# New corner tank



## B4M (24 Sep 2008)

Hi all,

My tank has been set-up for about 3 months and considering it's my first tank I'm pretty happy. Here's a summary of the story to date.

Starting with equipment

The tank- a 250L custom corner unit with oak cabinet and hood from Wharf aquatics







This front opening hood was a special request and allows great access






Lights 2 x 24W T5 linear and 2 x 55W power compact T5 with reflectors






One of the 24W installed in lid






Filter: Eheim 2128 prof II Thermo
DIY CO2 system


----------



## B4M (24 Sep 2008)

And inside the tank...

Substrate is eco complete 1" at front to 3" at rear. Front then has 1" of black moon sand on top. 

Decor is bog wood






And the after planting











If you're wondering about the white thing, it's the foot from my wife's tights filled with sand to weight down the wood. 

Sorry about the quality I'd better read up on photography tips. Like take at a slight angle!



More to follow..


----------



## Joecoral (25 Sep 2008)

That looks great so far, I like it, not a fan of the backing paper though, plain black would look much better IMO
As far as photo tips, taking at an angle isn't neccessary. Try and have it so the only light in the room is the tank lights themselves (eg at night with the room light off) and don't use the flash. Using a tripod (or propping the camera up on some books or something) to keep the camera steady will also help


----------



## aaronnorth (25 Sep 2008)

nice start, what plants are there?


----------



## B4M (25 Sep 2008)

OK plants...

I purchased the plants from Greenline and was sorry to hear they closed shortly after. 

I went for a selection of 80 mixed plants, 15 mixed crypts, 25 bunches of dwarf hair grass, 25 lengths of Glosso and a bag of 8 mixed mosses. 
Planting scheme below. 






1.  Green Cabomba
2.  Elodea Densa
3.  Staight Vallis
4.  Hygrophila Polysperma
5.  Green Ludwiga
6.  Twisted Vallis
7.  Cryptocoryne Wendtii
8.  Mixed Crypts
9.  Bronze Bacopa
10. Myacca Fluviatilis
11. Bacopa Baby tears
12. Creeping Jenny
13. Dwarf Chain sword
14. Dwarf Sagittario
15. Micro Sagittario
16. Dwarf Hair grass
17. Glossostigma Elatinoides

I read that to combat algae you should plant heavily. So I did!

B4M


----------



## B4M (25 Sep 2008)

Two weeks later and the plants are starting to establish. 





Unfortunately signs of brown hairy algae have also started to show.











And one week later it's taking over. 






This was a low point as after weeks of planning I had hoped to avoid major algae issues.
When searching the web for options I came across James' algae guide http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm and saw he mentioned overdosing with Flourish Excel. I promptly ordered some and started dosing at double the recommended quantity. Within a few days the algae had reduced dramatically and a week later it was all gone. -Thank-you James!
I should add that my Cabomba, Elodeo Densa and Vallis did all die but that was fore warned and a small price to pay. 

B4M


----------



## B4M (26 Sep 2008)

I ordered some alternative plants to replace those lost. My Glosso was doing quite well with the amount of light so by way of experiment I included some red leaved plants. 

5 x Alternanthera Rosaefolia
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Microsorium Pteropus Java Fern
1 bunch: Echinodorus Amazonicus  
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Vallisneria Spiralis
5 x Vallisneria Torta

I also rearranged some of the plants as some were growing too much or to little for the original placement. 

These photos were taken a few weeks ago so bring me almost up to date. 













Compared to other journal tanks it's an untidy mess but the plants are growing which was my first objective. All except the red ones that is; they've just turned green!

B4M


----------



## sari (27 Sep 2008)

Hi,

I don't think it's a mess at all but very attractive set up! I'm very familiar with the problems with red plants... They need massive amounts of light and I have only had reasonable success with lotuses and ludwigia since I don't have a hi tech set up yet.


----------



## Fred Dulley (27 Sep 2008)

WOW, that's gorgeous. Nice and healthy. To top it off I would add a black background


----------



## keymaker (27 Sep 2008)

Now that's a very nice tank! GG with the algae fight.
I agree with Fred and Joecoral, the backing paper really needs to go and be replaced with something black...


