Search results for query: *

40% sounds like a good start. I will slowly reduce what co2 i have until it runs out, reducing the light at the same time. I'm happy with slow growth as long as they stay healthy.

I'm going to stop injecting co2 soon and wanted peoples opinion on what % to have the lights at for low tech. I used to have the lights at 100% then rescaped keeping only ferns, anubias, cripts and buces so i reduced the light to 55% and continued to inject c02. I am about to run out of co2...

I have the 600SA which i replaced the legs with acrylic triangles. The SA has 4mm rods for legs that just slide in and out of holes in the end. I just got some 4 mm studding and tapped the acrylic so the studding went into the holes in the end of the light with a mouse hole over the wire. I have...

I thought that's what it was going to be like, and it was for a bit. As time went on I changed things and tried different plants, maintaining the look and growth got more difficult. I probably could have maintained a healthy tank with only minor changes and little effort if i new what was...

I have the SA and removed the leg and replaced with a triangle of acrylic with 4mm pins into the holes where the legs go. I have hung it from the ceiling. Overall I am really happy with the light, the tank seams evenly lit with not too much over spill. Also makes the tank much easier to clean...

What intensity do people with Twinstar s series have them at? full power or less? also over what size tank? I know the intensity of light you can have is affected by many factors, I am just curious to know what other people do. I have been running a Twinstar 600s on a 80cm x 40cm x 45cm high...

It has been three months now and I am having some success so I thought I would post an update with the changes I have made. After installing the JBL 1502 filter I bought a length of pipe and played around with different hole sizes and position to get the best flow. I found that I the flow was...

I Had 5mm Acrylic on my tank in two squares 400mm x 400mm. When it started to sag after a few weeks i turned them over until they sagged the other way. I glued tabs on each side so it located on the tank wall. I currently have 3mm trays that i have made by gluing support around the edge that...

I have been using a cheap PH pen from ebay. pen and buffers were under a tenner. It takes about 5 min to give an a accurate reading so i just clip it to the side of the tank when doing a profile. Even if the PH reading isn't exact I think the drop/change it reads is fairly accurate, along with a...

Do the black ends come off easy? thought they might be riveted on or are they just screwed?

Yeah it doesn't look very balanced on just one wire. Better going with the SA and doing something similar to Tim. That's true, Might be better to pay the extra at aquarium gardens. I quite fancy seeing the tanks they have on show, would be nice to see the twinstar in action and compare to other...

I also have a 80cm tank and looking at upgrading my light. Thinking of getting the Twinstar 600 SP pendant light. Would either hang it form the ceiling or make some wall brackets. I think the adjustable metal legs on the 600 SA don't look that great. Aquasabi are the cheapest I have found.

How long does it take for the algae to die off/disappear? I spot treated black algae with 3% h2o2 a few days ago and its still there. It bubbled for about 15 min when I applied.

I was hoping it might help. Was going to only have foam in the first tray then a small amount of either activated carbon or alfagrog in the other two, not sure which one will restrict flow the least but have good surface area. That's a good idea, Does the T restrict the flow at all? i suppose...

I have blocked 5 holes and now the spray reaches the front glass with a bit of force. All the plants seam to be moving. I will do another ph profile when i get a chance and move the drop checker around the tank to see if the flow is good. How long does it take for bacteria to colonize on new...

Hello, I have made some more changes to improve the flow. I have removed to filter booster for now using just the up atomiser for diffusion, will have to put up with a fizzy tank for now. Have also cut the hoses as short as they can be without any bends. The flow seams better, it reaches the...

So I went for a JBL 1502. I made a temporary spray bar extender to run the full length. The flow is good but with the filter booster/reactor it reduces quite a lot. Will see how things go, maybe I should loose the filter booster and just use the up inline atomiser? The photo is with the filter...

I looked at this filter but have not long bough a hydor inline heater! It looks good, would be good to have more space in the cabinet.

I tested the filter properly today to see if I could improve the flow. i tested with a head of 120cm same as tank and just course/medium filter sponge. With just hoses: 550lph with spraybar + connections: 465lph with just hoses and filter booster and heater: 445lph with spraybar filter booster...

Yes they are the same lights, the tank looks a bit smaller but not much. I have also seen another tank on here with the same lights and healthy plants which is why I have been reluctant to increase the light. Mark davis, your tank does look healthy, hopefully I can get growth like that. I am...

Had a play around with the sunsun filter last night. As it is it took 3 min to fill 20ltr, (400lph). Did the same without any media in and it still took 3 min. The only other difference was the tank water level was lower. I did the same with out anything inline and it still took 3 min. I am...

How much biological filtration do i need for 140ltr (120ltr with hardscape) tank? will one large fist size bag of ceramic rings with a layer of 25 mm course foam be enough? Think I have a bag of active carbon somewhere, if I left it in permanently would it act as biological filtration? I could...

