# The official EDGE thread



## cale262

I thought I would start this thread in order to share information, ideas and pictures that pertain specifically to the "FLUVAL EDGE" such as lighting, heating, filtration, stocking, etc.

Brian.

























- Inspired by architectural styling, the EDGE aquarium, a 23 L (6 US Gal), 6 sided closed top glass aquarium, 3 dimensional water cube provides a unique visual effect capturing emotion and serenity within a contemporary setting. 
- Provides high definition viewing from every angle
- Sealed glass top provides high definition viewing and reduces evaporation for less maintenance.
- Retractable halogen lighting system, suitable for aquatic plants and casts a unique shimmering effect.
- Removable cover for easy aquarium and filter access
- Overhead ventilation grill dissipates lamp heat and avoids moisture
- Powerful easy to use EDGE filter with 3 stage filtration to ensure clear water and a healthy environment. 
- Overall dimensions: 36.5cm H x 43cm W x 35cm D
- Tank Dimensions: 22.4cm H x 43cm W x 26cm D


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## dsubaru

I'd consider getting one of these provided that the lights are powerful enough to sustain plant life.


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## dkbmxr18

My LED's finally came in yesterday! We'll see if they are enough to keep my Java fern, anubias, and Java moss alive! Here is a comparison between the stock and LED lights. I bought a wallmart aquarium 10w light that I'm going to use with the LED's. I'll post pictures of it tonight when I get it all hooked up. 

Here is a LED vs Stock comparison. 

(my moss just came in so it has a little brown still.....and my tank is a little cloudy from rescaping last night)
Stock








LEDs


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## cale262

A few of my upgrades thus far...

LED replacement lights...









Upgraded canister filter, squeezes into the filter housing...
ZooMed 501 filter...









heater...hydor mini submersible...which fits right inside the supplied HOB filter...I should also mention, I'm using the 15W version rated for 5-10G. tanks, It looks the same but is slightly larger than the 7.5W 2-5G. version...









Also running a 10pound high pressure CO2 system with a glass diffuser...


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## crimsonbull57

I saw one of these at my LFS stocked with some Dario Dario aswell as some baby WCMM.
It looked verry nice, to bad about the pricetag.


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## cale262

crimsonbull57 said:


> ... to bad about the pricetag.



They're not cheap, I bought mine for about $190CAD when they first came out, then a week after they went on sale for $130...Needless to say I went back to the shop I bought mine from with receipt in hand, they had no issue with refunding the difference which made my day...I was even going to buy another at that price but they were sold out :frown:


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## Centromochlus

I've always wanted to get one of these to use as a shrimp tank, but i had always wondered how hard they are to maintain, how well the lights grow plants, what modifications can be made, etc. I will be following this thread closely!


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## mywasteoftime

The Edge tank has me excited about getting back into the hobby. Really like the design, and putting it all together is going to be fun! Thx for info so far...already putting a tank list together.
Cheers


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## ellio

Can somebody identify the plants shown in the attachment for The Edge. I really like the simplicity and would like to replicate it. Thanks.


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## dkbmxr18

Well, I finally got my lighting all figured out! I added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants. Man oh Man does the tank look awesome with the lights on now! :bounce: We'll see how the plants do with the lighting I am running. Now it's time to start making the inside of the tank look cool! Thanks to everyone that helped with suggestions. 

(I assure you that the tank looks waay better in person. The camera captured the lights a little bit weird!)
A few pictures of the setup:
the fixture








turned on underneath 








and the FTS with all the lights on


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## chaaban

Very well done dkbmxr18, exactly what I needed, if you can just give me the link to the exact LEDS' and the exact fixture and bulb I will order them right now, Thanks!


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## dkbmxr18

chaaban said:


> Very well done dkbmxr18, exactly what I needed, if you can just give me the link to the exact LEDS' and the exact fixture and bulb I will order them right now, Thanks!



I ordered these LED's from e-bay for $13 each you can find them by searching for "Brightest MR11 12 V 10 SMD LED White 160 Lumen Wide Ang":








Or you can get them from their website direct. www.ledwholesalers.com

For the 10w light I added today, I bought a base for a light bulb at home depot for $3. I cut the socket portion of an extension cord off and wired it to the bulb base. I got the bulb at walmart.







http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10448675

And then zip tied it all to to the stock light fixture as seen in the pictures above. I put some aluminum foil under half the cover so the light doesn't shine through the top. So I'm working with about 14watts of light total. I have both sets of lights timed to be on at the same time for 10hours a day. If I start getting algae growth then I'm going to cut back the 10w for a little bit halfway through the day.....etc. I'll keep everyone updated how it works.:thumbsup:


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## chaaban

OK, thanks so much!


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## dkbmxr18

chaaban said:


> OK, thanks so much!


No problem. Make sure you post some pictures! 

Any of you have any suggestions for fertilizer for the plants I have?


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## ALIFER

dkbmxr18 said:


> added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants.


I'm betting you can grow the plants you have with no problem !!! Great lighting solution to a really tight spot.

I have one 5-watt LED on my 2 gallon pico and the Anubias Nana Petite & Patamogeton gayi are both growing really well & the HC is even staying alive.

Rick


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## SearunSimpson

Are you not worried though that the heat from the light is going to melt the zap-strap that is against it?


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## bigboij

Looking good nice to see it can be done with an edge




SearunSimpson said:


> Are you not worried though that the heat from the light is going to melt the zap-strap that is against it?


wouldn't think so never seen a cfl get hot enough to burn your hand, much less melt a zip tie.


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## jaidexl

When this concept first came out, I predicted it would fail due to inaccessibility (the tiny hole) and the inability to upgrade lighting. Well, so far one of those points is out the window, I really didn't expect anyone to start DIY'ing one of these. We'll see how accessibility works out in the long run, seems like it might be an extra hassle to clean this thing, but I have only seen it in person once, yet. I did notice it had some decent dark spots all around, but that was stock lighting. Anyway, good job on the upgrades, guys, and good luck with the new tanks. :thumbsup:


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## dkbmxr18

SearunSimpson said:


> Are you not worried though that the heat from the light is going to melt the zap-strap that is against it?


If I can touch the light after a few hours running and not get burnt there is no way it will burn through and or melt a zip tie. Zip ties are pretty tough. The stock plastic light fixture is made to take the heat of the halogens that came with it so I'm not worried about that either.



jaidexl said:


> \ .....We'll see how accessibility works out in the long run, seems like it might be an extra hassle to clean this thing, but I have only seen it in person once, yet.


It's for sure harder to clean but it's not impossible to clean. If you're a basketball player with huge hands don't get this tank! If you're have average size hands like me, you'll be just fine.


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## ES4

are these tanks available online anywhere at a much cheaper price? I saw it in the LFS and it is a very cool concept.


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## voodooaria

Cheapest online is here for $89.95

Amazon and That Pet Place both have it for $129.95


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## Phoenix-cry

Oh mygod, I love the light you added! Now I'm all excited! I'm going to be getting one of these for my CPDs, Deky Creek, and three Crystal red shrimp. I'm just drooling over these tanks! Now I know how to solve the low light problem. HUGS!!!


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## cale262

ellio said:


> View attachment 16069
> 
> 
> Can somebody identify the plants shown in the attachment for The Edge. I really like the simplicity and would like to replicate it. Thanks.



Looks like Pygmy chain sword (Echinodorus tenellus) and dwarf hair grass (Eleocharis parvula)...


I'd like to go and buy another tomorrow and try some DHG and C. wendtii...but me thinks my wife would loose it if I started another tank...


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## Phoenix-cry

My hubby is about to leave me for buying so many tanks. Giggle. He's very against me getting this tank...but that's not going to stop me. Heehee. 

I just brought in a 45 and a 30 to add to the 3 and the 10.


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## ellio

Cale262 Thank you for your reply.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

This fella has a really nice one!


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## yikesjason

do you know anything about that tank's lighting?


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

From what I gather its stock lighting


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## cale262

Looks like a store display tank...I've seen a few LFS put together nice EDGE displays but they never seam to last long.


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## Church

If that's stock lighting, then I wish we could see how long it takes before those plants melt away...


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

Ask him all you like at ASW!  

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/forum/aquascaping-showcase/2506-aquarium-edge.html


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## Church

Hmmm. Seeing as how the thread was just posted only a couple of days ago, I'm going to have to wait some time before I'm convinced that the stock halogen lighting will do any good. But nonetheless, he did an awesome job of scaping that tank! It's almost as if that scape wouldn't even look right in a "normal" tank.

I definitely like these tanks, but for now, not with their stock lighting.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

Agreed


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## cale262

dkbmxr18 said:


> If I can touch the light after a few hours running and not get burnt there is no way it will burn through and or melt a zip tie. Zip ties are pretty tough. The stock plastic light fixture is made to take the heat of the halogens that came with it so I'm not worried about that either.


So how's the tank internal temp with the additional lighting dkbmxr? all kewl (no pun intended)...


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## dkbmxr18

cale262 said:


> So how's the tank internal temp with the additional lighting dkbmxr? all kewl (no pun intended)...


Doesn't heat up the water at all! 

I also replaced my marineland heater with a hydor 50w a few weeks ago and the temperature holds perfect. It doesn't fluctuate anymore than .5*F. 

Right now I have my LED's on for 10hrs 12-10pm (timer) and have my CFL on for 7 hours turning off 30 mins before the LED's do (on a timer as well). It's pretty cool have somewhat of a transition plus it's nice to have the tank a bit dimmer when I get in bed. roud:

How's your edge doing Cale?


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## urbguy

oh my goodness this is so great! thanks cale262 for taking the initiative! man lol, an edge thread and some already great strides! dkbmxr18 you're a real trooper you know that? great tank!


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## dkbmxr18

Cale, I also meant to ask you how you have your co2 setup with the edge? Do the bubbles get trapped under the glass at all? I'm tempted to get together a diy co2 together and see how it works.


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## dkbmxr18

urbguy said:


> oh my goodness this is so great! thanks cale262 for taking the initiative! man lol, an edge thread and some already great strides! dkbmxr18 you're a real trooper you know that? great tank!


Thank you! I'm hoping it will only get better. My girlfriend got me this as an anniversary gift since I was telling her about how I use to be really into the hobby. Was thrown off a bit by the tank at first but now I love it. 

you should invest in one!


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## urbguy

dkbmxr18 said:


> Thank you! I'm hoping it will only get better. My girlfriend got me this as an anniversary gift since I was telling her about how I use to be really into the hobby. Was thrown off a bit by the tank at first but now I love it.
> 
> you should invest in one!


my friend has one actually and he's not really a fish tank kind of guy but i kinda got him into it. so i'm tryin to get him into it and since the lights that came with it is kinda lame, i'm trying to show him yours as an example!


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## cale262

dkbmxr18 said:


> Cale, I also meant to ask you how you have your co2 setup with the edge? Do the bubbles get trapped under the glass at all? I'm tempted to get together a diy co2 together and see how it works.



I'm using a glass/ceramic diffuser @ about 1 bubble ever 2sec., the co2 comes through the diffuser in such a fine mist by the time it hits the water coming out of the spraybar it's almost completely absorbed into the water column...roud:


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## cale262

dkbmxr18 said:


> ....
> 
> How's your edge doing Cale?



Doing great thank you,

I'm going to plant some dwarf hair grass in the foreground and try your light idea out. The anubias nana is growing new leaves and the crypt is filling out aswell...maybe too well (read: fast) for my liking...WHen I find where the h311s I left my camera I'll post some new pics.


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## dkbmxr18

cale, sent you a pm about that co2.


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## dkbmxr18

Planning on adding co2 to the edge. Will putting a diffuser under the filter intake so that everything gets sucked up into a HOB get most of the co2 into the tank? Or does that only work with power filters? Thanks!


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## VermontLori

*stocking suggestions for Edge*

Hi-
How many celestial pearl danios could I fit into an Edge? I have too many in my 46 gallon.
Alternatively
How many white clouds could I fit? I have too many in my 20 gallon.
Alternatively again
How many harlequin rasboras could I fit? I have too many in my 10 gallon.
I'm getting a 60 gallon to put some of these guys in, but I love the look of the Edge and I have serious MTS!!!!
Just to be clear, I only want to put one kind of fish into the Edge......
Thanks! I love this thread


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## urbguy

dkbmxr18 said:


> Planning on adding co2 to the edge. Will putting a diffuser under the filter intake so that everything gets sucked up into a HOB get most of the co2 into the tank? Or does that only work with power filters? Thanks!


I figured at one point that would work; however, if the HOB sucks up the co2 it'll just release it through the surface inside the filter will it not? I think that works better with canister filters as it chops the bubbles into finer bubbles. Might i suggest ceramic diffuser? I have a 55 gallon tank with a powerhead that chops the co2 bubbles to fine bits; however, i feel like that will be too big for the edge...:icon_roll


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## dkbmxr18

urbguy said:


> I figured at one point that would work; however, if the HOB sucks up the co2 it'll just release it through the surface inside the filter will it not? I think that works better with canister filters as it chops the bubbles into finer bubbles. Might i suggest ceramic diffuser? I have a 55 gallon tank with a powerhead that chops the co2 bubbles to fine bits; however, i feel like that will be too big for the edge...:icon_roll


I ordered a nano diffuser but it won't be here for a week or so. I was just bored the other night and built my DIY co2. I got a .59 cent diffuser just as a temp. The bubbles just stick under the glass top and eventually shrink down. Seems to be working.


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## urbguy

yeah i noticed that as well. you know how the bubbles that get trapped and you would have to use a magnet to force out the other bubbles? it's basically the same thing, if enough bubbles get trapped the edge glass top acts like a huge bell and it will slowly diffuse into the water. but i think a diffuser is a much better thing since it stays in the water longer.


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## dkbmxr18

urbguy said:


> yeah i noticed that as well. you know how the bubbles that get trapped and you would have to use a magnet to force out the other bubbles? it's basically the same thing, if enough bubbles get trapped the edge glass top acts like a huge bell and it will slowly diffuse into the water. but i think a diffuser is a much better thing since it stays in the water longer.


My tank isn't on a perfectly level surface so the bubbles gather at the left hand side and slide over to the opening. They're concentrated in that area so I don't need to use my magnet to clean up the bubble mess. My diffuser should be here next week some time


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## dkbmxr18

Figured I'd post my FTS I took tonight. Feedback welcomed!


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## Dollface

Oh man, that picture right there could sell another hundred tanks, easily, that's amazing.


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## urbguy

that is one sexy-ass tank right there. oh and about the diffuser, test it out and please tell me if the diy yeast concoction has enough pressure to actually diffuse. been tryin to get get one and if it works out i'm plannin on gettin one for my friend who has the edge.


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## dkbmxr18

urbguy said:


> that is one sexy-ass tank right there. oh and about the diffuser, test it out and please tell me if the diy yeast concoction has enough pressure to actually diffuse. been tryin to get get one and if it works out i'm plannin on gettin one for my friend who has the edge.


Will do! It's off e-bay from Malaysia... might be a while!


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## Centromochlus

Very nice! Are they hard to clean? I always thought it would be hard to scrape algae off the glass since the opening is small.


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## dkbmxr18

AzFishKid said:


> Very nice! Are they hard to clean? I always thought it would be hard to scrape algae off the glass since the opening is small.


Not at all! I haven't had any major algae so far. I can just pull my two pieces of wood out and can get my hand anywhere in the tank. Sure it's harder than an open top but it's not impossible to clean roud:


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## volatile

dkbmxr18 said:


> Figured I'd post my FTS I took tonight. Feedback welcomed!


Wow that is looking really nice, much better than the ugly yellow spotlights that it came with. Where do you plan on putting the diffuser and what are your ideas for hiding the tubing?


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## dkbmxr18

I got a new fern today from Capitol Aquarium in Sacramento. The place is really cool and worth checking out if you're in the area. I also got two Endlers. So far they seem happy and colorful in their new home. I rescaped since the last photos too. A hair cloudy still but I took some pictures anyways!


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## ermano

Wow that's a nifty tank...I like the looks of that LED lighting.


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## Tex Gal

Incredible look! You'd certainly have to have a low maintenance scape. It doesn't look like something you could get in to every day.


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## mott

I love it! good idea keeping the scraper in the tank:thumbsup:

Is that Fern aquatic? it looks like the Fern they used to sell at Petsmart which is not aquatic.


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## dkbmxr18

mott said:


> I love it! good idea keeping the scraper in the tank:thumbsup:
> 
> Is that Fern aquatic? it looks like the Fern they used to sell at Petsmart which is not aquatic.


Hmm, I'm pretty sure it is? I got it at a pretty reputable tropical aquarium store??


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## mynameisjonah

It doesn't mean the dealer isn't reputable, just check what the plant came in or its labeling. Keep an eye on it and if it begins to rot in a few months, it aint fully aquatic.


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## dkbmxr18

mynameisjonah said:


> It doesn't mean the dealer isn't reputable, just check what the plant came in or its labeling. Keep an eye on it and if it begins to rot in a few months, it aint fully aquatic.


It was just in a tank labeled "micro fern" $2.99. I got two of them and bunched them together. I'll keep an eye on it, if it rots I'll pull it out. Thanks!


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## prototyp3

The Edge is a real nice looking tank. I just picked one up from Petsmart for 79 bucks. Definitely couldn't pass it up at that price. I can't wait to set it up!


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## dkbmxr18

I finally got my co2 diffuser and bubble counter! I got some black tubing so it blends in well. I have it in the middle on the bottom of the tank. I'm using the Jello c02 method with a 1L bottle instead of a 2L. It just started making a fine mist that's being spread all around the tank. Seems to be working as planned. I'll post a video clip tomorrow night and maybe a picture or two. The e-nay nano diffuser is for sure a good buy


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## dkbmxr18

prototyp3 said:


> The Edge is a real nice looking tank. I just picked one up from Petsmart for 79 bucks. Definitely couldn't pass it up at that price. I can't wait to set it up!


$79?? You lucky duck. I think my g/f payed about $129 for mine. But that was about 3 or 4 months ago now. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!


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## ZooTycoonMaster

It seems like since the opening is so small it inhibits you from placing larger rocks and/or driftwood in the tank. Although dkbmxr18 seems to have a large rock in his tank...


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## doog

Hi. I'm new to FW tanks (had a SW for a few years now). Got this EDGE for my office, just finished the cycle. I used the LED lights that you guys suggested here - they are GREAT! Thank you. 

One question - i'm having a hard time finding advice on how to remineralize my RO/DI water to make it appropriate for water changes on my FW tank. Anyone do this? I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks!


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## ZooTycoonMaster

doog said:


> One question - i'm having a hard time finding advice on how to remineralize my RO/DI water to make it appropriate for water changes on my FW tank. Anyone do this? I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks!


Seachem Replenish or Equilibrium will re-mineralize RO water:thumbsup:


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## melbourne

cale262 said:


> A few of my upgrades thus far...
> 
> LED replacement lights...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Upgraded canister filter, squeezes into the filter housing...
> ZooMed 501 filter...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> heater...hydor mini submersible...which fits right inside the supplied HOB filter...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also running a 10pound high pressure CO2 system with a glass diffuser...


I picked up one of these Edge tanks for my daughter. I've upgraded it with the LED lights you posted. I still need to get a heater. Will the hydor mini heater maintain a decent temperature in these tanks? And did you have to remove the media to fit it in the filter?

Thanks


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## cale262

melbourne said:


> I picked up one of these Edge tanks for my daughter. I've upgraded it with the LED lights you posted. I still need to get a heater. Will the hydor mini heater maintain a decent temperature in these tanks? And did you have to remove the media to fit it in the filter?
> 
> Thanks


The Hydor heater fits into the supplied filter by just slidding it down the backside behind the media, it's a tight fit and I found it easiest to push the heater and the media basket in at the same time...I keep my home rather cool about 64*F and the hydor heater keeps the tank in between 75-79*F. 

I should also mention, I just noticed that the picture of the "HYDOR HEATER" is not the right one...I'm using the 15W version rated for 5-10G. tanks, It looks the same but is slightly larger than the 7.5W 2-5G. version...pictured below.


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## dkbmxr18

Here's the video of my CO2 in action! (led's and cfl both turned on)

Everything was all pearled up when I got home, pretty neat! I'm still planning on adding some more plants in the future just don't know what yet... any advice is always encouraged!

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/dkbmxr18/?action=view&current=MVI_3144.flv


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## dkbmxr18

Cale, do you have a current photo of your tank? I'd like to see how all the hardware fits in the tank. Also, where did you relocate the heater since your upgraded the filter?


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## Green Leaf Aquariums

dkbmxr18 said:


> My LED's finally came in yesterday! We'll see if they are enough to keep my Java fern, anubias, and Java moss alive! Here is a comparison between the stock and LED lights. I bought a wallmart aquarium 10w light that I'm going to use with the LED's. I'll post pictures of it tonight when I get it all hooked up.
> 
> Here is a LED vs Stock comparison.
> 
> (my moss just came in so it has a little brown still.....and my tank is a little cloudy from rescaping last night)
> Stock
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LEDs


How are the plants looking with the new LED bulbs?


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## dkbmxr18

Orlando said:


> How are the plants looking with the new LED bulbs?


With the 10w bulb I added with the LED's they are looking great! The Java fern is doing well with lots of little plants growing on the leaves. My anubias is growing a new leaf every two weeks or so, and the unknown plants planted in the gravel are getting tall quick. The java moss I have on the slate is still a little bit brown from being shipped but getting better over time. I'm thinking that I planted it too thick on the slate?

A few pages back there is a picture of the 10w CFL I added.roud:


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## hamsterman

Most likely the java moss is brown because it was grown emersed, or so it appears. It might take a while before you see new growth.
Sweet tank by the way :thumbsup:


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## cale262

dkbmxr18 said:


> Cale, do you have a current photo of your tank? I'd like to see how all the hardware fits in the tank. Also, where did you relocate the heater since your upgraded the filter?



I'll try to remember to take some pics tomorrow when I get a chance, Sunday is tank cleaning/WC day...The heater has moved around a couple time but has now found a new home under the substrate...


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## forddna

Are the LED replacements plug and play?


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## jaidexl

doog said:


> One question - i'm having a hard time finding advice on how to remineralize my RO/DI water to make it appropriate for water changes on my FW tank. Anyone do this? I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks!





ZooTycoonMaster said:


> Seachem Replenish or Equilibrium will re-mineralize RO water:thumbsup:


Cheaper> http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/i...rnEdit=2&Returnitemname=&ReturnShowItemStart= :thumbsup:


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## dkbmxr18

forddna said:


> Are the LED replacements plug and play?


Yup, Just take your pick of MR11 led bulbs and you're set!


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## Firescaper

*more light?*

Dkbmxr, that's an awesome tank! I am just getting my Fluval Edge and this thread is soooo very helpful...

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but by my calculations using lumens/sq inch (seems a much better way than watt/g, especially for small tanks) I need 24-36 watt for moderate light plants that I'd like to set up. I'd like to add a 20watt Coralife Colormax mini CFB to reach the minimum but am afraid it might get pretty hot inder the hood. How hot is it with the 10w+leds? 

By the way, I found great cheap blue led strips for moonlight effect, check out Oznium led strips...


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## tuonor

cale262 said:


> A few of my upgrades thus far...
> 
> LED replacement lights...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Upgraded canister filter, squeezes into the filter housing...
> ZooMed 501 filter...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> heater...hydor mini submersible...which fits right inside the supplied HOB filter...I should also mention, I'm using the 15W version rated for 5-10G. tanks, It looks the same but is slightly larger than the 7.5W 2-5G. version...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also running a 10pound high pressure CO2 system with a glass diffuser...


Would you mind posting a pic of how you fit the Zoo Med 501 into the back housing? I am setting up my son's Edge and picked up the Zoo Med but can't quite fit it in the back...do you insert it from the bottom?

Thanks in advance...and here are pre-setup pics of our tank...figure people may be interested in seeing the orange color (which is alot nice than you'd think).


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## Kayen

Well, it's a canister filter, and you just stick the pipes into the aquarium.


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## dkbmxr18

Firescaper said:


> Dkbmxr, that's an awesome tank! I am just getting my Fluval Edge and this thread is soooo very helpful...
> 
> Maybe I'm overthinking it, but by my calculations using lumens/sq inch (seems a much better way than watt/g, especially for small tanks) I need 24-36 watt for moderate light plants that I'd like to set up. I'd like to add a 20watt Coralife Colormax mini CFB to reach the minimum but am afraid it might get pretty hot inder the hood. How hot is it with the 10w+leds?
> 
> By the way, I found great cheap blue led strips for moonlight effect, check out Oznium led strips...


I'm not to sure about the lighting as far as your lumens /sq inch calculations go. I haven't read that far into lighting...yet . The LED's don't warm the water up at all. I also have a 10w coralife zip tied to the light fixture which doesn't seem to make the temperature go up much if anything at all. My tank is always within 76.5 and 77 lights on or off. It has never gotten hot enough to melt the zip ties or anything that hold it to the fixture. I'm not sure how much more heat a 20w would produce but I'm assuming it will be fine since the stock LED's get pretty dang hot. Let us know how it goes!!

