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  1. S

    Any advice welcome

    this website is awsome. thanks all
  2. S

    Any advice welcome

    Sorry, to hijack this, but can I ask Darrel to expand a little more on this point? Does this make Tanganyikan cichlids unsuitable for a planted aquarium? I assume, from what you're saying, that in hard water, injecting CO2 won't have a meaningful impact on the environment the fish experiences...
  3. S

    boosting flow of an eheim external using a pump

    Thanks everybody. I appreciate the responses greatly. I'm sure you all have more important things to do than educate me - I'll have a go at implementing the suggestions and let you know how it goes. I'll do a before and after and all that stuff. Cheers. S
  4. S

    boosting flow of an eheim external using a pump

    Ladies and gents, Quick question: Would there be any harm in adding a water pump (maybe a pond pump or something) to the return of an external canister filter (eheim, to be precise)? I have a big tank, high energy, and need lots of flow but don't think the current set up really works. I...
  5. S

    Miaow

    Marriage material. Apparently not fast enough to compete in this year's Olympics. Very sad. I think her smile would brighten up London.
  6. S

    Miaow

    http://vimeo.com/45784191
  7. S

    Rob's 300L Perigean Beach

    Re: Rob's 300L (to be named)(week 1 photos) That sounds like a mould. I had that once as well. Critters ate it.
  8. S

    LED Spot Light Bulb E27 Screw

    wow, that does look really cool. I take back my harsh criticism of all things LED. Tank looks awesome as well.
  9. S

    Does high tech necessitate regular water changes?

    As far as I'm aware, the prevailing theory is as follows: - Light should be the limiting factor - therefore, if you have more light, then more CO2 and more intense fertilisation is needed to avoid algal blooms and/or plant damage. - EI is really good at ensuring your plants don't go hungry for...
  10. S

    LED Spot Light Bulb E27 Screw

    My experience of E27 and GU10 LED lights is really bad. In my experience, when they tell you the wattage equivalent for these LEDs, they usually tell porky pies. I'm sure some LEDs are good, maybe those designed for fish tanks which come in large banks of lights, but the ones designed to...
  11. S

    LEDs in abundance!

    What's the saying Foxfish? LEDs suck?! :) I'm not a believer. I've tried loads of LEDs for loads of different things and I always find the light they cast turns the place into the maximum security wing at Barlinnie prison.
  12. S

    Any light geeks ?

    I've got a T5 ballast that I'm not using and would sell/trade. It was used to drive two 54watt T5s which would probably just about do the job. PM me if you want to buy it or trade for it. Personally, I don't think 80w is excessive, especially if you are dosing ferts and pressurised CO2.
  13. S

    white deposit on plants in new tank

    It looks like a fungus to me. I'm no expert, but I would try and syphon as much out as you can when water changing. If that doesn't work, remove the most affected plants and hardscape, scrubb the hardscape in boiling water and replace the plants. If that doesn't work, try an anti-fungus...
  14. S

    Plans for a planted tank

    Lighting should be the limiting factor. So, the more light you have, the more CO2, ferts you need and the more important distribution and flow becomes. Growth increases as well. It depends on the lights and the set up, but I wouldn't bother with anything more than 2W/g. Remember to check the...
  15. S

    Plans for a planted tank

    The DIN477 reg should fit gas cylinders supplied in the UK. That's my experience anyway. Maybe you want to talk to those guys again and double check. As far as I am aware, most industrial providers in the UK use the DIN477 cylinders to supply CO2... I wasn't aware that there was another...
  16. S

    Same old green dust algae issues...

