Greg Stewart

Nah. We never run UPS units serially in datacenters. It's always parallel. UPS units need extra power from mains to keep the batteries charged, more to charge it if depleted at all. And, the bigger the battery bank in the unit, the larger that draw just for keeping the batteries charged. While connected to mains, UPS circuitry uses mains power to run. When mains is disconnected, it runs off local battery power--this can include line conditioning. That's on top of the power draw from connected devices. When you serially connect UPS units, the unit connected to mains must power the second/third/fourth/etc in the series for the onboard circuitry, battery charge supply, AND all connected devices. This increases power draw on the primary by all serially connected devices and UPS units and can potentially overload the primary if you have a lot connected to the serial nodes. This will drain the primary battery, as then the next in turn, much more quickly than it would drain if only dependent devices are attached. The reason the primary unit needs to supply all the power to all the batteries and all devices is that the secondary/tertiary/etc units won't know that mains power is out and won't disconnect draw from "mains" (the primary unit) to avoid cascading that power draw. Mains disconnection comes from the mains supply, and by serially connecting units you provide "mains supply" to the next unit from the battery on the unit before it in series.

@Odd Duck Don't daisy chain UPS units. You will actually not increase operational time at all. You might actually reduce overall operational time. Plus, the load needed to power and charge the secondary UPS unit(s) could put the primary over capacity for draw. @Patrick_G A note on the Amazon Basics UPS units: they will not automatically restore power after an outage drains battery. The units remain off until manually reset. APC and CyberPower units do automatically return to operational when power to mains is restored.

Agree with the above comments. Need to see what you built, what design you used, how you packed it, how you set up your air line, etc.

I'm with @JoeQ on the hair algae. How old is the tank? What is your lighting schedule/intensity? What is your fert schedule? What are you using? Water change schedule? And, what are your water params?

Cory was talking about the manufacturer mixing the chemicals at the factory. Not mixing the retail product in the aquarium. Since Easy Green contains ammonia and nitrite, mixing the compounds at the factory in the incorrect order can produce the volatile chemical calcium ammonium nitrate. You won't have this problem in your aquarium.

@Jawjagrrl Bacopa sp. will get TALL if you give it enough light and food. I have B. Monnieri taking over my 38 gal, and I have to throw out a bunch every few weeks, as i just have far too much of it. But, if you do't give it intense enough light, it will get leggy. make sure your plant lamp puts out good PAR at subsrate to keep it bushy all the way down the stem. I can't remember if B. Caroliana Colorata is one of those reds that wants very minimal nitrates (like rotala, ludwigia mini, and alternanthera), or if it needs higher nitrates and iron to turn red. You'll have to look that up.

@Jawjagrrl If it was reddish when you got it, it could be bacopa caroliana colorata.If it is, you probably need more light, and better controlled nitrates, to turn it red again,

Yes, bacopa monnieri (aka moneywort)

Just a clarification on what @Mmiller2001 and @ScottieB mentioned: Seachem has a few products called "Flourish". The "Flourish" and "Flourish Tabs" are fertilisers. But, as @Mmiller2001 mentioned, they are not comprehensive. i find Aquarium Co-Op's Easy Green to be better, and I supplement it with a little Easy Iron, Seachem Potassium, and Seachem Equilibrium. "Flourish Excel" is the algaecide that @ScottieB is talking about. It is sold as source of carbon, but it's not actually a very good source of carbon. It is a fairly good algaecide, though. Considering the condition of your plants at the moment, I'm not sure Flourish Excel is going to do the trick without causing additional plant melt. I would probably tackle this by heavily cutting back the dying plant matter, dosing with a good combo fertiliser, doing more water changes to keep algae at bay, and letting the plants recover with new growth. Oh, I would also play with your lighting schedule to reduce daylight period while you get the algae under control and the plants recoup. 4 months is still pretty new, so the tank may still be going through the last bits of cycling. Algae blooms are normal during cycling, but this does look like it got a bit out of control. This could be due to the imbalance and incompleteness of Flourish ferts with a bit too much light, and a tank that may still be completing its cycle.

