For Jon, tank ready.

[Bob I]

Hi Jonathan, I went out today after work, and picked up a bag of Pool Filter Sand. It is really just screened to a uniform size silica sand, but costs $14.47 a bag. I washed about 30 pounds, and put it in the 33. I also picked up three artificial plants. When it clears, it will make a nice home for my new Angels.
Bob :D

[Canadian Man]

That sounds like an excellent set up Bob!
At our next meeting, in june, I will bring some plants for you if you want.
have picked out some beauties for ya!

[Bob I]

I do enjoy plants, and with my double fluorescent strip light, I should be able to grow some. I do remember that when I last had fresh water tanks about two years ago, I had a horrible outbreak of hair algae that stopped me keeping plants.

[Canadian Man]

Hmmmm I would suspect that having plants would solve algae problems but on the other hand I still have minor algae in my heavily planted tank. I dont know. But plants are good. Much better looking than plastic ones

[StirCrazy]

Hey, plants will keep Algae in check but they have to be fairly fast growing plants (usaly stem plants will do this)

I have had great luck in my 37 gal tank as I cannot grow algae in that tank, I over fertalize like crazy and still no algae.
if you want to take a look and see what I have done with it you can look at it's WEB PAGE (http://members.shaw.ca/cyltic/37gal.htm)

Steve

[Delphinus]

Very nice setup, Steve. I assume you are doing CO2 on this tank? If so, is it the full-meal deal (tank regulator etc.) or just the pop bottle/yeast thing? Tell us more details man!

I wish my freshwater tank looked like that. It looks like ... well, crap. Ok, maybe not crap, but certainly not as nice as yours! I get that beard algae over everything and nothing eats it and it's darn near impossible to scrape off. Once it gets on the plant leaves, that's it, the plant needs to be pruned (there's no getting it off the leaves without damaging them)...

[ 08 May 2002, 22:42: Message edited by: delphinus ]

[StirCrazy]

actualy I am not using C02, it was to expensive so I just kept my lighting to 2 watt/gal, I use PPMD (home made) fertalizer plus I use seachem potasium and iron suplement fertalizers (I had a bout with a potasium deficiency that almost made me give up befor I figured it out. I wanted to go higher lights so I could add some high light plants but that would mean I would have to dose C02. I tried a yeast in a bottle set up but it never worked and I haven't gotten around to trying a different set up yet.

as for your beard algae, have you tested your tap water for phosphate and nitrates? high nutrent water makes the stuff go nuts. you could go to home depot and get thoes 2 stage under the counter filters for about 50 bucks (same as a sediment and carbon filters on a ro unit) that would take care of a lot of the nutrents. also if you can find it, get a bristle nose pleco (they stay small) or your best bet if you have the roomis to find a marble sailfin pleco. lb for lb the baddest algae eating machien I have seen. :D

a friend of mine went throught a hair algae battel and what he did was take everything out, boil it with bleach.. then again to wash out the bleach. then he used filtered water (I think he had a 10 micron sediment, a 5 micron sediment and two carbon blocks. cost him about 100.00 to set it up) he hasn't had it come back sence. also if you get plants like HYGROPHILA STRICTA, or any of the fast growing "stem" plants they do a good job of out competing the algae if you have enuf.

Steve

[ron101]

Greetings all. Im new to this board.

In addition to my 90 gla reef I also maintain a 33gal 'softwater' tank and a 20 gal 'hardwater' tank.

I recently slapped 2x30watts fluorescents on my 33gal hoping to have some success with plants. In the past I have bought cuttings from stores with debatable success; usually it's just the 'weed' types that take hold. However last time I bucked up for some potted Tropica Java fern and it's doing great in my 20 gal. Wondering if that's part of the equation.

Do you guys use less expensive cuttings or the primo brand name potted plants? TIA.

Ron

[Canadian Man]

when i first started i just used cutting from my buddies what ever kinda tank. Now i have to throw out/sell about a 5g bucket a month of plants.
I do use Co2 (the yeast in sugar water trick)

[StirCrazy]

Originally posted by Ron101:
Do you guys use less expensive cuttings or the primo brand name potted plants? <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I use what ever I can find for a deicent price :D
how soft is your water? if it is like mine a lot of plants wont do as good as they should with out fertalizer and such. Java fern is a very hardy plant and will do well almost anywhare, another one lik this is anibus (spelling?) it is expensive but very hard to kill.

Canadian Man
how did you set up your DIY C02? I tried it with 2 2L bottles and never got so much as a bubble

Steve

[Canadian Man]

Hey Steve, I will explain.
Oh first it is Anubius ;)

So i have a fluval 203 on the tank and the out put flows into a gravel cleaner. so with out the co2 the gravel cleaner is full of water.

My co2 comes from one 2l bottle. The important thing is the seal at the cap.
I drilled a hole in the plastic cap and rubber washer thingy that comes with all the bottles.
the hole should be small enough to pass the tubing through and you have to use PLUMBERS GOOP,
I tried the first time with silicone but it doesnt work.
you have to seal on the outside of the cap and on the inside of the rubber thingy(yes very tecnical)
So when the bottle is closed the only way for co2 to exit is through the tubing.
I then mix up 1 cup of sugar with hot water and pour it into the bottle, then add very cold water till about 1 to 2 inches from the top as not to touch the tubing. add 1 ts of yeast and give it a shake and BAM you got co2 for 2 to 3 weeks.

From there i just run a line attached to a suction cup to the base and into the gravel cleaner so the co2 forms on the top and water passes through.
You know when you are starting to run out as the air pocket goes from being 3/4 of the gravel cleaner to about 1/16 th of it.

Hope this helps.
Any other questions? was I clear enough?

[ 09 May 2002, 20:10: Message edited by: Canadian Man ]

[StirCrazy]

ok I see what happened I did the same thing but I used silicon, if you want more co2 you can get lavilen 11118 yeast(any wine making store), make your sugar water mix, adjust the SG to 1.090 then add one tsp of yeast nutrents. the Lavilen 1118 will ferment up to 18%
so you will get a higher co2 output and mabe even for a longer time also. I tried the same thing but using two 2l bottles but I kinda thought it was the silicon that was leaking.. I am going to try it this time using 1 gal glass carboys and rubber bungs. I wonder if we could get enuf c02 this way to run a calcium reactor.... Hmmm

Steve

[Canadian Man]

I have often wondered the same thing about the calcium reactor. With my set up I get quite a burst of bubles every 30 seconds to 1 minute. the only problem i can see is it would not be a constant bubbling eg.cylinder and bubble counter.
???????????
who knows may work.
Hmmmm