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My 10 Gallon Journal


A3M0N
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Here's the TLDR version for this update: did some Reverse Respiration, hydrogen peroxide treatment, new DIY co2 system, and DIY filter adjustment. And I forgot to test the water before I changed it. 

This is a long update, I'm not planning to go back and proofread, so sorry in advance! 

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The s. repens in the front had the most staghorn algae growing on it, to the point it looked to my eye the algae could start blocking the light from the plant. So I pulled them all out for some Reverse Respiration, and the roots were fantastic! And the RR worked just as it should. Along with the RR, I treated other heavy areas with 15ml of hydrogen peroxide, mostly on the big rock in the center and the cave. The java fern had some kind of thin black algae on its leaves as well. I did this for two days in a row before water change and things are looking much clearer. I plan to keep trimming and replanting to get more plant matter growing. 

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I've tried several DIY co2 setups using sugar, yeast, and gelatin. They all worked pretty well, but I did want something I could control more, and actually see info like pressure, but it's not in my budget range to do pressurized co2. So I got a citric acid/baking soda kit. The first assembled picture (yes, I put it together while I was working between calls) you can see two check valves in the baking soda side. I ended up removing those because they weren't letting any citric acid solution enter the baking soda solution, I don't know if they're not functional or just too stiff, but I haven't seen any other of these kits have those check valves and it's working just fine now. As of now it has used more solution than I would have thought, but I wasted a good bit of it trying to get it to work with the check valves and it being my first time pressurizing the system. It all feels well-made and I'm happy with the purchase, though I am looking into the possibility of a solenoid valve. It came with a complete set of replacement o-rings and the fittings to use the bubble counter mounted to the needle valve output or inline. I didn't lubricate the o-rings initially, I'll do that on the next refill though. I was an aircraft mechanic in the USAF, I should know better than that right?! lol! 

IMG20221220124735.jpg.aa4558fb8cb5e3ad83d8202446daeddf.jpg

IMG20221220124836.jpg.095c99b22ee0ec6814f88699dd58e5a8.jpg

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And finally, the filter. I'm not going to post a new picture for this, but you can see on the left hand side there used to be a sponge intake, then then pipe ran under the substrate to the right, then into the uplift tube and output from the back right across to the front left. I feel like this left a lot of flow missing from the middle and bottom of the tank. I pulled the whole thing out and shortened the pipe so now the intake is about middle of the right side and output is still top of the back right corner. So far I think this has improved the flow, but I'm thinking about removing all of it and going with something like a Sicce Micron or similar internal type filter. The reason for this type of filter is simplicity and reliability. The 10 gallon is far too small for a canister, and I don't like the stories of overflow or not restarting after a power outage from canisters and hang on the backs. So an internal option seems best for me, but I'm debating something like the Micron I already mentioned or getting a powerhead and using the sponges and other materials I already have on hand. My only concern there is a powerhead being way to powerful for my little tank. Any thoughts? 

Thanks for reading my short story of an update! 

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Just a basic update today, yay! I did some post RR and hydrogen peroxide scrubbing and cleanup and trimmed/replanted a good bit of the stems. I'm trying to fill in gaps in the background and start getting it leveled off. I'm going to try keeping the stems on the sides to a medium "bushy" height. 

I should be getting a new water pump in today. I ordered a Sicce Syncra Nano, I'll use PVC parts I have on hand to adapt my current sponges to it. My hope is to get some real flow going through the tank, as of now I don't think there is any significant flow going on. I'll probably use the direct output for a while and try out a spray bar for comparison. 

Water quality: 
GH: 120 
KH: 80 
PH: 7.0 
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40 

Before clean-up and water change: 

IMG20221230110750.jpg.9a3e8afcae581ca82d11138a118955d9.jpg

 

After:

IMG20221231124018.jpg.bc1e8accfc6edb08d158981938a1cf23.jpg

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On 12/31/2022 at 3:21 PM, Guppysnail said:

Your tank is really filling in. It looks so lovely now. Hopefully the new flow will help alleviate future major algae issues. 

Thank you! I hope it will help. I don't think it can hurt unless the flow is too strong. 

I had to scrub the java ferns to get the algae off, the taller stems got their algae leaves pruned. The s. repens worries me a little, they had a thick coating of algae, and I don't want to prune too much off. I know with "above water" plants if you prune too much the plant will be damaged, I don't know about under water plants. I mean, they're still alive and some are growing, but I haven't seen any more runners like I did the first few weeks. But I have lowered the fertilizer dosage, so that may be why they slowed. 

