Search results for query: *

I have an XL red sea skimmer in the garage and I have been thinking about doing something with this, but it might have to wait until I have some time over the summer hols though ....

I thought your reactor building days were over? If you want to build me one at the same time, I'd be happy to test it! I am still looking for a more efficient method myself, so will be interested to hear any feedback that people have on these.

Interesting seeing you asking about these foxfish ......

Very interesting to know, especially since you have clearly tried many different methods. How are you directing your CO2 into your sump pump? As yet, I haven't had a problem (that I have seen) with the UP Atomiser clogging. All I have had is a reduction in CO2 due to the pressure of the bottle...

It takes some hours for the gas to dissolve after lights out, even turning off the gas an hour before lights out, but I am only running 600lph through the reactor, so I might try a bigger pump. As far as misting is concerned, I do get some mist escaping from the reactor, but not much andI am...

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Thanks Chris, I will stick to the following then as I have been advised: Macro Mix, Dose 120ml x 3 days a Week. 5000ml Water 150g Potassium Nitrate 25g Potassium Phosphate 300g Magnessium Sulpahte Micro Mix, Dose 120ml x 3 days a...

All is good. I have had an interesting time with dosing nutrients as I had been dosing an all in one fertiliser following the dosing instructions and had seen evidence of nutrient deficiencies, so since I have doubled the dosing I have had better results. Cat litter is holding its own and is...

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu I suppose that I am not that worried about being precise, more that I want to be supplying the correct amount of nutrients to the plants, without supplying such an excess that I either get an algae outbreak or end up spending money...

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Hi Ceg, having re read post 2, you are right I do have all the information I need. I think that it is the teaspoons that I am having trouble getting my head around as where I have been controlling several paramenters within a reef...

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Can nobody help with this?

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu OK, time to revive this thread as I really could do with a total idiots guide to this and I would like to start all this tomorrow! I have a 4 pump dosing unit and I plan to dose Easycarbo at a rate of 20ml per day, every day which is...

That makes far more sense! Just had a look at the reactor and it looks like it won't work that way around as a large amount of gas is collecting at the top. What type of flow of both water and gas were you putting through your reactors? Do you know of any other threads showing large amounts of...

Thanks for that information. What exactly are you adding to add "10ml of nitrogen daily"? Why are you adding this when using the "all in one" fertiliser?

Hi Foxfish, Thanks very much for taking the time to photograph your reactors. The one I'm using is very similar to your "Merlin", but without the modifications, ie. I have the water and CO2 entering from the top and exiting at the bottom, rising through the central tube. Until today, I had been...

Hi Keith, It is my understanding that the large water changes are only needed if you go down the EI route as they are to remove the large amount of dissolved organic material created by the plants, as they grow very quickly under these optimum conditions. I am not really the one to ask, as I...

It would be great to see some pictures of the reactors you have built - it would be great if I could add a reactor to my misting and see what that would do!

Tank has now been planted for 18 days. Cycle is now complete and I have suffered from various types of algae, but I am hoping that things are now in hand with the help of the ottos, SAE's and amanos which all seem to have done a stirling job. Yes, I do already have shrimp escapees in the weirs...

Thanks for the advice re. the stems and fancy seeing you here Sam! Have now introduced 3 x SAE's, 5 x ottos and 5 x amano shrimp. The shrimp already seem to be doing a great job, but I will certainly be keeping a watchful eye in the sump! Might well introduce some shoaling fish tomorrow .....

Thanks again for the positive comments - I will sort out this nightmare water change issue. Became impatient with cycling yesterday and added a double dose (as instructed) of NTLABS Live filter bacteria as I am keen to get some algae eating livestock in there. Tested Nitrites today and it is...

Thanks for the kind comments Mark, I haven't seen any recent photos of yours ..... Foxfish - I decided to run the water through a fine sediment filter and a carbon block in an effort to rid the water of chlorine. I did this to try to keep alive the bacteria that I put into the tank with the...

