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Hi all. I have a favour to ask. I am a lecturer in Marine Conservation at Cornwall College in Newquay, UK, and am also a keen aquarist (freshwater and marine). One of my students is carrying out a research project to investigate whether keeping corals in home aquariums increases peoples’...

I’m probably about to be a bit controversial. I had a small amount of BBA a while ago, introduced on some plants that I should have thrown in the bin instead. I was doing 2 x 80% water changes each week, spot dosing hydrogen peroxide 6%, and trimming affected leaves. On my Aquascaper 900 I...

I have an Aquascaper 900, but like you, don’t like the evaporation or fish deaths that come with an open top. I just bought some of the ADA clips, and got a local glazier to cut a piece of glass for a cover. Works well, and doesn’t look too intrusive. The photo isn’t great, as I just too it...

No idea what’s happening there, I’m afraid. Mine is working perfectly with the Twinstar, and I’ve not had that issue. I hope you get it sorted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks chaps, I think I have it sorted now. I also spoke to Dave at Aquarium Gardens earlier, and he told me about this YouTube clip.

Hi all I had one of the controllers for the Twinstar lights from Aquarium Gardens delivered today, but I’m really dense with technology, and can’t work out how to set it up with a ramp up and down. The instructions are quite limited, so I’m wondering if anyone has a link to more info? If not...

Good point! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is anyone making a stainless steel lily pipe yet? The only ones I’ve seen are just a straight outlet shepherd’s crook. I do like the look of the steel though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ha, I’d love to, but I just don’t trust myself with them. I bought one of the CO2 glass U bends and snapped it within five minutes! I may try one set at the front eventually, and an also thinking about changing to an in-line diffuser at some point. That’ll tidy up the front a bit [emoji846]...

Eight week update. This set up is very strange, as eight weeks in, and everything is going very well, with no disasters! There’re no signs of any algae, the crypts seem to have completed their melt, with new growth emerging, and everything else is just growing slowly, but surely. I have...

Yep, that’s the eventual plan, once all of the Crypts have stopped melting [emoji846] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks [emoji846] The pipes are the original Eheim ones, that came with the filters. Not sure if they sell them separately, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t. I don’t mind them at all, but yes, the green part of the lily pipe is a bit of an eyesore! They seem to work well though, which is the...

Thanks very much. I’ve used this same colour Unipac sand in several tanks over the years, and always liked it, as it has a warm look to it, if that makes sense. Not sure about fish, yet. I have a group of about 30 cardinals in another tank, so may go with them, unless something else catches my...

Just a quick update on this. It’s been running now for two weeks, and there’s not much to report. Have been getting a decent amount of Crypt melt, but am just starting to see some new leaves emerging. No algae so far, which is nice, but I’m waiting for it to strike! I’ve not added any livestock...

Thanks very much [emoji846] Have a look at this thread I started about it Broken Regulator. Help! https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=58521&share_tid=53802&url=https://www.ukaps.org/forum/index.php?threads/Broken-Regulator%2E-Help%21.53802/&share_type=t I wouldn’t worry about...

I used a Hanna Combo pH and EC meter. I borrowed it from work, so not sure if it’s a good one, or not. It was freshly calibrated, and seemed to do the job. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Zeus. I do enjoy a nice bar chart! My poor Labrador didn’t enjoy the day though, as he couldn’t understand why we were just doing 20 minute jogs around the garden, instead of our usual two hour strolls in the woods. Being tied to a pH pen all day was no fun, so glad to hear that...

Hi all I produced a pH profile yesterday for my new set up (Journal - https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/slow-grower.53816/), and am wondering how best to tweak it. I didn't achieve the full 1 point pH drop until two hours after lights on, but after five and half hours into the eight hour...

An update on this issue. I emailed Karol at CO2 Art, and he got back to me with a really helpful reply, explaining that I can easily fix the regulator. I just needed to unscrew the needle valve from the solenoid (I assumed they’d be cemented in place), and bolt on a new one. He’s also sending...

Thanks Iain. That’s a good shout about the small pebbles. I’ll be taking the dog for a stroll on the beach over the next couple of days, so will fill my pockets! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all I planted up my new Aquascaper 900 today, so thought I’d start a journal, to record its progression. The set up didn’t get off to a great start, as I broke my CO2 regulator yesterday, when setting up the hardware. The plants were already ordered, so when they arrived this afternoon, I...

