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Short answer - yes. Perfectly feasible with either an Arduino or Pi and I've had 2 similar 12v dosing pumps running for about 3 years. Long answer... As Ian said, if all you want to do is run a couple of pumps then the simplest solution is a timer - assuming the flow rate on the pump is...

I'm going to do it again.... Really? Are you actually suggesting that replacing two T8s with one averagely spec'd LED fitting is going to increase PAR? Regards, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Really? The OP is suggesting, I assume, adding another of the same light. This will double the PAR - the details may sway it a few % points either way but otherwise it is as simple as that. Regards Mark (who considered a rant about his pet hate -PAR - but thought better of it!) Sent from my...

It looks like you have roughly halved your light output. So no real surprise that things have changed. That said, I would still expect c. Wendtii to soldier on regardless (and probably anubias - but I've never grown anubias). Regards, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

I think realistically this is both cosmetic and structural. It is probably not significant but that joint will not be as strong as it could be - maybe only a few % weaker but weaker nonetheless. For a custom job from an experienced builder, I wouldn't accept it. Regards, Mark Sent from my...

I have used D-C-Fix black film on a couple of tanks (came from B&Q iirc). Very easy to apply if you remember to spray water onto the glass first - can then adjust/reposition and press out the water with a sponge. Regards, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Re NT labs micro crumb - never spotted that before. Do the pipefish take it? Is it sinking or 'floating' (as in more neutrally buoyant - not on the surface)? I've been trying for a while to find something that tank raised dwarf puffers can be persuaded to try. Regards, Mark Sent from my A0001...

Hi Gill, Have you kept pipefish before? I had some many years ago and found them particularly picky feeders. I appreciate you're trying to provide some in tank livefood etc - but I'd be worried about competition from the other fish. Those rams for example are going to hoover up any small shrimp...

At that flow rate, you'll need to be inventive. Peristaltic (dosing pumps) could deliver that rate but will be noisy and I doubt most are rated for continuous use. Miniature diaphragm/vacuum pumps would also work - but probably not the best use. I have an old diaphragm pump in the shed that I...

Hard to tell but they look like seed shrimp - if so, I hope you like them - they're there to stay! Extremely hard to eradicate. Regards, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Hi, I visited the MA at St Albans a couple of months ago and was a bit underwhelmed - can't really put my finger on why. Some reasonable shrimp from memory, lots of unusual wild caught fish and a very impressive reef tank. Almost too big! Wholesale Aquatics - do you mean Wholesale Tropicals in...

Heh - not so sure about the mosses! It was good to meet you. Missing the little guy already - keep us posted! regards, Mark

Would it be possible to outline your method? i.e. specific gravity, temperature, light, feeding, filtration etc I made 3 or 4 attempts last year and never managed to get anything to live beyond about 10-12 days. Frustrated was an understatement! Thanks, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Photo from Thursday night (took it and then completely forgot to post it!). He/she coming along slowly. I'd guess around 12mm total length. Always seems to have a full belly but continues to frustrate me on the bloodworm front. Will happily demolish a live mosquito larvae 2/3 of its size but...

I have a small group of boesemani in a 180l tank. You need to bear in mind they grow relatively large, are best in a shoal and will hoover up any small fish or shrimp. Large males will be aggressive when courting and if they're hungry, other fish may struggle to feed - they're fast! So they...

Coming along slowly. Starting to take more live foods (small daphnia, grindal worms) but blood worms still too large. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Thanks for that - never spotted it before. It made me laugh reading the breeding section and the description of other females hoovering up the eggs! Cheers, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Puffer porn... Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Hopefully these are coming through. Juvenile as of a couple of days ago. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Heh - apologies again. Realised I needed to clean the glass amongst other things. Taking some now - if only the little buggers would slow down. This time in the afternoon is courtship time - so all a little animated! Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Sorry - got distracted. Will sort later. Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Thanks - though I think the only tricky bit is collecting the eggs. The puffers are happy enough producing them! Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Nice build. How hot does it get after running a few hours? I'd be slightly worried that there isn't much of a heat sink and very little airflow - and the dilite sheet might act as an insulator. Cheers, Mark Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Sure - I'll take some tonight. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

I think the t5 setup should have been enough to grow a carpet - even with slightly older tubes. The led may be borderline. I would look for other problems in the tank such as flow. As far as BBA is concerned, I have an ongoing battle with it as well. Like you, London tap water. Everyone will...

