Olympus is Calling.

[Zeus.]

OK happy just minor tweaks

Ok



End stones need moving in a bit, level off, bit more AS not much, so few days tinkering then DSM

 

[Zeus.]

Weekend update

I got the hardscape more or less final. Got it all DSM started all tank misting up

Order plants for main carpet
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis


Eleocharis acicularis 'mini'


30 cups 2-1 sword to grass ratio, should be here Thursday

also planing

Echinodorus tenellus



for between some of the rocks

Did find some couple of small pieces of rock calling me to take them home too :LOL:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lights aren't enough

Four kessil 160 tuna suns are creating to many shadows IMO well they are spotlights after all

So could get four more costly but doable, but makes sense to add the red back the kessils are missing.

So makes sense to get


iQuatics Aqualumi T5 Controller - 6 x 24w T5 £185

The 24W tubes would give me many lighting configurations as tank is 150cm x 60cm

Bulbs '6 x Tropical' all for less than the cost of one kessil

writing this has nearly talked me into it.

 

[sgdiscus]

Love your hardscape! I have used echinodorus tenellus before and once they start growing... they can get unruly and overtake the rest of the plants. I think echinodorus tenellus will fit will in a jungle scape.

 

[Zeus.]

Love your hardscape! I have used echinodorus tenellus before and once they start growing... they can get unruly and overtake the rest of the plants. I think echinodorus tenellus will fit will in a jungle scape.

Thanks 🙂 done a few minor tweaks here and there which improve it slightly IMO

The echinodorus tenellus comes in two types, the green which may of been the unruly one you had, but I have choosen isnt as bad as the green just need careful monitoring and snipping its runners, but I plan to plant it after the main carpet is quite well established, But thanks for the heads up - it all helps when your a Noob like me will keep my eye on it dont want it taking over, it will be a one cup order

 

[Zeus.]

Plants came daughter picked them up but they got the ratio wrong 20 grass to 10 swords 😡

Got it all planted for where I am after the carpet





Planted it more dense at the bottom end as thats where I was planing to have the spray bar pointing down (right on last pic) plus ignored where the DW was taken out, as wont be going in till ready to flood. Used a sort of random plating option for what went where with a slight selective positioning of the swords in some places

Having never planet a tank with AS before I can only imagine what it must be like planting under water with AS, the DSM made it so easy, made a small divet in AS and dropped the plant in and gravity plus light misting few days and geotropism should take care off the rest.

Lights on CO2 on 😀 what BBS would you folk advise

 

[Zeus.]

Four 24w T5 Philips de Luxe Pro 965


Four Kessil 160 tuna suns full power/spectrum


Both



Could add another two 24w T5 tubes but minor mod maybe later maybe growlux in line with kessils

Got a 2 meter limit on cables so got that to work out with the ballast. But should be able to have the kessils in the hood, just off the cover glass so no need for hanger, they will be slightly sticking out and minor cables returning but neat to eye so BIG wife will be pleased when done. But will be a b$$$$h to do.

 

[Costa]

Looking good Zeus!

(but get something for cable management)

 

[Zeus.]

(but get something for cable management)

happy to watch it grow ATM

 

[Zeus.]

Kessils fitted to my hood






Fitted two T5 tubes also two just on Glass ATM

Needs a few grommets plus the controller 3.5mm Aux cable is in series ATM but will be in parallel when finished, bit of cable tieing to do under Da Hood.

Maintenance will be a Pain OFC but Wife very happy with it.(y)

Lots of roots growing also, think the grass/swords are too but hard to tell, but none dieing so must be OK 😀

 

[Zeus.]

Weekly update.

Swords/Grass growing nicely, root growth about 2cm plus deep on sides of tank in areas and lots of new shoots/runners popping up in AS. So lots going on under the AS


Did have some mold spores growing around some grass/swords in the AS, so left tank lid open during day and at night for a few days, made easy by being at home, so able to keep a close eye on the AS NOT drying out. Mold gone around AS around plants, bit around DW and non planted areas, but not worried about that. Trying to get the Mold as clear as possible as away for a week on the 12 Jan so will have to leave it untouched for a week.



Lots of bits done plumbing heater setup Inline CO2 plumbing and spray bars done. Bench testing plumbing in garage for leaks



Fitting the T5 ballast was a pain as only 2m length on T5 cables and 1.5M tank plus had to allow for the lid opening all in a 60cm x 8cm window plus fitted the Kessil 160 transformers outside of cabinet, it was a little tight to say the least but more or less done



Flood date TBC in no rush as long as plants are growing, longer the better IMO

Plants for adding in phase two of DSM

Echinodorus tenellus
Hydrocotyle tripartita

Plants for flood stage

thinking
Vallisneria nana or
Eleocharis sp.
as I do like their thin leaves but not sure if they will grow long enough to sweep down tank, but could use one off them as a midground plant also

Rest yet TBC Crypts high on the list ATM

 

[ian_m]

Spray / wipe the mouldy areas with liquid carbon (diluted) and that will kill it.

