Miller's Journal

[Kevin Lee]

Absolutely amazing

[anewbie]

On 8/16/2023 at 12:43 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

New Yugang reactor version 3 installed. The tank hits a 1pH drop in a mind boggling 30 minutes. I will never use any other method for CO2 infusion. This, coupled with a precision regulator is quite amazing.

how does v3 differ from v2 differ from v1. I want to make one of these for my 10 foot aquarium when i have time. My thought is i will want to use 2 inch pvc and run it along the back (inside) at 8 foot then have a tube that connects to a 2nd 8 foot and run it above the first one and then send it into the tank - pump would be a 3/4 inch connector so cap with 3/4 inch connector for water tube and of course an co2 connector somewhere hum - probably be months before i get to the point where i can think sanely about this.

[Mmiller2001]

On 8/17/2023 at 5:07 PM, anewbie said:

how does v3 differ from v2 differ from v1. I want to make one of these for my 10 foot aquarium when i have time. My thought is i will want to use 2 inch pvc and run it along the back (inside) at 8 foot then have a tube that connects to a 2nd 8 foot and run it above the first one and then send it into the tank - pump would be a 3/4 inch connector so cap with 3/4 inch connector for water tube and of course an co2 connector somewhere hum - probably be months before i get to the point where i can think sanely about this.

This version accounts for the opening at each end of the pipe. So if I need a 2 inch diameter, a 2 inch diameter pipe would not work because there’s an opening through the center. This version accounts for the opening at each end of the pipe. I increased the length of the pipe to reduce the diameter required and was able to use a 2 inch pipe because I didn’t need 2 inches of diameter at this particular length. If I remember correctly, this length required only a 1.6 diameter surface area and using a 2 inch pipe works because the area above the opening is 1.6 inches.

[Mmiller2001]

It's official, my entry has been submitted.

[nabokovfan87]

Very exciting. Congratulations! 🙂

[Odd Duck]

On 9/5/2023 at 9:00 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

It's official, my entry has been submitted.

How long does it take to hear results?  Can’t wait!

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/6/2023 at 7:43 AM, Odd Duck said:

How long does it take to hear results?  Can’t wait!

I’m not sure. I want to say a couple of months.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/6/2023 at 8:48 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

I’m not sure. I want to say a couple of months.

That would drive me slightly batty waiting that long for results.  I get that it’s a team of volunteer judges that likely have real lives, need to go back and forth a bit deciding, etc, but AAAARRRGH!  😜 😆 🤣 

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/6/2023 at 7:57 AM, Odd Duck said:

That would drive me slightly batty waiting that long for results.  I get that it’s a team of volunteer judges that likely have real lives, need to go back and forth a bit deciding, etc, but AAAARRRGH!  😜 😆 🤣 

Yesterday, I ordered a handful of new plants and will be redoing the tank. It should keep my mind off the wait .

[Mmiller2001]

Reset and a few new plants. I needed to clean more but this session went late but still got alot done.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 9/12/2023 at 7:38 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Reset and a few new plants. I needed to clean more but this session went late but still got alot done.

As cool as ever! The fish look great too! 
Any more news on the competition? 🏆 

[Mmiller2001]

On 9/12/2023 at 11:42 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

As cool as ever! The fish look great too! 
Any more news on the competition? 🏆 

Waiting game at this point. I’d imagine a few months or so. Entry closed on the 10th.

[Mmiller2001]

So what's a journal if you don't tell the bad?

I pulled all my plants out and added some new species and reduced what I kept. This sent the tank into chaos and now I'm battling GDA and green water. It's really bad honestly. Also, I noticed a few fish fading away and had 2 die. They would stop eating and start wasting and then secondary infections would take them out. I dosed meds and saved 2 of the 4. But yesterday I had a fish go from healthy to dead in hours. These were all female fish and I was thinking the males were stressing them from endless mating. I would also see a red inflamed anus and in the back of my mind I was fearing the worse. 

So, after she died so quickly I pulled out the ol magnifying glass, and sure enough, I freaking have Camallanus worms. I'm so freaking mad I want to toss in the towel. If they all die, I will never do fish again. I know the fish they came in on. They had a 1 month QT with med trio and of course I caught what I don't treat for in QT. Lessons learned. Luckily I had Levamisol on hand and have dosed the second day via just in the water column. I will feed it next week and for 3 more weeks but 2 fish are not eating and I fear they will not make it.

I also have a few plants not growing and all plants look terrible.

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/4/2023 at 5:57 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

If they all die, I will never do fish again.

That's tragic to hear.  I will have to send a DM or something to pass some details for an option, but hopefully it's not a "hobby breaking" thing for you.  I know how enjoyable a planted tank can be and especially with your setup it's about having that environment for the plants.  Do you have shrimp in the tank at all or is that something you'd be interested in?

