# Helloooo!!!!



## Dave2a (30 Oct 2011)

Hello I'm Dave, and from Surrey   
been reading UKAPS quite a lot recently so thought I'd best sign up and become a member!! There is a lot of helpfull and usefull information here thank you!

I started with my first aqurium about 10 years ago think is was only about 20l and just had some plastic plants with few fish, over the years it's just got bigger and more advanced I'm now running a jewul rio 400!
Had this tank about 3 years now when first setup I wanted a planted aqurium but didn't last long till It got overtaken by BBA everything was covered and just got used to the black hair waving about in the current. Couple of months ago I decided enough was enough and had a complete tear down all plants went, all wood had the pressure washer treatment new backing stuck in and substrate hoovered and hoovered till I was happy I had got it all!! I decided to get rid of most of my fish as had a lot of large clown loach, upside down cat fish, ruby barbs and two ciclids!! 
So I now have a clean tank and new plants are becoming established there's 27 neon tetra, 36 harlequins, 6 corys and a load of red cherry shrimp and red nose shrimp!! So bit differant to what I've had before and they so much cleaner oh and can't forget 1 large kissing gourami couldn't get rid of him as had him about 6-7 years now!
I've got 7 differant plants atmo brought a few to see what took off and what didn't but all growing well just need to decide what's staying and where I want it I'd like to name them but not got clueof there names! Somthing I need to learn!!
I'm injecting co2 just not sure if I'm diffusing it efficiently so got a lot of questions for you guys and also there signs of BBA coming back think it could be to do with to much phosphate as our water has high levels or to do with co2 as bottle ran out couple of weeks ago and took 4 days to find a refill so not to sure! I hope you guys can help


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## hotweldfire (30 Oct 2011)

Welcome. What ferts you using mate?


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## Dave2a (30 Oct 2011)

hotweldfire said:
			
		

> Welcome. What ferts you using mate?


Thanks!
Been useing nutrafin plant gro!! But have orderd some flourish excel as read that's good for the plants and BBA don't like it but there still a underlying problem as to why it coming back!!


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## mcluckyday (31 Oct 2011)

Welcome Dave to UKAPS!


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## Alastair (31 Oct 2011)

Welcome dave. Co2 wise, are you using a drop checker, if so what colour is it say 2 hours into your photo period? And what filtration are you using. 
Also you said you are using 7 plants, is that 7 plants in total or 7 species of plants, if just 7 plants, your dosing ferts in such a big tank with very little in the way of plant mass to use up the ferts do algae will take advantage of that situation. Ive got thr juwel vision 450 and certainly have more than 7. With the excel, spot dose your daily dose to the area suffering with bba for a couple of days and it will turn purple and die off.


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## Dave2a (31 Oct 2011)

Alastair said:
			
		

> Welcome dave. Co2 wise, are you using a drop checker, if so what colour is it say 2 hours into your photo period? And what filtration are you using.
> Also you said you are using 7 plants, is that 7 plants in total or 7 species of plants, if just 7 plants, your dosing ferts in such a big tank with very little in the way of plant mass to use up the ferts do algae will take advantage of that situation. Ive got thr juwel vision 450 and certainly have more than 7. With the excel, spot dose your daily dose to the area suffering with bba for a couple of days and it will turn purple and die off.


Hi alastair
Yep useing drop checker and is green 2 hours into photo period!! As for filtration I ripped out that hideous internal filter and running a fluval FX5 and also have power head running to help circulate the co2 as got the excess bubbles from the spiral diffuser running thought it to disperse what the spiral don't dissolve.
And that is 7 differant species lol!!


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## Alastair (31 Oct 2011)

Is that the glass spiral or the spiral that you add to depending on the size of the tank? If the latter I'd maybe opt to looking for an atomic internal diffuser from day aqua essentials or possibly try to DIY a reactor for the fx5. That's what I'm  making tomorrow for my fx5. 
Only reason I say to change is that I believe the tall spiral types aren't as efficient as others.
I'm with you in pulling the internal out ha ha. I did exactly the same. Great filter just very unsightly


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## Dave2a (31 Oct 2011)

Yep the plastic spiral and is as long as I can go lots of excess at top which then feeds down a pipe to the inlet of the power head!! So how you planning on using the FX5??


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## Alastair (31 Oct 2011)

Maybe try a different diffuser, I have a fair few spare if you want to give them ago. Or stick with what you've got if your happy. 
The fx5 is currently in the left rear corner blowing right across the back of the tank, with a powerhead right rear blowing across the front giving a nice circular flow round the tank but I only have the powerhead on during lights. I used to run two fx5s but was only doing so for flow so didn't see the point.,
I've got one of the internal most diffusers at the minute, but will be making an inline co2 reactor tomorrow out of PVC pipe following eds DIY reactor thread. This way I'll have completely dissolved co2 coming out of the outlet with no bubbles at all and hopefully have to use less co2. It's just a case of snipping my outlet pipe to plum in my reactor.


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## Alastair (31 Oct 2011)

http://87.117.224.40/~ukaps/forum/viewt ... 79&start=0


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## Dave2a (1 Nov 2011)

Very neat idea!! How you going to join and seal the corrugated hose on the FX5?? Can I ask how quick you go through co2 bottles as you have similar sized tank!! I use a 500g and also have a 2kg but not run the 2kg yet!! And had bad sealing problems when putting the 500g which I've changed twice now and both times wasted gas but now got new o'ring from JBL so should be ok when the 2kg goes on I hope!! Then I can see how long a full bottle lasts as the two 500's have only lasted about 5 weeks!!


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## Alastair (1 Nov 2011)

I'll just cut through the ribbed hosing close to the filter, then attach with jubilee clips either end of the reactor. I've made it so it has 25mm hose barbs which is the same internal diameter as the fx5 hose. The reactor is also longer to give more time for co2 to dissolve. Failing that I have 10 Meters worth of 25mm braided hosing that I use for the water change feature on the fx5 so can always pinch some of that but when I tried an Old ribbed hose on the barb it went on but took a bit of twisting so I know it shouldn't come loose. 
Co2 wise, I have a 22kg cylinder, 15kg when empty which sits about 3 foot high. My co2 rate is quite high and have just had it refilled, as I thought it was about empty(which it wasn't when checked) And I'd had the cylinder in use since march so got a good 6 to 7 months and could have had longer. I just slap it in the scales every now and then to check weight. 
It depends on how well your diffusing gas into the tank too. My tank is high light so need more co2 but as I'm currently using the internal mist diffuser I don't need as much so at 4bps.


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## Dave2a (1 Nov 2011)

What does that canister come from and where do you take for a refill? I have large canister which think is from a pub that I acquired thought I could use it as a spear for the welder but no one wants to fill it unless I pay for it to be pressure tested! I can get the boc bottle filled but that comes as co2 and argon mix don't think that be good for the tank!! 
Are you going to put a post up with pics of your reactor?? I'm intrigued!!


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## Alastair (1 Nov 2011)

The cylinder I have is from a place local to where I live. Looks like a slightly smaller pub cylinder and I take it there to be filled. Have a look at this thread and see if there is somewhere local to you that fills cylinders, then you could get yours filled with co2 if it's a pub bottle. 
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4612

Yep I'll be putting detailed pics up in a thread I started about it. Will put them in this week if I can figure a way out to post pics using my iPhone


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## Dave2a (1 Nov 2011)

Thanks!!





Just tried pic from iphone above


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## Dave2a (1 Nov 2011)

It worked!! You need the app "tapatalk" £1.99 works really well with lots of differant forums including UKAPS!! Wonder what the pic looks like on a pc thou


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## Alastair (1 Nov 2011)

Yeah I've got tapa talk. Will give it a shot. I think the pic may look teeny on a pc though lol. It gives the option of inserting an image link so fingers crossed can try that too


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## Alastair (2 Nov 2011)

Gave up with the taps talk and can do it straight from Flickr with iPhone. 

Here's the link to the reactor anyway mate 

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=18275&p=186505#p186505


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## Dave2a (3 Nov 2011)

Last night I took the co2 off the timer with lights and now has its own timer so comes on before lights do, as drop checker was blue when lights came on and done my first dose of excel!! I also shortened the photo period from 9 hours to 8 not sure if that was a good idea or not but give it a week or so and see what happens!! Good luck with the reactor!


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## ceg4048 (3 Nov 2011)

EDIT: Topic moved from New Member Introduction section to CO2 section.


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