Jump to content
Watch our video on the rules of this forum.

Phillip

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    185

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Phillip

    I’m a killer!

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Streetwise said:

    I don’t have any official definitions, but I would describe hornwort and guppy grass as unrooted plants. I would consider duckweed, salvinia, and water lettuce to be floating plants. I think the survival conditions for each might be different, based on access to surface air during photosynthesis and respiration.

    Yeah I guess my thinking was wrong. I watched a bunch of videos and everyone was like just take water sprite plop it in and let it float around. That doesn’t seem to be working for me. If I plant water sprite it grows though 🤷🏻‍♂️

    • Like 2

    I’m a killer!

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Zanara said:

    Seconding higher flow being a possible issue. You can make a circle out of airline tubing to corral floating plants if they're getting blown all over. I actually put my tubing around my outflow and where the airstone bubbles come up, and let floating plants hang out on the outside. Also, if you have a lid, some do not like the high humidity under there, and especially do not like being dripped on. I grow Salvinia and water lettuce, and the water lettuce is more tolerant of being under a lid for me.

    I actually have an air tubing corral set up. I like your idea of putting the corral around the outflow. If it is related to high flow I guess I just need different floating plants? I can’t really reduce my HOB flow much more and I have a sponge filter on the other side. 

    I’m a killer!

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    1 minute ago, gardenman said:

    TDS stands for "Total Dissolved Solids." To test it you buy a TDS meter. The meters range in price from around $15 to God knows how how much depending on how accurate you need to be. (Hint: for an aquarium, you don't need to be all that accurate.) They most often used on tanks holding delicate shrimp and fish that are very sensitive to water quality.

    Cool. I’ll see if I can find one. 

    I’m a killer!

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Marnol D said:

    Does your tank have a ton of flow to it? You may also want to test your waters TDS and you may need to add equilibrium to boost it for the plants.

    I have a HOB that’s not at full speed and an air stone. Not a ton of flow, but I have good surface movement. TDS is a new one for me. I’m assuming that’s a test I can buy?

    I’m a killer!

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    1 hour ago, gardenman said:

    Water Sprite is a bit temperamental. I haven't grown Guppy Grass so I can't speak for it. Hornwort is typically pretty indestructible though it might shed like crazy for a bit and look like its dying only to bounce back. Patience is important with hornwort. It tends to rebound even if it goes down to bare stems. If you poke around online at sites like ebay, etsy, and aquabid, you can often find floating plant bundles that contain red root floaters, frogbit (my personal favorite floater), salvinia minima, dwarf water lettuce, duckweed, etc. and those bundles typically sell for under $20 often under $10, so it's a great way to test out various floating plant options. You might only get three to six of each plant, but if there's one that likes your water/lighting, you'll be weeding them out before long. 

    Good idea. Thanks. I’ll look for a bundle today. 

    New light for funky lid

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Biotope Biologist said:

    If I recall correctly those tanks come with a light that sits on a glass screen in the plastic canopy correct? Although I know they changed to those flimsy LED light bars that produce the most horrid white light ever so maybe that is no longer the case.

     

    If you can keep the canopy really I think @Fish Folk's idea would be best. If you have access to a sawzall and you want like a finnex or similar bar. Measure the dimensions of the bar you want and cut out a section that width. 

     

    The Top Fin hood is it's biggest downfall. In an attempt to be cheap they kinda missed the target of maintenance and feeding convenience. You also can't just swap the aqueon hood on because of course they are different dimensions.

    I think it’s still the horrid led light strip. I was looking at some finnex and they weren’t waterproof, so I don’t think I’d be able to use them on the inside. 
     

    The lid is definitely the biggest downfall! I’ve looked in to the glass aqueon hoods, and like you said they don’t fit. 

    New light for funky lid

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

    Well, here is what we have done on several occasions: we take a small drill bit, just a touch wider than a small zip-tie, and carefully drill holes (pre-measured) through the black lid and secure an LED beneath the lid. We've used a handful of types, but settled on the Hyper Tough brand "Slim Under Cabinet Light" sold at Wal-Mart (5,000 K choose the one that will fit your prefab plastic lid) -- not the LEDs pictured from tank below, but the one from Wal Mart online. They're unbelievably cheap, can be chained together, and do fairly well at basic depth penetration. Nothing will compare to really investing in good lighting, but these always get the job done. We've used them on . . . about 12 tanks at a time. All photos below are of our tanks lit through clear lids with these $9 LEDs. 

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 12.47.25 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 12.46.43 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 12.53.29 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 12.54.00 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 12.59.56 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 1.02.33 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 1.04.31 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 1.07.05 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2021-04-02 at 1.09.30 AM.png

    That’s not a bad idea with the zip ties. Might have to do that. 

    Python adapter

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Boo-yah!! Wasn’t that bad 🤣. I went to the hardware store and found it this morning. We must’ve overlooked it last time I went 🤷🏻‍♂️  I went to Home Depot and the guy working there said they don’t make anything like that. You’re gonna have to get a new faucet.

    AF314120-1093-4745-80DF-EEA3C9D51F52.jpeg

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1

    Python adapter

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, Ken said:

    Take your aerator with you and go into your local mom and pop hardware store. Look around for the guy with white hair and tell him you want to hook a garden hose hose to your bathroom faucet. Hand him the aerator and in few minutes you'll be good to go.

    That’s the first thing I did! We looked for like an hour 

    • Haha 1

    Python adapter

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    32 minutes ago, lefty o said:

    the rubber adapter ones are garbage. no doubt about it. without actually seeing the threads on the faucet in person, its really hard to know what is needed. they do have a pile of them.

    The size is 16.5, also known as Tom Thumb. I know they make one! It’s just hell trying to find one lol

    How to set up 2nd tank (newbie)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Just now, ChefConfit said:

    Yea you can start it right away. In the new tank you might wat a prefilter sponge so that no fry get sucked in as well. I run them on all my HOBs as my course filtration

    Yup good idea. I have a prefilter in the current hob, so it’ll go in the tank with the fry. Have to remember to get one for the new hob. 

    Python adapter

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Brian said:

    I just googled it and all kinds of adapters came up.   You should be able to make something work..  

    if not take the python adapter to a plumbing store.   Not box hardware.   But plumbing shop.  
    they should be able to help.  
    good Luck 

    I’ve spent hours on google. Hours!  Haven’t found the right one yet. I’ve brought the python to Home Depot and 2 different hardware stores. 

    How to set up 2nd tank (newbie)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, ChefConfit said:

    Here's what I'd do. First set up the new tank fill it then dechlorinate(or fill with water from the parents tank) then transfer 1 sponge filter and the hob. Then add the fry a day or 2 later. 

    The sponge and other surfaces in your tank will house more than enough BB to maintain your cycle. 

    Thanks! Would I be able to start the new hob at the same time? I can’t think of any reason why not, just making sure. 

    How to set up 2nd tank (newbie)

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So I have about 20 guppy babies in a breeder box in my 36 gallon community tank. I’ll be way over stocked if I leave them in there as they grow up.

    I plans to buy another tank to put in my daughter’s room with the baby guppies. I’ve had an extra sponge filter in the 36 for about 2 weeks now. 

    1.  Can I just put that sponge filter in the new tank, add water and dechlorinate, then add fish? Do I need to add bottle bacteria? Do I need to wait a couple weeks like a normal cycle?

    2. I’d like to get a new hob for the 36 and put the one I’m using now in the new tank. How can I do this without crashing the cycle on the 36? I have a sponge filter in there. Will that be enough to keep the cycle while the new hob loads up? (I have 2 sponges in there now because I plan to move one to the new tank)

×
×
  • Create New...