current setup and recommendations

[EmannAquarium]

Hi,

at the moment I have a fully planted juwel Rio 240, its own canister filter of 1000l/hr and an extra cristalprofi at the other end of 720l/hr.

my current fish are:
1xbala shark (10cm long)
1xrainbow shark (6cm long)
2xrainbow fish 9(6cm long)
1x leopard catfish
2xkoi angelfish (8cm long)

I wanted to start adding some other types since the major haul of the aquarium in august and local stockists are advising:

4xhatchet
4xcongo tetra
4xzebra danio
4xrasboras
1xleporinus - this I am not sure although it is a beautiful type of fish.

From the aqadvisor.com, with this final setup I am still good at filtration levels although about 10% overstocked...any advise please on these....also any idea where i can buy large amano shrimps that can be sent by post.

any assistance appreciated.

 

[Enano_1]

Hello and wellcome EmannAquarium!!!

I have the same aquarium but Eheim version ( eheim Vivaline 240 ).

From my point of view, you must to stop adding fishes to your aquarium.

I explain that...

You have mix fishes from " all parts of the World ", coldwater fishes ( kois angelfish )but not only that, the koi is a pond fish and in cautivity can reach over 1 meter.

I give you a recommendation. You should read about the biotopes of all fish that you have and taking care with the type of fishes that you choose.

How you have a planted aquarium, you should choose a tropical water fishes, it is very big kingdom of fishes.

For the other question, the filtration.

For me, is too low. The recommendation for the filtration levels althought about 100%, for example, in my aquarium I have a Jbl cristalprofi e1501 and eheim professionel 4 + 250. ( 1400L/h + 950L/h ).

The Amano Shrimps are not compatible with the fishes that you have today.

I wish that you understand my poor english

Thanks for reading me

 

[EmannAquarium]

Thanks for the reply...quite confused now as the recommendations supposedly came from the aquarium shops...

koi angels are also listed as for fresh water aquariums....

re filtration, it is my intention to use also the original juwel pump with the cristalprofi..this would achieve a combined rate of 2300l/hr then.

any ideas on the recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi,
I believe Enano_1 has confused the term "Koi Angelfish" with "Koi". These are angelfish so they are tropical, not coldwater.

He may have a point about the shrimp though. Predation could be an issue.

Also, as mentioned by Enano, is this a planted tank and are you planning on injecting CO2?

You can get away with overstocking if you do enough large water changes and if you avoid overfeeding.

Cheers,

 

[EmannAquarium]

Hi ceg4048...tks and great for your reply..it is always with intrigue that I read your replies in other posts as I find your answers detailed and informative.

it is a planted tank and injecting CO2...infact already planted since about 10wks now and as for now it seems to be going on well...

the aqadvisor.com showed a bit of overstocking with a 30% weekly water change..which I already do...

so kindly can you advise your thoughts on the fish mentioned in my first thread please.

tks.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi Emann,
Thanks for the kind words. Apart from the compatibility issues, as I mentioned, it's not really a problem in a planted tank (assuming the plants are healthy). The consequence of overstocking is that the excessive fish waste results in excessive bacterial breakdown and processing of the waste.

The bacteria that perform this task are aerobic, meaning that they breathe Oxygen. If the tank is over the limit of fish waste then the amount of Oxygen being depleted from the water by the bacteria as they process the waste is so high that the fish will suffer hypoxia. When this happens, if the fish do not suffocate outright, then the loss of Oxygen weakens them so that they become susceptible to pathogens in the water.

Simply changing more water more frequently, and cleaning the filter more frequently removes the solid waste which the bacteria act upon. This reduces the bacterial load and preserves the Oxygen levels. Plants produce Oxygen during the day, and they process toxic waste such as ammonia without ejecting Nitrite, so this gives you a lot more margin of safety.

In any case, the tank needs to be kept clean. If injecting CO2 and dosing nutrients, I suggest a minimum of 50% weekly water changes and I think you'll be fine.

The worst time for fish is in the early morning, when the Oxygen levels are low due to respiration by plants and animals during the night.

Some folks also use an air pump on a timer to mitigate this.