    You could try the following (although please note that I am not really an expert) - Try a different CO2 diffuser - I find the Up Inline particularly effective but it's down to personal experiences - I realise that your drop checker is showing yellow, but maybe the dispersion is bad, or maybe...
  17. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    I like sitting at the end of my fish tank looking down it. The internal reflections make it look CRAZY in there. Still having problems with the carpet plants. Going to buy another Korelia power head and then up the CO2. Trying to build slowly because I really like my fish. Ps. Gregory...
  18. S

    Transparent Tank - the end

    Re: Transparent Tank - reborn Brilliant. I love your DIY stuff in particular, but will definitely refer to your advice on scaping if I ever brave a rebuild (my wife would go totally crazy if I did that anytime soon - next spring I think). I have used your advice on perspex pipes on my tank...
  19. S

    Brown dusty 'algae'

    Try an up in line diffuser. I've found they are more effective. This assumes you are using an external canister filter. You also want to ensure you have enough flow and to the right areas otherwise the CO2 you add won't be effective.
  20. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Regarding the plants growing out the top - Yep, not quite there yet. Hoping my lotus puts up some pads and flowers but still quite small (growing quickly though). Also, I want to put in a new stem plant. that can grow up and out. Any suggestions are welcome. Regarding the flow. Thanks for...
  21. S

    Show Us Your Rare And Odd Fish!

    I love Keyhole ciclids - they are really nice fish to keep. But, a little bit lame. They are kind of the "walter the softy" of the aquatic world.
  22. S

    Show Us Your Rare And Odd Fish!

    Yeah, it was back in the early 90s that I bought this fish and LFS practices maybe weren't up to the standards of today - "Sure, in the wild it gets quite big, but it will only grow to suit the tank - don't worry - everything will be fine - buy five and I'll give you a discount!"
  23. S

    Show Us Your Rare And Odd Fish!

    I used to own a batfish - freshwater thing from China. I think they are now banned because they could survive in British streams and rivers. Mine unfortunately got taken down by a crazy rainbow shark. It was a seriously cool fish though. Here's a photo of one I found on the web:
  24. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    So, I got there in the end. I used two 100W compact fluorescents from Megaman, 6500k. I used two metal shades that I found on ebay and fabbed up the fittings, hung down from the ceiling. The pipework I put in, perspex, is now getting dirty unfortunately and I didn't think to put in any breaks...
  25. S

    Need good CO2 regulator

    TMC V2 reg is good (in my experience), especially for the price, and you can buy it with a CGA320 connector. Shop around and you'll find someone who will ship it internationally. It's not particularly bulky after all.
  26. S

    Members Backgrounds

    I'm an international arms dealer.
  27. S

    If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil

    Darrel, that's awesome. I'd never have found that as I didn't know the term "first flush". Hmmm. Dare I attempt DIY on this? I am really quite practically inept so I may have to get my wife involved - she's an engineer. NO, I must do this myself. If there is any success here I will post in...
  28. S

    If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil

    Great stuff guys. I was learning from an engineer friend (the same one I mentioned previously) that there are devices which reject the first X% of any rainfall thus preventing the nasty rain from entering your reservoir. This is only relevant in urbanised areas where the air quality is lower...
  29. S

    If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil

    I agree, but would add that the UKG have effectively forced the water companies to fix the leaks. They are on a massive pipe replacement programme hence all the street works but this will take years and the problem we have is unfortunately immediate.
  30. S

    If it's yellow, let it mellow and RO is the devil

    Well, with the impending desertification of the south east of England, I have taken the decision to do my bit and cut RO out of my water changes. I have already reduced it to 1/4 of my water changes, but given the vast quantities of water wasted through the production of just 25 litres of RO...
  31. S

    Feeding denison barbs

    Hmm. Maybe it was a parasite problem. I have heard of others losing a few when they are young and I have a theory it's to do with their diet.
  32. S

    Feeding denison barbs

    Hi everybody! I've got 8 really healthy Denison barbs that I'm extremely happy with, but it's been a long unhappy road for me. I have owned a total of 12 during the process and lost 4 due to gut problems. Three died from emaciation and one tied from bloat. I tried flubendazole but that...
  33. S

    Rebirth (the end)

    Re: Rebirth (aponogeton red flower) I have just been doing some hardware upgrading on my Juwel Rio 300 and have taken the rim off. I need to update my post on it - intend to do so this pm. Taking the rim off is REALLY hard work but it can be done. There is loads of black silicon under the...
  34. S

    flowering tiger lily (nymphaea lotus)

