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Doug_E

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Posts posted by Doug_E

    White bump on CPD

    in Diseases

    Posted

    I have one CPD with a white bump on its side. It acts normally and feeds and swims just fine. I noticed it yesterday but thought it was just the light and a full belly. 
     

    i have a 5 or 10 gallon I can quarantine and treat with Maracyran. Or should I monitor it? It may just be a wound from another male…maybe?

     

    tank is a 40b with 12 CPDs, 8 white clouds and some amano shrimp. Nothing aggressive. 
     

    water is:

    0 nitrites

    0 amonia

    40 nitrates (water change pending)

    68-70F (unheated)

    pH 8.2

    hardness 12+

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    Rooted plants not doing so great

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    My Java Fern, anubias, and crypts(?) are all doing great. My other plants that are rooted (water sprite, val, and the foreground plant I can't ever remember) are not. I use Aquarium Co-op root tabs and liquid as directed. The rooted plants were doing great for a while. However not too long ago they just stopped growing as fast. The water sprite used to be so thick I had to trim it. The val was similarly fast growing with several shoots. Now the val has one small (3" tall) shoot left. The foreground plant is yellowish and has holes in the leaves. Even my dwarf water lettuce isn't doing as good as it used to. 

    Is it some kind of mineral deficiency? SHould I use more root tabs and liquid?

    My nitrate levels are 20-50 based on water changes. I have hard water (12) and pH8. The light is on 10 hours a day (fluval Plant at 30%). Substrate is Eco+ with Flourite black sand on top. Fish snails and shrimp are all doing well. 

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    Best Aquarium Lid - Broken TV Diffuser?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    It’s amazing. 

    soooo much easier to get in the tank now. No longer do I need to move the light and then flip the lid back (or hold it open with one hand). 
     

    it also allows more light. Photos taken were 83 (out of 255) vs 76 for glass for the average L value. 
     

    I used tile corner molding for the sides and handle. The handle being full length helps keep the panel from drooping too much. 
     

    total cost, $3. 
     

    to get the diffuser panel you need look for edge lit TVs. Full or zone lit don’t use the clear panel like this. 

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    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Best Aquarium Lid - Broken TV Diffuser?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I was looking for some good DIY panel lights. I found this YouTube video and its perfect for my light idea. However, it may also be a great DIY aquarium lid. It is made to diffuse light evenly, seems strong enough if given some reinforcement on longer spans, and is free if you can find the right TV. I got a free broken Samsung LED TV off facebook marketplace and will pick up a second tomorrow. I've also called the local TV repair guy who is happy to let me know when he has anything broken he is sending off to recycling. 

    I'll let you know how it goes.

     

     

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1

    PAR vs Time

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Streetwise said:

     

    I read through that one (well, scanned much of it) and it helped get me started. 

    After a few months I'm wondering if I need to adjust my lighting and curious what would happen if I increased the brightness but reduced the time. I don't think that thread has anything that directly addresses this. 

    PAR vs Time

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted · Edited by Doug_E

    What effect would increasing brightness and reducing time on have for plants and algae?

    I have a Plant 3.0 that I keep on about 12 hours a day. I have it ramp up slowly and down slowly to start/end the day. It is on at the highest brightness (40%) for about 10 hours. 

    How would the plant and algae growth be affected if I were to have it on for less time (6-8 hours?) but brighter? 

    Plants are:

    My tank is a 40 breeder so it is only 16" tall. 

    Any Thoughts on Using This For An Aquarium Cover?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Cory said:

    I’ve done some testing, these tops let more light through than a standard glass top because it has no iron to block light like the glass does.

     

    Here is the video I did on these tops.

     

    Glass is 83% light transmission while these are 86-88%.  Polycarbonate difuses the light which is actually better for plants. 
    https://greenhouseemporium.com/blogs/greenhouse-gardening/glass-vs-polycarbonate-greenhouse/

    No someone get Cory some safety glasses. At first I thought that video was, "how not to use a table saw". 

    • Haha 3

    Does anyone else cheap out on testing reagents?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    17 hours ago, CT_ said:

    ha! yeah I still do work in a lab.  I thought about buying cheap micro pipettes so i could do 1ml reactions but then I realized the disposables would end up being more expensive than tests.  I suppose I could reuse tips... 🤔

    I use a 3mL disposable pipette for weeks at at time. I'm only using it to draw test water and not anything else. It isn't nearly the same as lab conditions where you have to assume anything left out is contaminated and will spoil your results. 