I'm for sure going to check out the led strips for moonlight since it's my next project. Thank you!


----------



## dkbmxr18

tuonor said:


>


roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:roud:


----------



## pandapr

I'm falling in love with this tanks !!

here's a question about lighting, you replaced them with some LED lights, does this one sounds better or not?
http://ledwaves.com./Illum-MR-11-LED-Light-Bulb-2-Watt-Cree-reg-XLamp-reg-XRE-LED-p-19620.html


----------



## dkbmxr18

pandapr said:


> I'm falling in love with this tanks !!
> 
> here's a question about lighting, you replaced them with some LED lights, does this one sounds better or not?
> http://ledwaves.com./Illum-MR-11-LED-Light-Bulb-2-Watt-Cree-reg-XLamp-reg-XRE-LED-p-19620.html


I had originally placed an order with ledwaves and after waiting two weeks I still hadn't received the lights! Turns out they were on back order so I canceled my order and got some off e-bay instead. They probably aren't as bright as those but they were half the price and work really well. I'm sure they're back in stock now but I'd give them a call first to make sure so you're not waiting forever without any notification.


----------



## pandapr

Thanks!

Just bought one fluval edge (black) ! I'll post a pic later- after my wife beats the hell out of me!! Before sleeping on the couch!! LOL
I just hope she buys a lot on black friday sales !


----------



## badmatt

tetra makes an awesome little submersible that would be wicked for this and can be picked up at wall mart for 11 bucks...


----------



## Firescaper

pandapr said:


> I'm falling in love with this tanks !!
> 
> here's a question about lighting, you replaced them with some LED lights, does this one sounds better or not?


I was looking at these as well, someone on a reef forum is using them with the Edge. They seem comparable to the ones dkbmxr is using except have less lumens (100lum / 2watt bulb) then his bulbs (160lum/2w). I'm going with more lumens... I just got my Edge today as well!!!


----------



## Firescaper

dkbmxr18 said:


> I'm not to sure about the lighting as far as your lumens /sq inch calculations go. I haven't read that far into lighting...yet . The LED's don't warm the water up at all. I also have a 10w coralife zip tied to the light fixture which doesn't seem to make the temperature go up much if anything at all. My tank is always within 76.5 and 77 lights on or off. It has never gotten hot enough to melt the zip ties or anything that hold it to the fixture. I'm not sure how much more heat a 20w would produce but I'm assuming it will be fine since the stock LED's get pretty dang hot. Let us know how it goes!!
> 
> I'm for sure going to check out the led strips for moonlight since it's my next project. Thank you!


Sounds great, I'll go with 20w coralife. Goole "oh glorious light aquarium", the first result (i don't have enough posts to insert a link...yet...:icon_wink), for a nice breakdown of lighting requirement calculations. Calculations aside, I read elsewhere that Amano is using much more light (~5w/g) for his small aquascapes. Not going to happen for the Edge without more serious DIY modifications...


----------



## pandapr

I just setted up mine and loving it!!
Added tahitian moon sand and some manzanita. The halogens do get very hot so the next thing is switching them for LEDs ( ebay ones are cheaper). I used the biomedia from another filter so it will cycle a lot faster. No fish yet but thinking on galaxy medusa male guppies and some pygmi cories from other tank in about a week. 
Pics later!


----------



## ebilpanda

does the zoo med filter jus sit inside? or do you need to get the hangers for it or something? pics of that filter in the edge would be greatly appreciated :fish:


----------



## tuonor

pandapr said:


> I'm falling in love with this tanks !!
> 
> here's a question about lighting, you replaced them with some LED lights, does this one sounds better or not?
> <LEDwaves link deleted>


I had checked those out too. The ones recommended by dkbmxr18 are wider angle so I went with those (according to spec 140 degrees vs. 88 degrees -- note this was assuming "view angle" is equivalent to beam angle") given the tank already has a lighting coverage issue. They work great.




ebilpanda said:


> does the zoo med filter jus sit inside? or do you need to get the hangers for it or something? pics of that filter in the edge would be greatly appreciated :fish:


Hopefully the OP can help out in this regard. I picked up a Zoo Med, and it just barely doesn't fit. I can't figure out a way to get it in that back housing without having something flex meaningfully. Given this would make servicing the filter difficult, I am sticking with the HOB for now. At least the Edge comes with a decent HOB.

_This is the Zoo Med canister in the rear housing of the Edge. While it initially looks like it will fit, I can't swing down the lighting bar without bending something. And this is without the cover for the filter which is incrementally wider._










_I then thought I could perhaps put the canister in from the bottom and push the cover in from the top but the cover is wider than the depth of the rear Edge housing because of the locking tabs._


----------



## btan

I remember at the store, I looked at one of these tanks and thought there was no way that anyone could make a planted tank out of that. With gears of a noggin and a little DIY-- magic.

This makes me want to cop one myself!


----------



## pandapr

I ordered the LED lights!! Went out in the mail today ! Hopefully they'll be here Saturday, will include a pic and start a journal


----------



## cale262

Here's a pic of the 501 in the rear housing, there is slight flex on the tank side but I don't even notice it myself...and yes it was put in through the bottom...I also just did the maintenance, total tear down time was less than 2min to get it out and about the same putting it back in...cake walk compared to the ehiems and FX5s I have on my other tanks...










I have removed the CO2 and added a small bubbler which you can see in the above pic. The crypt and anubias nana were growing like crazy, ATM there's nothing in there that need the injected CO2, I'll just use some excel until I have more time to dedicate to this tank, it's going to stay as is until the spring...I also used some Java moss to hide the filter intake tube and power cord from the heater which is placed dead centre under the substrate...updated pics...they're a little cloudy, just finished a WC.


----------



## yikesjason

Did you cut those stones to make them fit flat against the glass?


----------



## cale262

yikesjason said:


> Did you cut those stones to make them fit flat against the glass?



I did cut them...but they're not real rock:icon_wink, they're "MODULAR-ROCK"roud:


----------



## yikesjason

Ah! They look really nice.


----------



## dknydiep1

Theyre on sale at petsmart. Original price is 130, on sale for 99, use a petco coupon $10 off 50+, to bring it down to 89!


----------



## Reginald2

Wow, this tank looks great. Is all the maintenance done through that hole in the top? How big is the opening 8x8 or so?

I was a little skeptical of these things. Seeing what you've done with it is making me think twice though.


----------



## tuonor

cale262 said:


> Here's a pic of the 501 in the rear housing, there is slight flex on the tank side but I don't even notice it myself...and yes it was put in through the bottom...I also just did the maintenance, total tear down time was less than 2min to get it out and about the same putting it back in...cake walk compared to the ehiems and FX5s I have on my other tanks...


Looks tidy. Thanks for posting the pics, impressed with how your tank turned out. I'm not sure if I'm going to take the same route as I'm less comfortable with flexing of the rear housing, but then again it still seems to be working nicely.

Now wondering if the Tom's canister is any narrower...


----------



## cale262

Reginald2 said:


> ...Is all the maintenance done through that hole in the top? How big is the opening 8x8 or so?
> ...



Thanx for the props...I take the filter out of the back to do the cleaning, as I posted above, it takes very little effort & time...I don't tear down my canisters very often though. I don't use any floss, charcoal nor sponge in them so unless i see loss of flow, I don't touch them but maybe twice a year...The space available in the back is aprox. 7"x3.5"x8".


B


----------



## melbourne

How long are folks with the LED's running for their photo period? I have nothing but low light plants in my tank, Anubias, and Java Ferns/Moss. 

Thanks!


----------



## prototyp3

Hi. May I join the club? I'm an Edge with the LEDs.

I'm thinking the unthinkable for this forum, no plants. I might do a rock only scape, a mountain range of seiryu stone populated by shrimp only. I think a tank like this should have a striking 'statement' type scape. Although a little part of me wants to try a fissidens carpet.


----------



## cale262

prototyp3 said:


> Hi. May I join the club? I'm an Edge with the LEDs.
> 
> I'm thinking the unthinkable for this forum, no plants. I might do a rock only scape, a mountain range of seiryu stone populated by shrimp only. I think a tank like this should have a striking 'statement' type scape. Although a little part of me wants to try a fissidens carpet.



Welcome aboard, can't wait to see some more pics...funny how even an empty edge looks kewl...IMHO.

my pre-aqua Edge...


----------



## cale262

melbourne said:


> How long are folks with the LED's running for their photo period? I have nothing but low light plants in my tank, Anubias, and Java Ferns/Moss.
> 
> Thanks!



My lights are on from 1600-0000hrs...


----------



## Sylvester.1969

*Fluval Edge*

Hi Guys

I'm a newbie and here's a pic of my Edge. I've got 6 Long Fin White Cloud Mountain Minnows in with a couple of moss balls, 2 Wendelow ferns, an anubias and I've tried to attach some Java moss to a rock decoration! Next stop some Red Cherry Shrimp!


----------



## prototyp3

I'm jealous of you guys with the non-black versions! My Petsmarts were telling me they only stock black. Pretty lame. Not that black isn't attractive, but why not give your customers that choice?


----------



## Sylvester.1969

I was going to get black but changed my mind at the last minute! Worked out really well with the black gravel and red jasper rocks... (Well, I think so...!)


----------



## cale262

prototyp3 said:


> I'm jealous of you guys with the non-black versions! My Petsmarts were telling me they only stock black. Pretty lame. Not that black isn't attractive, but why not give your customers that choice?



A little KRYLON in a rattle can and you can have whatever colour you want...roud:


----------



## chek

Im getting an edge too as an xmas present from my girlfriend and Ive got the led replacements ordered and ill be modding a pc onto the hood as well =) Im not from here but I am an avid planted tank lover from aquariacentral =) I will be keeping my eye here though! amazing thread!


----------



## jaidexl

Attention Edge wannabes. Just got this email from aquacave.com, 15% off Hagen Edge Nano Aquariums. Use Coupon Code: NANO15

They're $130 there, so that's like 20 dollars off, maybe a deal I dunno, figured I'd pass it on.


----------



## morgantm

Order Total: $120.66 after shipping


----------



## volatile

The black Fluval Edge is currently $99 at Petsmart stores, so with tax that comes out to around $108.


----------



## dknydiep1

Use a petco coupon for 10 off 50. They accept it.


----------



## CHISMAR1

*My Edge*








Since the picture i bought a Turtle 501 and ordered LED'S for it, I'm thinking about a Saltwater setup, Any guidence would be great thanks


----------



## FDNY911

My wonderful girl surprised me today .... I walked into my bedroom after work and my nightstand looked a little different .... No alarm clock, no lamp .... just this sick looking Black Edge sitting perfectly on the stand. I love her ... lol.


----------



## deleted_user_16

prototyp3 said:


> I'm jealous of you guys with the non-black versions! My Petsmarts were telling me they only stock black. Pretty lame. Not that black isn't attractive, but why not give your customers that choice?


once you go black you never go back :hihi:


----------



## FDNY911

fishman9809 said:


> once you go black you never go back :hihi:


lmao!


----------



## FDNY911

Hey fellow edge owners .... I recently set my edge up and ran the stock lights for 2-3 hours and now it doesnt work .... I smelled burnt plastic when i went to check up on it. i changed the bulbs to make sure it wasnt just the bulbs that burnt out, but nothing worked ! Any help?


----------



## FDNY911

A friend at Petland Discount told me to bring the whole set in so he can replace it ... hopefully that will be the last problem i will encounter with these tanks.


----------



## hinchy

hi all!

i got an edge from santa for christmas!

does any one know where i can get the replacement LED bulbs from in the UK?

will post a few pics up soon, im new to keeping fish so im taking the setup up nice and slow!

cheers james


----------



## hutchtoo

Could anyone provide some newbie CO2 advice for the Edge?

I plan to lightly stock mine: 2-3 plants in the middle.
Fish: maybe 5 celestial danios and/or tetras, and a few glass shrimp.

The question: do I need CO2 apparatus for a lightly planted Edge? :icon_ques

If Carbon is needed, would Flourish Excel be enough to keep the plants growing and the algae away?
If CO2 is the only way to go, what equipment would you suggest for the 6-gal Edge?
Hoping to keep it simple.  Thanks in advance.


----------



## volatile

Flourish Excel should be enough for your 2-3 plants.



hutchtoo said:


> Could anyone provide some newbie CO2 advice for the Edge?
> 
> I plan to lightly stock mine: 2-3 plants in the middle.
> Fish: maybe 5 celestial danios and/or tetras, and a few glass shrimp.
> 
> The question: do I need CO2 apparatus for a lightly planted Edge? :icon_ques
> 
> If Carbon is needed, would Flourish Excel be enough to keep the plants growing and the algae away?
> If CO2 is the only way to go, what equipment would you suggest for the 6-gal Edge?
> Hoping to keep it simple.  Thanks in advance.


----------



## Sylvester.1969

hinchy said:


> hi all!
> 
> i got an edge from santa for christmas!
> 
> does any one know where i can get the replacement LED bulbs from in the UK?
> 
> will post a few pics up soon, im new to keeping fish so im taking the setup up nice and slow!
> 
> cheers james


Hi James

I got 2 x 10 Led MR11 GU4 125 Lumen Cool White AC/DC from ultraleds.

You'll have to google ultraleds as the forum won't let me put the website address or link in....

They are a bit pricey but a great direct replacement for the halogens....

Gaz


----------



## hutchtoo

A comment about decorating the Edge:

Before I found this board and saw the incredible aquascapes some of you have set up, I ordered an Edge brand bamboo wall decoration for the back of the tank (runs $30ish). It was part of my first impression of this system, and I was very impressed as it looked very nice with plants, shrimp and all at the store. 

Also, it will effectively cover the backdrop. But I think that adding in rocks in addition may be overkill. Knowing what I know now, I might have passed on it (going all natural with rocks instead) but since the order is in I'm rolling forward and put this in the tank center stage.

I haven't seen any mention of the bamboo wall at all here. Since many of you are accomplished aquascapers with a good eye for this stuff, I'd be interested in your critical opinions, positive or negative.


----------



## xJaypex

hey guys, 
im wondering, i got one of these tanks too and added a 10w bulb just like you did, thanks for the idea btw 
i ordered my leds, i think theyre 1w each.. not sure
so my question is..

since i added the 10w bulb and 2 1w leds.. that would mean i have 2.4wpg since 1 g is just the soil.

would this be good enough to grow HC and Giant hairgrass?? thanks

also any updated pics of your tank?!


----------



## FDNY911

Hey is anyone elses Edge Filter really loud or is it just mine? It sounds like its having a really hard time pumping water. I just set mine up last night and it was quite till about 15 minutes ago when i filled the tank the last 2 inches or so. Will I have to return the Fluval Edge for the 2nd time in 2 weeks???????????


----------



## GTR

Marine Depot had one of these models on sale today.


----------



## Fat Guy

any thoughts on putting a 20W bulb in place of the 10W supplied? or is that gonna fry it?

-el gordo

....it's been awhile


----------



## chek

*my fluval*

Figured Id post a picture of my Edge =)

Mainly native plants, with a few crypts that havent fully grown in yet.

It has replacement Led's and a PC Flourescent 24watt. Custom hood in the works that will provide room for a second 24 watt. DIY co2 in filter intake, with hydor heater in the hob filter. Im too lazy to post a journal but I might make a thread when the hood is finished =)

Azoo substrate
Local River rock that I broke into shape
manzanita branch

stocking is:
7 neon tetras
1 albino corydoras
1 snail =P


----------



## Erfberry

*erf*

Hi all.
well for the past couple of weeks prior to getting my fluval edge i was checking out the forum for peoples ideas and thoughts of this tank. and it was all positive so i thought i get my self one. iam alittle jealous for those who got this tank for 99$ at petsmart since we New yorkers dont have a pet smart so i had to buy it online for 137$ (with shipping) . well its been running for about two weeks and already the plants are growing new leaves and branches. i would like to up grade the lights eventually. but iam very satisfied that the plants are doing good with these stock lights. i just got my self some shrimp, neon tetras , betta, and a butterfly loach. i got acti-flora substrate and some real drift wood. i would like to go some more schooling fish but still looking around the petstores because alot of the local pet stores are selling half dead fish. and my nearest petco is almost a hour away. .. i have been a fish hobbyist for 11years but this tank would be my first tropical community fish tank. ive always had oscars, and pacu's that would swallow up gold fish.. but now its time to just enjoy the little fish in the world. so if anybody would be kind enough to let me know some good bottom dweller fish that wont bother my shrimp but help clean all the fish flakes and pebbles off the floor. <a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/?action=view&current=102_2589.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/102_2589.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/?action=view&current=102_2590.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/102_2590.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/?action=view&current=102_2583.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/102_2583.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/?action=view&current=102_2587.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/ericksand/fish/102_2587.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

















(p.s. my substrate looks alittle nicer without the flash)


----------



## lauraleellbp

Welcome to TPT, Efrberry!

I think a small group of Dwarf Cories or Khuli loaches would be good scavengers for your tank.


----------



## Fat Guy

where in nyc do you live? I could recommend some lfs.


----------



## pandapr

chek said:


> Figured Id post a picture of my Edge =)
> 
> Mainly native plants, with a few crypts that havent fully grown in yet.
> 
> It has replacement Led's and a PC Flourescent 24watt. Custom hood in the works that will provide room for a second 24 watt. DIY co2 in filter intake, with hydor heater in the hob filter. Im too lazy to post a journal but I might make a thread when the hood is finished =)
> 
> Azoo substrate
> Local River rock that I broke into shape
> manzanita branch
> 
> stocking is:
> 7 neon tetras
> 1 albino corydoras
> 1 snail =P


really nice ! now I feel sad on the looks of mine...will post a pic in a few days


----------



## pandapr

FDNY911 said:


> Hey is anyone elses Edge Filter really loud or is it just mine? It sounds like its having a really hard time pumping water. I just set mine up last night and it was quite till about 15 minutes ago when i filled the tank the last 2 inches or so. Will I have to return the Fluval Edge for the 2nd time in 2 weeks???????????


still loud? take it apart and clean the impeller. I don't use the top cover of the filter because it vibrates a little and makes some noise.


----------



## xJaypex

My filter is pretty quiet, cant even hear it and its next to my bed. make sure the tube is inserted right, i also just bought the little sponge made for this intake yesterday only 2.99. Giant hairgrass and baby tears came in yesterday and planted those in, just put a small portion in my other tank just in case they dont survive here . LEDs might be coming in today and will post some pics.

As for stock, i have 3 clown killifish, and 2 mini alligator gar fish, forgot what they were called but they only get about an inch long


----------



## xJaypex

chek said:


> Figured Id post a picture of my Edge =)
> 
> Mainly native plants, with a few crypts that havent fully grown in yet.
> 
> It has replacement Led's and a PC Flourescent 24watt. Custom hood in the works that will provide room for a second 24 watt. DIY co2 in filter intake, with hydor heater in the hob filter. Im too lazy to post a journal but I might make a thread when the hood is finished =)
> 
> Azoo substrate
> Local River rock that I broke into shape
> manzanita branch
> 
> stocking is:
> 7 neon tetras
> 1 albino corydoras
> 1 snail =P


do you have pics of how it looks with the pc lighting?
and also will be lookig forward to you customized hood!


----------



## chek

xJaypex said:


> do you have pics of how it looks with the pc lighting?
> and also will be lookig forward to you customized hood!



Im sorry it does have a PC light on it already. I shot it in the dark and my camera shot it alot darker than normal. its actually very bright now and i get tremendous growth. My tank is the pewter gray too but you cant tell in the picture =P


----------



## xJaypex

chek said:


> Im sorry it does have a PC light on it already. I shot it in the dark and my camera shot it alot darker than normal. its actually very bright now and i get tremendous growth. My tank is the pewter gray too but you cant tell in the picture =P



oh sorry, i meant how it looks under that hood , how much did it cost you in total to put the lighting?


----------



## Erfberry

Fat Guy said:


> where in nyc do you live? I could recommend some lfs.


i Live in sunnyside queens. today i visited 3 petstores before i found a good aquarium store with healthy looking fish.


----------



## Erfberry

pandapr said:


> really nice ! now I feel sad on the looks of mine...will post a pic in a few days


ditto.lol. great looking tank


----------



## FDNY911

Erfberry said:


> i Live in sunnyside queens. today i visited 3 petstores before i found a good aquarium store with healthy looking fish.


Which stores did you go to? I got mine at the Petland on Northern Blvd near sunnyside.


----------



## FDNY911

pandapr said:


> still loud? take it apart and clean the impeller. I don't use the top cover of the filter because it vibrates a little and makes some noise.


Yea it gets loud then gets quite, but I am thinking the filters impeller also ... How do I clean that??

I have Seachems Black Fluorite Sand in there.


----------



## Fat Guy

I bought my edge at Coral Aquarium in Jackson Heights. 75-05 Roosevelt Ave. I live in Woodside. A really nice store but very crammed I found on the East side called New World Aquarium. http://www.newworldaquarium.com/ check it out. That Petland on Northern is alright. I'm just not very impressed by the quality of lfs stores out here in or around Manhattan. I had higher expectation...it being New York and all.


----------



## xJaypex

ok so, i decided to make a new hood so i can add more lights, and this is the prototype, still needs to be painted and the hood needs to be glued still

water looks kind of graini cus i just tossed some cyclops in there for my tiny fish to eat


----------



## vicsalt

Help LED replacements UK supplier, i found some on Amazon UK put couldnt post a link also on ebay, 

could someone supply a link or info where i can get direct replacements

thanks


----------



## COOKIEDELITE

*LED lights UK side*

I’m not sure if you can post sites on here but mine arrived today from Ultraleds and they are a UK site (only orderd them last Friday) and they make my edge look amazing, why the edge didn’t come with LED’S is beyond me. You will find if you look in any “good” lighting store they will try and tell you that you need to run them with a transformer this was not the case. Finding a suitable lighting replacement has been a nightmare until I came upon this thread. I phoned several lighting sites but to be honest through no fault of their own I was told to buy a transformer as it would be the only way to get the lights working something to do with the wattage (way over my head kind of info) I would like to say a BIG!!! thank you to Sylvester 1969 for pointing me in the right direction. For 2X 10 Led MR11 White AC/DC it cost £30.32 including P&P, but trust me they are worth it. Good Luck


----------



## SteveMcQueen

How are you guys getting all the bubbles that get trapped in the top out?


----------



## dkbmxr18

SteveMcQueen said:


> How are you guys getting all the bubbles that get trapped in the top out?


Just use an algae magnet and slide them to the opening. It works great roud:


----------



## xJaypex

hey guys, me again 

heres a pic of the finished hood.


----------



## volatile

xJaypex said:


> hey guys, me again
> 
> heres a pic of the finished hood.


Wow that looks like much better light coverage of the whole tank! Can you show us what the hood looks like in the daytime and show us how you made it and what you put inside of it?


----------



## SteveMcQueen

dkbmxr18 said:


> Just use an algae magnet and slide them to the opening. It works great roud:


Haha, it works awesome! Thanks!

Ordered LED replacement bulbs yesterday. Hopefully they work well and arrive by the time the tank cycles.


----------



## colinlp

vicsalt said:


> Help LED replacements UK supplier, i found some on Amazon UK put couldnt post a link also on ebay,
> 
> could someone supply a link or info where i can get direct replacements
> 
> thanks


got mine here www ledonline co uk
Add some dots in the spaces


----------



## SteveMcQueen

tuonor said:


> Thanks in advance...and here are pre-setup pics of our tank...figure people may be interested in seeing the orange color (which is alot nice than you'd think).


Did you buy that stand and if so where?


----------



## TRENT

Your guys tanks look awesome. Here's my first attempt at a planted tank. Looks naked compared to some of you. *UPDATE *Today I added two plants and changed to Black sand. Next is the Led lights.


----------



## TLE041

Hi everyone! I had to return to fishkeeping after a few year's hiatus as soon as I saw the Edge at a local Petsmart. I'm used to much bigger tanks, so it's going to take a little time to adjust to the 6 gallon size. I'll think of it as being the aquarium version of a bonsai.

I just set my new Edge up today. It'll let it cycle for a few weeks before I add any livestock.

I've just order those eBay LEDs. Hopefully that will be somewhat sufficient for the plants I have.


----------



## tuonor

SteveMcQueen said:


> Did you buy that stand and if so where?


Its a "Pawn Stool" made by Gus. Note that its the height of a stool, not the height of a normal aquarium stand; I got it b/c its my toddler's tank and I wanted it toddler height.


----------



## TLE041

Has anyone considered using a canister filter with their edge system? I'm looking at the Marineland Multistage C-160 canister filter. I know it's rated for up to 30 gallon tanks but I thought that extra filtration couldn't hurt in a smaller aquarium where everything is more sensitive. Is it overkill?


