Search results for query: *

Thanks! I've ordered 1KG....

Hi all, Looking for a cheap but high quality alternative to Juwel bioflow poly pads / filter floss. This is the white pad that sits on the top of the Bioflow filter. I am hoping to buy in bulk and cut down to size. I bought some cheap floss on eBay a while ago but it just fell apart within a...

It's only 1 watt - is that really enough to grow plants?

Thanks. I should have added that it needs to be cheap!

I'm planning to turn an old glass bowl into a low tech (no fish) setup just with garden soil and plants. Can anyone recommend a good Clip-on light to attach to the rim of the bowl? Preferably relatively high intensity. Many thanks

Cheers! I already thinned out around 50% over the weekend - you should have seen it before! Don't suppose anyone wants a big bag of duckweed.......

Thanks for all the quick replies - that's all really helpful. I think it's clear that the external filter is unnecessary as long as I provide sufficient flow and distribution throughout the tank. I agree that the Juwel internal is more than capable of providing sufficient biological filtration...

Hi all, I've had my Juwel Rio 240 running as a successful low-tech since December. Lightly stocked with fish and shrimp - no trace of algae and plants growing slowly but steadily. Lots of floating plants. I'm using the Juwel internal filter with an upgraded 1,000 lph powerhead, and in addition...

He's done it! Looking forward to seeing the tank!! :clap:

The spray bar won't reduce the speed of the flow as such but it will disperse it significantly. More holes means slower flow. If you are worried about 'too much flow' then just buy a spray bar with lots of holes, and run it all the way along the back of the tank. This is what I meant by a...

+1 for nerite snails. But as they are brackish water snails, they need relatively hard water and high pH to avoid pitted shells. They never tend to do very well in Co2 enriched soft water tanks.

If you don't have other algae (particularly green dust on the tank walls), i'd be very surprised if your problem is too much light. Why not just remove the wood altogether? You could replace it with another type of driftwood, rocks, or just plants. And add some algae eaters, ottos or if your...

Surya, You shouldn't be getting BBA if your Co2 / lighting / ferts are all in balance. Are you sure you have a reasonable concentration of Co2 in the tank? (up to 30PPM). Are you using a drop checker or pH meter to monitor your Co2 levels? What about flow and distribution, is the BBA growing...

Josh - good luck with the scape and look forward to tracking your journey. With regard to tank size my advice would be to go with the largest tank you can afford and that you have space for. Just bear in mind that once everything is set up with fish, a tank that size will be extremely...

Well that was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. The full tank nuke / rebirth is now complete. Around 8 hours work in total and miraculously all fish are alive and well. The tank is now spotlessly clean and has an inert sand substrate with lots of easy plants (swords, crypts...

Thanks for the replies. I am 99% the problems aren't caused by lack of nutrients. I was dosing a half EI dose every day until just a few weeks ago. I cut the ferts after all the algae problems started. I had played around with lighting duration, flow etc. but the algae still persisted so the...

This guy has the same tank as me (& same lights) and has managed to get stunning results with low-tech: I am going to do my best to just replicate this when I re-build the tank... I reckon I'm going to end up spending over £100 on plants!

No, I added the additional powerhead in response to green hair algae problems that I could only attribute to dead spots. I think I will remove it since it hasn't helped with the algae. Most of the fish are actually really healthy, there are a couple of old ones that I captured in this clip. But...

Thanks Darrel. I only re-planted those crypts a couple of weeks ago - they are cuttings from elsewhere in the tank. The established crypts on the other side of the tank seem to be healthy enough. At this point I'm thinking it must be 'something in the water'. Out of the tap, my water is over...

Hi all, Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. Sorry for the slow reply, been a busy week! Here's a full tank video so you can see the extent of my algae problems... I think the video pretty much speaks for itself! Please note that the large space in the middle of the tank used to be...

Thanks a lot for the advice Tim, really appreciate it. I agree that I'm past the 'point of no return' now and my best option is to start again. I'll plant as heavily as humanly possible this time around as you suggest. Re lighting: This is a Juwel Rio 240 and the lights are non-dimmable. So...

P.S. I had to remove the java fern and anubias because it gradually became over-run with algae and then died.

Ok... photos below as promised. The first 2 photos were taken today, and they show green spot algae covering Crypt leaves and preventing the plants from growing; hair algae blanketing the substrate and becoming tangled in plant roots; plant stems rotting and not rooting. The last 2 photos were...