----------



## joyous214 (27 Sep 2008)

wow nice!!!! back paper needs to go though!!! but i love the way its filled out


----------



## zed (27 Sep 2008)

Very nice, and usefull for us newbies by included the scheme for planting with the list of plants so we can see what's what  

I'm in the process of setting up a 350l corner tank, and still collecting/ordering equipment. Can't wait to order some plants!

Looking forward to seeing updates as it matures.


----------



## B4M (28 Sep 2008)

Thanks for the comments. Point taken on the backing paper. I'll try to sort some black paper then try and figure how to swap as the original was attached before it was filled. 

B4M


----------



## altaaffe (28 Sep 2008)

Great looking tank there & looks like it will continue to get better.
You left me ROTFLMAO though 'cos my first thought on THAT pic was "what the f*** is that?" 
I then reworked the brain and saw what it was before reading the comment !!     



			
				B4M said:
			
		

> If you're wondering about the white thing, it's the foot from my wife's tights filled with sand to weight down the wood.



My thought was "Oh it's a sandbag"


----------



## LondonDragon (28 Sep 2008)

Looking great, nice going with the fight 

B4M 1 Algae 0


----------



## B4M (28 Sep 2008)

Last night I remove the ill fated Power compacts http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3110 and installed a metal halide light. 

Wow what a difference.

I purchased the Metal Halide from Fastlight lighting after finding the units on e-bay. The e-bay units came with 10000k bulbs and I wanted 6500k. These were available separately on e-bay and the shop were happy to provide the 6500k. I also took the recommended contactor for switching with a timer. 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260266673868
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=250274217936
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/13a-2-Way-Lig...hZ016QQcategoryZ46314QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

This was the hood with the old T5 reflectors; note the scorching from the failed lamp holder. It also highlights the challenge of fitting enough tubes in a corner tank. 





This photo shows the new reflector installed. I kept the T5 linear as these didn't give any problems. I may change bulbs to blue light and use for moon light effect in evening. 






Note the two cooling fans installed to dissipate the heat. These are 12v PC case fans and these plus power adapter were from e-bay. 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Akasa-92mm-Co...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Switch-Mode-D...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

The fan comes set-up to plug into a PC mother board so requires some DIY to use with the adapter. I was going to use the thermistor (temperature sensor) to control the speed dependent on temperature. However I figured this was making things more complicated than needed. A PC generates varying levels of heat depending on what it is doing. A light is either on or off. I therefore went for a potentiometer (variable resistor) to allow me to manually adjust the speed. This is a benefit as the noise increases from 19 to 31 dBA as the speed increases from 1450 to 2450 RPM. 






The photo below is the tank today with the new lights. 






It's hard to see the difference from the photo but the steams of oxygen bubbles coming off the plants is impressive. My ricca never pearled like this before. 






B4M


----------



## Joecoral (28 Sep 2008)

I might have missed this, but what fert dosing regime are you using?
With the 250w halide, it gives you approx. 4wpg, which is a lot of light, and if you aren't adding high fert levels, such as EI or even double EI, you might find you start to get algae problems?
I'm sure clive will cast a more expert light on the situation


----------



## B4M (28 Sep 2008)

Hi Joecoral,

I've been dosing 7 ml Tropica PN+ and 7ml flourish excel daily. From what you say I'd better buy some dry ferts and start EI.

Thanks,

B4M


----------



## Joecoral (28 Sep 2008)

don't take my word for it, if you've been dosing 7ml tpn+ a day then you'll probably be ok
im sure clive ( or any of the other experts) will tell us one way or another once they read this
EI will work out a lot cheaper in the long run though compared to TPN+


----------



## ceg4048 (28 Sep 2008)

Yeah, wow, I'm with Joe on this one. Las Vegas lighting supported by only DIY CO2 and a wimpy 7ml liquids on this size tank? That's like praying at the algae shrine for every species known to mankind to visit you.   Golly, I hope the OFF switch works on those halides because I there is way to much energy being input to the tank. Light creates demand for CO2 and nutrients. If the demands are not met the plants will begin to fail and algae will attack.

Cheers,


----------



## Joecoral (28 Sep 2008)

from looking at the pictures I assume DIY CO2 means a set-up you put together yourself using a pressurised CO2 fire extinguisher?


