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Kalita

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Everything posted by Kalita

  1. Kalita
    I love my Nikon D90. It's an oldie but a goodie. Got it many years ago when I was living in Newfoundland!
  2. Kalita
    I've never tried it but wondered if it worked. Happy to see that you've had great success with it. I think I'll give it a try.
  3. Kalita
    I have several sponges going so I would transfer one of them and some gravel/plants/driftwood to the new tank. In fact, I might add additional sponges/plants/driftwood to the established tank ahead of time knowing I'm going to transfer to a new tank but that's premeditated. If a new tank is spontaneous impulse, the former sponge method still works. I'd still check water parameters. Probably ghost feed on first day and check parameters in following day or two to allow the BB to repopulate and assure myself the tank is cycled. Cheers and happy cycling!
  4. Kalita
    I was seriously considering that one! Honestly seems pretty similar to the skyLED plus. I'm getting the latter in 30" as that's the size of the glass cutout in my canopy. It's not ideal as my tank is 36" but 3" on either side isn't the end of the world. I already have timers so I will definitely be putting those to use! Thanks for looking it up and sharing your experience - appreciate it!
  5. Kalita
    I plan to do the same! The SkyLED plus lets you customize the white and blue independently (apparently not the red but that's ok). I plan to limit the blue. Thanks!
  6. Kalita
    I actually have the Nicrew Classic G2 right now but was researching and wanted full spectrum/red which the G2 doesn't have (it's only white/blue). Otherwise it's a great light. But yea, I ordered to 30-36 and the light itself is only 30" with the legs extending out. The glass cutout in my canopy is only 30" anyway so I ended up removing the legs and "pancaking" it. I know the corners won't get as much light but that's ok, I can plant strategically while keeping a layer of glass between the water and light! Thanks for the heads up!
  7. Kalita
    First tank was in 90s. I have 2 brothers (one older and one younger) and we got a family tank, not knowing anything. Brother seemed to pivot a bit and go with turtles. I kept tanks with goldfish or bettas. I got serious about around 2009 ish.
  8. Kalita
    So I know the Fluval 3.0 is a fav among aquarists, but it is far too expensive to buy in Canada ($300 on Amazon). I can't justify that for a low-tech tank. Finnex isn't as widely available here either so I'm really looking at Nicrew. Specifically, I am looking at the NICREW SkyLED Plus Aquarium. It seems pretty similar to the Nicrew ClassicLED plus. It does have increased red spectrum light than some of their other models. I am doing low-medium light plants in a 33 gal (36 long x 18 deep x 12 wide). Of course I have I few inches of substrate so don't need it to travel the full 18 inches. The most demanding plants I would like is Scarlet Temple and maybe some type of carpeting plant. SkyLED plus : ClassicLED plus he RGB Plus: Thoughts?
  9. Kalita

