Aqua One AR-850

[TarkMalbot]

I just read on the TNC website that lite was better if your fish stock was high and the Complete was for low fish stocks and high planting. As much as I love the look of the plants the fish health is more important to me so I need to find a happy balance.

 

[Martin cape]

That's why 50% water changes are important when dosing fertilisers.

You never really dose more than about 45ppm Nitrate, safe for fish. Dose about 15-20ppm Phosphate a week, safe for fish. Potassium is fine for fish. All the trace ferts are exactly that, trace. All fine for fish. Biggest risk for fish is overdosing CO2 pal.

Have a read :

James' Planted Tank - Estimative Index Explained

I dose my tank with EI, co2 drop checker borders on yellow every day and my fish are fine and thriving

 

[Ian Holdich]

I just read on the TNC website that lite was better if your fish stock was high and the Complete was for low fish stocks and high planting. As much as I love the look of the plants the fish health is more important to me so I need to find a happy balance.

Fish health is also important to us all on here, however decaying plants though lack of nutrients will have a bigger detriment to fish health than keeping your n03 up in the tank. It is your choice on what you dose...

 

[TarkMalbot]

My problem is sometimes a little knowledge is more dangerous than none at all so I am advancing with caution and learning all the time. I am not being argumentative and am keen to know more. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Martin cape]

Haha. Ya need anything pal, come through for the crack. I started this whole journey in December. Love it all now. Very easy once ya get to the "bullet" points and basics.

 

[TarkMalbot]

My wife fitted the solenoid this evening as a temp fix until the real kit arrives. That will stop her having to set up the Co2 every morning!

 

[TarkMalbot]

I am back from working away for 2 weeks. That tiny Co2 bottle lasted less than 3 weeks and I left my wife the wrong plant food to feed. Needless to say the plants are suffering a bit:

I got back late last night so at 7am this morning I went about setting up all the kit I had ordered whilst away.

I set up the Eheim 600 which has monster flow compared what the fish are used to! It's very noisy though compared to my other external filters so not sure if there is some air in there I can't get out.

I did a 50% water change and put all my trickle media in the Eheim.

I also set up my regulator and FE with new hose to the existing 3 in 1 check valve, bubble counter and diffuser.

I am still waiting for my new bubble counter and check valve and the UP inline atomiser is the wrong size. It's the correct size for the inlet pipe to the filter but not for the outlet pipe back to the tank. I thought about putting it on in the inlet but I heard it makes the pump noisier and its too loud as it is. I will try and exchange it for the correct one.

My EI starter kit arrived so I have mixed that up and fed today's dose.

At the moment I have the lights set up on a timer to come on at 4pm for 6 hours and the Co2 come on at 3pm for 6 hours. I will check the Co2 levels but have set it lower at the moment just to be on the safe side and will slowly increase. I don't want to Yoyo so will take it easy.

Any other advice?
I am hoping I can save these plants but don't know if I should remove and that at wilting or hope they come back?

 

[Iain Sutherland]

hi, you should cut out all damaged leaves, this will allow the plant to use its energy on new growth, also if you dont they will decay and cause issues. Be harsh, its painful but will pay back 10 fold normally.
And remove the dying non aquatic fern that i see is hiding in there

 

[John S]

The filter probably has air in it. Try gently tipping it from side to side, you should hear the air come out. I'd cut off the bad leaves, they should recover once you get the CO2 right. Your times for lights and CO2 are good starting points.

 

[TarkMalbot]

I will sort the plants out then. Can I plant that fern in a pot as a house plant? What about the Aponogetum? If I cut that down will it grow back?

I have been rocking the filter around all morning and opening and closing the taps to try and get rid of air but its still loud. I will keep trying.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

just ignore the filter for a few days maybe a week as the smaller eheims have always been noisey until they settle in my experience.
Aponogetum should grow back fine but will take longer, with luck it has a good store of energy in its root.

 

[TarkMalbot]

The fish don't think it's a small Eheim. Lol. They are having to swim like made just to stop being swept away!

I will get the ferns out and replaced with something else on Sunday. Any ideas of a suitable mid ground fern?

 

[TarkMalbot]

Everything has been running since yesterday morning now. I dosed Macro yesterday and Micro today and the Co2 and lights are on their timers.

This is what the checker is showing now an hour after lights out so really its showing the Co2 an hour before lights out. Looks ok to me.