----------



## COOKIEDELITE

*My Flual Edge planted & re-scaped*

I didn’t want to add too many plants until I got the LED replacements that arrived about two weeks ago. I ordered my plants last Tuesday from a UK online store I had seen good reviews about and they arrived in very good condition. Placed then in a basic plastic holding tank to get rid of any “nasty’s” just in case, but they were all fine. Had a bit of a re-scape while attaching the java moss and this is the end result. Shrimp cory's and green neon’s love it. roud:

























Also my Fluval edge heater broke down and water temp was sitting at 22 so the tank had been heated via central heating in the house (good job I have the heating on full) Shop replaced the heater with no problems and I also got hold of a mini Hydor heater and put that in the fliter box. Running the hydor only at the mo will use the fluval as back up or in very cold weather. 
I do have one well two questions 
1) I would like some additional water movement, any tips or ideas? If I was to go with a C02 set up can anyone recommend the most
2) simplest way of doing this, any tips or ideas? please note I'm not to good with aquariun equipment DIY


----------



## Church

Has anyone other than me noticed that this thread has brought in a larger number of new members to TPT than any other thread has? Everywhere I look in this thread there are people who made their first post here. That's pretty cool! 

I just googled "edge thread" and this thread is the #2 result, right after a link to Amazon for some "knife edge thread nippers."


----------



## SteveMcQueen

I always assumed it was its small size, good looks, and that it comes with almost everything in a reasonably priced package. I haven't been taking pics but I have a orange one, aquasoil amazonia on the bottom and the black aquasoil on top. Hydor heater, LED replacements. Picked up some peacock moss and rocks, planning on a small shrimp tank. Tank is cycled using other tank water and filter media. Hope to have pictures this weekend!


----------



## guerdonian

*Ikea LED!?*

Another Newbie to this forum, I agree with Church that this little tank has caused some excitement. I was into the hobby a few years back and after moving to an older house with raised wood floors I was afraid to re-start my 60 gallon in fear of it “disappearing” through the floor boards. Fast-forward to two weeks ago when I walked into the local fish store for fun, walked out with a new fluval edge and a childish grin. Been secretly watching this thread and a few others since. Great info from everyone, and I am sure there are many other “ghost” onlookers getting good info as well.

So far I have ordered the upgraded bulbs like everyone else, and plan on adding the small 10W ziptie arrangement that is commonly used on this thread. Wanted to finally go visible to everyone and mention on a trip to IKEA I found some great mini LED lights titled the “Lack” that look very good as “floaters” on top of the glass outside of the hood. They are meant for accent lighting hung from the ceiling, but sitting on top of the glass they provide an excellent filler light into the dark corners and produce hardly any heat. Link (add www newbies can’t post full web addresses) ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50126035. I will try and post pictures later this week of how they look. Ikea unfortunately doesn’t share wattage, but since there LED’s that is a mute point anyways.


----------



## dkbmxr18

guerdonian said:


> Another Newbie to this forum, I agree with Church that this little tank has caused some excitement. I was into the hobby a few years back and after moving to an older house with raised wood floors I was afraid to re-start my 60 gallon in fear of it “disappearing” through the floor boards. Fast-forward to two weeks ago when I walked into the local fish store for fun, walked out with a new fluval edge and a childish grin. Been secretly watching this thread and a few others since. Great info from everyone, and I am sure there are many other “ghost” onlookers getting good info as well.
> 
> So far I have ordered the upgraded bulbs like everyone else, and plan on adding the small 10W ziptie arrangement that is commonly used on this thread. Wanted to finally go visible to everyone and mention on a trip to IKEA I found some great mini LED lights titled the “Lack” that look very good as “floaters” on top of the glass outside of the hood. They are meant for accent lighting hung from the ceiling, but sitting on top of the glass they provide an excellent filler light into the dark corners and produce hardly any heat. Link (add www newbies can’t post full web addresses) ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50126035. I will try and post pictures later this week of how they look. Ikea unfortunately doesn’t share wattage, but since there LED’s that is a mute point anyways.


Ikea over on i80 eh? I've been there  Good to see some Edge Locals on here!:thumbsup:


----------



## Idaho

new to planted tank..

here's my fluval edge. 

with white LEDs and 10 watt CFL on..



















10 watt cfl only..










anubias nana
java fern
java moss

2 white clouds
2 cardinals
1 panda cory cat

baby snail that sneaked in on my plants

i bought 2 cherry shrimp last week...but haven't seen them since their first night when they were hiding under a rock..did notice them out later that night when the lights were out...

these pics were taken a little over 2 weeks ago..

plants seem to be doing well...and the fish love the real plants.

the cory is always chillin' on the anubius leaves...

cool site here..


----------



## DreamProductions

Heres mine: 
















Feel free to comment.


----------



## xJaypex

Just rescaped my tank and will place new photos soon 

as for co2 ive been dosing with flourish excel, but been itching to try those 30 dollar non pressurized systems like this one

http://www.azgardens.com/p-240-the-turbo-co2-bio-system.aspx


anyone used anything like it?


----------



## xJaypex

DreamProductions said:


> Heres mine:
> View attachment 17779
> 
> 
> View attachment 17780
> 
> 
> Feel free to comment.



are those CRS i see?

whats your water temp? i thought CRS needed cooler water, please let me know how they do as i want to add some bee shrimp to mine but afraid of the temp killing them


----------



## volatile

xJaypex said:


> Just rescaped my tank and will place new photos soon
> 
> as for co2 ive been dosing with flourish excel, but been itching to try those 30 dollar non pressurized systems like this one
> 
> http://www.azgardens.com/p-240-the-turbo-co2-bio-system.aspx
> 
> 
> anyone used anything like it?


It says it lasts about a month and each refill is $6? You're better off buying a real CO2 system. It costs like $10 to fill a 5lb tank and you can probably run that for 2 years or more on the Edge.


----------



## xJaypex

yeah my 20 has pressurized but, its in the living room. Ill probably save up and buy that fancy ADA co2 set up for nanos.


----------



## xJaypex

Here are some pics



















MY HC was starting to grow but got destroyed when i changed the substrate.
But its a good thing i saved some in my other tank


----------



## Cichlid Junkie

That's a good looking tank. What are you going to stock it with?


----------



## xJaypex

i have 2 clown killies and 1 that looks like its a mini gar that only gets 1 inch long pretty sweet looking fish.

And i have 7 green shrimp and 8 bee shrimp to add once i receive them next week


----------



## DreamProductions

xJaypex said:


> are those CRS i see?
> 
> whats your water temp? i thought CRS needed cooler water, please let me know how they do as i want to add some bee shrimp to mine but afraid of the temp killing them


Ya those are CRS, thats not the tank temp thats the room temp. I keep it between 72-76 for the CRS.


----------



## dkbmxr18

Here's an update of mine. I took out a few plants to make it a little more clean. My Java Moss has finally started to grow in the last week.


----------



## dkbmxr18

xJaypex said:


> Here are some pics
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MY HC was starting to grow but got destroyed when i changed the substrate.
> But its a good thing i saved some in my other tank


What lights are you using under that custom hood?


----------



## xJaypex

i use 3 6500k 7 watt bulbs i bought from lowes.


----------



## Chrisinator

An EDGE would look so nice on my desk.


----------



## guerdonian

*Guerdonian Edge*

Here is my edge so far:
*Lighting:*
Upgraded LED lights
Ikea LACK lights See Detail Picture
*Plant list:*
cryptocoryne willisii x3
Anubias nana x1
Java moss all over
*Otherstuff:*
driftwood stump
Java moss "wall" in the left corner (just placed, needs to fill in)
Manzanita branches
seachem flourite red substrate, with seachem flourish
*Livestock:*
Nothing yet, still cycling


I plan on adding maybe another anubias nana in the right corner, and also the additional light under the hood. As far as livestock, i plan on adding some cherry red shrimp, about 5 galaxy rasbora (celestial pearl danio is the new name) and an otocinclus. I also hope to add the in-filter heater and reduce the length of the filter "snorkel" to get a cleaner look.


I have learned that long tweezers come in handy for placement, the branches were soaked for 2 weeks prior to placing them in the tank to eliminate tannins, but made them a bit more flexy to fit through the tiny hole. I also have a feeling that my lack of access to the glass will be a bit of a problem in a few weeks when algae starts showing up.


----------



## Cichlid Junkie

Those Lights make a huge difference. I think there will be many people following in your footsteps!


----------



## DreamProductions

dkbmxr18 said:


> What lights are you using under that custom hood?


Can we see some pictures of the custom hood? maybe under it  Thanks


----------



## BMueller777

yo this is awesome lol So do these LED lights make it possible/assist with plant growth??


----------



## guerdonian

BMueller777 said:


> yo this is awesome lol So do these LED lights make it possible/assist with plant growth??


I would assume so. After getting back into the hobby after so many years i am not exactly sure how well LED's work in comparison to Standard fluorescent. But the picture i posted doesn't even do the lights complete justice on how well they light up the sides of the tank.:icon_smil


----------



## xJaypex

DreamProductions said:


> Can we see some pictures of the custom hood? maybe under it  Thanks


sure no problem,

This is how it looked before it was fully painted









Before i glued the Top which i regret, wished i couldve came up with the idea to make it into a close/open hood 








under hood









still not done with it yet, planning on adding fans to keep the water cool sine here in az makes it impossible to keep CRS and also a way to hide those cables


----------



## Fat Guy

looks cool and like a lot of fun!! I also did something similar but with the standard hood and some mylar.


----------



## Fat Guy

guerdonian said:


> Here is my edge so far:
> *Lighting:*
> Upgraded LED lights
> Ikea LACK lights See Detail Picture


 Man, it's a hard tank to light because if you "go outside the box" (canopy) you are sacrificing the fluval design that makes this tank so expensive. Those lights are a cool addition though. Great idea!!


----------



## TeaQue

Hi all, this is my first post here. I was linked to this thread from another forum and inspired to pick up one of these tanks as a little project for me and my wife 

I have a few questions for you all.

First off, what kind of heater are you all using? I know Fluval makes one specifically for the edge but it was preset and depending on what fish/plants we end up with I didn't know if I should find something adjustable or not. Also, where did you mount it? I want to do my best to keep it hidden and maintain the clean modern look that drew us to this tank in the first place.

Second, I bought some plant food tablets and stuff called Seachem, if we only plan on a few small plants and some sort of moss do we really need to look into making a CO2 setup? I'm big into DIY'ing and was curious if there was any way to use a paintball tank as the source? I also already ordered the LED bulbs on the first page of this thread.

Third, I bought some white sand and a couple of goldfish today and have begun cycling the tank. Me and my Wife are going to hopefully pick out some plants this weekend...is there anything else you can think of that we should pick up? 

I appreciate all the help and look forward to learning about this new hobby. Hopefully we can build a tank awesome enough to post in this thread


----------



## TeaQue

guerdonian said:


> Here is my edge so far:
> *Lighting:*
> Upgraded LED lights
> Ikea LACK lights See Detail Picture
> *Plant list:*
> cryptocoryne willisii x3
> Anubias nana x1
> Java moss all over
> *Otherstuff:*
> driftwood stump
> Java moss "wall" in the left corner (just placed, needs to fill in)
> Manzanita branches
> seachem flourite red substrate, with seachem flourish
> *Livestock:*
> Nothing yet, still cycling
> 
> 
> I plan on adding maybe another anubias nana in the right corner, and also the additional light under the hood. As far as livestock, i plan on adding some cherry red shrimp, about 5 galaxy rasbora (celestial pearl danio is the new name) and an otocinclus. I also hope to add the in-filter heater and reduce the length of the filter "snorkel" to get a cleaner look.
> 
> 
> I have learned that long tweezers come in handy for placement, the branches were soaked for 2 weeks prior to placing them in the tank to eliminate tannins, but made them a bit more flexy to fit through the tiny hole. I also have a feeling that my lack of access to the glass will be a bit of a problem in a few weeks when algae starts showing up.


Awesome idea for the extra lighting! Are these the same lights? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60124272

Also, are you using the upgraded LED bulbs from the first page of the thread? If so, how well do the Ikea lights match them?


----------



## guerdonian

TeaQue said:


> Awesome idea for the extra lighting! Are these the same lights?
> 
> Also, are you using the upgraded LED bulbs from the first page of the thread? If so, how well do the Ikea lights match them?


Only need one more post till i can post links, so link to follow:

As far as the light color matching, i got the cool white wide angle LED's mentioned earlier in the thread, also to answer the questions in the post prior to yours, the filtration and heater options are also mentioned earlier in the thread a couple pages in:icon_wink. The Ikea LACK led's are more of a warm yellow, but i like it because it seems to help balance the colors out a bit. Unfortunately the color of the lamp itself only comes in silver, so might look better with the silver edge's.


----------



## guerdonian

guerdonian said:


> Only need one more post till i can post links, so link to follow:


 
Here is the link:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50126035


----------



## TeaQue

Thanks for the link to the lights!


----------



## TeaQue

dkbmxr18 said:


> I finally got my co2 diffuser and bubble counter! I got some black tubing so it blends in well. I have it in the middle on the bottom of the tank. I'm using the Jello c02 method with a 1L bottle instead of a 2L. It just started making a fine mist that's being spread all around the tank. Seems to be working as planned. I'll post a video clip tomorrow night and maybe a picture or two. The e-nay nano diffuser is for sure a good buy


Can you explain your setup a little better? What is the Jello method?

I was thinking about picking up this regulator for my paintball tank: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/239899/product.web









And adding the Nano diffuser: http://aqmagic.com/store/product_info.php?pName=nano-co2-diffuser









You guys think this would work? If theres a cheaper/easier setup I'm all for it


----------



## guerdonian

TeaQue said:


> Can you explain your setup a little better? What is the Jello method?
> 
> You guys think this would work? If theres a cheaper/easier setup I'm all for it


I second these questions.


----------



## TeaQue

guerdonian said:


> I second these questions.


I gotta believe that a 20oz CO2 tank would last a long time in a tiny tank like this......and I have a place 5mi away that will fill it up for $3


----------



## BMueller777

guerdonian said:


> I second these questions.



3rd that question... What else would be needed besides the diffuser and some air line tubing? (I'm excluding a pH meter) But is something like this needed also? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3747+9895&pcatid=9895 or is that single CO2 controller the same thing minus the solenoid? 

I've got quite a few CO2 tanks and if all I need is airline tubing and a diffuser that'd be awesome lol


----------



## TeaQue

BMueller777 said:


> 3rd that question... What else would be needed besides the diffuser and some air line tubing? (I'm excluding a pH meter) But is something like this needed also? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3747+9895&pcatid=9895 or is that single CO2 controller the same thing minus the solenoid?
> 
> I've got quite a few CO2 tanks and if all I need is airline tubing and a diffuser that'd be awesome lol


I'm really hoping that reg that I posted has a manual on/off already....if thats the case, then the only benefit to the one you posted would be an electric solenoid.

I'd rather save $40 and turn the knob myself


----------



## dkbmxr18

I was using a nano diffuser w/ the jello method but now I have a tube going straight into the little hole in the edge filter. The air builds up and the intake fan chops of the bubbles. This way there are no extra tubes going into the tank. 

6 oz pack of Jello (your choice of flavor)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
Dissolve the Jello in the boiling water, add 1 cup cold water and pour into 2 litter bottle, place in refrigerator overnight. Next day add the yeast to the lukewarm water to activate it, then pour into the 2 litter bottle and cap. This will start producing CO2 in a few hours, do not shake the bottle or you will get too much CO2. After about three weeks I freshen up the mix by dumping out some water and yeast and putting more in. I got about two months of use with my first bottle. 

The recipe is for a 2l bottle. I downsized it a bit to fit in a 1L bottle so it fits behind the tank. 

Enjoy!


----------



## Fat Guy

dkbmxr18 said:


> I was using a nano diffuser w/ the jello method but now I have a tube going straight into the little hole in the edge filter. The air builds up and the intake fan chops of the bubbles. This way there are no extra tubes going into the tank.


hey dkbmxr, 

are you running the co2 through the filter intake that's visible in the tank? or are you putting it straight into the HOB filter? 

I had been running mine through the intake but found that it wasn't as beneficial as I wanted it to be. The bubbles would get broken up by the motor in the filter, but I was losing co2 when the water traveled back into the aquarium. This method works great with canister filter setups, I wish it was just as great with hob. 

I agree, too, about not wanting any extra tubes going into the tank.


----------



## TeaQue

Fat Guy said:


> hey dkbmxr,
> 
> are you running the co2 through the filter intake that's visible in the tank? or are you putting it straight into the HOB filter?
> 
> I had been running mine through the intake but found that it wasn't as beneficial as I wanted it to be. The bubbles would get broken up by the motor in the filter, but I was losing co2 when the water traveled back into the aquarium. This method works great with canister filter setups, I wish it was just as great with hob.
> 
> I agree, too, about not wanting any extra tubes going into the tank.


This is why I'd rather go a little overkill with the paintball tank if it will work. I'd rather have it under the impeller so the bubbles get chopped up instead of floating to the top of the tank.


----------



## FrankTR

*My Edge*

I got this Edge first part of December2009. And added plants January 16, 2010. The tank is as delivered except for a heater. If I change to LED lights how would that change the plant growth? Thanks


----------



## TeaQue

badmatt said:


> tetra makes an awesome little submersible that would be wicked for this and can be picked up at wall mart for 11 bucks...


Submersible what? Heater?

P.S. I have a GTO as well


----------



## Fat Guy

TeaQue said:


> This is why I'd rather go a little overkill with the paintball tank if it will work. I'd rather have it under the impeller so the bubbles get chopped up instead of floating to the top of the tank.


totally agree. And I think that the less hardware you see inside the tank, the more aesthetically pleasing it is. I love this tank and I'd love to maintain the integrity of the design. I'd like to keep it simple...or at least give off that appearance. 

Looking forward to seeing what people do with their tanks..


----------



## TeaQue

TeaQue said:


> Can you explain your setup a little better? What is the Jello method?
> 
> I was thinking about picking up this regulator for my paintball tank: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/239899/product.web
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And adding the Nano diffuser: http://aqmagic.com/store/product_info.php?pName=nano-co2-diffuser
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You guys think this would work? If theres a cheaper/easier setup I'm all for it


Well I just spoke with a rep at ThatPetPlace and they said that the reg is totally adjustable and manually turns on off with the knob that you use to adjust the pressure. Looks like I'll be ordering one


----------



## xJaypex

also a small bottle of flourish excel would last you months, and produces enough co2 for a small planted tank, plus also reduces algae problems.


----------



## TeaQue

xJaypex said:


> also a small bottle of flourish excel would last you months, and produces enough co2 for a small planted tank, plus also reduces algae problems.


Well this is definately a much cheaper method. I bought some Flourish yesterday when I bought my substrate from a local store, I wish I hadn't already opened it because its not Flourish Excel....

So this will be fine for a tank this size?


----------



## TeaQue

By the way, has anyone else had issues with their Edge filter randomnly stopping? Mines done it a couple of times now but it started working after I nudged it with my finger. I pulled the motor out and took out the impeller and everything seemed fine but now I don't trust it because it wasn't running when I got home from work today.


----------



## Fat Guy

TeaQue said:


> By the way, has anyone else had issues with their Edge filter randomnly stopping? Mines done it a couple of times now but it started working after I nudged it with my finger. I pulled the motor out and took out the impeller and everything seemed fine but now I don't trust it because it wasn't running when I got home from work today.


It shouldn't be stopping like that. Sounds like something is faulty with the filter. I'd call your lfs where you got it and have them contact the company to replace the filter. keep the filter media when you do. Definitely not something you want to be worrying about when you're at work. I had a problem with the lights when I first got my tank. One of the sockets was not working correctly and my LFS contacted their rep and they brought a replacement bridge. Kind of a pain, but not worth the worry.


----------



## dkbmxr18

Fat Guy said:


> hey dkbmxr,
> 
> are you running the co2 through the filter intake that's visible in the tank? or are you putting it straight into the HOB filter?
> 
> I had been running mine through the intake but found that it wasn't as beneficial as I wanted it to be. The bubbles would get broken up by the motor in the filter, but I was losing co2 when the water traveled back into the aquarium. This method works great with canister filter setups, I wish it was just as great with hob.
> 
> I agree, too, about not wanting any extra tubes going into the tank.


I just have it routed into the actual filter. There is a small co2 tube sized hole right behind the intake. I just stuck the tube in there and the chamber fills up with co2 eventually filling up enough that it reaches the impeller. There is a light "wooosh" noise when it happens. Most of the bubbles get diffused in the filter but some of the bubbles make their way into the tank. They all seem to dissolve so there is no bubbles caught under the glass. 

I'm sure it's not 100% efficiency but with all my low light plants pearling with just 10w and two LED's I think it's doing just fine ANNNND there is no ugly tubes or diffusers in the tank!


----------



## Fat Guy

dkbmxr18 said:


> I just have it routed into the actual filter. There is a small co2 tube sized hole right behind the intake. I just stuck the tube in there and the chamber fills up with co2 eventually filling up enough that it reaches the impeller. There is a light "wooosh" noise when it happens. Most of the bubbles get diffused in the filter but some of the bubbles make their way into the tank. They all seem to dissolve so there is no bubbles caught under the glass.
> 
> I'm sure it's not 100% efficiency but with all my low light plants pearling with just 10w and two LED's I think it's doing just fine ANNNND there is no ugly tubes or diffusers in the tank!


ahhh...there is that little hole near the impeller....good thinking. pearling plants is good and no additional tubing in the tank is very cool.


----------



## DreamProductions

Anyone been growing HC in their Edge? care to share some pictures?


----------



## xJaypex

On the filter note, 

Just make sure the intake pipe is in there right. At first i thought my filter didnt work as well but i forced the pipe in there just right and not i have no problems.

And ive been reading nothing but good hings anout Excel so i think its pretty good, as long as you dont over dose.

I added 2.5 mL the first time and then .5 mL daily. I use a medicine syringe so it makes it pretty easy since it has a mL chart.
The small bottle treats a 20g for up to 2 months so im expecting it to last around 8 months


----------



## xJaypex

DreamProductions said:


> Anyone been growing HC in their Edge? care to share some pictures?


Im growing a small portion of HC that my friend let me have.

He was growing his in low light so im expecting it to grow. Ill show you pictures if you like.


----------



## DreamProductions

ya please post some pictures and share with everyone. I'll get some pictures of mine up soon as well.


----------



## guerdonian

DreamProductions said:


> Anyone been growing HC in their Edge? care to share some pictures?


Edge HC growth here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/97783-tuonors-6g-fluval-edge-updated-1-a-2.html :thumbsup:


----------



## TeaQue

How is everyones tanks doing?

I finally got some darker substrate and a few rocks. I had a really hard time find rocks at any of my local stores so I had to settle for some that I ended up breaking with a hammer to get down to size. I also planted some kyoto grass and java moss. I'm not sure if I like the moss but I didn't want to spend a bunch on nicer plants for my first time.

My CO2 stuff hasn't arrived yet but I did get the replacement LED bulbs at the beginning of this thread and they made a big difference!


----------



## TeaQue

Btw, which online retailer do you all prefer for ordering live plants and/or fish?


----------



## xJaypex

TeaQue said:


> Btw, which online retailer do you all prefer for ordering live plants and/or fish?


For fish im going locally from now on i bought 20 cardinals from out of state and they all died and killed all my stock in addition.

For plants i would recommend azgardens.com


----------



## TeaQue

xJaypex said:


> For fish im going locally from now on i bought 20 cardinals from out of state and they all died and killed all my stock in addition.
> 
> For plants i would recommend azgardens.com


Man that sucks! I'd buy local but my stores have a pretty crappy selection. I'll check out azgardens :wink:


----------



## Rob43623

Newcomer...I love my edge...lol..like all the other egder's...I do stained glass.. I am cutting a mirror to put it behind it...I wiill send pics when I am done...

This forum has been so helpful..thanx to all of you....peace


----------



## TeaQue

I got my CO2 reg for my paintball tank today and it works like a charm! I bought a cheapo diffuser to mess with it until my glass one comes. Now I just need a bubble counter.

I also did the DIY walmart CFL lamp upgrade today. It seems to help out the middle of the tank but the edges still need lighting so I might end up getting those Ikea lamps posted a page or two back. I still think it was a worthing upgrade....cheap too! The bulb was a hair over $5 and the socket was 1.69, ext cord was $2. Definately worth it for under $10.


----------



## TLE041

Rob43623 said:


> Newcomer...I love my edge...lol..like all the other egder's...I do stained glass.. I am cutting a mirror to put it behind it...I wiill send pics when I am done...


Welcome to TPT! I am definitely looking forward to those pics.


----------



## TeaQue

Here are some pics of my setup as of tonight. I'm just using an air stone as a diffuser until my glass one comes in but so far so good! The paintball tank reg works like a champ!


