Community Tank Build

[Kesaph]

I am looking at setting up a planted community tank, and thought I would record the progress.

I am doing a fish-less cycle. LOG HERE

My tank specs:

92x39x30 ~105Litres / 29USGallons (second hand tank, hence water marks)

AquaOne Nautilus 800 (800l/hr canister);

biological and mechanical filtration system - a selection of wool, sponges, bio balls and noodles.

2x30W T8;
1 red

1 white

both

150W heater.
Dual outlet airpump.
White sand substrate.
2 pieces of bogwood.

I've decided to wait until the cycle is complete before planting anything in the tank.

Fish considerations are constantly changing though I would like something along the lines of;

cardinal/rummynose/a.n.other tetra x6 or 8
apistogramma cacatuoides triples x2
corydora panda/sterbei...TBC x6
otocinclus x 4
L# (L66 OR L333 are looking like my best option at the moment) x1

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Cycle Log HERE

 

[Joshwainwright]

That looks like an awesome filter, more than big enough to meet the requirements for your tank.

Just out of interest, where did you get the bogwood from?

Thanks,
Josh.

 

[Kesaph]

Thanks Josh.

The bogwood is from my LFS...in Australia.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Ah, I see . Fair play

 

[Kesaph]

.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Very nice. How did you wash the sand?

 

[Kesaph]

Very nice. How did you wash the sand?

In a bucket in batches. It was very clean in the first place so didn't take much doing.

 

[Kesaph]

I'm considering adding some limestone to the tank as well as having the bogwood in there.
If I add a few small (~10cm) pieces of limestone in the tank what will happen to the PH?
Tap water is around 8.0, so I would expect the bogwood to bring this down slightly, and was wondering how much the limestone would bump it up, if any?
The limestone is from a naturally occurring garden source - will a scrub be enough or should I boil it? If so, for how long? Not sure I have a pot big enough.

 

[OldMan47]

Depending on the amount of limestone that you add, the final pH could end up being anywhere between 7.4 and 8.0 pH. If you add enough that it dominates the water chemistry, it will be closer to the 8.0 end of things. At a starting pH of 8.0, I would expect no real change from adding limestone.
Bog wood will not affect the pH of water that is high in minerals. It can potentially affect the pH of low mineral content water but water with a natural pH of over 7.4 is probably high in mineral content and its pH will not be swayed much by local mineral factors like the small effect of tannins in your water.

 

[Kesaph]

I have started cycling this tank and have just had my first 0 nitrite result 21 days in! However the PH has fallen to 6.4. I will do a water change tomorrow and then redose ammonia.

Temp: 29
PH: 6.4
Ammonia: 1.5
Nitrite:0

The bogwood is leaching quite heavily so a water change will temporarily clear this. Any other ideas on why the PH is dropping? I want avoid a stall if at all possible.

Cheers

 

[Doc7]

I have started cycling this tank and have just had my first 0 nitrite result 21 days in! However the PH has fallen to 6.4. I will do a water change tomorrow and then redose ammonia.

Temp: 29
PH: 6.4
Ammonia: 1.5
Nitrite:0

The bogwood is leaching quite heavily so a water change will temporarily clear this. Any other ideas on why the PH is dropping? I want avoid a stall if at all possible.

Cheers

I had significant pH crash issues about every week-to-ten days during cycling as the hardness in my water depleted...might be what happened to you particularly as it seems we probably have similar water conditions (mine's out of the tap at 8.2!)

 

[Kesaph]

First day of double zeroes?? maybe...

 

[Kesaph]

Why don't we re-dose at 12 hours, and instead wait to dose at 24 hours?

 

[Kesaph]

Cycle log added to first post. I think I may be in double zero territory.

 

[Kesaph]

So what do I put in my tank first?

I'm considering;

1x Peppermint BN Plec
12x Cardinals
6x a.n.other tetra
6+ corydoras
3 otos
maybe, a pair of apistos

Which Corys? What's the difference between say sterbai and julii (trilines) or panda v agassizi?
Which Apisto? Cactuadeas and Macmasteri are reasily available.