• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Dan's "Dagobah"

Dan Walter

Member
Joined
18 Mar 2009
Messages
166
Location
Salisbury, Wiltshire
Hi all,

Firstly, what a great site! Keep up the good work people.

After a 20 year gap from aquatics I'm re-visiting the hobby and what a great time to be doing so. The availability of products, fish, inverts and plants is unbelievable compared to when I started the hobby many moons ago as a kid!

I'm using this journal to keep track of what changes happen over the coming months both good and (more than likely!) bad. This is my first attempt at a planted tank and I’m simply hoping that I can keep this tank running successfully and gain some useful advice and tips on growing, pruning and generally living with a planted tank!

Please feel free to advise me at any point and I welcome criticism, good or bad.

NAME: Dagobah (Where Yoda lives. Sorry!)
TANK: RENA 60x30x30 (kindly donated by a friend)
FILTER: Fluval 2+ (looking for an external..)
LIGHTING: GLO Luminare with 2x24w T5 (8hr's)
CO2: EASY CARBO (1ml daily)
FERTS: TPN+ (1ml daily)
SUBSTRATE: Tropica substrate covered with silver sand.
HARDSCAPE: Wood & Stone (unsure what types!?)
FISH: Just the clean up crew at present – 7xCherry Shrimp, 3xOtto's
MAINTENACE: 50% water change weekly
PLANTS:
Hyrgophila Diformis
Hermianthis Callitrichoides
Pogostemon Helferi
Crypt Wenditti Green
Micranthemum Umbrosum
TO BE PLANTED TONIGHT: Rotala rotundifolia cuttings (Thanks to Mark Green)

Here are some pics for now, sorry about the quality..(iPhone), I'll post some better ones up later..

Front View
photo-2.jpg

PH - Seems to be growing ok and forming new plants all the time)
photo-4.jpg

HC - Doesn't seem to be doing much really, i've noticed the leaves are turning brown.. My guess is that flow isn't reaching this area... Any ideas or tips?
photo-6.jpg

The view i get from my Sofa..
photo-5.jpg



I will be planting more plants tonight and maybe a slight re-scape with the rock formations.. i'll try and update tomorrow if all goes well!?

Cheers for looking!

Dan
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Looks very nice Dan, very thought out.

(TDI dons anorak from the 70's), "There it is Artoo. Dagobah.... I'm not picking up any cities or technology. Massive life-form readings, though. There's something alive down there."
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

I enjoyed the star wars quotes if no one else did. It's very nice, I'd be worried about insufficient flow/filtration with that internal though.
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Looks good, will look even better when you get an external and the plants will benefit without a doubt.

That sand maybe hard wotk to keep silver!

Will be interesting to see how it evolves. Good luck.
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Dan Walter said:
..I welcome criticism, good or bad....
OK, here goes some bad:
Dan Walter said:
CO2: EASY CARBO (1ml daily)

HC - Doesn't seem to be doing much really, i've notice the leaves are turning brown..
HC won't like you very much with such a measly dosing of liquid carbon and such anemic flow. This is a high CO2 and unforgiving plant. All Jedi Masters currently living on Dagobah are keenly aware that HC will only love you if you add more CO2 and flow.

Cheers,
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Thanks for the comments everyone, it's reassuring to know that i have some guidance ahead when needed!

(I'm glad a few of you understood the whole Dagobah thing.. ;)....I kind of imagined my tank to look something like Dagobah after a few months of my pruning efforts :oops: )

What are your views on the Eheim 2213 for this size tank? I've found a second hand model for a good price so would appreciate your views on this filter for a 60x30x30 tank? Would this filter give enough flow to reach my stubborn HC?

Also, i've raised the Easy Carbo to 2ml per day, do you think this is enough? I really want my HC to take off and carpet nicely, if possible!

Last night's rock move around, clean up and planting was successful. I was plagued on week 4 by hair algae and green spot so i've cleaned all glass and removed as much algae by hand as possible. I gave the sand a good hoover and stir up, it looks cleaner but no way near what it used to be! I've also planted Rotala's in the background to "thicken" things out a bit and added more christmas moss to the branches of the wood. Also carried out a 60% water change.. Am I the only one that enjoys the maintenance side of things?!?! :lol:

I'll try and post some pics this weekend as I should be back online at home by the weekend (Long battle with BT customer services!)