What depth is the tank? Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

I finally made some progress collecting a few eggs from my group of pygmy puffers. Of the 3 that hatched, one is still going strong. I had problems getting a good infusoria culture started at the time as a first food - so in desperation I put the surviving fry in my red cherry breeding tank...

4 x 39w t5s would be roughly 12000lumens depending on model, reflector etc. The A901 is rated at just over 8000lumens. So peak intensity has probably dropped measurably. Could you grow carpeting plants before? I.e. with the t5s Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

My main planted tank is 36" * 12" *18" high and has approx 4000 lumens of light (from CREE cool white leds directly comparable to the XB-Ds used in the Grobeams). I don't consider it to be high light. For your own tank you're proposing roughly the same output, 4* 1029 lumens (and same, wide...

Not sure what tubes you have, but from the Arcadia website: T5 Arcadia plant pro 54watts - 2800 lumens T5 Arcadia freshwater pro 54watts - 4900 lumens And from the aquaray website: GroBeam 600 ultima (single strip?) - 1029 lumens GroBeam 1500 ultima - 2058 lumens The GroBeams are clearly...

As Ian has mentioned, energenie units use shared radio spectrum so there is always a risk of interference from other devices in that spectrum (wireless doorbells etc) and from noise from misbehaving devices. The best solution is to have feedback from the socket device that the message was...

This is a similar clip I found a while back of a solitary pygmy puffer in the wild: This on the other hand shows a very different behaviour: So they definitely shoal sometimes. Like many other species they may well group together when young and drift off when they are older or are looking...

I started out with 1 female in my 100 liter planted tank. At the time there were ottos, amanos and a few sundry tetras/shoalers. I don't think she ever truly settled and never seemed entirely happy. They can be very slow, deliberate feeders - so things like live daphnia, frozen bloodworm etc...

I think they probably are planorbis - though they stay very small in this tank so very hard to make out any detail (tank is quite warm though so maybe not ideal for them if they're temperate). Might be a different species - there are loads listed on Wikipedia... Thanks and regards, Mark

At the last count 5 species of snail in my main planted tank - MTS, red ramshorn, bladder, orange tylomenia and those small, flat ramshorn like ones (anyone have any idea what they are?) In combination with the 3 shrimp species, food doesn't last long...

Hi Andrew, It's worth pointing out that the economics and usage of reef versus planted tank LEDs are very different. Reef tanks are mimicking shallow tropical reefs that require high intensity lighting. Most freshwater aquatic plants that we grow require much lower intensities. The perceived...

Hi kadoxu, As you know, I'm just up the road from you and have been using EI mixed in either RO or boiled tap water for a number of years - without any obvious/major issues. As ian_m has suggested, you might want to think twice about an RO unit. I'm not on a meter but still found the hassle of...

I have 7 adult puffers in a very heavily planted ada45p - about 35litres (about to move a pair out to breed though). I've had no issues with aggression - not sure if that is pure luck or maybe the benefit of a slightly larger group. Things get energetic most afternoons with breeding activity -...

From memory - and it's been a couple of decades! - blood pH in vertebrates is about 7.4. In fish, the primary blood pH regulatory systems are in the gills and, unsurprisingly, one of the main ions involved is bicarbonate. Acid 'loving' fish thus have to deal with the double whammy of dealing...

Thanks Terry - but when I said '3rd party' - I really had my own diy controller in mind:) though on reflection i could modify the design to work in a similar way. I'm getting a little frustrated with my T5 unit (or more strictly speaking a friends on long term loan). I've set the tank up for...

Thanks - missed that browsing on my phone. Need new glasses:) So, as you say, roughly the same output for half the power consumption. Seems to be selling for around £160- which would tempt me but the extra £75 for the controller is too much. Anyone have any idea whether they can use a third...