----------



## Fat Guy

nice nice nice


----------



## Erfberry

hey guys, been awhile since ive posted. i stoped by the aquarium store at Roosevelt and got myself some healthy looking fish.i still have my stock lights on the aquarium and the plants are growing like weeds. i have to give them a trim every 2weeks because they got too long and cover the light for the other plants. so far the java fern gave me 5 more little java plants to enjoy and i did notice one day a veryyyy tinyy snail crawling on the glass which i had to stare at for 15mins to see if it moved or was just a spec. then i also noticed one on the wood. but after that i havent seen them.its been a few weeks . but today i was trimming the plants and pulled out a dead leaf and discovered a yellowish fuzzy worm about half a inch long. it was wraped around the leaf with a sort of clear covering over it.. iam clue less on what it is.... i will update with some photos


----------



## hutchtoo

TeaQue said:


> How is everyones tanks doing?



I set mine up just over a month ago and water quality is excellent and consistent when tested weekly. I used ActivFlora fluorite and some seasoned rocks from my beta bowl to get the bacterial bed accelerated. 

My only major mod was to replace the lights with LED as posted early in this thread. 

5 celestial danios, 2 neons, 3 cherry shrimp, 1 ghost shrimp --- may sound like a lot of bioload, but Nitrite/Nitrate levels are ~ 0 with 1-gal water changes each week. I'd give away the Neons if my kids would let me!

Anubias, java moss and fern are healthy though I don't see new growth yet. The shrimp appreciate the moss.

The Amazon swords (bought at PetSmart) could go either way. I've lost a couple fronds and am growing concerned. 

I will post pictures once I find some time.

What a great little tank.


----------



## FrankTR

I added the LED's to my edge and thinking about the 10w Walmart Aquarium Bulb. I have low light plants and if I add extra light what will be the result?


----------



## xJaypex

FrankTR said:


> I added the LED's to my edge and thinking about the 10w Walmart Aquarium Bulb. I have low light plants and if I add extra light what will be the result?


Depends, how much more light,how many hours of light and would you be adding co2 and or ferts?


----------



## FrankTR

xJaypex said:


> Depends, how much more light,how many hours of light and would you be adding co2 and or ferts?


 I have been running it about 10 hours with the original lights and thinking about the same with the replacement LED's. Not at all sure what time period to run the additional 10Watt light. I was not planning to use CO2 and keep low light and maybe a few hardy other plants that require more light. Any thoughts or suggestions?


----------



## guerdonian

I just put 6 CRS's in my tank yesterday, and only see one! I have a lot of java moss and places for them to hide, but i am concerned that the filter snorkel has just wide enough gaps for a shrimp to get sucked into and chopped into little peices. Does any one else have CRS (crystal red shrimp) in there tank? Does anyone with an edge who has owned CRS think they could get sucked in? Are they just more reclusive than i thought?


----------



## dkbmxr18

guerdonian said:


> I just put 6 CRS's in my tank yesterday, and only see one! I have a lot of java moss and places for them to hide, but i am concerned that the filter snorkel has just wide enough gaps for a shrimp to get sucked into and chopped into little peices. Does any one else have CRS (crystal red shrimp) in there tank? Does anyone with an edge who has owned CRS think they could get sucked in? Are they just more reclusive than i thought?


Get the filter intake sponge for the EDGE so they don't get sucked in! I have it and it works great. They have them at Petsmart for about two bucks.


----------



## DreamProductions

^I have an edge and all my shrimp got sucked in and KILLED!!!! 
I bought a filter sponge and it fixed the issue.


----------



## GRIFF

DreamProductions said:


> ^I have an edge and all my shrimp got sucked in and KILLED!!!!
> I bought a filter sponge and it fixed the issue.


I lost a cory and two neons before I "fixed" this issue. :icon_frow


----------



## guerdonian

NOOOOOOOO:icon_cry:! I special ordered them too. I will try and pick the sponge up this weekend.


----------



## guerdonian

Ghetto Fix installed. Plastic mesh and zipties. Found 2 CRS and 1 RCS.


----------



## Fat Guy

GRIFF said:


> I lost a cory and two neons before I "fixed" this issue. :icon_frow


hmmmmm.....


----------



## FrankTR

Anyone have any problem with the net bag holding the bio balls spliting open? Mine split open a week or so ago. Do I need to do anything about it? I am planning to add some shrimp glade I saw the recommendation about the sponge.


----------



## xJaypex

xJaypex said:


> just bought the little sponge made for this intake yesterday only 2.99


I told you guys!

sorry for your losses,just lost 40 bucks worth of shrimp yesterday just because my tank decided to go through a mini cycle...


----------



## xJaypex

FrankTR said:


> Anyone have any problem with the net bag holding the bio balls spliting open? Mine split open a week or so ago. Do I need to do anything about it? I am planning to add some shrimp glade I saw the recommendation about the sponge.


yours came with bioballs?


----------



## tuonor

dkbmxr18 said:


> Get the filter intake sponge for the EDGE so they don't get sucked in! I have it and it works great. They have them at Petsmart for about two bucks.


Can anyone tell me the outside diameter of this prefilter sponge? I have a zoomed one lying around but would spring for the Edge prefilter if it is smaller.

I guess this is where having the black Edge helps (ie b/c the prefilter blends into the color of the back column housing.


----------



## tuonor

FrankTR said:


> Anyone have any problem with the net bag holding the bio balls spliting open? Mine split open a week or so ago. Do I need to do anything about it? I am planning to add some shrimp glade I saw the recommendation about the sponge.


I wouldn't worry about it as long as they can't find their way over the filter outlet. I have mine under a bag of Purite which keeps them from going anywhere.


----------



## TLE041

xJaypex said:


> yours came with bioballs?


I think he was referring to the Biomax media.



tuonor said:


> Can anyone tell me the outside diameter of this prefilter sponge?


If I remember correctly, it was about 1 1/4" give or take. I'd highly recommend anyone with an Edge to get one of these, especially if you have shrimps (they like to graze in the intake tube and risk getting sucked into the impeller).


----------



## COOKIEDELITE

I had a bad experience with my edge  and I always have the filter setting on its lowest setting. After adding my green tetras to my edge they started to disappear one after the other and it wasn’t until I lifted the filter basket out I found them all swimming in the bottom of it. As for the Amano shrimp I just don’t know how they did it but one had managed to get out and was found down the back of the tank between the glass and the housing (this was only noticed due to a wet patch at the back of the glass) and another I found on the sideboard.:icon_conf Now my cats are smart but not smart to lift the top off, pull out a shrimp and put the top back on. I asked in the store about this problem and was told that the edge was not the best thing to keep shrimp in, shame they didn’t tell me this before I paid for them.
I got the pre filter sponge and no problems since. I will say that I replace these sponges very 2-3 months as they tend to not fit as good after time and would recommend the filter sponge or another method as a must for this set up as it is mainly small fish that people keep in the edge.


----------



## DreamProductions

Anyone find a decent co2 setup for their edge yet? Mind posting and sharing? Thanks.


----------



## TLE041

DreamProductions said:


> Anyone find a decent co2 setup for their edge yet? Mind posting and sharing? Thanks.


I'm using the Hagen CO2 system at the moment. Between this and Flourish Excel my plants are doing great. They're pearling and I can actually see a column of O2 being released from one of them. There's literally a new leaf on my dwarf amazon every day.

I think I will eventually upgrade to a paintball setup. But for the time being, I'm happy with the Hagen system.


----------



## Fat Guy

DreamProductions said:


> Anyone find a decent co2 setup for their edge yet? Mind posting and sharing? Thanks.


I've got a pressurized system setup on my edge works really well with the glass nano diffuser. click on my journal in my signature to check it out if you like. Plants are doing uber well


----------



## tuonor

DreamProductions said:


> Anyone find a decent co2 setup for their edge yet? Mind posting and sharing? Thanks.


I just added a couple pics to my DIY nano regulator thread that show how to fit a pressurized setup into the back housing of the Edge, below the HOB filter:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/101417-nano-regulator-build-pressurized-co2-shown.html


----------



## hutchtoo

Our Edge is ~ 6 weeks old and we now have baby red cherry shrimp. We're blown away :bounce:


----------



## xJaypex

hutchtoo said:


> Our Edge is ~ 6 weeks old and we now have baby red cherry shrimp. We're blown away :bounce:


CONGRATS!roud:


----------



## dkbmxr18

So I'm moving everything currently in my EDGE to my 10g I set up. I have a couple of good ideas in my head for the edge rebuild  I'll start a journal sometime soon!


----------



## unr1

Just went to my local Petsmart and they had only one on the shelf. It was funny because 3 employees had no idea what I was talking about until I pointed it out to them. Petsmart only had black (as mentioned earlier in the thread).

I'm debating between the pewter and black colors but I think I may just go with black. You know, since this thread makes me want to go back to Petsmart and impulse buy.

Looking forward to start "cycling" my tank (did I use that term correctly?) over the next week or two and slowly start adding plants and finally fish. Maybe a shrimp or two but I'll make sure to add the filter sponge!!

Much thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. roud:


----------



## Morainy

The lighting in your tank looks awesome!

The fish store near me always has a planted Edge on display, stocked with fish. It looks pristine and lovely all the time. 

Good luck with your tank!


----------



## COOKIEDELITE

*New Phone cam photo's*

I got a brand new phone at the weekend and was trying out the cam in it, photo's are getting a bit better, the neon's just dart off but the shrimp are real posers.


----------



## flyboy320

For those of you not using CO2 in this tank, are you following the EI for ferts?

I'm new to the hobby, and have been using Excel every other day, flurish once a week. I have only a few low light plants (crypto lutea and crypto wendtii) and have added a couple of Ikea lights as well as swap out the two stock halogen lights with LED types. We have three platties, one guppy and two small Amano shrimp.

Just trying to figure out if I need to use the EI method in this tank and add the macro's, or if I might get by with just the excel and flurish...


----------



## TLE041

To take the DIY lighting a step further, I'm considering installing this MR16 socket to use with this bulb. It should be able to fit between the two existing lights. 

Can anyone advise me if this is a feasible idea?


----------



## TeaQue

TLE041 said:


> To take the DIY lighting a step further, I'm considering install this  MR16 socket to use with this bulb. It should be able to fit between the two existing lights.
> 
> Can anyone advise me if this is a feasible idea?


Thats a great idea if you don't want to do the walmart/homedepot light. I don't think its necessary to do both.....My main issue is getting light to the edges of the tank. I want to pick up the ikea lights but I know the bulbs dont match the LED's color wise and they're kinda pricey.


----------



## Fat Guy

TLE041 said:


> To take the DIY lighting a step further, I'm considering install this  MR16 socket to use with this bulb. It should be able to fit between the two existing lights.
> 
> Can anyone advise me if this is a feasible idea?


I think this is very feasible. I'm gonna put a moonlight in that area between the two bulbs. I'm growing mosses so I'm happy with my current light setup. I say go for it.


----------



## TeaQue

Fat Guy said:


> I think this is very feasible. I'm gonna put a moonlight in that area between the two bulbs. I'm growing mosses so I'm happy with my current light setup. I say go for it.


I thought you might like to know, I read your journal and stole your idea of using plastic screening to attach java moss. I redid my tank again this morning (at home, sick) and when it clears up a bit I'll add some pictures. :smile:


----------



## tuonor

TLE041 said:


> To take the DIY lighting a step further, I'm considering installing this MR16 socket to use with this bulb. It should be able to fit between the two existing lights.
> 
> Can anyone advise me if this is a feasible idea?


Electrically, yes (the power cord is capable of delivering 12V x 1.7amps = 20 watts) but physically I don't think you'd be able to place it in the center of the two original bulbs without relocating the power switch on top (not enough vertical space in the plastic housing for both the switch and the socket).

In case you haven't done it yet, the light swingarm removes easily by unscrewing 4 screws (2 underneath just by the hinges and 2 about midway up the arm, also underneath). Let me know if it'd be helpful for me to snap a couple pics.


----------



## TeaQue

So if I'm using the LEF bulbs and walmart bulb what wpg am I at?


----------



## tuonor

TeaQue said:


> So if I'm using the LEF bulbs and walmart bulb what wpg am I at?


There is prob a more sophisticated way to do this to take into account the lighting angle restrictions of the Edge, but each LED wholesalers bulb is 160 lumen = 320 lumens for the pair. The wal-mart bulb is a 10W flourescent which google suggests is probably about 500-600 lumens. So figure you're at ~15W => about 2.4 wpg.


----------



## Fat Guy

TeaQue said:


> I thought you might like to know, I read your journal and stole your idea of using plastic screening to attach java moss. I redid my tank again this morning (at home, sick) and when it clears up a bit I'll add some pictures. :smile:


that's awesome, let me know how it goes. lookin forward to the pics. I'm really happy with mine. my shrimp really dig it and are excellent maintaining it. I'm dosing nitrogen which is making a world of difference once my nitrates drop.


----------



## guerdonian

Fat Guy said:


> that's awesome, let me know how it goes. lookin forward to the pics. I'm really happy with mine. my shrimp really dig it and are excellent maintaining it. I'm dosing nitrogen which is making a world of difference once my nitrates drop.


 
Waiting for my nitrates to come in from GLA, i hope it stabilizes my tank, i am at zero, and am starting to get an outbreak of BGA (blue green algae). UGGGG


----------



## TeaQue

Can you guys gimme a quick little explanation on dosing nitrogen? Is this an alternative to CO2 or something?

Fat Guy: there are some pics in my journal linked in my sig now


----------



## Shamiak

*Shamiak's Edge Build...*

I wanted to start by thanking all in the thread who pioneered all of these sick edge mods. Hopefully, I can aid in the evolution of this awesome tank. I've done my best to push the envelope and I have documented all of the steps. I am almost ready to introduce the inabitants and I cant wait... I'll be posting the steps later on tonight I have a bunch of photos CO2 info and modification stuff but here is where I am as of this morning....


----------



## guerdonian

TeaQue said:


> Can you guys gimme a quick little explanation on dosing nitrogen? Is this an alternative to CO2 or something?


 
Here is a VERY generalized synopsis. You need nitrates :icon_lol:. In heavily planted tanks with high light and CO2 the plants will be growing so quickly that eventually they will consume all the nitrates. CO2 is not an alternative, it is separate requirement. The need for "ferts" is based upon your tank. Check out some other threads, lots of good info on this forum.

Shamiak: awesome tank!


----------



## Shamiak

*Shamiak's Edge Build*

Here is what I started with... I hope this isn't TMI. I just don't want to leave anything out. I will have to submit my posts in groups of five photos so bare with me. Hopefully I wont have to type a bunch since I did a good photo journal.


----------



## Shamiak

*Shamiak's Edge Build*

Found the Edge at a going out of business Petsmart $60.

Edge Heater, Net, Filter Intake Sponge, and Mini Magfloat, petsolutions dot com $25.46 shipped. 

Coralife Aqualight Wave Maker Dual Timer, pettreats dot com, $41.94 shipped.

Daytime LED's from LED Wholesalers eBay store $9.99 a piece with free ship.

Coralife 10w Colormax FW spectrum bulb from LFS $15.

Current USA Lunar Light Base Module Nocturnal Blue, Petstore dot com $16.79 w free ship.

Hydor NRG Exclusive CO2 System, Petstore dot com $109.24 w free ship.

ANS Nano Drop Checker and nano CO2 diffuser, Aquatic World eBay store $19.98 shipped. (Probably going to GLA for their Drop checker it is better quality and tiny) 

ADA PowerSand Special S - 2 liter bag $20.00, Amazonia 2 - 3 liter bag Normal 
Type $12.00, adgshop dot com Total $44.51 shipped.

_Total spent on my tiny glass box so far... $352.90. I think my pockets are empty now???_

WOW! You were probably waiting for a "PRICELESS" puncline somewhere, SORRY.


----------



## Shamiak

*Shamiak's Edge Build*

I'm convinced, I'm a junkie. Ok, instead of purchasing both the Powder Type and the Normal Type of Amazonia 2 I sifted the soil and seperated the fine granules from the rough ones (out of the normal type bag). I layed down the power sand then the rough then the fine in the front half (for asthetics).


----------



## Shamiak

*Shamiak's Edge Build*

Plant species;

Nesaea SP. 'Red Leaved' - 2 bunches

Rotala Rotundifolia 'Indicia' - 2 bunches

Nesaea Pedicellata 'Golden' - 2 bunches

Eleocharis Acicularis, Dwarf Hair Grass - 4 pots

Hemianthus Callitrichoides, Dwarf Baby Tears - 6 pots

I have the timer set to run the Coralife Bulb for a ten hour cycle alternating with the moon lights. I now have the flat hydor heater in the filter running with the night cycle so the water temp will drop a couple of degrees when the daylight cycle turns off. The Fluval Edge heater turns off at night.

The daytime LED's are running an 8 hour cycle starting 1 hour after and ending 1 hour before the Coralife bulb turns on, simulating dawn and dusk. So for the dawn and dusk cycles the Coralife bulb and moonlights are all that are on. The tank will be seeing warm lighting most of the time which is why I went with blue moonlights.

I am dosing with 3 drops of Seachem Flourish once weekly for ferts. With a 25% WC twice weekly and running the CO2 at 3bpm. Once I balance the water I will be adding;

3 Caridina sp. (Sulawesi Cardinal shrimp)

3 Caridina cf. spongicola (Sulawesi Harlequin shrimp)

3 Neritina spp. (Zebra Nerite) or Clithon corona (Horned Nerite snails) 

1 Pair of either Medusa Swallow Guppies or German Blue Ram (Undecided on fish)

And if I can ever find them 3 Otocinclus cocama (Zebra Otocinclus)

I will post the progress, or lack thereof hopefully weekly. So far I'm not liking the dark corners, My plants are growing toward the middle. I found that lifting the hood up about a half inch helps, I may go the IKEA route??? My goal is to keep the tank as streamlined as possible so I am currently thinking up a solution. Suggestions are encouraged!


----------



## Cichlid Junkie

Your tank is well thought out. I like the way you made the focus on plants with the rocks as accents...I like it.


----------



## Shamiak

Thanks for the positive feedback Guerdonian, and Cichlid Junkie! It's my take on the nature aquarium with an abstract twist, I prefer some color. I have been gathering everything I need for this setup for a couple of months now. FINALLY!

The layout will be much nicer once the plants root and I am able to trim/shape for the first time. Right now everything is acclimating and looking pretty healthy.


----------



## pandapr

Shamiak said:


> Thanks for the positive feedback Guerdonian, and Cichlid Junkie! It's my take on the nature aquarium with an abstract twist, I prefer some color. I have been gathering everything I need for this setup for a couple of months now. FINALLY!
> 
> The layout will be much nicer once the plants root and I am able to trim/shape for the first time. Right now everything is acclimating and looking pretty healthy.


Your Edge looks great !! 
It got me interested on the CO2 system, please tell me more info about it; like the type of cartridge used for example.
Thanks


----------



## colinlp

Now that's a nice tank Shamiak! A creation to be proud of, much better than my current state which was thrown together in half an hour to house a phsycopathic Ram who was killing it's brethren in the main tank a while ago. Keep us posted to how it comes along please


----------



## Shamiak

Thanks Colinlp! I will do.

Pandapr,

Thanks, I am using the Hydor NRG Exclusive, The Hydor aquarium CO2 systems are the easiest to to set up and easiest to maintain CO2 systems on the market. Everything is included in the package - even a fully pressurized CO2 cartridge.

*NRG Exclusive Features:*
A complete CO2 system for aquariums up to 79 gallons

Turbo diffuser: Increases CO2 efficiency by 40% (compared to a normal CO2 diffuser)

Longlasting: Each cartridge lasts 260 days at 4 bubbles a minute.

Simple and safe: Autoregulating pressure reducer with precision valve

Maximum efficiency: Results visible in 2 weeks

Perfect control: Special glass bubble counter for perfect visibility, regulation and control

Super-safe disposable charge

There is also an NRG advanced system but there are not enough benefits to get me to cough up another 50 bucks. The regulator has adaptors that allow you to use different co2 tanks, it also has high and low pressure guages. It doesn't come with a co2 tank either which cost another $22 or so. Plus, it will not fit inside the edge.

*NRG Advanced Features:*
Does not include the CO2 cartridge. We recommend the Hydor NRG CO2 Disposable Cartridge.

For aquariums up to 132 gallons

Turbo Diffuser increases CO2 efficiency by 40% (compared to a normal CO2 diffuser)

High and low pressure gauges for perfect control

High precision pressure reducer for CO2 rechargeable cartridges

Special glass bubble counter for perfect visibility, regulation and control.


----------



## Shamiak

The contents of the box.


----------



## tuonor

Shamiak said:


> Plant species;
> 
> Nesaea SP. 'Red Leaved' - 2 bunches
> 
> Rotala Rotundifolia 'Indicia' - 2 bunches
> 
> Nesaea pedicellata 'Golden' - 2 bunches
> 
> Eleocharis Acicularis, Dwarf Hair Grass - 4 pots
> 
> Hemianthus callitrichoides, Dwarf Baby Tears - 6 pots
> 
> I have the timer set to run the Coralife Bulb for a ten hour cycle alternating with the moon lights. I now have the flat hydor heater in the filter running with the night cycle so the water temp will drop a couple of degrees when the daylight cycle turns off. The Fluval Edge heater turns off at night.
> 
> The daytime LED's are running an 8 hour cycle starting 1 hour after and ending 1 hour before the Coralife bulb turns on, simulating dawn and dusk. So for the dawn and dusk cycles the Coralife bulb and moonlights are all that are on. The tank will be seeing warm lighting most of the time which is why I went with blue moonlights.
> 
> I am dosing with 3 drops of Seachem Flourish once weekly for ferts. With a 25% WC twice weekly and running the CO2 at 3bpm. Once I balance the water I will be adding;
> 
> 3 Caridina sp. (Sulawesi Cardinal shrimp)
> 
> 3 Caridina cf. spongicola (Sulawesi Harlequin shrimp)
> 
> 3 Neritina spp. (Zebra Nerite) or Clithon corona (Horned Nerite snails)
> 
> 1 Pair of either Medusa Swallow Guppies or German Blue Ram (Undecided on fish)
> 
> And if I can ever find them 3 Otocinclus cocama (Zebra Otocinclus)
> 
> I will post the progress, or lack thereof hopefully weekly. So far I'm not liking the dark corners, My plants are growing toward the middle. I found that lifting the hood up about a half inch helps, I may go the IKEA route??? My goal is to keep the tank as streamlined as possible so I am currently thinking up a solution. Suggestions are encouraged!


Awesome work. Looking forward to watching it grow in.

Can you post a pic of where you stuffed the heater? If you found a way to get a regular sized heater into the HOB that would be cool.

One suggestion might be to try injecting the CO2 into the HOB impeller chamber. I'm doing this with a broken chopstick (its the only diffuser that will fit in there), although I'm still experimenting with it. It would eliminate the tubing on the back wall.


----------



## dkbmxr18

Just went from this:








To this:









Moved everything to the 10g my sister gave me. Get ready for a cool new EDGE project!


----------



## pandapr

Shamiak said:


> Thanks for the positive feedback Guerdonian, and Cichlid Junkie! It's my take on the nature aquarium with an abstract twist, I prefer some color. I have been gathering everything I need for this setup for a couple of months now. FINALLY!
> 
> The layout will be much nicer once the plants root and I am able to trim/shape for the first time. Right now everything is acclimating and looking pretty healthy.


once the co2 is empty, can you use the standard mini co2 tank used for paintball guns?? thanks


----------



## Shamiak

Pandapr,

Only with the Hydor NRG Advanced system. It comes with adapters for the regulator which will allow for most co2 tanks.


----------



## Fat Guy

hey shamiak, you should start your own thread in the journal section here so that others can follow along your progress with ease. nice start by the way!! i look forward to seeing how everything fills out. 

best,

-el gordo


----------



## FrankTR

Here is a updated picture of my Edge. I been thinking about adding CO2 but with the additional lighting suggested here I don't think I need it. I recently added some additional plants and a sponge filter on the intake of the filter pump. The sponge was added to keep some shrimp out of the pump. It seams since these two additions I have more bubbles at the top of the tank. anyone elese have this issue?

Comments and feed back are welcome.


----------



## dkbmxr18

I re-did the lighting on my tank.. check it out! diy 27w 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/102647-dkbmxr18s-6g-fluval-edge-journal.html#post1005389


----------



## kcrossley

This looks like a pretty awesome tank! Just curious if there are any cons to it?


----------



## tuonor

kcrossley said:


> This looks like a pretty awesome tank! Just curious if there are any cons to it?