Cheers,

 

[sparkyweasel]

I don't know what sort of Leporinus they suggested to you, but all the ones I know grow big and will eat aquarium plants.
If you like your rainbowfish, I would suggest getting a few more as they are happiest in a group.
So are congo tetras, so I would suggest more than four, but they would get on fine with your other fish.
Hatchetfish might not be comfortable with your other fish, which grow much bigger than hatchets and are quite boisterous, where hatchets are quiter in nature.
If your leopard catfish is a leopard corydoras, it will also be much happier with some companions, of the same, or another, species of corydoras.
There are lots of species of rasboras, you should rule out all the smaller ones.
hth

 

[EmannAquarium]

@sparkyweasel...tks ..yes i was wary of the leporinus and although its beautiful I would be concerned in view of their possible size in the future...rainbows are great so I would then opt for a second pair....same for congo - will opt for 3 pairs then...will not consider hatchet fish for now and actually the scavenger is a leopard catfish...at least its label was not marked as a corydora...which would you suggest for the rasboras please so that I get the larger types and any other advise for other types in case I do not find all these species pls.

@ceg5058...tks...as usual very detailed and informative reply...I have the juwel 1000lhr filter on one side and a cristalprofi on the other reaching a combined rate of 2300l/hr approx...for nutrients i generally use lush or neutro+...will increase my water change to 50% weekly and I switch on an air pump at lights out...i am still getting more information on my co2 cylinder, regulator, inline diffusers etc...especially watching this forum and dennis wong videos...drop checker gets green at some point but not at the 2 hr lights on and the seachem ph checker shows only a minor drop in ph at the moment..so after settling my fish I would be concentrating more on dialling in the co2 situation...attached is the setup just to give you an idea of what i have.

any other advise appreciated.

 

[Enano_1]

I believe Enano_1 has confused the term "Koi Angelfish" with "Koi". These are angelfish so they are tropical, not coldwater.

OMG!!!

Yeah...I refer to Koi Carp

Sorry about that...

In Spain the name of that fish are Escalar ( Pterophilum Scalare )

Greetings

 

[ceg4048]

I have the juwel 1000lhr filter on one side and a cristalprofi on the other reaching a combined rate of 2300l/hr approx...for nutrients i generally use lush or neutro+...will increase my water change to 50% weekly and I switch on an air pump at lights out...i am still getting more information on my co2 cylinder, regulator, inline diffusers etc...especially watching this forum and dennis wong videos...drop checker gets green at some point but not at the 2 hr lights on and the seachem ph checker shows only a minor drop in ph at the moment..so after settling my fish I would be concentrating more on dialling in the co2 situation...attached is the setup just to give you an idea of what i have.

Hi Emann,
It appears from the photo that you have the filter on the right attached to a spraybar but the filter on the left only uses it's normal filter outlet?
It's not clear to me which filter you are using to pump the CO2 through. I see the dropchecker on the right but no in tank diffuser so I'm making the assumption that you are sending gas through one of the filters.

On the other hand you mention that you are still getting more information about your CO2 equipment so perhaps you have not connected everything yet?

I might have things confused, but in any case, when things have settled and you want to optimize everything I suggest one of two paths:
1. Connect a spraybar to the unit on the left. If that is the weaker of the filter the spraybar can be made shorter.
Both spraybars should be at the same level with the holes pointing forwards and then that wavemaker should be place in between them at the same level, not too far below as you have it there.
Alternatively the wavemaker can be placed directly beneath the spraybar which is connected to weaker of the two filters.
Use a "Y" fitting or "T" fitting to split the gas so that a gas line goes to each of the filter inlets.
The advantage of this method is that it provide a more even gas injection and flow to left and right sides of the tank.
The disadvantage is that it is more complicated and the gas never reallysplits exactly evenly through the "Y" or "T". One side will always get more gas than the other.

2. Leave the spraybar configuration the way that it is and run the gas to that filter inlet (assuming that is the stronger filter - if not then move the spraybar to the stronger filter)
Move the wavemaker so that it is between the left filter outlet and the spraybar.
The advantage of this method is simplicity.
The disadvantage is that the CO2 distribution will be uneven and the plants on the side that does not have the gas through it's filter may perform less well than the opposite side.

Additionally, when sending gas to the filters, there is the ever present problem that the gas buildup in the filter chamber(s) can cause gurgling and burping. An in line diffuser or reactor such as an UP Atomizer can be used to at least partially reduce this problem.

If your tank's light unit has two bulbs, I would disable one of them until you are ready to tackle the CO2 and distribution. There is no point triggering an algae bloom before you even get started...