Thanks for your responses. It makes sense to improve the flow before adding more light. I thought i had improved the flow a lot when changing to pressurised co2 by making smaller holes in the spray bar and spaced them farther apart and added the power head. I have seen vids/images of members...

I set up my tank over three years ago with easy plants dosing liquid carbon and macros and micros. I had some luck with some plants (mainly ferns, anubias and crypts) but stems never grew that well. About a year ago I decided to try pressurised co2 and re-scape in the hope of having a lush...

Hi, I am looking to upgrade my lighting for my High Tech 80cm x 40cm x 45cm high. Chihiros A-Series looks good for the money but not sure which to get. Q 1 - Would one A801 80cm long unit be enough light for high tech? Would it produce enough light evenly across the width of the tank? Q 2 -...

I have recently added a APS EF2 as a reactor. So far all good, definitely an improvement. I measured the flow rate before and after adding it and it appears to be the same, not at all affected even with the smaller diameter 45 degree connections. I was surprised, glad i don't need to add a...

Yes it is useful, Thanks Konsa. I have used the dosing calculator which is also useful but hadn't come across that page. Now I know which algae it is i will have a read up and hopefully sort out the cause.

I was thinking of dosing the tank with liquid carbon but I have Vallisneria. Will the liquid carbon harm the Valls? I read that it damages there cells.

I have had this brown algae since changing to pressurised co2 from liquid 4 months ago. The tank is a few years old, re-scaped about 7 months ago.I have the lights lower now then I did with liquid carbon but can't get rid of it. I have good flow and stable pressurised co2 I think. The plants are...

nice low tech, your plants look really healthy! looks like you don't have any algae either :thumbup:

After 6 month I think I might be heading in the right direction. After the rescape the plants slowly deteriorated showing signs of co2 deficiency at 75% light so i thought i would experiment with the light. I gradually reduced the light every 2 weeks or so to see how low I could have it with...

Might be worth testing the actual flow from the pump. My canister is rated at 1000LH, I put the outflow in a bucket and timed it to fill 30L. Turns out it is only 400LH.

I started injecting co2 to my low tech a few weeks ago about 20ppm I think.. plants have defiantly improved but i also increased the light a tad and flow. I have a bit more algae but hoping this will go as i gain more plant mass. Plants are now pearling for the first time, my dwarf sag is...

My fish don't eat mine. I only have two snails and all my hardscape looks like sesame seed buns.

Hi, I have bought a co2 supermarket regulator and a regulator bubble counter from ebay, nether have an o ring. Do I need an o ring for each, needle valve and bubble counter or just one for the needle valve? If for each are they the same size? Thanks.

I have got myself some out of date fire extinguishers from work, Some ending in 2015 and some from 2006. Is it still good if it is over 10 years old? Will it be safe? One is a 5kg black FE, last date is 1986! Think i will give this one a miss. Now just need to get all the other co2 kit.

Ripping down the tank went well but if I was to do it again i would do it over two days as i could have done with more time. I had the filter running on a Ikea box with the fish in so i think the bacteria in the filter would have been fine for longer and dealt with the ammonia. I was worried...

You can find out your water hardness here if you are with thames water.https://www.thameswater.co.uk/Help-and-Advice/Water-Quality I don't think Water hardness is something to worry about, other factors are more important like the right level of light for the amount of co2 and ferts. For...

All plants are now planted! Now have to wait and see how they grow. In my first scape I have the aquabar LED's on 100%. Growth was good but the older leaves on the stems eventually disintegrated, the fern grew fast but soon browned and became full of holes so i am going to try the lights on 75%...

Thanks! I also got inspiration from journals on here. I don't have any experience with any other canister but I'm really happy with the sunsun. it is very quiet and seams well designed/made for the money. from reading reviews the actual flow is more like 600lph but i think most canisters are...

Still waiting on some plants so will have to add them next week. Will probable have to move some around. Waiting on: Hydrocotyle Japan, Hygrophila difformis and Vallisneria Nana. Going to add the Vallis at the back behind the wood, the Hygrophila to fill out the right side, not sure where to put...

After almost a year of my first tank I decided to re scape. The previous lay out was flat and full of crypts as not much else stayed healthy. I have created more of a slop to the back and have add a variety of low light plant, going to see what i have success with. Also added more wood to fill...

Thanks for your responses, I am thinking I might plan a re scape, add some more red moor and a variety of easy low light plants and see what works. In the meantime I will try increasing ferts and carbon for a month and see what happens.

I started my first tank almost a year ago now, I have enjoyed it so far but still don't have healthy plants. My first goal is to have healthy plants without injecting co2 and learn as much as i can. I have read a lot on this forum and have improved plant health but now am at a loss. I have...

wow! I bet it looks even better in person.

