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House Tank

Scouseboyblue

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2021
Messages
71
Location
Liverpool
So after gaining permission from my long haired Admiral to have a tank in the house instead of my shed . I went and got a Juwel Rio 240 . I knew that if I kept submitting requests for a big tank eventually management would give in . So with that strategy in mind I have collected hardscape over the course of a few months same with plants and substrate . Thinking a little bit here little bit there would go unnoticed. ( Yeah I’m that stupid !)
But anyway yesterday was my day to scape . Wife and kids may have gone out I’m not sure don’t think I heard them or if I did I’d switched off to all outside distractions and began scaping .
Juwel Rio 240
Tropica soil
JBL River Sand
Dragon Stone

Anubias
Crypts
Monte Carlo
Pogostomon Helferi
Eleocharis aciculares
Lilaeopsis NV
Lilaeopsis B
Ranunculus Inundatus
Juncus Repens
Rotala Bonsai
Hygrophil Pinnatifida

Oase Thermo 350
APS 1400
Both been running on tanks in my shed for months . Will be upgrading the APS to an Oase 600 once my sons all move out . So anytime from 2035 ( that’s the year not the time!)

I’m waiting on a Co2 canister should be here tomorrow . I’ve never used Co2 and I’m slightly hesitant to use it but figure I’ll give it a go .
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Photography not a strong point.
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I had a rough idea of how I wanted the hardscape but played around for about an hour . I have an empty 90 cm tank in my shed which I used as a dojo .
Finally settled with ..,
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Added some fine sticks / twigs and smashed up some Dragon Stone .

Then began planting
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At this point I was very happy with what I’d done . I’d spent months gathering stones and plants I didn’t rush it I was the epitome of patience.
It was time to fill it up . At this point my patience had deserted me and in my excitement to get it all done I forgot the rule of filling slowly and subsequently blasted the sand with water .
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So close
After clearing up ..,
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24hrs later ...,

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Sorry about shadows / reflections but fairly happy how it turned out .
50% water changed everyday for a week . Then every other day and so on . The problem I have is I work away for 2 weeks at a time 2 on 2 off so will train up my son to do water changes and maintenance although I’m pretty sure it will cost me . I’ll update this in a few weeks after I return from sea .


The 2 filters both have mature biological media in from other tanks so how long would it take for this tank to cycle??

Also any suggestions on stocking the tank ?
And When ?
I was going to go for Neon Green Rasboras and Ember Tetras with Ottos, Ammano’s and Cherries as clean up crews .

Advice and critique welcome

Cheers

Scouse.


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Looks great. I love the dragon stone and the way you have laid it out to get lead-in lines. Fish choice sounds great. I love otocinclus, great lttle characters.
 
I think it looks great, impressive scape to say you are new to this!

planting /co2 wise to me it looks as if you have quite a low plant biomass, you might be okay with all the waterchanges but I would personally suggest holding off adding fish for a white so you can add higher levels of Co2 so that everything is established and rooted in. Then when you add fish you will need to retweek the gas to gradually increase over a few days to get a 1 ph drop lights on ie lime green on your drop checker.

a large shoal or two of very small tetras would look great and you can always add a more interesting behaviour wise fish at a later date if you want. I like platinum tetra, green neons if you can visit a store with a good selection to see what catches your eye.
 
I have a shed with a few nano ( 30cm ) cube tanks and 2 X 90 cm tanks which I’ve regularly rescaped more for my own interest and amusement but having a tank in the living room made me up my game a little . I’m in no rush to add live stock and would rather master Co2 injection. But I’ve just read an article on Chilli Rasboras so might down the line of a large school of these


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This is looking great. Love the hardscape concept too, although I think you could add some extra stone to the highest section. That’s just me though. Looks great and should have some lovely depth and layers once the plants bed in and spread a bit.
As for fish, if it was me, I’d go for a large group of schooling tetras to add movement, then some sterbai or something similar to add interest toward the bottom.
looking forward to seeing this develop.
 
Yeah I agree with regards to the height of the main stones but they were the biggest I could find and I realise I said I was patient but not that patient


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Added some more plants today with another 50% WC . Oase 350 keeps expelling air at random intervals which is blowing air bubbles everywhere and it’s now starting to my head in plus the APS 1400 sounds like I have running water somewhere . No leaks but again a bit annoying.
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I’ve never used Co2 and I’m slightly hesitant to use it but figure I’ll give it a go .
Hello,
That's a nice setup. Well done.
New CO2 users are encouraged to review the following sticky threads:
CO2 DIY Guide
Dropchecker Basics
Water Flow in Planted Aquaria
EI Dosing Basics


The 2 filters both have mature biological media in from other tanks so how long would it take for this tank to cycle??
It doesn't matter how many filters or what tricks are used. A well cycled, mature and stable tank takes about 6 weeks. It also will take that long for the plants to convert from a terrestrial physiology to an aquatic one.
As you mentioned this time should be used to get a grip on CO2 techniques. If your light is dimmable it's suggested to operate at no more than about 25% strength for the first few weeks.

