[plantbrain]

After a lengthy talk,

Ugh, well, we are removing all the ADA aqua soil, it just makes way too much mess for the client's taste. I agree also. Replanting and corys etc make it a mucky tank even if you run 5 micron filters, tons of current, daily 50% water changes etc.
No way to remove it even if you have 2x the filters etc.

So we will siphon it out and replace with Eco complete.
At least I can step on that and it does not degrade and cloud.

ADA As is fine for smaller tanks, but damn, it does stink for the larger systems. No more using it for larger tanks than 200-300 gal.

Jeeze, after all the headaches that stuff gave us, I really had higher hopes for it, but cloudy, dusty mulm was all we ever really had at this scale.

In smaller higher flow/filtered tanks, it can work out well, but not at this scale and tank depth.

Everything just keeps getting covered with lots of ADA mulm, a royal PITA.
It's not the wood, adding more filtration will not help either.

So siphoning it out and slowly working my way from one end to the other while refilling with tap and adding a sump pump at the far end will be the process.

I'll add EC on top of that and any critical areas where the hardscape cannot be moves, the ADA AS is solid clay in those spots and we will simply cap it.

I am looking forward to the result and redoing the planting in the much easier EC.

I've touted the merits of ADA AS, but not in this case, it's been the biggest PITA I've dealt with on any tank. Water clarity is critical to me and when you have 4-12 ft distances, it needs to be clear.

Well, back in the tank I go, probably the following weekend
At least I'm tenacious.

But it's a learning process and can be applied to many other larger scaled systems in the future.

Issues/failures etc are very useful also.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Betowess]

Sorry to hear that, but informative and good attitude on your part. BTW, did you guys consider Flourite at all?

 

[yoink]

What are you going to do with all that AS?

 

[Wasserpest]

Rather than sitting in the tank and feeling for plants to be pruned, I would have thought you'd take some goggles, a snorkel, and hang down in the tank suspended from the rim.

Kind of like they do in the Monterey Aquarium, without the pressurized air.

What do I know about giant tanks... nothing. :smile:

 

[epicfish]

Give it away to me? Hah

 

[plantbrain]

Sorry to hear that, but informative and good attitude on your part. BTW, did you guys consider Flourite at all?

I do not like the color personally, I love planting and using it, but I do not like washing it either. Client wants dark gravel.

I just hope I can redo the tank, I'm going to have to remove the fish I think this time.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[plantbrain]

Rather than sitting in the tank and feeling for plants to be pruned, I would have thought you'd take some goggles, a snorkel, and hang down in the tank suspended from the rim.

Kind of like they do in the Monterey Aquarium, without the pressurized air.

What do I know about giant tanks... nothing. :smile:

Leon, you cannot see with all the darn muck ADA AS has in it. Maybe 2" to 4" max. So seeing with a mask is not an option, until you use something like EC or flourite, sand etc

Soft sediment clays are nothing but trouble at these scales.
I did most of my research underwater in FL with a mask and snorkel, I'm part fish.

 

[plantbrain]

Give it away to me? Hah

You come help one day(Fri and/or Sat), I'll give you all you can carry out.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[boink]

thats a pretty nice deal...plus all the experience seeing first hand

You come help one day(Fri and/or Sat), I'll give you all you can carry out.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[medicineman]

Well Tom, in the end should the owner gets tired of difficult maintenance routine, you could always go for that planted tank combined with pots of the giant plants. That is how people has been able to keep up with their monster tank year after year around here.

Anyway, I wish you good luck with the job!

 

[bcreque]

You come help one day(Fri and/or Sat), I'll give you all you can carry out.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Now that's a great deal!

 

[tpl*co]

Are the fish going to be moved or stay in the tank during all of this? Can't wait to see what'll turn out to be. Ecco complete is black though and your client has some pigeon discus (some are already showing some peppering). the black substrate may bring out even more (not to mention may make the blues even darker). Did he consider sand? I really like it, but my tank is less than 1/10 that tank's scale! I use flourite too under the sand where the plants are.

Tina

 

[mr.sandman]

Thats going to be a lot of fish, I can't even imagine how long it takes to catch them.:eek5:

 

[mrbelvedere]

What about SoilMaster Select? It would be cheap, and the color is dark. But, I guess you could go Eco, it's not like the client is all that concerned about money anyway....:icon_cool

You mentioned Eco, but won't this raise KH/PH/GH? Will the fish be able to handle that?

 

[plantbrain]

Fish are acclimated to LA tap water that's run through and whole house carbon filter.

It's moderately hard.
He plans on doing 2x a week 50% water changes anyway(it's easy to do water changes on this tank but hard to clean).

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[ikuzo]

so how's the progress... any pics?

 

[fishscale]

Really though...what are you going to do with all that ADA AS?

 

[plantbrain]

We are selling it, most already is gone now.

I'm heading down to install a CO2 flow meter, rather cool device and an O2 controller with a specialized solenoid(Grease/oil, pure O2 and an electric spark from a device= bad news!).

Then hook up to the web and add a web cam.

All electronics stuff.
The tank is doing very well and the CO2 has been dialed in right for some time.

I'm redoing a 400 Gallon marine reef and just moved into a new polace that needs a lot done here and am starting a lot of the research for Hydrilla at the lab, so I'd toast

I'll be in LA in a week or so.

Ugh.

But Hawaii the following week shall be well earned.
The CO2 flow meters are really cool and will make adding CO2 along with the venturis really easy for the larger tanks. This has been the major stumbling block for larger tanks and with this issue solved, we can move to the next level finally.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[ikuzo]

post the link after the cam installed Tom, i bet everyone will love this. share the love.

 

[plantbrain]

The client might allow it.

I'll ask.

Regards,
Tom Barr