 

[Zeus.]

update

The plants terrestrial battle for dominance during the DSM continues .It’s been 5 weeks since it started. I’ve Been away for a week and was having some mould issues which was being controlled by airing tank. So left the tank lids slightly open set the house at 14 degrees and lock the door. Got back to slight mould lots of growth esp on the roots. Mould has all cleared within 12hrs but AS does have a slight white covering in areas and also slight algae in others not concerned about either at this stage. Not been using H2O2. The swords are winning the battle for foliage, with the grass having much deeper roots on the sides of the tank. In my excitement/rush to get it all planted I didn’t cut/brake the initial plants up enough to small enough samples, typical noobie mistake I guess as the tubs said six to nine should off done much more, however less trauma to the plants as well, all of them have taken, with only minor bits drying out. In the long run it will make no difference I think.

Initially

Today


Roots Initially

today


5 weeks on (today)

So very happy I didn't come home to the need to flood.

Plan to put DW back in this weekend and decide on where to add next plants for the next part of the DSM, being a newbie I feel this is by best option to see places where the extra plants will look must natural, then Take DW back out again

Plants thinking (but open to suggestions/advice)
Echinodorus tenellus


Hydrocotyle tripartita


One tub of each should be plenty

Then flood in four to six weeks with more plants in high areas and some on non removable DW, plan to leave removable DW out till carpet better establish.

 

[Zeus.]

Plumbing all but ready to flood



1. water fill/drain on independent loop
2. Return from FX6 before heat exchange
3. Inlet for FX6.

Decided on better tubing for pressure side using 25mm PVC BRAIDED HOSE which turned out a real pain to use and thicker than the fluval stuff, esp when it all has to fit on wall side with 80mm to work with.
Leak wise it could turn out to be a real nightmare with so many joints with hoses and clips

wall side view


Let say its another potential NIGHTMARE and leave it at that :unsure:

Found it hard to sleep last few nights thinking about plants
Order plants - some hard to get, or not in stock - plus got a few little extras :whistle:

Cryptocoryne wendtii Compact
Microsorum pteropus narrow
Cryptocoryne balansae
Anubias nana Bonsai
Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Cryptocoryne wendtii "tropica"
Tropica Rotala 'bonsai'
Bucephalandra mini needle leaf
Bucephalandra spec. Brownie
Cryptocoryne Parva
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Cryptocoryne Petchii
Echinodorus Tenellus 'brown'

Think I'm going to to busy this weekend, sons coming home from uni too - he will be a great help too (y)

 

[Guest]

Nice project and build.

Found it hard to sleep last few nights thinking about plants

So many plants...so little time and space😉

 

[Zeus.]

Been a long day, but got there in the end.




surface ripple


Raised the spray bar since doing pic, fitted skimmer, tested the independent loop high and low setting.

Son did a few tests (API Master)

Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0.0ppm
Nitrate 80ppm
pH 7.5
TDS 476
KH 11 😱
GH 20 😱

Bit shocked at the hardness, will retest tomorrow. It is what it is.

 

[Guest]

Looking good😉

 

[Shane Puthuparambil]

Tank looks great! Proves that plenty of planning and research produces a beautiful scape!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tim]

Looks great wet, been following your thread from the start, great attention to detail along the way and I have to say I admire your patience, set to be a great scape Zeus.

 

[ian_m]

Son did a few tests (API Master)

Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0.0ppm
Nitrate 80ppm
pH 7.5
TDS 476
KH 11 😱
GH 20 😱

Bit shocked at the hardness, will retest tomorrow. It is what it is.

Please put your hobby grade test kit in the bin or if you insist using it, ignore the results....😉


My theory based on your results...(maybe completely wrong of course).

Ammonia is actually very high (as your water is new) and test kit is miss reading (as expected), especially if you have used dechlorinator as this will cause most ammonia test kits to under read.

KH and GH are actually alkalinity measuring kits and very susceptible to interference by other salts/ions/dechlorinators. Therefore they are actually reading your high ammonia values, rather than KH & GH.

Nitrate seem awfully high especially with a new tank, what is your tap water nitrate levels from your water company ?

If you really really really really want to test and feel you must test something, then test kits like these will give reasonable reliable & repeatable results compared to most hobby grade kits.
http://uk.hach.com/test-kits/multi-parameter-kits/family?productCategoryId=25114174848
http://www.lamotte.com/en/aquarium-fish-farming/fresh-water-combination-kits/3633-04.html

Though to be honest you get a reliable repeatable result....then what.....what can you realistically do to "fix" or "cure" parameters you feel are wrong ? Water change is usually the only thing that can be done.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

looks really good, nice work on setting up all the plumbing! Im sure it was headache but looks like water changes will be simple for you!