craynerd
Fish Addict
Hi Guys,
I`ve posted a few questions on the forums now but to be honest got most of my answers from the chat room on here most nights! So thanks for all those who have helped with my basic setup, andywg, nina, maryj, evan, ami ...i`ll stop, i`m bound to have missed loads of you out! But thanks!
Well it all started 2 months ago when i typed ammonia in google. I`m a science teacher and was looking into it for some reason or another! I clicked on a page linked to fishforums and then headed to the planted tanks forum! WELL i just got blown away by the members tanks page......and wanted one!
Of course, i`m a nooby and know very little, so i canāt compare my achievements and neither have i given the tank time to mature...yet, but i hope someday to be able to post it with pride alongside those other tanks on the members tanks thread!
FOR this reason, i will appreciate any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and advice going and actively encourage you to post any responses you have!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would have gone for something bigger, but the girlfriend would not allow! So i went for the rekord70, preferred the extra depth to it than the rekord60!
I decided i wanted to try a theme in my tank and have gone for the idea of a root coming out of the shallow water ...hence the substrate change from sand to pebble. Whether this is portrayed in the final tank i`m unsure, regardless i`m happy to just have an idea established in my head!
Before i started, i choose:
Tetra Aqua Substrate Compost
Aquarium Silver Sand
Aquarium med gravel
A piece of bog wood
Ended up looking something like this! Glass needed a bit of a clean which i discovered after developing this photo!
Next I half filled with water, planted:
Amazon Sword
Cabomba
And another unknown vallis like plant (anyone ideas?)
Next I added another piece of bog wood and what i was told was java fern!! Although its looks entirely different to most java fern species I have seen since, is it a different variety?
I also planted some microswords!!
Then left it for a while like this.
Now, I was quite happy with the tank, all setup and I was starting my fishless cycle! Then I came back one day and the girlfriend had surprised me with 14 cardinals!!!! Apparently the guy in the LFS said they would be ok to help cycle my tank! HOW SWEET grrrrrr
Rang him up the next day but he wouldnāt give me my cash back so i`m afraid sorry, but they will have to grin and bare it! Don`t like it anymore than you butā¦.
shall not be going back there again any how!
Also the microswords died within 3 days and had to be pulled up!
You may notice the net in the top of the tank. Well it contains my Riccia and is growing and multiplying nicely. Probably use it in a week or two for a floor covering but i`m waiting on it dividing and also struggling to find a hair net so I can follow the instructions in the sticky at the top of the forum!!!!
After a long discussion in the chat room with Evan, decided I needed some vallis for the foreground to give it depth! Have to say its really worked and it makes the tetras weave through it stopping them shoaling up right next to the glass all the time!
Also did a modification on my hood (pics to come soon) to allow me to add another 15W arcadia light, which gives me 2 x15W arcadias, about 1.7 wpg . Got a Nutrafin CO2 ladder with a DIY mix in it someone in here recommended! Working great!
pH is low tho, down to 6.2 but the tetras seem good, feeding well and u can see by the photos the plants are growing! KH = 25ppm Giving me CO2 ā 33ppm
Since I shouldnāt have any fish in it yet, i`m doing 20% water changes every other day, which seems to be keeping Ammonia and nitrate to 0 and on just before I change the nitrite just starts creeping a bit.
And thatās how it stands:
Fish are feeding really well and seem to be very happy! I know it isn`t the ideal situation to be in but any advice on keeping them happy with it not being cycled then please advise! But with regards to just stating that its not ideal, I know I know, and i`ve had this discussion on the forum in other postsā¦.but canāt be helped! Therefore, posts need to be helpful on measures I can take to keep them healthy in the un-cycled tank.
Riccia is growing well! Any advise on how to fasten the stuff down or where I can get a clear hair net in the UK greatly appreciated! It seems very very small, and Iām sure it will just float away! I know itās a floater, but it keeps getting sucked over towards to my filter, and since it was expensive and canāt afford to lose any, I prefer it in the net for now! ,,,,however, further instructions how to get it matted on the floor and I can begin! Got a decent amount now!
Hope you can help and I truly respect and appreciate anyone`s advise and views on how my tank could be improved or enhanced, so please post away!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE 24th March
Got some pics of my simple modification of the hood! The picture just shows the reflector and clips screwed down but literally just leaves clipping the lap into position!