----------



## B4M (29 Sep 2008)

Yes, Pressurised CO2 from fire extinguisher. The ballast for the lights does include the ability to reduce output by 30%. So down to 175 watts if needed. 

Ceg4048- With pressureised CO2, drop counter green, and switching to EI do you still see problems? While I research EI and order dry ferts should I increase liquid feed? Tropica recommend 5ml per 50L per week so 25ml per week or 3.5ml daily. I doubled this to 7ml, should I go higher?

Thanks,

B4M


----------



## Joecoral (29 Sep 2008)

While using high CO2 and high ferts you can grow the plants without algae with so much light, its also making things harder for yourself
The plants will grow faster, require more trimming/maintenance, and you will go through ferts/CO2 (as the high light increases the plant's demands) so it will cost more


----------



## ceg4048 (29 Sep 2008)

Yes, as Joe says you can be very successful with pressurized CO2 and high levels of nutrients but why live on the edge of extinction? Why not lower your lighting and figure out how to grow plants without the sword hanging over your head? On your opening posts you showed images of algae while you had much lower lighting than you do now. So this means that you should figure out the other aspects of plant husbandry that contribute to an algae free environment such as maintenance, flow, CO2 and so forth before accelerating the tank with photon torpedoes. 

I would lower the light as much as possible, double the current dosages and keep the tank as clean as possible with large water changes. Even after you start dosing EI you need to continue this practice of cleanliness. After a while you will get a feel for your tank and you can increase the lighting for a few hours a day, working your way up to your megawattage. This takes time though, and algae are unforgiving. As I recall, the hare won the race and the rabbit was left in the dust...   

Cheers,


----------



## Joecoral (29 Sep 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> As I recall, the hare won the race and the rabbit was left in the dust...
> 
> Cheers,



I thought the tortoise won?


----------



## ceg4048 (29 Sep 2008)

Joecoral said:
			
		

> ceg4048 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah, that's it. The tortoise  One should not multitask when quoting parables...

Cheers,


----------



## B4M (29 Sep 2008)

OK, I'll wind down the output and up the dosing. Good job I didn't go for the 400W unit then eh  

B4M


----------



## B4M (1 Oct 2008)

I'm running lights at 175W and I've increased the CO2 to 2-3 bps and increased the liquid dosing. 
Dry ferts from AE arrived this morning. I only ordered yesterday lunch time; great service. I think I'll use up the last of my liquid fert while I do more reading. My nitrate has always been on the high side; it's usually about 40ppm before water change and 20ppm after. I had assumed this was because of the plus in the TPN+ and my plants weren't mature enough to use at the rate added. I assume I would reduce the KNO3 dosage if nitrate started to creep higher? 

On Sunday I added a second CO2 tester. I was finding the drop checker hard to read so opted for a permanent tester with a white centre. I cleaned and filled them both on Sunday using 4dKH solution and following the instructions. 
I've found that the drop checker turns green when the tester is still blue. Can you suggest any reason why they wouldn't read the same given that they are placed next to each other (same flow)?  
Based on this I measured the KH and PH to try to calculate the ppm from this chart. I have soft water with a KH of only 25ppm and my PH read 6 (was 6.4 before I increased CO2 rate). I'm assuming that my KH is 2.5 on the X axis but there is no line for a PH of 6. However with such soft water I would need a low PH to achieve CO2 of 30ppm. i.e. if my PH was 6.7 I would only have 15ppm CO2. 






So what do I need to do? Add some buffers to increase the KH so I can obtain 30ppm at a higher PH? If so what type do you recommend?

Thanks,

B4M


----------



## B4M (1 Oct 2008)

OK, Just read Clive's very detailed tutorial. http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=467
From the link he references http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm 25ppm KH is 1.4 degrees and with a PH of 6 this gives 42 ppm CO2 so I'm way off the chart on the previous post. I'll go and turn my CO2 back down and try to figure why the new permanent tester isn't turning green never mind yellow. Sorry fish!   

