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hand me down!

23nab

Member
Joined
1 Oct 2014
Messages
27
After a couple of years away from the game due to uni/financial constraints, I lucked out when my uncle asked if I wanted his Rena Aquacube 100!

It's been sat in the garage since June but I've finally decided to give it a go..

Rena Aquacube 100 ~ 25 gallons

Stock lighting; 29w through 2 T8 tubes and I've added an Internet double strip LED unit (6 hours a day)

Ripped the Juwel style internal filter box out and replaced with an All Ponds Solution 1000lph external

Co2 through a fluval 88 pressurised system I picked up cheap on eBay

Tropica substrate capped with unipac Zambezi fine gravel

Plants from AE:
Stargrass - Heterantha Zosterfolia
Echinodorus Rose
Hygro Pinattedifina
Rotala Sp Green
Staurogyne Repens
Echinodorus Tennellus
(Apologies for any spelling mistakes, posting from my phone on my lunch break!)

Redmood wood and Dragon stone make up the hard scape

Dosing with Tropica specialised fertiliser atm but after reading the EI article on here I'm convinced I want to go down that route..?

October 8th
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October 15th
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Will post a few more pics this eve of the current tank just under 4 weeks in.


Help/Advice..
- Lighting period? 6 hours enough with T8s and LED?

- Light Tubes: these tubes are about 2 years old (criminal I know) any recommendations on some replacement tubes before I order standard interpet ones?

- Co2: my drop checker is green an the bubble counter is counting just over 1bps BUT the 88g canister lasts about 12 days and at £13 a pop my poor student self needs a long term solution?!

- EI: best place to start in terms of powders/kits?

Thanks for taking the time to read welcoming as many comments/feedback as possible! it's been a good few years!
 
Looks like your on the right track alright. As for co2 some get co2 Fire extinguishers really cheap as they are out of date worth calling around places that sell them and explain what you need it for. I got me the TMC 2kg bottle which at 3-5 bps has lasted me 2 months so far. And still loads of pressure. I'm expecting it to last 3 to 4 months and it costs max £15 to fill up. The initial cost is high at about £115 shipped but like I say the FE route is much cheaper.
 
day 28!
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happy with growth, slow but steady, algae has been minimal thankfully..
forgot to mention in earlier post had a few pots of crypts in here

stargrass growing really nicely have pruned and replanted some shoots about a week ago, will do the same with the rotala when it reaches the surface

hygro took a while to settle but new leaves are sprouting, the bottom leaves are drying off, anyone know if this plant likes any specific conditions? nutrients/co2 wise etc?

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- thanks for the replies, co2 wise I've been looking at the diy soda stream kits bit cheaper then fire extinguishers

and for EI that link is perfect!

Yes
 
day 32 (I think)

just trimmed/replanted the stargrass and rotala, have left the hygro as growth is slow but steady..

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happy with everything so far except for the Tennellus, they are sending out a few runners but the older leaves have turnt transparent and are dying off? anyone else experienced this before and how to prevent it?

current stocking:
8 x penguin tetras
6 x cherry shrimp
3 x otto cats

looking to pick up a pair of german blue rams and a pair of altum Angels from my local MA in a couple of weeks

taa
 
The Tenellus needs more feed either liquid ferts and/ or co2. Most probably the liquid ferts. New growth of the runners looks stunted and the mother is feeding on its self to feed the runners and further new growth. I have Tenellus and like most echinodorus they are a voracious feeder and rapid growers. They need a lot of feed. Try some root tabs in and around them. I think that will help a lot.
 
makes sense! any recommendations? my local MA does API and Tetra branded root tabs
 
waiting on payday and going to order the EI starter kit and some root tabs, for now I have slightly upped the co2 and dosing a little bit more of the Tropica fertiliser, still maintaining 30% water changes twice a week.. good idea or?

need some advice re. trimming/replanting the hygro
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are they the same as other the heterantha and rotala in that I can just trim and then replant the stalks?

also would it be wise to replant the Heterantha i between the hygro? I want to create a more bushy effect but the heterantha grows twice as fast?

cheers
 
Hi,
The hygrophilia will sprout 2 new shoots from where you cut, usually just above the leaf. Replant the tops as normal and they will root :thumbup:
EI is a much cheaper way of fertilising, increasing c02 is always good for your plants, but ensure to adjust in small increments and observe the fish health....oh, and the more water changes the merrier :D
Looks nice and green, but your lower plants could be suffering slightly from a lack of distribution. You're runniung a 1000lph filter, but there doesnt appear to be much rippling at the surface which may indicate its not got enough flow? Difficult to tell from photos of course, but is it moving all the plants in the flow? If its not running efficiently (dirty, too much media, inline equipment) then flow could be compromised which could explain the lack of growth of your tennellus.
Cheerio,
Ady
 
Ady, cheers for the reply, filter wise it says 1000lph but it doesn't really feel like that, I used to run a tetratec ex 700 in a Rio 125 and I certainly got more flow from that! long term I am looking to change the spray bar to a lily pipe but I'm not sure if that will have much of an affect..

trimmed/hacked as advised
before
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after
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struggling a teensy bit with algae not sure what kind it is but I'm removing any hair strands I see whenever I do a water change

taa
 
I do kinda wish I planted this differently! would swap the rotala and the echinodorus round and swap the hygro with the heterantha as its would have a far bushier look..
 
Hi,
This looks good so far.
One thing I noticed though (and I'm reading it on a phone...) is that your drop checker appears to be blue or dark green in most pictures. This might suggest your CO2 levels are not high enough or being distributed evenly. Ideally, you'd want that to be light green by the time the lights come on and stay that way for the duration of the photoperiod.
Just something to look into.
Good luck!
 
I thought the same too but this was the colour as I was changing the water
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I think it's more the colour of the light tubes making it look bluey through the water, still I have minimally upped the co2

cheers
 
I think your spraybar needs smaller or less holes. Flow looks a bit gutless in your pics. mine hits the front glass and soaks anything close by when my water is lower than the spraybar
Your filter should be enough for the tank if you can make/find a better spraybar and make the filter hoses as short as possible
 
worried slightly by the decreasing flow I thought I'd make sure the filter was clear etc made a monumental error of judgement and this happened through no fault then my own
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half hour and a very angry mother later I got everything clean an back up and running still having the same issue with the filter?

it is noticeable less then when I first turned it on approx 2 months ago
 
added a powerhead but bit concerned I've gone from one extreme to another with way too much flow?

It's 1000lph and there is an unbelievable difference in flow when it's on, all the plant leaves can be seen swaying even the huge echinodorus leaves, and co2 bubbles are all over the tank.. I'm not sure how the fish are taking if they hide amongst the plants more..

is this okay? I'm quite worried about the German Rams they barely come away from the plants into the open unless ive just put food in?
 
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