What Exactly Constitutes.....

[Dave Spencer]

I am still in the process of nailing together my Juwel Lido with an EI regime and have been advised by George Farmer to have a large bio mass covering at least 75% of the base, consisting primarily of prolific growers. Whilst browsing the online aquatic plant sellers I began to wonder what 25 plants for £10 meant. Taking Hygrophilia Polysperma for instance; does 25 mean 25 stems?

The tank base dimensions are 61cm by 41cm and my proposal for planting is 50 Hygrophilia, 25 Egeria, 25 Ludwigia, 25 vallis plus a foreground of 25 Echinodorus Tennellus, and some Java fern here and there. Have I got my maths right for a heavily planted tank, along with a sufficient selection of prolific growers to keep the dreaded big A at bay.

One other thing that is bugging me is the nitrate remover section fitted to the Juwel filter. Should I remove this and replace it with a coarse sponge? Would it also be a good idea to remove the carbon section?

Thanks in advance. Perhaps one day I will be able to provide some answers, rather than just questions. I hope to be able to post a picture when things are up and running but my camera is playing up at the moment.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[George Farmer]

Hi Dave,

Please don't be scared to ask questions. It is refereshing to have someone so eager to do things right from the start.

25 plants will mean 25 individual stems, yes.

You plant selection and quantity sounds great, you may even have some left over but this is infinitely better than too few. I'll take some E tenellus off you when it get's established! One word of warning, the tenellus will have been grown emerged so will take a few weeks to adapt. Don't panic if it looks like it's dying, it will bounce back.

Remove your nitrate and carbon filters. You can replace them with two coarse sponges and bin the white pad too. I like to just remove the top coarse sponge every week and clean it out, rather than replace or clean the white one. With two fine and three coarse you'll have great bio-filtration.

How's the setting up going? Have you got your lighting, CO2 etc. sorted yet?

 

[Dave Spencer]

Morning George, do you ever sleep? I am working nights at a power station. I am pretty much at a point where I can add the water and plants, but my upcoming shift pattern means I may have to put it on hold for a week as I want to be at home when the plants arrive and get them in the tank straight away. By the way, if you live anywhere near a power station get in touch with them as they will be able to supply you with as much of the highest quality RO water your heart could desire.

 

[George Farmer]

Morning Dave, sleeping is cheating! Some of my best writing is done under sleep deprived conditions.......but seriously I am on nights too, 14 hrs. to be precise.

Funny you mention RO. I expect the stuff I get for free is of a similar high grade. It's used to cool the Harrier jump jet engine whilst it's hovering, so obviously there can't be any residue left over. I imagine it's a similar use in the power industry? Cooling something important and delicate?

I've switched to pure tap now, loaded with NO3 and PO4 and hard too but with my 75% daily water changes in my nano (in the kitchen) its so much more convenient.

 

[Dave Spencer]

I did 12 years in the RAF working on gas turbines. RO is used in the power industry in boilers. It needs to be of an exceptionally high quality due to the high temperatures and pressures operating in the boilers, and our water treatment plant churns out tonnes of the stuff daily. We also have a lab set up for monitoring water chemistry. Millions is spent on the set up. I knew I would find a use for it one day.

 

[Themuleous]

That sounds like the most expensive 'aquarium' water treament system on the planet

Beats getting a slow ass RO unit like mine, how do I join up...?

Sam

Dave - re getting the water from a power station (says he looking at one he can see out of his window) do you just walk up the front gate and ask for some water?

 

[Dave Spencer]

Do you live anywhere near a power station or know anyone woking in one? I notice that your address is Oxford, and I believe Didcot Power Station will not be a million miles away.

 

[Themuleous]

Thats the one I'm looking at, and what a sight it is (its a beaut')! Dont know anyone who works for them directly but we've done ecological work for them in the past.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Do you live anywhere near a power station or know anyone woking in one? I notice that your address is Oxford, and I believe Didcot Power Station will not be a million miles away.

Next time you are on site or in contact with them just mention your needs. It will probably be the guys who work on shift in Operations who operate the plant and carry out the daily chemistry. I am sure someone there would be more than happy to oblige.

 

[Themuleous]

OK will give that a try, cheers Dave