Recent content by robfromdublin

Cool, cheers for the tips. I'll put up a pic of my setup in a couple of days (currenly doing a blackout to get rid of BGA) and describe the issues as I see them. Good idea putting the powerhead on the same timer as the lights, I'll do that.

Actually most of the flow comes from a powerhead, the filter only turns over the tank about once an hour (it's rated to 3x per hour but I measured it at just once). I guess I'll just wait and see. Can't really get away with less flow if I want a planted tank so the fish will just have to adapt

I've recently upped the flow in my 150L to (hopefully) cure an algae problem. However, I don't think my angelfish is too happy with the arrangement. The flow is 11x volume and although the fish seems perfectly capable of dealing wiht the flow at feeding time, it spends a lot more time hiding...

Great info. This was something that was on my mind as well. Good to know that having an inert substrate doesn't put me at a disadvantage. Chronic laziness on the other hand...

Well, after doing a tour of 6 fish shops around Plymouth (never did make it to Camborne). We (girlfriend, friend and I) settled on: an angelfish Didn't see much in the way of dwarf cichlids and none that were as spectacular as some of the photos I've seen. And as for the height of the tank...

I don't estimate added NO3 & PO4 based on my NO3 test kit. I estimate them based on my calculations, which are correct (not being arrogant, it's my job to get calcs like this right). I was testing the accuracy of the test kit as much as anything else, which was certainly sufficient in this...

Using KNO3 and KH2PO4 for both (dry powders purchased online, therefore unknown purity). Calculated ppm values based on 100% purity assumption and on estimated volume of water (tank vol - hardscape). Know that NO3 is roughly correct as tested shortly after first addition. By tested I mean I...

Well I also want rid of the duckweed for reasons of aesthetics & to avoid getting a green arm every time i put my hand in the water, but nevertheless it has a competitive advantage over other plants in terms of its access to CO2, and therefore takes up more nutrients. If I remove it there will...

Well I've been dosing EI and doing my water changes and still the algae persists. Also the plants have started to show signs of potassium deficiency (put dwarf anubia in 10 days ago and a couple of holes are appearing in old leaves), which I was surprised at. I've decided to try to remove the...

How about a few more rummynose? I've got a school of 20 in my 150L and a group of that size looks great when shoaling

Blinded with science! Nice post One thing is that the %CO2 compared to atmosphere should be more like .3%? If the 1-2ppm CO2 is roughly correct for the average tank (bearing in mind the large variance this could have due to carbonate hardness and temperature). I was wondering about what that...

Yeah I've enough bottom feeders with the 6 Sterbai's & 2 Bristlenose's. I was thinking angelfish originally alright but I've been put off based on the height of my tank.

You're saying that bubbles help replenish oxygen at certain times because at those times O2 is being consumed, ie there is a net uptake of oxygen. In exactly the same way, at certain times there may be net uptake of CO2. At those times it is possible that surface agitation would be a help...

Well that's only because CO2 is super-saturated in coke, and so agitation allows the CO2 travel along the concentration gradient, and outgas, more quickly. I was speculating that the CO2 gradient in my tank was from the atmosphere to the tank, which would be the case if the production of CO2...

I actually have already done a 3 day blackout, although without dosing nutrients as I was away. It killed the BGA but I've noticed the BGA is starting to creep back in. I'll get myself some PO4 so. Surely the CO2 just equilibrates more quickly with the atmosphere if you use an airstone...