My list of cons (but don't get me wrong I still love the tank)...

glass top is cool but keeping it clear of bubbles generated by the downflow of the HOB is tough. It means you have to keep the water level very high and consistently high to avoid having to "rake" the bubbles every day
because the opening is small, the rate of evaporation generated by the HOB is magnified (here's my attempt to explain this -- since volume = area x height, if you shrink the area and keep the volume relatively constant, the change at the waterline (height) is magnified). This exacerbates point one
as a planted tank, the small opening means you have to remove water anytime you put your hand in otherwise the tank will overflow
to maintain access to the front corners of the tanks you may have to compromise your hardscape
the lighting is inadequate. however, if you're reading this thread you already know that (and know how to solve it)
One pro that is a little less obvious is because the waterline is effectively above the top of the tank and hidden by the hood, you don't have to worry about cleaning mineral build-up from the waterline. If you have hard tap water, you know what I mean. 


My wishlist

glass inlet pipe for the HOB filter with an inline integrated CO2 diffuser that routes tubing out of the top of the inlet
(real) heater (ie 25ish watts with an adjustable thermostat) that will fit in the HOB


----------



## TeaQue

Those using CO2 in their Edge's, what are you using to monitor CO2 levels?


----------



## flyboy320

If your using the stock lighting on this, and perhaps use two IKEA lights, would you consider this a low light tank, med light, or high?


----------



## Shamiak

Teaque,

I use a nano drop checker from GLA. It works perfect. There was also a chart that came with my Co2 system that gives a rough estimate. It was a good starting point. I personally, take the Amano (ADA) approach to planted tanks. ADA's website has some good information on setting up CO2.


----------



## TeaQue

Ordered a DC from GLA today 

Are any of you adding o2 with an airstone or anything? My fish seem to be doing fine without one but I didn't know if I should look into it just in case....


----------



## TLE041

I only run an airstone on a timer at night to counteract my DIY CO2. I know the CO2 level is probably too low to be a danger, but it's just a safety precaution.

During the day you wouldn't need it as the AC filter does such a good job at aerating the water (in addition to photosynthesis by the plants).


----------



## TeaQue

Just and FYI, I'm selling all my lighting for cheap in case anyone else needs it!

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/102935-fs-fluval-edge-upgraded-lighting.html


----------



## Fat Guy

I don't think an air stone is necessary. I run pressurized co2 and when the lights go off, I keep the co2 running. My fish are healthy and my plants are thriving.


----------



## bleung2bleung

Does anyone have the Fluval Edge gravel vacuumer? Is it anything special or just like any other regular gravel cleaner? Wondering if I should buy one or just get the mini generic one I find from Petco.


----------



## flyboy320

bleung2bleung said:


> Does anyone have the Fluval Edge gravel vacuumer? Is it anything special or just like any other regular gravel cleaner? Wondering if I should buy one or just get the mini generic one I find from Petco.


The only difference I can tell from mine and others is that the bottom of the vacuum part is angled since to vacuum the front corners you have to angle the tube to get in there. You can see that on this picture of one.


----------



## gcpenn

I run an airstone into the filter during the night just in case. Running it under the filter media avoids the obvious bubble capture issues that arise from an airstone in the tank.

Basically following the typical Amano process. Not sure if it is necessary, but it can't hurt.


----------



## guerdonian

Put up a journal for my edge: HERE


----------



## Fat Guy

TeaQue said:


> Those using CO2 in their Edge's, what are you using to monitor CO2 levels?


I built a diy drop checker that looks awesome in the Edge.


----------



## hutchtoo

bleung2bleung said:


> Does anyone have the Fluval Edge gravel vacuumer? Is it anything special or just like any other regular gravel cleaner? Wondering if I should buy one or just get the mini generic one I find from Petco.


I use a small generic one from Petco and see no reason why the $$$ Fluval would make a difference.


----------



## peter1979

anyone know what the requirements are for the CFL, in terms of lumen or kelvin? I cant seem to find anything like the corlife mini compact here in the uk. If i ordered one to be shipped from the US would i have problems using it here on the 240v system we use?
Or has anyone got any ideas of anywhere i can get a CFL in the uk that will do the job? I just went to the supermarket and picked up one to check to see if it fits but the base is too wide.


----------



## Rob43623

Stupid I am....just dropped a lcd bulb in the water..drying is out...Will it still work????

Thanx...


----------



## TLE041

Rob43623 said:


> Stupid I am....just dropped a lcd bulb in the water..drying is out...Will it still work????
> 
> Thanx...


You're not the first person that's done that *cough cough*

Just let it dry out completely and it should work fine, or so I've heard.


----------



## chek

On a side note, Ive had the LED lights since about mid december, and I noticed two days ago that out of the 6 individual led's on the bulb, only two were working on one, and three led's on the second. Anyone else notice this? For now I took out the led lights, and did a similar installment of the Wal-Mart light, giving me two, and actually, the lighting is much much stronger now too. Just some healthy information =)


----------



## horseflesh

Just got my Edge! Not sure what to do with it yet. Great thread here. 

I was thinking about fixing up the lighting with a 9W PC bulb. That should be enough power for modest plants, plus I use them elsewhere. You can get a kit with ballast, bulb, and reflector, but the problem is it isn't meant to be used over water.

Any ideas?

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=418


----------



## tuonor

horseflesh said:


> Just got my Edge! Not sure what to do with it yet. Great thread here.
> 
> I was thinking about fixing up the lighting with a 9W PC bulb. That should be enough power for modest plants, plus I use them elsewhere. You can get a kit with ballast, bulb, and reflector, but the problem is it isn't meant to be used over water.
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=418


You could try the "lighthouse" fixtures from Catalina. They come in 1 x 13W (costs $3 more than the one you linked to) and 2 x 13W configurations. You'll have to take apart the fixture and cut the reflector to fit but you'd have to do the same customization with the hellolights kit. The bulb will fit under the Edge hood.

With this setup, the ballast can be mounted away from the water. Note, the ballasts connect to the bulbs using vinyl covered pin connectors but they are not truly waterproof.


----------



## horseflesh

That looks like a good option, thanks.


----------



## unr1

I will take pics another time but just wanted to say I'm really enjoying this tank.

This is my first fish tank and it's been a breeze. I changed the LED lights (which I had to wait on for 1 month due to backorder) and it made a huge difference. Much more vibrant color from the tank.

Currently have about 9 neon tetras in there and 6 glowlight tetras... crowded? Hehe. 1 shrimp (flower shrimp) and one snail.

Have a couple plants and moss which I nourish with flourish excel liquid... they are growing well, especially the moss.

I clean it every weekend... remove about 30% of the water with a siphon. I've changed the carbon filter once already and will change the other two filters in a few weeks since it will be about two and a half months since I got the tank.

So much fun


----------



## TLE041

unr1 said:


> ...I've changed the carbon filter once already and will change the other two filters in a few weeks since it will be about two and a half months since I got the tank.


Changing the biomax media and the sponge isn't necessary. It harbors the majority of the tank's beneficial bacteria. Every time you change it, you subject the tank to a mini-cycle. Just give the sponge a few good squeezes and rinse the biomax in the dirty tank water every time you do a water change. The only thing that needs to be discarded is the charcoal. I replaced the charcoal with another biomax bag to maximize the tank's biological filtration.


----------



## unr1

oh alright, I will rinse them off and keep them in there. Thanks for the tips. :thumbsup:


----------



## anubi

Hi All!
Here is some picture of my EDGE


----------



## TLE041

That's gorgeous, Anubi. I love your landscaping job. Very aesthetically pleasing.

What light do you have on it?


----------



## anubi

Thanks TLE041! 

The light are LED replacement from ledwholesalers.com.
I think they are a must have instead of the original ones.


----------



## TLE041

Yep, those LEDs are a hundred times better than the stock halogens. I don't know why Hagen went with them in the first place. Nobody uses halogens in an aquarium for obvious reasons.

Do you have any fishes in your Edge? From your avatar I assume you're a fan of celestial pearl danios? I just got a few of them this week. They've quickly become my new favorite fishes.


----------



## flyboy320

For the people using the eBay MR11 LED's, how are you finding they are holding up? I see chek has noticed some LED's burn out on his...anyone else?


----------



## anubi

For the people using the eBay MR11 LED's, how are you finding they are holding up? I see chek has noticed some LED's burn out on his...anyone else?



TLE041 said:


> Yep, those LEDs are a hundred times better than the stock halogens. I don't know why Hagen went with them in the first place. Nobody uses halogens in an aquarium for obvious reasons.
> 
> Do you have any fishes in your Edge? From your avatar I assume you're a fan of celestial pearl danios? I just got a few of them this week. They've quickly become my new favorite fishes.


Sure! I have 10 wonderful celestial pearl danios ( Danio Margaritatus / Rasbora sp. Galaxy ) into that tank. There are also 4 corydoras pygmaeus ( very little and nice fish too ).




flyboy320 said:


> For the people using the eBay MR11 LED's, how are you finding they are holding up? I see chek has noticed some LED's burn out on his...anyone else?


I have replaced the alogen with MR11 leds about 3 months ago without any problem until now. Furhtermore I never heard/read nothing about problems with that.


----------



## gcpenn

anubi said:


> For the people using the eBay MR11 LED's, how are you finding they are holding up? I see chek has noticed some LED's burn out on his...anyone else?


I found that the LEDs do not enjoy the moisture levels present under the lid very much and I had problems with the bulbs coming apart.

While they were better than stock by far, I have been much happier with the "Hampton Bay" hack. I would not hesitate to recommend that change.

The one issue with the "Hampton Bay" hack is that you must be careful to protect all of the lamp's innards from water damage. I left all of the internal wiring, etc. within the back of the tank, spilled water back there, and was soon back at Home Depot buying another lamp. My solution, albeit crude, was to drill a hole in the back of the tank cover and run the wiring behind the tank. 

Again, the LEDs are a nice improvement but I had issues with their reliability.


----------



## tyler79durdan

Ok peoples, its time you get that Fluval Pimp # you all deserve!
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/67059-new-fluval-pimp-club.html

You guys are the front-line of the Fluval revolution!​


----------



## chek

flyboy320 said:


> For the people using the eBay MR11 LED's, how are you finding they are holding up? I see chek has noticed some LED's burn out on his...anyone else?



Yes, I personally cant recommend their application as a replacement long-term. They are a great lighting solution but given my 2 month die off I can only assume that they were killed early due to moisture exposure. There are other methods to get even higher wattage lighting than the LED's, that work long term


----------



## jomari

chek said:


> Yes, I personally cant recommend their application as a replacement long-term. They are a great lighting solution but given my 2 month die off I can only assume that they were killed early due to moisture exposure. There are other methods to get even higher wattage lighting than the LED's, that work long term


from what ive gathered, a number of people may consider using a car spray clear coat to protect it before replacing the stock versions. not a bad idea, i guess you want to make sure you dry em out well prior to installing.


----------



## tizzite

I've been following this thread pretty closely. Much thanks to all those who've contributed, as I've copied you all to a sickening extent.

Guerdonian, XJpex, Dkbmxr18 all had awesome ideas on getting light in there, and I really envy how bright your tanks are.

But I had to copy shamiak's light build, b/c it's so easy and effective. And Shamiak's tank is simply breathtaking. Thanks for the detailed journal!

I bought mr11 leds from amazon- one cool white, one warm white, and I put the warm white on the same side as my coralife mini compact colormax bulb.

I wouldn't say the results are dazzling, but there's noticeable change in light quality. It just looks more nourishing and vibrant to me. My plants might actually make it now! (Stock halogens- 1st pic) (Light upgrade- 2nd pic)

I wrapped my leds in sheet protector plastic and sealed it with a zip tie (3rd pic). I don't know how effective this will be, but it seems like it will hold up pretty well.

For anyone trying to upgrade their fluval edge lights, I highly recommend cool white mr11 from LED Wholesalers. The warm white gave kind of a yellow, lurid effect that I didn't like. The cool white has drawbacks too- It saps the red colors from my petrified wood and give the tank a neon look which is what I wanted to avoid. The plants looks so nice and green though, so I had to stay with cool white. I like warm natural light of the halogens but they're just too weak- my plants looked malnourished. Once I mixed a warm white led with the color max coralife mini bulb, I liked the coloration a lot better.

I'd recommend anyone to entertain Dkbmxr18's mod. But I dunno I guess I'm a light fiend. Anyone considering the light build that I followed, be aware that the coralife 10 doesn't really add a lot of power (4th pic is 10w only)- it's a nice subtle color enhancement though.

Btw, what fish are you guys planning on?

I have some cherry shrimp, and I think I'm going to go with Galaxy Rasboras and maybe a single zebra nerite snail.

I saw some pea dwarf puffers and thought those were the really cute and interesting. Alas, I heard they're really aggressive and finical eaters.


----------



## Fat Guy

I wouldn't put dwarf puffers in there unless you had just one...and one only. I keep 6 neons and three amanos.


----------



## TLE041

Plus your cherry shrimps will be gone if you put a puffer in there. If you can find some galaxy rasboras, definitely get them!

Great aquascaping job, btw. The tank looks great.


----------



## DennisSingh

Heres a picture of my cousins sweet fluval edge tank










He has java, weeping, mini mosses, riccia and hc. He upgraded his lights to a mini compact fl made by jebo


----------



## Riggy

I've been reading this great forum for about 5 months but not posted yet. I've never had a fish tank before, but thanks to everyone here (especially Tuoner and Dkbmxr18) I'm pleased with how my Edge is turning out:


----------



## DennisSingh

Riggy said:


> I've been reading this great forum for about 5 months but not posted yet. I've never had a fish tank before, but thanks to everyone here (especially Tuoner and Dkbmxr18) I'm pleased with how my Edge is turning out:


Very nice scape u have there. Especially for a edge.


----------



## Fat Guy

looks great. how long has the hc been planted for? what kind of lighting setup are you growing it with. nice job.

-el g


----------



## Riggy

Thank you Strungout and FatGuy. I love the moss nature-style layout in your edge FatGuy. 

The lighting is similar to the LED replacements that several people have done. As I'm in UK I got two Led MR11 125 Lumen Cool White AC/DC from ultraleds, that Silvester.1969 suggested. No further lighting and the HC seems to be doing okay so far.

I grew the HC emersed for a month before submerging. The previous picture was taken a couple of days after submerging and adding other plants and fish.

Here's how it looked on the day of planting (with the original edge lights). It was quite a fiddly job!


----------



## dkbmxr18

The tanks are all looking awesome! My rebuild is still in the works. It's going to be worth the wait though!


----------



## TLE041

Nice looking tanks guys.

Riggy, those must be pretty awesome bulbs if you can grow an HC carpet successfully. Well done.


----------



## tizzite

A lot of my livestock are getting sucked into my filter. I'm using the HOB filter that came with the edge.

I put some sponge at the end of the tube and that helps. Is there a better way to prevent my filter from sucking up my rasboras and baby shrimp?


----------



## gcpenn

tizzite,

Fluval sells a pre-filter sponge for the filter that fits perfectly that costs $2.50. I got mine at Petsmart. Other than that, I don't know of any easy way to keep our smallest friends out of the filter.


----------



## Fat Guy

tizzite said:


> A lot of my livestock are getting sucked into my filter. I'm using the HOB filter that came with the edge.
> 
> I put some sponge at the end of the tube and that helps. Is there a better way to prevent my filter from sucking up my rasboras and baby shrimp?


I cut out some screening that I use for my moss carpet and have wrapped that around the intake. That keeps the moss and fish out of the filter intake. I've used the sponge, however, I noticed that it restricted the outflow of the filter. I noticed that overtime the sponge on the intake would need to be rinsed and cleaned more often than I thought it would. So I tossed the filter sponge and went with the screening instead and I get a better flow in the water. 

The best way to prevent your fish from getting sucked up would be to change the setting on your filter to it's lowest setting and go with either the sponge or screening.

good luck

-el g


----------



## phishman

*New member*

Just wanted to say hi to everyone on this site. The info thats posted on this forum is really helpful. I will be posting some pics and info on my Edge as soon as I can..Got a couple of quick questions regarding the LEDs that everyone is upgrading to..What other ways has anyone came up with to protect them from moisture besides wrapping them in paper protectors..They dont get super hot but I think it may be hot enough to pose a problem with it melting to the bulb..


----------



## martinpc

dkbmxr18 said:


> I just have it routed into the actual filter. There is a small co2 tube sized hole right behind the intake. I just stuck the tube in there and the chamber fills up with co2 eventually filling up enough that it reaches the impeller. There is a light "wooosh" noise when it happens. Most of the bubbles get diffused in the filter but some of the bubbles make their way into the tank. They all seem to dissolve so there is no bubbles caught under the glass.
> 
> I'm sure it's not 100% efficiency but with all my low light plants pearling with just 10w and two LED's I think it's doing just fine ANNNND there is no ugly tubes or diffusers in the tank!


Any chance of getting a picture of what this looks like. I can't seem to find the hole.


----------



## TLE041

martinpc said:


> Any chance of getting a picture of what this looks like. I can't seem to find the hole.


Check out this thread for the pictures.


----------



## Arkaeus

Just got my Edge in and now all I'm waiting on is the mr16 adapters with the mr16 leds. I was curious what you guys would think about this? *Rio Mini Sun Daylight and Deep Sea Blue Lighting Fixture- $25.99* I have read pretty much every Fluval edge thread on the net I can find and nobody has mentioned this.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html
Scroll to almost the bottom of the page


----------



## martinpc

*Noob edge*

I am a noob here, but I am loving this thread. Thanks so much for all the great tips.

I have used the LED upgrade and have gotten myself up and running. My setup is:
Fluval Edge
Led Upgrade
Aquasoil S
Amazonia
Zebra Stone
HC

Later I want to add some RCS and some fish (haven't decided yet).

I got some HC from aquariumplants.com, but they weren't good at all. I've been growing it immersed for about a month and even dosing Pfertz N and the tablets they sell as a package and no growth. It hasn't grown at all. Does anyone have any ideas to help it grow? Is there a a temperature problem? Should I go ahead and submerse and grow like that?


----------



## TLE041

Arkaeus said:


> Just got my Edge in and now all I'm waiting on is the mr16 adapters with the mr16 leds. I was curious what you guys would think about this? *Rio Mini Sun Daylight and Deep Sea Blue Lighting Fixture- $25.99* I have read pretty much every Fluval edge thread on the net I can find and nobody has mentioned this.
> http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html
> Scroll to almost the bottom of the page


That fixture you linked to seems extremely underpowered for any plant use. 10 LEDs may sound like a lot but it's not (they don't give a PAR value). I've bought something similar to the product in your link from eBay and I was not impressed at all despite the fact that it was advertised as "high output LEDs". 




martinpc said:


> I got some HC from aquariumplants.com, but they weren't good at all. I've been growing it *immersed *for about a month and even dosing Pfertz N and the tablets they sell as a package and no growth. It hasn't grown at all. Does anyone have any ideas to help it grow?


From the pictures, I think you mean _emersed _(out of water). HC is one of those plants that take several months to transform into a carpet. You won't see much of a change in a month. My only suggestion is that you spread the plants out a bit more. Right now, they're grouped into little bunches. You should try to plant it in groups of 1 to 3 plantlets. That way, the individual roots have better access to the nutrients in the substrate. Just a warning though, this is an extremely tedious task. Hope you're a patient person.

I love the minimalist setting you have your Edge decorated around. Very nice job.


----------



## martinpc

TLE041 said:


> From the pictures, I think you mean _emersed _(out of water). HC is one of those plants that take several months to transform into a carpet. You won't see much of a change in a month. My only suggestion is that you spread the plants out a bit more. Right now, they're grouped into little bunches. You should try to plant it in groups of 1 to 3 plantlets. That way, the individual roots have better access to the nutrients in the substrate. Just a warning though, this is an extremely tedious task. Hope you're a patient person.
> 
> I love the minimalist setting you have your Edge decorated around. Very nice job.


Thanks TLE. I thought I was probably jumping the gun, but I have seen so many people have almost a full ground cover after two months that I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. 

emersed+spellcheck=immersed. haha. Anyway, that is what I am doing (out of water).


----------



## Arkaeus

TLE041 said:


> That fixture you linked to seems extremely underpowered for any plant use. 10 LEDs may sound like a lot but it's not (they don't give a PAR value). I've bought something similar to the product in your link from eBay and I was not impressed at all despite the fact that it was advertised as "high output LEDs".
> 
> 
> I have these mr16's http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/...&productId=537
> with the coralife 10w mod everyone else was doing. I was mentioning it because they looked small and compact =) Maybe somebody can put them right after the filter lightly bent pointing towards the sides closer to the water for better light/ plant growth in that direction?


----------



## phishman

Im using the LED upgrade that everyones using on this site. But I have also put the current LED strips that they sell for reef tanks. Mine is the 10,000k 4 bulb fixture and so far its working really good..It adds a lot of light to the front of the tank that otherwise is in the shadows..Does anyone else on here use this as well and if so what do u thoink of it..


----------



## tuonor

*Riggy*, great looking tank. Would love to hear more details on your setup (lighting, co2, ferts) as your HC seems to be doing well with alot less light then I'm running. 

*martinpc*, I like the rockscape you put together alot. Would be interested in seeing a closer-in FTS. 

I responded to your lighting question more specifically in my tank journal, but I'm pretty sure you don't have enough light if you're only running the 2 x 160 lumen LEDs (my total lighting is probably overkill but its pushing closer to 1500 lumens).

When I was growing my HC emersed I used a 24W spiral CFL in an Ikea lamp. I'd guess my plant volume doubled in the first 1-2 weeks and was up 5x over the first month (see p2 of my tank journal for week-by-week photos). 

Its almost definitely not nutrients b/c you're using Aquasoil...I didn't start dosing until many weeks in and still got growth in month 1.


----------



## martinpc

tuonor said:


> *martinpc*, I like the rockscape you put together alot. Would be interested in seeing a closer-in FTS.
> 
> I responded to your lighting question more specifically in my tank journal, but I'm pretty sure you don't have enough light if you're only running the 2 x 160 lumen LEDs (my total lighting is probably overkill but its pushing closer to 1500 lumens).
> 
> When I was growing my HC emersed I used a 24W spiral CFL in an Ikea lamp. I'd guess my plant volume doubled in the first 1-2 weeks and was up 5x over the first month (see p2 of my tank journal for week-by-week photos).
> 
> Its almost definitely not nutrients b/c you're using Aquasoil...I didn't start dosing until many weeks in and still got growth in month 1.


Thanks tuono, I am working on adding the 10w Walmart light today. Do you think that will be enough?

Here are some close ups of the hardscape.


----------



## martinpc

*inspired*

BTW, tuono, I should credit you for inspiring me to do this. I have been trying to make mine much like yours. Thanks for the inspiration.


----------



## martinpc

*new lights*

So per, tuono's suggestion, I put in the Walmart 10w light today. It doesn't seem to be that much brighter, but I'm hoping it will start some growth.

Before with LEDs only:








After with LEDs and mini aquarium light:


----------



## phishman

I've read all the posts on this thread but either I missed it or didn't get it. Is anybody having good growth rates without using Co2 injection in their Edges? Im thinking about a DIY Co2 but also am starting to dose with Flourish Excel tonight..Will the Excel be enough to sustain decent plant life as well provide new growth? I've also bought the whole line of Flourish products I think..lol bit of an overkill but we'll see.If anybody has used these and is familiar with them please let me know..


----------



## phishman

In regards to my post about my lights. I have the MR11 LEDs 160 lumens I believe, the 10 watt CFL from Wal-Mart, and the Current LED strip that I mentioned earlier that is 4 1 watt LEDs at 60 lumens each which gives me at least 560 lumens of light..not sure how many lumens the CFL is though..Will this be enough light for low to medium light plants in my edge?


----------



## phishman

Is it safe to use Flourish Excel, Nitogen, Phosphorus, Pottasium, Flourish Trace, and Flourish in my Edge or is this gonna be too much and cause a lot of problems? Sorry for the barrage of posts..lol


----------



## tuonor

martinpc said:


> So per, tuono's suggestion, I put in the Walmart 10w light today. It doesn't seem to be that much brighter, but I'm hoping it will start some growth.


Looks good (to me it looks a ton brighter). 

One other thing to consider is you mostly planted the HC on the elevated mound. Since I don't see any water at the edges of the tank, the HC might not be getting enough moisture.

I found in growing HC in my Edge that growth rates / plant vigor varied based on how submerged the roots were. Take a look at my journal and look at the HC growth at the top of the mound (center of the 3 rocks on the left side of the tank) vs. the rest of the tank. This HC grew slower and actually started turning yellow toward the end of the emersed phase.

Perhaps try planting some HC toward the edges (ie where the substrate is thinnest) to get the growth established. You could also fill the tank with more water, but then you're asking for an algae problem...


----------



## martinpc

tuonor said:


> Looks good (to me it looks a ton brighter).
> 
> One other thing to consider is you mostly planted the HC on the elevated mound. Since I don't see any water at the edges of the tank, the HC might not be getting enough moisture.
> 
> I found in growing HC in my Edge that growth rates / plant vigor varied based on how submerged the roots were. Take a look at my journal and look at the HC growth at the top of the mound (center of the 3 rocks on the left side of the tank) vs. the rest of the tank. This HC grew slower and actually started turning yellow toward the end of the emersed phase.
> 
> Perhaps try planting some HC toward the edges (ie where the substrate is thinnest) to get the growth established. You could also fill the tank with more water, but then you're asking for an algae problem...


