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Post by childofiam on Feb 19, 2016 14:06:36 GMT -5
I have move Mother Tiger barb to the 37 gallon tank to get her ready to breed. The males have seen her in there and are gathered there where they can see her. She will get a diet of fresh worms for three or four days before I move the male in with her. I will then increase the temp to 80 deg The 37 gal tank has the same KH, GH, PH, Ca+ and temp. I did add Stress guard and Stability. This is my first time breeding in this tank, they have breed in the 75 gal but the eggs get eaten. As soon as the breeding stops they will be removed from this tank put into a bag with H2O from the 37 gal and transferred to the 75 gal for reentry. Any tips are very welcomed... Richard Richard
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Post by Carl on Feb 19, 2016 18:03:30 GMT -5
I kinda like the green stuff anyways... Its like a moss you meant to grow It's that brown stuff that I worry about. The Chinese algae eaters are devoting the brown algae but they won't touch Diatom 's for some reason... They also munch on the green algae but not as much... What I find interesting is that most diatoms present as "brown" algae, but your algae is clearly a bright green and pearling at that. Brown diatoms usually present in low light conditions which is where I have observed these too. QUOTE: "Diatoms are frequently present as a brown, slippery coating on submerged stones and sticks, and may be seen to "stream" with river current."Reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DiatomFurther Reference (from my "Aquarium Answers" article: www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2008/04/aquarium-algae.htmlHowever your green "slime" definitely otherwise presents the hallmarks of diatoms. It closely resembles Blue/Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) too, but does not quite look right nor are the conditions there that I would suspect for this. Carl
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Post by childofiam on Feb 19, 2016 21:03:30 GMT -5
The diatoms that grow on my Nubia plants is what I need to get rid of. I have been running my lights for 15 hr a day, this is a problem contributing to my diatom problem... Thanks again for pointing out the articles, algae control. I have reduced the light time to 12 hr a day. Should I cut it back to 10 hr?
Richard
PS I have been thinking about getting a Redox meter from you... I would like to know what my Redox is.
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Post by coco on Feb 19, 2016 23:09:40 GMT -5
Richard, maybe some more otto cats and some nerite snails? I picked up 2 nerites for my 10 gallon quarantine tank aprx a month ago, and they are doing a great job. I will eventually pick some up for my 55 gallon, but I have to take care of my pond snail explosion first. I just picked up 6 assassin snails today to help out with that. I don't want to mix the two. I heard the assassins can go after the nerites as well. The ottos usually love that brown diatom. I don't remember how many ottos you said you had. Maybe a few more would help. I leave my lights on for 12 hours a day. I do get some BBA and hair algae on my upper anubias leaves, but my SAE do a good job with most of the mid to lower leaves.
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Post by childofiam on Feb 20, 2016 11:12:48 GMT -5
Richard, maybe some more otto cats and some nerite snails? I picked up 2 nerites for my 10 gallon quarantine tank aprx a month ago, and they are doing a great job. I will eventually pick some up for my 55 gallon, but I have to take care of my pond snail explosion first. I just picked up 6 assassin snails today to help out with that. I don't want to mix the two. I heard the assassins can go after the nerites as well. The ottos usually love that brown diatom. I don't remember how many ottos you said you had. Maybe a few more would help. I leave my lights on for 12 hours a day. I do get some BBA and hair algae on my upper anubias leaves, but my SAE do a good job with most of the mid to lower leaves. My Tiger barbs and African Leaf fish have eaten every snail I have put in the tank, even the large Mystery snails. Yesterday I put a female tiger barb in the 37 gal to breed and there where a dozen or so small snails in the tank... today only a few left. I don't know if the nerite snails would survive, but I will try and pick some up, they have a different kind of shell and maybe they will be crush proof... Thanks
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Post by Carl on Feb 20, 2016 12:05:58 GMT -5
The diatoms that grow on my Nubia plants is what I need to get rid of. I have been running my lights for 15 hr a day, this is a problem contributing to my diatom problem... Thanks again for pointing out the articles, algae control. I have reduced the light time to 12 hr a day. Should I cut it back to 10 hr? Richard PS I have been thinking about getting a Redox meter from you... I would like to know what my Redox is. The suggestion of Nirite Snails & Oto Cats is one I would definitely consider! Part of what we are trying to achieve is getting the plants to out compete the algae, so cutting back on light time MAY not help (depending upon plant). Placement of plants can make a difference too I have found. As an example, if the plant is a lower light preferring plant the algae will utilize the light more, while a higher light plant that is not getting enough will not be able to compete with the algae. I believe you have Anubias with this algae, which are lower light, so maybe try changing their placement or even shade them a bit. SeaChem Flourish Excel can kill off algae just enough to allow the plants to better compete too. Admittedly though my results here have been very mixed from very good results to no results at all. Carl
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 20, 2016 12:53:24 GMT -5
15 hours of light is on the top end of lighting times IMO. Especially when you have LEDs. 12 is better, I do 10 with no real algae issue. I know a lot also has to do with Co2 too, but also lighting and nutrients. I know people using the injected co2 really dosing a lot seeing less algae. Also, while plants adapt to the new light source, the old leafs will die off, which they gather algae during this process too. At some point, most of the old leafs will have to be cut off.