    Go to imageshack.com, upload the images there, right click on it and copy the image URL. You then paste this URL on the postreply box, but remember that you need the IMG brackets. Hope that makes sense and works.
  35. S

    CO2 & Light Demands

    Just a thought... Somtimes the in-line diffusers create a sort of bubble haze through the tank. Mike Appleby, who I consider a very credible commentator on the planted aquarium hobby, has intimated in one of his posts that some of these bubbles might collect in the CO2 drop checker and distort...
  36. S

    Shoaling fish

    True - but he has a 560 litre tank.
  37. S

    Shoaling fish

    What about some Denison barbs? They are really cool and mine certainly school. I have had some problems with their digestion and have lost a few, but they are seriously cool fish. The red and yellow flashes go nicely against a green background.
  38. S

    RO Water - Whats readings?

    I've got an RO unit. I worried about the environmental impact of so much water wastage and still do to an extent. However, I think the environmental impact is low. Water run off in itself is not really damaging - it's completely natural. What is a problem is that re-coursing of water away...
  39. S

    Accuracy of test kits?

    I've spent a lot of time trying to distinguish between coral red, cadmium orange and burnt amber. Having concluded that I would need to employ the services of a skilled interior designer to aid me in my weekly testing regimen, I decided that these test kits were truly useless and gave up using...
  40. S

    Algae in filter pipes

    I cleaned out a couple of hoses this evening and i'm not sure it's algae. I think it might actually just be fish poop and other detritus.
  41. S

    Filter for 80 to 110 gal planted tank.

    I've got a couple of Eheim external filters in my tank which is a similar size (slightly smaller). I can't remember exactly which ones they are, but they're pretty big things. I added a power head as well to increase flow further. If you don't want to fork out for a new external filter, maybe...
  42. S

    Toad's 5ft Setup

    In your user photo, are you the girl or the toad? :) Good luck with the tank. What are you using for filtration and water movement?
  43. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    I'm lovine the acrylic pipe bending thing. I'm about half way through prepping up my tank. Haven't been able to get a lily pipe made though: not enough puff. Either that or I've got thicker walled tubes. Very pleased with this DIY trick otherwise. Will post photos tomorrow. Thanks!
  44. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Quick update: - Acrylic pipes have arrived. - Paint stripper gun has arrived. - Pipe bend spring has arrived. - 1x 300w inline heater has arrived (thought that given I'm going through some fairly serious tank hardware upgrading I might as well do this bit too). - Rubber sucker clips for the...
  45. S

    The easiest way to do a 40% water change?

    Hmm, I'd like to get to that place.
  46. S

    The easiest way to do a 40% water change?

    My water supply is 10dkh. I use a mixture of tap and ro water, and it's a pain in the jacksy. Every week I have to fill up two 25 litre plastic canisters with the ro machine which takes around ten hours over night. It's not that bad but I'd rather fill up with a hose.
  47. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Acrylic pipes do sound good. Are you talking clear and colourless tubes? That could look better than stainless. Might look into that and good idea regarding the paint gun. I'm going to have a go at that as well. Cheers.
  48. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Interesting you should suggest that Mike. In addition to the BC fittings and 30w fluorescents that I acquired, I bought 2x 125W compact fluorescents from Growell on a 30 day return policy. I'm thinking the latter might well be the solution I need but they are indeed extremely large - 380mm...
  49. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    The more I think about it, the more I think I need to use a metal halide unit. Nothing else is both small enough and powerful enough, whilst still delivering the right colour. LEDs: can't get enough lumen into the shades I've got. Halogens: can't get the right colour. Tend to be 3000k...
  50. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Update: 1. Glass strips acquired. I have opted to go with the glass strips rather than the perspex as I wasn't sure about the adhesive I would need and glass was easier to get hold of. 10mm glass, 60mm width, 1 for each side of the tank and one cross bar to extend front to back in the centre...
  51. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Well, thank you. The fish seem very happy and have been growing a little. I still have quite a bit of work to do on it: - Some of the plants grow really well but I can't get the carpet plants to grow much at all. Starting a more rigorous fert and water change programme and I hope this...
  52. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Thanks for the heads up. They are really cool fish. I'd have more but I had a problem with some sort of parasite that worked its way through four of them. Very upsetting. A few flubendazole treatments seemed to do the trick and the remaining five have been very healthy since. I had...
  53. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    you reckon they'll outgrow a 300 litre tank? Surprised. Thought this would be sufficient...
  54. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    I promised some photos. These are obviously pretty terrible but they give you an idea of what's going on. The tank isn't as brightly lit as the photos would indicate. Very light on the bio load right now but it's going to stay that way until I finish the lighting and lid issue. There is...
  55. S