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I did some filter work and got something together. There's a thread in the general section about it, so I won't go through all of it again here. I still want to get the spray bar higher, closer to the water level, so I'll probably be playing with it again in a few weeks. The pump can be used inline, so maybe taking the pump out of the tank is the answer. 

I made some "snello", and that square that's in the picture has been in there most of the day today. I figured it would be devoured by the snail and fish alike, but it hasn't. I'll leave it in there overnight and see what happens. 

I've run into an issue with the co2 system. The bubbles slow and stop over an hour or so, it seems like at least a few hours at a time, I'll have to open the needle valve a little more to keep it going. The pressure doesn't change, it's just a tad over the green area which is 1-2 kg/cm2 (14-28 psi). I thought maybe the diffuser was an issue, so I cleaned it really good yesterday, the bubbles in the tank improved initially. Mostly fine and floated around well in the flow, but now they're bigger again and the co2 has gone back to slowing/stopping every few hours. Could the diffuser the problem? It is one of the cheapest I could find, I got it cheap to go with my original yeast/sugar system. 

I forgot to test the water before water change, but all looks well so no worries. 

IMG20230107194135.jpg.5a298f1b0e65457f504182fec528d90c.jpg

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The biggest change here is I took @nabokovfan87's advice again and rotated the pump 90 degrees, so now the intake is vertical, and the spray bar is closer to the surface. I also drilled several more holes to slow down the flow a little more, I still feel like the little fish are having to work too hard to move around the tank. 

I'm still having problems with my co2. The bottle maintains plenty of pressure, but you can see from the bubble counter co2 stops coming out over the course of a couple of hours after being set. I mixed up some soapy water and sprayed it to check for leaks, I couldn't find anything. I tried a few experiments, like using an air stone instead of the diffuser, took the diffuser off altogether and stuck the tube into the filter intake, etc. It seemed like it took longer to drop off without the diffuser, maybe it being a cheapo diffuser is the problem? I've read the needle valve in the co2 housing could be junk? 

I tried the snello again a couple of times, snail didn't go anywhere near it. 

Water quality: 
GH: 120 
KH: 80 
PH: 7.0 
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40 

IMG20230113230503.jpg.eca000bd36fcd3cde8411adfab64bd37.jpg

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Hopefully there is someone who has the DIY CO2 technique down that can chime in. 😞

From what you're describing it's just not building enough pressure somewhere to be able to push the CO2 through the diffuser. There might be a way to modify the mix so you have a slightly stronger reaction.

I honestly would recommend the higher priced setup with the bottle and the standard regulators. Not to say the one you have is faulty, but just because I have been very happy with mine and having those tanks. Very much a set it and forget it mindset.

On 1/14/2023 at 12:59 PM, A3M0N said:

I also drilled several more holes to slow down the flow a little more, I still feel like the little fish are having to work too hard to move around the tank

Did the added holes drop the flow issues, or did it just spread them around? Some rock on that left end of the tank might give the circulation a hard obstacle and create a dead spot for the fish to relax in, lower flow area across the substrate, etc.

Definitely a puzzle.

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On 1/14/2023 at 4:42 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

From what you're describing it's just not building enough pressure somewhere to be able to push the CO2 through the diffuser.

That's what is odd to me, it's actually making really good pressure. The operating pressure per the gauge, "green" area, on the generator is 1-2 kg/cm2 (14-28 psi) and the diffuser requires 14psi per the Amazon description. Last night the pressure built up enough that the safety release had to let pressure off, it was around 5 kg/cm2. BUT, I think I found the connection between the output from the main body to the bubble counter is leaky, but because the actual connection is tucked up inside the bubble counter body my soapy water test couldn't reach it. So my guess is the pressure to consistently run the diffuser is higher than the leak and it's taking that path. The O ring looks good, but I added some thread tape to see if that helps. Fingers crossed! 

I also emailed the seller/manufacturer, so maybe they'll have an idea of what's going on. Another reviewer said they were having a similar issue, but haven't updates with a solution. 

On 1/14/2023 at 4:42 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Did the added holes drop the flow issues, or did it just spread them around?

I think it helped some, time will tell I guess. I'll try to get some video and the more experienced keepers can help decide if the fish are working too hard. I kinda toyed with the idea of putting a ball valve inline with the output for adjustment, but that would take up a ton of space. 

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On 1/14/2023 at 3:18 PM, A3M0N said:

but I added some thread tape to see if that helps. Fingers crossed! 

yeah, gotta get that leak fixed.  Zip tie it maybe.

On 1/14/2023 at 3:18 PM, A3M0N said:

I think it helped some, time will tell I guess. I'll try to get some video and the more experienced keepers can help decide if the fish are working too hard. I kinda toyed with the idea of putting a ball valve inline with the output for adjustment, but that would take up a ton of space. 

Yeah, we'll see.  Option 2 is make one a lot longer and install it across the tank as oppose to just on the side.

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This is the connection I suspect is leaking. I could just delete the bubble counter altogether, connect the output hose directly, and really be sure it's the issue, but I think for this week (a few days at least) I'll run it with thread tape to see what effect it has. 

IMG20221224195250.jpg.03bd372fe84663f32748649b3913fdd3.jpg

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Welp, it's not a leak anywhere. I ran it overnight and this morning during church with the bubble counter and it still stopped. I removed the bubble counter and connected the line directly to the generator/needle valve and it is doing the same thing, so I'm going to call it the needle valve. 

My plan is to depressurize the system, take it apart, then pull out the needle valve guts to see if anything is obviously wrong or bad. If not, I'll look into either getting an inline valve, or do some measuring and get some fittings from the hardware store to keep everything oriented the same way. The original needle valve can be an on/off valve instead. 

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The DIY co2 flow was stopping even quicker than by the hour, so I did some detective work. The citric acid solution was nearly spent, I purged the pressure, and took it all apart. Then pulled out the needle valve, which is metric (7mm), it clearly had something on it. It appeared to be petroleum jelly. My working theory is as I opened the valve more and more, the Vaseline filled in the gap created by the needle being screwed out then blocking the flow. 

This may be my fault! Following a YouTube video tip, the tip giver suggested using petroleum jelly on the bottle threads as an additional aid in creating a good seal. I'm 90% sure I didn't get any near the opening the co2 passes through, but I may have. So I'm going to give it a good cleaning with some rubbing alcohol and give it another shot. This time I'll pull the o-ring out and lube that by itself so nothing gets clogged again. 

Needle valve knob: 

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Dirty valve: 

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Wiped off, not cleaned yet: 

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Housing: 

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Before digging into the problem, I had been researching some way to replace the needle valve by either removing this one and mounting another in it's place, but I'll have to hunt for a metric one. Or maybe capping off the exit and running an inline valve. Hopefully a good cleaning solves the problem though. I was also pricing out a paintball tank pressurized system, but I'm trying to be as budget minded as possible, so that was going to be a last resort. I just don't think the little 10 gallon needs anything bigger than a paintball tank, if I ever get a bigger aquarium I'll most likely go with something pressurized, but my only plan for MTS as of now are some kind of small cube for my office area. 

 

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On 1/18/2023 at 3:48 PM, A3M0N said:

This may be my fault! Following a YouTube video tip, the tip giver suggested using petroleum jelly on the bottle threads as an additional aid in creating a good seal.

silocone grease (used for diving and other equipment) is slightly more fish safe.  Just a heads up.  I use the stuff on pump impellers and it's designed for rubber gaskets, things like that.  They have a liquid version, but the silicone grease works really well, cheap, and you'll buy it once and have enough for an eternity.

On 1/18/2023 at 3:48 PM, A3M0N said:

IMG20230118171634.jpg.10fe0c7f6a8e9ab8d327188bf7c2de54.jpg

Interesting little issue. Looks much better now.

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Update on the DIY co2 saga: It's working! After a solid cleaning everything appears to be working smoothly. I was nearly out of citric acid, I can't find it anywhere locally, and didn't plan to order any more until I confirmed the cleaning worked. Well, I mixed up just a tiny bit of materials and it has been running at a constant rate since Thursday afternoon, it's about 24 hours later as of this post. 

EDIT: Wait a sec, I put it all back together on Wednesday evening I think, after I cleaned it off. So it's been nearly 2 days running consistently on a very little amount of materials. Ok! 

I'll post a tank update tomorrow, but thought I'd share some things I've found for the budget minded like myself. 

First, this scraper from Walmart. It comes with spare blades that are stored in a little plastic box in the hollow handle. I'll probably seal that up with some silicone, but it works great for only $3. I'll probably sand off the lettering as it seems to be coming off already. 

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Next this water transfer pump from Harbor Freight. I know there are cheap pumps out there, but this looked like it would be great for cleaning too, but the impeller does get jammed up pretty easily. I think it would be great to rubber band a thin filter to the bottom to catch sand and stuff. It comes with some short, plasticy tube. I siliconed a 1in slip to 1/2in barb adapter to the outlet, then screwed a 1/2in barb fitting with teflon tape, and then 1/2in tubing. So far so good! I still use the siphon for getting junk out, but if I'm just changing water I'll use this to pump it out, and always use it to pump new water in. 