All the chemical regulatrors and buffers control pH by precipitating Ca and Mg. you can use in combination with either Seachem's Discus Trace or Equilibrium to restore trace minerals.

That was my immediate thought, as well 😉 Honestly, for a pump of that size, I think any hanger with no elasticity will simply transfer vibrations to the material you're hanging it from. @Cory's laundry drying technique might work, but you'd need two posts to string it between, far enough apart to keep the motor box from touching anything. Then you have the birds to worry about. @MarkM's elastic hair tie idea is probably easier, as long as you have a space to suspend it from where the bottom feet don't touch the cabinet/wall/post/etc. And,I think the logo being upside down is the least of your worries 😉 True vibration isolation mounts are huge and 'spensive, though. I can't see a reason to spend more on the mount than you did on the unit you're isolating. It's the "touchy-feely" part of mounting an air pump motor that increases the noise. So, keeping it in "mid-air" as best you can is going to keep it as quiet as possible. @Odd Duck linked to my creative, yet eye-destroying, cable management graphics. And, you'll notice that I switched from those boxy pumps to Aquarium Co-Op's bright green dangly miniature USB pumps (I have one on my 5 gal, and another on my 38 gal, they are virtually silent--honestly, the bubbles they create pop louder than the motor vibrates). Those adhesive cable management clips, though, will probably not last with the weight and vibrations of that motor housing. You'll probably be waking up at 0300 wondering what crashed and started dancing around your living room. I would suggest a screw hook to hold it, at the least. Keep in mind, even if you manage to remove any transference of vibrations from the housing to the material it's hanging on, those boxy motors will produce a certain amount of noise you just can't get rid of.

@Torrey Now, that would be taking DIY to an extreme 😉 Not sure how you'd get the loom tube to curl up on itself, though, like the commercial nylon tubes.

I'm now feeling a bizarre urge to go back and edit everything to insert the word "joyous" before every occurrence of "loom" with a footnote reference to @Torrey 😉 Oh, by the way, somewhere in my first two installments, I have links to the Amazon/Home Depot pages for everything... let me know if they stop working for some reason. I may have to add photos and actual product names in the original posts.

My 38 gallon is done in the same way, although it's on an enclosed cabinet which hides all the gear and wires inside and behind it. On the left and right ends of the tank, I have the canister filter tubes bundled in looms along with the airlines, power wires for the heater and lamps, and the thermocouple leads for my temp controller. Since the outflow and intake tubes of the Fluval canister are black (mostly), from the front of the tank the black loom makes it all appear like a single tube at either end. Below the top of the cabinet, I have two angle brackets I secure to the 2x4 bracing I built (I don't trust the strength of the cabinet), and I tie wrapped the loom bundles to those angle brackets to keep them in line with the ends of the tank. I never move these lines, so black tie-wraps work fine for me, here. And, at this point everything feeds behind the cabinet, so it's all hidden from view except at the very side. Inside the cabinet everything is exposed, but still bundled neatly, or secured out the way until needed. My outflow hose is a little long with the inline CO2 and clear tubing I added to monitor gunk accumulation for maintenance. So, I have a screw eye in the 2x3 bracing at the top where I use Velcro to hang the outflow hose until I need to clean the filter. I also have my CO2 line Velcro wrapped neatly until I need to move the generator can out of the way. Deeper inside the cabinet, I have a small UPS hanging on the 2x4 bracing to keep it above water level if I ever have a spill. And, that's pretty much it for how I keep my mess under control. I guess, after looking back at what I've typed, it's possibly a lot to do, but once it's done it rarely needs to be touched again.