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Post by childofiam on Feb 22, 2016 10:57:22 GMT -5
The diatoms that grow on my Nubia plants is what I need to get rid of. I have been running my lights for 15 hr a day, this is a problem contributing to my diatom problem... Thanks again for pointing out the articles, algae control. I have reduced the light time to 12 hr a day. Should I cut it back to 10 hr? Richard PS I have been thinking about getting a Redox meter from you... I would like to know what my Redox is. The suggestion of Nirite Snails & Oto Cats is one I would definitely consider! Part of what we are trying to achieve is getting the plants to out compete the algae, so cutting back on light time MAY not help (depending upon plant). Placement of plants can make a difference too I have found. As an example, if the plant is a lower light preferring plant the algae will utilize the light more, while a higher light plant that is not getting enough will not be able to compete with the algae. I believe you have Anubias with this algae, which are lower light, so maybe try changing their placement or even shade them a bit. SeaChem Flourish Excel can kill off algae just enough to allow the plants to better compete too. Admittedly though my results here have been very mixed from very good results to no results at all. Carl On the Anubias side of the tank I have shut off one of the grobeam's and will get some Nirite snails. I think two Grobeam 600's are too much for the Anubias. The lilies have not covered that side of the tank because of the water movement.
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Post by childofiam on Feb 23, 2016 13:33:59 GMT -5
I now have 4 black mystery snails, marble size and 3 Nirite snails, pea size with horns.... Two new Anubias plants. I can't wait till live plants can be shipped here. I will be getting "harder to get" Anubias plants.
Richard
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Post by coco on Feb 23, 2016 17:44:43 GMT -5
Those are small nerites. Will they be ok with your snail eating fish?
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Post by childofiam on Feb 25, 2016 10:54:30 GMT -5
I spent yesterday pulling all of my plants out and cleaned the leaves, trimmed back roots and old leaves that where covered with algae. I placed driftwood in a 5 gal pot of almost boiling water for 15 minutes each, cleaned the glass and then filtered the water column with a canister filter. I have found that I had a high DOC problem because of low water circulation. I had the driftwood stacked up on each other and had not moved it for some time. I will be placing a small powerhead behind the driftwood this time to keep wast from accumulating behind the wood. I also have a Seio 530 www.americanaquariumproducts.com/RioSeioPumps.html on the way to help with water circulation. I had a balanced water column prior to removing the Sunsun canister filter so I will be putting it back in line with the FSB and Vecton 200. I should have listen to the article about filtration combination Carl has provided free of charge and left the Sunsun in place with the FSB filter... Almost 55 and still don't listen very well; as my wife puts it. The 37 gal on the left in the picture is my hospital/breeding tank. The Tiger barbs did spawn two days ago so a few more days I hope to have babies. Richard
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 25, 2016 16:29:17 GMT -5
Looks clean!
Id really put that Seio towards the surface. I've had the 530 in my 40b and felt it was a little strong. I have the 320 in there now.
Your fish corner is slowly turning into a fish corner room....
So you can't keep a cycle now without the canister? You just have a rio with a sponge running the sand filter now? If you have a sponge, it should cycle pretty quick with Stability.
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Post by childofiam on Feb 25, 2016 19:14:52 GMT -5
Looks clean! Id really put that Seio towards the surface. I've had the 530 in my 40b and felt it was a little strong. I have the 320 in there now. Your fish corner is slowly turning into a fish corner room.... So you can't keep a cycle now without the canister? You just have a rio with a sponge running the sand filter now? If you have a sponge, it should cycle pretty quick with Stability. I love my Aquatic corner.... When I get the Freezer out of here I will have more room to make a RO remineralization station. I will be able to pump remineralized water to the tanks. With a T and valve on the canister filters I will be able to pump the "water change" out of the tanks with the flip of a valve. My Nh3/Nh4=0, NO2=0, NO3= 20 so the tank is cycling. There was a lot of junk under the driftwood that wasn't getting pushed out. The Rio GPH is slowed way down when it gets to the FSB filter. The Rio outlet is 3/4 in and the FSB is 1/2 this will cut the GPH. I did a GPH test and it is only pumping out 80 GPH. This is not enough GPH for the Vecton 200 UV to work so I will taking the Vecton 200 out and just run the FSB filter with the Rio 1100. I will hook the Vecton 200 to a canister filter on the side. What should the distance be between the Grobeam 600's and the water surface? Water surface to substrate is 18 in's. Richard
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Post by Carl on Feb 26, 2016 13:37:06 GMT -5
What should the distance be between the Grobeam 600's and the water surface? Water surface to substrate is 18 in's. Richard Anywhere from 3 to 8 inches works well for the 600 strip . Closer will get a little less spread, further a little more spread but less concentrated light photons. IMO when it comes to installing any light fixture, it comes down to how it will fit cleanly, safely within a specific set up all the while providing the best light possible and allowing for servicing of the aquarium without undo effort in moving the lights, cords, etc around Carl
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 26, 2016 18:45:13 GMT -5
With that flow, your getting a high level 1 into level 2 sterilization. You don't have to switch up the Vecton. Only if you want too.
