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New Rio 180 set up

Just finishing my cuppa then water change time


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Water change done. End of week one. Not looking too shabby
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Looking good mate, I'm interested in this thread as my tank is roughly in the same place from starting up. I just set mine up at the end of sept so me and you should be facing similar problems of new set ups about now. Not sure how important it is in the big scheme of things but notice your DC looks a little empty, I usually have mine up to about half way up the bulb. I could be wrong but I think it's to do with offering as much surface area of test fluid to the air trapped inside which is at the DC's widest point half way up the bulb.

Bear in mind there are far more experienced people in here than I so I'm just offering up what I have learned so far that works for me!

The couple of issues I can see with your plants definitely look like the natural die back I encountered in a new tank as oppose anything else. Keep up with the EI fert dosing mate, newly planted tanks gorge on nutrients to start with while they fill up with reserves. These reserves get used when there are not enough nutrients available but weakens the plant by using up more energy to carry out the process. Once they have plenty in reserve they will just get healthier and the overall biomass will increase making the maturation process less problematic.
 
Cheers for the comments. The DC was filled from a pre made ampoule of solution from Dernelle, so I presume that it is enough because it doesn't mention adding anything to it. Coming home tonight, the tanks looking a lot clearer and the plants seem to have perked up a bit, possibly the co2 rate finally in the yellow zone. Been looking at more plants to fill in the gaps and something to carpet the bottom out. Still not made my mind up. Progressing with the alternate daily micro and macro solutions to get the nutriants in. Still quite chuffed with it though, still only the beginning of week 2. Have you got any pics of your tank, would be interesting to see what you've done
Cheers
Martin


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Yeah the tank is looking good mate :thumbup:
Cheers for the comments. The DC was filled from a pre made ampoule of solution from Dernelle, so I presume that it is enough because it doesn't mention adding anything to it.
Click to expand...
Possibly dennerle designed the ampoules to go with their co2 drop checker which may be smaller than the glass one you're using. I know the sera one I have doesn't hold as much fluid as the glass one. Just been taking a few pics as it happens on my PlayBook. Will post one up just didn't want to hijack your thread :) was going to post one this afternoon but realised I didn't have any recent pics.
 
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IMG_00000013 by AWB70, on Flickr
Still growing in at the minute and the lighting makes it look more washed out than it is. I think it looks better when it's on one tube which you can see in the flicker stream. My gravel does look a bit red though on one tube.
 
Looking nice.Plants look healthy.Got to make some decisions on my planting.Got a few ideas.Just need to research the list i've drawn up for suitability.
 
Thanks, mine also is very much a work in progress. No planning or scaping involved. My tank was already running and I had one day to move it with fish in. I was going to lower the water down enough to move it in one go but decided against it in case I broke it so I had to make do with what I already had and set up while the fish were waiting in buckets. At least the maturation process has went better and I haven't suffered any plants dieing or major algae issues implementing what I have learned thus far.
My next step is also more plants and putting some shape in there. There are some unknown carpeting plants and glosso I'm trying to fill the spaces in the front in with (probably) not visible from my pic but they are not doing so well at the moment.
 
Do you think that the power head makes a difference. I've considered putting one in mine to help with the flow. My spray bar is mounted on the back wall spraying forward and seems to flow down and round then back up to the top. I think that there is a bit of a dead spot behind the right tree root area because the plants there don't seem to move as much as other areas. So I thought that fitting a power head might stir it up a bit more. Are they sized for different water capacities and are there better ones than others. I haven't even looked into them so was just trying to get someone's opinion
Cheers
Martin


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Generally speaking the current thinking is the more flow the better. A rule of thumb reccomended is 10x the volume of water per hour. You may find over time as the tank grows in you may need extra circulation as the plants get in the way of the flow. I have no experience of other pumps other than the hydor koralia which has worked seemless for years. They come with different flow rates same as filters. I did have spray bars with a similar set up as you but thought I'd try the duck bill you can see in the pic in an attempt to have less visible equipment in the tank. It pushes water across the back over the heater then the koralia sends it back down and across the front giving me a circular motion round the tank. Not sure about this at the minute, been having problems with surface scum and the cat litter being very light gets blew about at the front. Maybe ill try putting it higher up in the tank to help with both issues or go back to spray bars :?
I do get better flow through my co2 reactor though with this duck bill.
 
My Fluval 405 is rated at 1300l/h so on the 10x rule I'm under any way the tank being 180 litres so it probably won't do any harm fitting one maybe two either side of the spray bar on the back wall pointing forwards. Ready someone else's journal last night (can't remember who's) they had this set up and it seemed to help. Didn't mention last night, but when I got home from work at 5.30 there were no bubbles coming out of the diffuser. The tube had come off of the non return valve so not a lot of co2 delivered yesterday. DC was dark green All sorted now though pushed the tube on really tight this time P. I. T. A.


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There's also a big difference between advertised flow on the filter, usually they put the flow rate when the canister is empty.
 
Just done a water changeless might and added some more plants. Put some repens on the right and between the tree roots,an Anubis nano on the arch, some crypts under the arch and an unknown plant across the back. Also got a large piece of riccia which ive put into a breeding trap to grow until i decide where to put it. Still battling with the mould or whatever it is on the tree roots and arch top.also stated putting in a daily dose of easycarbo. Not to bad only week 2
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Cheers looking to get someone repens for the left hand side. Now I've got it in the tank I quiet like the look of it and think it will fill in the front a bit. I thought the Anubis looked good as well. It's even got a flower on it already. I think it's fits in well in the hole on the arch although the mrs says I should have left the big hole open. Naaaa


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Just set up an old Eheim 2213 that I had in the shed. This is running on the right hand side with a single outlet with a small diffuser to reduce the outlet size so upping the flow pressure. The spray bar is still running along the back wall fed by the Fluval. The reason I've added this is to get a bit more flow especially to the right hand side where there seemed to be a bit of a dead zone The plants on that side are now swaying around and the added filtration can only be a plus. I was considering putting a koralis power head in the tank bit after talking to others realised I still had the Eheim and that was free ;) ;)

Hopefully getting some amano shrimp and some Otto's tomorrow if I can get out of work early enough


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It's starting to take shape mate :thumbup:
 
Managed to get away early and got some amano shrimp. Drip aclimatised them for 3 hours. Put them in at 9 pm. All munching away merrily :)
Shop never had any Otto's so I'm gonna try Aquatic Design Centre in Great Portland Street after work tomorrow.
Meanwhile here's some pics of the newcomers
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