 

[TarkMalbot]

Dosing pumps arrived this afternoon. I managed to get a free spare pump thrown in too.

There is a master that controls the timers and the slave that just does as its told:

Each pump can have up to 36 timed intervals. You can set the day of the week and how long the pump runs for.

I did a test and set it up to run pump 1 and 2 on alternative days for 1 min at the same time 15:00.

I fitted the non return valve at the end of the hose and fitted to the pipe holder:

I drilled two small holes in the back of the old filter housing and ran in the hoses.

With the pumps in place I used the manual mode to pump the fluid though the pipes until a drop came out. I then filled up 30ml (my daily dose) and timed how long it would take. I did this with everything in place and pipes to the correct length as the height and distance to be pumped will change the pumping speed.

As it happens it took 1 min to pump 30ml on speed 4 (the fastest) so my original guess was spot on.

Pumps in place:

My only concern is evaporation from the bottle but know I must have some hole in the top of the bottle so to not create a vacuum in the bottle. I might just drill a hole in both lids.

Once set up and in auto mode the screen shows your next 3 scheduled doses for each pump and then turns the screen off with just the auto light illuminated.

All programmed in:

I will see how it goes tomorrow at 15:00 and hopefully dose 30ml of micro solution.

 

[LondonDragon]

Nice, like those pumps and for the price I wish I had seen these before I built my ugly box! lol

BTW you will be better off with the non return valve on the bottle rather than at the end, the rollers in the pump will prevent flow going backwards anyway (at least on my pump)

The non return valve on the cap of the bottle will let air in when pumping liquid out, but prevent the contents evaporating, since mine was EC didn't want to leave the bottle open anyway, not healthy for anyone

Hope that helps

 

[TarkMalbot]

Thanks. I think I will get some other bottles and try a non return valve in the lid as you have shown.

 

[Ady34]

Everything has been running since yesterday morning now. I dosed Macro yesterday and Micro today and the Co2 and lights are on their timers.

This is what the checker is showing now an hour after lights out so really its showing the Co2 an hour before lights out. Looks ok to me.

Hi mark,
not sure if ive missed something which explains why the dc colour is this for lights out, but to get the best from your plants this would be a guide as to the colour to aim for for lights on and throughout the photoperiod If it only reaches this colour at the end of the photoperiod then its too late, your plants need good c02 levels for lights on as this is when they utilise it most.

The dosing pump looks great too, ideal for you if your away frequently...i could do with one just to make life even easier
Cheerio,
Ady.

 

[TarkMalbot]

The checker is that colour pretty much the whole time the lights are on but I was going by what I read in regards to the checker taking up to two hours to respond so if that photo was taken just as the lights went out at 10pm that would be an indication of what the Co2 levels were like at 8pm?

 

[Gary Nelson]

Dosing pumps arrived this afternoon. I managed to get a free spare pump thrown in too.

There is a master that controls the timers and the slave that just does as its told:

Each pump can have up to 36 timed intervals. You can set the day of the week and how long the pump runs for.

I did a test and set it up to run pump 1 and 2 on alternative days for 1 min at the same time 15:00.

I fitted the non return valve at the end of the hose and fitted to the pipe holder:

I drilled two small holes in the back of the old filter housing and ran in the hoses.

With the pumps in place I used the manual mode to pump the fluid though the pipes until a drop came out. I then filled up 30ml (my daily dose) and timed how long it would take. I did this with everything in place and pipes to the correct length as the height and distance to be pumped will change the pumping speed.

As it happens it took 1 min to pump 30ml on speed 4 (the fastest) so my original guess was spot on.

Pumps in place:

My only concern is evaporation from the bottle but know I must have some hole in the top of the bottle so to not create a vacuum in the bottle. I might just drill a hole in both lids.

Once set up and in auto mode the screen shows your next 3 scheduled doses for each pump and then turns the screen off with just the auto light illuminated.

All programmed in:

I will see how it goes tomorrow at 15:00 and hopefully dose 30ml of micro solution.

These look great - where did you get them from? a link would be great

 

[TarkMalbot]

Well it was a good job I was home when the dose started. The settings for auto dosing is start time and RUN TIME. I thought it was start time and END TIME. I had it set so it would run for 15 hours 1 min rather than start at 15:00 and end at 15:01! Woops. I will set it up correctly and post a photo for reference.