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I have kept them in my planted tank with no issues apart from only ever seeing them once in a blue moon!

The majority has run through now, the 102 mph gust have dropped to 65-70 mph. We have lost many trees, over 60 have been cleared from the roads but there must be hundreds down all over the island. We have lost a couple of fence panels but I cant check the garden until later…

We are both in the middle….

We are in the eye of the storm, hitting us now but main destruction starts at 2am!

Yes you can DIY a tree stump Paludarium In the making.

You can incorporate a sump however bear in mind that all the water that flows down the overflow will effectively be ‘de gassed’ of C02. If we use an example of a bottle of super market fizzy water ( a bottle of water with added C02) and imagine pouring that down an open pipe, by the time the...

Well if you are planing on using C02 then there are a few issues with tank dimension as well as aqua scaping. The injected C02 gas need to be evenly distributed throughout the water column, this is a key factor. Obviously you are experienced and understand how these things work but getting the...

Deep square tanks are probably not the easiest to maintain and scape and definatily not the most popular. At over one meter deep I would consider a cave tank design with the bottom half being a large cave or caves and the plants living on top of the roof of the cave. A lot would depend on the...

Dino, I know I am beating my drum again but why dont more folk try native marine? I used to place my old live rock (dead live rock) in the sea in a crab pot, launched from the rocks, and change it every six months or so. I would collect all my stock from the half tide on the shore and also...

I am not sure what they are? Some type of steel cage or a locking seal?

Well you have come to the right place, there are very few unturned stones around here and we love problem solving as well.

You will soon find out that growing plants with their foliage out of the water is about a million times easier that growing them underwater. Floating plants have full access to all the C02 they need at around 400ppm, the plants under water, in a tank without injected C02, will have around 5ppm.

Ha ha well I am working on an audio version that might help with pronunciation, I need to find a suitable narrator who can carry through the emotion and be capable of emphasising the multiple accents. The story has yet to be completed and a follow up thread has been promised ……

There is no doubt that different folk have different ways to achieve the same goal! The dry start is something you might want to study, there are hundreds of examples on this forum, you will find using Google with your search question and add UKAPS (forum abbreviation) will help you find the...

Dark starts may well work for some folk but, if my tank was in a prominent position in my house like in my lounge, then there is no way I would waste six weeks of my life looking at a blanket coved tank. (Not to mention the wife's opinion) Have you considered a dry start, a lot more interesting...

Well yes I would say so too, pre 2000s there was a good choice of aquatic literature available . I can think of three uk aquarium magazines and one American, two koi mags, four sea fishings mags two weekly freshwater fishing mags, five music mags, two woodworking mags and many more I would buy...

The good old days in many ways, you have to wonder what will come next as there seems to be a huge decline in forums and even facebook traffic seems less active?

We have used the system in many places, we have had a few basic ones and a few that were a bit close and personal but that was a long time ago, now we have a better idea of what to look for, it is our chosen form of travel accommodation. Personally we like ‘self contained with own entrance’...

I think the biggest danger is nicking the silicone. More modern tanks have less silicone than the old ones but, still possible to get a blade under the silicone If not careful.

I would first check the floor with a straight edge and level, to do that accurately you will need a very straight piece of wood or even better a 6’ level. Check to see if there is any gap under the straight edge by eye or using a sheet of paper by sliding it underneath. If you cant acquire an...

Sorry cross posting…. I had a look at your journal, it looks like the tank is on either a laminate floor or an solid oak floor?

Ah so it is not just that the tank is out of level but, in fact it has dropped on one end. These type of issues are often very difficult to sort out from an armchair but personally I would want to know why it has moved?

Looks great but now you need to control the growth as it will soon need trimming and that might expose yellow leaves that have not received any light.

Who knows? The plants might die back and then rejuvenate but there are so many variables! You will have to try it and tell us what happens.

I built one with an open front but you might see some inspiration somewhere…. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/paludarium-in-the-making.56268/

I find by far the most sucsesfull way to search the forum is via Google ie … UKAPS free wood.

There was a similar thread running in tandem with the bucket of mud, a ‘chocolate puddle‘ or something like that?

There are many approaches, I like to think that I have been fairly successful but others have also been very successful using very different methods ! https://www.ukaps.org/forum/forums/emersed-growing.56/

You might need more light, all my best dry starts have been done with natural light, ie the sun. I would up the lighting period to 12 hours and use bright lighting. It looks like you have high humidity in the tank, that is good but what is the temperature inside?

I may be wrong as I am not particularly familiar with contrasoil but I though that it did not contain ammonia anyway? If that is the case, then you can just plant heavily from day one and let the plants cycle the tank.

Not flush out but use up perhaps ‘use up’ with a dry start? Personally I cant think of a many things more boring and frustrating than watching a blacked out tank.

There are considerable differences between the two, the ones with added C02 will grow plant much faster but requires far more attention. Low tech, ie no extra C02, are more suited to slow growth and fishkeeping but they still need a good understanding of the method and equipment. It is possible...

Do you mean a build up of C02 in the tank or in your room?

