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JMP

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  1. I have 307s and 407s on my tanks. When I refill them after cleaning I fill them with water over the top of the filter basket cover by at least 1/4”. When I put the top (pump cover) back on the canister water will fill the hose connection area. When starting them after reinstalling under the tank they Sometimes start pumping water and then quit. I unplug them and reprime. Then start them up again and prime while running. That method seems to work. Worse case lean the canister front to back a bit to get the air cleared with the filter running.
  2. Spray bars are the way to go. I use them on all my tanks on the canister filter output. If you use PVC you can add fittings and pipe to customize the water flow any way you want. An example would be to have a horizontal discharge on one end to direct the water flow across the bottom of the tank from one end to the other. The options are endless.
  3. Another option would be to use flex tubing (vinyl hose like on canister filters) to connect the power head discharge to a section of drilled black pvc pipe. You can use the pipe vertically or horizontally for getting a good current of water in tank. It’s a pretty simple setup to make. I use this method in all my tanks with the water return from canister filters. It converts a single discharge of water into a slower larger volume of water movement. The black pvc pipe can be positioned in the back of the tank so it’s not as noticeable.
  4. Being an HOB you are limited with directing the water flow in the tank. What I would look at doing is using a power head with the sponge filter. This would allow you to customize the water current in the tank. Using the two water discharges you should be able to get very good circulation with no stagnant zones in the tank.
  5. Here's more info on the Lights. Reference the attached pictures. Picture 1 shows one retaining clip installed and a second hole drilled for a retaining clip for the second bulb. Notice they are offset to allow the bulbs to fit within the small width of the gutter. There is no specific offset, a couple of inches will work fine. I would install the retaining clips about 4 to 6 inches from the ends of the bulbs. You'll have two clips on each bulb. Picture 2 shows the K-style end caps. Note one is left side and one is right side for the gutter ends. You'll need one pair for each light fixture. Picture 3 & 4 show the retaining clips that come with the LED shop lights for mounting the bulbs. The accessory kit with the bulbs will have metal screws but I prefer to use plastic screws with nuts. You could use the provided screws but you'll have the sharp end sticking out of the top of the fixture. This could be covered if you want to simplify the installation a bit. The screws should fit slightly loose within the clip mounting holes. Once you get the bulbs you can take one of the mounting clips and get mounting screws that fit properly in the hole size. I just bought the kit I linked previously as I'm always using plastic screws for building things. Fabrication steps - These are pretty simplified instructions and are no reflection of your fabrication abilities so please take no offense. I'm assuming you're going to use four - 4 foot LED bulbs over your tank to provide enough light in the deep tank. So you'll be fabricating two of these light fixtures. You could test the LED bulbs over the tanks to see how many bulbs you really need for light. On my 75 gallon tanks I normally run 3 of these bulbs. For your 90 you may need 4 bulbs. I would test the bulbs when you receive them to make sure they work properly. Don't wait until you get the light fixture assembly completed to try the lights. Don't ask me how I know this. * Measure the length of light fixture you want over your tank. Mark the gutter and cut to the length you want. Try to cut as square as you can so the end caps will fit good. What I did was measure from each end of the gutter and made one cut for each light fixture. This way you have two very clean cut ends to start with. My light fixtures are approx. 52 inches long so they hang over each end of the tank. You could make them shorter if you plan on using them on top of glass tops. I run mine longer so each end has an opening for air circulation and I've got two tanks that I run open on top for floating plants, so I made all of my lights to sit on the tank without glass tops. Also the power cord hangs straight down over the side of the tank so I don't need to slot the end caps. * Loose fit the light bulbs in the gutter with retaining clips mounted on each end of the bulbs. The clips should be installed about 4 to 6 inches from each end of the bulbs. Also offset the position of the clips between the bulbs so the clips are not side by side. Center them up and mark each side of the clips on the gutter with a sharpie. The bulbs should have enough room on one end for the pigtail to be coiled up that connects power between the bulbs. So the bulbs need to be centered up from side to side and centered lengthwise as well to allow clearance for the end caps. After all four clip locations are marked remove the bulbs. * Remove the clips from the bulbs and position them on the positions you marked in the gutter. With the sharpie mark the center mounting hole in the clips. Drill the hole for fitting the mounting screws slightly larger than the screw diameter. You can measure the diameter of the screws and use a drill bit that's a larger diameter by 1/16" to 1/8". Or just hold the screw up beside the drill bits and find a bit that is a bit larger than the screw diameter. You just need a little clearance to install the screws. * Using the sharpie marks as guides drill the four retaining clip mounting holes. * Install the retaining clips in the gutter with the screws mounted on the inside of the gutter. Line up the clips within the gutter straight for mounting the bulbs. Just like on picture 1. Install a nut on the outside of the fixture on each mounting screw. Snug the nuts up while holding the clip aligned in the fixture. If you go with plastic screws just snug them a bit. The plastic threads will strip if over tightened. * Center the bulbs up within the length of the fixture. Install the bulbs in the retaining clips. * You'll notice that one side of the gutter is vertical. For using two light fixtures on a tank I build the fixtures so the vertical side will be flush against each other and the lights are more centrally positioned over the tank. Just my preference. Lay them out the way you want them to be on the tank before installing the power cables and end caps. * At this point you'll be installing the power cable to the bulbs and the pigtails. You can install the power cable on either end of the LED bulbs. This would be determined by your power strip location. There are options for how you want to run the lights. You can run a single timer for each light fixture or have a timer on each light bulb. If you want to run each light fixture (both bulbs) with a single power cord you can plug it into one bulb on one end. The opposite end will need a pigtail installed between the two bulbs. I coil the pigtails up to take up less room in the fixture. You could install a tie wrap on the coiled cable if you want. If you want to run each bulb independently you will need a power cord to each bulb on one end and NO pigtail connecting the two bulbs. Consult the bulb installation sheet for proper installation and safety precautions. * After the power cables are installed, carefully install the end caps on each end of the fixture. Mount them on your tank and enjoy. They may not be as pretty as store bought lights but for me I prefer to use the money saved on plants and fish.