    Other Pets

    Kalita replied to Cory's topic in Off Topic General

    Loving all the photos of your "other" pets! I have a 15 year old GSD, Scout 2 cats - Boo (black) and Melli 2 horses - Amigo and Fancy
  10. Kalita
    Welcome from a fellow Canuck! I'm originally from NB but have worked in Ontario (Oshawa region). Looking forward to seeing your tanks!
  11. Kalita
    Welcome! Glad you found the forum (I'm glad I did!)
  12. Kalita
    Yes, KGTropicals is great too! Welcome to the forum. I'm also fairly new but already have learned tons. Really fantastic group of people with a wealth of knowledge!
  13. Kalita
    Cool! Hope it opens up some!
  14. Kalita
    You said your light is on a timer - How long is your light on? You said you have finnex 24". Which model? As I understand, melting is a common response when plants are introduced to new water parameters. Corey has said he has soft water with lower pH so it would be quite a change to go from his store to your tanks. The plants, like the sword, may just be re-adjusting. How long have you had these plants?
  15. Kalita
    I guess I have stumbled upon your magical mix, as it is what I'm going to end up with! 😄 My root tabs are arriving today too. I already have Easy Green but haven't been dosing much because it's such a new tank. Nitrites and nitrates (40-80 ppm) are already high, even after 25-30% water change yesterday. Ammonia is 0.25ppm. I'm still ghost feeding every 2-3 days.
  16. Kalita
    Decided on an 8.8 lb bag for Fluval stratum. Will be adding some to the back right where I plan on putting some swords. Hoping it will help buffer pH down a bit. Right now it's sitting at 7.8. Tap water is ranges about 7.8-8.0 so would be great if I could lower it a bit. I've also ordered some more plants and plan to add RCS when tank has cycled and stabilized. I think the colours will match well. I spent quite some time today picking out light purple gravel 🤪
  17. Kalita
    I read that article too. Loved it!
  18. Kalita
    Consider yourself heard. This hobby can be definitely be challenging! We are dealing with species that don't speak our language and exist in an entirely different world to us (unless we're scuba diving). Show yourself some compassion - you are doing the best you can in a difficult time.
  19. Kalita
    Thanks for replies guys! I do plan on planting quite heavily so any mismatch probably won't be too noticeable. I may buy a some more Eco-complete to add to the right side and back of the tank. There is a window to the right and I think having a hill there would help block out excess light from the window (although I've never really had any issues from it). I'll transplant the scarlet temples to the left and have a more open swimming area there. I'll remove the fake rock in front of the sponge filter. I left in because it was from an established tank and I hoped it would help kick start the cycle.
  20. Kalita
    Yet another question from yours truly. My new tank (33 gal) has 20 lbs of eco complete substrate, driftwood and rocks. The substrate is 2"+ deep, however I would like to build some more depth in some areas for a more natural underwater look. I'm considering these options: 1) Just add more eco-complete. The only reason I am not just doing this is because I find it a little "sharp" and may eventually want to add some corydoras or other bottom-dwellers. 2) Cap with sand. This would add some different texture but I'm not sure about vacuuming. I have heard it is easier to plant in sand and maybe easier for roots to grow through, but would it negatively affect the eco-complete? I'm sure the bottom dwellers would be more comfortable. 3) Add a mineral rich volcanic soil like Fluval's plant and shrimp stratum. It looks to be more rounded than the eco-complete. I would put this where I plan to plant Amazon swords which I understand are heavy root feeders. What would you do? I'm also open to other suggestions. ETA: My water is on the higher pH side (ranges from 7.8 - 8.0 so substrates that claim to lower pH wouldn't be a bad thing). .
  21. Kalita
    Thought I'd introduce myself here as I've recently joined the forum and am enjoying it greatly. I'm from Atlantic Canada and have decided that our cold winter is a great time to stay inside and start my learning curve on growing aquatic plants. I've kept fish for many years, from guppies to Africian cichlids (Lake Malawi specifically because I actually lived there and was in that lake! Unfortunately not something I remember as I was just a baby at the time but anyway...). I was ready for a new challenge that comes with plants. Corey's videos and this forum have been extremely helpful with the wealth of knowledge they provide. I will be sure to share photos of my 33 gal as it grows and is stocked. Looking forward to learning more and seeing all your tanks!
  22. Kalita
    Thank you Daniel for your great explanation 🙏 Your time and effort is appreciated by my curious nerd brain that can now rest a bit easier 😁
  23. Kalita
    Oh I agree that CO2 injection (high tech) isn't necessary to maintain some healthy planted aquariums, however, CO2 is required for photosynthesis so it is needed in some amount. That amount just varies, depending on species, population, and desired growth rate. The plants that I'm looking at are all considered easy beginner plants that do well in low-moderate lights and low CO2 so not planning on injection. I understand CO2 is produced naturally by fish, bacteria and some soils/fertilizer (or any decomposing organic matter e.g. excessive fish food) in the tank. Does it also enter at the surface via gas exchange between water and atmosphere? (Daniel - you spoke to this, but I'm still chasing clarity!) I know gas exchange at the surface works by the process of diffusion, where high concentration flows to low in attempt to maintain equilibrium. I also understand that increased surface agitation allows for increased exchange rates. This explains why O2 levels are higher in tanks with greater surface area and agitation (Corey demonstrated this perfectly in one of his videos). Oxygen, however, is found in a great abundance relative to CO2 in the atmosphere (Nitrogen accounting for ~78%, followed by O2 at 21%. Comparatively, carbon dioxide is only present at ~0.04%). Given this information, would the concentration of CO2 be greater in the atmosphere or water? Depends on the water, right? I know many high-tech planted aquarium keepers like low agitation to ensure they don't "gas off" the CO2 they are injecting, however there seems to be debate about whether surface agitation will increase or decrease the amount of CO2 in a low-tech planted aquarium. Anyone care to speak to that?
  24. Kalita
    Hey all! This is my first post on here. I thought it would be the perfect place to start a discussion on gas exchange and surface agitation in low-tech planted tanks. I am starting a 33 gal low tech and currently have 2 HOBs and a dual sponge filter running. As you can imagine, this provides a decent amount of surface agitation. What I am interested in learning about is the gas exchange of O2 and CO2 that will occur due to this agitation. Where I am not dosing with CO2 and it is required for healthy plants, I do not want to lose an abundance in exchange. I did however watch the Circulation Q&A Corey posted where he stated that he uses air stones in his planted tanks for circulation purposes to help ensure nutrients are well dispersed in the water column. He touched on gas exchange there briefly, but I would appreciate a deeper discussion. Tia to those more knowledgeable than I in this area! Looking forward to learning from you 🙂
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