Cheers,

 

[sparkyweasel]

Hi Emann,
Some of the larger rasboras you might come across include;
Scissortail, Rasbora trilineata
Slender Rasbora, R. daniconius,
Brilliant Rasbora, R. einthovenii,
Twospot Rasbora, R. elegans,
Clown Rasbora R. kalochroma,
Rasbora kottelati, similar to clown,
Yellow Rasbora, R. lateristriata,
Elegant Rasbora, R. elegans,
Rasbora trifasciata,
Scissortails are the ones most commonly seen in shops, but others crop up sometimes. Greater Scissortails, R. caudomaculata, are nice, but will grow too big for your present tank. When you get hooked on the hobby and get lots more tanks, they could share a big one with some Leporinus. Lol.
Clown Rasboras are probably the most colourful, but they can be a bit delicate. If you go for those I would leave them till the tank has been running successfully for a while and add them last.
Related to the issue of overstocking which you mentioned, is not increasing the stocking level too quickly, I expect you know not to add a lot more fish in one go, but build up gradually, leaving the clowns to last if you choose to have some.
As for other possible fish species, it really depends on what you like, we're all different. Just research, or ask here about whatever takes your fancy.
As you can see, it pays to get an independent opinion as well as one from the shop that wants to sell you some fish they have in stock.
hth

 

[EmannAquarium]

@ceg4048...tks for reply...pls note attached photo...filter on right is juwel attached to a spray bar with diy inline diffuser....filter on left is cristalprofi attached to a spraybar with up inline diffuser...CO2 is from a cylinder with a solenoid and regulator from CO2 art and a splitter adjustable on both ends to regulate separately.....spray bar length are adjusted according to strenght of pump already...power head is quite beneath their level and i had to trim part of the background to fit it to the magnet...so to shift up I will remain with a hole in the background...any advise on this or some other options pls....

as for the lights i have just got the juwel heliolux with controller...amazing is an understatement...I am following another thread here to try and dial best timings for day light and settings of luminosity as well.

In the photo you will also note a surface skimmer...just done this today with the old juwel 600l/hr pump after following the videos of dennis wong.....as for now I am still not sure of the CO2 rate...i.e. i do not think i get a 1ph drop in the first two hours (checked with the seachem ph alert) up however drop checker shows lime green colour.

always a pleasure to have your replies and look forward for further advise.

tks

 

[EmannAquarium]

@sparkyweasel...tks...will check with the shops which types they have...will have to go for the larger ones for sure...as for adding to the tank and since I would be getting like 3 pairs of these or congos,etc...is it ok to add 6 fish in one go or do you suggest going for 2 at a time until I have the whole group of 6 together.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi Emann,
OK, thanks for the clarification. The CO2 diffusion seems to be already solved, however, it might be my imagination or optical illusion, but that latest photo seems to show the holes in the spraybar pointing down(?) Probably it's just the angle of the shot, but in case they are pointing down, be advised that the conventional arrangement is to have the holes pointing forward. Again, it's difficult to predict the flow patterns just by a glance at a photo so it might be OK.

power head is quite beneath their level and i had to trim part of the background to fit it to the magnet...so to shift up I will remain with a hole in the background...any advise on this or some other options pls....

OK, sorry, I failed to notice that this was an internal 3D background. I assumed it was a sheet of paper taped to the exterior.
I still don't think it's in the best location and it's not clear if you have future plans for that background, but, for example, turning it into a moss wall might be interesting. If the flow distribution does not work out, then you could relocate the pump and simply fill the gap with a styrofoam diskwhile supergluing some moss onto the disk.
In any case, lets see how it works at it's present location.

In the photo you will also note a surface skimmer...just done this today

OK, well I must say that I don't know Mr. Wong and I don't really understand this current trend towards skimmers. I think it's a completely unnecessary piece of equipment which might actually interfere with flow/distribution. Of course, in marine tanks this is a different story but in freshwater tanks it has little relevance.

If you cannot drop the pH by 1 unit in 2 hours then there is definitely something wrong with either the flow/distribution, too much surface agitation, or something wrong with injection rate or with the dissolution method, so that's a really important issue to resolve.

As far as your lighting goes, once again I would caution you to avoid falling in love with your lights without paying attention to whether the tank inhabitants are as much enamored. If your CO2/flow/distribution has not yet been optimized, you would do well to keep the intensity very low for the moment...