Thanks for the replies... Tim - I'll get some photos this evening when the lights are on. But they won't tell you much. Just that the tank used to be spotless with zero algae and healthy plants, and then suddenly everything went to s**t... It's infuriating because I changed nothing about the...

Hi all, I've reached the end of my tether now and am on the verge of tearing my tank down and starting from scratch (new substrate etc.) but just after some final advice before I do so. My Juwel Rio 240 has been running now for almost 2 years. It has a layer of John Innes soil, topped with...

Thanks for all the replies. So just to confirm - there's no issue leaving the roots to decompose? I had an outbreak of hair algae growing from my substrate and put it down to decaying waste matter and am keen to ensure that doesn't happen again.

Hi all, after some advice please. In my low-tech 240 I have a layer of soil (John Innes) covered by gravel. I have about 8 ugly cryptocoryne wendtii brown in the tank that have been established for about 6 months now. I don't know why I bought these plants. They are just unsightly and don't...

Thanks, good advice. Will do!

Hmm I'm wondering whether a 2200 powerhead may be too much flow for the fish and whether I should have gone with 1600 instead. Any advice?!!

P.S. I've ordered a Koralia Nano 2200 lph which I hope will help with circulation of ferts. When i move the fish over from the old tank, I will also move over my Eheim external filter 1600 lph. So in total I will have 3800 lph turnover (with 1000 lph internal Juwel filter).

Beautiful tank Iain, really nice work. So... a BIG update! I had a busy weekend... There's a layer of aquatic compost under the gravel. I'm hoping that the plants will take quite easily. As you can see I've got Java Fern & Anubias on the wood, Lobelia Mini in the foreground (right)...

Thanks Iain, that's good to know. Another quick question regarding scaping. Should I put my hardscape (rocks, wood) in the tank before adding substrate? Or add all substrate first and then put hardscape in on top?

P.S. will 10KG be enough gravel to cap the 15-20L of soil that's going in there?

This is awful sorry to hear, did you ever find out what they'd done to the supply?! Really helpful advice, thanks. So based on this I think I will go for Unipac Nordic 2-4mm gravel: https://charterhouse-aquatics.com/shop/aquatics/decoration/unipac/unipac-nordic-2-4mm-gravel-10kg What do...

:lol: am I going insane? Wasn't your previous post telling me I had too much light to run a low tech setup? How is doubling my light going to help me achieve my objective as outlined in my first post of setting up a low- maintenance, relatively self-sustaining tank? In the past whenever i...

Update: they are sending a replacement aquarium and letting me keep the old one for spares / parts. Excellent service from Charterhouse Aquatics. Thanks for the advice Alto - very helpful. I have tested my tap water and it is over 400 TDS (around 420-440). I am very wary about using this for...

So my tank arrived! ****ing hopeless.

I thought we just established that neither plants nor fish care about hard water.

P.S. what are the advantages of using peat moss? I just ordered 20L of the Westland Aquatic Compost. I think that will probably be enough for what I need.

Thanks all. In this case I might gradually transition from RO to tap water and closely monitor the fishes' health & activity :) So I think I will go for aquatic compost topped with sand... Does anyone have any favourite compost? And will a thin layer of sand block the roots from reaching the...

I have to disagree that fish don't care about hardness. "It is true that most tetras except for a few can adapt to harder and more alkaline conditions, but they won't show their best colours and may not show natural behaviour as a result. They'll live but they won't thrive." - would you...

Yes I do use RO because my water here is extremely hard. Having read this post: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-soil-substrate-or-dirted-planted-tank-a-how-to-guide.18943/ I am thinking of using aquatic soil / compost topped with a layer of medium sand? Any thoughts on this?

Many thanks for all the replies. ian-m, I will not be using Co2 on this tank. I don't know if the lights are dimmable - I assume they are not. From reading all of the links Darrel provided, I think I will opt for 20-25% water changes, every two weeks. How much substrate would I want in a...

Thanks for the replies... There are countless guides online and threads in the 'low tech' forum explaining how with the low-tech method you 'don't need to do water changes'. For years I have been doing 50% weekly as I have been using EI ferts & liquid carbon. But this guide...

Hi all, I've just ordered a brand new Juwel Rio 240 and intend to set it up as a low-tech. Some of you will remember I owned a high-tech Rio 125 for several years. A couple of years ago I got rid of the Co2 because it wasn't helping my situation at all, and switched to liquid carbon instead...