Cable and Hose Management Installment Number Three: The Third Half The Dreaded Photo Album There's a good reason I didn't pursue a career in graphic design or document labeling. But, I did my best to make these photos and the labels on them as minimally horrendous as I could. Since my daughter and I rebuilt the 5 gallon for the "Scapes from Scraps" thingie, and it's small enough to move, I used everything I had done for that for the bulk of this dog and pony show. At the end I'll add the example of essentially the same thing i did on my 38 gallon a while ago. The 5 gallon happens to sit upon a small antique side table, so I avoided using any adhesive toys or wood screw mounts on it 😉 Since I don't use background paper on my tanks, I route my lines as close to the ends of the tanks as possible to keep the middle of the aquascape nice and clear. inside the tanks, I also put heaters and air stone lines at the ends, so the internal and external "stuff" take up as much of the same "restricted" visual space as possible. In the first photo, I have adhesive clips stuck to the black rim on the tank to guide everything to the sides. Then I bundled all the wires so that they end up all the same length from the corner of the tank all the way to the power strip, adjusting the two lamp switches to they line up together. I use tie wraps under the loom since I have no plans to move these things often. On the other side, I use the adhesive clips to hold the airline in place, and then I created a drip loop using a Velcro strap on the airline, and creatively slung the USB air pump wire over part of the table so I could hook the carabiner over it's own power wire as a hanger. In the second photo, you can sort of see how I kept power and airline away from each other so water can't drip onto the air pump or its power connection. In the next photo, you can see the entire thing after I wrap the wires in the loom tube. The loom tube makes it possible to have wires exit at any point for directing them to different locations, keeping slack available, or even exposing inline switches. At the other end of the loom tube is the power strip box. I cut the loom tube long enough so that the wrapped wire bundle enters the box as one bundle. This helps keep the loom in place over the wires entering the box for a cleaner look. Cutting the loom long enough to enter the box also makes sure that the loom tube is included in the "drip loop" created by the rise of the bundle entering the box through the elevated opening. The D-Line box that I use has a solid moulded base that lifts the side slots above the floor. In the event of a spill, water cannot get into the box until it's at least a full inch deep. I can put adhesive rubber feet on the bottom of the box to increase that if I wish. This loom tube is a made of a wide nylon mesh. While water may travel inside it on a vertical run, as soon as there is a bend in the loom, water will rapidly dump out through the mesh. So, there is no worry of the water traveling through the loom into the power strip box. (I've tested it, it works). When it's all closed up, it looks nice and tidy.

@Colu Yeah, I I didn't realise Seachem made something like that. I've tried unflavoured gelatin, mixing in some repashy as a binder, just soaking food in a bit of water, dusting with meds, and waiting for it to dry... nothing's worked out well so far. Either the fish reject it outright, or it gets too heavy and sicks to the bottom and disappears faster than the fish can grab it.

@Colu... Thanks for posting that medicated feeding recipe. For some reason, I'd never seen Focus before, and I've been trying all sorts of methods to get meds bound to food--mostly unsuccessfully. Gonna try this now 😉