    Algae in filter pipes

    Interesting point though. That has to be the place with the highest flow in the tank and yet it's one of the worst for algae build ups. Maybe it is partly to do with the lack of algae eating critters in those pipes. I haven't cleaned out my pipes in ages so will be scrubbing viciously tonight...
  56. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Nearly £400 for the perspex! Puke! £175 for the structure and the rest for the lid. Need to shop around or revert to glass strips.
  57. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    These can fit GU10 bulbs and you can get 6500k 11W LED bulbs in a GU10 fitting. I reckon 3 of those will do the job as it should give around 150watts of equivalent light. This is for a Juwel Rio 300 which I think is 350litres and about 60cm deep. You can move the little brace up the wires so...
  58. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    So, a weekend later and I'm not really any further on. I have been doing some thinking though... I think it might be quite cool to make the bracing out of thick perspex. The benefit to this would be that I could make the entire structure out of one piece of material which might look quite...
  59. S

    what do i need?

    To be frank, you've got a lot of reading to do. My recommendation would be that you go through the tutorials on this site. They're really good. Some things to think about: - Lighting - most people agree that you want this to be the limiting factor of plant growth as that tends to allow for...
  60. S

    ram

    I've read that amonia build up can damage fish gills. This is why some say that getting the fish into the tank and out of the bag should be done as quickly as possible (obviously within reason). Maybe your fish suffered from this and is showing the effects. Alternatively, it could just be a...
  61. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    So i've ordered that silcon as recommended. Thanks for the tip. I'm going to speak to Greg the Wise in ADC (awesome shop on Great Portland Street in London) at the weekend and see what he recommends for a new lighting unit. I'm thinking I may as well try and fab something up myself to make...
  62. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Cool. thanks. I take it I just attach using silicon? Would I be able to leave any water in the tank while I do this? Say 1/3 of the water?
  63. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    I think you are probably right. I'm thinking I could probably replace it with some strips of glass around the edge, attached with silicon and some cross braces... Maybe not...
  64. S

    Removing the rim on the Juwel Rio 300

    Hi, I'm sitting in my living room staring at my Juwel Rio 300 and can't help but feel it would look much better without the faux wood rim round the top. That got me thinking about opening the top up, hanging some awesome industrial style lights down from the ceiling to light the tank, and...
  65. S

    Cant Eliminate Smell, about to give up, Please Help

    It's probably some sort of bacteria breading in there. The pp idea sounds good, so does the tank restart, by I'd probably be inclined just power on with the tank and hope that by adding plants you start to remove whatever the bacteria are feeding on... That's probably bad advice though...
  66. S

    Juwel rio 125 filter

    I ripped the filter box out of my jewel rio 300 about 3 months ago. I replaced it with an external filter. It wasn't a cheap move, but the flow is definitely much better, and I think it offers more flexibility on directing the return. It also offers the option of an inline diffuser, if you want...
  67. S

    Why do i need to change the water?

    Matty, I don't know what it is in London water that has nailed my fish in the past, but there is definitely something going on. I'm also toying with the ideas of discus... You're right though. I'm going to switch to much larger water changes, lots of ei stuff, and I'll start cutting my ro water...
  68. S

    Why do i need to change the water?

    Thanks. It's interesting actually. Even though the nitrate and phosphate levels remain within acceptable levels, I'm sure I am starting to see spots of algae popping up on some of the plants. I'm going to start EI in earnest with a much larger water change. Going to start mixing in some tap...
  69. S

    Why do i need to change the water?