All sorted and fully setup now!
Jewel Rekord70 (or Rekord60) hood modification!
What was required!
Arcadia 18" reflector Ā£6 inc. clips!!!
Light starter (nicked of my grandad! lol)
New Arcadia 15W 18" tube
Tools
A knife and screwdriver!!!
lol
I tried a drill but it chewed it up and found the hood plastic easier to cut simply by rotating a sharp knife in the plastic. Makes a nice sunken hole for the nut!!! IDEAL tool!!
Also i just secured the reflector down with one screw right in the centre and the reflector fits perfectly (almost designed for it!!) since it has a lip which fit snuggly onto a groove on the hood. PERFECT! and v secure!
Clipped my tube in with end caps and put the started behind my tank.
I am now running 2 x 15W arcadia tubes one of each, original and the one for plants! Giving me just under 2wpg.
As suggested by many of you, i have removed the red plant and replaced it with some rather large java fern!! Hope you like it, my next plans are to start the riccia carpet and get the blue net out of the top corner of the tank!! lol
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITED 25/03/06
OK, i`ve done what i`ve wanted to in the main so after today i really need to leave it along for a bit to settle! SO:
I changed the background from a scene to black! This has made a HUGE difference and has brought the colour out of the plants and fish! And its nice to know that everything you see is coming from the natural fish tank and not a background!
Secondly i actually sorted my riccia carpet! At last, found a hair net and set the whole lot on a slate with plastic surface to give shape and size! Hopefully this will start to grow shortly! I was absolutely shocked by the amount that it had growed by in the net at the top of my tank for a week! If it grows like that on the floor, should get a nice matt effect!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: 28th/03/06
The tank has been modified again, i have now added a 3rd!! 15W tube inside the rekord hood! giving me 45W of light.
Also planted some glosso and got a dwarf sucker to clean up any algae that may begin to appear!!!
Hope you like it...comments please!!!:
I`ll hopefully keep this regularly updated for my own benefit as well as everyone elseās interest.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT and UPDATE - I was originally keeping this first post updated on the whole project but a lot of people have told me to post updates on the newest reply...so check out my latest replys for further updates!!!
Kind Regards
Chris
I`ve posted a few questions on the forums now but to be honest got most of my answers from the chat room on here most nights! So thanks for all those who have helped with my basic setup, andywg, nina, maryj, evan, ami ...i`ll stop, i`m bound to have missed loads of you out! But thanks!
Well it all started 2 months ago when i typed ammonia in google. I`m a science teacher and was looking into it for some reason or another! I clicked on a page linked to fishforums and then headed to the planted tanks forum! WELL i just got blown away by the members tanks page......and wanted one!
Of course, i`m a nooby and know very little, so i canāt compare my achievements and neither have i given the tank time to mature...yet, but i hope someday to be able to post it with pride alongside those other tanks on the members tanks thread!
FOR this reason, i will appreciate any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and advice going and actively encourage you to post any responses you have!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would have gone for something bigger, but the girlfriend would not allow! So i went for the rekord70, preferred the extra depth to it than the rekord60!
I decided i wanted to try a theme in my tank and have gone for the idea of a root coming out of the shallow water ...hence the substrate change from sand to pebble. Whether this is portrayed in the final tank i`m unsure, regardless i`m happy to just have an idea established in my head!
Before i started, i choose:
Tetra Aqua Substrate Compost
Aquarium Silver Sand
Aquarium med gravel
A piece of bog wood
Ended up looking something like this! Glass needed a bit of a clean which i discovered after developing this photo!
Next I half filled with water, planted:
Amazon Sword
Cabomba
And another unknown vallis like plant (anyone ideas?)
Next I added another piece of bog wood and what i was told was java fern!! Although its looks entirely different to most java fern species I have seen since, is it a different variety?
I also planted some microswords!!
Then left it for a while like this.
Now, I was quite happy with the tank, all setup and I was starting my fishless cycle! Then I came back one day and the girlfriend had surprised me with 14 cardinals!!!! Apparently the guy in the LFS said they would be ok to help cycle my tank! HOW SWEET grrrrrr
Rang him up the next day but he wouldnāt give me my cash back so i`m afraid sorry, but they will have to grin and bare it! Don`t like it anymore than you butā¦.
shall not be going back there again any how!
