• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Stu's 120x45x45 tank sponsored by Tropica

Indeed a great shot!
Arrangement of the hardscape, selection of plants + growth and maintenance really looks top notch!

Great work!
 
sorry for the lack of updates with this. Ive got some detail shots I need to edit and post so will get them up.

I managed to get my IAPLC photo in before the deadline and Ill also be putting this into the AGA if I dont forget like last year! I was pretty pleased how it turned out in the end and its slightly different from these photos as I added more detail in the front to get rid of the big green expanse of carpet. Growing stems so they are perfect for the shot with others that dont grow as fast is a pain but I think I got there in the end.

Some observations from this tank as its the first time Ive ventured into a 120cm wide and I did things a bit differently this time.

  • I had a quite open tank layout and managed to grow everything algae free (apart from the initial thread algae) with one main filter and a skimmer which quite surprised me (Eheim experience 350 and skim 350)
  • Ive run with dragon stone again which is pretty inert and had no BBA issues which I usually get. Possibly due to the water hardnes being less that my last seiryu scape and the co2 on 24hr? (plus different lights)
  • I ran with the eheim green pipes as couldnt be bothered cleaning my glass ones!
  • I ran 24hr co2 through the tropica diffuser. Im still getting micro bubbles out of this diffuser and without trying to be biased it really is an amzing little unit.
  • Ive moved to Kessil LED's which a few people said wouldnt grow a carpet and the 2 x a360w tuna suns wouldnt cover the 120cm x 45cm area. They did! Ive had a lush HC carpet which Ive had to trim weekly at the substrate as it was growing so fast.
  • Ive had hardly any glass algae to clean whereas with my ada solar 1 I was doing it weekly. Ive put this down to the more focused beam of light not hitting the sides.

One thing I found when I did the final photo. 50 Black neon tetras isnt enough in this sized tank when they shoal! It will be 75 or 100 for the next one but Ill need to cater with an extra filter probably.
 
Tank looks fab. Look forward to your photography!

Some interesting obs there. Glad you've had less algae issues with this tank. Always a morale booster! How come you ha 3 decided to leave co2 on 24 hrs? I'm fairly new and have heard you should turn on 1 - 2 hours before lights on and off 1 - 2 hours before lights off. Interested to know why the 24 hrs and how do you not gas your fish. If my understanding is correct, plants and fish use o2 at night. Would be good to hear why, so I can expand my knowledge!

Cheers

Laurie
 
Hi Laurie

The 24hr co2 has been done before by other people on here. You have to ensure that the co2 isnt too high. ie I was running mine so I got green on the drop checker constantly and it never approched yellow. You also have to cater it to your fish and if you have any that dont like co2 in the tank then the 24hr wont be suitable for them.

The high biosmass of plants from day 1 wil also help as theyll give out o2 after the light cycle plus I had some surface ripple for o2 exchange.

You are absolutely right about the on early finish early as it primes the tank for lights on and doesnt unnecesarily add co2 at lights off when its not needed. However you can get heavy up and down swings of co2 and Ph with this method which is lessened by going 24hr. Those with chemist backgrounds will be able to elaborate better than me.

One thing to note is it wont suit everybody and if you have an inacurate needle valve its definitely not something to try.
 
stuworrall said:
Hi Laurie

The 24hr co2 has been done before by other people on here. You have to ensure that the co2 isnt too high. ie I was running mine so I got green on the drop checker constantly and it never approched yellow. You also have to cater it to your fish and if you have any that dont like co2 in the tank then the 24hr wont be suitable for them.

The high biosmass of plants from day 1 wil also help as theyll give out o2 after the light cycle plus I had some surface ripple for o2 exchange.

You are absolutely right about the on early finish early as it primes the tank for lights on and doesnt unnecesarily add co2 at lights off when its not needed. However you can get heavy up and down swings of co2 and Ph with this method which is lessened by going 24hr. Those with chemist backgrounds will be able to elaborate better than me.

One thing to note is it wont suit everybody and if you have an inacurate needle valve its definitely not something to try.
Click to expand...
Ah thank you stu. I have seen others do this method, I just haven't asked why until now. Thank you for that update of info. Makes sense with the high biomass load from day 1.

Look forward to more updates in the future!

Laurie
 
Laurie Dear said:
Ah thank you stu. I have seen others do this method, I just haven't asked why until now. Thank you for that update of info. Makes sense with the high biomass load from day 1.

Look forward to more updates in the future!

Laurie
Click to expand...
No probs. The final updates for this will be the detail shots, maybe a video and the final tank shot once the IAPLC results are released.

Unfortunatley this tank is coming down next week as Nordic Reef UK are sending me over an Innovative Marine SR-80 to try out 🙂

I think it will be big redmoor wood and rocks/ferns in the next one 🙂
 
Not stu 😉
but somewhere in the directions it suggests to soak the membrane (ie the diffuser) for 24h before use ... I didn't & also noted the large bubbles, read the directions & just ignored my mistake - by morning it was just a fine mist escaping.

Likely it is best to soak the membrane without pressure/CO2 but mine hasn't seemed to suffer any ill effects (though I did have a check valve "freeze up" - shop just gave me a new diffuser)
 
  • Like
Reactions: tim
tim said:
Hiya stu, wondered if you could answer a quick question for me ref the tropica diffuser, I've just purchased one and on installation I'm getting lots of large bubbles coming from the unit around the seal, did yours give you any issues or was it plug and play so to speak.
Click to expand...
Took three or four days for mine to settle down. Bubbles appeared to be coming out from the rubber seal .

I also had to turn the pressure down a little bit.

Is a really good diffuser though. Really really fine mist from it. Just wish it was bigger.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
 
a little detail shot of my tank before the comp.

Frederic Fuss has put up a great thread on the Nordic Scapers group on Facebook and there are tons of details shots from this years IAPLC entries - https://www.facebook.com/groups/672957169445942/ Cant find a direct link to the post but this is the group.

19568561349_4df8b59cf3_o.jpg120p Detail shot by Stu Worrall, on Flickr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top