    Thanks George. I didn't realise the plant life/algae distinguished between inorganic and organic sources of N and P. I suppose this means that I need to maintain the 10:1 ratio of nitrate to phosphate but do so via big water changes and dosing of fertilisers rather than by simply allowing the...
  70. S

    Why do i need to change the water?

    I realise that this may sound like a stupid question, but I would like to explore the issue of water changes a bit to try and understand the chemistry of what is happening in my tank. So, as background, I run a 350litre planted tank (pressurised CO2 with inline difuser, 2 big Eheim filters...
  71. S

    Poland

    Yeah, they definitely seem a lot better than the UK at all this stuff.
  72. S

    Help with an unidentified snail

    I had them. Watch out for little slimy, translucent packages on the leaves- that would seem to be the eggs. When I dosed my tank with flubendazolr to try and kill off a parasite problem with my fish, te numbers of these snails seemed to really drop. It may have been coincidence as I was taking...
  73. S

    Quick question!

    Yeah, everyone always goes on about having tonnes of light but I'm learning that co2, nutrients and really good flow are way more important. I have 4 t5s in a 300 litre tank and I have ended up only having one set (ie 2 bulbs) on most of the day. The plants just don't need it. I've also read...
  74. S

    Dave's 35L first attempt - now with added shrimp

    That looks like it's coming together really well. I have been at this planted aquarium game for around 6 months now and have steadily been learning lessons as I go. The one thing I haven't been able to crack is the carpet plants - mine simply won't grow. Still working on that... Good luck...
  75. S

    Remineralising RO

    Seachem does a mix that looks relatively similar to James' Planted Tank mix... in principle at least: ie no sodium, low chloride. I am going to give that a go because my wife is getting a bit freaked out about how one of our cupboards is looking more and more like a chemistry lab... Sav
  76. S

    CO2 In the planted Aquarium

    One thing I have learnt about bubbles per minute is that the appropriate level can vary enormously depending on the type of method used to "inject" the CO2 into the water. I was using one of those JBL spiral jobs with some success but I heard the inline diffusers were more effective so switched...
  77. S

    Remineralising RO

    Thanks. You're right, if you have easy access to ro water, but if your lfs is five miles away and you don't have a car then it becomes a real hassle. the cost of an ro unit is prohibitive given this is a gift. Maybe he can start by dechlorinating tap water and I can get him the ro unit next...
  78. S

    Remineralising RO

    Very interesting stuff - thank you. I have a couple of comments and a couple of questions. I used to live in Edinburgh, used tap water and tonnes of success with all sorts of fish. Never really got into the planted stuff but for fish the water was awesome. I've had a nightmare since I moved to...
  79. S

    Oh no another P&H cube - this one is different :)

    Lighting can be so expensive. It's the one thing I feel really aggrieved about in the hobby because I just don't get why it has to be so pricey. This is AWESOME. I'm totally going to have a go at making this myself. I love this site. UKAPS rocks.
  80. S

    Lighting In the planted Aquarium

    basically, because of the type of tank. It's a bowl. Like an old fashioned fish bowl but around 40 litres in size. And, I can't find a specialist light that will work with it. A desk lamp works quite nicely because it can be positioned over the top. I'll have a look around for some more...
  81. S

    South American 720L high tech

    This is my favourite tank on this website. It's truly awesome. I had pretty much written off keeping Geophagus/Satanoperca or anything like that in a true planted aquarium but this has completely washed that nonsense away. My wife will have another baby when I show her this. She loves those...
  82. S

    South American 720L high tech

    This is my favourite tank on this website. It's truly awesome. I had pretty much written off keeping Geophagus/Satanoperca or anything like that in a true planted aquarium but this has completely washed that nonsense away. My wife will have another baby when I show her this. She loves those...
  83. S

    Lighting In the planted Aquarium

    Hello wise people. What happens if you light a 40litre glass bowl with a bog standard 40W desk lamp? I'm talking about the sort of lamp you'd buy from John Lewis to put on your desk for reading books. (pressurised CO2, London tapwater, EI fertiliser, ADA Amazonia soil). I haven't set this up...
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