Aquariums!

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Sun, 17 June 2012 13:26

I wonder though how much Co2 is necessary for my plants...   But well if its "too much" I'll just add more fertilizer and it'll grow faster, which is only a good thing really.   So well, I'll maybe buy some stuff later and build. ^^   EDIT; Yea you dose the same as me basically but I dose more once a week instead of daily, cause its too much of a hassle to do everyday ^^

The most important thing is stable addition of both CO2 and fertiliser. Wether you add fertiliser daily or once a week is less important. But you already know that.

[Naicha]

Can't find bigger bottles than 2,5 liters. But that's enough.

 

Anywho, I'll postpone that project a couple of days I think ^^

[Qwazin]

Sounds like it was a lot easier to have aquariums back in the day where you didn't think about PH, co2, fertilizer etc, but only about how much light it got

[Naicha]

Depends on how you see it. Knowing all this and taking care of it helps you prevent stuff like fish death and algae etc. ^.^ + You get a better looking aquarium.

 

But ye, I had an aquarium when I was little and it was all like, whatever, way too much food and barely ever changed any water etc. It just sat there.

[Naicha]

Lyngs, do you somehow shut your co2 system down at night?

 

Solutions are using a pump that's online at day which will dissolve the bubbles but when its offline at night bubbles will just go to the surface.

 

I'd rather not regulate this though and just let it keep sipping in 24/7. Can't be that harmful really? I'd think this is more interesting to people with pressurized co2 so that you don't waste. But with DIY it's whatever since you will always waste, its just a matter if you put it in the water or the air.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Tue, 19 June 2012 13:59

Lyngs, do you somehow shut your co2 system down at night?   Solutions are using a pump that's online at day which will dissolve the bubbles but when its offline at night bubbles will just go to the surface.   I'd rather not regulate this though and just let it keep sipping in 24/7. Can't be that harmful really? I'd think this is more interesting to people with pressurized co2 so that you don't waste. But with DIY it's whatever since you will always waste, its just a matter if you put it in the water or the air.

Regulating shouldnt be required. It can only become a problem if you produce so much that it creates a CO2 "seal" above the surface so no air gets mixed into the water. I havent had any problems and I have a production that exceeds 1 bubble a second.

[Naicha]

AWesome. I found a guy using 10 liters for 400 liter water.

 

So I'm gonna get 4-5 liters or something its probably enough since I only have about 110 liters of water.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Tue, 19 June 2012 15:58

AWesome. I found a guy using 10 liters for 400 liter water.   So I'm gonna get 4-5 liters or something its probably enough since I only have about 110 liters of water.

Better to use 2x 2L bottles than one 4-5L bottle. If you have two and you change one each week, the fluctuation in CO2 production will be far less than if you use one bottle. A stable production is far better than a high, fluctuating one.

[Naicha]

Yep, got 2x 2,5 liters. Going to change one of them every week.

 

The moss on the root is producing bubbles, it gets so much light up there.

 

The root has gotten that white goo-icky-things on it now though, pretty much of it. doing some research its nothing dangerous at all, just ugly. but it'll go away in time.

 

Day 5 but my Co2 just kicked in with alittle more bubbles.

[Naicha]

I built the Co2 now, hopefully tomorrow I got it all siliconed enough so that it wont leak, its not easy putting it aroudn the tubing, especially since the tubes dont want to stay still..

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Tue, 19 June 2012 18:59

I built the Co2 now, hopefully tomorrow I got it all siliconed enough so that it wont leak, its not easy putting it aroudn the tubing, especially since the tubes dont want to stay still..

I gave up on using silicone after several tries. It wouldnt stick to the tube or bottle lid for more than a few weeks.

 

I found some awesome plastic bulkhead fittings on Ebay to use instead: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fourmost-Bulkhead-Fitting-Large-2-14 3-NIB-/300590342507?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&h ash=item45fc94a16b

[Naicha]

That looks brilliant indeed. And it's air tight? I suppose. But we'll see how the silicone holds up first, hopefully it will do.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Tue, 19 June 2012 20:29

That looks brilliant indeed. And it's air tight? I suppose. But we'll see how the silicone holds up first, hopefully it will do.