Thanks Tounor! At a second glance, I think it is considerably brighter. I am just about ready to get either the Coralife mini light or another light from Catalina.

It is probably hard to see in the pics, but the soil is very saturated with water. I might try to get some more HC and plant towards the edges.

Next project: co2.


----------



## dgpalmer2001

*Fluval Edge Fish Stock*

Hey guys, 

I'm in the process of making a great heavily planted tank similar to Shamiak's setup. I'm also considering a canister filter upgrade. I'm planning an HC carpet as well.

I'm looking for thoughts on good tank stock, as well as if have any of you pushed the limits successfully on number of fish. I'm considering:

2 neon dwarf gouramis
5 cardinal tetras
2 red cherry shrimp
2 true siamese algae eaters
anything else?


----------



## horseflesh

IMHO the tank will be a little too small for the gouramis. 

The SAEs may be OK when they are young and small, but those guys get pretty big, and can get mean. If you get them, have an exit plan in mind. 

If you can find a way to accommodate more shrimp, they will probably be happier in a bigger herd, and that will look nicer too. 

Good luck.


----------



## dgpalmer2001

*Algae eaters*

Are there any other algae eaters you would recommend that would do better? I just want the tank and glass kept clean without me having to do it.


----------



## horseflesh

Otocinclus are much smaller. But it will be hard to keep the tank free of algae if you have a heavy bio load... be careful with light levels, consider dosing with Flourish Excel, etc.


----------



## sammyman

I picked up a 10W light fixture for aquariums from my local walmart. However, it doesn't seem to be the right coralife fixture, but a cheaper $5 no name light. Then I picked up a simple socket from IKEA. Problem is that these don't fit very well under the hood. I think I must need a different socket.


----------



## dgpalmer2001

Yea, that one is too wide to fit. (thats what she said)


----------



## dgpalmer2001

Updated Planned Stock:
2 neon dwarf gouramis
5 cardinal tetras
4 red cherry shrimp
2 Otocinclus Catfish
can anything else even fit?


----------



## Suncat

I have a similar question about the socket for a mini Coralife fluorescent bulb. Has anyone found a light socket that will fit the small space of the Edge top and still be safe to use near water? I've seen the ones at Home Depot, but I'm not sure I would want them go get damp.:eek5:


----------



## TLE041

dgpalmer2001 said:


> Updated Planned Stock:
> 2 neon dwarf gouramis
> 5 cardinal tetras
> 4 red cherry shrimp
> 2 Otocinclus Catfish
> can anything else even fit?


Dwarf gouramis get up to 2", so they are way too big for this tank. I would leave them out.



Suncat said:


> I have a similar question about the socket for a mini Coralife fluorescent bulb. Has anyone found a light socket that will fit the small space of the Edge top and still be safe to use near water? I've seen the ones at Home Depot, but I'm not sure I would want them go get damp.:eek5:


If it's installed correctly, there shouldn't be any dampness at all. The stock halogens are situated much closer to the water and there's no moisture problem with them, so the same should apply.


----------



## tizzite

I have the same light fixture from Ikea and I had to rub it against some concrete to file down the plastic ring around it. It fits like a dream now, but I broke a mini power compact bulb in the process. Be careful with these, as they seem pretty fragile.

btw, the sheet protector I used to waterproof my MR 11 LED bulbs are working magnificently and are showing no signs of failure.


----------



## martinpc

sammyman said:


> I picked up a 10W light fixture for aquariums from my local walmart. However, it doesn't seem to be the right coralife fixture, but a cheaper $5 no name light. Then I picked up a simple socket from IKEA. Problem is that these don't fit very well under the hood. I think I must need a different socket.


Yup, just go to lowes/homedepot and get one of their short sockets. They are about $1. If you run it from a power strip with circuit protection, which you should, then it ought to be fine even if it gets wet.


----------



## JimmyYahoo

Riggy said:


> Thank you Strungout and FatGuy. I love the moss nature-style layout in your edge FatGuy.
> 
> The lighting is similar to the LED replacements that several people have done. As I'm in UK I got two Led MR11 125 Lumen Cool White AC/DC from ultraleds, that Silvester.1969 suggested. No further lighting and the HC seems to be doing okay so far.
> 
> I grew the HC emersed for a month before submerging. The previous picture was taken a couple of days after submerging and adding other plants and fish.
> 
> Here's how it looked on the day of planting (with the original edge lights). It was quite a fiddly job!


Hows the tank holding up? Ive had success growing emergent for a while but after submersing everything ended up floating up in one big brown mess after about a week. Updated pics would be awesome. Nice tank.


----------



## dgpalmer2001

Hey guys,

Just finished putting the edge in my office. LED lights are still in the mail on the way, but I set it up to give it lots of natural light as well. Local petsmarts are now stocking java ferns attached to interesting driftwood pieces, which really helped make it different. I really went for a two-level, with taller plants on & behind the driftwood and the HC up front with an anubis pygmy nana. Inspired by Shamiak's setup. Will post more descriptive infos later.


----------



## tuonor

dgpalmer2001 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Just finished putting the edge in my office. LED lights are still in the mail on the way, but I set it up to give it lots of natural light as well. Local petsmarts are now stocking java ferns attached to interesting driftwood pieces, which really helped make it different. I really went for a two-level, with taller plants on & behind the driftwood and the HC up front with an anubis pygmy nana. Inspired by Shamiak's setup. Will post more descriptive infos later.


Nice looking tank. I like the slope you built in -- should look great once the plants grow in.

One thing I'd consider is breaking up the HC into smaller bunches. The smaller you sub-divide it, the faster it'll grow in...


----------



## dgpalmer2001

Yeah, that's a good idea. This is my first time with HC. Luckily, these were grown submerged, so that helped get it planted.

The root systems for all of them were very intertwined, and i started to separate them like I've seen other people do, but i was ripping the roots apart, so I decided not to. It won't bother me if it takes longer to grow in. I was also considering just buying 4 more since they're cheap and I'd get the carpet immediately.

As far as getting them planted, I took a fan tool and dusted them with the flourite. Then, I cleaned off the top, so theyre essentially already rooted in (sortof). It worked well. 




tuonor said:


> Nice looking tank. I like the slope you built in -- should look great once the plants grow in.
> 
> One thing I'd consider is breaking up the HC into smaller bunches. The smaller you sub-divide it, the faster it'll grow in...


----------



## dgpalmer2001

HC is expanding quickly. I'm considering buying some Flourish Excel. Installed the LED's today, and it was a huge improvement - although I wish I had purchased the "warm white" instead of the cool white.


----------



## JimmyYahoo

Somebody needs to make these replacement led lights with a mix of 10K and 6500K LEDs. Not sure what type of "white" the bulbs i ordered were but they are awfully yellowish.


----------



## dgpalmer2001

*Micro swords browning*

Hey guys, well the HC is growing in very fast. Other plants looking good, java fern greening up a bit as well as the big amazon sword. 

However, my micro swords are turning brown. I've finished the lighting upgrades w/LED and the 10W Coralife bulb... not sure what excuse they have for looking shoddy


----------



## martinpc

*Pics*



dgpalmer2001 said:


> Hey guys, well the HC is growing in very fast. Other plants looking good, java fern greening up a bit as well as the big amazon sword.
> 
> However, my micro swords are turning brown. I've finished the lighting upgrades w/LED and the 10W Coralife bulb... not sure what excuse they have for looking shoddy


Let's see some pictures!


----------



## jeffvmd

Hello everyone. I now had partially finished setting up my edge tank after a long long time of thinking in getting one or not (well lurking in this boards has helped me in my decision.)

without further ado, here are some shots of the tank. I will probably start a journal together with the other edge owners here in the site.

Daylight shots (2 x 10W walmart aquarium light)


















Moonlight (LED strip light)









Special thanks to Tuonor for sending in free parts for the CO2 set up (still in the works awaiting more parts in the mail)


----------



## martinpc

jeffvmd said:


> Hello everyone. I now had partially finished setting up my edge tank after a long long time of thinking in getting one or not (well lurking in this boards has helped me in my decision.)
> 
> without further ado, here are some shots of the tank. I will probably start a journal together with the other edge owners here in the site.
> 
> Daylight shots (2 x 10W walmart aquarium light)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Moonlight (LED strip light)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Special thanks to Tuonor for sending in free parts for the CO2 set up (still in the works awaiting more parts in the mail)


NICE! Could you give us a complete breakdown of what you have down?


----------



## demosthenes

i LOVE the bridgy piece of driftwood in the middle, it looks SO cool! you have really done a great job with this one, one the HC grows in this will be a really stunning tank


----------



## tuonor

jeffvmd said:


> Hello everyone. I now had partially finished setting up my edge tank after a long long time of thinking in getting one or not (well lurking in this boards has helped me in my decision.)


Great looking Edge, jeffvmd. I like the driftwood bridge which will look great once the moss grows in. What did you end up using for moonlights?


----------



## tener

hi,i,m new but have been checkin out this thread for ages.i have an edge with plants 
and some fish.i also have LED lights cos the standerd ones are crap.here is a pic,hope u like it:








no co2 yet,just add plant food at the mo.


----------



## liquidity

Hi Everyone, I'm new too, and this thread has provided me with a great deal of help as well, so thanks everyone. Here's my Edge, which has been running since Jan 1. I've got xmas moss, java fern, micro sword, a marimo ball and some star moss. So far the only upgrade is LED lights but my Coralife 50/50 is on its way.


----------



## Fat Guy

liquidity said:


> Hi Everyone, I'm new too, and this thread has provided me with a great deal of help as well, so thanks everyone. Here's my Edge, which has been running since Jan 1. I've got xmas moss, java fern, micro sword, a marimo ball and some star moss. So far the only upgrade is LED lights but my Coralife 50/50 is on its way.


I like your moss. how long have you had the micro sword in there for? good idea


----------



## TeaQue

I'll try to take some pics tonight or tomorrow but I've been growing HC for a couple of monthes now and its really starting to fill in. I grew it submersed right off the bat and planting was a HUGE PITA! But so far it was worth it!

Now I just need to figure out why my Blyxa hasn't hardly grown. I've pulled a couple of them up and they had roots 2+in long so I don't know what the deal is. 

I've been keeping up with my 50/50 water changes and dosing Nitrogen, Potassium, Iron, pressurized CO2 and Flourish Comp as well as some PFertz root tabs. 

One thing I've noticed even with my Hampton bay light, you can really tell how much the light is limiting on this tank, the HC in the areas with the densest light have taken off significantly more than the rest I planted elsewhere in the tank.


----------



## liquidity

Fat Guy said:


> I like your moss. how long have you had the micro sword in there for? good idea


Thanks, the moss looks better in the picture than it does in person; The new growth looks great but the center still has some brown to it. I'm hoping that regulating the lighting (timer is on the way) and adding flourish excel (wife doesn't want CO2 tubes everywhere) will turn it all green. This weekend we are actually going to take it out (it's tied to rocks) and re-tie all the new loose pieces so it grows thick and low.

The micro sword has been in there for a little over three weeks, and it seems very happy. We may get more of it, in fact.

Thanks for the comments! We're having a lot of fun. :icon_wink Love your tank, btw!


----------



## tener

any one here had problems with the standerd heater for there edge?
mine just stop workin,got up this mornin and the temp was only 18c.
wots the best replacement for this type off tank?


----------



## TLE041

tener said:


> any one here had problems with the standerd heater for there edge?
> mine just stop workin,got up this mornin and the temp was only 18c.
> wots the best replacement for this type off tank?


If your room is around 21°C and your goal for water temperature is around 23°C, then I would suggest the Hydor Mini 15W thermometer. The only thing is that it only gives you an increase of about 2-3°C over the room temperature for a tank this size and doesn't have a thermostat to regulate the heater to a preset temperature. On the plus side, it fits into the Aquaclear filter so you never have to see it.


----------



## tener

TLE041 said:


> If your room is around 21°C and your goal for water temperature is around 23°C, then I would suggest the Hydor Mini 15W thermometer. The only thing is that it only gives you an increase of about 2-3°C over the room temperature for a tank this size and doesn't have a thermostat to regulate the heater to a preset temperature. On the plus side, it fits into the Aquaclear filter so you never have to see it.


 i see,the thing is i need it around 24-26c cos of the fish.


----------



## martinpc

*what fish*

I see a lot about aquascaping here but haven't seen much on fauna. WHat are you guys stocking in the Edge?

I have been thinking a small school of tetras. Any ideas? How many could I pack in there along with some CRS?


----------



## tener

martinpc said:


> I see a lot about aquascaping here but haven't seen much on fauna. WHat are you guys stocking in the Edge?
> 
> I have been thinking a small school of tetras. Any ideas? How many could I pack in there along with some CRS?


ive got 4 galazy rasboras,1 bn plec,1 tiger plec,1 hongkong plec and an apple snail.
all fish under 1" but the tiger is 2" long.and thats pushin it,havin to do 20% water change 
every 2 days till new tank is ready then some off them will be moving.


----------



## TLE041

I have 5 _Rasbora espei_ (a small version of harlequin rasboras) and 2 peppered cories in mine.

If you can find them, definitely get green neon tetras. They're even smaller than the regular neons. A small school of 8 would be awesome in an Edge.


----------



## martinpc

*green neon tetras*



TLE041 said:


> I have 5 _Rasbora espei_ (a small version of harlequin rasboras) and 2 peppered cories in mine.
> 
> If you can find them, definitely get green neon tetras. They're even smaller than the regular neons. A small school of 8 would be awesome in an Edge.


Thanks, that is exactly what I was hoping for.


----------



## jeffvmd

@martinpc: I did a thread on my edge and placed the breakdown in there.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...um/108335-jeffvmds-take-edge.html#post1067983

@demosthenes: thanks. I do hope the HC's grow better as some of it seems to be having problems. becoming brown and translucent. I just hope the get a turnaround quick and don't get wiped out.

@tuonor: thanks again for the parts you sent.:icon_smil
I'll be posting pics of the build and updates.

Nice new edge tanks popping up in here. looks like the edge craze is really catching up.:hihi:


----------



## MlDukes

*DUKES Edge*

Heres my contribution to the EDGE Thread. Hope you enjoy

Picked this up during an anniversary sale at my LFS. It was already on sale for 99 and you could get any one item at 30% off. I couldnt pass it up, took it home for 70+ tax!!!

Its my first planted nano and I love it, my only complaint is the tiny bubbles that build up under the glass top. But its nothin a few swipes with the magnet wont take care of.

100% stock. No heater, no Co2, no lighting or filter upgrades. 

I am looking at upgrading the lights, found a 14w 6 inch under the cabinet T5 fixture at walmart for 8 bucks. I measured it in the store and it would be a tight fit in front of the stock lighting bar. Only problem is the plug in comes straight out the side. There's no way it would fit without moding the fixture itself. For the price i think ill get it and try to snip the adapter plug, hardwire it in, drill a hole and run the wire out the top or bottom of the fixture. I think it would work and be a major improvement! Ill keep you posted!

Only been set up for 2+ weeks.

Lights are on a timer with a split shift 12hrs a day. Ive found the heat from the bulbs help heat the temp 2-3F over room temp. Running split shifts keep the temp more consistant through out the day.

15lbs of black sand

Trimmings from other tanks:

Anubias nana
Rotala
Glosso
Dwarf microsword

The moss pads you see are from 2 moss balls that i tore in half a while back. Their PERFECT for this tank, Ive had them for 6 months under diff lighting in diff tanks and never see any change. They are VERY hardy and grow VERY slow.

Fish:

One lonely fancy guppy. He was a bonus in a bag of plants i got a few months ago and was just a wee little guy. Not decided what ill keep in here. The guppy is just testing the water 

Leave me your comments :icon_smil


----------



## Fat Guy

nice. in that last photo, it looks like the driftwood is busting out the top of the tank.


----------



## otofish

Nice tank MlDukes. I like the light as is. Makes the tank look mysterious.


----------



## MlDukes

*DUKES custom Lighting mod*

Thanks for the comments! 

So i decided to do a little modding this weekend. Took what ive learned from other light mods and came up with my own. I feel i made a big improvement over the stock bulbs and it was cheap and simple!


I went ahead and got the 6" T5 fixture i mentioned in my original post, It turned out to be 4w not 14w. I also saw this round 2w 24 LED under the cabinet fixture that was capable of linking 3 fixtures to 1 plug (via extension cable). I got the 6" T5 and the 3pk LED fixtures knowing i would be returning one.

Got home plugged in the T5 and set it up there (didnt get a pic but would have had to do some wireing and case mods for it to fit). The T5 put off a nice white light but even running with the stock halogens it didnt make a big difference. I quickly declared the T5 too much work for too little light.

Hoping for better luck with the LED fixtures i opened them up plugged one in and WOW! Held it over the water and this one 2w LED fixture put off as much light as the T5 and halogens together. But the fixture itself was too large to fit even one in with the halogens. Decided to remove the halogen bulbs and mount 2 LED fixtures beneath the stock lighting bar. I dont know how benificial these commercial LEDs are to plants but for the overall improvement I decided to go for it. Made an exact paper stencil of the bracket that i wanted to make to mount the lights to. I would then mount the bracket to the light bar. Had thoughts about making the bracket out of wood, metal or plastic. Ended up finding a hard plastic side off a broken stereo. Decided It would be easist to work with. Made an exact replica of the stencil, marked and drilled screw holes and holes for the zipties. 


Everything else is self explanatory, take a look at the pics. Excuse the quality, the first few were taken with my phone. Enjoy! :icon_smil






















My 2nd hobby is robotics so i enjoyed somewhat merging the two on this project. I make alot of custom metal brackets for my bots and have learned when making a bracket ALWAYS start with a paper stencil! Its much easier to restart on a piece of paper then recut metal or plastic!!
























































































Now for the comparison pic:




BEFORE














AFTER










































What do you think? 

Personal conclusion: I am VERY pleased! They are brighter than the halogens and are a beautiful bright white. The LEDs also distribute the light much more evenly than the Spot light halogens. These fixtures fit perfectly under the stock hood with no direct mods to the existing fixture! An extra bonus is that they are more energy efficient, I am now running 4w total opposed to 20w stock. Only downside is that im gonna have to add a heater since the halogens are no longer playing that role lol 

I'll just have to wait and see how the plants grow under these LEDs.....

Leave me your thoughts, good or bad!!!


----------



## Fat Guy

Really great idea, and nice job documenting it all for people to see. 

by the way, I really like how those moss balls look after you tore them apart. Good idea.

best,

-el g


----------



## MlDukes

Fat Guy said:


> Really great idea, and nice job documenting it all for people to see.
> 
> by the way, I really like how those moss balls look after you tore them apart. Good idea.
> 
> best,
> 
> -el g


 
Thanks, I spent quite a bit of time in the lighting aisle at walmart and did alot of brainstorming. Once i had a plan it came together rather quickly. I also like that i didnt have to mod the lightbar or either LED fixture. I could cut the zipties and everything would be back to stock.

Thanks again!


----------



## nerzaa

here is my edge, :smile:

been up and running for 2 weeks now.

i love it; except a few minor things, such as reaching and cleaning.

but please spare me about too many fishes in the tank; 1 inch/gallon is stupid, you can put as much fish as you can in a tank as long as it's got enough bio filtration; planning on adding another 9 tetras soon.

anyways, happy to join the club.


----------



## The-Influence

dkbmxr18 said:


> Well, I finally got my lighting all figured out! I added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants. Man oh Man does the tank look awesome with the lights on now! :bounce: We'll see how the plants do with the lighting I am running. Now it's time to start making the inside of the tank look cool! Thanks to everyone that helped with suggestions.
> 
> (I assure you that the tank looks waay better in person. The camera captured the lights a little bit weird!)
> A few pictures of the setup:
> the fixture
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> turned on underneath
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and the FTS with all the lights on


 Has There Been A Problem With Water Contact To The Light / Socket ? I Notice In My Edge Every So Often A Bubble Will Pop And Spit A Bit And Well In The Past Iv Had Bulbs Blow From Such A Thing As A Small Amount Of Water Hitting The Bulb ...

B.T.W Nice Job On This Tank

Blake


----------



## unr1

this tank looks best at night IMO

but gotta have the white LED light


----------



## sammyman

Is anyone here dosing with Pfertz in the Edge? Just wondering what the best way, how much, etc about dosing in this small tank. Any advice?


----------



## MlDukes

3 week conclusion: the Walmart LEDs (as expected) dont seem to be very beneficial to plant growth, unless your growing rotala! Im noticing some browning in the leaves of the anubias nana and the glosso started melting away. 


I'm converting my edge to a nano reef and will be completely redoing the lighting to sustain coral growth. I'll be removing the existing light bar in order to mount 2x13w 50/50 10000K-actinic GX23 bulbs in the hood. See my thread for details. 




Thanks


----------



## martinpc

*Walmart lights*

I have to agree with MIDukes. I have been using the Walmart and LEDs and have grown nothing but fuzzy green stuff while my plants have turned brown.

Looking for other solutions.


----------



## Mowze

LEDs are as good as usless for plants best lighting mod iv seen so far is the one with the 27w CFL. However a little inside information for you edgeheadz, Hagen are _considering_ a larger Edge with better lighting (you didnt hear it from me though!)


----------



## sammyman

I am growing HC fine in my edge with the mr11 LED's and the Walmart light. However, it is growing really slowly around the sides of the tank. I figure if it grows slowly, that means less trimming so I am ok with waiting.


----------



## TLE041

You can't really expect 2W LEDs to actually sustain plant growth. That thick cover on the Walmart light with the ridges on it looks like it cuts down on quite a bit of the output.


----------



## MlDukes

Agreed, But hey it looked nice! 


Heres the new mod!!!! Work in progress, Im aware i have a few obstacles, Heat, space, moisture. But I think ive got solutions for each of them. roud:

Nano Reef Here i come!!!!


----------



## MlDukes

Mowze said:


> LEDs are as good as usless for plants best lighting mod iv seen so far is the one with the 27w CFL. However a little inside information for you edgeheadz, Hagen are _considering_ a larger Edge with better lighting (you didnt hear it from me though!)


Interesting! 

Id love to have one of these Zero Edge aquariums, but man are they expensive!$!$!


----------



## TLE041

MlDukes, those lights look great. I assume you'll be taking off the existing swinging light bar?

Keep us updated with the progress!


----------



## MlDukes

TLE041 said:


> MlDukes, those lights look great. I assume you'll be taking off the existing swinging light bar?
> 
> Keep us updated with the progress!


Thanks!! Yeah the light bar is comin out! Their not mounted yet, i just sat them in there for the pic. Their getting a full make over. Im separateing the ballast from the lamp holder and mounting the ballast below the tank. I'll be making a fiberglass shield to keep splashing off of them. Also gonna try mounting a mini PC fan within the hood to cool the bulbs and.... just maybe Moonlights. Check out my Edge journal "link in my signature" leave me a commment. Ill post some pics when i get alittle closer to being done, right now im still in the planning stage.


----------



## nerzaa

MlDukes said:


> 3 week conclusion: the Walmart LEDs (as expected) dont seem to be very beneficial to plant growth, unless your growing rotala! Im noticing some browning in the leaves of the anubias nana and the glosso started melting away.


well, I am using the stock halogen lights, which seems very beneficial to the plant growth. the trick is to place the plants right under the lights.

Currently, I have 3 plants in my edge for 3 weeks:

nesaea red: dubbed as one of the most difficult plants to grow in this hobby; mine seems to be doing very well, growing new stems both vertically and horizontally with dark red color. of course, the new leafs are green at 1st, but turns red slowly after. and lots of roots. had no trimmings yet, but the original plants got a lot thicker.

Bacopa monnieri: the 2nd fastest growing plants in my edge; had planted 4 cuttings removed from original stocks and now there are 2 more stems about going through the top.

Ranunculus Inundatus: this grows like weed, had to trim it twice already so it doesn't block the entire light source; it grows at an amazing speed with lots of roots. but as it pushes new stem/leafs toward the light, the old stems to the side and bottom will get blocked from light and die.

tank spec: no co2, stock halogen lights and overstocked with lots of fish.

my edge is 3 weeks in, and will post pictures after the 1st month so people don't say the plants are growing from existing neutrient in the stems and etc... the old picture is shown in my last post in the edge thread.


----------



## MlDukes

I would agree that the halogens are closer to the approperiate spectrum than these under the cabinet walmart LEDs that i tried, I just wanted a quick fix for the yellowish tint the halogens put off. The current mod Im working on will be specifically designed for a SW reef with 50/50 10000k-actinic bulbs. But if i do decide to go FW again i can just replace them with a 6700K and a 10000K bulb, Pretty sure i could grow just about anything under them!!!


