Complexity Journal: 75g / NEW PICS Mar 26! Several pics posted with more to come!

[Hungry Wendigo]

Hey Complexity, glad to see you back! Sounds like things are getting back on track with the tanks, I'm looking forward to some picture updates.

I'm actually getting ready to start up a 55 gallon high tech tank, and I would really appreciate your input. I'll probably be looking into pressurized CO2, and I'd love some advice on lighting - it's so confusing! I know yours is a slightly larger tank, but if you were to set up a 55 gallon (standard dimensions) how do you think you'd light it?

[Complexity]

I got busy again and didn't come back to answer your question. Did you figure out your lighting yet? If not, I really like the TEK lighting. Or at least some kind of T5 lighting (HO preferred over NO). I'm finding a huge difference in my 75g lighting and 29g lighting even though their watts per gallon is about the same.

I have the TEK lights on my 75g which is T5 HO 4 x 54w. That comes to 2.88 wpg when running all 4 lights.

On my 29g, I have two Coralife T5 NO 2 x 18w (so that makes it 4 x 18w total). That comes to 2.48 wpg with all 4 lights.

So while their wpg isn't all that different, the results are extremely different! The only other factor that might be at issue between the two tanks is the CO2. I don't feel I'm dosing enough in the 29g right now. But still.... The two tanks are light night and day from each other.

So between the far better reflectors on the TEK fixture and the HO bulbs being better than the NO bulbs, it seems to be making a very large difference in the lighting. One day, I'd like to get a bigger tank to replace the 29g, and when I do, I'll get TEK lights. I'd get them now, but the 29g is 30" long, and I don't want to invest a lot of money into lighting for that odd size.

[Hungry Wendigo]

Good to see you back! Thanks for letting me know, I actually already found a fantastic deal on a PC fixture that should work fine for the tank. I think I know what I want in the way of a CO2 system, which just leaves figuring out fertilizers and I'm good to go.

How are the fishies doing?

[Complexity]

Ferts are actually very easy once you do them. If you can stick a measuring spoon into a powder and dump the stuff into a tank, then you're good to go. It's then just a matter of knowing which measuring spoon, which powder and which tank. Piece of cake!

Fishies are doing great! After going for over 4 months without a single new fish, I finally couldn't stand it. So I went to the LFS to inquire about a few fish, and you know what happened then. Of course, I brought home some new fish that I had not planned on getting!

For this 75g tank, I got 10 new Dwarf Neon Rainbows (Melanotaenia praecox). I got 5 male and 5 female. They are wonderful in the tank! They liven things up by being active without being aggressive. I also like that they occupy the middle and top levels. I never cared much for rainbows because of their odd shape, but these stole my heart.

I got 10 pygmy cories for my 29g. They are so cute in there!

And then I got a male and FEMALE Dario dario! (AKA Badis bengalensis, scarlet badis, etc.) The owner gave me a pair that he said always hung around together, and so far, they seem quite happy together in my little 5g tank. However, I was reading that as the male gets older, he might be more aggressive towards the female so I need to increase the plant mass in that tank.

I got pictures of the rainbowfish that I'll post later. I'm so excited to have something new in the tank!

[Hungry Wendigo]

I don't think you've posted any pictures of your 29 since it's been planted, have you? Looking forward to that .

Do you use the EI method, by the way?

[Complexity]

No, I haven't (posted pictures of the 29g after planting). That tank is always #2 on my list so I end up not taking pictures of it once I've started with my 75g. I did get a few pictures of the 29g the other day, but filled my memory card up too fast. Then I didn't have time to download the pics to my Mac, clear the memory card, and start taking pictures again. Part of the problem is that my camera is ancient. I should get a new one that's not so limited and slow.

I do use the IE method. It works great!

[Karackle]

Hey Vicki, strange that we both posted for the first time in a month on the same day isn't it? But, new fish are definitely always exciting! I saw dwarf neon raibows at my LFS a few weeks ago, and they are very cute and pretty little things...if only i had the space! Can't wait to see pictures of them and your tank update! No pressure though, because goodness knows i have a lot of updating to catch up on and I know how overwhelming and daunting it feels!

[Complexity]

Yeah, I feel bad when I intend to post pics and updates, but then don't get it done. But I keep trying. I've made it a point to try to take a little day each day to visit here since I really miss everyone.

I was watching my rainbows this morning, and I could only find 4 females, not 5. Scared me! I kept watching and watching, but there were only 4. It scared me because I had put Hikari Crab Cuisine in the tank for my amanos, and the rainbows went after them! Rainbows have small throats and can choke! So I was afraid I had choked one (didn't know they'd go after the CC like they did).

So I put my hand up against the glass which naturally attracts the rainbows to come running like a puppy dog running up when you first come back home! I kept counting and counting and counting, and sure enough, there were only 4 females. But then something caught my eye, and I started counting the males. Turns out I have 6 males, not 5! So I have 6 males and 4 females instead of the 5/5 ratio I thought I had. I guess one of the males had pale coloring when I bought him and has colored up since.

So you know what this means.... I cannot have 6 males and 4 females because the males will badger the females (I swear, they remind me of guppies). So I just HAVE to get more females! For the health and well-being of the fish, of course. Not because I really like them and wouldn't mind a couple more.

I'll try to get the pics of the rainbows posted sometime today. I'm really loving them!

[sewingalot]

Ahem. Where are the pictures?

[Complexity]

Ahem. Well... some are on my hard drive. And some are in my magical mind of the future. Or something like that.

Got sidetracked these last couple of days so no new pics. But I did update the 29g! I decided to put it first this time.

I'll wake you up when I get the pictures posted. For now, enjoy your nap.

[MikeS]

Looks like you caught "Kenitis", the lack of posting pics in a timely manner.

[Complexity]

LOL! Yeah, well, you know... um... Hey, I cleaned out my big Eheim filter today. Doesn't that count for something?

I have pictures from long ago that I meant to post, but never did. Most don't matter, but I did want to show how I rigged up the lighting. I'll try to get that online soon! TRY.

[CL]

Originally Posted by MikeS

Looks like you caught "Kenitis", the lack of posting pics in a timely manner.

inflammation of the ken?
But yeah, I agree. Hop to it Vicki!

[Complexity]

Okay, okay! I'll find the pictures about my lights that I never posted. Hopefully, that will give you guys something to gnaw on while I'm having my Kenitis!

[Complexity]

Just what I thought. I had posted pictures of how the brackets were put on in this thread, but I never posted the pictures showing it with the lights hanging on them. So I'll try to get those posted. I'm somewhat proud of how I did this since it was my very own idea!

Pictures coming! For now, let me repost the pictures from the other thread into my journal where they belong. Keep in mind that these pictures are from July of last year.

THIS IS A REPOSTING OF THE ORIGINAL PICTURES FROM THE THREAD LINKED ABOVE. Then I'll post the pictures showing the final results that I never did post.




This is the canopy open with the brackets on the lid in their closed position. This is how the canopy will normally be.



Another angle.



Close up of bracket.



Now this is the bracket in the open position.



You can see how the brackets overhang the tank.



And a terrible photoshop job trying to show the basic idea of how the light fixture will hang: