Planted tank journal (10G Hex)

Avalon · 03-16-2007, 04:24 PM

Seachem's Nitrogen liquid should work just fine. You should shoot for around 10ppm, with the 'safe range' being 5-15ppm. The copper in Flourish isn't a concern and your shrimp will be fine.

MrJG · 03-18-2007, 01:44 PM

Thanks again Avalon. I ordered a 500ml bottle of nitrogen from bigals along with a hydor 201 inline heater and a 1x65 watt current satellite fixture for this...

The new setup:

20 Gallon long and a stand to match our bedroom furniture. The humidifier will be going away for summertime soon.

inside:

Will house the XP1, Heater, and eventually CO2 system in here.

quarantine/breeder 2.5G:

Tank is using all of the remnants from the 10G hex kit. 8W 18K Aquaglo flourescent, Top fin 10 filter, All glass aquarium heater.

So for the 20G long i've ordered/got:
Rena XP1/ extra bio-stars
Current USA 1x65W + 50/50 dual daylight lamp
Hydor 201 200W heater
ADA aquasoil amazonia 12 liters
Coralife digital timer

Anything I'm forgetting?

I still have to do more research on the CO2 setup and I'm going to wait to get a UV sterilizer when its closer to setup time. Its going to be a month or so as I have a week long trip at the end of april. Since this is my first attempt at a high light planted tank I want to wait until I have everything ready to go before even starting so its going to be a very slow setup.

edit: my spelling sucks

tropicalfish · 03-20-2007, 08:26 PM

What do you use to test your phosphates? I just have the API Freshwater Master Test Kit

MrJG · 03-21-2007, 07:49 AM

I think its an API brand phosphate test. I picked mine up at a lfs for ~$8.

MrJG · 03-22-2007, 11:48 AM

Yay the lighting/heater should be showing up today and the substrate on monday. w00t! Also purchased a nice portion of Peacock moss today that should arrive on monday that I plan on growing out in the 2.5g so I'll be concentrating my efforts on getting that set up before then.

If not too busy with getting the yard ready for springtime this weekend I might manage to test fill the tank (20l) and do some arrangement to see how everything is going to fit in the cabinet. Depending on how the wind blows I might be able to pick up a Corallife 9w turbo twist UV this weekend too.

I totally expect to be asking a few questions for those of you familiar with canisters and putting everything in-line since this is my first time.

Big Vine · 03-22-2007, 12:51 PM

Excellent job of matching the new setup with your room decor---the tank cabinet and stand look pretty slick! Have fun getting it up and running!

BV

tropicalfish · 03-25-2007, 07:24 AM

Very nice! I have been fixing up to take the amazon sword in my tank and put it into the pond... , and get some driftwood and wait for the plants to fill in... I hope mine looks anywhere near as good as yours!

You have a really nice tank...
Question: What is the airstone/wand for?

MrJG · 03-25-2007, 01:52 PM

Gonna update the tank specs since a few things have changed since the journal start. I did a little image folder cleanup so I went back through and fixed all the image links. Going to also list lighting period and fert dosing schedule.

Tank:
AGA 10 Gallon Hex
Current USA Satellite 18W CF w - 50/50 Daylight bulb at 10K & 6.7K
Aquaclear 20 - no charcoal. 1 sponge, 2 bio-carts
Visi-therm stealth 50W heater
Seachem Onyx substrate
No CO2

Flora:
Water Wisteria - Hygrophila Difformis
Red Ludwiga - Ludwiga Repens
Water Primrose - Ludwigia palustris
Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Anubias nana 'petite' - Anubias barteri 'Petite'
Marimo Balls - Cladophora aegagrophila - info
Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans

Fauna:
Betta - Veil Tail Betta Splendens
8 White Cloud Minnows - Tanichthys albonubes
4 Yamato/Amano Shrimp - Caridina japonica
2 Ghost Shrimp - Callianassa californiensis
1 MTS
Pond snails

Water quality:
PH: 7.2
KH 3-4 dGH
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 5 ppm
Phosphate: 5 ppm

Lighting is on from 2pm-10pm weekdays and 10am-10pm on Sat. and Sunday for longer viewing time. 4" bubble wand and white moonlight LED are on when lights are off.

Currently dosing all seachem liquid ferts every other day:
2ml Excel
2ml Flourish - for traces
2ml Potassium
.25ml Nitrogen

25% Water Change weekly with DI water. I double up on the traces the day after the WC.

Some current pics from today:

Big - http://www.projectswerve.org/images/...5.07/front.jpg

Right side:

Big - http://www.projectswerve.org/images/...5.07/right.jpg

White Clouds:

New Ludwiga growth:

An attempt something different:

Some notes:

Still working on getting the phostphate levels down a little more if possible but if they remain fairly constant at 5 ppm I guess its just best to leave well enough alone. I have litterally 0 algae growth that I can see due to the amanos so I'm having to suppliment them with algae tabs.

Everything is showing decent levels of new growth. The speed of growth has increased a good bit since starting the potassium dosing and I imagine it will only get better with the addition of more nitrates and doubling up as avalon suggested. I'm finally starting to see new growth on the Taiwan moss, very tiny bright specks on almost all of the ends. Looks like its going to take quite a while for it to grow in nice and lush.

I have started a new journal for the 20G over at plantedtank.net so I'll no longer be crowding it into this thread in order to keep things seperated. If my signature will manage to work there is a link there.

'Til next time...

Big Vine · 03-25-2007, 02:25 PM

That's great news that your plants are doing so well! Looks good.
BV

MrJG · 03-26-2007, 09:56 AM

Thanks BV!

tropical: the bubble wand had always been in there for the fish to play in and to oxygenate the water. I had read that agitating the water would remove CO2 and also the plants should provide the tank with O2 during the lighting period. I know that comment only applies to tanks that actually have CO2 injected but I just popped it into the night-time outlet for the heck of it. Probably really does nothing for the tank either way other than maybe adding more O2 to the water while the plants are sleeping.

03-16-2007, 04:24 PM	#31
Avalon Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, TX Posts: 2,836	Seachem's Nitrogen liquid should work just fine. You should shoot for around 10ppm, with the 'safe range' being 5-15ppm. The copper in Flourish isn't a concern and your shrimp will be fine. __________________ View my gallery here and join us in the MFT.net chatroom!

03-18-2007, 01:44 PM	#32
MrJG Little Fish Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancaster, S.C. Posts: 104	Thanks again Avalon. I ordered a 500ml bottle of nitrogen from bigals along with a hydor 201 inline heater and a 1x65 watt current satellite fixture for this... The new setup: 20 Gallon long and a stand to match our bedroom furniture. The humidifier will be going away for summertime soon. inside: Will house the XP1, Heater, and eventually CO2 system in here. quarantine/breeder 2.5G: Tank is using all of the remnants from the 10G hex kit. 8W 18K Aquaglo flourescent, Top fin 10 filter, All glass aquarium heater. So for the 20G long i've ordered/got: Rena XP1/ extra bio-stars Current USA 1x65W + 50/50 dual daylight lamp Hydor 201 200W heater ADA aquasoil amazonia 12 liters Coralife digital timer Anything I'm forgetting? I still have to do more research on the CO2 setup and I'm going to wait to get a UV sterilizer when its closer to setup time. Its going to be a month or so as I have a week long trip at the end of april. Since this is my first attempt at a high light planted tank I want to wait until I have everything ready to go before even starting so its going to be a very slow setup. edit: my spelling sucks Last edited by MrJG; 03-25-2007 at 12:19 PM..

03-20-2007, 08:26 PM	#33
tropicalfish Medium Fish Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 525	What do you use to test your phosphates? I just have the API Freshwater Master Test Kit __________________ --- 75 Gallon Rena FilStar xP3, Hydor ETH 300W, Coralife 48" Aqualight 260W 6700K, Rex Grigg Regulator with Ideal Valve, 10 pound CO2 cylinder. :: ADA Aqua Soil Malaya and ADA Power Sand M ---

03-22-2007, 12:51 PM	#36
Big Vine Super Fish Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 3,895	Excellent job of matching the new setup with your room decor---the tank cabinet and stand look pretty slick! Have fun getting it up and running! BV __________________ "The more it eats, the more it excretes." 75 gal. - 11" tiger oscar

03-25-2007, 07:24 AM	#37
tropicalfish Medium Fish Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 525	Very nice! I have been fixing up to take the amazon sword in my tank and put it into the pond... , and get some driftwood and wait for the plants to fill in... I hope mine looks anywhere near as good as yours! You have a really nice tank... Question: What is the airstone/wand for? __________________ --- 75 Gallon Rena FilStar xP3, Hydor ETH 300W, Coralife 48" Aqualight 260W 6700K, Rex Grigg Regulator with Ideal Valve, 10 pound CO2 cylinder. :: ADA Aqua Soil Malaya and ADA Power Sand M ---

03-21-2007, 07:49 AM	#34
MrJG Little Fish Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancaster, S.C. Posts: 104	I think its an API brand phosphate test. I picked mine up at a lfs for ~$8.

03-22-2007, 11:48 AM	#35
MrJG Little Fish Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancaster, S.C. Posts: 104	Yay the lighting/heater should be showing up today and the substrate on monday. w00t! Also purchased a nice portion of Peacock moss today that should arrive on monday that I plan on growing out in the 2.5g so I'll be concentrating my efforts on getting that set up before then. If not too busy with getting the yard ready for springtime this weekend I might manage to test fill the tank (20l) and do some arrangement to see how everything is going to fit in the cabinet. Depending on how the wind blows I might be able to pick up a Corallife 9w turbo twist UV this weekend too. I totally expect to be asking a few questions for those of you familiar with canisters and putting everything in-line since this is my first time.

03-25-2007, 01:52 PM	#38
MrJG Little Fish Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancaster, S.C. Posts: 104	Gonna update the tank specs since a few things have changed since the journal start. I did a little image folder cleanup so I went back through and fixed all the image links. Going to also list lighting period and fert dosing schedule. Tank: AGA 10 Gallon Hex Current USA Satellite 18W CF w - 50/50 Daylight bulb at 10K & 6.7K Aquaclear 20 - no charcoal. 1 sponge, 2 bio-carts Visi-therm stealth 50W heater Seachem Onyx substrate No CO2 Flora: Water Wisteria - Hygrophila Difformis Red Ludwiga - Ludwiga Repens Water Primrose - Ludwigia palustris Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus Anubias nana 'petite' - Anubias barteri 'Petite' Marimo Balls - Cladophora aegagrophila - info Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans Fauna: Betta - Veil Tail Betta Splendens 8 White Cloud Minnows - Tanichthys albonubes 4 Yamato/Amano Shrimp - Caridina japonica 2 Ghost Shrimp - Callianassa californiensis 1 MTS Pond snails Water quality: PH: 7.2 KH 3-4 dGH Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrites: 0 ppm Nitrates: 5 ppm Phosphate: 5 ppm Lighting is on from 2pm-10pm weekdays and 10am-10pm on Sat. and Sunday for longer viewing time. 4" bubble wand and white moonlight LED are on when lights are off. Currently dosing all seachem liquid ferts every other day: 2ml Excel 2ml Flourish - for traces 2ml Potassium .25ml Nitrogen 25% Water Change weekly with DI water. I double up on the traces the day after the WC. Some current pics from today: Big - http://www.projectswerve.org/images/...5.07/front.jpg Right side: Big - http://www.projectswerve.org/images/...5.07/right.jpg White Clouds: New Ludwiga growth: An attempt something different: Some notes: Still working on getting the phostphate levels down a little more if possible but if they remain fairly constant at 5 ppm I guess its just best to leave well enough alone. I have litterally 0 algae growth that I can see due to the amanos so I'm having to suppliment them with algae tabs. Everything is showing decent levels of new growth. The speed of growth has increased a good bit since starting the potassium dosing and I imagine it will only get better with the addition of more nitrates and doubling up as avalon suggested. I'm finally starting to see new growth on the Taiwan moss, very tiny bright specks on almost all of the ends. Looks like its going to take quite a while for it to grow in nice and lush. I have started a new journal for the 20G over at plantedtank.net so I'll no longer be crowding it into this thread in order to keep things seperated. If my signature will manage to work there is a link there. 'Til next time... __________________ 2.5G nano 10G Hex 20G long Last edited by MrJG; 03-25-2007 at 02:19 PM..

03-25-2007, 02:25 PM	#39
Big Vine Super Fish Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 3,895	That's great news that your plants are doing so well! Looks good. BV __________________ "The more it eats, the more it excretes." 75 gal. - 11" tiger oscar

03-26-2007, 09:56 AM	#40
MrJG Little Fish Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancaster, S.C. Posts: 104	Thanks BV! tropical: the bubble wand had always been in there for the fish to play in and to oxygenate the water. I had read that agitating the water would remove CO2 and also the plants should provide the tank with O2 during the lighting period. I know that comment only applies to tanks that actually have CO2 injected but I just popped it into the night-time outlet for the heck of it. Probably really does nothing for the tank either way other than maybe adding more O2 to the water while the plants are sleeping. __________________ 2.5G nano 10G Hex 20G long