[Chrome]

Well I decided it's time for a journal.

This was my tank Easter Morning 4-8-2012 (actually the picture was taken about 2 weeks prior, but I didn't take a new one before the tear down.)
Still learning how to take decent pictures of tanks, hopefully I will get better....

Spent all day Easter Sunday, and came up with this....

6 bulb T5HO 2 bulbs 8 hours daily with a 2 hour 6 bulb burst midday
Pressurised CO2 about 5 bps
Milwaukee PH controller keeps PH between 6.7 and 6.9
Rex reactor
20 gallon sump, usually only has about 10 gallons in it.
mag 9.5 return pump, app 800 gph
Black diamond sand
Osmocote under the substrate Will add osmocate clay balls in the future.
EI Dosing

Current Flora:
Bacopa monnieri
Hygrophila difformis
Echinodorus blueri
Cryptocoryne ???
Glossostigma
Ludwigia repens
Microsorum pteropus

Current Fauna:
9 HY 511 tetras (only name I have for them)
4 peppered cories
3 sunset platies
2 guppies
8 Amano shrimp
1 albino longfin pleco



Up until now this tank has been a learning experience for me. I plan on adding about 2 dozen more of the same tetras, a couple more cories, and maybe a school of a smaller tetra (glowlight, neons, etc.)

This is the current plan I have in my head, I put down on a picture to help me reference it later.

So what do you all think, will the above plan look good? Any suggestions, ideas?

Pretty much the only thing I plan on leaving in the tank as far as plants go is the sword, crypts, and Glosso. I think the rest will be coming out. Might leave the ludwigia though, not sure yet.

Hopefully I will stick with this journal. Try to update when adding or removing things.

Thanks for looking.:biggrin:

 

[Marconis]

I honestly think it looks very nice the way it is now. I think you should let it grow in a little before planting more, but that is just my opinion. You may be pleased with how it grows out.

As for your plan: I personally wouldn't add anymore swords to that area; the one in the back right will get huge (see my thread to see just how big they can get). I think it'd be a tad crowded.

 

[typo]

your tank looks fantastic and your plan looks like it will be really nice when complete and grown in.

for the mid height purple-red may i suggest Alternanthera reineckii.

 

[Chrome]

I honestly think it looks very nice the way it is now. I think you should let it grow in a little before planting more, but that is just my opinion. You may be pleased with how it grows out.

As for your plan: I personally wouldn't add anymore swords to that area; the one in the back right will get huge (see my thread to see just how big they can get). I think it'd be a tad crowded.

Thank you.
I am planning on removing the wisteria, I just have not been happy with how it looks. I was thinking a nice red sword back there would look good. I kinda like the crowded look, but I think it would take about a year before it would start to look crowded. The sword that's in there now has been in the tank since January.

typo
your tank looks fantastic and your plan looks like it will be really nice when complete and grown in.

for the mid height purple-red may i suggest Alternanthera reineckii.

Thank you
After looking at pictures of it I think it would actually look great on the far left. Filling in that entire side.

The aromatica I think would look good in front of the swords.


Quick question to everyone out there. Is it possible to paint something and then put it in the tank? I want to paint my spray bar black so that it blends in with background. That white PVC just sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[Chrome]

Silence is Golden

Been a little over a week since I updated.
I added the rest of the tetras, I now have a nice school of 40. I also added two "rose" swords to the back. Trimmed the tank over the weekend, the wisteria and bacopa had both reached the top and started spreading across it.

Now for a description of the title: Silence is Golden

Having a former reef tank, with the built in overflow and using a sump I was having issues. I have mag drive pump rated at 950gph. If I ran it wide open, I would have to run about 50-60 bps of co2 to see any difference in pH. So I was cutting the flow back to about 300-400gph which allowed me to run about 15-20 bubbles per second to maintain my pH at 6.8. Anything lower then that and the fish start acting weird. So I figured 6.8 was my magic number.
The reason for the high bubble count at wide open, was the amount of air coming down the drain pipe. Pump wide open and it would look like someone ran a hose from 240v air compressor into my sump, and loud as can be.