Also the microswords died within 3 days and had to be pulled up!
You may notice the net in the top of the tank. Well it contains my Riccia and is growing and multiplying nicely. Probably use it in a week or two for a floor covering but i`m waiting on it dividing and also struggling to find a hair net so I can follow the instructions in the sticky at the top of the forum!!!!
After a long discussion in the chat room with Evan, decided I needed some vallis for the foreground to give it depth! Have to say its really worked and it makes the tetras weave through it stopping them shoaling up right next to the glass all the time!
Also did a modification on my hood (pics to come soon) to allow me to add another 15W arcadia light, which gives me 2 x15W arcadias, about 1.7 wpg . Got a Nutrafin CO2 ladder with a DIY mix in it someone in here recommended! Working great!
pH is low tho, down to 6.2 but the tetras seem good, feeding well and u can see by the photos the plants are growing! KH = 25ppm Giving me CO2 ā 33ppm
Since I shouldnāt have any fish in it yet, i`m doing 20% water changes every other day, which seems to be keeping Ammonia and nitrate to 0 and on just before I change the nitrite just starts creeping a bit.
And thatās how it stands:
Fish are feeding really well and seem to be very happy! I know it isn`t the ideal situation to be in but any advice on keeping them happy with it not being cycled then please advise! But with regards to just stating that its not ideal, I know I know, and i`ve had this discussion on the forum in other postsā¦.but canāt be helped! Therefore, posts need to be helpful on measures I can take to keep them healthy in the un-cycled tank.
Riccia is growing well! Any advise on how to fasten the stuff down or where I can get a clear hair net in the UK greatly appreciated! It seems very very small, and Iām sure it will just float away! I know itās a floater, but it keeps getting sucked over towards to my filter, and since it was expensive and canāt afford to lose any, I prefer it in the net for now! ,,,,however, further instructions how to get it matted on the floor and I can begin! Got a decent amount now!
Hope you can help and I truly respect and appreciate anyone`s advise and views on how my tank could be improved or enhanced, so please post away!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE 24th March
Got some pics of my simple modification of the hood! The picture just shows the reflector and clips screwed down but literally just leaves clipping the lap into position!
All sorted and fully setup now!
Jewel Rekord70 (or Rekord60) hood modification!
What was required!
Arcadia 18" reflector Ā£6 inc. clips!!!
Light starter (nicked of my grandad! lol)
New Arcadia 15W 18" tube
Tools
A knife and screwdriver!!!
lol
I tried a drill but it chewed it up and found the hood plastic easier to cut simply by rotating a sharp knife in the plastic. Makes a nice sunken hole for the nut!!! IDEAL tool!!
Also i just secured the reflector down with one screw right in the centre and the reflector fits perfectly (almost designed for it!!) since it has a lip which fit snuggly onto a groove on the hood. PERFECT! and v secure!
Clipped my tube in with end caps and put the started behind my tank.
I am now running 2 x 15W arcadia tubes one of each, original and the one for plants! Giving me just under 2wpg.
As suggested by many of you, i have removed the red plant and replaced it with some rather large java fern!! Hope you like it, my next plans are to start the riccia carpet and get the blue net out of the top corner of the tank!! lol
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITED 25/03/06
OK, i`ve done what i`ve wanted to in the main so after today i really need to leave it along for a bit to settle! SO:
I changed the background from a scene to black! This has made a HUGE difference and has brought the colour out of the plants and fish! And its nice to know that everything you see is coming from the natural fish tank and not a background!
Secondly i actually sorted my riccia carpet! At last, found a hair net and set the whole lot on a slate with plastic surface to give shape and size! Hopefully this will start to grow shortly! I was absolutely shocked by the amount that it had growed by in the net at the top of my tank for a week! If it grows like that on the floor, should get a nice matt effect!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: 28th/03/06
The tank has been modified again, i have now added a 3rd!! 15W tube inside the rekord hood! giving me 45W of light.
Also planted some glosso and got a dwarf sucker to clean up any algae that may begin to appear!!!
Hope you like it...comments please!!!:
I`ll hopefully keep this regularly updated for my own benefit as well as everyone elseās interest.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT and UPDATE - I was originally keeping this first post updated on the whole project but a lot of people have told me to post updates on the newest reply...so check out my latest replys for further updates!!!
Kind Regards
Chris