Cheers again everyone

Dan
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Dan Walter said:
What are your views on the Eheim 2213 for this size tank?
Hi,
From what I can gather the 2213 is rated at 116GPH. I have no idea what size a 60x30x30 is because you did not specify the units. If the units are in inches then this is 54,000 cubic inches which is equal to 234 USG. If the units are in cm then this is a 54,000 cc tank which is a 15 USG tank. I reckon from the scale of the photo with that wood and internal that this closer to 15G than 234G.

We normally suggest a total turnover rating of 10X the tank volume per hour, so a 15G tank requires in the neighborhood of 150GPH which the 2213 is on the low side. You can supplement the flow with a powerhead (many suggest a Koralia) or you can opt for a bigger filter, or you can keep the internal to supplement the flow, or you can add a lot more Excel - or any combination thereof.

Dan Walter said:
Also, i've raised the Easy Carbo to 2ml per day, do you think this is enough? I really want my HC to take off and carpet nicely, if possible!
I don't know the answer to that. I do know that HC is a spectacularly difficult plant even with pressurized CO2. My suspicion is that you're not even close.

Dan Walter said:
...I was plagued on week 4 by hair algae and green spot...
This is the clearest sign yet that you are miles away from having adequate CO2/flow. hair algae is a classic symptom of poor CO2.

Dan Walter said:
Am I the only one that enjoys the maintenance side of things?!?! :lol:
Ummm..yeah, probably so. :p That's a good sign though... :D

Cheers,
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

ceg4048 said:
I have no idea what size a 60x30x30 is because you did not specify the units.

Sorry ceg, my bad. The tank is 60x30x30 CM

So to cut a long story short I should be ok flow wise with the Eheim 2213 if fitted with a Koralia power head?
Do these power heads come in multiple sizes? (Sorry, I'm new to all this... :oops: )

Cheers
Dan
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Hi Dan,

The Koralia power head come in differant sizes, For a tank your size the Korlalia one should be enough.

MODEL FLOW RATE
KORALIA 1 - 1500 litres/hour 400 gallon per hour
KORALIA 2 - 2300 l/h 600 gph
KORALIA 3 - 3200 l/h 850 gph
KORALIA 4 - 4600 l/h 1250 gph


Mark
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Mark Green said:
MODEL FLOW RATE
KORALIA 1 - 1500 litres/hour 400 gallon per hour
KORALIA 2 - 2300 l/h 600 gph
KORALIA 3 - 3200 l/h 850 gph
KORALIA 4 - 4600 l/h 1250 gph

KORALIA nanno - 900 L/H
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Cheers for all the info guys, it turns out I lost the bid for the eheim anyway.. Still learnt a lot regarding powerheads though so cheers for the info everyone.

Forgot to add earlier that I should be intoducing the shoal this weekend.. I'm thinking copper harlequins... I'm set on 10, will this be enough or too many in your opinions?

Cheers
Dan
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

ARe you buying a eheim or do you already have one?
If you don't have a filter yet the superfish huge externals are good as are the tetra tec ex 1200.
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Welcome back to the hobby....great start to your tank.
 
Re: 60/30 first attempt "Dagobah"

Hi Garuf, I havent got an external yet. I'm looking in to getting one shortly. Cheers for the suggestions, I will have a look in to the ones you mentioned.

Here is a side view pic of the tank taken after planting the Rotalas at the rear. On checking this photo against the first photo's that I originally posted (pics taken 2-3 weeks ago) the Hyrgophila Diformis appears to be growing well which is pleasing as it's one of my favorite plants in the tank. How do i go about propogating this plant? if I can that is?
photo-9.jpg

And a quick one of what it now looks like from the front.
photo-7.jpg


Cheers Mfcphil, im hoping it will grow in nicely a few months down the line!
 
Back
Top