A couple of years ago I had a Cory apocalypse- about 15 died on me in the space of 6 weeks. I never diagnosed the problem but guessed it was some kind of infection. I've been keeping about 20 Trilineatus very happily for about a year now. I've just had one die on me with the same symptoms as...

Hi all, It's been a while since I posted here! I have a Juwel Rio 125 now moderately planted low tech with very easy plants (swords, anubias, ludwigia, hygrophila). This tank used to be high-tech but it was just way more trouble than it was worth for me. I recently re-scaped the tank and am...

Whenever anybody has any algae problems, they are given the following advice: 'too much light. Cheers,' My experience (and that of many others) directly contradicts this, but those who keep maintaining that light is the root of all evil never seem to be able to respond to experiences like...

When I first got this tank, I didn't have any idea what I was doing. I had a 10 hour photoperiod with no plants. I had minimal algae problems.

No. I'm not prepared to do any kind of DIY. I have a fully functional tank, filter, and lighting setup. I'm not going to mess with it. Is it not possible to get T5 tubes of this length at any less than 28W?

Yeah... The money I have spent on this tank must be running into the thousands now. That's part of the reason for packing up. I am not spending any more money on this tank.

Ian, do you think you could elaborate on how exactly to block out the light? Would floating plants do the job?

Various shots (from oldest to newest):

Thanks for all of the replies. I have removed one of the reflectors (currently have two 28W T5s). I will remove the other reflector in a couple of days. Since this is a fixed lighting unit (Juwel Rio 125), that is the best I can do in terms of reducing light intensity. After that I will...

Well it's been a fun ride but I think it's time that I packed in the Co2 and simplified my set up. At the moment I am using Co2 and RO/DI water re-mineralised to 100PPM. The environment is ideal for the livestock that I keep: Cardinal tetras Silvertip tetras Pentazona barbs Corydoras...

Thanks for the info Darrel. What's the best way to supplement their diet then, kale and spinach? Do you blanch it first or just chuck it in raw?

I have high Co2 levels, but massive steady flow and (I think) high oxygen levels. My ottos are all inactive day and night. It's rare that I see them move.

Pentazona, they are pretty placid. It could be the silvertip tetras causing aggro.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll keep a close eye on them to make sure they're not being pestered by the other fish.

Hi all, I have had a lot of trouble keeping otocinclus alive in my high-tech planted tank. There is plenty for them to eat, and I cannot see of any particular reason why they always seem to get sick and die. The fish appear healthy in all other respects (they have full bellies, gills not...

Thanks for the replies. Something like this? http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-thermometer-12-inch-spirit/invt/0022574

Hi folks, This is one of those things that has bothered me for my entire fishkeeping career. I have never been able to find an accurate in-tank thermometer. The best I have found is one built into the Seneye Home, but I don't use that in my tank anymore since it's a pain to have a computer...

The tank is the ADA tank downstairs, it's moderately stocked with cardinal tetras. Here is another example of an ADA tank they have upstairs. Beautiful carpet, very healthy plants, and loads of pearling. An in-tank glass diffuser with Co2 bubbles going straight to the surface of the...

Jose, frankly your comments on this forum have become laughable. You choose to repeat the same conclusions over and over, with no scientific evidence to support any of it, and when people question the science behind it, your answer is 'I don't need to prove anything to a person that doesn't want...

Please can you show me the 'empirical observations' that lead to the conclusion that limiting phosphates reduces the plant's demand for Co2?

Because you just made a stipulative generalisation with no evidence to support it.

How exactly does low phosphate limit the Co2 demand from plants? In particular, what are the molecular processes involved in this?

I go in there regularly and can tell you that it's looked like that for nearly a year now.

I paid a visit to Aquatic Design Centre yesterday because I wanted to take photos of an ADA tank there that I've had my eye on for a while. It is the best plant growth I have ever seen in a tank, online or otherwise. As you can see from the last picture, Co2 is fed from a single glass...

Jose, do you have a Tom Barr shrine in your house?

I use RO water and so I re-mineralise with JBL Aquadur. That's just because I refuse to use London tap water, though.

Thanks for the replies guys. I was just wondering if there was any particular sponge that was better suited to aquarium use. I saw a video from Tyne Valley Aquatics and the guy was using a sponge that had lots of indentations on the underside, he said that helped to collect debris.