The T5 unit is 45watts per tube - so 90watts total. Where did you get the 2800 lumens figure from? - coincidentally I was trying to find this today. Cheers, Mark

Hi Jasper, Just picking up from my question in the previous thread. Can your .NET code run on other platforms (e.g. mono on linux) - or does it require Windows 10 IoT? and is it possible to control those sensors/switches directly from the Pi (i.e. without the arduinos)? I ask because I can't...

Looks like an interesting project. Why did you decide to have separate arduino modules to run sensors? I can see potential advantages but it just seems to complicate the design. I've been meaning to post some details of my own project for some time. The code is available here...

What fish do you have? I'd be thinking about loaches, corydoras etc that would happily eat them. Though fish choice would depend on how that 'dirt' is capped - you don't want them digging it up. Regards, Mark

and to prove the old maxim of 'you learn something new every day' - this is called 'Full Width at Half Maximum' or FWHM. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_width_at_half_maximum It is commonly used to specify the spread on led lenses/optics. I am a little out of date - so for the benefit of...

Well - I'm biased when it comes to DIY LEDs, having built my own units for all of my current tanks. Running count is 5 with another in the works. If you're interested in that route, I find it's best to think about them in a modular way - heatsink, LEDs, driver(s), power supply and controller...

The biggest 'disadvantage' with LED technology is the 'lack' of standardisation. LEDs vary wildly in performance and application. So you need to cut through the marketing c**p ("Patented Dense Matrix LED™ technology" - yes, that Kessil site is a marketing wonderland) and focus on the...

To be honest, black paste sounds a little more like a heat pad that has degraded a little - especially if that is from one of the failed units. For the replacement LEDs, you probably want to ignore the 3W bit. The wattage specified is normally the maximum rating for the units - for example, top...

Yes - I'm keeping a close eye on them but at the moment, everything is peaceful. There was a little more activity yesterday afternoon but apart from that they all seem to be quite docile and well behaved - though I did a large water change yesterday morning followed by a distraction of a...

A couple of things to bear in mind if you replace the damaged/broken LEDs. - whatever you go for, think about using some thermal adhesive to attach them to the heatsink. The most likely cause of failure was heat damage - and, assuming they were attached with thermal pads - these are the worst...

I've been meaning to post the latest on my puffers and yesterday's tank activity has finally prompted me... My new puffers have come on really well and it turned out I have 3 females - the original large lady and 2 newbies - and 4 males. Sexing them really is very simple once they've matured a...

This is very similar to a simple build I did back in January for my puffer tank, which is set up as a low tech with floaters, moss, crypts and java fern - though due to overfeeding the puffers, it grows blue/green cyanobacteria really well;) I had a meter of led strip left over from my new...

Was your rock new/clean? and what about the moss? At the end of the day, the mould needs something to feed on - so it's strange that it found lunch so quickly:( I doubt you can really have humidity too high either - in fact I'd say your aiming for 100% - especially when starting on rock/stone...

I think this is it - but check! You'll need to wash it to get rid of the perfume:) http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/cat-litter/cat-litter-21103--1/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter I did use osmocote at startup but to be honest haven't touched it since (about 15 months now) - I'm...

I use tescos cat litter (aka Akadama) in my main tank. It is much cheaper than other choices and plants are fine... But - i gave up on my hc carpet after about 9 months. The litter is so light that it is disturbed just too easily. Carpets really need plenty of attention to keep detritus from...

FWIW, in my experience adding yoghurt doesn't help when dry starting on rock. On wood it definitely helps in preventing mould/fungus from developing but on rock it just adds to the smell! Attached is a (bad) photo of some fissidens I added to a shrimp tank this morning. It was 'seeded' about a...

I have them in all of my tanks - after originally adding them for my dwarf puffers. In my main planted tank their numbers stay pretty low and they never grow to full size - could be competition from shrimp, ottos etc or just general tank maintenance and pruning. I like them:)

Those specs look pretty good - but it's going to be a lot of light. I would check whether it is dimmable. Regards, Mark

Raising amanos has been done - but not often. The young are very small and need to spend the first 3 to 4 weeks of their lives in saltwater. I can dig out some links if you're interested. Cheers Mark

The closest thing that springs to mind the is the lumpsucker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpsucker They seem to secrete something from the 'stomach' area that attaches them lightly to the surface. I quite often see the smaller ones swimming around with some substrate attached to them first...