    Another tip to help reading the lower volume...

    • Put the test chart on a table in a well lit area (daylight or a 5000K lightbulb is best)
    • take the cap off the vial when it is time to read the result
    • place the vial on the chart starting at 0ppm
    • look down through the vial and move it along the results until the colors match.

    I find this MUCH easier, even with the full 5mL. It avoid the various lighting effects you get from a round glass tube and makes it much easier to see the colors side by side.

    • Like 1

    Pump for water changes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    22 minutes ago, Will Billy said:

    I use that method for my 55 gallon. I set one 5 gallon bucket in front of the tank, turn the sump on and refill that bucket with my other ones as the pump bucket gets low. Its a vivosun, i will post some pictures below. Eventually i will buy 2, 35 gallon janitor trash cans on wheels and store all my water change water in one and dump dirty water in the other while continuing to use this pump, vs 5, 5 gallon buckets. Currently the sump pump is much more ergonomic to lifting the bucket to the tank rim. Should be more ergonomic once i get the 2 trash cans. The top picture is a close up of the box and pump with my hand for visual reference. The second picture is of my water change station i made out of a closet. You can see my pump hanging up to dry on the back wall with tubbing i got from lowes and a repurposed washing machine hook i use to keep it hung on the tank while i refill the pump bucket while it is pumping. 

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    Thanks, those pumps are not inline, right? I'd prefer one that can be inline so it is a bit more flexible in how/where I use it. And not having to put it in the tank or bucket is a good plus.

    Switching to bigger tank: Prime? Dual Filter? SafeStart+?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Doug_E

    Follow up for anyone who wants to learn...

    I've been checking the Ammonia and Nitrites for the last few days every 4 hours. 30% water changes daily. Ammonia never rose higher than 0.25ppm, nitrite hit 0.5ppm one test (about 30 hours after stocking the tank). I added a bit more Prime and 12 hours later I added 3-4oz of Tetra Safe Start I had in an open bottle from the fall. I figured it can't hurt anything. Readings were 0.25 for both ammonia and nitrite, did a second 30% water change last night (two 30% changes yesterday) dosing Prime at the standard water change level. This morning readings were 0 for ammonia and 0.25 for nitrite. Water is pretty clear, fish are active, colored up nicely, and looking good. 

    Giving the tank and filter time to cycle would have been much easier. However, the fish look much healthier in the new tank vs the old. For some reason when I removed the rock and half the plants they spent most of their time hiding in the remaining plants and were quite pale. I don't like seeing anything but 0 for ammonia and nitrite, but for the short time those non-toxic levels seemed to not bother them and they were much less stressed. 

    I will still monitor parameters and do water changes, but so far so good.

     

    Pump for water changes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Another option for now...I have a Fluval 207 I am not using. I could use that until I decide what to do with it. I’ll test that for my next water change and see how it goes. I’d just have to put the bucket with fresh water on another bucket to get the height it needs for the gravity fill of the canister. 

    Pump for water changes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, OceanTruth said:

    I used to use a Danner 950 for water changes for years. Worked great for me and I also liked that I could screw in regular pvc parts into the threads. That way I could have pvc pipes sticking out of the container it was in and the vinyl tubing never got kinked.

    Only reason I don't use it anymore is that I changed my water changing system a bit and needed more of a sump pump to make it more efficient.

    Thanks. The Danners look good. I like the threaded fittings and the 10’ cord. The $25 cheapies have 5-6’ cords which won’t be long enough and the fittings are a bit funky from the reviews. 

    Pump for water changes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I'd like to get a pump to help with water changes. I will still use buckets to hold the water, but this will at least speed it up, save my back, and keep my plants in the substrate vs dumping the buckets into the tank. Pythons are nice, but with my tank location (basement) and distance to the sink...not an option.

    Rim is 4 feet off the floor. So lift needs to be 5-6 feet at least to have decent flow rate. Amazon has some $20-30 ones, but maybe there is a tried and true option you'd recommend. 

    Community Schooling Fish Suggestions

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Socqua said:

    Just curious, why no to guppies but endlers make your list?

    Male guppies/endlers are much prettier, so people often get just a male tank. If you mix you generally want 3F to 1M to help with aggression from the male. Also, they breed abundantly and rapidly.

    I prefer quick sleeker athletic looking fish to “flowy” floaty fish if that makes any sense. Guppies just look funny to me and I have an irrational bias against them. Endlers look different enough but are a bit on the “flowy” side. Looking into them More I’d say they are off the list. 

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