Cheers,

 

[sparkyweasel]

Hi Emann,
with your 240 litre tank, adding six fish at a time should be OK. Then wait maybe two weeks before adding more. If any fish start to look ill or unhappy you can increase your water changes to help with the water quality. Your filter will adapt to the new stocking level, it just takes a little time.
Most people on this forum think water test kits are not very good, but your fish will show you if the water quality is getting poor. If that happens, extra water changes will correct the problem.
hth

 

[EmannAquarium]

@ceg4048...holes are pointing forward and slightly upwards to create some agitation...this wkend should finalise the left side one and will try to post a video of the final setup for your review pls.

as fo 3d background will check with local shop if I can find a piece of offcut to replace the cutting and move the power head to a higher level below the spray bars...what is styrofoam and from where can i get this?..i also like the suggestion of the moss....have a look at this thread for dennis videos... https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/surface-agitation-in-co2-planted-tanks.50674/...in view of your knowledge i think you will find them interesting....I am also noting your comment on the flow which also makes sense to me...definitely since i put the skimmer the surface of the water looks much cleaner however.

now as far as pH goes this seems to be the next item to target...i can get lime green in the drop checker approx 3.5 hours it seems but cannot achieve a 1pH drop...i am monitoring this on the seachem ph alert check...is this instrument ok or should i try something els...the flow is as i have shown...two filters, two spray bars, 1 inline diffuser in each bar, 2 seperate CO2 supplies and 1 power head in the middle...should i try to increase injection rate at the moment maybe?...lights are being kept on 80% for only 3 hours at the moment taking your advise...hope I can manage to achieve this pH thing.

 

[EmannAquarium]

@sparkyweasel...tks..so will go for the tetras or raspboras and see how it goes....is there any digital one for all unit to check water parameters or which test kits do you suggest pls.

 

[ceg4048]

what is Styrofoam and from where can i get this?

Hi Emann,
Styrofoam is the plastic like material used, for example when shipping something in a box to prevent damage to the contents of the box. If you have ever bought something new from the shop, when you open the box you would have seen the white Styrofoam pieces surrounding the object that you purchased.
Styrofoam comes in many shapes and sizes. Cups, plates and egg crates are made of styrofoam. Sorry for the confusion.

The thing that you have to consider about skimmers, is that they are actually masking your problem.

When you feed the tank nutrients and when your CO2 is excellent, then the surface becomes clear and clean without any additional equipment.

I want to see what's happening at the surface, because this is an early warning sign that I am doing something wrong. please review https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/surface-scum-keeps-coming-back.2389/
There is no point in sweeping the tanks problems under the carpet because the problems always gets worse. You are not doing yourself any favors by using a skimmer, because you are creating a mirage.

now as far as pH goes this seems to be the next item to target...i can get lime green in the drop checker approx 3.5 hours it seems but cannot achieve a 1pH drop...i am monitoring this on the seachem ph alert check...is this instrument ok or should i try something els...the flow is as i have shown...two filters, two spray bars, 1 inline diffuser in each bar, 2 seperate CO2 supplies and 1 power head in the middle...should i try to increase injection rate at the moment maybe?...lights are being kept on 80% for only 3 hours at the moment taking your advise...hope I can manage to achieve this pH thing.

Well, really, to be honest, this seems more of a toy than a serious device for what we are involved in. It may be accurate, but it doesn't seem to be something that I would trust. To be fair, the dropchecker is probably not that much more advanced but the best equipment is a quality pH probe. These are a bit more expensive, so for the moment you might wish to use the standard pH test kit which use reagents and a color comparison chart and take readings every half hour. I don't like to suggest that you spend more money because I realize many people are on a budget, but CO2 is a serious affair so we should use serious equipment.

I also don't know what is available in Malta so I hesitate to suggest any products as they may be cheap where I live but outrageously expensive where you live.

Cheers,

 

[EmannAquarium]

Hi ceg4048...ok styrofoam is polystyrene then...thats fine and simple...will try to also do the power head relocation this week..how shall i point it pls..direct to the front or slightly towards the bottom.

will have a look at the link you posted re the skimmer..maybe will try to invert the unit and use it as an extra normal filter then.

as regards to pH then will get a normal tester and see what changes are happening in my tank...hopefully with the change of colour in the drop checker I am having the pH drop which is not being indicated in the seachem tester...i need to take readings every half an hour from start until i register a drop and then check at what time this happens...correct...then will report from here onwards....pls confirm this is the way to go.

tks a lot for your great help.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi Emann,
Yes, OK, polystyrene. That's the Euro-word. Sorry, my mistake.

.i need to take readings every half an hour from start until i register a drop and then check at what time this happens...correct.

Yes, just take the readings from gas on till lights off and report back with the pH value and the time. Annotate so we can see when the gas on, lights on and lights off times are.

how shall i point it pls..direct to the front or slightly towards the bottom.

No, all pump outputs should face the front glass and optionally, be slightly pointed upwards. This is how you used the power of the filter output to break up the normal amounts of surface film.
If there is more surface film that this technique can dissipate, then this tells you immediately that something is going wrong with the plants. As I mentioned, skimmers hide this information from you, so you have a clean surface but possibly unhealthy plants.

Cheers,