I'd be interested to hear how you get on - sounds like we have the same aim - breed some puffers:) Something else I forgot to mention that I've noticed now my puffers are in their new tank. When they're asleep/settling down - they seem to attach/stick themselves to a flat surface - even...

Zozo I have a group of 7 - recently moved into a tank of their own! (And much happier there). I think trying to sex them at below 1inch is going to be tricky. With smaller/younger fish your best bet is to try and guess based on their temperament - in my experience the males are far more...

Hi In no particular order! - - re colour. I doubt the LEDs are/were different colours. If they were, it would have been fairly obvious before. - re damage to the circuit. I doubt there is any damage other than some of the LEDs - mainly because they are the only actual components (if that...

I pump my co2 directly into the inlet of my eheim 350t (no diffuser - just 90degree hose connector wedged into the grill). Never had any issues and/or burping. Regards, Mark

C.demersum really just wants to float at the surface. I've found that if I try and plant it in the substrate, it just bolts to the surface in a couple of days and, as you've seen, rapidly sheds its lower leaves. It also never roots and as a result continually breaks free and floats off anyway...

Bradipo What does it say on the driver itself? i.e. voltage and current. There are quite a few resources around that run through diy led systems - in fact, enough to get you really confused at first - but first a couple of pointers. - the 'current' guidance on ukaps is not to worry about...

Just the sort of project that I like:) Do you have some photos of the LEDs and how they are fixed to the heatsink? A couple of initial thoughts: - can you remove the dead LEDs? I'm guessing they will either be individually soldered or glued with thermal epoxy (or possibly both). Thermal...

Thanks for the info. Really nice piece of kit though I'm not sure I can justify the price:( - and that's before adding the isolation circuit. As far as I can tell, the pH and conductivity probes should work together if they're isolated from each other - so presumably that means another...

Hi, Out of interest, what pH probe are you using? I wrote some controller software for my raspberrypi earlier this year. At the moment it controls the LED lights and dosing pumps and monitors various temperatures - but I'd like to add support for other sensors as well. Thanks and regards...

Jose - I'd be disappointed if I had a 50% drop in flow, though maybe not surprised:) There is no right answer, and opinions will vary, but I just don't think you need that extra biological filtration. 2 fully loaded filters should provide more than enough of both biological and mechanical...

Hi Jose - I'm curious why you went for the EF external filter add on filter? My gut reaction is that you have a lot of filtration already - so seems like overkill. regards, Mark

zozo, I'm not entirely sure what you're suggesting :( If your main interest is dimming high power leds with an analogue signal, then it looks like the driver in the picture would be fine (looks like it is a constant current driver - so is designed for exactly that:)). Alternatively, I used...

It's worth remembering though that even low power led strips can, and do, overheat. They're less efficient than the higher powered versions - meaning more heat generated per watt of power consumed. Running multiple strips in close proximity in an enclosed space with no aluminium strip would be...

I posted some brief details of my LED project a few months ago (http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/does-new-lighting-have-to-be-expensive.36226/#post-389067) and have finally found some time for a more detailed write up. I needed some lighting for an old tank that I've put back in service. The...

You're right of course - not the only way to judge it, but as you said later, there are other factors at play such as species, flow, temperature etc. You think you're algae is bad - you should see mine at the moment:) After a week away with the family, I had some filamentous algae that was 12...

Couldn't agree more. Mine are well fed and are generally inactive during the day, only starting to move around when the lights are dimmed/off.

I suspect the amount of emersed growth is a factor in its success - though I was in ADC a couple of months ago and while I remember that tank, I don't remember any emersed foliage. So it has clearly developed...