They are made for model airplane fuel pumps, so yeah they seal tight.

[Naicha]

The small container gave like a bubble every 5 seconds or something so I put that in system a week now until its time to load the second "big" one.

 

No leaks to be found so far anywho after blowing into everything. and its bubbling in the aquarium, although slow until pressure really builds up and the big one starts up.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Thu, 21 June 2012 17:04

The small container gave like a bubble every 5 seconds or something so I put that in system a week now until its time to load the second "big" one.   No leaks to be found so far anywho after blowing into everything. and its bubbling in the aquarium, although slow until pressure really builds up and the big one starts up.

Should be easy to smell if there is a leak when you open the cabinet. Getting more and more excited on your behalf.

[Bjerlk_Ferloc]

I used to have a 500 liters tank with alot of plants. And I meen ALOT. I never fertilized under those 4 years at all. Added a bit of ferrum (iron) monthly though. But what I did to fertilize in the beginning was buying regular potteryclay and had in the bottom. And then sand above. Making the roots getting what they needed from deep withing the sandbed... Works great.

[Bjerlk_Ferloc]

I am now sitting and wondering when I will start making my 2nd saltwater tank. Last 500 liters crashed 2 times due to high temp one summer week and a rescue of a anomona from a friend in town whoms tank busted. Later resulting in death to entire tank. Even though I had my own anemones and so on.

 

I just love the colours in a saltwater tank. And all the life in it even if you "just" have coral in it...

 

What I need to do is to drill the hole in the bottom of the tank. Hase horrified me for soon 3 years. I guess I will try soon™

[Naicha]

Salt water aquariums are really beautiful indeed! You should get one From what I've heard they're expensive and ofc it's not as easy to find fish/plants etc. So it scares me.

 

Anywho, got some algae now, Lyngs, should I just wait it out or do something?

 

Switching 50% of the water weekly, and standard dose of the fertilizer and the co2 is bubbling away. Got 10 hours of light/day.

 

And the goo btw, im trying to remove it best I can cause its ugly and disgusting.

[Lyngs]

That white goo is most probably a bacteria enjoying excess carbon leaking from the roots. As long as you keep doing waterchanges and maybe suck as much of it out of the tank as you can regularly, it should start to disappear within a week or two. If it gets hard to control, lower your light time to 7-8 hrs. Is there any algae anywhere? If there is, take a picture and I can help you identify it.

 

Saltwater is the ultimate dream for me. But I wont start before we have moved to a house we will stay in for many years.

[Lyngs]

Bjerlk wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 09:45

I used to have a 500 liters tank with alot of plants. And I meen ALOT. I never fertilized under those 4 years at all. Added a bit of ferrum (iron) monthly though. But what I did to fertilize in the beginning was buying regular potteryclay and had in the bottom. And then sand above. Making the roots getting what they needed from deep withing the sandbed... Works great.

The clay will run empty within a few months. The main reason for putting clay in the bottom is that it captures nutrients from the water via bacteria, which the plant roots can then utilize. Some people are lucky with their water supply. Most Danish water is pumped directly from the underground and the nutrient levels vary greatly from well to well. Where I live there is basicly nothing other than Calsium and Iron in the water.

[Naicha]

Lyngs wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 13:10

That white goo is most probably a bacteria enjoying excess carbon leaking from the roots. As long as you keep doing waterchanges and maybe suck as much of it out of the tank as you can regularly, it should start to disappear within a week or two. If it gets hard to control, lower your light time to 7-8 hrs. Is there any algae anywhere? If there is, take a picture and I can help you identify it.   Saltwater is the ultimate dream for me. But I wont start before we have moved to a house we will stay in for many years.

 

First picture has algae on it. The green things on the root.

[Paintman]

Lyngs wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 13:16

Bjerlk wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 09:45 I used to have a 500 liters tank with alot of plants. And I meen ALOT. I never fertilized under those 4 years at all. Added a bit of ferrum (iron) monthly though. But what I did to fertilize in the beginning was buying regular potteryclay and had in the bottom. And then sand above. Making the roots getting what they needed from deep withing the sandbed... Works great. The clay will run empty within a few months. The main reason for putting clay in the bottom is that it captures nutrients from the water via bacteria, which the plant roots can then utilize. Some people are lucky with their water supply. Most Danish water is pumped directly from the underground and the nutrient levels vary greatly from well to well. Where I live there is basicly nothing other than Calsium and Iron in the water.

