Son of Kahuna (56K!)

[eon17]

cmon lets have some more pics

[styxx]

Originally Posted by eon17

cmon lets have some more pics

agreed! I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of progress is being made...large tanks that are well done as this one always tend to inspire me to try new things with my hobbyist skills and expand my own knowledge of aquascaping...

[Curare]

Originally Posted by scolley

All my levels are great. The plants pearl like MAD. And I mean MASSIVE pearling every day. And most of my test kits are Lamotte now, so I'm pretty comfortable with my readings - I've even got a potassium kit (!), so I know the numbers are good. I just can't get rid of this darn GDA on the tank walls.

PS - before anyone says "it's a life cycle thing with the GDA", I would ask that you please not bring that up unless you can point me to some proof. I've been looking hard for that, and I can't find it. At best all I can find is anecdotal evidence.

Hmmm, verrry hinteresting.

I think we've all been guilty of upping the P levels when we see GDA, and GSA, but what you're seeing is something that defies common logic.

I'll be very interested to see if you unsnag yourself from the GDA nastiness. I'm sure there's something to learn for all of us if you find what the key is.

[scolley]

lynny - Thanks! I wish I could say the tank looked as good now.

eon17 - coming soon.

styxx - Ditto.

Originally Posted by Curare

I think we've all been guilty of upping the P levels when we see GDA, and GSA, but what you're seeing is something that defies common logic.

I'll be very interested to see if you unsnag yourself from the GDA nastiness. I'm sure there's something to learn for all of us if you find what the key is.

I definitely don't want to start a P level - GSA debate here. But FWIW I've been scouring information to see if I could tease the truth out... and I've come to the personal conclusion that since it seems to work for some people - though I have not seen what I would consider proof - there is probably something to it.

But at the same time, since I'm personally convinced that all the numbers are right in this tank, and it's not working - that it is something more complex than simply upping the PO4.


PS - if you read my prior post about having ammonia in my tank, was actually my poor reading of the results. I had two kits giving pretty much the same reading (low, but present ammonia), yet when I tested distilled water, I got identical results. So a zero reading on those kits is not quite the color their color charts indicated.

[scolley]

You can see these out in the AGA 2007 Aquascaping contest pages. And I encourage you to go look there at the MANY wonderful entries. These were mine. Not a good aquascape to be sure. Just a planted discus tank really.

And as you look at them, I have to remind you it's not as nice now. The GDA/GSA is killing me. Maybe I'll post some pics of that too.

But these are at least pics of the tank at it's best. As usual clicking brings up a bigger pic.




















In the interest of full disclosure, this is another one of my "double posts". Since this is really about both plants and discus, I've also posted over at "Simply".

[styxx]

Despite the current challenges you're facing in the unending battle against algae, it is clearly obvious to this author that you possess the requisite skills of a master hobbyist. Discus are notoriously difficult to successfully keep and to combine that ability in a planted tank environment (regardless of its international competitiveness) sufficiently demonstrates to me, the full range of your capabilities in this hobby and I congratulate you. Now get to work on that algae! If I don't have some pics soon of something...anything...I'm sure to have an aneurysm.

[Oqsy]

wowzers scolley, i take a few months sabbatical from PT and you grow a perfect tank in the meantime great work, good to see you're still at it!

Chris

[Hop]

Looking good scolley!

[wethead]

Spent all morning reading Kahuna and "son of" achived no work today.

Thank you, truly insperational plumbing and dedication to threads. As a new member am in awe of the time and effort placed into your responses and am in awe of powers of cohersion over your better half, mine must be weak as no tank is in my home at this present time but a lot of preperation is slowly coming to fruition "probably a lot more by the look of things,after todays effort."

I to have a soft spot for Discus

Regards

Rob

[hojimoe]

wow must say, i never though of remote dosing and controls of all that....gave me something to consider when I buy a house and set up a monster show tank.... wonderful setup/tank/planting/discus/PLUMBING!!!!


nice work

[Subotaj]

as usual the best planted discus tank on the planet Earth (beside mine )

[khoile]

Scolley,

Nice tank!!!