  6. Here's a few pictures of what they look like assembled. Here is what you'll need for tools and parts. Tools * Snips - for cutting the rain gutter * Drill and a bit for drilling mounting holes in the rain gutter * Sharpie pen or something to mark the gutter for cutting and drilling * Tape measure for measurement Parts * 4 foot LED strip shop lights - they come in 4 packs. I use a combination of the 5000k and 6500k bulbs. I got mine from Amazon. They come with mounting clips, power cords (with switch), and pigtails to daisy chain lights together. I got mine from Amazon. * Rain gutter - they come in 10 foot lengths so you would need a single piece for two light fixtures. I used the K style metal because the vinyl was out of stock. I would go with vinyl if its available. If you only have a car you can use the snips to cut the rain gutter to the length you need in the parking lot then it will fit in your car. Or, you could ask if the store could cut it for you. Home improvement stores carry them. * 4 K-style end caps - metal or vinyl for whichever gutter material you go with. * plastic screws, nuts, and washers for attaching the light clips to the rain gutter. I got an assortment box from Amazon. This is what I got. https://www.amazon.com/Readytosky-Plastic-Machine-Assortment-Organizer/dp/B07Q3W65FV/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2RBPETEKEGCFJ&keywords=plastic+screw+sets&qid=1674789896&sprefix=plastic+screw+sets%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-4 Pictures In the first picture the main light on the tank is not on (they're on timers). The light you see is a single 4 foot LED strip light sitting on the glass top behind the light fixture. The top of the tank is covered with red root floater. So the light you see is through the completely covered tank. The Light fixture 1 picture shows the underside of the light fixture with 2 LED strips installed. There is a pigtail connector that provides power to the second bulb. The Light fixture 2 picture shows the black plastic screws and nuts that hold the strip lights to the rain gutter. I can get more pictures of the fixtures and one partially built tomorrow along with detailed instructions. I can measure where I drilled the holes to give you a better idea of where to mount them. Remember the golden rule = Measure twice, cut once.
  7. You’re basically going to need more lighting as in Watts / lumens to get that deep. I’ve done it with metal halide in the past but you can go with LED now days. You could go DIY with LED lighting to get more lighting to the depth of your tank. I have LED strip lighting over my 75 gallon tanks without breaking the bank. I’ve got recommendations if you are interested in going this route. It’s easy to assemble with Home improvement store components.
  8. I used to be into ponds and kept it in small pots. In the fall I would trim it and bring it indoors for the winter in an aquarium. I'm not sure how well it would do in just sand or gravel. I had mine in 5" Terracotta clay pots. I used a mixture of sand and clean soil with aquatic lily fertilizer. It did good. If you have proper aquatic soil it should do fine as long as its fertilized. It doesn't like a lot of surface agitation. It does have a good sized root structure which is why I kept it in a pot. I kept mine at 6.8 to 7.0 Ph and it did fine. It does better in sunlight but good aquarium lights should be fine. I have one 75 gallon with a large Sailfin Pleco that thinks he's a bulldozer so I have to plant all my stem plants in clay pots or they quickly wind up floating at the top of the tank.
  9. Like the video linked recommends, hydrogen peroxide. I use it on wood and new plants. On wood you can use it for an extended period of time. On plants I soak them for a few minutes to kill off algae, snails, and unwanted biological contaminates. With wood I soak it submerged for a few hours then rinse off a few times and it’s good to go.
  10. Congrats. From my experience with Albino Cory once they start breeding they keep going regularly like little Eveready battery bunnies. My group of Albino Cory started breeding about 15 years ago in a 29 gallon then got moved to a 75 gallon. I’ve been giving the juveniles away as the group gets big. Now I have them (about 30 adults) split between two 75 gallon tanks. The original big female lived over eight years. Good water parameters and diet will keep them breeding and living a long time.
  11. Thought I'd add a couple of tank pics. First is a 29 gallon and 2nd is a 75 gallon. Yes I do like my plants. I got the 75 gallons as my Columbia Tetras spawned into too large a group for the 29.
  12. The size of the tank may be a contributing factor. I’ve got 22 Neon Tetras in a heavily planted 75 with 10 Albino Cory and 2 Pleco. The Neons do get nippy sometimes toward each other. In a small tank with a long fin Betta it may be too tempting for them to ignore. Many of the Tetra species are not as peaceful as you would think when around frilly finned tank-mates. It’s a pecking order and the Betta may be last against faster nippy fish. Your best option is likely to separate them.
  13. They look similar to the Black Cory I have. Mine are darker on top behind the dorsal fin and on their belly than yours. They are a hybrid so no doubt there will be variations.
  14. Try frozen blood worms and other frozen foods to condition them. Large water changes with slightly lower ph and temp than their tank. A large (50%) water change does the trick with my Cory’s. I use RO water at approx 6.6 ph for water changing. I run my Cory tanks from 6.7 to 6.8 at 74 / 75 degrees.
  15. The best luck I’ve had spawning mountain clouds, zebra danio, and Tetras is with a large growth of Java Moss. By large I’m talking several inches long by about 5 inches across. I wasn’t even trying to spawn Columbia Tetras when one day I noticed several about 1/2” long had joined the adult group. You could also try spawning mops for them to lay eggs in as it’s much easier than growing that much moss. The moss grew like a weed in a 75 gallon I was dosing with plant food and CO2. Whatever you use it needs to be dense enough to protect the eggs until you’re able to separate them from the adults. Good luck.
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