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Million's 110L medium tech - red and green

Million

Million

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2012
Messages
95
Hi ukapsers,

I used to keep tropical planted tanks while at uni, but gave up when work meant I had to move house every year. It's been about four years since the last one was taken down now, in which time I've got married, bought my first home, and had two kids - busy busy! I always promised myself that when I finished my postgraduate training and had my own house, I would get a tank again. My parents very kindly helped me to make this a reality by buying me a beautiful AquaOne Optiwhite 110 for Christmas, sort of forcing me to get on with it.

So far, I've customised a cabinet to match home decor, assembled and tested most of the setup.

I guess this would qualify as a medium-high tech setup? But ideally I don't want it to be too high maintenance as there are plenty of other things I should be doing!

Hardware setup comprises:
80*40*40cm 110L braceless rimless Optiwhite tank
JBL CristalProfi e901 Greenline external canister filter
Chihiros A Series 60cm LED luminaire
Hydor 300w inline heater
Hydor Koralia circulation pump
JBL ProFlora CO2 system with 2L cylinder

The hardscape:
TMC Nutrasoil substrate
Redmoor root
Dragon stone
Assorted grades gravel and sand

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Plants:
A low carpet between the front of the rocks and the sand - after advice on this, perhaps Eleocharis parvula
Staurogyne repens between the rocks
Riccardia chamedryfolia on the rocks
Cryptocoryne wendtii between the roots
A background curtain of Vallisneria spiralis
Microsorum pteropus on the wood
Vesicularia dubyana on the branches

Livestock:
Mainly otos, shrimp, and I'm thinking a shoal of black neon tetra. Possibly a small group or pair of Apostogramma

QUESTIONS!

I've never used an inline CO2 reactor/diffuser before, but am interested in replacing my glass/ceramic in tank diffusers. Would appreciate opinions

Ideally I don't want to be spending hours each week maintaining this tank, but would love some degree of carpeting plant. I've never grown any but hairgrass before. I'm put off HC because of the thought of having to trim it regularly and even replant it periodically.

Dry start method is something I'm contemplating, to get the carpet started, and possibly doing the yogurt/moss/blender treatment on the wood. Is it worth it?

Thanks for reading
 
Million said:
I've never used an inline CO2 reactor/diffuser before, but am interested in replacing my glass/ceramic in tank diffusers. Would appreciate opinions
Click to expand...
Just be sure your regulator is up for the job... I tried changing to an inline diffuser just to find out my regulator wasn't powerful enough for it, so I ended up changing back to my bazooka atomizer.
 
Thank you HiNtZ.
Kadoxu, I did have that worry, so think I'll stick to the old pollen diffuser for now.

I have a second hand JBL ProFlora system with solenoid from mainland Europe. It came with a transformer which is bulky, heavy, and has a European two pin plug. When attached to a multi plug extension via a euro-uk adaptor it's really ungainly. I'd like to replace the transformer with one that has a native plug to cut the faff. I don't know much about electronics. The solenoid cable plugs into the transformer using a small asymmetric two pin connector I recognize from an Ikea bedside light I have. The photos hopefully illustrate what I'm talking about well enough.

Can anyone help me find an appropriate transformer please?

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Hi. I believe that is a 2 pin din connection. You could probs cut it all out and put a UK 12v transformer plug in its place. Or try and find a UK plug transformer with female 2 pin din connection. Hope that helps to some degree lol
 
Do you have a better pic of the solenoid itself with the label on for specs? Cheers
 
I fixed the solenoid issue using a better adaptor on the original power supply. I also spent a day planting! Plants ordered from K2aqua and planter's paradise on eBay. Not very happy that half the crypt wendtii brown have no roots so won't stay planted. Tiny quantity of overpriced Christmas moss. Also managed to order pellia instead of mini pellia, which was daft. It may not last... Vallis arriving tomorrow to make a curtain at the back

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Oh, and anyone after CO2 refills in the Bristol or South Glos area, check out Bristol Fire, in Yate (http://www.bristolfire.co.uk/). Really friendly helpful team who refilled my cylinder for £10 with a 1 week turnover. Also going to source me a refurb 2kg cylinder to use for swaps, fit it out with the right thread, for £30.
 
Great start =)... I see that you are also suffering from aquasoil spillage into the sand... do you have any plan of attack to clean it up or will you let it be as is? I'm still trying to figure out the best way myself to do a sand/aquasoil scape where I am not fishing/separating granules every week...
 
Doubu said:
Great start =)... I see that you are also suffering from aquasoil spillage into the sand... do you have any plan of attack to clean it up or will you let it be as is? I'm still trying to figure out the best way myself to do a sand/aquasoil scape where I am not fishing/separating granules every week...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm hoping that once the hair grass border grows contiguous it will hold back the pellets
 
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Vallis in situ. Looking a bit worse for wear after posting but hopefully it'll bounce back. Started EI dosing regime.

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Staurogyne repens is my new favorite aquatic plant. It's really taken off even in the last few days.

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Some patches of the parvula are yellowing up and apparently dying - not sure why, so if anyone has ideas let me know.

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A patch of possible BBA on the Redmoor root. It was growing a biofilm of white stuff before planting.

Cherry shrimp arrive next week to begin the cleanup! Then some otos
 
I have the same tank and i think it's pretty good. 8mm glass rather than 6 which I believe is recommended for this size tank? I paid 110 delivered for mine which I though was quite a good price.
 
Robbie X said:
I see, nice work :) Do you think the JBL CristalProfi e901 Greenline external canister filter, would suitable in a 90x45x45 (182L) tank?
Click to expand...
Yes I think so. It's rated at 900LPH I think, so not quite 10x turnover/hr but close enough IMHO
BarryH said:
How's the "Parvula" coming on, has it picked up?
Click to expand...
I think it has turned the corner, and I'm seeing some new growth now.

Since I had no algae issues (what I thought might be BBA before wasn't, perhaps some kind of bacteria on the wood - the shrimp made short work of it) I thought I would crank up the CO2 a notch and increase the light intensity setting one mark on the dimmer, keeping the ferts and photoperiod the same. Seems to be all stable so far. Think I'll introduce some otos this week.

In case anyone is interested, I'm using EI based on James' Planted Tank simple recipes http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/EI.htm
 
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