I have a question about your auto topoff/wc. You mentioned that you fed tap water through the carbon filtering and directly to the tank. What's the flow rate for this system? Also without going through the RO process would the water be too hard for discus? or maybe your tap water is already ideal?
does going through the carbon unit lower KH/Gh? I lived in LA and the water here is HARD! but I was hoping of just simply feeding the water through the carbon unit like you would help a bit.

Again amazing tank and equipments!


*Edit*

Also what size bulkhead is your bottom drill for? I'm getting ready to order my tank and curious to see if 1" bulk head is good enough for 180G? Thanks again.

[scolley]

Originally Posted by styxx

If I don't have some pics soon of something...anything...I'm sure to have an aneurysm.

Thanks styxx. I would take pics of my algae, but I know my photo rig just can't do it justice. Really. A nice big macro lens would be great about now. But I don't have one.

And I had some WILD alage carpeting my sand that I THOUGHT was BGA - but wasn't. Too green, and maracyn didn't put a dent in it. So I hoovered it all out. But would have made a great pic.

Originally Posted by Oqsy

wowzers scolley

Welcome back Chris! Long time, no hear. Thanks for stopping by, and don't be a stranger!

Originally Posted by Hop

Looking good scolley!

You too Hop! Everything I just said to Chris is a ditto for you.

Originally Posted by hojimoe

....gave me something to consider when I buy a house and set up a monster show tank....

Thanks pal. I'm hoping that over the Christmas holidays I'll have time to do some serious plumbing pics. It's long overdue.

Originally Posted by Subotaj

as usual the best planted discus tank on the planet Earth (beside mine )

While I'm not going to let myself think about that one too much... since my head will still just barely fit through the door... that coupld have been the the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Really. Thank you very much.

Originally Posted by khoile

What's the flow rate for this system? Also without going through the RO process would the water be too hard for discus? or maybe your tap water is already ideal?
does going through the carbon unit lower KH/Gh?
*Edit*
Also what size bulkhead is your bottom drill for? I'm getting ready to order my tank and curious to see if 1" bulk head is good enough for 180G? Thanks again.

I assume you mean the flow rate on the carbon filters. It's not rated, per se. I just slapped two filters in line and push it through as fast as I can. I used to have a 75gpd choke on it to keep the flow predictable, but I took that off. Now it flows in at something around 10-12 gph. It has zero effect on my GH or KH. I've just got good tap water (a real blessing that one!).
As for the bulkheads, I believe I've got 3/4" bulkheads - the 35034 model here at aquaticecosystems. But sure an click the link under the picture on their website for more details. But keep in mind, I've got 3 outflows. So that's 3/4" x 3 flowing out of my tank. Good luck with yours!

[khoile]

Steve,

thanks for the advice. Another question, I remember reading some where that you experience with having the return plumb in from the bottom of the tank. And some how decided against that, could you let me know why not? I'm trying to decide how much "headloss" having the water return from the bottom of a 24" deep tank.

Thanks.

[scolley]

I'm afraid that I've got no experience with returns at the bottom of the tank. What I have is worse... an opinion with no experience.

This is my 2nd tank that has holes drilled in the bottom that would easily allow me to have returns in the bottom of the tank. But both times I've plugged those holes up and opted for standard "over the side returns". And in both of these cases, it's when I DID have my outflows through the bottom of the tank. Here are the reason's why:


1) I don't believe that you will get optimal water mixing if your inflows and outflows are both at the top, or bottom, of the tank. IMO one should be at the top, the other at the bottom. Since my outflows are at the bottom of the tank, I've rejected the possibility of in-flows on that same level. But I could have in-flows (returns) that came up from the bottom, and were brought up to the top of the tank by an in-tank tube. But I didn't because...

2) I've pretty much focused a great deal of my contributions to this hobby on the goal of getting equipment OUT of the tank. Internal tubes that to bring water to the top violates that goal.

3) Highly accomplished aquarist's (that might not want to be mentioned here) have confirmed my conclusion in comment #1 above, and have confirmed it as the preferred method of water flow in a planted tank.

4) Standard returns, submerged with slightly upward pointing vents, creates the wonderful ripple effect that you can see in my most recent posts. No blow dryers for pictures for me! My water surface looks like that all the time!


As for head height issues, I'm no engineer, but my understanding is that IF you have your outflows at the bottom of the tank, there is NO difference in head pressure requirements between returns through the bottom of the tank, or over the side at the top.

Hope that helps.