Miller's Journal

[A3M0N]

On 11/29/2022 at 12:42 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

You, and all of the amazing aquascapers here inspire us.... every time you post.

Indeed, that's why I've been asking you so many questions on my little journal! 

[nabokovfan87]

I was thinking about the motivation and trying to put to words what I wrote yesterday.  Explaining what MMiller is for someone like me who isn't great with plants (yet).

There is a scene from Coach Carter (Movie) and it's called "our deepest fear".  It's a very powerful scene and the final words of that moment capture the essence perfectly.
 

Quote

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were all meant to shine as children do.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Edited November 30, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Minanora]

What ro system do you use? Do you just have a huge holding tank? If I tried to charge water on my 75 with ro it would take many hours. 🤣 If you're changing 50% every time, when you remineralize, are you pre mixing water outside of the tank? Are you using a trash can or something? 🤔 Do you use a pump to get the water into the tank?

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/29/2022 at 8:16 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I was thinking about the motivation and trying to put to words what I wrote yesterday.  Explaining what MMiller is for someone like me who isn't great with plants (yet).

There is a scene from Coach Carter (Movie) and it's called "our deepest fear".  It's a very powerful scene and the final words of that moment capture the essence perfectly.
 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. But you set the bar low 😜. I'm still just a beginner and don't come close to the George Farm's of planted tanks. I'm just really good at emulating the masters and now just beginning to finally see the lines underneath.

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:26 AM, Minanora said:

What ro system do you use? Do you just have a huge holding tank? If I tried to charge water on my 75 with ro it would take many hours. 🤣 If you're changing 50% every time, when you remineralize, are you pre mixing water outside of the tank? Are you using a trash can or something? 🤔 Do you use a pump to get the water into the tank?

I use Bulk Reef Supply's system. Before COVID, they were really cheap. I started with a 4 stage and over time added a second membrane and a booster pump. I have 2 32 gallon Brute gray garbage cans and a 44 gallon. I bought them over a period of time, I would rather just have 2 cans, but hindsight is 20/20. I use 2 for water changes and 1 is always just plain RO. 

If I front load, I dose the cans with all Macros. If I do daily dosing, I only add GH to the cans. I fill them to just over flowing and then remove 1 gallon. This way, I know exactly how many gallons I have.

I have a 2000gph sump pump from eBay, long hose and a DYI nozzle. I run simple fountain pumps and old unused heaters to mix and bring water to a reasonable temperature in winter.

[Mmiller2001]

Did some testing last night. I haven't tested in a long time and I guessed almost exactly where the tests showed. I'm seeing more than usual green dust algae and now seeing green spot algae. I know when green dust algae really starts picking up, I'm over 25ppm NO3 and if I see green spot algae, I'm under 8ppm P. I've never been able to stop green spot algae with phosphate below 8ppm.

Nitrates tested around 27ppm and P was 4 to 5ppm.

I don't think I'm going to change any dosing. I'm temporarily adding 4 stems of Hygrophila Polysperma and bumping up CO2. I may rethink the CO2 bump. My goal is not to push this tank. I hands down want a lower light tank and less co2 refills. I should probably just lower light. 

Sorry, thinking out loud. 100% lowering light and putting CO2 back to where it was.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Mmiller2001]

Maintenance goals tomorrow. 100% water change, maybe 70%. Remove all dislodged moss parts and pick out random Eco Complete nuggets who snuck in on top of the sand.

[Mmiller2001]

Lowered 

[anewbie]

On 11/30/2022 at 10:51 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

I use Bulk Reef Supply's system. Before COVID, they were really cheap. I started with a 4 stage and over time added a second membrane and a booster pump. I have 2 32 gallon Brute gray garbage cans and a 44 gallon. I bought them over a period of time, I would rather just have 2 cans, but hindsight is 20/20. I use 2 for water changes and 1 is always just plain RO. 

If I front load, I dose the cans with all Macros. If I do daily dosing, I only add GH to the cans. I fill them to just over flowing and then remove 1 gallon. This way, I know exactly how many gallons I have.

I have a 2000gph sump pump from eBay, long hose and a DYI nozzle. I run simple fountain pumps and old unused heaters to mix and bring water to a reasonable temperature in winter.

What sort of float switch do you have on the ro unit and was it diffifcult to make it work reliabably ?

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/30/2022 at 11:42 AM, anewbie said:

What sort of float switch do you have on the ro unit and was it diffifcult to make it work reliabably ?

Don't use one. I or my wife keep an eye on it when we fill. Alexa reminders as well.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[anewbie]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:25 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Don't use one. I or my wife keep an eye on it when we fill. Alexa reminders as well.

Hum.... so the ro unit is what 200 gpd ? Which is 8 gph so you watch it for 4 hours while filling ? Just trying to understand how you do things to see if i can use the info to improve my work flow.