Carried out a 300l (measured) water change on Thursday evening which took 5 hours in total, even though I had already prepared around 150l of water beforehand. The flow through the sediment filter and carbon block is what is slowing things down, so I will have to find a solution to this...

Day 4 photos: Desperately need to get some shrimp in there to help with the algae that's starting to develop ......

Growth has started in earnest with some of the plants already. I will try to take some more pictures and get them posted up later. Unfortunately I can't seem to resize the images on imageshack unless I upload them again, so I will ensure that all those I upload in future will be resized.

Thanks Clive, enjoying watching it so far. Thought I would post my parameters that I have been able to measure this evening: Temp: 23.5C (no heater turned on yet) KH: 12.8 Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 3 ppm Nitrate: >50<100 ppm Awaiting an ammonia spike ........

Thanks for the kind comments, all still looking good this evening with only minimal floaters (mainly glosso unsurprisingly). Have now dosed my second dose of all in one fertiliser and have upped CO2, but still awaiting a change in the colour of the drop checker. I feel completely redundant...

Thanks Mark, that was 40 pots, 3 x 1-2-grows and three bunches of crypts that you can't yet see!

Thank you. I am certainly very pleased with it in its early stage of development. Drop checker is lime green and I am tempted to get it yellow. I am also misting and currently have just under 10 x flow with just the return pump running and this will increase to nearly 20 x when I am brave...

Now planted .......

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Is there any reason that you couldn't have it dosing straight into the tank?

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu The ferts will be dosed into the last section of my sump and be fed to the display tank via the return pump. Why do you ask?

OK, tank is now clearing and this is how it is looking:

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Foxfish - I definately prefer the idea of dosing macros and trace on different days to avoid precipitation. I would also like to make this as cost effective as possible, so I will be looking to go down the mixing my own powders route...

I used the stuff that comes in pink and yellow bags, can't remember the price, but I used 6 bags. It was perfumed but it didn't take too much to get rid of the smell!

Re: Wanting to start EI dosing using solutions and dosing pu Hi Chris, Thanks very much for that, I can certainly get started with that information although from what you have said about the magnesium sulphate I think I might start with litre bottles and go from there. :thumbup:

Hi All, My head is about to explode having read far too many articles and posts about EI dosing; I am concerned about solubility issues, how many ppm of potassium comes from the potassium nitrate and how many comes from the potassium phosphate, how many grams 1/16th of a teaspoon equates to -...

Thanks for the comments so far. I filled the tank yesterday through a fine sediment filter and carbon block. I started at 7:20pm and it took until 3am to completely fill! This is concerning me hugely about what I am going to do about the huge water changes that I am going to have to make - it...

Aquascaping now completed. Much of the detail is lost due to reflection, substrate and poor photography skills: Will hopefully get everything wet for the first time tomorrow. Further comments welcome ..... :)

Hi All, Thought I would share the beginning of the enjoyable part of converting my once reef aquarium into a planted aquarium. This is my first attempt at a planted aquarium and I am looking forward to the challenge ahead. I would like to thank all those who have already assisted me with some...

Thanks for that. What I will do then is return the fungi for a refund and pick up a bale of irish peat moss. I will also be able to get some filter mulm from a planted tank at my local fish shop. Thanks also for the advice on the osmocote - I will follow your directions. Journal starting soon!

Thanks for the reply Clive. Just to double check then, all I need is the washed cat litter, water column dosing, lights, CO2 and decent flow? I have now completely sealed up both the tank and the sump with coverglass and acrylic, so I should make more efficient use of my CO2 than I was...

I am just checking, as I am ready to put in the substrate; do I need Irish moss peat compost or Irish moss peat, as I am assuming the two are very different? I tried to get hold of some today and the only thing available was the Irish moss which comes in bales and is about £10, is this the...

Thanks both of you for the information. I will start with full water changes then, running water out of the window and filling from the pumped shower upstairs and see how that goes. As yet, I haven't ordered any dry fertilisers as yet, neither have I tested any of the tap water parameters but...