Well not so many years ago T5 lighting was by far the most popular lighting and the standard recommendations was 2xT5s the length of the tank for high tec and four if you wanted to live on the limit. So as Miniandy says we would need a bit more info……

You could use half the amount of C02 and cut you cost in half, you would still need to cut the light down but that might be a compromise…..

No not at all I was just pointing out that it largely depends on the individual plant, some respond almost instantly and some take a long time or simply never adapt to underwater life!

Many stems plant take about 5 minutes and some Bucephalanda take months or in my case never!

Try Steradent .

Nick, I understand what you are getting at and is something that has puzzled me …. We spend huge amounts of time discussing how best too distribute the C02 buy using spray bars, reactors power heads and other methods and gadgets …. Then you look at some amazing youtube tank with a basic diffuser...

Perhaps too much flow or too much surface agitation.

You are right that the bubble count is only a guide and only relevant to the individual tank, however I would agree that 8 bps is a lot for 40lt so there might be other issues like flow.

I dont think the OP has been back so it is probably pointless replying but I still believe this is to do with the floor. The cabinet has just followed the shape of the floor, it is not really about it being level, it is about having a dip in the middle.

Ah sorry about that but I did post it 8 years ago!

I dont know where you measured from? You really need a straight edge on the floor the same length as the tank and see if there is a gap in the middle. I agree the top is not very thick but the unit is relying on the centre supports. So yes the top is bending but most likely because the centre...

If you have a longer level I would check the floor because it looks like the unit have followed the shape of the floor. Place a long level or straight edge along the fllor and see if there is a gap under the middle, try sliding a piece of card under the level.

Well that is good news if things are improving :) I think a matten filters is a type of air powered sponge filter? Flow is a very much discussed subject on this forum and is critically important if you want to get the best out of your C02 injected planted tank. I am sure there are many ways...

Well generally speaking we would not recommend setting up opposing power heads but offer all of the flow in one direction. I think you could improve the flow pattern considerably by moving both the power heads to one side and not having whatever you have at the back.

You mention something about an air stream and now I see two pumps facing each other. Can you explain a bit more about the flow and flow rate?

You dont want any pin point pressure points so the rock needs to be elevated and weight distributed, egg crate is the best option preferably nylon rather than hard plastic.

Yep Amazon Swords grow fast and big, if you use extra C02 they are almost uncontrollable!

Not really a good idea to blast light at any stage as the mass majority of our tanks run on relatively low light. Underwater plants thrive under high C02 levels but we are limited to around 30ppm if we want our fish to survive but your low tech tank (no added C02) will only have 4-5ppm . So even...

You managed a good bit of growth during your dry start, dont expect anything like that when full of water, not even with added C02! You seem to want to use your light 24 7 I dont think that is a good idea especially fot the first few weeks. I would be starting off with 7-8 hours of gently...

Well I guess you could repair the damage but that would require emptying the tank or at least lowering the water for 24 hours. The main structural seal might still be ok, it is difficult to get a true perspective from the one photo.

20 years sound about time to treat yourself to a new tank!

My best advice is… Dont add any livestock until you have sorted out your C02 and don't use high light levels!

Well that would depend on the style of under gravel filter? In my case a suspended, perforated plate allows for more even distribution If the return water is jetted under the plate. I have also used a matrix of perforated pipe under a perforated plate and fed the water into the pipe… a sort of...

You use them to flow C02 enriched water through?

I still think it is worth far more investigation, a simple fine mesh incorporated on top of the filter might help although I do agree the filter is quite likely to clog up in a year or so, however the potential to offer such an even distribution over the whole tank could solve a lot of common...

Yes salt water soon rots the stainless steel that is used in beer coolers, from my experience it takes about 9-12 months although some seem to last longer. All chillers are best placed outside or at least remote from the tank that need cooling as they produce lots of warm air! I have lived my...

Beer coolers are used to cool drinks served by a bar tap, they are used in every establishment that sells beer or soft drinks by the tap, restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars. So they are mass produced and often available second hand.

Most of the purpose built chillers use titanium tubing so they can be used with salt water and that is why they can be so expensive. In the good old days, beer coolers were very popular, they do work with fresh water and can very often be found at give away prices.

Tom Barr can always give you inspiration….. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/tom-barr-buce-tank.33812/

Ha ha gas chamber maybe but only holding a fraction of your living rooms C02 content!

This must really depend on the individual set up, how stable it is, how mature etc . Some folk run their tanks right on the edge and some keep a placid environment, low stock, low light very stable, mature tanks. It may also depend on the keepers own disposition ….. all the above terms could...

Surely better to get plants in from day one than look at a dark tank for three weeks?

I cant say that i actually know but there a lot of post on this forum stating that the colour spectrum has very little effect on plant growth!

With a tank of that size you would be better off with a 5kg cylinder, that should last around 6-8 weeks.

That is a very good plan, it will give you time to get the C02 set up. For some reason that I cant quite grasp, many people seem very surprised that it takes more than one bubble per second of C02 to produce vigorous plant grow in 200 ltr of water. So don't be surprised if you loose count of the...

I am only assuming that this is your first C02 injected tank? Personally I would not even consider adding any fauna like fish or shrimps until you have really got the tanks plants established and growing well. If you already have experience with C02 and know how to get it to work with correct...