Cheers,
 
If your light is dimmable it's suggested to operate at no more than about 25% strength for the first few weeks.
Hi @ceg4048 and sorry @Scouseboyblue , at the risk of a minor hijack. hopefully this is a quick question. I have a dimmable light on my week old low tech tank and I’ve been running it 6 hours like I did with my CO2 injected first tank. Do you think I ought to reduce the light intensity in the absence of CO2 injection?
 
Hello,
That's a nice setup. Well done.
New CO2 users are encouraged to review the following sticky threads:
CO2 DIY Guide
Dropchecker Basics
Water Flow in Planted Aquaria
EI Dosing Basics



It doesn't matter how many filters or what tricks are used. A well cycled, mature and stable tank takes about 6 weeks. It also will take that long for the plants to convert from a terrestrial physiology to an aquatic one.
As you mentioned this time should be used to get a grip on CO2 techniques. If your light is dimmable it's suggested to operate at no more than about 25% strength for the first few weeks.

Cheers,

The lights are just what came with the tank and not adjustable. I’ll stick some tape over some of the led’s and see how that works .
Cheers


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Hi @ceg4048 and sorry @Scouseboyblue , at the risk of a minor hijack. hopefully this is a quick question. I have a dimmable light on my week old low tech tank and I’ve been running it 6 hours like I did with my CO2 injected first tank. Do you think I ought to reduce the light intensity in the absence of CO2 injection?
Hi Joe,
In my opinion, you should dim the lights especially if the tank is non-CO2...

Cheers,
 
The lights are just what came with the tank and not adjustable. I’ll stick some tape over some of the led’s and see how that works .
Cheers


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In the old days we used wax paper or dark acrylic to help cut the light intensity down.

Cheers,
 
Hello,
That's a nice setup. Well done.
New CO2 users are encouraged to review the following sticky threads:
CO2 DIY Guide
Dropchecker Basics
Water Flow in Planted Aquaria
EI Dosing Basics



It doesn't matter how many filters or what tricks are used. A well cycled, mature and stable tank takes about 6 weeks. It also will take that long for the plants to convert from a terrestrial physiology to an aquatic one.
As you mentioned this time should be used to get a grip on CO2 techniques. If your light is dimmable it's suggested to operate at no more than about 25% strength for the first few weeks.

Cheers,

Cheers for the links very helpfully melted my head a bit but I’ll get there I’m sure .
Whilst I’m waiting for Co2 to arrive I’ll dim / block some light but once Co2 is here and running should I then ramp up the lights ??


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Cheers for the links very helpfully melted my head a bit but I’ll get there I’m sure .
Whilst I’m waiting for Co2 to arrive I’ll dim / block some light but once Co2 is here and running should I then ramp up the lights ??
Hi, No, the last thing new plants chucked under water need is lots of light. It takes weeks for them to change their structure so that they can breathe under water. Until that time they are using the energy reserves they built up while they were growing in the nursery. What plants need is to replenish their dwindling food supply and that means nutrition ang most importantly, gas exchange, i.e. CO2 and oxygen. You can melt your plants straight into oblivion by blasting them with light.

Cheers,
 
Co2 now set up using fire extinguisher with a cable tie . As a former Gunner in Her Majesty’s Senior Fighting Service having fired everything from 9mm to 30mm pulling the trigger on the extinguisher was very comical . Half expecting the regulator to fly off and become embedded in my living room wall . Anyway it’s up and running 2bps to see how it all goes
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I’ll sort out the tubing when I do a water change tomorrow


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Started to notice some plant melt in the foreground plants
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Should I remove these or leave them in the hopes of a comeback?


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Started to notice some plant melt in the foreground plants
Melting plants are a sure sign that your CO2 technique is poor. 2bps on a 240 liter tank will not suffice. Flow and distribution also need to be reviewed. You might be able to save the plants that still have some greenery by uprooting them and allowing them to float where they will have access to air.

Also, looking at the photo showing the diffuser, I suggest that you re-position it below the intake where the filter can process the gas.

Cheers,
 
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