Cable and Hose Management Installment Number Two: The Second Half We begin today's OCD journey with the perfect alternative to tying shoelaces: Velcro. Hook & Loop Stuff Whether it's a brand name or generic hook & loop strap, these things are versatile, easy to handle, and reusable. You can wrap cables and hoses you know you'll need to unwind at times without the need to snip plastic tie wraps or battle the ever-confusing wire twist tie. The first toy, Velcro brand wraps, is a bag of pre-cut wraps with a slot at one end to make cinching and wrapping a snap. You can cinch the the wrap onto a cord or hose, and leave it there, even when you unwrap the line, to have the Velcro wrap right where you need it when you want to coil it all up again. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ Hook & loop wraps also come in cut-to-size bulk lengths. These come in three different widths (1cm, 1/2", 3/4"), the thinnest of which works well with the next toy. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095PNTVJ4/ Self adhesive saddle mounts can be used with plastic tie wraps or hook & loop wraps when you want to anchor a bundle in place. These work best with thin wraps. They can also be mounted with wood screws to give them a better chance at staying where you put them. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M198RKY/ An inexpensive all-in-one option, that's probably better for hidden locations holding up lighter lines, is this self-adhesive plastic mount with an attached ladder strap. These should not be used for frequently moved lines, as the more you un-snap the ladder strap, the weaker it'll get. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQD8K2M/ And, of course, there's the all purpose Zip Tie tie wrap. Amazon will send you nearly a thousand of them, in nearly as many sizes, almost dirt cheap. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TBL1GM4/ For a slightly more accessible, but more industrial looking option, these hook & loop strap hangers work well with a screw hook, or even just a plain old nail. You can also see them from miles away. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSLSNY7/ Conduit Stuff The next set of toys are best for fish rooms with a lot of lines to manage on walls or wall studs. This is actually an electrical conduit management system, but the snap-in mounting clips and strip channels can make organising heavier gauge wires, hoses, and even PVC pipe, look like you paid someone to do it for you. The downside to the Southwire conduit system is that you have to buy it in bags of 100, so if you only need 2 clips for your canister filter hoses, it's probably best to go in with some friends, or hunt down extra projects around the house that could use some serious conduit clips. The following clips can be wall/stud mounted with wood screws, or they can be snapped into a channel strip that can hold up to 20 clips at a time. 1/2" clip: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353957 3/4" clip: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353959 1" clip: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353961 channel strip: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353951 If you have 2x4 or 2x6 studs, Southwire offers these stud straps that can handle 4 smaller lines at a time. 2x4 stud strap: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353963 2x6 stud strap: https://www.homedepot.com/p/203353945 below are some alternatives to the Southwire clip system that work in the same way. 5/8" PEX clip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XPTFMNP/ 3/4" PEX clip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XPV779J/ 1/2" PEX clip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003QSNWTY/ 3/4" PEX clip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W87VRZ4/ ---------------------------------- And, now, the moment that @Guppysnail has been waiting for. Drum roll please... Covering Up That Power Strip Hiding that beastly mess of tangled wires, plugs, and power bricks is right around the corner: in Boxes. Yup, it's just a box. There are several options for power strip boxes, from basic black or white plastic boxes, to plastic faux wood laminated things, to actual wood boxes. They all have slots at either end for the wires to go in and out, and they all do one thing: hide the mess. I do actually recommend one over the rest, though: the D-Line box. Why? 'Cuz it has more holes in more places to allow for better cooling. Yes, you can drill holes in any of the others to get the same heat dissipation, but the D-Line is also (currently) the least expensive of the options. I actually have one of the D-Line boxes, myself. If you really need something fancy, and can cut a straight line with a saw, you can make your own following the basic designs in the mass manufactured toys below. PRO TIP: Measure the length and width of your power strip and add at least 1 1/2" to each measurement. plug all your garbage into it, and measure the *height* from the bottom of the strip to the bend in the wires (without packing the wires down--let them bend comfortably). Make sure your mess will fit comfortably into the box you want with enough room around everything for air to flow. Power strips can over load, over heat, and catch fire, especially when kept in small enclosed boxes (which is why I like the extra holes). D-Line: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00846FO0I/ Bluelounge: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019T0JA2/ D-Moose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HMZQBC/ Teyga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0782YJ4DV/ HTB: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0919QH1BH/ ---------------------------------- In the next installment: The dreaded photo album of my own stuff.

At an 1/8" to 1/4", they might be rhabdocoela flatworms. Or, maybe just very young naididae detritus worms, if they're more rounded than flatish. These two are mostly harmless,and perfectly natural, especially in planted tanks Do you see a triangular shape at one end? If so, they're planaria, and you need a flame thrower and some grenades to get rid of them. (no.. it's late, I'm punchy, don't do that). Planaria can be problematic, so you'd want to deal with that if you see the characteristic triangular head. If you can get a clear photo that would be great.

As a lot of people have mentioned already, the tech has gotten a LOT better, especially in lighting. New fish have been discovered, for instance Celestial Pearl Danios were not known until 2006, and took a while to become popular. New plants have been discovered, as well. @Guppysnail has a good point about many people trying to go over board with difficult planted tanks that require a ton of attention when beautiful planted tanks can be had with low tech, low demanding flora. Then there are people like me who can't walk away from a challenge and need to read Tom Barr's exceedingly scientific rantings on barrreport.com, and get everything exact so we can try to coax out that last bit of red from our rotala and alternanthera, while not actually killing our fish. But, we do this to ourselves 😉 Glass has also come a long way, if you have the money to spend on crystal clear low-iron show pieces.