Well it is probably far to cold at the moment even frosty in the mornings so no you can’t expect any tropical plants to thrive at the moment! I would think you would need some water to grow a floating plant although I am not sure if water lettuce would grow on a wet substrate but it will grow...

Of course but you don’t need water just a wet substrate and a sealed lid.

I guesse the 70s to 90s was the peak time for glossy magazines, it must of been a viable writing career for many folk who I guess now could be bloggers ? Even before the huge magazine boom I used to love a weekly paper called the Exchange and Mart, where you could find virtually anything for...

I grew up in a time of magazines, I miss reading magazines, magazines ruled my life! Back in the hay day of overflowing shop display racks, there were at least three big name UK fish keeping magazines also American magazines full of sexy acrylic tank adverts and annoying split page format...

This is a difficult subject to comment on as the potential for the thread to become too emotive is huge and also the responsibility of offing incorrect advice is a responsibility in its self! I worked on a commercial fish farm for many years and I found it difficult but important to recognise...

Yes load up with lots of plants, fast growing tall stem plants are the easy ones and are great for starting off the tank. The more plant mass the better, get a PH pen and and start a profile when you have free whole day. You are aiming for a one point PH drop before the lights come on and a...

I would hold back on buying anymore fish, it is a shame that you have some already as experimenting with C02 can be dangerous for tank inmates ! I would suggest you look up ‘PH profile’ on this forum. I think drop checker choice is more about appearance than function, they all work in the same...

You are going to need a lot more than that! Do you have a drop checker? How many litres the total system ? Do you know about PH profiles? And the most important question is do you have any livestock in the tank?

Yes, most folk use the EI method of adding fertilisers in excess but, without harming any tank inhabitance. This method always ensures your plants will have enough nutients so you dont have to worry about them being short of anything in that respect. It might sound a little bit daunting but...

Hi Nathan, a lot would depend on your locale water source (assuming you use tap water) but perhaps you use rain water or RO treated water? Generally speaking most people don’t get to concerned about the PH because they use what come out of the tap. Folk who use injected C02 will see quite large...

Hi tech could be high risk?

Poor old Fred he was so passionate about his pond and fish, i would of loved to have met him.

Well you probably dont need anything like that amount of flow in a low tech tank although in 250lt your filter would be more suited . A full lenth spray bar across the back is probably the most gentle form of getting an even flow, ajusting the hole size and number will adjust the the flow...

What size is your tank and just how much flow do you have? Are you using C02?

I think it depends on your reasons.... a well planted tank does not need much in the way of additional biological filtration as the plants themselves will be doing a fine job. I am a huge fan of sumps, I keep mine very simple but of course if you enjoy fiddling and using the latest technology...

I had great success with air plants but they definatily dont like water over their roots. orchids are the same, they like the humidity but not being wet all the time.

What about the humidity? You can use 12 hours of light but the humidity is key. some folk even use 24 hour continuous light! There is no doubt that several methods work as can be seen documented on this forum. Personally I dont open the top or spray but others seem to think ‘airing the tank...

Well that is a very open question ... it depends on your individual set up like heating, lighting and humidity ? If everything is spot on as the plants like, I would say within a few days.

I grew plants out of a log once, link in my signature

It is interesting that cats and dogs will always show a preference for rain water rather than tap water. We have numerous water buts around the house that collect water from our 120 year old roof tiles. Personally I would not drink the water... but our animals do show a strong preference to do...

I think you will have to experiment and see what happens, perhaps you have had better results useing those little foggers but from my own experience I have found them to be very short lived when run continuously.

I dont think the fogger will last very long running full time?

I found this old thread where I used a return under a perforated plate but I did use a big power head flow extra flow as well, I think I wanted the effect of moving plants but anyway it might give you some inspiration . (No videos working though)...

I did another one with a matrix of pipes on a bare bottom tank and potted plants, unfortunately the videos were on photobucket and I can’t find the originals as they were stored on an old laptop long buried . Anyway the standard way of using a full length spray bar is designed to move the...

You only have to think about it in a logical way, if you are injecting C02 and you want that C02 to reach all the plants in the tank, then you need to distribute the enriched water amongst all the plants. If you only have one plant then you would only need to direct the flow to that plant but...

I set up a low water movement tank a few years back, it was based around an under gravel filter with reverse flow. I just used an external C02 reactor and fed the C02 enriched water up through the gravel. It was still quite a high flow rate but due the upward diffused flow there was very little...

Yep I am a rain water club member since the 70s as well.

Well there is more to it than that but the main advantage of a spray bar is that is causes a circular flow within the tank. So the flow is projected across the the top layer towards the front pane, then down the front glass across the bottom and back up toward the spray bar. In theory this flow...

Aquarium safe black silicone will work if the surface is dry, just make sure the silicone does not hold any fungicides.

I guess that depends on how you define low light. It has been said on this forum many a time...it is C02 that grows plants not high light. So perhaps your ideas of low light is my idea of hight light? Anyway I have always been a fan of green drop checkers and sensible lighting. Personally I...