That was, generally speaking, my assumption, but... ... some say otherwise:) I'll experiment with a more frequent schedule over the coming weeks - but will ensure the 2 are not dosed at the same time. Thanks for the responses guys, regards, Mark

I dose my tank following the EI approach and am using dosing pumps that can be configured, via my own software, to dose to any schedule I want. So I'm now considering moving to a more 'continuous' dosing approach - i.e something like macro and micro every day (or even twice a day). I would...

These are the 6v pumps I've been looking at - the same model seems to be available from multiple Chinese suppliers on ebay and amazon. I already have a 5v supply in my project (which should run them fine - just a little slower), so don't need another power supply/regulator, and they seem to have...

Jose One last go from me:) Please don't bite! Sacha hit the nail on the head - the 1.0 pH figure is arbitrary. For most people with water within reasonable parameters, dropping the pH by about 1point will give you about 30ppm CO2 with relatively little risk. Have a look at:-...

Any idea how many rollers they have? and does the head come apart so that you can replace the tubing? I see there is one feedback comment on the quality of the supplied tubing... Would be very interested to hear how these get on over time. Thanks again Mark

Nice project - can I ask where you got the pumps? I'm looking to add a couple of dosing pumps to my current controller project and can't decide whether to take a punt on some ebay 'bargains' or bite the bullet and pay significantly more for reputable, UK sourced versions. Thanks and regards Mark

But that is exactly what you've referred to in the quoted thread - and that is what I was responding to. For clarity, this is the text I'm referring to. The 1.0 pH difference is entirely coincidental for the two kH solutions he has chosen. Anyway... For additional clarity, yes - you are...

for CO2 @ 30ppm - kH 1: pH = 6.0 - kH 4: pH = 6.6 Have I got that wrong? or do I need some fresh air:)

This specific quote is referring to the difference in pH between two specific, different kH solutions, both with 30ppm CO2. The 1.0 is pure coincidence (pick a different kH and check). The point he is making is that if you take away the extra CO2, and implicitly let it drop back to some sort...

markk puts his Devil's Advocate hat on:) Why? Th pH is the pH - but see below. But you're injecting CO2 into your tank. The real pH change - the one that is important - is in your tank water. The starting point is your tank water parameters before lights on/CO2 on and the end point is the pH...

OK - sorry for the confusion - I see where you're coming from now. Going back to your original question, ceg4048 just assumed 2 water samples with the same starting pH but different kHs. In your examples you've assumed 2 water samples with the same starting CO2 but different kHs. You're both...

Jose, I don't believe that is true - although I'll concede I may be either wrong :) or just not understanding what you're trying to prove/understand. Apologies if any of this is pitched at the wrong level (either to technical or too simplistic) - I don't know what your background is. Firstly...

Hi Jose, I won't even attempt to give you the specific science, but bear in mind that the key issue is that water with a higher kH has more buffering capacity - hence more CO2 is required for a given pH change. I'm not sure which ph/kH tables you've been looking at but the numbers you've...

Was that indoors or outdoors? I grew my plants in 10-30 litre pots (sealed - so no drainage holes) and at most 2-3 inches of open water at the top (very popular with the local tree frog population :)). I remember now that when newly germinated the plants sent up floating leaves with flexible...

Hi, I have 50-60 leftover lotus seeds from my time living in the tropics. The 'original' seeds came from Bali which I then grew in the garden at home in Singapore - so I'm comfortable with getting them to germinate, grow and flower - in 12 hours of tropical sun :) - but are they of any use in...

Hi - yes, I'd spotted your build a few days back. What led configuration (ie. current) did you finally settle on? and what does that equate to roughly in terms of consumption and output? I'm guessing that the heatsink barely warms up - as you say, that's a large chunk of metal:) One of my...

Sorry for the delay in replying - got distracted by family/half term. At the moment, everything is a jumble of wires on the floor and I'm concentrating on the software side of the controller - but I'll post some details/pictures when it starts to come together. You have to promise you won't...

I'm currently retrofitting an old hood for some new LEDs. I wasn't really interested in anything other than genuine Cree XM-L2, so spent a little time digging around for ideas and components to make sure I was getting the best value:- 20volt/90Watt laptop power supply - £2...