is a small enough change that you wouldn't need to worry about the swing in KH bothering the fish every time you do a water change.

[drhemlock2]

it does say degrees let me look againokay o see where i am wrong in the chart it says for a reading of 10 kh it is 178.50 ppm or 17.8 degrees so for 13dk it should read 231.14 ppm or 23.14 degrees sorry i did not read this right and math is not my best subject or these instructions suck!
doc

[drhemlock2]

just got a call from local water board GH is 240 MGL so is this a good number
doc

[Hoppy]

That GH would only be a problem with a very few fish that require very soft water, if then. I wouldn't worry at all about the GH. But, now I'm not at all sure what KH you have. If it took 26 drops, with an API KH test kit, you have 26 degrees of KH, very hard, possibly too much for most fish and many plants. But, not all KH test kits work that way. I suggest not using that salt water test kit, and buying an API KH test kit. With a pH of 6.6 it isn't at all likely that you have a high KH.

[drhemlock2]

i used the more sensitive test that instead of requiring only 5ml of water it suggested 10ml of water. using the 5ml of water i got 13 drops and using the 10ml i got 26 drops. i wanted to be sure i had the amount of drops right. i am still learning after being out of the hobby for 25 years a lot has changed as well as the tests it would seem. the instructions seemed to me to be very cryptic and or not easy to understand on that particular test. i am ordeing the other API test GH/KH test just to have everything the same i did not see that particular test set when i ordered the other one. i will test agian when i get that test next month.
doc

[drhemlock2]

i have requested from another here to get the driftwood i would like for the tank and next i will be getting some parts to replace the broken canister and seals for the other marineland 350 mag i have just to have a backup. i was going to use both on the 75 but have instead decided to do just one. since the fish i will be raising do not require heavy flow in the tank, Sclare Angels,Bristlenose Pleco, and some others some cats for sure all in their little schools and or groups. i still have not decided on the LED lighting i mean in the layout i have read and gathered information and have a definite plan to use my ardruino stuff along with another forums members controllers for them when i get the lights and have decided on the design as well as the heat sinks to use. there are a lot of choices out there and i want to be as sure as i can be what i want and can be serviceable for a long period of time. i do want control hunch the controllers of the lighting. i have just about completed my stand and have yet to skin it i figure 1/4 inch ply and maybe painted gloss black not sure on that as i work with a lot of wood and know its secrets. i have yet to build my movable QT 10 tank and still would like to know what i would need for a med kit i think i mentioned wanting this info earlier. i looked on here but most was about Betta's though pretty fish would have to read a bunch of posts to gather the data for a kit perhaps some of you veterans have already done this so i do not buy a bunch of things i will hardly every use.
thanks
doc