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Post by childofiam on Feb 28, 2016 12:52:51 GMT -5
I found it to be a pain to maintain filters in the cubby of the desk so I first moved the FSB filter up to the tank level and it is the only thing hooked up to the Rio and sponge filter. I was reading where carl suggested having two filtering systems incase one goes south you still have the other one operating, so this is what I have done. Filter #1 Filter# 2 I added the Vecton 200 with the Sunsun canister filter as a separate system. Before with the Rio pumping up 1 foot and then down 3.5 feet into the FSB and then into the Vecton and back up 3.5 feet I only had 80 GPH out put. With the FSB filter located at substrate level and the Rio pump just inches under the water surface, the FSB is completely fluidized and I have the Rio chocked off 25% because I was blowing sand out of the filter into the tank. Problem one solved... Now with the vecton hooked up to the Sunsun I have excellent level 1 uv sterilization and in 24 hours the water went crystal clear again. With all of the algae cleaned out of tank, plants cleaned up with their roots in the sand to keep the green snot algae off of them until it gets warm enough to have more plants shipped here from a independent plant grower I want to support out west in California. I still only want slow growing Anubias and Java fern plants but I know that I need more plants to out compete the algae. I have also increased the CO2 output looking for about 20 ppm as I have a air stone in the tank to keep the O2 levels up for the fish. Water perimeters are: Ammonia =0, NO2 =0, NO3 =20 Ca = 100 ppm PH = 7.2 daytime and 7.4 before CO2 injection takes place. I also put a black background on the tank and rearranged all of the driftwood to the right side. Two of the longer pieces are suspended and all I need to do is lift one of the pieces to clean the sponge filters. The lights are now 8 inches above the water surface instead of 2 inches before. I would say that I had too much light intensity in the tank. I also put a medicated wonder shell in because with all this stress one of the tiger barbs may have Columnaris agin, white spot on his lip. I will be doing GPH test on both filtering systems on the next water change when my wife is available to help. On the prayerful side please keep the Lycan family in your prayers. My friend Arnold past away 4 days ago and his wife of 38 years is at a total loss. She has never paid a bill or even knows where all the money is. The Lycan farm is about 3000 acres of farm ground. Cows and crops. Brenda does not know where all the grain is stored or anything about the farm as she is a mental illness councilor. Arnold did most of his farm business with a shake of the hand, he was a rare man of ethics and character. Richard
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Post by Carl on Feb 28, 2016 15:07:09 GMT -5
Your tank is looking great.
I definitely agree with keeping the Canister filter running as a separate filter system. Also the FSB filters sometimes work better with power heads when they are closer to tank level, so this is good placement too.
I will keep her in my prayers.
This can be a difficult situation when one spouse (or business partner) takes total care of certain aspects of family/business finances and/or day to day operations. I will definitely keep this aspect in prayer.
If I may ask, was this an unexpected death?
Carl
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Post by childofiam on Feb 28, 2016 15:25:00 GMT -5
Your tank is looking great. I definitely agree with keeping the Canister filter running as a separate filter system. Also the FSB filters sometimes work better with power heads when they are closer to tank level, so this is good placement too. I will keep her in my prayers. This can be a difficult situation when one spouse (or business partner) takes total care of certain aspects of family/business finances and/or day to day operations. I will definitely keep this aspect in prayer. If I may ask, was this an unexpected death? Carl Yes it was. He went out late at night to check on some cows and was found sitting in the truck on the road. He had a heart attack.
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Post by Carl on Feb 29, 2016 9:37:21 GMT -5
If I may ask, was this an unexpected death? Carl Yes it was. He went out late at night to check on some cows and was found sitting in the truck on the road. He had a heart attack. Sorry, this makes it so much more difficult. My continued prayers for Brenda and everyone affected Carl
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Feb 29, 2016 11:44:53 GMT -5
Tank and new set-up looks great! Prayer for your friend
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