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Post by coco on Jan 22, 2016 15:50:44 GMT -5
You never bought the sand they sell at the LFS? That's what I have in my sand section in the tank now. It is a natural tan color. It is much more expensive then what you paid. I spent a lot of money just doing the 2/3 section that I have. I had heard of people using the play & pool sands, I guess I was nervous it wouldn't be good for my fish. My sand section is about 2 inches deep. I stir it up every other week or so. Thing is, I would want it to match the sand I already have, if not, I will probably just buy it at the LFS. It does get expensive. I won't be doing it for a little bit. Just had a spinal fusion on my neck in August. It is still healing. Nerves were really damaged. I am managing regular water changes on my own now, but removing gravel and replacing with sand is a big job. More than my neck can handle at the moment. I do eventually want to change it over. Thanx for the info. -Nicole.
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Post by childofiam on Jan 22, 2016 22:42:51 GMT -5
As I was sitting in front of my tank watching the Tigers playing, I realized that the males where competing for one of the female's. After about an hour I realized that they had began to spawn... Eggs where flying everywhere like 200 kid at a easter egg hunt all of the fish started an egg eating frenzy including the cory's. I witness three eggs fall out of a Anubia root base down onto a rock... quick as a rabbit I picked up a suction bulb I forgot to put away and reached in to suck them up before they became chow. I saw through the clear tube that all three eggs had been captured. Hmm... what do I do? Well there on one of my pieces of drift wood I saw where I had crammed a rhizome of a new Anubia I purchased into a somewhat deep hole and placed a fifty cent size rock on top till the roots would hand on by itself. I carefully slid the suction bulb in through the roots and carefully squeezed the eggs in behind the roots where no one can get to them. All they have to do now, is hatch, find some food to eat and not become food for someone else. I am so glad I was not born a fish...
Richard
PS How long does a Tiger barb eggs take to hatch?
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Post by Carl on Jan 23, 2016 10:58:32 GMT -5
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Post by childofiam on Jan 23, 2016 21:32:04 GMT -5
I received my Vecton 2 yesterday afternoon, its nice to know that you guys at AAP open the box and make sure everything is in good shape. I hate buying something and after I get home and open the box to find damaged or missing parts. It took three hours to install it because of the location, being in a tight spot, and having to replumbed every thing better than I had before. Every thing nice and neat as I like it... I put a shut off before and after the Vecton 2 so when I need to change the bulb it won't make to much of a mess. I had a leak after and needed to take the fitting off of the bottom of the Vecton 2 and apply little vaseline to the bottom side of the gasket, worked like a charm and only lost a little bit of water from inside the Vecton 2. I also hooked the CO2 system back up with a defuser I bought from Aquatek where I purchased my CO2 system. The defuser has a feature where you can change the defusing disk with a new one. One Tiger Barb still has a white spot on his mouth but it is much better now and almost gone. I should be receiving my new lights Monday and will suspend them from the ceiling over the center of the tank. Richard
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Post by Carl on Jan 24, 2016 11:21:40 GMT -5
Very professional looking application. I hope you did not wrench you back tightening everything up! Carl
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jan 25, 2016 9:51:50 GMT -5
Looks very nice! Need to see that co2 set up too! Great job on the install.
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Post by childofiam on Jan 25, 2016 10:26:09 GMT -5
Looks very nice! Need to see that co2 set up too! Great job on the install. Thanks Devon... Have new bubble counter made for the Aquatic CO2 Regulator. I am pumping more CO2 into the tank than 3 bps and so it is hard to count how much CO2 is being pumped in, can't count that fast. I am also pumping O2 in. It will take some time to get the CO2 and O2 ratios adjusted. Today I turned off the CO2 until I get the sufficient dose of CO2 in the tank with surface agitation and then I will turn on the O2 slowly so I can adjust the CO2 back up to where I need it. Like you suggested I am going to leave the O2 running all the time. I purchased 30 cm (12") Air Curtain and wanted to ask if this curtain releases fine air bubbles? The other thing I wanted to ask... I am using my tank water, 1ml with 4 drops of solution that came with the drop checker. Is this correct? This is my drop checker... With a white background it shows a dark green which is a normal amount of CO2. Do I want to bring CO2 levals up to Sufficient levels or is normal ok? Richard
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Post by Carl on Jan 25, 2016 13:30:13 GMT -5
With the Ista Drop Checker, you would use one 1 cc of the indicator solution. Green is where you would want it to be, but with lower light plants such as Anubias, slightly lower (blue/green color) should not be a problem. Product Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquariumtestkit.html#co2Carl
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Post by childofiam on Jan 25, 2016 15:00:47 GMT -5
