mjenner
Member
Hi Everyone,
After my tank devolved into an algae-filled cess-pool whilst I was in South Africa for 4 weeks after limping along with a horrendous algae problem partly caused by too many fish and partly by not quite so attentive maintainance I decided that as it's a new year I'd start afresh, so this is going to be a journal of my restarting the tank and hopefully doing it "properly".
I got rid of the 40-50ish guppies and rehoused my 12 harlequin rasboras in my fry-tank in the other room (medium sized cube-tank).
The tank has been stripped down, the plastics soaked in bleach, then dechlorinated, the tank has been washed in vinegar (to get rid of the limescale) then mild-bleach solution to try and kill any remaining stealth-algal spores waiting to reinfect the new tank (yep, I know it's a losing battle, but I thought I'd try and reduce the initial population as much as possible) then the tank was washed with dechlorinated water 3 times and left to air-dry, I'm figuring that when I fill it I'll use more than enough dechlorinator to get rid of any chlorine left floating around after all that.
The tank had the following lighting, filter and CO2 (wasn't being used for the last few months to try and reduce maintainance):
I've cleared the old substrate (a Tetra substrate product, came in a yellow tub, with small gravel over it) and it's awaiting 2 bags of Seachem Fluorite.
I've ordered upgraded lighting in the form of a replacement Juwel Hi-Lite T5 unit with 2 Arcadia J5 28W tubes, probably adding the two extra T8 tubes in for extra light, making it 92W total, might drop that to 1 extra T8 though for easier access to the front of the tank...
New Tank Spec
Lighting:
Currently waiting for the orders to arrive and re-organising the cupboard underneath the tank so it's a little more accessable and a little less lethal (plugbanks and adaptors everywhere on the base of the cupboard, along with water, not a good mix!).
Can anyone see any issues with my setup list or does anyone think I've missed anything (planning on getting dry ferts sometime in the future, but initially probably going with TPN+, going to see how things go initially).
Comments and Criticism welcome.
Cheers,
Matt
After my tank devolved into an algae-filled cess-pool whilst I was in South Africa for 4 weeks after limping along with a horrendous algae problem partly caused by too many fish and partly by not quite so attentive maintainance I decided that as it's a new year I'd start afresh, so this is going to be a journal of my restarting the tank and hopefully doing it "properly".
I got rid of the 40-50ish guppies and rehoused my 12 harlequin rasboras in my fry-tank in the other room (medium sized cube-tank).
The tank has been stripped down, the plastics soaked in bleach, then dechlorinated, the tank has been washed in vinegar (to get rid of the limescale) then mild-bleach solution to try and kill any remaining stealth-algal spores waiting to reinfect the new tank (yep, I know it's a losing battle, but I thought I'd try and reduce the initial population as much as possible) then the tank was washed with dechlorinated water 3 times and left to air-dry, I'm figuring that when I fill it I'll use more than enough dechlorinator to get rid of any chlorine left floating around after all that.
The tank had the following lighting, filter and CO2 (wasn't being used for the last few months to try and reduce maintainance):
- 4x 18w T8 Tubes (varying types, generally spread-spectrum, only 2 were being used to try and reduce maintainance reqs).
- Fluval 205 External Filter (with Rowaphos and carbon). (sorry, mentioned it as a 305 in the DIY thread, I mis-read as it was a little late)
- JBL Pressurised CO2 kit with Solenoid
I've cleared the old substrate (a Tetra substrate product, came in a yellow tub, with small gravel over it) and it's awaiting 2 bags of Seachem Fluorite.
I've ordered upgraded lighting in the form of a replacement Juwel Hi-Lite T5 unit with 2 Arcadia J5 28W tubes, probably adding the two extra T8 tubes in for extra light, making it 92W total, might drop that to 1 extra T8 though for easier access to the front of the tank...
New Tank Spec
Lighting:
- Juwel Hi-Lite T5 Unit (2x28W Arcadia J5(T5) Tubes)
- 2xT8 18W Tubes
- Fluval 205 External Filter (with Smooth Hose and Eheim Inlet/Spraybar Outlet mod)
- Hydor Koralia Nano Powerhead
- Seachem Fluorite (7cm average depth)
- Hardness: 12-14dKh
- pH: 7.6 (ish)
- JBL Pressurised CO2 Kit (With CO2, without pH meter)
- Stock JBL Plastic Spiral style diffuser
- Tropica Plant Nutrition+
Currently waiting for the orders to arrive and re-organising the cupboard underneath the tank so it's a little more accessable and a little less lethal (plugbanks and adaptors everywhere on the base of the cupboard, along with water, not a good mix!).
Can anyone see any issues with my setup list or does anyone think I've missed anything (planning on getting dry ferts sometime in the future, but initially probably going with TPN+, going to see how things go initially).
Comments and Criticism welcome.
Cheers,
Matt