Minanora
-
Posts
1,602 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
3 -
Feedback
100%
Content Type
Forums
Downloads
Store
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Profiles
Posts posted by Minanora
-
-
On 4/17/2022 at 3:25 AM, Widgets said:
A mat is required beneath a rimless tank, as the bottom surface bears weight and must be protected from imperfections of the tabletop.
I have read that putting a mat under a rimmed tank is a bad idea. The perceived benefit is the mat will compress and help level the surface. The risk is the mat will compress on the edges where the rim touches, allowing the tank to sink enough that the bottom glass touches the glass. This extra force on the bottom glass can break the glass. If the mat is thin enough and the filled tank is light enough, this will not be a problem. I never use a cushioning mat on my rimmed tanks.
That's so interesting. I've almost always had a towel or fabric under my smaller rimmed tanks. But never under anything over 30 gallons or under 10 gallons. Mainly to keep water from pooling under the tanks if a big spill occurs and absorb sound. It's always worked well for me.
-
1
-
-
I've used fabric, truck bed mats, floor mats, towels.... My 75G has nothing under it, but it's so heavy I focused on the floor, including the joists, and stand itself. The stand is made for a 75.... But my tank overhangs a bit. Slightly different situation though. The glass is still inside the footprint of the stand. But this is like, 800lbs+
-
2
-
1
-
-
I think its fine. your not going to have very many pounds distributed beyond the arc of that edge. Most of the weight will be on the main part of the table, assuming the top is decently level (a rubber mat would help with this weight distribution on a mildly uneven surface).
-
2
-
-
I only hope to have similar success in my 75g. Fingers crossed for you that you nailed it! I fell behind on your journal a bit. This was a great chunk to catch up on though. gives me courage to face my algae. I wish I could get ALLL of the algae out and just put it in a bucket to spartan kick it into the compost bin.
"THIS. IS. COMPOST!!!"
-
2
-
-
On 4/16/2022 at 9:52 PM, Torrey said:
Because zebra mussels are tiny, horribly invasive, and can destroy your plumbing (and we don't actually know how far back the potential issue went), I will share with you what my sister (a former Federal Wildlife Fish & Game employee) told me is best practices for all fishkeeping.
I can't stress enough how important it is to stop the spread. Thus my signature "don't move a mussel". The quagga and zebra mussels have the byssal threads making them able to attach to things. They clog up all kinds of things in a hurry.
Water Hyacinth is considered invasive as well. I am a strong believer in watering my plants and garden with tank water, but I never let my aquatic project water get into the waste water system.
https://stopaquatichitchhikers.org/hitchhikers/#species-profiles
I LOVE that beautiful tank you guys scored. That is awesome! I look forward to seeing it come together!
-
Tangent time about Iron. @Mmiller2001, @Seattle_Aquarist
Mmiller, I see that you're dosing both DTPA and EDTA Fe chelates. Why both? If the plants are able to use the iron from the DTPA well from a pH of 7.0 and below, I would think that just dosing that would be the best thing to do. Especially since your degassed pH is below 7 already.
-
On 4/16/2022 at 9:01 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:
Glad to see the Nymphoides doing well for you. Yes, the availability of the nutrients is directly related to the pH - assuming the nutrients are in the tank to begin with. -Roy
Thank you Roy! I appreciate all of your knowledge. You are somehow to give the guidance I need even when I don't explain my questions very well. 🙂 I get stuck in my own head a lot. This is why I'm not a teacher!
-
I got one of those python no spill water changers.... Wow. It used to take me 2-3 hours to change water on the 75G. Now a 50% water change takes me 36 minutes. Took me 11 minutes to change 70% of the 20G fry tanks water. Dude. Such a time saver. It already paid for itself.
I got the one with the 50' hose. I run it out to the lawn to water it. I can't put tank water down the drain. It's great for the garden and the lawn, and all of my plants. I put a net over the end with a rubber band to keep fish and shrimp out of it. Worked like a charm!
-
2
-
1
-
-
On 4/16/2022 at 8:19 PM, GoldyGirl said:
Awsome, I hope you do it’s worth it 😉
I’ve just worked out how to respond to the posts hahaha 🤪
It's all good. You'll get the hang of it! ^_^
Happy to welcome you to the community!
-
1
-
-
I'm so sorry that your mom isn't doing better. I wish I lived nearby to help you. It kills me that I can't just fly out and help. Truly.
If the tank is clear of decorations and partly empty: Sorting guppies goes fast with a medium co-op net and specimen containers for good visibility after catching so you can sort quickly with a shrimp net. I use taco bell cups frequently for holding different selections... I write on them what is going into them with sharpie then clean it off with alcohol after.
-
@GoldyGirl Your ponds are helping me convince my spouse to let me have "ponds". 😛 every pond photo is fuel for my fire.