I received my lights today, it took about half an hour to hang them. They are much better than the old new ones, (National Geographic lights) and the cost was about the same. They light up every corner in the tank and the shimmer on the right side is awesome. On the left side where the water is much slower my lily pads which just started to hit the surface actually turned and moved towards the light in about a half hours time. By moving the aquarium 5 feet closer to the window the tank gets about 1 hour of direct sunlight when it shines here in Indiana and the lilies have taken off to the surface. Also my Tiger Barbs dance in the light and sparkle with gold and silver sparkles. The true colors of the Cory come out as well, amazing greens and blues I didn't see before and you only see these colors when the sun is shinning directly through the tank. The light sweeps from the left to the right and softens through this one hour process. When summer comes we won't have this direct light because of the canopy on the deck. I also purchased the Aqua Ray Control, (no storm feature) which is good because storms wake the wife and that isn't good, "A happy wife is a happy life" for you young gents that are married.... So now I will sit down and read the instructions, then watch the video on AAP youtube about twenty some times and then watch the sun set over my tank this evening. Richard
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Post by Carl on Jan 25, 2016 17:10:27 GMT -5
Looks great! What did you attach the cable above the lights to? Do you have a picture of this? Carl
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Post by childofiam on Jan 25, 2016 18:35:09 GMT -5
Looks great! What did you attach the cable above the lights to? Do you have a picture of this? Carl I attached the cable to the ceiling with anchors. Richard
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Post by coco on Jan 25, 2016 19:07:04 GMT -5
When I first looked at the pictures, before I blew them up, I thought the window was your new light! I was thinking "Damm!", that is a HUGE light! His plants are going to grow like crazy!
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Post by childofiam on Jan 25, 2016 19:20:33 GMT -5
On January 23 I installed the Vecton 200 UV sterilizer. There is a hundred times difference in my water now. It not only cleared the discoloration but all the little specks are gone in just two days. What will it be like in a week? It should be a priority for every aquarium setup to have a Vecton UV sterilizer from AAP. This is a well spent investment for my hobby... On another note: My SunSun canister filter has a UV sterilizer built in but has never had this kind of effect on my water. It is pointless for SunSun to even put a UV sterilizer this small in a canister filter. I will not be replacing it again, I will just let it burn out...
Richard
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Post by Carl on Jan 25, 2016 19:27:21 GMT -5
Looks nice and clean! Did you use the yellow drywall/plaster anchors that come with the kit? Carl
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jan 26, 2016 10:04:18 GMT -5
Great again! Clean look on the light! Your on the right track for the co2. I've even see keepers make the indicator yellow, but I would say that could wasteful. That air stone should five fine bubbles.
Yes...A UV is amazing tool, which I don't know why more aquarium keepers take advantage of. There's just so much information out there, sometimes people don't think it's worth it.
Wonderful following along with your build.
For the controller, I just use it to ramp up in the morning for an hour and off. Simple.
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Post by childofiam on Jan 26, 2016 10:12:56 GMT -5
I attached the cable to the ceiling with anchors. Richard Looks nice and clean! Did you use the yellow drywall/plaster anchors that come with the kit? Carl Yes I did... but I will be watching them for pull away. I don't think I will have a problem because the lights are not that heavy, but I would rather use the butterfly anchors for the ceiling. Richard
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Post by Carl on Jan 26, 2016 10:33:19 GMT -5
Looks nice and clean! Did you use the yellow drywall/plaster anchors that come with the kit? Carl Yes I did... but I will be watching them for pull away. I don't think I will have a problem because the lights are not that heavy, but I would rather use the butterfly anchors for the ceiling. Richard Yes, I think butterfly anchors would be even more secure. This said I have used some pretty heavy duty drywall anchors to hold very heavy shelves onto walls in fish stores I set up. Carl
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Post by childofiam on Jan 26, 2016 15:41:45 GMT -5
I was blown away this afternoon to see that 5 lily leafs shot to the water surface today. I have never had this happen before. I think that I will purchase more of these lights to produce the Lily pads on both sides of the tank. That will produce low light below then for my Anubis and Java ferns... I will be giving this idea time to develop. Any input is very welcome.
I would need still water on the entire surface and bubbles from below to supply O2... The pads would trap CO2 bubbles from reaching the surface and incress CO2 absorption.
Richard
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jan 26, 2016 18:28:46 GMT -5
My entire surface ends up covered with duckweed. All plants underneath thrive even with the "less light". Natures way of creating shade for long photo periods, with quality high energy light. You might not even have to add more light, so only add more if you see fit. You inject, so you can get away with higher light if you really want it.
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Post by childofiam on Jan 27, 2016 14:30:18 GMT -5
I have been reading about the TMC V² Bio Fluidized Sand Bed Aquarium Filter 1000. Can it replace my canister filters as a stand alone filter? I want to use a external pump to move the water through the filter. The less things inside the tank the better. Do they make inline heaters and can you recommend a external pump? This would be for my 75 gal tank
Richard
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