Nice layout! What plants do you have in mind?

Looks good! I Make acrylic covers for models at my work, though about making a tank but I don't trust the glue we use. We use UV glue (very week, tensol and chloroform. What did you use?

I have Limnophila Heterophylla which grow fast and healthy. It is currently my favourite plant in my tank. My s. repens doesn't do to well, grows slow and the older leaves die off. Bacopa caroliniana and Rotala rotundafolia did well at first but as time went on there was more stem then leaf. I...

I like the shrimp but they cause a bit of trouble! they sift through the substrate as soon as i planted the Hydrocotyle tripartita uprooting it. had to replant every day then gave up as it broken up into smaller peaces each time. they do the same with s. repens cuttings until they have roots...

It looks good! I think i will give it a go. I will get a few pots to fill the area if it grows very slow. I don't mind slow, I just want something that looks healthy.

I am looking for a foreground plant that stays healthy and my amono shrimp don't dig up before the roots grow! My tank: 110L 80 x 40 x 45 high cm Aqua Ray LED Aqua Bar x2 (think this is low light) Liquid carbon (daily) Easy Life Profito 50% Macro EI The plants that do well are crypt wendtii...

I have Limnophila Heterophylla (think it is similar?) in low light but with ferts and Liquid carbon. It grows about 3 to 4 inches a week with about an inch between each node of leaf. when it gets too tall i trim and replant the cut stem. After a bit the bottom section looks a bit scruffy so i...

I have had two Honey Gourami for 4 months now and still can't work out the sex. I can only go by what i have read online as i have no experience. Any idea?? Sorry, the photos are rubbish. Need a new camera. HONEY A HONEY B BOTH HONEY'S

Black.

Nice find, Thanks.

Yeah, I made it out of acrylic. I use acrylic a lot in my work which is quite handy. I laser cut it then used a heat line bender to bend it to shape.

That's good to hear. You tank looks good! hopefully i can get my plants to look as healthy with persistence. At least now I know the lights will grow plants successfully. I will lower them for now and see what happens. Cheers.

Hello, I have two TMC Aquaray Aquabars 500 mm over a 110L tank, 800 x 400 x 450 mm High. The lights are 200 mm above the tank. What level of light would this be? Dose anyone have any experience with these lights? I can't find much info about them online, no PAR or Lumen info, only that they...

My tap water contains about 30 ppm of nitrate, according to my API test kit. I'm assuming this supplies enough nitrogen. Will start adding phosphate. I have read that to much phosphate can cause algae problems so I suppose I should test for it first?

Yeah i have Amazonia Aquasoil. should I test for phosphate first then add what is needed to take it to 1ppm? are the test kits accurate? or just dose 1ppm each day? I will try phosphate first, if i don't get any results using ferts maybe I will up the light, or change plants. All of the plant...

I have wondered if i have enough light for some of the stem plants., I haven't been able to find any PAR or Lumen info on the TMC AquaBar. I was hoping they where medium light with two of them. Are the light demands of Limnophila Heterophylla high? The Rotala Rotundifolia suffers as well.

New growth is healthy and reasonable quick, but older leaves look scruffy and unhealthy just as quick. What do they need to stay healthy? the Limnophilla Heterophilla is affected the most. I have started to dose Potassium Sulphate, do i need to be adding phosphate or something else? Any advice...

Ok, i won't worry then as most new growth looks ok. Might have a go using pressurised co2 anyway. The stem plants start looking a bit tatty after a bit. I re plant the new tops but they look tatty after a few weeks. The Rotala and s. Repens need something, will see what co2 does.

When I trim my stem plants they only grow one new shoot from the cut point not two. Is this not enough co2 or something else? My Tank: 5 months old 110L Aqua Ray LED Aqua Bar x2 (think this is low to medium light) Liquid carbon (daily) Easy Life Profito (Daily) Just started dosing Potassium...

I will stop adding ammonia. The other plants roots seem to be ok. I also have Bacopa Caroliniana that i forgot to list, there roots seem OK. Should I only float the s repens from that area as the rest are OK? Thanks for your replies.

on the far left hand side. all the rest seem to be fine.

Though it could be ammonia from the substrate. I had a spike of ammonia at the end of the 1st week from the substrate then it went to 0 by the middle of the second week so i started dosing ammonia to 2 ppm each day to make sure the bacteria had ammonia to eat. Should i stop adding ammonia? I...

substrate is ADA Amazonia Aquasoil.

Hi, I am new to the hobby, my first tank. I have got a lot of info from ukaps, was hoping you can help me with this. I am in the process of a fishless cycle day 29. I planted the tank 2 weeks ago. All of the plants seam to be growing OK until 2 days ago, one of the s repens was black and 1...