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This is going to look great when it fills in...
Love the reds!

Thanks, getting more red plants tomorrow.

Very nice arrangement! Definitely looks to be an amazing tank once everything fills in.

Yeah, I wish I could fast forward a few months.

 

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So I moved the plants around and I think this is where I will keep everything for a couple months while everything grows out. I am still waiting on my Alternanthera Reineckii 'mini' but it should be here this week. I plan on putting it in the center where the empty spot is.

I should also get some amano's and oto's in the tank this week and then the local chapter is having their fish auction on March 23rd and I hope to pick up a some tank mates then depending on whats available.

Day 39

 

[UDGags]

Water Parameters (3/12/13)
pH-6.35
Temperature-77F
TDS-342ppm
Alkalinity-70ppm/4 degrees
Hardness-155ppm/8.7 degrees
CO2-50 ppm (falls almost perfect on this chart)
O2-6.8 ppm

I decided to drop the temperature to 73.5-74F on the controller. I hope to increase the oxygen level 1-2ppm.

 

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Just realized I was making a stupid mistake with oxygen levels. I've been adding excess Excel since I have no fish/shrimp to take care of algae, etc. My daily routine was adding ferts, excel and then I took measurements. If you didn't know if you put excess excel in it will decrease the oxygen levels.

So I am going to stop dosing Excel and remeasure then the oxygen levels this weekend.

 

[UDGags]

looks awesome!

Thanks!

 

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Cool picture of Ludwigia Inclinata Cuba with the different leaves.

 

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Thats a deficiency of some sort..those other stems next to it is pantanal right? Sure its not the same species?...itll start puttin off a bunch of side shoots soon...once the shoots are long enough I would snip them off and plant them and throw away that stem... unless you just wanna keep it

Well they were all sold to me as Ludwigia Inclinata Cuba and Rotala Indica 'True' is to the right. I'm not a plant expert but if you look at the full tank picture (below) I have 2 stems slightly different in the middle so they might be pantanal. I like the color on them

I think the leaves are different because that stem up rooted a couple days ago and was floating at the top of the tank for 12-24hrs so it was exposed to air.

 

[UDGags]

Re: UDGags-125g Aquarium (Updated-3/10/13)

Quick cell phone picture of what just came in the mail

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Re: UDGags-125g Aquarium (Updated-3/15/13)

Haha, of course I'll share.

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Here are Tropica's pictures. I think mine looks similar but a bit brighter/pinker. We'll see how it grows out. I'm not sure if the current form is emerged or submerged either.

 

[UDGags]

Water Parameters (3/12/13)
pH-6.35
Temperature-77F
TDS-342ppm
Alkalinity-70ppm/4 degrees
Hardness-155ppm/8.7 degrees
CO2-50 ppm (falls almost perfect on this chart)
O2-6.8 ppm

This was a few days ago...I stopped dosing Excel since to hopefully raise the O2 before putting fish in.


I did drop the temperature for a day and can push up the O2 that way if needed. I have those numbers recorded down stairs but I haven't posted them.

 

[UDGags]

how are you measuring o2?
and i hate the chart.
how much of a ph drop are you seeing before and after co2 injection starts?
average of 1.3-1.4 ph drop would be neccessary for a 50 ppm range

I use Lamott test kit for all the tests. I have a Hanna meter for the TDS. Apogee meter for PAR. Lab grade pH probe and temperature probe hooked into my Apex unit. I also have measured the CO2 from cylinder via water displacement. I think I got a pretty good testing setup.

7.4-7.5 down to 6.3-6.4 on average for pH. Here is the last 7 days if you're curious. The variation is/was due to me playing with the temperature, dosing Excel, etc. You can also see where my last water change was

LaMott's AQ-2 test kit, PAR meter, TDS meter

 

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I love doing the testing. It fits right in with what I do for a living.

I test every few days to a week and I do get variation. I also have Seiryu stones, which throws another variable into the equation.

I mainly test to see what parameters change when I adjust/change something. Yes, I can read what experts say but it sinks in more when I change something and then directly measure the change.

 

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Did a major trim on a lot of the plants, tossed the Hygro Brown in the garbage and rearranged a few bunches.

I will post an updated picture sometime this week (water is a bit cloudy right now)

 

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I added 21 Otocinclus and 41 Amano shrimp today. I bought them from Aqua Design Innovations (forum sponsor). Without getting into reviews, I would definitely buy from ADI again

I have the pH at 6.6 with a kH of ~4.5 so I should be around 33 ppm of CO2. I'll increase it slightly tomorrow and try and push the envelope but figured I would give the fish/shrimp a day to adjust. If I increase the pH to drop the pH to 6.5 that adds ~10ppm of CO2 so I need to be careful at this point. I'll probably target 6.55 but at that point its only as good as my pH probe and calibration. Saying all that, all the livestock looks happy and is moving around. I have good oxygen with the sump so I think I should be fine in the 40-50 ppm range of CO2.

Pictures to follow

 

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unedited full tank shot

 

[UDGags]

Re: UDGags-125g Aquarium (Updated-3/19/13 with lots of pictures)

Lobelia card. dwarf

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[UDGags]

Re: UDGags-125g Aquarium (Updated-3/19/13 with lots of pictures)

very pretty. love the symmetry of it & the colors just pop!

Thanks...now time to wait and let it all fill in.

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you're tank rocks. Nothing like working with a lot of volume. Opens up the possibilities with gear and fish/plant variety. Are you in the Aquatic pet business or is it just a hobby?

Haha, just a hobby. This is actually my first planted tank. My first fish tank was when I was in middle school/high school (clown loaches, plecos and danio's (which died very quickly). I left that tank with my Dad when I left for college and that was back in 1999-2000. Once I graduated I lived in an apartment that did not allow pets. I ended up buying a house a few years back and was ready to setup a 125g tank but had some issues with water in the basement so I had my foundation waterproofed (big money) and then had the entire basement refinished. I then got engaged and we got married (big money) last year. So once January came around and I had some extra cash my wife said go for it. Now we're expecting our first kid so I will probably be stuck with one tank for a while.

Saying all that I have read TPT, Barr report, APC, Krib, etc. for 5+ years and learned a lot without evening having an aquarium. My B.S. is in chemical engineering and masters in materials engineering. I work as a composite/polymers research engineer at a world class organization. My personality is to do the job right and I always want to know why somethings works or doesn't. For example simply saying high levels CO2 will gas fish is not enough for me. I want to know the details of the acidosis process.

Here is what's next to my office at work.

 

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cool. You're job sounds stressful. Tell your wife you need a small nano tank for the office. I've kept tanks seriously since I was a kid and have worked in different shops on and off throughout my life to stay up on all the latest technology or fish. Planted tanks were and still are a very background niche even within the fish keeping hobby itself. Everyone is so enamored with the bright colors and uniqueness of the marine hobby. I'm making it my mission here in the Daytona Beach area to show people how incredible a thriving freshwater (non-african cichlid) planted system can be. The great thing for me is my friend who owns the shop I work at occasionally is very in tune to the new gear and lighting that is out there so I get to "play around" with a lot of new stuff - without having to buy it! It's what led me to add another tank to the many I have now.

I don't think it's very stressful but then again not much stresses me out. I think all jobs have their problems and difficulties but I very much enjoy what I do.

I've thought about an office tank but we're in the middle of a multi-year move and renovation within the organization. My main office is going to move in the next year or two so no point in setting anything up...plus I don't have room TBH.

I think it would be fun to work at a LFS...learn a lot and you would be able to meet people around you in the hobby.