----------



## Mossy

dkbmxr18 said:


> Well, I finally got my lighting all figured out! I added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants. Man oh Man does the tank look awesome with the lights on now! :bounce: We'll see how the plants do with the lighting I am running. Now it's time to start making the inside of the tank look cool! Thanks to everyone that helped with suggestions.
> 
> (I assure you that the tank looks waay better in person. The camera captured the lights a little bit weird!)
> A few pictures of the setup:
> the fixture
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> turned on underneath
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and the FTS with all the lights on


What kind of rocks is the java moss tied to?


----------



## Drink_soy_sauce

Mossy said:


> What kind of rocks is the java moss tied to?


I'm not positive, but it's probably slate. A lot of people tie moss to thin pieces of slate to form a moss carpet like that.


----------



## jeffvmd

I guess there is always the itch to do something in a tank.:hihi:

I made up a new light fixture for the edge using:
2 10watt 6500k walmart aquarium CFL - $5-$6 each
2 home depot lamp sockets -$3.50
12v dual fan for hard drive - $5
12v dc power adapter - $4-5
1 6ft extension cord - $3 
rivets (to hold the braces together)
3ft Aluminum level (just a really long aluminum ruler:icon_smil) from home depot. - $4
- I just had it cut to make a brace which will hold the lamp sockets and fan.

Total: $24.50 - $26.50

Here is the picture of the socket and wirings in place
















Here are pics of the fan and lights installed
















Over the tank (note the coke cans cut in half to serve as mylar reflectors:hihi









New set up under da hood:icon_lol:









I also installed the CO2 set up since I got the fabco FN32 needle valve and now it works fine.roud:
I do have an extra fabco fn32 needle valve. PM me if anyone needs it.


----------



## mb3k

Jeff, what kind of moss is that on your back wall?


----------



## jeffvmd

@mb3k - that's taiwan moss I have on the back wall.


----------



## Fat Guy

jeffmvd, that lighting setup looks great. it'd be cool if you could squeeze a reflector in there. nice job though.


----------



## jeffvmd

@Fatguy - I am currently using a soda cut in half placed over the lights as mylar reflector.
The soda can insides are similar to light reflectors sold elsewhere.
(partially seen in one of the pics above).
It's just a bit hard to make all the light reach the corner edges of the tank as the top cover obstructs it.
It might be best to use plants not requiring high lights on corners.
I just got hold of a taller can and think it would be the perfect size to use as reflectors for the lights.
I will post pics as soon as I have time to place it in the fixture.


----------



## MlDukes

*Fyi*

WARNING TO MY FELLOW EDGERS:


I picked up a 2nd Fluval Edge, my LFS took their display down and wanted it gone. They had it set up for 6-8 months. Got it home and noticed inside the hood there was approx a 1"x1" spot that had rusted from moisture build up. 

*FYI: Overtime the grey metal vent/grill WILL rust. *

So... I sanded it down, got all the rust off, taped it off and sprayed the vent/grill black inside and out. The Spray paint i used was a high heat engine enamel that protects against rust/corrosion. Not only does the black paint serve an important purpose but it also looks great!!!

If you wanna see how it looks ill post a pic either here or in my Edge journal ASAP!


----------



## agdavis

So I just got a Fluval edge the other week. Decided that it would be a good idea to put a 15W incandescent bulb strapped to the plastic frame that holds the stock 10W halogens (similar to the other poster). Well, it really screwed up my tank. Fully melted the hood and part of the support the holds the two stock bulbs.

Now, I need to find a replacement hood. Contacted Hagen, hopefully they will come through. Don't make my mistake.:angryfire


----------



## agdavis

ALIFER said:


> I'm betting you can grow the plants you have with no problem !!! Great lighting solution to a really tight spot.
> 
> I have one 5-watt LED on my 2 gallon pico and the Anubias Nana Petite & Patamogeton gayi are both growing really well & the HC is even staying alive.
> 
> Rick


Anybody ever consider taking out the 2 stock halogen bulbs and putting a second Walmart Flourescent bulb in their place? Then you would have 20W of pure flourescent. Seems like it would fit...

Thoughts?


----------



## jeffvmd

agdavis said:


> So I just got a Fluval edge the other week. Decided that it would be a good idea to put a 15W incandescent bulb strapped to the plastic frame that holds the stock 10W halogens.....
> 
> Anybody ever consider taking out the 2 stock halogen bulbs and putting a second Walmart Flourescent bulb in their place? Then you would have 20W of pure flourescent. Seems like it would fit...
> 
> Thoughts?


check out a few posts up.
I think it would be too tight a spot to just attach the walmart 10 watt bulb under the original fixture.
It will be a risk to have the bulb and socket too close to the waterline or you may just keep the water line really low on the tank.
I used 2 10watt walmart bulbs, made a frame for the lights and removed the original light fixture of the edge.
It is working fine for me right now.


----------



## mb3k

Right now I have MR11 LEDs and a zip-tied 6" mini compact fluorescent light that I soldered together screwed into a Home Depot medium rubber socket that I filed down to fit. It seems to work great - both are on different timers, with the LEDs as the main lights. 
:fish:


----------



## agdavis

jeffvmd said:


> check out a few posts up.
> I think it would be too tight a spot to just attach the walmart 10 watt bulb under the original fixture.
> It will be a risk to have the bulb and socket too close to the waterline or you may just keep the water line really low on the tank.
> I used 2 10watt walmart bulbs, made a frame for the lights and removed the original light fixture of the edge.
> It is working fine for me right now.


Update: I removed the two standard halogen bulbs and zip-tied a 10 watt walmart bulb. Fits fine, no problems. Now I have 20w of flourescent


----------



## jeffvmd

@agdavis - its good it worked out for you.


----------



## soup_nazi

Now im definitely getting one of these.


----------



## Drink_soy_sauce

Just saw a new Fluval when i went into Petsmart today it's called: Fluval Chi Aquarium. It's around 5 gallons and looks pretty neat the way the filtration works. Also, it has LED lighting which looks pretty sleek. Here's the link for it: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4232279&lmdn=Fish


----------



## soup_nazi

There is also the Flora and the Ebi. Here is a link: http://aquascaperz.com/2010/05/15/fluval-chi-ebi-and-flora-nano-tank-starter-kits/

Quick specs:

Chi: 5 or a 6 gallon upright rectangular prism with light and filter dead center and below the water line

Ebi: 7.9 gallon cube designed specifically for Neocaridina 

Flora: Same as Ebi accept it comes with a mini co2 unit instead of shrimp safe products.

Spec: a 2 gallon pico (a little small for my taste)

I may have to get one of these instead or maybe the Edge and a flora . Except the Chi is the only one on the market right now :frown:


----------



## mb3k

Here's mine after about a month an a half...

Plants include: Cryptocoryne Wendtii, Vallisneria Spiralis, Pogostemon Helferi, and an Anubias Barteri. The anubias totally melted (leaf stem bottoms were soft and fell off), and initially the downoi melted a bunch but is now stable. The crypt melted a tiny bit but bounced back is the strongest plant in the tank with a ton of new leaves, while the val is dying off but has shooted a few new runners. I guess patience is a virtue.

Livestock include: Furcata Rainbow x2 (male & female), Silvertip Tetra (x2), and one Black Neon I believe (he was labelled as mixed tetra). Plus 3 red cherry shrimp, and 1 black algae eating shrimp.



















Lighting: Classic Ebay LEDs, plus a 10W mini compact fluorescent


----------



## soup_nazi

Nice tank! what type of fish is that?


----------



## dj2005

soup_nazi said:


> Nice tank! what type of fish is that?


 Furcata Rainbow


----------



## soup_nazi

oh... I guess i didnt read the Livestock included 




:iamwithst


----------



## TLE041

Awesome Edge, mb3k. That rainbowfish looks so cool. I haven't seen it at any LFS around me.


----------



## TLE041

Just realized I haven't shared a picture of my Edge yet, so here it is...











Here's a closeup of the Boraras merah:


----------



## Tphillips

Hello I am new to the form and this thread. Just bought an Edge last week and have started it up.


----------



## Tphillips

I was in the hobby years ago and largely returned because of this tank. I bought the black version.


----------



## Tphillips

Previously, when I was in the hobby I had large tanks and after a move just did not set them up again. I had mostly saltwater fish tanks. This edge is just amazing, on style and size points alone.


----------



## Tphillips

I have never before shown must interest in planted tanks. So all in all, I consider myself a newbie and am look for constructive advice. I have read all the posts to this tread and must say that there is a great vib here. Everyone has been very respectful and helpful.


----------



## Tphillips

So here is my tank. It has only been up a week. Again my interest is in style and creating a relaxing zen tank. I know I have made mistakes in the planting; I am just not sure how severe they are. I made a video of the tank and would like some constructive advice about the planting choices. I plan to start fertilizing and replace the lights with the LEDs, of which everyone is speaking. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8enP_7E2dQ


----------



## MlDukes

soup_nazi said:


> There is also the Flora and the Ebi. Here is a link: http://aquascaperz.com/2010/05/15/fluval-chi-ebi-and-flora-nano-tank-starter-kits/
> 
> Quick specs:
> 
> Chi: 5 or a 6 gallon upright rectangular prism with light and filter dead center and below the water line
> 
> Ebi: 7.9 gallon cube designed specifically for Neocaridina
> 
> Flora: Same as Ebi accept it comes with a mini co2 unit instead of shrimp safe products.
> 
> Spec: a 2 gallon pico (a little small for my taste)
> 
> I may have to get one of these instead or maybe the Edge and a flora . Except the Chi is the only one on the market right now :frown:


 
Interesting new designs!!! Id like to see them in person. 





Tphillips said:


> So here is my tank. It has only been up a week. Again my interest is in style and creating a relaxing zen tank. I know I have made mistakes in the planting; I am just not sure how severe they are. I made a video of the tank and would like some constructive advice about the planting choices. I plan to start fertilizing and replace the lights with the LEDs, of which everyone is speaking. Here is the link:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8enP_7E2dQ


 
Youve got a great start! I really dig the zen scape!


----------



## MlDukes

Got my reef lighting all done. Heres how it turned out. 

























Planted Edge: stock lighting


----------



## Tphillips

I am glad you like it! Thanks!

Here are some Picts, but the video does a better job of getting across of the direction I am going.


----------



## TLE041

That's a cool tank, Tphillips.

What's the grassy plant? Is it mondo grass from Petsmart?


----------



## Tphillips

"That's a cool tank, Tphillips.

What's the grassy plant? Is it mondo grass from Petsmart?"


Thank you I am glad you like it. 

I really do not know. I did buy it at Petsmart. The individual called it a water grass and did not know very much, but then, I knew even less. All I have figured out so far was that I purchased some "lucky Bamboo" and not a true bamboo as the sales person said. The rest I still have no idea. Some may not even be aquatic, they look good now; but will they last. Short term they are ok, but long term I need to make some changes, and I want to learn about aquascaping. A great planted tank will only help with the Zen!

Any advice or suggestions?


----------



## Morchaiel

Hey everyone, 

Some pretty sweet tanks in this thread! I've recently fallen in love with the fluval edge, and I was searching for some decent lighting solutions when I came across this thread. I was wondering if edge owners could provide me with some information regarding the dimensions of the hood and the opening into the tank so that I know what I have to work with beforehand. 

I like the solution posted with the 10w bulb strapped to the halogen fixture, but the bulbs I've come across all seem too wide in diameter. I'm from the Netherlands, so no wallmart :icon_wink.

However, I only just noticed MlDukes solution. Funny how I never considered just removing the stock lighting alltogether..

I'm hoping to fit some 6500k twisted bulbs or sticks in there (E27). They're usually around 45mm in diameter. I figured that, with some proper reflectors, they'll get a decent amount of light through to the bottom of the tank. My first thought was to hang one next to the halogen fixture, but now I'm more tempted to just take the halogen out. 

So, could anyone tell me how big the inside of that hood is, and possibly how much clearance there is from the halogen fixture to the hood? That way I can have everything ready by the time I order the tank :icon_wink


----------



## mb3k

Morchaiel, when I get home today from work I'll do some measurements for you.

The Edge is awesome but the small opening can get really tiresome sometimes especially cleaning the plants and having no access for gravel vac....... but it looks way too awesome to not love it.

I recently got a 5lb co2 tank w/ a milwaukee regulator, the ph dropped really quickly (oops!) but everything seems to be ok  I love how everyone is planting these


----------



## mott

Tphillips said:


> I am glad you like it! Thanks!
> 
> Here are some Picts, but the video does a better job of getting across of the direction I am going.


Nice setup! I like the DW. That is Mondo grass, take it out before it rots! It's non aquatic...Also that bamboo is not fully aquatic I believe.


----------



## MlDukes

Morchaiel said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> Some pretty sweet tanks in this thread! I've recently fallen in love with the fluval edge, and I was searching for some decent lighting solutions when I came across this thread. I was wondering if edge owners could provide me with some information regarding the dimensions of the hood and the opening into the tank so that I know what I have to work with beforehand.
> 
> I like the solution posted with the 10w bulb strapped to the halogen fixture, but the bulbs I've come across all seem too wide in diameter. I'm from the Netherlands, so no wallmart :icon_wink.
> 
> However, I only just noticed MlDukes solution. Funny how I never considered just removing the stock lighting alltogether..
> 
> I'm hoping to fit some 6500k twisted bulbs or sticks in there (E27). They're usually around 45mm in diameter. I figured that, with some proper reflectors, they'll get a decent amount of light through to the bottom of the tank. My first thought was to hang one next to the halogen fixture, but now I'm more tempted to just take the halogen out.
> 
> So, could anyone tell me how big the inside of that hood is, and possibly how much clearance there is from the halogen fixture to the hood? That way I can have everything ready by the time I order the tank :icon_wink


I know you wanna have everything ready but... I wouldnt order a thing until you actually have the tank. Your so limited in space that most options wont work out. 

Goin off memory (warning: not always accurate) the amount of space you have to work with is 7.5" wide x 4" deep x 3" tall. That is approximately the amount of open space under the hood with the stock lightbar removed. Thats actually the "SAFE" dimensions i based my fixture and bracket off of to ensure that everything would fit. Ive got detailed pics from the build in my journal if you wanna take a look, feel free to leave any questions. 

If your someone who likes a challenge than youll love this tank. :hihi:


----------



## TLE041

Unfortunately, the mondo grass and lucky bamboo won't last very long submerged. You should remove it immediately at the first sign of rot. A background of dwarf hairgrass would look awesome in your tank. 

This tank is similar to the effect you're after: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LubYMbtL23E


----------



## MlDukes

Found this pic on the net a while back - may be on this thread somewhere... Very cool!


----------



## MlDukes

Tphillips said:


> I am glad you like it! Thanks!
> 
> Here are some Picts, but the video does a better job of getting across of the direction I am going.


 
The more i look at your pics the more i wanna do a zen themed tank. The bamboo placement looks great!!! Are they just wedged in there??? Im picturing a moss pathway leading up to buddha with maybe a diff type moss carpet on the sides. something with good contrast. Whatever you choose to do, I like where your going with this tank!!! roud:


----------



## Morchaiel

MlDukes said:


> I know you wanna have everything ready but... I wouldnt order a thing until you actually have the tank. Your so limited in space that most options wont work out.
> 
> Goin off memory (warning: not always accurate) the amount of space you have to work with is 7.5" wide x 4" deep x 3" tall. That is approximately the amount of open space under the hood with the stock lightbar removed. Thats actually the "SAFE" dimensions i based my fixture and bracket off of to ensure that everything would fit. Ive got detailed pics from the build in my journal if you wanna take a look, feel free to leave any questions.
> 
> If your someone who likes a challenge than youll love this tank. :hihi:


I suppose you're rightabout ordering the tank first of everything, but if I get some dimensions I'll know if the bulbs I'm thinking of will fit at all. They're not really long, but I guess it kind of depends on the socket's size and the diameter. The tricky thing about regular twisted bulbs is that they're optimized for 360 degree lighting, so a good reflector is a must. 

The bulbs I have in mind deliver more than enough light though, 1200 lumen/bulb with a 6500k color temperature. I'm sure it will be a challenge to fit them, but I hope it'll be worth it! Otherwise, those fixtures you used for your nano reef conversion are another option, but I don't know if I can get them around here.

*edit* And I forgot to mention, those pics of your nano reef make me wanna try my first saltwater tank.. Looks really awesome!


----------



## Tphillips

"The more i look at your pics the more i wanna do a zen themed tank. The bamboo placement looks great!!! Are they just wedged in there??? Im picturing a moss pathway leading up to buddha with maybe a diff type moss carpet on the sides. something with good contrast. Whatever you choose to do, I like where your going with this tank!!!"

Thank you again! Yes, the bamboo was obtained from a lumber store, cleaned, boiled, and washed 3 times, cut to the same size (appr. 1/8 inch longer than the distance between the top and bottom of the Edge), and wedged into place.

I went a bit over board on the figure, solid white jade, hand carved, imported from China, approximately 30 years old. It cost more than the rest of the tank put together.

I too was thinking of a path leading up Kwan Yin, but was thinking of using a contrasting substrate. However, I like your idea much better!! Java moss attached to slate? Or is there a better method to make a moss carpet?

I am thinking of changing the substrate and replace with CaribSea Eco-Complete (what do you think?) take out the Mondo grass and put in aquatic plant back ground (Dwarf Hairgrass, LILAEOPSIS BRASILIENSIS, others?). Plant most of the substrate with a carpet of HC.

So I will need better light (ordered LEDs, Walmart addition?), CO2, and Ferts.

Is there a good resource (book) that could help me learn more? 

I have been learning a lot from everyone and really appreciate your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.

Thank you


----------



## MlDukes

Morchaiel said:


> I suppose you're rightabout ordering the tank first of everything, but if I get some dimensions I'll know if the bulbs I'm thinking of will fit at all. They're not really long, but I guess it kind of depends on the socket's size and the diameter. The tricky thing about regular twisted bulbs is that they're optimized for 360 degree lighting, so a good reflector is a must.
> 
> The bulbs I have in mind deliver more than enough light though, 1200 lumen/bulb with a 6500k color temperature. I'm sure it will be a challenge to fit them, but I hope it'll be worth it! Otherwise, those fixtures you used for your nano reef conversion are another option, but I don't know if I can get them around here.
> 
> *edit* And I forgot to mention, those pics of your nano reef make me wanna try my first saltwater tank.. Looks really awesome!


Thanks! This is my first SW tank... fingers crossed. Everythings goin well so far, lol, Its only been cycleing for 2+ weeks now. 

I really meant to measure the hood last night but forgot... sorry. Ill measure it for you this weekend. that figure i gave you is pretty accurate so if you keep it within 7x3x4 youll have plenty room. 

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!!! 


*My next idea:* You can get 18cm 18led waterproof strips on ebay. I honestly think i can fit 12 of them side by side mounted in the hood = 212 LEDS!:icon_eek: I would use 4 whites 6 blues 2 reds and have each pair on a diff switch so you could have a variety of color variations. It would look GREAT on a reef tank BUT... I have no idea what spectrum those leds are and wouldnt want to waste the time and effort on something that may not grow anything but algae. Awesome idea though! 

LEDs have a HUGE advantage in a tank this small. If i were to do it over again i would have spent more time looking for LEDs with the appropiate spectrum. Flourescents get VERY hot and I would recommend adding cooling fans to be safe. Unless your fish dont mind a 5 degree diff between lights on/off. 

Good luck! Im glad to help, shoot me a msg anytime.


----------



## MlDukes

Tphillips said:


> "The more i look at your pics the more i wanna do a zen themed tank. The bamboo placement looks great!!! Are they just wedged in there??? Im picturing a moss pathway leading up to buddha with maybe a diff type moss carpet on the sides. something with good contrast. Whatever you choose to do, I like where your going with this tank!!!"
> 
> Thank you again! Yes, the bamboo was obtained from a lumber store, cleaned, boiled, and washed 3 times, cut to the same size (appr. 1/8 inch longer than the distance between the top and bottom of the Edge), and wedged into place.
> 
> I went a bit over board on the figure, solid white jade, hand carved, imported from China, approximately 30 years old. It cost more than the rest of the tank put together.
> 
> I too was thinking of a path leading up Kwan Yin, but was thinking of using a contrasting substrate. However, I like your idea much better!! Java moss attached to slate? Or is there a better method to make a moss carpet?
> 
> I am thinking of changing the substrate and replace with CaribSea Eco-Complete (what do you think?) take out the Mondo grass and put in aquatic plant back ground (Dwarf Hairgrass, LILAEOPSIS BRASILIENSIS, others?). Plant most of the substrate with a carpet of HC.
> 
> So I will need better light (ordered LEDs, Walmart addition?), CO2, and Ferts.
> 
> Is there a good resource (book) that could help me learn more?
> 
> I have been learning a lot from everyone and really appreciate your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.
> 
> Thank you


 
The HC would look great but... Ive seen many people try HC in the edge and only 1 who pulled it off. keep searching threads for ideas, theirs actually quite a few planted edges out there. As for carpeting moss there are several ways. tied down to slate, ceramic tile, of sandwiched between those crosshatched green plastic sheets. 

Riccia would also look great! Last night i added a few riccia patches to my edge. Ill post pics of it. 

Maybe Dwarf microsword to the sides of Kwan Yin with something a little taller behind him. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together! 

You should start a journal and keep us updated


----------



## agdavis

MlDukes said:


> Got my reef lighting all done. Heres how it turned out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I want your light/fan setup. Seriously.
> 
> What type of bulbs/ballasts/stuff is your lighting setup? Also, which fans are you using?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Planted Edge: stock lighting


What type of bulbs/ballasts/reflector/stuff is your lighting setup and where did you get it? Also, which fans are you using?


----------



## MlDukes

agdavis said:


> What type of bulbs/ballasts/reflector/stuff is your lighting setup and where did you get it? Also, which fans are you using?


These bulbs are 50/50 actinic/10000K, 13w GX23 fixtures, got'em online, not sure what site. They came with the bulbs, ballast, lampholders, and reflecters. I did some major mods to the fixture itself. Fans: Ebay special dual usb powered laptop cooling fan. Detailed build pics in my Edge journal. See link below: Dukes Fluval Edge


----------



## MlDukes

Found the site:

https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16


These are the exact ones i ordered.

https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/ind...PROD&ProdID=16


----------



## agdavis

MlDukes said:


> Found the site:
> 
> https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16
> 
> 
> These are the exact ones i ordered.
> 
> https://02c6328.netsolstores.com/ind...PROD&ProdID=16


Thanks for the link. Couple questions:

How are those reflectors working? Is it pushing the light to most areas of the tank? Also, did you just cut one of the wings off each reflector then put them together? I'm hoping to do something similar...

Thanks.


----------



## MlDukes

agdavis said:


> Thanks for the link. Couple questions:
> 
> How are those reflectors working? Is it pushing the light to most areas of the tank? Also, did you just cut one of the wings off each reflector then put them together? I'm hoping to do something similar...
> 
> Thanks.


Tank is lit and reflectors are reflecting. Yeah, I snipped off opposing corners. Might i suggest going with the 9w. I read they honestly look brighter, reason being the bulbs are shorter. Mine is pushing it, heat and space wise. The 2 9w would give you plenty light and i think since theyre shorter they could be mounted in place instead of removeable. Had i known all this from the beginning... i probably would have still went with the 13w:hihi:, lol. But... I never take the easy route, I truely love a good challenge!!!

My best advice, if your looking to replicate my lighting, order those exact fixtures and study my build pics. I dont think theres an issue i didnt address either by image or discussion. After youve read my journal if theirs any questions unanswered hit me up!!!

See link below


----------



## supermoto

Hey guys just a quick question for you. Has any one considered a small submersible filter as a backup? My Edge is heavily planted so the back was is pretty hidden 

Maybe something like this?








close to the surface so the bubbles go strait out the top. I am always worried about losing my livestock if the filter failed and well it cant hurt to have extra filtration.


----------



## mb3k

supermoto said:


> Hey guys just a quick question for you. Has any one considered a small submersible filter as a backup? My Edge is heavily planted so the back was is pretty hidden
> 
> Maybe something like this?
> 
> close to the surface so the bubbles go strait out the top. I am always worried about losing my livestock if the filter failed and well it cant hurt to have extra filtration.


True, extra filtration is always good, but too much GPH flow can make the livestock work at swimming against the currents too much, especially in the small Edge. I find that even the stock Fluval filter system I can't put it on full flow, otherwise the fish are just fighting to swim.


----------



## mb3k

Anyone else with LED lighting (MR11 bulbs) and a 10W flourescent having slow plant growth too? 
My tank is CO2 injected, ferts, with the lights above, but I'm not getting explosive growth - even with my dwarf hairgrass. Would this be a lighting issue? What is the equivalent WPG in my setup?


