Pookieq

@pseudomugil when removing the regulator from the cylinder, yes I shut the gas off; otherwise, no, the gas is live. @nabokovfan87 I had originally thought to email support and will be now.

Hey folks! To set the scene, I had successfully set up my CO2 the day before with the Co-Op regulator and for added protection had decided to add a check valve. Things I did: kill power to the solenoid since I was doing this during scheduled operations. Things I didn’t do: close either the fine tuning valve, the operating pressure valve, or the valve on the CO2 cylinder. I had waited until I saw no more CO2 leaving the diffuser and cut the line just outside of the tank. I heard a small pop and gentle hiss but nothing dramatic or prolonged. Since then I have been unable to maintain any pressure within the line. The cylinder gauge continues to read 800psi, but the operating pressure gauge refuses to budge. Also, any attempt to adjust the fine tuning needle results in maybe a bubble or two, but nothing prolonged. I have attempted to essentially reinstall the unit by following the installation guide as well as completely changing the line from the regulator to the diffuser but all to no avail. At this point I’m a bit stumped as to what to do next and would appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks!

@nabokovfan87 actually I recall coming across it in a Bentley Pascoe vid. I don’t remember if it was part of the whole substrate series or a species special or even something else entirely. But I can definitely say that he inspired the idea. @Flumpweesel the media bags are filled with a mixture of mostly stratum with some red flourite at a very roughly eyeballed ratio of 4:1. I imagine I’m going to see some pretty odd things go on with the chemistry as this progresses.

Hey y’all, So I finally set my 75 gallon up. However, I only did so after working three nights in a row when I had expected at least a day off, so I wasn’t super clear in my thinking. Having heard that grape leaves are high iron and therefore beneficial to crypts in particular I decided to add a layer of them to my substrate. I did not have a clear direction in how I wanted to plant the tank, so I just spread them across the entire bottom. My chief question is whether anyone else out there has any experience using grape leaves, not dried but from a grocery store, in their substrate? And second, what does everyone think will happen? I had a moment when I was about half finished planting, that maybe it wasn’t wise to have a layer of decaying plant matter sitting between my aqua soil in media bags and my upper gravel layer. Should I just rip them out now or ride it out and find out what happens? Thanks!

So, after a trip to the hardware store for shims and experimenting with those for a couple hours I really don’t feel that I’ve gotten anywhere. I’ve created Frankenstein-like combinations of two shims to no real avail. The degree of tilt never changed by any worth while amount. Although, and I feel a little dumb saying this, I discovered that the problem of balancing everything didn’t lie with elevating the left, but rather the right side. You see the floor actually slopes up. So my knee jerk reaction at seeing the water level lower on the left was wrong. The water was showing true level the whole time. At one point I had the entire right end elevated but then became concerned about the middle support. As designed it should sit flush with the side panels, however much of it became elevated so as to be taller than even than even two shims combined. note image of the shims with the line drawn across representing how far each had gone in between the bottom shim and the unit. The middle support rests flush without the shims making me think this may all be a bit superfluous, the unit is supported throughout without all the extra elevation. The building is older, approximately 1920’s or 30’s, so it has a little character like angled floors. I’m thinking tomorrow that I’ll try to place, if not also cut, a yoga mat beneath the entire unit and see if that helps at all. Photo 1: the space on the bottom which is higher than a single shim Photo 2: how far each second shim went in Photo 3: the top is before, bottom is after

I had thought of adding a rubber mat of some sort earlier, but thought it wouldn’t be able to add much. I’ll reconsider it now. The degree to which the tank is off matches the stand and is consistent, as in there isn’t a weird bump in the middle. Also, as I just discovered it matches up with the slope of the floor. Shims seem the most obvious solution. My worry with those was in regard to the design of the stand. It doesn’t rest on just two legs, but has two braces that run the entire length. The solution I’m thinking of now is to shim both ends of the left until I achieve a level surface. My guess right now is that I’ll need more in front than back since I already have a shim partially placed there. And then to shim the two length long braces to support.

Hey folks! So I posted on here previously about larger stand options for a 55 gal. Well, ultimately I did purchase and assemble a purpose built stand for my now 75 gal. However, I noticed today while in the process of slowly checking for leaks that the tank sets slightly off balance. So much so that there is a half inch difference in water level from one end to the other. The list seems to be to the left, ie lower. Should I be concerned? The tank is currently empty except for water so it won’t be too much of a hassle to move again. Before placing the tank I had already added a shim to the left side to try and balance it out and get rid of a wobble. But there is still about another 3 inches or so that I could wedge beneath the stand. Would that help or would that compromise the structural integrity of the stand? I should also add that width-wise the tank is perfectly level. Anyway, I’d like to know what you all think about this. Thanks!

Hey folks! So I’m hoping to start setting up a 55 gallon in the next couple weeks. After spending some time online looking at various aquarium stands I got to wondering what sorts of non-purpose built furniture other people use. Ideally it would have some storage or space to put a smaller tank below. While I haven’t completely ruled out the idea of building one of wood from scratch, I must admit that it’s a little out of my skill set. I’m also hoping for something aesthetically pleasing

. Ha! Thanks everyone!! I thought they were awfully funny looking for eggs. And to be clear, I haven’t purposefully stocked the tank with anything. By all appearances I’ve got at least one bladder snail.

Hello all! So recently I set up my first tank in years. I’ve decided to go the planted route and I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten more than I bargained for. In addition to one large bladder snail, I seem to be on the precipice of a population boom after a decent plant melt. But then I noticed these three black stripes on the backside of my thermometer’s suction cup. They seem to be eggs, but I’m not sure of what. Do any of you recognize them? I forgot to mention that the snails are the only animals I’m aware of in there. Thanks!