So, I redid my plumbing today. I changed over to a "herbie" style overflow. Not sure how many people here would be familiar with this, so a quick description. In most single overflow reef tanks, you have 2 bulkheads in the bottom of the tank. 1 for a drain and 1 for return.
With a "herbie" You convert both bulkheads to drain lines. 1 Primary and 1 secondary/backup. You then add a 3rd line over the side of the tank for a return. On the primary line you install a valve. The object is to restrict flow just enough that you create a full siphon, hence no air. It's kind of a balancing act though, too much flow and you get air in the line, too little flow and the backup starts gurgling like crazy.

Spent about 15 minutes balancing it out, I think I have it pretty close. Very little water going down the secondary. The nice thing is though, I can now run pump wide open. It's a HUGE difference in flow, I also removed the grigg reactor from the main return line, and added a second pump on a closed loop in the sump to run it.

I accomplished two things today. I increased my flow rate about 3x (now have about 8-9 times turnover rate per hour, compared to 3-4 before) and my bubble count is now down to about 5-6 bubbles per second.(might even be able to lower that some more, will have to do some testing.)

Oh and no more noise, except the fans on the light, need to find some better fans (quieter) and tear it apart and replace them. With the lights off, its dead silent in the room.

A little long winded I know, but it's a journal right:biggrin:

 

[Kathyy]

I recently put a new dual drain overflow box on my tank and am running a Herbie as well. Didn't notice all that much change in BPS but it has to be better. Now I just hear the pump and even that is better with some foam strategically placed. The Mag is that quiet?

Your Rose swords won't take a year to fill in the tank. Just one will completely fill half the tank inside 6 months or so but you won't mind much, they are really beautiful plants. The leaves are far more massive than Amazon swords like the one you have. The wood is really nice looking that way. If you can try straightening out the substrate at the front of the tank, a neat edge makes the tank look more finished for some reason.

Love the tetras and you have a nice big group. The rose sword leaves should compliment their coloring beautifully.

I spray paint PVC for any plumbing that shows, works fine. Once cured I don't think it much matters what you use these days but Krylon plastic is usually suggested. Don't use matte finish paint, cannot clean algae off it well. The spray paint that was closest to my wall color is matte, doh. Even though I just went from white to beige it is less annoying, painting your white spray bar should really help.

 

[Hcancino]

The difference is day and night between the first and last picture!

 

[Chrome]

The mag running wide open, I can't hear at all. I have it sitting on 4 little suction cups that came off a mount for a powerhead I no longer use. The pump I am using now for the rex reactor has a slight hum to it. When the co2 is running I can hear a slight dripping noise in the reactor.
The fan on the lights though, that is annoying.
Over all compared to before, it's basically silent.

oh and thanks for the tip on the krylon, I really need to paint those pipes, the white is just glaringly bright.

 

[Chrome]

Still need to hard plumb the rex reactor, but here are some pics

here is the old setup

and the new set up, excuse the mess still working on it, need to get all the cords cleaned up and junk removed from behind the sump

 

[2in10]

Love the look, I second the swords will get huge comment from experience.

 

[Chrome]

Well, major set back today. I had a problem with the solenoid on my co2 setup about a month back. It would stick in the on position. I took it all apart, cleaned it up, tested it out and everything worked fine. I continued to use it. BIG MISTAKE.

My light timer is set for 2:30 every day. I left the house at 1:45 to take the cat to the vet. When I came home at 2:45, the lights were on, I look at the tank, no fish swimming around. I walk into the room and instantly see why, All my fish, snail, shrimp are floating belly up, stuck to the filter intakes, and stuck in the plants.

The Valve stuck open over night, PH meter read 5.2, I normally keep the PH about 6.7.

Buying a $40 solenoid, would have just saved me about $100 in fish. All my fish were happy, healthy, colorful and active. I feel absolutely horrible. Trying to save a few bucks, and my poor fish had to pay the price.

Not sure what my plans are now, First thing is a new solenoid. I still have a 10 gallon tank full of guppies, I may just transfer a few females into the 90 and let them slowly take it over.

So for any 1 that ever has a problem with a solenoid, don't fix it, replace it.

 

[2in10]

Sorry to hear of the accident. I will make sure and learn from it.

Take your time deciding and not decide in the heat of the moment.

 

[Chrome]

Thanks, I won't be making any decisions any time soon.
I have been contemplating a career change lately, so the tank may have to come down soon anyhow. The new job, if I decide to do it will take me out of state for several months. I don't think my GF will want to deal with wc, ferts, etc. If she feels up to it I will keep it up and running.