@Guppysnail I'll make sure to add that 😉 I did try to find an image of a truly ugly Minnie Mouse bed skirt to post for you, but apparently the Universe doesn't like that sort of humour.

Plants do use dissolved inorganic carbon in combination with CO2 to aid in photosynthesis. So, if your plant are doing well, that could be the culprit for your diminishing KH. In addition to the wondershell, you can dose with Seachem Equilibrium to help feed to the plants. In regulating pH, you can try using certain wood or rock to help stablise it--which direction(s) does it travel, how often, and is it during one time of day more than another? You mentioned you don't use CO2 (which will lower pH), so that's one possible culprit down. If "natural" methods don't help with the pH swings, you could try Seachem's Neutral Regulator. I use this to both buffer pH to 7.0, and as a water conditioner (it does both).

Adhesive Plastic Organisers The first two toys in this list are convenient organisational clips that I consider "presentable" and will hold multiple cables or airlines. The first is partitioned for neater cable guiding, but it's also a bit wider. The second has an open channel, but this provides less ability to keep things in a pretty line if out in the open. Being adhesive, they're on the "permanent" end of the spectrum. So, consult Granny before using her furniture for this. Both of these are made from semi-flexible PVC material, which can be used on lines that you might access frequently, but keep in mind that the more you bend these the more they will weaken and discolour at the bend. Bend them too much, and eventually they'll come apart. They are sold as adhesive only, but can be drilled for use with wood screws if needed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G95XJ28/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RQCXCR2/ Similar to the first two, these little clips are good for one or two skinny wires, or a single airline sized dangly thing, and are better as adhesive only (no easy way to drill a presentable hole in them). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y4ZYRQ3/ The next is a reasonably presentable inline mounting clip that is suitable for thicker power cords or airline hoses. These are made of semi-transparent plastic which is not too tolerant of frequent bending, so i consider them "less accessible". These would serve best for lines you don't plan to move frequently. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CN3RPGH/ The next adhesive mount combo is great for smaller lines that you do need to move more frequently, but don't want to have to fiddle with a clip lock for (especially in harder to reach places). You can just press the line in and pull it out when you need it. These may not be appropriate for super flexible hoses, though, as the hose may wear from the friction through the clip tabs. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FXZBMV/ For longer runs of hidden line management, these J-channel raceways will hold a decent sized bundle of lines, and if you shove the lines into the channel in the right order, they're not too difficult to use for frequently accessed lines. They do need at least 2 1/4" of solid matter to stick to, though--unless you're handy with a saw to trim it down a bit. They can be used horisontally or vertically, but be sure to place the open side away from the direction of tension on the lines (or, your wires may just fall out). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZPYP7Y/ Metal stuff, and some more plastic The following two braces are much more industrial in appearance. They require holes, and they make sure things stay put. Both the R-clamps and wire tacks come in various sizes and if you get the right inner diameter for your cable or hose, it's not going anywhere at all without some light equipment. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWKG1KT/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYXY8RL/ "Looms" (what?) When using smaller mounts, you may have the need to hide bundles of lines for the distance between the mounts. These mesh wire loom tubes are great for wrapping around those dangling bundles of cords, turning them into a single length of neat and presentable blackness (I actually use this stuff all over the place). Just cut the length you need, hold the end open and melt the frayed mesh with a lighter to keep it from coming apart (it comes with instructions, fire extinguisher not included), and then squeeze the wires inside. It can hold some pretty big bundles if you need, like an anaconda after a capybara buffet. Lines can also exit the loom at any point and the loom will still hold together. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FW3MKGH/ ---------------------------------- Still to come: Velcro and tie wraps, tie downs, and various tube & hose clips, for all your sadistic fish needs.