-
1
-
1
-
-
On 4/16/2022 at 7:27 PM, nabokovfan87 said:
I'm very familiar with that very thick carpet of algae on the wall. I mean hey, at least we can get SOMETHING to carpet, right?
Looks good. I am right where you're at and following along trying to keep my tank moving forward as well.By the way, the no spill python water change thing.... turned my usual 2-3 hour water change into a 35 minute task. Considering my payrate, that was a fantastic exchange. And my shoulder is totally unaffected!
-
2
-
-
@Seattle_Aquarist This is extremely useful information. I assume nutrients become more available/uptaken as the CO2 drops the pH? Even though the offgassed pH is higher?
On 4/16/2022 at 6:52 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:Are you still growing the Nymphoides hydrophylla?
Yes. I think it's quite healthy actually! But you're the expert, imo. Here's a look at the mass I have developed. It suffers from some hair algae, like most things in my tank.
I greatly reduced my photoperiod and reduced the intensity by 20% across the board except for red (pink)
Bonus helper hand photo.
-
@Mmiller2001 That is helpful to a degree. My pH, GH, and KH are much much higher than yours. I imagine that this affects the uptake of nutrients quite a bit. I assume it's best to test the pH right before the CO2 starts in the morning to get your base level. Peak saturation I assume is just before it turns off.
I'm not sure how "planted" you'd consider my tank... I feel like it's well planted but I am probably wrong.
My stocking is vastly different. 14 adult guppies, 12 harlequin rasboras, 2 adult swordtails, 6 three stripe corydoras, I assume theres 4 adult otos... Then there's probably 30 orange neo shrimp and 10 total baby/youth guppies.
I have a fluval 407 canister and a sponge filter.
-
On 4/15/2022 at 5:52 PM, Guppysnail said:
I’m ready. Weather forecast says I can order this coming Friday 😍
I didn't get to take advantage of the sale. I could have saved like 30 dollars by waiting! Lol! Excited to see your haul come in!
-
1
-
-
On 4/16/2022 at 4:39 PM, Mmiller2001 said:
What are your other dosing amounts? I'd also shoot for 50% changes. It's only a few gallons more.
What's the substrate again?
Does this new water system you have alter source water chemistry?
So I have just recently started dosing ferts again. I stopped dosing back in December because I didn't understand what I was doing and didn't know where to start because I was starting to have battles with algae. So I just stopped pretty much everything and let everything die back due to decision/information paralysis.
My substrate is mostly Eco-complete plant substrate. The actual substrate ratio is 100lbs of eco complete, 15 pounds of UN Controsoil black, medium, (these two are mixed together), and it's all mostly capped with 30lbs of flourite black sand. The middle of the tank is the low point of substrate with mostly just sand.
I started dosing again last Wednesday. If you can call it that; it's been a short time. Here's what I've done with water changes and ferts.
On Wednesday when I planted: 30% water change - dosed only with Seachem Flourish Advance (This is that one that is for newly planted plants). I dosed 1 capful plus 1ml from a pipette.
On Thursday I got the CO2 setup: Dosed a full 7 pumps of easy green.
On Tuesday: 40% water change. 10mL of the Fluval Gro+ Micro, 4 pumps of easy green, 4 pumps of easy iron.
On Thursday: 40% water change. 4 pumps of easy green.
Today: 50% water change. No ferts yet today.
New water change system does not alter the water. I have even been using a basic conditioner to remove chlorine so I can get accurate results on my water tests while I figure this all out.
I hate to call out for help like this but I have two weeks before we're gone for a two week vacation. So I can do complex things up until then. I'd like to get it to a point where the houseguests will be able to just leave it alone for two weeks or do doses of ONE thing. Maybe. I just want things to be easy for them. But they're capable of using something like easy green. I have publisher so I can make a calendar with checkboxes for tasks, easy peasy.
-
Ok, so I'm about to do a water change on the 75G. I've seen the algae growth slow since I lowered my photoperiod and light intensity yesterday. yes, the growth was that fast that I could see change in 24 hours.
I got an API phosphate test kit and tested today. What should be my target phosphate level right now while I'm taking on the algae? And what should my target be once I'm stable?
@Seattle_Aquarist, @Mmiller2001, I hate to specifically reach out to you guys, but I've read that I should be targeting around 1.3ppm for phosphates? Is this ideal with my GH/KH? Also, when the PH is low due to the co2, does that make it easier for the plants to uptake nutrients? Similar to acidified/lower pH soil for garden plants to help them uptake iron more easily.
My parameters before water change:
Nitrate: 10ppm
Phosphate: .50ppm
GH: 15
KH: 10
PH: (CO2 running) 6.8
adding @Jack.of.all.aquariums, I didn't mean to exclude you from my questions. 😛
Also, I'm about to do my 40% water change. I didn't want to decide on my fert dose until I inquired with you guys. Any anyone else who wants to chime in!