Thanks for that information. I think I will have to make smaller water changes more often as a 50% water change on 580 litres in one go would not be possible. Please could you let me know if you think my CO2 injection method will work and provide feedback on the atomiser(s) that you use? I am...

Thanks for this - keeps the idea alive for the time being then! Off to the water chemistry section to do a little more reading, especially about DIY remineralising ......

That might well be a fly in the ointment then, although I don't know anything about remineralising RO. Couldn't the pH (or more correctly the KH) be kept in check by the addition of sodium bicarbonate solution? What exactly does remineralising add to the RO water that is used by fish or plants...

Do you mean set up a small daily water change? If you do, I could see that working as I wouldn't have to worry about heating the water and if it were say 10%, the cold water going directly in shouldn't have too much of a drastic effect on the overall temperature. I like the idea of a ball valve...

Hi All, Happy New Year! :) It seems like a long time ago that I last posted and Christmas along with the forum being down have got in the way, but I feel that I have made much progress. I have finally sold all of my remaining marine livestock and the equipment that I did not want to keep...

OK, seems like a very strange thing to be doing on Christmas Eve, but I have got hold of some Tesco's cat litter and rinsed it. I am actually quite impressed with the way it looks. I still might try the other stuff to see if there is any visual difference, but it looks like I might well save...

Looks too good to be true! I think I will buy a bag of both readily available types of cat litter, wet it down and see which one I prefer the look of. Do you use yours uncapped? Do you use anything underneath it?

The cat litter sounds good, but I do not like the colour of it. With the Levington bonsai soil I assume that would have to be capped as it contains peat and bark. I have nothing against capping it, but it would be a question about what to cap it with. I don't suppose there is a more natural...

That's good to know, have you moved any plants recently, planted any new ones or attempted to disturb the Akadama? The reason I ask is to know for sure whether or not it is clumping or breaking down.

It does look like I am going to have to throw a lot of my "marine thinking" out of the window, but that is not a problem. I think I will go for the water change option of connecting to the shower hose for the time being and then think about something more permanent if the need arises. Si...

OK, have just read the DIY water change, no more buckets thread and now feel a little more in the picture! I would however still like to set up a permanent fully automated water changer ......

Well if I take that question at face value I would say that the cold water is fed via a rising main downstairs and upstairs it is fed via the cold water tank; the hot water is gravity fed both upstairs and downstairs, but I don't think you meant it that way ...... I do not have the luxury of a...

Ok guys, you have all given me lots to think about and thanks for that because this is exactly why I posted here in the first place. You have nearly persuaded me to go tapwater, low cost substrate and sort out a proper water changing system (which is what I should have done a long time ago!)...

Some of the reasons that I would like to continue to use my sump are the same as yours; easy maintenance, constant water level and clutter free tank (apart from powerheads). Other reasons are that I might want to return to marine in the future and I don't want to redo all the plumbing I have...

Thanks for your feedback, that's great to know. I was looking at the UP atomiser connected to my return pump (eheim compact 5000). The return plumbing is split into two and the pipe run equates to about 2m. I was hoping that this would be sufficient to dissolve all of the CO2 before it reached...

What size tanks are you running, how much CO2 are you getting through and what size cylinders are you using? I am assuming (maybe incorrectly!) that you have a dedicated fish room? Please could you provide more detail about your semi automatic water change system?

Living in Southampton we have very hard water with high levels of both phosphates and nitrates. Although I realise that the phosphates and nitrates would be used by the plants and I would be stripping out what I would then be replacing, to my mind at least I would be dosing a measured and more...

Hi Sam, thanks for your input. It is the water changes that are my main worry. I do have a 48 x 15 x 18" tank that I can use to preheat water and I can pump it directly from there to the main aquarium, but that would be my maximum easily available water change (212 litres = approx. 36% ). Is...

Hi, I'm new to the forum and about to embark on a large planted aquarium. I have been running a reef tank for the last three years and have decided to close this down and make the switch to a planted tank, primarily due to the cost of running 3 x 250W halides. I would like a fairly heavily...