B4M


----------



## Joecoral (1 Oct 2008)

This chart makes is much easier to work out CO2


----------



## ceg4048 (1 Oct 2008)

B4M said:
			
		

> ...25ppm KH is 1.4 degrees and with a PH of 6 this gives 42 ppm CO2 so I'm way off the chart on the previous post. I'll go and turn my CO2 back down and try to figure why the new permanent tester isn't turning green never mind yellow.


It's not clear which tester you are using and/or which water is being used in the tester. Where did you measure a KH of 1.4? and a pH of 6? was this the tank water? If so then you need to ignore it. The only pH or kH readings that would matter are that of the dropchecker. In fact, the dropchecker should be filled with 4 dkh water. This could easily explain why your drop checker is blue. The parameters of water in the dropchecker are completely different than that of the tank water. As explained in the dropchecker article these are separate for the reason of excluding the acidic contamination of the tank water. The reason for referencing Chuck's chart was to show the relationship between pH/KH/CO2, however this relationship is not present in your tank water, only in the isolated sample of distilled/RO water in the dropchecker. You need to add more CO2 not decrease it.



			
				B4M said:
			
		

> My nitrate has always been on the high side; it's usually about 40ppm before water change and 20ppm after. I had assumed this was because of the plus in the TPN+ and my plants weren't mature enough to use at the rate added. I assume I would reduce the KNO3 dosage if nitrate started to creep higher?


High nitrates in a planted tank is good news. You need to forget about trying to reduce this value. In fact you need to stop testing for it period. Fretting about nitrate creeping is only going to cause you more grief.

Cheers,


----------



## B4M (1 Oct 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Where did you measure a KH of 1.4? and a pH of 6? was this the tank water? If so then you need to ignore it.



Correct. These are tank water readings. I appreciate that the CO2/KH/PH relationship may not be accurate as carbonate may not be the only buffer present. But for the well being of the fish I'm not sure they should be ignored. 
When I increased the CO2 it did reduce the tank PH from 6.4 to 6. I would be conserned about adding yet more CO2. 



			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> It's not clear which tester you are using


I was using both the glass drop checker and the permenant CO2 tester (similar to that in your tutorial), with one above the other. Both filled with 4dKH and indicator added per instructions. Glass drop checker is green Perm CO2 tester is blue. 



			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> High nitrates in a planted tank is good news.


Within reason right? If they start to reach 100ppm then the fish will suffer so I'll keep an eye on the reading when I start EI.


----------



## ceg4048 (1 Oct 2008)

B4M said:
			
		

> ceg4048 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, they can absolutely be safely ignored. What must be considered when adding CO2 has to do only with CO2 toxicity not pH or KH stability. 



			
				B4M said:
			
		

> ceg4048 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's not clear to me why both dropcheckers would behave differently if there were both filled with 4 dkh water and both had drops of Bromo blue added to them. Possibly if one was mounted in a way such that it blocks the water entry way of the other this might have an effect. Try putting more separating between them.



			
				B4M said:
			
		

> ceg4048 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No, you can be completely unreasonable when it comes to nitrates. I've run tanks with nitrate levels approaching 100ppm and have had no difficulty with fish whatsoever. The only negative effects have been tiresome growth rates. Nitrates have a very low toxicity. It's the ammonia and nitrite that the nitrates start off as that is toxic. In any case I doubt you will reach 100ppm. Another reason I advise against test kits is that they lie ferociously. The minute you believe them and start to panic in response to their false readings is the moment your troubles really start. Ignore your nitrate readings and worry only about keeping your tank clean with massive and frequent water changes, removal of dead leaves and removal of debris and detritus.

Cheers,


----------



## Fred Dulley (1 Oct 2008)

The chart only works if the KH value in the tank is only influenced by the water and no other buffers. Otherwise it's flawed.


----------



## ceg4048 (1 Oct 2008)

Actually, the situation is that the relationship only works when Carbonic acid is the only acid in the water. What corrupts the readings taken from tank water is not other sources of carbonates but other sources of acid. Other acids affect the pH thereby giving false high readings for pH. When you then use use this pH value in the chart it shows a higher than actual CO2 readings. This is why we separate the water sample in the dropchecker and use distilled or RO water adjusted to a known KH. It doesn't really matter what KH the water is adjusted to as long as we know what that value is, because that is the value we would use when looking it up on the chart or when using it in the equation. What must be absolute is that there are no other acids in the dropchecker's water. This is the sole reason for using distilled or RO water. Then we know that the pH will be driven strictly by acid due to CO2 in solution and will not be driven by other acids which are always present in the tank water or tap water.