Edited November 30, 2022 by anewbie

[Mmiller2001]

Yeah, somewhere in there. We start filling the day before water change.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:41 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. But you set the bar low 😜. I'm still just a beginner and don't come close to the George Farm's of planted tanks. I'm just really good at emulating the masters and now just beginning to finally see the lines underneath.

Very cool.  We all start somewhere.  I mean, I had a good tank for a while, now i can't get my anubias to grow well anymore.  Things happen and we all learn and progress.  There's definitely a lot of value in what you do to the other "beginners" 😂

On 11/30/2022 at 9:29 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

100% lowering light and putting CO2 back to where it was.

Sounds right to me. Only thing I'd do is scrape the front glass and siphon the sand (lower phospates?).

It's getting there. cranky tank right now.

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:46 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

lower phospates?

If I make any changes, nute wise, for the green spot algae; I'll raise P by 2ppm.

[Patrick_G]

What's this plant? I have some that look very similar and the LFS called it Willow Hygro. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Patrick_G

[Minanora]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:51 AM, Mmiller2001 said:

I use Bulk Reef Supply's system. Before COVID, they were really cheap. I started with a 4 stage and over time added a second membrane and a booster pump. I have 2 32 gallon Brute gray garbage cans and a 44 gallon. I bought them over a period of time, I would rather just have 2 cans, but hindsight is 20/20. I use 2 for water changes and 1 is always just plain RO. 

If I front load, I dose the cans with all Macros. If I do daily dosing, I only add GH to the cans. I fill them to just over flowing and then remove 1 gallon. This way, I know exactly how many gallons I have.

I have a 2000gph sump pump from eBay, long hose and a DYI nozzle. I run simple fountain pumps and old unused heaters to mix and bring water to a reasonable temperature in winter.

The things we do.... For our aquariums. 😂

Awesome. That makes me feel a bit better. My fish room will have a demand pump, like what is in a camping trailer, for pulling RO from the holding barrels. At least that's my current design. It may change.

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/30/2022 at 5:53 PM, Patrick_G said:

What's this plant? I have some that look very similar and the LFS called it Willow Hygro. 

Not sure, I bought Hygrophila 52B and they sent me that. Some type of Hygrophila.

Edited December 1, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Patrick_G]

On 11/30/2022 at 5:26 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

Not sure, I bought Hygrophila 52B and they sent me that. Some type of Hygrophila.

Whatever it is, it's one of my favorites and will definitely work well in this scape. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Fun to get caught up @Mmiller2001! I’m getting close to setting up co2 as I’ve now got 2 tanks right next to each other and it’s just screaming for a system. 

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/1/2022 at 12:27 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Fun to get caught up @Mmiller2001! I’m getting close to setting up co2 as I’ve now got 2 tanks right next to each other and it’s just screaming for a system. 

Can't wait to follow their progress! It opens up so many more plant options and it's a whole new learning curve. 

Please tag me when you begin.

[Mmiller2001]

I got a bit more done last night. The Bolbitus came in rough so I'm in for a long wait before it looks nice. I'm thinking I will finish off the plants with Petco cultures going forward. Pricey, but I know what I'm getting. Also thinking about letting the Val Leopard to overtake the right and back right. Kind of a Val garden back there. We will see. She's showing signs she's ready to go nuts.

I still haven't solved my second tier problem. I tried to glue the wood together, and both super glue and hot glue gun wouldn't hold the 2 pieces together. Maybe cement? 

Still waiting on the wood to sink. Going to raise KH another half degree and lower NO3 dosing to 8ppm weekly. 

[Mmiller2001]

Also, I don't think the Hygrophila will stay in the tank long term. I'm firm on not having stems in this tank. That said, maybe back left is a better spot for it but I plan on lowering lights even more so time will tell. I'm also second guessing the Trident mini down the central log. Maybe it will look nice as it propagates and fills in.

A positive note; the behavior of my Apistos have changed and I see the male alot more. Each are setting up homes in and around the wood and they sift the sand. They must have been miserable with no nooks to call home.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[Minanora]

Have you lifted the rocks at all yet? I just got the last one off of my biggest piece in my son's new tank. Took over a month to sink.

Looking great so far btw!

[Mmiller2001]

On 12/2/2022 at 12:34 PM, Minanora said:

Have you lifted the rocks at all yet? I just got the last one off of my biggest piece in my son's new tank. Took over a month to sink.

Not yet, but one fell off last night and just the 2 held it down. I'm definitely waiting a month before testing it. The remaining bolbitus is going to float until then.

[Mmiller2001]

So, I completely missed his dosing information when I posted Greggz tank.

"Here's the latest. Currently targeting NO3 : PO4 : K at 30 : 10 : 40 in the water column. Everything seems to be on autopilot at those levels."