Before An After Pictures!

[CBBP]

My goldfish tank recently got plants.. here are before and after pictures.

Before.

After.

And jsut because!!! here is my DIy reactor!!

http/media.putfile.com/DIY_co2reactor

 

[PaulEbs]

hey.. nicely done buddy!

that tank looks beautiful.

Don't suppose you could give me some step by step info on your reactor could you please?

Cheers.

 

[craynerd]

Nice one mate!!! The fish look to be really exploring the plants ...wicked!

Chris

 

[Alps]

wow thats a big change!

I'm planning my tank also
Just curious, but what are you using as substrate for the plants?
And what is the round leaved plant on the left half?

This is a pretty big tank. What size is it?

 

[CBBP]

hey.. nicely done buddy!

that tank looks beautiful.

Don't suppose you could give me some step by step info on your reactor could you please?

Cheers.

Well first off thanks.. it is rather pretty. I hope my ammonia problems stop soon. this is what happens when you get 6 goldfish.. find out they get as big as your head then rush to get them a 55 gallon tank large enough for them to live in before cycling.

As for the reactor. it is still a prototype.

but basily buy:
Aquaclear filter sponge
Gravel Vac
Fountain pump

Take the gravel vac, cut the tube so it has lenght but is not 5 fet long (you can decide the distance) and place it over the output of the submersable fountain pump. then drill a hole somewhere in the gravel vac for the co2 line to enter. then put the co2 line in and stuff the sponge in so it is at the bottem fo the gravel vac. then the rest is common sence. Start her up. I am currently thinking out a good one that will be more... hardy? I threw that one together in under 10 minutes.

wow thats a big change!

I'm planning my tank also
Just curious, but what are you using as substrate for the plants?
And what is the round leaved plant on the left half?

This is a pretty big tank. What size is it?

The stuff to the left is Moneywort, they don't eat it at all. not even nibble.

the substrate is simple gravel. small enough for goldfish to dig in.

the size is 55 gallons US

 

[Luke_e]

Looks 10x better with plants. Do your goldies seem to enjoy it, and are the plants coldwater?

 

[CBBP]

Looks 10x better with plants. Do your goldies seem to enjoy it, and are the plants coldwater?

umm.. I don't know... haha I ordered a package called Goldfish Habitate.

Hey if I get Ricca what tempature will the water need to be? I still have not gone and gotten a heater. I need like a 200 Watt...

 

[AMS]

Looks a lot better with the plants. But maybe you could add some driftwood or rocks?

 

[CBBP]

Looks a lot better with the plants. But maybe you could add some driftwood or rocks?

Yes.. that is my intent.. where can i get drift wood and what is the steps to installing it in a tank? I shall attatch several java ferns to it... and right now I jsut threw the plants in.. no scaping.. they need to get healthy.

 

[Alps]

hey.. nicely done buddy!

that tank looks beautiful.

Don't suppose you could give me some step by step info on your reactor could you please?

Cheers.

Well first off thanks.. it is rather pretty. I hope my ammonia problems stop soon. this is what happens when you get 6 goldfish.. find out they get as big as your head then rush to get them a 55 gallon tank large enough for them to live in before cycling.

As for the reactor. it is still a prototype.

but basily buy:
Aquaclear filter sponge
Gravel Vac
Fountain pump

Take the gravel vac, cut the tube so it has lenght but is not 5 fet long (you can decide the distance) and place it over the output of the submersable fountain pump. then drill a hole somewhere in the gravel vac for the co2 line to enter. then put the co2 line in and stuff the sponge in so it is at the bottem fo the gravel vac. then the rest is common sence. Start her up. I am currently thinking out a good one that will be more... hardy? I threw that one together in under 10 minutes.

wow thats a big change!

I'm planning my tank also
Just curious, but what are you using as substrate for the plants?
And what is the round leaved plant on the left half?

This is a pretty big tank. What size is it?

The stuff to the left is Moneywort, they don't eat it at all. not even nibble.

the substrate is simple gravel. small enough for goldfish to dig in.

the size is 55 gallons US

actually the big round leaved plant, more central/left? sorry thats what i meant.
What are you using as a plant supplement? Laterite?

 

[CBBP]

Well I am unsure... Sorry.. I don't know the names..

and as for plant food.. none yet.. waston has to get back from vacation and ship. though I did throw in the pulsl the plants came with.. they arer suppsoe to hold it for ten days.

 

[Themuleous]

First off when I first looked at it my immediate reaction was -> good work! I love seeing tanks before and after they look so cool when stuffed full of plants.

I'll try and offer a bit of advice now too. First off you really want to try and get the NH3 (ammonia) down, if you need another filter get one, or put more sponge in the one you have or get a finer sponge, something to get a bit more capacity in there, it cant be doing your fish any good. How long has the tank been running with those fish in there? I guess it may just not have cycled yet. Sorry if this has all been said in another post.

As to the plants, from left to right:

You said the far let one is moneywort, I cant really see it that well but you're probably right, next (the small ones at the front) are a kind of Cryptocoryne i think, the huuuge taller ones behind are an Echinodorus of some kind, possibly Echinodorus schlueteri 'Leopard' but i suspect more likely Echinodorus cordifolius ''ovalis'' Next on the list are the tall thin ones, which I have to say look a lot like fountain grass, which is not a true aquatic and you may well find they don't last very long but see how they go I could well be wrong Lastly are the ones at the back they are egeria dense a very hardy plant that'll grow in almost any tank with any amount of light. Hope I didn't miss any

You say you only have gravel in for a substrate? The Cryptocorynes and Echinodorus are more often than not heavy root feeders (I.e. take up nutrients via their roots, sorry if that is obvious but not everyone makes the connection ). If you're keen to keep them grow relatively well root tabs like the seachem ones shoved under each would probably help, and these only need replacing every 3-4 months. Other than that a good general fertiliser like API leaf zone once every 1 to 2 weeks as outlined on the bottle would also help.

Hope that helps a little

Sam

 

[CBBP]

Why thank you sir.. an Ammonia is zero now.. it jsut had problems for a week.. I don;t know what happened but nitrAtes sky rocketed the week before then ammonia was a problem.. tnow all 3 are good.

 

[Themuleous]

Sounds a bit odd you'd expect some NO3, I would keep an eye on it. Does your LFS do tests? Night be worth double checking it with them?

 

[CBBP]

Sounds a bit odd you'd expect some NO3, I would keep an eye on it. Does your LFS do tests? Night be worth double checking it with them?

all LFS around here are usless... it is a wonder any of the fish I got from them lived at all..

I dunno.. I figure the plants might be eatting it..