Inspired by a few things from another thread, I figured I'd start a proper Cable/Hose Management discussion so we can share our ideas on how to tame the rat's nest of wires and tubing we so often neglect after spending countless hours making the insides of our aquariums look beautiful. I've decided to do this in a few installments, since things are a bit busy for me right now. I'll start by listing a bunch of random stuff, and then I'll add photos of my own controlled mess to show examples of how some of this stuff can be used. I apply my experience in the IT sector to this, so I'm used to coiling cables into neat spirals, lining them up and tying them into tight, orderly bundles, even cutting them to the perfect length so they flat next to each other in pretty patterned mosaics of bendy rainbow lines. I'm not quite that OCD with my aquarium tether management, but I try to make the visible stuff as neat and orderly as possible. What I have lined up to add here is the "home improvement" version of the really 'spensive IT management products that you buy only if have a ton of cash to burn (with the exception of the Southwire conduit system, which is pretty well affordable "professional" gear). ---------------------------------- When I plan the management of my aquarium cables and hoses, I put them in two basic categories: Permanent - would be any infrequently accessed or moved cables and lines that can be glued or bolted into place so they don't shift, shake, wiggle, vibrate, or dance, in any unexpected fashion, until we crowbar them out of place. Accessible - would be frequently or semi-frequently moved cables and lines that need a flexible method of access for regular cleaning or whatever other reason you might want to obsess over moving things around. Some of the toys I'll list kinda' fall into both categories of use. Some of them need a little TLC if using as "accessible" as form-moulded PVC plastic has a tendency discolour and/or snap if you bend it too much too frequently. Then I have two basic target styles of management: Presentable - which would be anything used to hide wires, air tubes, and hoses that would poke out in various unsightly directions in my living room. Industrial - which would cover any less than "pretty", rough cut, plastic-y, colour coded, DayGlo orange, highly noticeable, "business" cable wrangling (e.g., stuff inside the cabinet, under the floor boards, behind the scenes under fish room plenums, etc.). When tacking cables to furniture and walls there are two basic mounting options: adhesive mounts and wood screw/bolt mounts. I recommend only using adhesive mounts in locations were screws are not an option (tank rims, metal stand legs, and other things you might get in trouble for if you put a hole in it). Some of the toys actually offer both options. Adhesive mounts can be finicky for "accessible" wrangling or in locations that get lots of moisture (under a tank hood, for instance), they can wiggle free in very little time. So, plan your cable travel and your anchor points with that in mind. Also consider the surface you're sticking things to in case you decide to remove it in the future. Many adhesives will peel paint and furniture finishes when removed--especially the ones that actually work. So, Grandma's antique nightstand is probably a no-go. Also, for the adhesive anchors, consider the weight and/or tension of the stuff you're hanging with them and get the appropriate size to hold your lines, or use multiple smaller ones to distribute the weight/tension evenly, in separate, adjacent runs, if you need to. And, when planning your management of lines connected to things you move or maintain regularly (e.g., lamp, canister filter, etc.), plan for enough slack in your lines so you don't have to undo too many cable ties to get something done. I usually keep the runs reasonably tight out in the open for most things to keep it clean, and then leave the slack under the cabinet where no one will see it--with the exception of my lamps, where is leave just enough wiggle in the line to move them the distance I need. if you don't have cabinet doors behind which you can hide your skeletons, Velcro-tied loops and some other cable-engulfing toys can be your friend to keep things tidy. I'll list a bunch of ties, wraps, straps, clips, fasteners, and other mundane mystical miscellany trying to keep to what's available on Amazon and Home Depot, just for convenience ('cuz, that's where I'd go). A lot of these things, or very similar things, should be easy enough to find in Lowe's, Ace, or any other hardware supply and home improvement places, as well. I have not actually used *all* of these things, myself. I just don't have enough hoses, cables, or even aquariums, for my OCD to kick in that severely. But, I've used the majority of the industrial counterparts to these products, and they all pretty much work the same.

Okay, so I think i jumped the gun on this one... I'm done already 😉 It was snowing out, and the 8 year old I and decided to build out the 5 gal Aqueon desktop i had laying around. Literally spent no money--everything I used I just had laying around. I was gonna post the picture (I failed to read the instructions and document every step, but I do have one of my daughter assisting in the build). I guess I'll wait until April to show everyone? By then the dust should have settled in the tank 😉 Oh, and in case anyone's thinking I'm procrastinating on the cable management thing, I actually took photos of the cable management I did on this thing... the only part of it I actually "documented" 😉