It does not matter how carbonates get there. As long as we know what the quantity is. CO3 is CO3 and HCO3 is HCO3 no matter the source, they will have the same effect. Different acids however change the relationship because we cannot separate how much of the pH reading is due to Carbonic acid and how much of it is due to other acids.

Cheers,


----------



## B4M (1 Oct 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Yes, they can absolutely be safely ignored. What must be considered when adding CO2 has to do only with CO2 toxicity not pH or KH stability.



I think we're in agreement but have crossed lines. CO2 toxicity and dangerously low PH are two separate issues. 
I could have a PH of 6 and CO2 of 10ppm, CO2 toxicity wouldn't be a problem but the low PH in the tank water could be. 
A PH of 6 is below the recommended/prefered level for many fish and I've read that invertibrates may not be able to harden their shells in acidic water. 
I think I need to raise my PH and KH with buffer (baking soda?) before increasing CO2. 

B4M


----------



## ceg4048 (1 Oct 2008)

B4M,
       Ask any discus breeder, Dwarf chiclid or tetra breeder about how low pH can safely drop in a tropical tank. My tank water routinely drops to or below 6 with no ill effects. In fact many species breed only when the pH drops to 5 and even down to 3. Central and South American fish live in highly acidic waters. There is no danger when dropping below a pH of 6. CO2 toxicity causes low blood pH. That is the reason for the toxicity and is a completely different story. Water pH can be ignored, except for breeding purposes when it actually needs to be lowered.

Cheers,


----------



## Ray (1 Oct 2008)

B4M said:
			
		

> I think I need to raise my PH and KH with buffer (baking soda?) before increasing CO2.


Apparently not, there was a thread either here or on the Barr report which unfortunately I can not find.  It would seem that CO2 induced PH drop is not the same as acid induced or worse still GH induced ph drop.  If your ph is OK for the fish before the CO2 comes on, they won't mind where it drops to while it is on (so long as you don't gas them).  PH is an indicator, because it is effected by so many variables.  GH, KH and TDS are much more likely to stress your fish if not right.

Nice looking tank, by the way.


----------



## B4M (1 Oct 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> There is no danger when dropping below a pH of 6


Hmm, interesting. Seems to contradict the school of thought that says low PH with little buffer capacity (low KH) leaves a tank vulnerable to PH crashes. Many people also state that a PH of between 6.5 and 7.5 is ideal unless keeping specialist fish. 



			
				Ray said:
			
		

> Nice looking tank, by the way


Thank-you for the encouragement   

B4M


----------



## ceg4048 (2 Oct 2008)

Yes, that's just it. That is the same school which preaches that nitrates and phosphates cause algae and are bad for fish...  

Cheers,


----------



## B4M (20 Oct 2008)

OK, it's been a few weeks since last update. 
So far the new lights have not had a detrimental effect, I've started dosing dry ferts, and there are new arrivals...

I've been pretty harsh with the pruning especially the fore and mid ground. It was looking OK but on the verge of getting out of hand. 

Before:





After:




At the front right the dwarf chain grass was taking over. It spreads using surface runners and what started off as a single plant was now about 12. One thing about the chain grass is that the runners are on the surface so for a while I trained them round in circles in that corner but it became too thick. So 90% was cleared out and I'll keep the runners trimmed. 
The Dwarf Sagittario was also starting to take over the foreground. I was wondering whether to take it out completely but quite like the way it breaks up the transition from fore to mid. The trouble with Sagttario is that the runners are underground so you don't know where it will pop up next. 
The glosso was also getting thick and layering over its self so I gave it a good hair cut. 
I also heavily trimmed the crypts as they were getting tall and starting to shade the glosso. 

I've started dry fert dosing using an all in one mix that I think is similar to EI: here. 
I've been using this for just over a week and so far so good I'll keep an eye and report on progress. 

And my Kribs have had babies!!!  

They'd hanging around their half coconut shell for a while but I hadn't twigged until I came home one day and saw these little fellas under their mum. 




I don't have a fry tank so they've had to take their chances. The parents are excellent at guarding them and 10 days later there are still a good number and they're growing fast. 




I feed them by mixing some powdered fry food with a drop of water and using a pipette to inject into the corner that is their home. This covers the sand and plants with a light dusting and the fry happily munch away. 
What I do with the baby fish is a problem for another day!

Cheers,

B4M


----------



## Thomas McMillan (20 Oct 2008)

Looking good! Nice work. 

I've always loved Kribs


----------



## aaronnorth (21 Oct 2008)

looks lovely, the vallis is a bit distracting though (for me anyway!)


----------



## LondonDragon (21 Oct 2008)

Tank looking great and congrats on the little ones


----------



## Thomas McMillan (21 Oct 2008)

I agree about the vallis. I think you need to echo the busyness of the right to the left hand side and back corner of the tank.


----------



## B4M (21 Oct 2008)

Thomas McMillan said:
			
		

> I agree about the vallis. I think you need to echo the busyness of the right to the left hand side and back corner of the tank.


Yeah, the right side is doing well, the left and back are slower. The Hygrophila Polysperma dominates the right and needs regular trimming. At the right front the Bacopa baby tears and Ludwigia repens are also doing well. 
Behind the vallis are three Alternanthera reineckii but these are a bit slow to gain height and although a nice red colour aren't visible yet. I'll give them some more time but they may be a poor choice for the very rear of the tank. 
I want to keep variety so would prefer not to mirror the Hygro Poly on the left. Any recommendations for another bushy plant that would compliment it on the left side? 

thanks all for the encouragement  

B4M


----------



## Steve Smith (21 Oct 2008)

Maybe something like ludwigia arcuata would look nice.  It's a more needle leafed shape and should grow with a red tinge given enough light.  Might help break up all of the green 

Looking great though!


----------



## B4M (24 Oct 2008)

Everything is looking pretty healthy but  if we're talking warts and all there are a few unwanted guests I should confess to. 
Along the front of the glass at the substrate I get some Blue Green Algae. I also have noted a little Green spot algae on the Sagittario and some on the glass. Interestingly if on the glass there is often a definite line below my water change level. I also noticed a single little tuft of Black Brush algae on my bog wood today. This is near the kribs home and the SAE aren't allowed near so that won't have helped. 
The first two have been around and haven't got much worse or better since I added lights or changed to dry ferts. Reading James' algae guide I'll keep an eye and possibly up the Potassium Phosphate to help the GSA and my nitrates are always higher than 20ppm so I don't think that is the cause of the BGA. My CO2 should be 30ppm so I don't think that is the cause but distribution may be. 
Flow is probably an area I could improve. The filter is a Eheim 2128 and at 1050l/h it's not bad but not brilliant considering the ideal is quoted as 10 times the tank volume per hour. Also the flow circulation is not even as the spray bar is on the top right the flow hits the front top to middle at 45 deg and flows along the rear left back to the inlet at the bottom rear corner. This results in fairly low flow in the front right corner and along the substrate at the front in general. 
I was thinking of putting in a Hydor Koralia power head. Any recommendations on where to buy online and what size I should get?
I would place this to give a flow along substrate at the front. Not sure if it would be best at the right so the flow is in the same direction as the filter flow or at the left where it would be against but underneath the main filter flow and maybe create some turbulence rather than a whirl pool. Any thoughts?

Cheers,

B4M


----------



## B4M (29 Oct 2008)

Just a quick update..
I've moved the Ludwigia repens from front right over to the left and I think it is helping balance the H polysperma. 



 

I've added a Hydor Koralia 1 and it has made a big difference to the flow across the glosso so hopefully will remove dead spots and improve CO2 distribution. I put it at the front left and it makes for an interesting flow pattern. 





I just wish my Betta wasn't so attached to it   




Don't worry he's fine! If anything like the filter intake he'll learn not to swim near it pretty quickly. 

B4M


----------



## Thomas McMillan (30 Oct 2008)

much better


----------



## B4M (30 Oct 2008)

Thomas McMillan said:
			
		

> much better


Thanks, I'll just have to keep on top of the pruning now.

B4M


----------