I’m going to hang on to it, and have a go at fixing it in the future, as I’ll be setting up a new tank at some point. I’m hoping I’ll be able to just get a new solenoid and needle valve for it. Cheers for your help though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks all. I’ve just placed an order for a new reg. That was a costly mistake to make! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all I’ve been in the process of setting up my new Aquascaper 900, and have had a bit of a disaster. I have a delivery of plants arriving from Aquarium Gardens tomorrow, so thought I’d get my hardware set up this evening. I have a CO2 Art regulator, and the bubble counter push fitting has...

I’ve recently set up a six foot Mbuna tank at work, with some big chunks of granite, and used egg crate under them. In the previous incarnation of this tank, I used polystyrene sheets, but the fish exposed them and started chewing on them, resulting in polystyrene balls floating everywhere! It...

Have a look at Pier Aquatics. I think they specialise in direct imports from South America, and get some really interesting fish, particularly catfish. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On my 1200litre system, a 5kg bottle only lasts six weeks, but I have a sump with fluidised media in it, so losing a lot of CO2 down there. Just recently switched to a 20kg FE, which is a beast! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there. I recently stripped my tank down for a rescape, and all of my plants (swords, Crypts, ferns) spent a couple of days in buckets in the living room, and survived perfectly. It shouldn't get too cold indoors at this time of year, but if you're concerned, or it's likely to take you more...

This has been a really interesting read. I just wanted to add something relating to the husbandry of these fish. I've kept lots of native marine/rockpool tanks at work over the years, and the biggest problem we always have is temperature, and I can't see it being much different with native...

I've had to set it up earlier than I was expecting. The 5kg FE I had set up before ran out after only six weeks, and I hadn't noticed. A few days without CO2, and BBA set it, but it's slowly starting to recede now the new FE is set up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Well, it's just arrived and it's a big old lump! Weighs about 50kg, so will definitely need fixing to the wall. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, that's the one. I only have a 1000lt/h pump running it at the minute, but may upgrade that at some point. The CO2 comes on two hours before the lights, and goes off an hour before lights out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ideal, that's what I was hoping to hear, thanks!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The end of the aquarium is about 20" from the wall, so I'm hoping it'll sit in there, mostly out of sight. My 5kg fe has been running for about two months, and is about half full now, so hopefully I'll get a good year out of a 20kg. The chap did say it's a DIN 477 thread, so it should be fine...

Yes, he said it's on a trolley. I should have just enough space beside the aquarium, where it'll be out of sight, but I have to admit to being a bit nervous about having a massive high pressure cylinder sitting in my living room! I guess it shouldn't really be any less safe than a 5kg FE, but...

I've got a 6' tank, with sump, so about 1200litres in total, and I use an Aqua Medic reactor, which is working great. Before I got it, I tried a few different diffusers and atomisers, and couldn't get my drop checker to turn green, but with the Aqua Medic, it's green at lights on, and the plants...

Hi all I've just spoken to a local fire extinguisher service place, to find out about refilling my 5kg FE, and they said they have a 20kg one available that's just come in, and for £30, which is less than the cost of refilling my 5kg. I've got a 6' tank, with sump, so pumping in a lot of CO2...

Thanks for the reply. I'll wait it out for a bit then. There aren't any live leaves left on it now, so I'll keep an eye on it for a week or two, and see what happens. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all I've recently had a case of BBA on some Bolbitis, so when doing a water change, I brushed on some liquid carbon in an attempt to kill it off. It worked a treat, but has also killed off the plant, and I've gone from a nice green bushy plant, to brown and dying leaves. Do you know if the...

Yeah, my sump also has fluidised K1 in it, so 4 x 2" air stones blasting away permanently is going to make getting and keeping CO2 levels up interesting. I see a future of frequent fire extinguisher refills :o) I'm running quite low lighting, 2 x 80W T5s, and only have Crypts, swords, and...

I did try that last night, but it created a hell of a mist in the tank, which I didn't like. It would have been good in a gin and tonic though! Even with the external filter acting as a reactor today, the DC hasn't changed from frustrating blue. Looks like I have a lot more tinkering to do...

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I tried the leak test, and there were none from the bubble counter, I think I just had to really tighten it well, to make use of that rubber seal. I got it working eventually, but still required countless bps. I also didn't like the bubbles in the tank, and being...

I just gave that a try. It didn't show up any bubbles, but I took the bubble counter apart anyway, and I hadn't screwed the top on quite as tight as it would go. It seems to be a bit better now, but I think I'll pick up some ptfe tape tomorrow, and put some on the thread, and see if that makes...