I want some coarse sponge for my filter (Eheim Pro 600). The only one they sell is for the pre- filter tray, so it has that big cut- out bit in the middle. I have that sponge, but I also want to put some sponge in the bottom tray. Can I buy a big sheet of coarse sponge somewhere and cut round...

Thanks Clive. I will consider going the tap water route. But I am reluctant to switch from RO after many years of having full control over water parameters and being able to keep the TDS as low as I like. I just had a lot of problems before I switched to RO.

Clive, cardinals do not thrive in water that hard. I know they don't. They only started properly colouring up and getting full rounded bodies when I switched to RO.

Thanks for all the replies. My RO unit is very efficient, with virtually no waste water. This is because I am using a 130 PSI booster pump, and I have piggy- backed two 75 GPD membranes in sequence. The waste tap from one membrane runs into the input for the other membrane. So waste is not an...

West London

Oh, phosphates are over 10 ppm and nitrates are about 40 ppm

I keep Cardinal tetras. My tap water is TDS 350- 400, KH is above 10, GH is about 20.

It has to be RO.

Hi guys, I have had my 125 litre tank for a few years now, and I do 50% weekly water changes with RO. We're having my room refurbished in May and I would like to get a bigger tank for when that happens. I'm looking at the Juwel Rio 300 and the Rio 400. The 300 is 350 litres, which would mean...

Let's be honest, we all do it. Some of us fiddle once a week, some a few times a week, some of us may even fiddle several times in the same day! So how often do you fiddle with your tank? Apart from the weekly water change, how often do you trim plants/ scrape algae/ play with the scape? For...

Sounds like you need a diaphragm pump for your RO unit. My tap water is the hardest in England apparently. And with a diaphragm pump to put 110 PSI Through the unit, I get 2 parts RO to 1 part waste. Before I had the pump and the unit pressure was like 35-40 PSI, the ratio was about 3:1...

That's because of the number of holes in the spray bar. Use your Fluval spray bar with the APS filter and you will see that the APS flow is comparable to the Fluval. Many people complain about the lph of the APS. In reality, this is just due to the fact that the APS spray bars have so many holes.

Yes. Use the APS.

Zak, From personal experience, I would now never keep nerite snails in a tank with pH less than 7. They come from brackish water, which is obviously very hard. So they really need alkaline, hard water. Go for ottos instead.

You see Viktor, that just makes me want to get rid of the Purigen!

Thanks for the reply. I don't have any shrimp in there yet, just a single zebra nerite snail. Will get some photos up later today

I have an unfiltered nano wabi- Kusa bowl that I have recently flooded. It is home to one nerite snail currently, hopefully more snails/ shrimp to come soon. It is heavily planted with HC and a few stem plants. I have a small air pump connected to some airline tubing. This oxygenates the water...

Haha! Great vid! Thanks for the quick advice Michael. I think I will flood my Wabi Kusa bowl, and move the snail in to there after Christmas. Hopefully he will perk up a bit then. There are loads of plants in there, and I will try to do several water changes per week. Just hope he can hold...

Thanks. Will it be ok in a tank with no filtration, and no water movement?

Tried that many times, he doesn't go near it. Or kale, or spinach. Think I'm going to use an old empty unfiltered bowl, and move him into there with some hard tap water. Can their shells actually grow back?

My Co2 softwater tank is killing my nerite snail. His shell is eroding. I remember reading something once about repairing the shell with nail varnish?? Is there anything I can do to stop/ reverse the shell erosion?

I use two bags of Purigen in my filter. They become discoloured and brown very quickly (a couple of weeks). To regenerate them so regularly is a hassle, and very expensive in terms of the amount of Prime required. Is Purigen any good if used without ever regenerating it? Or is it just...

This thread can be deleted now, I've re- configured my spray bars entirely now.

Yep, like 2 FX5s in sequence :p

APS are notorious for lying about lph! Eheim calculate the filters lph with media in, so are much more accurate. My Eheim 1250 lph is considerably more powerful than my APS 1400, both with the same amount of media. What lph is the Eheim rated for? If I were you I would be looking at a 5000 lph...

The APS external filters are in reality about half the LPH that they advertise. So you have about 1000 LPH turnover in a 300 litre tank. I have about 2500 lph turnover in a 125 litre tank. In a tank your size, I would want at least 5000 lph turnover. Yep, you're gonna need to invest in a...

I find my pearling increases when I increase surface agitation, which allows me to increase Co2.

I only have 3 left. I used to have 6, but over the last few months their numbers have declined. I think it's just old age.