My father has a groundwater source in the garden. If you use water from there means it is better for the plants?

 

I can imagine that groundwater is polluted with high levels of phosphates and the like. We filled our pond with the groundwater source and it pond got overgrown by algae, will the same happen in aquariums if you use that same groundwater source.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 14:56

Lyngs wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 13:10 That white goo is most probably a bacteria enjoying excess carbon leaking from the roots. As long as you keep doing waterchanges and maybe suck as much of it out of the tank as you can regularly, it should start to disappear within a week or two. If it gets hard to control, lower your light time to 7-8 hrs. Is there any algae anywhere? If there is, take a picture and I can help you identify it.   Saltwater is the ultimate dream for me. But I wont start before we have moved to a house we will stay in for many years.   First picture has algae on it. The green things on the root.

Most likely either Green Dust Algae (GDA). VERY common in new setups. Unballance in nutrients and/or low CO2 cause this algae to grow. Should disappear on its own over time.

 

Or Green Spot Algae (GSA). Low Phosphate/CO2 levels and or too long lighting periods cause GDA. Quite common in new setups also.

[Lyngs]

Paintman. wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 15:14

Lyngs wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 13:16 Bjerlk wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 09:45 I used to have a 500 liters tank with alot of plants. And I meen ALOT. I never fertilized under those 4 years at all. Added a bit of ferrum (iron) monthly though. But what I did to fertilize in the beginning was buying regular potteryclay and had in the bottom. And then sand above. Making the roots getting what they needed from deep withing the sandbed... Works great. The clay will run empty within a few months. The main reason for putting clay in the bottom is that it captures nutrients from the water via bacteria, which the plant roots can then utilize. Some people are lucky with their water supply. Most Danish water is pumped directly from the underground and the nutrient levels vary greatly from well to well. Where I live there is basicly nothing other than Calsium and Iron in the water. My father has a groundwater source in the garden. If you use water from there means it is better for the plants?   I can imagine that groundwater is polluted with high levels of phosphates and the like. We filled our pond with the groundwater source and it pond got overgrown by algae, will the same happen in aquariums if you use that same groundwater source.

The quality in groundwater can vary greatly over small distances. SO impossible to say wether it is good or bad. You cant base your experience from a pond on what will happen in a tank. The pond is most likely exposed to direct sunlight and nutrients from surrounding dirt and air which most likely caused the algae explosion.

[Naicha]

Went to get 2 ram cichlids today. Sadly they managed to give me 2 males instead of one of each.. Have to go back with one of them. t_t

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 18:03

Went to get 2 ram cichlids today. Sadly they managed to give me 2 males instead of one of each.. Have to go back with one of them. t_t

:EEEk: Rams are highly sensitive to waterquality changes. I would have waited at least a month with adding fish, but its difficult to be that patient. Most people cant see the difference between sexes, especialy if the fish are stressed and not fully mature.

[Naicha]

Ye they can be tricky. I'll have to chill awhile and see if one of them eventually shows any signs of being a female. Maybe the colors develop once they settle in. It's almost impossible to tell them apart in the store cause it's really not a favourable habitat for them..

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Fri, 22 June 2012 19:40

Ye they can be tricky. I'll have to chill awhile and see if one of them eventually shows any signs of being a female. Maybe the colors develop once they settle in. It's almost impossible to tell them apart in the store cause it's really not a favourable habitat for them..

I bought a pair a few months ago. I think there was around 20 in a 100L tank. The two I bought were sitting side by side in a corner, chasing any other ram that came too close away. It only took them a few days to settle in and start spawning. Unfortunately they both died a few weeks ago.

[Naicha]

My two actually swim around together all the time. Strange. They don't seem to be angry with eachother anywho.

[Lyngs]

Naicha wrote on Sat, 23 June 2012 10:56

My two actually swim around together all the time. Strange. They don't seem to be angry with eachother anywho.

Then its most probably either a male/female, female/female or they arent sexualy mature.