Because of the green water and algae showing up, I would think drop the light by a small % to compensate for the plant load dropping or is the correct thing to do in the situation to just ride it out and do water changes, both?

[Mmiller2001]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:30 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

That's tragic to hear.  I will have to send a DM or something to pass some details for an option, but hopefully it's not a "hobby breaking" thing for you.  I know how enjoyable a planted tank can be and especially with your setup it's about having that environment for the plants.  Do you have shrimp in the tank at all or is that something you'd be interested in?

Because of the green water and algae showing up, I would think drop the light by a small % to compensate for the plant load dropping or is the correct thing to do in the situation to just ride it out and do water changes, both?

I would do all shrimp. I enjoy them as well. 
 

As you say. Drop light keep up the water changes and I’ll run UV after the medicine does its thing. I dropped NO3 to handle the dust algae.

[Mmiller2001]

The state of the tank update.

The first round of Levamisol seems to have knocked the Camallanus down and the fish that looked like they would be dead any moment have rebounded. I still have 1 rainbow not eating and getting very skinny. I saw her take a bite of food but spit some out. Her fate may be sealed but hopefully Wednesday’s dose will turn things around.

GDA continues but the plants seem to be growing where before they were definitely stunted. I’m not sure if I should lower my nutrients or stay the course. The Rotala Wallichi is near dead and my Blood Red is stunting for sure. My knowledge ends here and my gut is telling me just stay the course and get the plant mass up. 
 

Sigh….big breath 

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/9/2023 at 12:05 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

My knowledge ends here and my gut is telling me just stay the course and get the plant mass up. 
 

Sigh….big breath 

I think that's definitely the right approach.  If anything else, maybe do a blackout, but given the setup and how dialed in you have everything.... I think you're right.

That plant in the middle that has the bright orange/yellow, the pogostemon looking one.  It's not pogo, right?  I think you have the pogostemon dassen on the left there?  (I'm sorry, trying to learn all the new plants and get better about what I'm looking at.)

Have you ever kept Rotala macrandra 'Bangladesh'?   Any tips for rotala or macandra varieties in terms of care?  I imagine as long as the system works well, they'll do just fine in a lot of scenarios.

Edited October 9, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[Mmiller2001]

On 10/9/2023 at 1:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

That plant in the middle that has the bright orange/yellow, the pogostemon looking one.

Myriophyllum roraima

Pogostemon Stellatus

I haven’t kept the others you listed. I know the Rotala Macandra types are a bit more challenging from what I’ve read.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:57 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

I know the fish they came in on. They had a 1 month QT with med trio and of course I caught what I don't treat for in QT.

That is unfortunate despite your careful preventative measures. Sorry for your struggles. Ugh

And I still think the tank looks very nice.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Mmiller2001]

On 10/9/2023 at 7:20 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

That is unfortunate despite your careful preventative measures. Sorry for your struggles. Ugh

And I still think the tank looks very nice.

Thank you. Luckily, the first round of Levamisol has worked wonders. There’s only 1 fish that’s not eating and hopefully she’ll make it. Second dose Wednesday.

[Mmiller2001]

Results announced this morning. I took second place.

I dedicated this tank to @gjcarewfor his endless support and assistance.

The Second Hand of Carew

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I was just seeing Chantz’s post that he took fifth and realized you’d taken 2nd as I put together who that MMiller was!!!! Congratulations buddy! Such hard work! 45 pages of documentation of your journey and look where you’ve landed! Have fun indeed!

[JoeQ]

Super proud of your accomplishment!!!  I am at an absolute lack of words other than Congratulations, that entry is stunning!!! One day I hope to create something at least half as beautiful as that tank!

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/19/2023 at 9:51 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

I was just seeing Chantz’s post that he took fifth and realized you’d taken 2nd as I put together who that MMiller was!!!! Congratulations buddy! Such hard work! 45 pages of documentation of your journey and look where you’ve landed! Have fun indeed!

Thank you. My wife and I are buzzing today. We were laughing about all the screaming and torture we went through. It feels so good. I wish I had 1 more month but it is what it is. Seriously, thank you.

On 11/19/2023 at 11:32 AM, JoeQ said:

Super proud of your accomplishment!!!  I am at an absolute lack of words other than Congratulations, that entry is stunning!!! One day I hope to create something at least half as beautiful as that tank!

Thank you JoeQ, I hope I can even get back to a scape like this one. I’m dedicating every day for next year entry. I’m working through some issues now but a scape is forming as I post this.

[JoeQ]

On 11/19/2023 at 1:38 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Thank you JoeQ, I hope I can even get back to a scape like this one. I’m dedicating every day for next year entry. I’m working through some issues now but a scape is forming as I post this.

I cringe at (but also envy) the amount of work that must have a taken!!! As for me, the late great Jimmy Buffett put it best when he wrote "any manual labor I've done was purely by mistake"!

Edited November 19, 2023 by JoeQ