First time “High Tech” 200L

[andy198712]

Got the new bottle, weighed at just over 5kg, (deffo full)
Attached up and opened the handle, 500psi again, tad over when I tapped the gauge with my finger.
Wondering if it’s the Reg at fault.
Spent a while with the soapy water looking for leaks and non apparent.

Will see how long the bottle last, if it’s less than a month I’ll buy a new reg.
In fairness I brought this one used off market place.

I’ve got my PH pen, “calibrated it” been tracking it today. Took out a glass of tank water before I added the CO2 and it was 6.2.
After 30mins it’s went to 5.86
An hour 5.5
1.5 hrs 5.4
2 hrs 5.6 (up a smidge)

Will keep tracking. I’m at a tad under 4bps now. I found filming it and playing it back slowly was easiest to count!

 

[jolt100]

You need to check the tank water pH after standing 24 hrs then take your 1pH drop from that figure.
If it keeps drifting down then reduce the bps and start earlier.
Cheers

 

[andy198712]

You need to check the tank water pH after standing 24 hrs then take your 1pH drop from that figure.
If it keeps drifting down then reduce the bps and start earlier.
Cheers

The water I took before the injection started was from the tank, but the CO2 had ran out on Wednesday so had all of Thursday and half of today, does that count or does it need to sit in the glass out the tank?

Thanks for the help

 

[andy198712]

Getting closer I think

 

[andy198712]

Added a black background, I quite like it

 

[andy198712]

So seems there’s a bit of a technique with the PH pen and maybe I wasn’t letting it settle long enough on my first tests,

Today I took some water out into a Tupperware contain and shock it for a while (before CO2 went on)
Tested this at 6.89
Co2 comes on at noon
1pm = 6.02
4pm = 5.6

To test this I’m removing water in a Tupperware, sitting the pen in this water to the same level and leaving for a minute to settle, the settle bit seems important and takes longer then I thought.

Drop checker looks good I think

 

[John q]

Co2 comes on at noon

What time do the lights come on?
Edit: scratch that, just realised they come on at 2.

So you need a ph reading at 2,3,4.5,6 etc

 

[andy198712]

What time do the lights come on?
Edit: scratch that, just realised they come on at 2.

So you need a ph reading at 2,3,4.5,6 etc

Yeah 2pm lights come on at a half hour ramp up, so let’s say 2:30 full light (which is low comparatively)

I’ll try get more samples tomorrow with the Tupperware method, went out for a couple hours today which was a pain!

 

[MichaelJ]

View attachment 199774

Added a black background, I quite like it

I love the black background.... for a tank such as this it really works - especially as it grows in...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[andy198712]

I love the black background.... for a tank such as this it really works - especially as it grows in...

Cheers,
Michael

Thanks!
Yeah it takes away the reflection and some how makes the plants stand out better I think.
Tempted to do the left hand side too as that’s against the wall and not a “viewed side”

It’s just a black out film from Amazon that’s held on by static

 

[andy198712]

My Reopens are dropping leaves and looking a bit “thin” in the leaves.
Wondering if this is an initial die off.
Can see in one pic at the very top there’s two small new leaves growing okay.

 

[andy198712]

Can see growth in the plants since the co2 and a noticeable change in them for the better

I turned the light up a tad.
Had a bit of a tidy and trim. I don’t notice any new BBA which is nice?! So just slowly trimming it out and will treat the wood parts and see how it goes.

The reopens are down to stalks almost now, thinking I’ll change them for hair grass or monty Carlos’ maybe…..

 

[Ehcosbie]

Thanks!
Yeah it takes away the reflection and some how makes the plants stand out better I think.
Tempted to do the left hand side too as that’s against the wall and not a “viewed side”

It’s just a black out film from Amazon that’s held on by static

I did this and I am glad I did too.
I like the tank.

 

[RickB]

You need to be real consistent with the CO2, I tried using a soda stream system a while back and I was sometimes left without a bottle for a couple of days at a time and BBA basically took over.

Tank looks really nice btw.

 

[andy198712]

You need to be real consistent with the CO2, I tried using a soda stream system a while back and I was sometimes left without a bottle for a couple of days at a time and BBA basically took over.

Tank looks really nice btw.

good to know, I'm lucky enough to have two CO2 fire extinguishers so will always have one full read to go and can then get the other recharged locally.
I may even buy another as there only about £23-25 on eBay refurbed.

thank you

 

[andy198712]

So,

I'm monitoring my PH drop in a uniform way now, take some water (from the same point in the tank) in a Tupperware container, clip the PH pen to the side of this and ensure the water is at he same height on the pen each time. wait for it to stabilise (about 3 minutes) then note down the reading.

I did have it coming on at noon, 2 hours before my lights come on (although they come on at 2pm they then take 30 mins to ramp up)

this wasn't quite giving me the 1PH drop, at 4BPS.

today I have gone to 5BPS and changed it to come on at 11AM some 3 hours before. (although I changed this at 11:30 today)

so my readings were
11:30 - 6.8PH (this was before the CO2 came on but it now come on at 11:00)
13:00 - 6.26PH
14:30 - 5.94PH (lights ramped up)
16:00 - 5.8PH

I will continue to track it as the day goes one so see if it creeps from there. hopefully not.

This seems to be working, I'm wondering about trying the CO2 under the filter intake but not sure I was to experiment if this is working well.

drop check in picture to follow

looking at the bubbles, the distribution seems good.

 

[andy198712]

 

[andy198712]

So looking at that last pic of the tank,
The swords have started really taking off which is great!
The rotala on the right have grown about 8 inches
Some of my valis are growing and spreading great but some that I brought in a few bunches don’t seem to be budging yet.

I took out the reopens as they just weathered to stalks.

The moss on the wood is going well and i tied it back down to try and bush it out.

The crypts are all doing really well and growing nicely.

The 53b’s I planted havnt grown as much as I thought.

That unknown plant in the back grows like made and I just keep cutting it and replanting when it reaches the surface.

All in all, really happy with it! I know I may hit some road blocks but at the min it’s going great!!
CO2 is now a lime green and got the 1ph drop sorted.
Auto doser has made life easier.

Bit of left over BBA I’ve been spot dosing with liquid CO2 glut which kills it off.

 

[andy198712]

Valis is spreading like it does!

 

[andy198712]

Filling out!