I was thinking about just doing a half dose of Gro+ this time since my previous water change was on Thursday and this was my status for Nitrates after: I was at 5ppm after the water change and I dosed 4 pumps of easy green after.
-
I am so sorry that you're having to deal with this battle. It sounds like Columnaris with the smooth white patch. Columnaris can be an internal infection that is very difficult to fight. Jungle Fungus Fizz tabs and Kanaplex is a good combination. Colu has a typo in his above statement. "...you won't..." should you be "...you want...".
I highly recommend treating all of your fish using a quarantine. Or remove all of your plants before you start the treatment because the fizz tabs can be hard on many types of plants.
-
I received my no spill water changer today. I now realize that I could have used some tubing and my powerhead.... Why do I forget about these things? Why? Crap. I opened it, so I won't return it. I'm going to try it out. It may be the most expensive poly tubing and valves I've ever bought in my whole life. We'll see how it does. I'm in a mild state of annoyance because I'm trying to get things done while also helping my husband with his journey in Elden Ring. Mildly annoying and frustrating game to be a copilot for.
-
On 4/16/2022 at 9:22 AM, nabokovfan87 said:
🙂 I went back and looked it up, he's at 40 for pressure and then he sets the needle valve. So yep, 35 is right there.
Thank you! I bumped mine up to 40psi. Looks pretty stable so far. Bubble count didn't change. But it would be nice to get it stable so I can be confident that it will stay stable for a two week period. Or at least close to two weeks. We'll be going on vacation for two weeks and I'm trying to make things easy for our house sitter. Still have a few weeks before we leave thankfully.
I know it's going to be a jungle, and there will likely be algae when I get home but that's okay. The tank used to be 100% self sustaining for the nitrate cycle so I'm not worried about the fish at all. Just the plants. Which is kind of ironic... 🤣
-
1
-
-
On 4/16/2022 at 8:17 AM, nabokovfan87 said:
There's a setting for the main pressure Cory recommends in his CO2, that's what I've always set it to, then gone ahead and adjust the needle valve accordingly. Depending on the size of the tank that pressure should change slightly but still be somewhat in that range.
Thank you so much for all of the advice.
I do keep an eye on my co2 rate in the water. My spraybar also does a good job of mixing things up. I plan to try another type of diffuser when I'm cleaning the neo diffuser I have. Just to see if that makes any difference. I definitely make sure I'm not losing excess co2 with bubbles making it to the surface.
I'll have to find the pressure recommendation that Cory has. I am sure I'm close to the sweet spot though!
-
On 4/15/2022 at 11:36 PM, nabokovfan87 said:
Keep an eye on bubble count but check it every 2 hours the next couple of days
Okay. Thank you. Now when I'm adjusting it to fix it, should I be adjusting the smaller needle valve under the bubble counter or the main pressure valve of the regulator?
I'm at about 35psi on the main valve. Trying to keep the flow valve at about 4 bubbles per second. I've had to adjust things less over the last two days. I've just been adjusting the flow when I see the bubble count drop. I have a single stage gla regulator.
-
@nabokovfan87 I was so upset at myself the last time it happened. But I was making a toddler lunch at the same time and getting ready for a conference call. *shrug*
I don't mind moving buckets of water. I like watering my lawn with it and my garden, and my house plants, and the front landscape. But, lifting things up over the edge of the 75 is a pita with a toddler running around in front of me all the time. Plus my right shoulder is pretty messed up. Can't do much about it without having the tip of my acromion shaved off, which is just a surgery that isn't happening for me for a while.
I did figure out what the "export" function of the fluval app is for... I just made a file for a reduced lighting siesta.
I cut the light intensity down and the length of each siesta down by 2 hours total. I've seen growth of the thread algae every day, even with water changes and lower ferts so I'm hitting the lights.
I am having some issues with the CO2. I keep having to adjust the pressure to keep the bubble count up. Is that normal?
-
1
-
-
Waiting in the dentist office. Good time to think about fish stuff.
I added 48 more shrimp to the 75. Ehem, I added two itty bitty shrimp... The guppies decided they wanted to go into the specimen container while I was letting the shrimp out... The tiny shrimp were eaten before they even got out of the container. 🤦♀️😭 It was mildly comical. Shrimp.
One female shed in the container and then mated in there. Second time I've seen breeding in real time.
shrimp dogpile!
-
2
-
1
-
CO2, Algae, New Plants. Need guidance on strategy.
in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers
Posted
And this concentration of copper per dose must be fine for shrimp. I've yet to actually look at the level of copper that is actually toxic for invertebrates.