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"Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - blyxa melting

DHenry

DHenry

Member
Joined
4 Dec 2009
Messages
93
Location
Brighton, UK
3rd times the charm. After 2 previous attempts at the high tech tank I am putting all I have learnt into an all new setup. With added patience and perseverance.

SPEC:
tank: 40cm x 40cm x 40 cm
filtration: Fluval 205, spray bar
flow/co2 dispersal: 300lph powerhead, spray bar
heat: Hydor 200w inline
light: DIY High Power LED, 6 x 3w
Co2: DIY pressurized Co2 (welding disposable)
Fert: TPN+
Substrate: my own recipe, soil, cat litter, caped with gravel.

After moderate success in my last tank I decided to address a few issues. First off, flow. I've upgraded from Fluval 104 to a Fluval 205. I have also ditched the somewhat restrictive lily pipes for a standard inlet and spray bar. For added flow and Co2 dispersal I have kept the tiny 300lph tunze power head but I have attached the output to a spray bar. Second, I have replaced the inert cat litter substrate with something with a little more life in it, after reading from the likes of Tom Barr.

My hardscape has had a little re-arrange and the addition of some roots. I think i have made some aesthetic progress with this scape. I have dry started this tank with HC and some hair grass which has grown in splendidly. I have ordered Marsilea hirsute, Rotala sp.'green', Blyxa japonica and Ranunculus inundates to finish it off.

Hopefully this will be a good one. Photos to follow although I am waiting for my new camera to be delivered. Thanks,

Daniel
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

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Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Camera will arrive later this week. As will my plants. Can't wait.
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

What soil did you use - was it just dug up from the garden? I've used compost intended for ponds before (more mineral than organic) capped with gravel. But that was before I'd read up so much on ferts/lighting/CO2, so the plants didn't do brilliantly. And it didn't smell good when I broke it down! :oops:
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Ok, tank has been planted and flooded. Today is day one. Co2 drop checker is reading yellowy green, flow is good and I dosed some TPN+. What would be the best startup method. Daily water changes? Every other day? Pictures to follow this evening. Thanks.
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Updates on this??
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Pics! Just use your phone... Give us something :lol:
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Ok, here are a couple of photos. Will get some better ones soon. As for start up regime. What would you recommend for photo period and frequency of water changes. The rotala rotundifolia green is in the back. It will grow in and fill the space above the rocks.
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"Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Looks good, like the scape. Carpet is looking dense already. Do you know your tank is wonky? Level it out and you can get more water in ;)

Try 6 hours of lights and 30-40% weekly water change for a starting point
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Ok, other than the slightly wonky side board things are really moving. I really can't believe how well it is working. It just goes to show that you really cannot cut corners. A larger filter plus spray bar, plus a nutrient rich substrate and its growing like mad. Even after one day I could see growth. The HC gets thicker everyday, there are fresh grass shoots popping up, the ranunculus and marsiliea have new leaves and the rotala is gaining a cm every day. I am very pleased. Going to make a major water change on saturday. Cheers.
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"Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Amazing growth! Awesome.

Do you have pics of the light? I've just ordered 5 Crees and a few other bits for mine
 
Re: "Green Mountain" - 60lt Cube - 3rd times the charm

Here are some photos of the light. I built the whole unit in a 15cm perspex cube. There is a computer fan at the top, a 12v live wire followed by a metal chassis carrying the heatsinks and LED's. The live wire has the drivers soldered directly to it with short wires coming down to the LED's. It works very well and is powered by a converted PC power supply. The photos are old. I have mounted the light to a frame which sits on the rim of the glass now.
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This is an older photo with the old filter but it shows the power supply. This runs the lights for 2 tanks.
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Everything has been going great. HC is growing fast as is everything else, however, my blyxa is melting. Is there anything I should do? Should it grow back? Its been 1 week with 1 water change. Dosing 6ml of TPN+ weekly. Co2 drop checker yellow/green. All other plants are growing strong. Cheers
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An update and a couple of questions. Due to a blockage I accidentally reduced my flow for about a week and I saw the HC start to loose some weight. Since sorting that out and upping my ferts to combat a few yellow leaves things have sorted out. 1 month in and no algae, no yellow leaves and things are growing again.

The only strange thing is that all of the blyxa melted away. I had it in numerous locations around the tank and it all melted quickly. Any ideas?

I bought some more rotala and moved my existing rotala because it is a smaller leaf variety. When I pulled it up from the substrate it had no roots even though it was growing ok. Is this normal? Should there be root growth. Is there anything I need to do to promote root growth?

The hair grass is growing fast as is the marsilea. The ranunculus is not really taking off but the flow might be getting blocked by wood. I have moved a few bits around the tank to see if it does any better. I will try and get some more photos. Thanks,
 
5 weeks in.

HC has not been growing very quickly at all. I would have expected more. There has been little growth in the last 3 weeks so I have decided to take action. The tank is still completely free from any sort of algae which I will take as a good sign that my flow and Co2 is adequate. I couldn't possibly improve flow anymore than it is I have a rated output of 980 lph with spray bars facing the front of the tank and my Co2 being diffused into the power head which is also being output into a spray bar. Tiny bubbles can be easily seen circulating the tank everywhere. Flowing down the face of the glass and back across the substrate before floating up at the back. There doesn't appear to be a nutrient deficiency either. As for the HC it hasn't been putting on any weight and hasn't been growing very quickly. What has grown has been thin with small leaves and grows upwards. It otherwise looks healthy. I came to the controversial decision to increase my light level. As I am running a home made High Power LED unit my light levels are some what unknown. The great thing about this light is a can add or remove single bulbs to make very slight adjustments. I decided to add a single 3w LED bringing my total to 6 x 3w LED's. I positioned this bulb at the front above the HC. We will see now if light deficiency was a factor. I am confident that my Co2, flow and nutrients are sufficient enough that more light should not cause any problems. We will have to see what happens.
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This photo shows my power head with the Co2 diffuser beneath and the output through a spray bar. this spray bar runs the full width of the tank and is strapped to the spray bar from the filter.
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