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Edited by A3M0N
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Time for an update and small upgrade! The DIY co2 is still working! It's literally out of citric acid now, but still has around 25(ish) psi in the bottle and is still bubbling. I have citric acid being delivered tomorrow. So glad it's working now, I had to adjust the needle valve a tiny bit today, first time since cleaning it 3 days ago. I'll check the needle again before I refill the raw materials. I don't have a drop checker, but according to the co2 calculator at Rotala Butterfly it's actually a bit over 30 ppm. Next will be a solenoid I guess?! 

I added another shop light with a 1500 lumen LED bulb. They're both 6 inches above the lid so I can open it and all that good stuff. So now there is 3000 lumens between the two lights. No joke, like 2 minutes after turning on both lights plants started bubbling everywhere! It was crazy. I added the other light because plants in the center were growing faster, and plants on the ends were leaning to the inside to get to the light

If you didn't see elsewhere, my snail hasn't been very active, then I found a small clutch of eggs! This morning she was out and about, and even eating an algae wafer! Maybe she wasn't eating because she was trying to lay the eggs? 

I did a good bit of stem trimming. Pruned off more leaves with dead algae on them, and scrubbed algae off the java ferns. I didn't replant the cuttings this time, I wanted to see how it goes like it is for a little bit. 

I think that's everything! I have a co2 diffuser on the way that supposed to be better for DIY systems. Mine doesn't make very fine bubbles, but it was pretty cheap. 

Water quality: 
GH: 120 
KH: 80 
PH: 6.5 
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 40 

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New light added: 

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Bubbles! 

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She's eating! Om nom nom... 

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Edited by A3M0N
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I got a solenoid now that the DIY co2 is working pretty reliably. The odd thing that has been happening for a little while is a little bit of mineral oil is traveling up the co2 tube. Not all the way to the check valve though, it was 3/4 full now it's like half. Overall, I'm very happy with the way everything is looking. 

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On 1/29/2023 at 8:15 PM, A3M0N said:

The odd thing that has been happening for a little while is a little bit of mineral oil is traveling up the co2 tube. Not all the way to the check valve though, it was 3/4 full now it's like half. Overall, I'm very happy with the way everything is looking. 

Just purchased clear tubing for this reason for my setup.  It's definitely normal, keep an eye on it.

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So I was worried the new pump/filter had too much flow, then a week or so ago it began slowing down to almost nothing. I was worried the pump was already dying, but then figured the sponges I'm using came with my sponge filter and may be too fine for the suction of the pump. I've changed the water a few times since then but decided to really clean them out this time to be sure they're not clogged up. Yeah, so it would seem this pump is really getting the junk really compacted into the sponges and I haven't been cleaning them well enough (see picture of super nasty water below)! Now I'll be extra diligent to clean them out, or look into buying some more course ones. 

I also planted some trimmings in containers and put them in my office. The bigger one on the windowsill has several ludwigia repens stems, the small jar on the desk has a single bacopa caroliniana stem. They're planted in all purpose/play sand with one root tab. I hope to have them grow over the sides and maybe flower. 

Water quality: 
GH: 120 
KH: 80 
PH: 7.0 
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20 

IMG20230204193801.jpg.2b2db39bfa9fdc38247a6e12ed961d17.jpg

 

Nasty water: 

IMG20230203131920.jpg.1a53c207e515c0f5c8e59ea9a293ab3a.jpg

 

Ludwigia Repens vase: 

IMG20230204143326.jpg.740b2025fb543102976acc0ab994690e.jpg

 

Bacopa Caroliniana jar: 

IMG20230204143544.jpg.b8dee24aa266293445285bfd9d42a2b0.jpg

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Emergency water change and air pump! I haven't been feeling well, COVID has made it around our house. I changed out the CO2 mixture today while it was off for the afternoon lights off period then laid down but fell asleep. I barely cracked the needle valve, but when I got up CO2 was just gushing out of the diffuser and it appears all the fish have died but the snail may have survived. One fish was trying to keep moving, I hope he makes it. Lesson learned. 

IMG20230209194454.jpg.6313a3ab111c80acf4a4691c52019513.jpg

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On 2/9/2023 at 6:55 PM, A3M0N said:

Emergency water change and air pump! I haven't been feeling well, COVID has made it around our house. I changed out the CO2 mixture today while it was off for the afternoon lights off period then laid down but fell asleep. I barely cracked the needle valve, but when I got up CO2 was just gushing out of the diffuser and it appears all the fish have died but the snail may have survived. One fish was trying to keep moving, I hope he makes it. Lesson learned. 

IMG20230209194454.jpg.6313a3ab111c80acf4a4691c52019513.jpg

Shucks, hate to read this.

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