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I removed the wrapper, I've now run it out of water to try blowing out any blockages, but it didn't make a difference. I now have the reg set to 2.5 bar, with needle valve pretty much fully open, and that's giving me a good mist from the atomiser. However, as soon as...

Hi all I've just installed my new CO2 Art regulator, with 80mm Bazooka atomiser, and am having real problems dialling it in. To get any bubbles/mist coming out of the Bazooka, I have to open the needle valve until there is a constant stream of bubbles whizzing through the counter. I went as...

Many thanks for the info. I clearly need to give this more thought. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for that, I'll have a think about it, as it would definitely be a lot easier. [emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Many thanks. I'll give it a blast and see what happens. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I'll definitely add a non return valve, but do you reckon the flow of CO2 will be strong enough to make it in to the return pipe in the first place, or will it get pushed back by the water to the non return valve? I'm assuming that a 5kg FE has more pressure than a...

Hi all I'm thinking about adding CO2 to my 6' discus tank, using a CO2 Art set up with a 5kg FE. I have a sump on the tank, and was wondering about adding the gas inline, in the return pipework. The pump is an Eheim Compact 5000, which takes 19mm pipe, so none of the commercially available...

That's perfect, thanks for the link. I'll give it a try. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi all When I don't need to suck out detritus from my tank, I use a semi automatic water change system, where I run an airline from my weir, straight out of the window, and have a HMA filter (from Devotedly Discus) running in to my sump, attached to a float valve. This works well, and I can...

Very healthy looking plants, good work! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They never do get fertilised. They'll eventually turn white with fungus, and the adults will eat them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had an interesting experience a few years back with the blue angels. I had a group of six, and like you, got excited when I saw two pair off, chase everything else away and start spawning. Nothing happened from the first batch, so I got rid rid of the others to give them space the next time...

I probably had about 2" of John Innes and Verve aquatic compost, but because of the size of the tank, I think I put about 75litres of it in there, so that could have been the problem. Even after 18 months, I could do a 50% WC, and then within five days the water would be yellow again. The plants...

Cheers Dan. My water has finally cleared today, so I'm pretty pleased! I followed the advice; reduced my lighting, and added some floating plants (floating pennywort from an old wildlife pond at work), and it seems to have worked. I've just changed my light tubes today, from old iQuatics...

As above. I just pour mine straight in, quite near the filter outlet, but as long as you have good flow, it should get spread around quickly wherever you pour it in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply. That's a good shout regarding the floaters. I've used them in this tank before, but kind of gave up on them as they kept disappearing over the weir! There's more decor at the surface now to snag some bits though, so will give it another try. A trip to my lfs today then :)...

Hi all I've recently rejigged my tank, going from a soil based substrate (John Innes under sand), to Tropica Plant Growth Substrate under moler clay. System details: Tank: 72" (L) x 30" (W) x 24" (D) Filter: Sump (50" x 24" x 18") with Kaldnes K1 and Japanese matting, powered by Eheim Compact...

Hi all I stumbled across this documentary on YouTube earlier, and thought I'd share. It seems quite rare to get a full length documentary showing the fish we all keep in our tanks, in their wild habitat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for your reply Big Clown. I've decided to definitely remove the grobeams, as I'm not liking the look of them anymore, and will likely stick the MV pendent of eBay at some point. I can use the grobeams for another project (sorry Jamie) as they're a good two years old now, so not worth...

Hi All Having been inspired by several of the low tech tanks on here, I decided to take the plunge and set up my own just over a year ago. It hasn't gone well. For some reason that I can't remember, I decided to opt for a Giessemann mercury vapour pendant over half of the tank, and four TMC...

That'll involve drilling more holes in the ceiling, which I was hoping to avoid, as my popularity at home diminishes with every hole drilled! It's an interesting idea though, so I'll have a play around with some spare T8s I have, to see if adding them changes the colour a bit. Cheers for you...

Thanks Rob. I have some more crypts on order now, to replace the remaining stems I put in for the early stages, and need to sort out the far edges, as they're looking a bit sparse. It's coming along though, and I'm pleased with the growth rate of most plants, considering I'm not using ferts or...

Hi All This is my first post, but I have been on here a while, trying to absorb as much information as possible. I have taken inspiration from Big Tom and Alistair and have set up my own low tech, compost based tank. 'Tis early days, but things are starting to take off. Right, my question...

Google and PFK Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk