Tamshoe's Trigon 350

[Tamshoe]

Right so thought I'd start a journal after finding this site when researching for my setup change from a Juwel Rio 240 to a Trigon 350.
Old setup looked like this (apologies for the camera phone quality of the pics)

Had some half decent growth/plants considering only sand substrate with no ferts and only CO2.

So I set about the epic task of changing setup.
Got a little temp tank setup for my fishy friends,

Complete with make shift light unit,

So set about catching fish and draining down,

Til things were bare and empty,

Found and old bag of JBl Aquabasis Plus so slung that in along with the Tesco Cat Litter I'd spent a whole day rinsing in the garden!

Had originally planned to go with EcoComplete but what I saved on using Cat Litter can go towards an inline heater for the new setup. Thanks to all the folk on UKAPS involved in the massive thread about the cat litter option!
So started to get stuff in the new tank and playing around with the scape, I settled in the end and then it was time to fill her up with the 200+ litres off 'old' water in jerrycans cluttering up the kitchen!

I found a bit of polyfine fleece over the outlet hose of my eheim ecco pro 200 with it's flow rate was ideal for filling initially, no real substrate movement which was good,

Then spent the next few hours filling and waiting, heaters on.

As it stands right now, finished filling whilst drafting this haha.

Apologies for going pic mad but everyone likes to have a nose at each others setup and new pictures are always good for a glance, I'll be asking the Mrs for the new camera for christmas I think, need some decent pictures once plants get added and grow in.

Spec so far;
Trigon 350
Cat litter on top of layer of JBL Aquabasis Plus
JBL CO2 (soon to be fire extinguisher powered) rate yet to be set
Filters - Aqua One CF1000, Eheim ecco pro 200 & Aqua One Aquis 550
Dosing & fert still to be decided
Flora - need to dig out the cards :?
Fauna - allsorts, gourami's, tetras, ottos, amanos and so on.

What this space, better things (and quality pics) to come . . .

 

[Alastair]

Looking nice so far, fert wise if your not feeling too confident about ei dosing get one of the all in ones from either fluidsensoronline, aquarium plant food or aqua essentials.
Will follow this journal. Good luck

 

[Tamshoe]

Looking nice so far, fert wise if your not feeling too confident about ei dosing get one of the all in ones from either fluidsensoronline, aquarium plant food or aqua essentials.
Will follow this journal. Good luck

Cheers dude.

So today was spent planting hair grass and tinkering with the flow.

At the moment I have 3 filters hooked up, only to keep the bacteria in them active plus I've got no pennies just now for a Fluval FX5 I think I want. I've been playing with the flow in the tank trying to get it 'just right'
Just reading up on here about the woes of corner unit and water flow just now. Think I'll make myself a spray bar up and perhaps a power head for christmas.
Flow as it is today, doesn't seem too bad, for now . .
Found some ferts in one of my 'fish stuff' boxes,

Maybe just use them for the craic.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Hi, you will also need a macro fert as ferropol doesnt contain phosphates and nitrates, would also guess it is quite weak especially on the potassium front... as alistair said all in ones are the easiest but EI and dry salts really are also very simple and certainly the cheapest way to dose your tank. Then you can forget about ferts and focus on the flow and co2 etc.

 

[Tamshoe]

Hi, you will also need a macro fert as ferropol doesnt contain phosphates and nitrates, would also guess it is quite weak especially on the potassium front... as alistair said all in ones are the easiest but EI and dry salts really are also very simple and certainly the cheapest way to dose your tank. Then you can forget about ferts and focus on the flow and co2 etc.

Cheers Dude

I've now hooked up my CO2 extinguisher I bought of eBay for a tenner, so should save myself some money now with not having to use the JBL canisters from Maidenhead Aquatics at £20 a time for a refill and exchange.

Need to get this mess sorted out, not the neatest setup by a long shot, especially compared to some tidy setups I have seen on here.

 

[Antipofish]

Hows it going ? Liking your plant choice ! What substrate was in your OLD tank, and what made you change to a Trigon out of interest ? They are challenging aren't they ! (I just changed to the baby brother of yours)

 

[Tamshoe]

Hows it going ? Liking your plant choice ! What substrate was in your OLD tank, and what made you change to a Trigon out of interest ? They are challenging aren't they ! (I just changed to the baby brother of yours)

Things are going alright, I think . . :?
At work in the middle of the north sea right now with a heavily pregnant Mrs back home who can't really manage the water changes so I've lost 2 fish since my last update so I know that much.

My old substrate was just aquatic sand.

Couple of reasons I went for the Trigon;
I needed a corner unit to go in the kitchen, my 'conventional' shaped one didn't look right (although the corner unit sits in the alcove a bit now which isn't perfect but hey)
My mate had it going spare so it was nice and cheap
I just wanted a larger capacity tank.

They are challenging like, finding it a bit of trial and error getting the flow the way I want it

 

[krazypara3165]

looking good! like you i couldn't believe how much maidenhead charge for refilling the jbl bottles. i thankfully found a place a 20 min drive away that re-fills both of mine for a fiver!

 

[Tamshoe]

So not the healthiest tank right now, water hadn't been changed for 2, got a fish with swim bladder and one with fungus maybe.
A bit of algae has popped up too,

I put it down to inconsistent co2, during my absence. I'm looking into getting a JBL PH/CO2 controller mainly to help the missus out when I'm away. Anyone got any experience with them?

Apart from that the hair grass is starting spread out . . slowly

 

[Iain Sutherland]

hey there,must be tough keeping a high tech when working on the north sea! The algae is BBA, i have always seen this fluff on moss before BBA pops up in its traditional tufts, so your right about co2 fluctuations causing it. Would be worth removing reflectors if you have any while you manage it. usually it will go if you sort the co2 which it looks like you are on but if you start getting BBA tufts then employ a liquid carbon source.
best of luck.

 

[Tamshoe]

hey there,must be tough keeping a high tech when working on the north sea!

It's certainly not ideal, especially when the missus forgets the different between clockwise and anti-clockwise when adjusting the regulator haha.

Took your advise easerthegeezer and i've also bought some of this just incase,

Also put a bit of bogwood cover in Java Fern thats been sat in the back garden for 3 weeks back into the tank, it's not overly healthy but we'll give it a few weeks see what happens.

It doesn't look too bad from a distance,

 

[pancho]

Your tank looks really nice mate .look forward to the updates as it progresses

 

[Tamshoe]

Your tank looks really nice mate .look forward to the updates as it progresses

Cheers dude.

Been reading up about EI dosing and feel a lot more confident about it now I have an understanding of it, can't suggest reading up about it enough if anyone is unsure about it. I think it was an article on here by Ceg that really helped too. So I'll be getting my salts ordered very soon.

Tank day today, new drop checker in that 'Santa' got me,

Had a little trim of the java fern today during my water change, don't think it was going to make a recovery as the roots weren't looking too great,

Stuck a couple of cutting into the substrate, see what comes of them.

Had been using the liquid carbon that easerthegeezer suggested and looks to be helping the moss clear up,

A few more carpet runners popping up here and there,

 

[Tamshoe]

Now christmas is out the way I found a few pennies to get myself some bits.

Fluval fx5,

Going to use mainly Alphagrog in it along with the 'old' noodles out my old filters once i make the switch.

Managed to win this bog wood on eBay the other for a couple of quid which can get itself in once it's had a good soak too,

Just need to get down to B&Q over the weekend for some bits to make a spray bar.

 

[Tamshoe]

Got the fx5 setup, looks a lot neater now I don't have 3 filters in the cabinet,

 

[Tamshoe]

Just over a week into EI dosing.
Plans seen to be liking it so far,

 

[Tamshoe]

Water change today. Had a spot of white fungus on a piece of bogwood, it's been in there a good year or two so strange to see it there, it appears within the past week after taking some moss off it and moving it elsewhere.
Had a little trim and a move about of some plants. Shall update with photos.

 

[Tamshoe]

Still a little air coming through the fx5, not the easiest to shake to expell the air.
Plants seem to be loving th EI dosing, lost the name of the tall plant at the back, curious to see if it wants to keep growing once it brakes the waters surface.

 

[Tamshoe]

Getting there,

 

[Tamshoe]

One of leaves has caught the heat from one of the tubes, about time for a trim i think,