----------



## supermoto

mb3k said:


> True, extra filtration is always good, but too much GPH flow can make the livestock work at swimming against the currents too much, especially in the small Edge. I find that even the stock Fluval filter system I can't put it on full flow, otherwise the fish are just fighting to swim.


I agree about the flow. I ended up getting the Tom Aquatics mini dive filter. It worked out perfect, I set the drip bar about an inch in front of the outflow for the main filter. It breaks up the flow and makes the current in the tank a little less then it was with just the main filter. and now i have 2 filters running. Not bad for $13!









*
*


----------



## guerdonian

I also have had issues with inadequate filtration. Some early posts in this thread had mod’d canister filters that squeezed into the back area (barely). Any status on how well they work? Anyone have other non-submersible “upgrade” filter suggestions that will help increase flow/filtration over stock?


----------



## MlDukes

guerdonian said:


> I also have had issues with inadequate filtration. Some early posts in this thread had mod’d canister filters that squeezed into the back area (barely). Any status on how well they work? Anyone have other non-submersible “upgrade” filter suggestions that will help increase flow/filtration over stock?


I read through your thread and i think your problem is more circulation than filtration: If thats the case a mini powerhead may fix your issues. 

Additional filtration: For my SW Edge Ive been toying with the idea of removing the stock filter and cutting holes in the bottom of the base(directly below the stock filter). I would also cut holes in the stand that the tank sits on and place a fluval 205 or 305 below with the inlet/outlet tubing ran up through the holes to the tank. another option may be to rig up an overflow running down to a sump below. (probably not the best idea for a planted tank). Besides that the only and easiest option would be to go with a mini-internal filter. 

PS: i know what you mean about trying to catch a fish in this thing without destroying the scape

- Impossible -


----------



## agdavis

MlDukes said:


> Tank is lit and reflectors are reflecting. :hihi: Yeah, I snipped off opposing corners. Might i suggest going with the 9w. I read they honestly look brighter, reason being the bulbs are shorter. Mine is pushing it, heat and space wise. The 2 9w would give you plenty light and i think since theyre shorter they could be mounted in place instead of removeable. Had i known all this from the beginning... i probably would have still went with the 13w:hihi:, lol. But... I never take the easy route, I truely love a good challenge!!!
> 
> My best advice, if your looking to replicate my lighting, order those exact fixtures and study my build pics. I dont think theres an issue i didnt address either by image or discussion. After youve read my journal if theirs any questions unanswered hit me up!!!
> 
> See link below


Read the journal. Looks great. Does the light reach the very front and the very backs of the tank?


----------



## MlDukes

agdavis said:


> Read the journal. Looks great. Does the light reach the very front and the very backs of the tank?


It lights the entire tank very well but the very front corners dont seem to be getting direct light. The bulbs could possibly be mounted a little closer to the water to reach the corners. Even lighting in this tank is a hard task. All in all i think the reflecters are doing the best job possible and the color temp and brightness is perfect. I somewhat based mine off a youtube video mod. I think its been removed cause i cant find it now but he went with the 9w. I spoke to him and he said he had heat issues and had to place the tank under an air vent in the coldest room of the house. He advised against going with the 13w (i had already ordered them). But with the cooling fans, mine runs cooler than his w/ the 9w and no fans. youtube, theirs several good ideas for lighting mods there too.


----------



## Sylvester.1969

Hi

For anyone in the UK, I found these LED's on Ultraleds.co.uk at £9.99 each plus P&P

Ultra Bright MR11 12v AC/DC 8 Led Cool White Led Bulb with Front Cover

They're brighter than the 10 LED 125 Lumen Cool White AC/DC plus they're covered.

Gaz


----------



## soup_nazi

Was just surfing the web for LEDs and found this sight http://store.lunasealighting.com/. thought you should know.


----------



## tizzite

Fail blog: 

My wisteria did great for two months, and I noticed a steady decline until it was all gone. I'm a beginner, but I didn't think it was a hard plant to care for. My guess is that the lights weren't strong enough. Has anyone kept wisteria with just MR11s and the mini compact bulb setup?

Well, after 3 months it looks like my sheet protectors have failed. The LEDs burned neat little circular holes right through them. Strange, since they held up for the first 4 weeks.

A couple of the LEDs on my MR11s have burned out.

I put a skinny expo dry erase marker cap in my filter intake tube so my fish wouldn't get sucked up by the filter. The marker cap was just the perfect size, and I didn't want any sponge or screen on the outside of the intake that I'd have to routinely scrape clean. But I guess I didn't rinse the cap well enough, because my fish died.

Of course I feel like a royal but I thought I'd post so that someone might benefit from my mistakes.

Things I've realized: I really want a carpeting plant in my edge. Galaxy Rasboras are coolest fish ever.


----------



## cale262

tizzite said:


> ...
> 
> A couple of the LEDs on my MR11s have burned out....


That sux, must have been a bad bulb, mine are almost a year old, I haven't lost a single led and I'm not running any protection for them:icon_neut


----------



## TLE041

I haven't had any of the LEDs burn out either. I'm wondering why it's happening to certain people and not others if we all ordered it from the same source.




tizzite said:


> Has anyone kept wisteria with just MR11s and the mini compact bulb setup?


I have. I had to cut 2" off each stem every week because it was growing so fast. That light combination is definitely sufficient for water wisteria to thrive so I don't think that was the problem.

What is this "sheet protector" that you're talking about LEDs burning a hole through?


----------



## tizzite

To protect my LEDs I wrapped them in a transparent plastic, which I don't advise- On nano-reef.com some people are applying clear nail polish. Automotive clear coat isn't working for everyone.

This guy has a great light mod!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctdd9jUGd6Y


----------



## TLE041

Then it's probably that plastic protector that's preventing heat from dissipating and leading to the LED burn-out.

My bulbs are perfectly fine without any added protection.


----------



## supermoto

I have a question for you guys. So my edge is all broken in now and has been running with lots of plants and all the lighting upgrades for a few months now. I want to ditch the carbon in the filter now because I have heard it's not needed and I am dosing daily. What media are you running in your filters? Also just a side note I am about to install pressurized Co2 in the few days (if that matters at all?)


----------



## zeeksg

Hi all,

Am new to this forum and just wanted to say'Hi' to all the 'Edge' fanatics here. When I first saw the Edge, I knew I had to get it. I am from Singapore and you can't believe how difficult it is to get hold of an Edge even though aquascaping and shrimp keeping are really popular here. Anyway, to cut to the chase, I finally managed to get hold of one and still setting it up. When I googled it, I had the great fortune of chancing upon this thread. The pics of all your tanks, mods and tips are great !!!

Back to my tank, given the limited space and accessibility, I settled on a simple tree trunk moss look but really had to search for the proper driftwood. Tying it with fissidens/java and then getting it into the tank was another challenge. The trunk will be the centerpiece and is also great for hiding the intake pipe of the HOF and the tube for my airstone. The rest of the plants and rocks were 'borrowed' from my other tank which will probably not be returned. Anyway, here are some pics of my 3-day old tank. Am now patiently waiting for the moss to grow on the branches.

My simple little tank









Close-up









Its a great forum here and I certainly look forward to checking out new pics or mods/advice from all the 'Edgeperts' here. Keep up the good work !!!


----------



## cale262

Newest addition for my EDGE....Just made a 6g. sump for it today...


----------



## Booger

We have to figure out a real LED upgrade solution. Anyone have ideas on mounting some Cree XR-E's off axis to improve spread?


----------



## Kurt8912

Hi,

Just dug out my Edge, it's been sitting in the closet for about 9 months waiting for me to get to it. I read through as many of the posts that I could find. Concerning the Zoo Med Turtle filter. I was thinking I could open the back up and make and extension from styrene sheet to give it the extra width needed. Has anyone tried anything else.

I've only had very lightly planted tanks before, so this CO2 thing has to be studied. Any suggestions with the filter? 

Kurt


----------



## dkbmxr18

cale262 said:


> Newest addition for my EDGE....Just made a 6g. sump for it today...


Dude, that is AWESOME! Any pictures of it all hooked up?


----------



## Tphillips

cale262 said:


> Newest addition for my EDGE....Just made a 6g. sump for it today...


Wow, I believe you just doubled the water capacity in the Edge. You will have to have the best filtered Edge around!

Let us know how it works for you!

Thanks,
Tom


----------



## Kurt8912

i,
I picked up a ZooMed 501 filter today. It is exactly 1/4 inch too wide to fit. I took the back panel off the Edge, it is should be easy to put an opening in the panel to accommodate the filter. I have some sheet styrene and 3/16 inch square stock, so together with a little MEK solvent, I should be able to box it in and spray it to match the casing. I think that would be better than forceing it and warping the case.

Kurt


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> Newest addition for my EDGE....Just made a 6g. sump for it today...


 
Dude! Sweet!  

Im working on a similiar build, SO many questions....

I gotta see how you did your overflow/return??? 

Also im torn between what GPH return pump to use - What did you use? - I dont want to overdo it but i dont want to loose too much flow with a 4ft head. 

One more thing... could you provide us with the ID tubing that you used for the overflow/return??? 

MORE PICS PLEASE!!!


----------



## MlDukes

*Thought id share this - Id appreciate anyones input, advice or opinions on this build *

Found this thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1792200&highlight=fluval+edge&page=8



Heres plans for my overflow, a lil diff from the one above. Havent figured the dimensions yet and have to incorporate a strainer. 

As shown in the "example" i will be cutting into the plastic lip of the edge to accommodate for the overflow box. Any advice?


----------



## jczernia

Hey guys 
I am slowly working on my Edge I got some UG growing in it and so far so good.
What do you guys think of this light









Portable full spectrum ligh
Energy-saving 13watt lamp produces 925 lumens (Equal to 90watt bulb). 
Lasts up to 10,000 hours 
I think I could take it apart and make it fit
What do you guys think of Full Spectrum bulbs?


----------



## MlDukes

jczernia said:


> Hey guys
> I am slowly working on my Edge I got some UG growing in it and so far so good.
> What do you guys think of this light
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Portable full spectrum ligh
> Energy-saving 13watt lamp produces 925 lumens (Equal to 90watt bulb).
> Lasts up to 10,000 hours
> I think I could take it apart and make it fit
> What do you guys think of Full Spectrum bulbs?


 
Do you know what bulb type it takes? Looks like a GX23 fixture, if so you could swap it out with a 6700K. Ideal for plant growth. 

If you plan on disassembling the fixture housing you may be better off buying just the lamp holder and ballast assembly. Id think that would a cheaper route. Check out my edge in the journal below. I purchased the 13w bulb, ballast, reflector, and lamp holder or $25 off of hellolights.com. Heres a link: http://hellolights.com/13wcompactfluorescentretrofitkit.aspx


----------



## jczernia

I can pick this light up for $20, most office stores have it. The question I have is the Full spectrum bulb from what I know that is supposed to simulate sun light, I would think this would be perfect for fresh water?? 
Thanks


----------



## MlDukes

jczernia said:


> I can pick this light up for $20, most office stores have it. The question I have is the Full spectrum bulb from what I know that is supposed to simulate sun light, I would think this would be perfect for fresh water??
> Thanks


For $20, I say give it a shot. Worst case you may be out an additional $4-$5 for a 6700K bulb.... But do keep in mind the limited space. If that is a 13w GX23 bulb its gonna be a very tight fit. Trust me, i know from experience roud: 

Keep us posted on your build!


----------



## jczernia

Picked up the light tonight and will take it apart tomorrow.
The bulb is 6400K so for know I will keep it 
Will let you know what happened.


----------



## cale262

I have the same light on a small nano...have had it for quite a while and it has worked great for me....


----------



## cale262

MlDukes said:


> Dude! Sweet!
> 
> Im working on a similiar build, SO many questions....
> 
> I gotta see how you did your overflow/return???
> 
> Also im torn between what GPH return pump to use - What did you use? - I dont want to overdo it but i dont want to loose too much flow with a 4ft head.
> 
> One more thing... could you provide us with the ID tubing that you used for the overflow/return???
> 
> MORE PICS PLEASE!!!


----------



## cale262

If I did it over again I would have used black silicone...my only real regret...other than that it is working great, and quiet.


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> If I did it over again I would have used black silicone...my only real regret...other than that it is working great, and quiet.


 
Looks Great! Thanks for the update! 

What GPH pump did you use? How is the flow?

Do you reccommend the 2 smaller overflow lines over 1 large one?


----------



## cale262

MlDukes said:


> Looks Great! Thanks for the update!
> 
> What GPH pump did you use? How is the flow?


*Aquarium Systems Maxi-Jet 900 Power Head 230 G.P.H.*

Flow is perfect IMHO



> Do you reccommend the 2 smaller overflow lines over 1 large one?


I certainly do, one is the primary drain, the second one is slightly higher and acts as an emergency drain incase the primary gets plugged, that way you don't get wet feet :thumbsup:


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> *Aquarium Systems Maxi-Jet 900 Power Head 230 G.P.H.*
> 
> Flow is perfect IMHO
> 
> 
> 
> I certainly do, one is the primary drain, the second one is slightly higher and acts as an emergency drain incase the primary gets plugged, that way you don't get wet feet :thumbsup:


Thanks. 

Looks like you made a 4 sided box for the overflow. bottom - back - left/right sides. Do you see any pros/cons over yours vs my proposed overflow build? the dimensions in my pic are obviously way off. I just threw it together for a visual. 

Gonna try and incorporate a 2nd drain line - That reassurance is always nice!


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

That kicks butt Cale! I had been researching how to go about building a good little system like that for my Edge tank as well cuz that Zoomed has been a major pain to remove for cleaning. I have never done a sump and overflow setup before so wasnt too sure what was involved.


----------



## cale262

MlDukes said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Looks like you made a 4 sided box for the overflow. bottom - back - left/right sides. Do you see any pros/cons over yours vs my proposed overflow build? ...


I just kept it nice and simple, I used 3mm clear acrylic, 3 sides and the bottom, siliconed that right to the back of the tank and top rim, drilled the holes in the rim, added some plastic screen to keep the shrimp in the tank, cut the backing to fit around the overflow and that was it...

In after thought I would have painted the back of the tank black, made the over flow slightly narrower on the one side to give the return line more room, used black silicone and black acrylic and maybe some different (1/2") bulkheads for the drains...Other than that I'm supper happy with the results.

Thanx for the props.

B


----------



## cale262

Now I'm thinking about getting another and starting a mini-reef :icon_cool


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> Now I'm thinking about getting another and starting a mini-reef :icon_cool


 
Do it! roud: I love mine, thats why im set on building a sump. thanks for all the details on the build!


----------



## Tphillips

*"Nirvana Path"*



Tphillips said:


> I am glad you like it! Thanks!
> 
> Here are some Picts, but the video does a better job of getting across of the direction I am going.


Ok, I have thought, I have read, I have learned about planted tanks (need to know a lot more), and now have made some major changes to the setup.

Changed to Eco Complete
Removed the lucky bamboo and mondo grass
Added CO2 (CO2 Tank)
Changed to the LED lights

Added:
Little fruit tree stump (DYI) 
Stepping stones (with Riccia fluitans between the stones)

New Plants:
Riccia fluitans
Lilaeopsis mauritiana
Echinodorus tenellus dwarf sword
Marsilea minuta (thank you Billie)

Still need to add background plants:
Purple Bamboo (attempting to find some)
Hydrotrche hottonifora (attempting to find some)

Tank shot Kwan Yin is so white hard to get a good photo.









Close up of Riccia fluitans between the stones.









So what do you think? Still trying to obtain the background plants that will be position to the back and side of Kwan Yin. With addition of the background plants and the mm and Riccia filling-in, I hope to come close to my goal.

Comments suggestions?
Tom


----------



## cale262

Looks great


----------



## aman74

Does anyone know how long the stock halogens can be expected to last?

Locally I can get a replacement set for half off and I wondered if I should grab a spare set as I think I'm going to give the stock lighting a whirl.


----------



## MlDukes

aman74 said:


> Does anyone know how long the stock halogens can be expected to last?
> 
> Locally I can get a replacement set for half off and I wondered if I should grab a spare set as I think I'm going to give the stock lighting a whirl.


The Edge i got used from my LFS had 2 burnt out halogens 6 months after setup. However, they probably ran them 24/7. Sooo.... I dont really have a good answer for you. lol  

but if you plan to keep using them, Id personally stock up while thier cheap.


----------



## Kurt8912

Has anyone had a tank running sith just _*one*_ full spectrum ligh
Energy-saving 13watt lamp produces 925 lumens (Equal to 90watt bulb) ? Will it be enough light to sustain plants, or do I have to have the LEDs or Halogens too? The way I'm going so far I'll have to take the original light arm off, for the 13w lamp to fit.

Kurt


----------



## El Funko

Here's mine:


----------



## Kurt8912

Very nice! I guess I'll keep going the route I started.


----------



## nvrenuf

HI, member From Australia here. I have Ordered a big 5 foot tank but Have to wait another month to get it so I couldnt help but get something else 
to keep me going haha.

I went for the Peuter colour silver
How ever the price we pay here in Australia is crazy compared to the prices I see you guys paying.

At the moment I have just chucked a few things in to get it going and for the fish to have somewhere to hide etc.

I plan to redo it over weekend and make it look half decent.
I have also Ordered a tiny heater as that big long one is all i had lying around the house. not used in my other bigger tank.

anyway here is a [censored][censored][censored][censored]ty Iphone photo. I am hoping to get some ideas from your tanks here. 

Being that i Have changed the globes to the LED globes this pretty much rules out having real plants in there is this correct ?

regards

Tim


----------



## jeffvmd

Kurt8912 said:


> Has anyone had a tank running sith just _*one*_ full spectrum ligh
> Energy-saving 13watt lamp produces 925 lumens (Equal to 90watt bulb) ? Will it be enough light to sustain plants, or do I have to have the LEDs or Halogens too? The way I'm going so far I'll have to take the original light arm off, for the 13w lamp to fit.
> 
> Kurt


I did put 2 of the 6500K bulb (10w x 2) and had the original arm removed.
Here's a link to what I did.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/108335-jeffvmds-take-edge-2.html
Not much update as i rearranged the tank again when I came back from a 6 week vacation.
I had a friend look over my tanks and he literally just looked at my tanks wither and die out.:angryfire
Reviving the tanks are in process.


----------



## nvrenuf

Has any one here Been keeping certain plants alive with LED lighting.
As i want to go buy some plants tomorrow, but being i have led i dont want them to die a week later.

any suggestions


----------



## El Funko

nvrenuf said:


> Has any one here Been keeping certain plants alive with LED lighting.
> As i want to go buy some plants tomorrow, but being i have led i dont want them to die a week later.
> 
> any suggestions


Mine have been growing under LED and the 10W Coralife bulb. Even the mermaid weed is beginning to redden up.


----------



## ajt

these led bulbs every1 is using with the surface mounted diodes are they waterproof or do you have to modify them before putting them above the water??


----------



## TLE041

I have the LED bulbs that most people on here have. There is no modification required. Even though the bulb is only 1/4" above the water surface in my Edge, there's no splashing at all. If find that with a higher water level, less current is generated by the Aquaclear filter, so the bulbs stay dry.


----------



## nvrenuf

I dont find any splashing onto my globes.

Im going this morning to find some plants, So I will update my photos once i put them in.


----------



## nvrenuf

So i went to get some plants today for my Tank and came home with a second edge tank and new fish and plants lol.

Went for a simesse Fighter and some neon tetras in the planted tank and left the halogens in there for now.

in the other tank i have the sword tails and some others name escapes me. with LED light and fake plants.


----------



## ajt

finally found some waterproof mr11 led bulbs to fit the fluval edge they are located here > http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/ultra-bright-mr11-acdc-cool-white-with-cover-p-2247.html


----------



## TLE041

I'm not sure you need waterproof bulbs. Hagen clearly didn't think so when they manufactured this.

The extra rim around that waterproof bulb looks like it limits the light angle quite a bit.


----------



## ajt

just the surface mounted leds need protecting from water hagen bulbs have the glass cover too but i agree the light angle wont be great with these unfortunately thats the only way they will be able to be covered without a diy fix


----------



## cale262

I don't understand why you think they need a fix of any kind, I've been using mine for quite some time (1 year or so) with no ill effect.


----------



## allen2oo3

just wanted to start by thanking everyone in this thread. i learned a lot reading through all the pages. this is the first tank that i have had since i was a child. so far i am very happy with the tank. i have had it exactly 2 weeks and it's amazing how much things have grown. i wish i had done some research on the plants i picked before i got them (both are getting tall) but i love them regardless. i dont have the great artistic eye a lot of you have with design but this will do for now. i have 2 otto's a few tetras and 3 ghost shrimp. just in the past few days i have begun to develop an infestation of baby snails. i counted 20 this morning. they are fun to watch but i'll have to do something about it soon before they destroy my plants. 

first few days:









now:


----------



## cale262

roud:

I think your tank looks great.
I wouldn't worry too much about the snails destroying you plants, they mostly stick to eating dead/dying plant matter, In efect, doing you a great favour. I keep snails (MTS/RH/turbo's) in all of my tanks, planted and otherwise.


----------



## MlDukes

Tank looks great allen! Welcome to the thread! What lighting are you using?


----------



## allen2oo3

thanks for the kind words and the tip on the snails. it is pretty amazing to see how quickly they grow. 

i am currently just using stock halogens (havent gotten around to ordering the led's yet) along with a coralife 50/50


----------



## soup_nazi

allen2oo3 said:


> thanks for the kind words and the tip on the snails. it is pretty amazing to see how quickly they grow.
> 
> i am currently just using stock halogens (havent gotten around to ordering the led's yet) along with a coralife 50/50


I believe the coralife 50/50 is for reefs. you might want to check that out


----------



## MlDukes

allen2oo3 said:


> thanks for the kind words and the tip on the snails. it is pretty amazing to see how quickly they grow.
> 
> i am currently just using stock halogens (havent gotten around to ordering the led's yet) along with a coralife 50/50





soup_nazi said:


> I believe the coralife 50/50 is for reefs. you might want to check that out


 
+1

Actinics dont do plants any good. their for sw/reef tanks. Ideally you want 6700k but 10000K are more appealing to the eye and still benificial.


----------



## malaybiswas

Well actinics are very high in the 450-480 nm range. Plants would do really well but won't produce as good red coloration as under 10K which is high both in the 460-480 nm as well as 600-700 nm. But unlike marine tanks, planted tanks do not look as good under actinic.

6700K give better visibility and plants grow well, but not as high in the 600-700 nm range. 10K is best both for plant growth, coloration as well as visual appeal.


----------



## MlDukes

malaybiswas said:


> Well actinics are very high in the 450-480 nm range. Plants would do really well but won't produce as good red coloration as under 10K which is high both in the 460-480 nm as well as 600-700 nm. But unlike marine tanks, planted tanks do not look as good under actinic.
> 
> 6700K give better visibility and plants grow well, but not as high in the 600-700 nm range. 10K is best both for plant growth, coloration as well as visual appeal.


Really? hugh... didnt know that about actinics. I always had the understanding that they were as good as useless to plants. And 6700k arnt spot on?? I thought 4000-7000 was ideal for plants. The lower range being best for flowering plants. 

If 10000K are best for plant growth i cant believe ive been running these ugly 6700K bulbs this whole time... lol My main tank has 1 6700k and 1 10000k, ill swap that 6700k in a heartbeat if your right.


----------



## allen2oo3

whoa, learning more every day. do you guys have links to any specific bulb suggestions to replace the 50/50?

thanks


----------



## SkyeEdge

Hey,
First POST!

Anyway, what type of plants do you recommend for an edge still using stock lights? I am using Hagen Geosystem gravel.
I am trying something new, never done a planted tank b4.
This is a guppy/Cherry shrimp fluval edge. I post pics up once I get some plants going.
Thanks
btw, thinking of moss ball ;D


----------



## Curlyriff

Hey everyone,

I have been posting about plants in another part of this forum for my Edge but thought I would add some pics etc here since it is the official thread.

I have only had the tank for about 3 weeks and the plants went in last weekend. I don't what the plant on the right is but it was given to me from a friend so I am not sure if it will survive/grow in my tank.

I brought the bogwood with the Anubias Nana and moss already soaked and attached from my LFS. The other bogwood needed soaking but I only did this for 1 night using boiling water that I change every hour or so for the first 4 hours and then left it. I don't mind the colouring in the water and it is meant to beneficial for fish anyways (once I get some).

I have got a 25watt heater although I did see the 4" mini heater on here I couldn't get hold of one and the people who I found gave me an email for someone in the UK and I never got a reply about it. I would like to move/change the heater so it is not in the tank but I am not wanting something that I cannot control or that is cutting big holes in the media tray.

The lighting is from 2 MR11 SMD LED lights that put out 6500k @ 150 lumens each. They also have 120degree angle and it is much better than the stock bulbs it came with.

I am not planning to use a CO2 system and just have Flourish Excel instead as the amount required means I should be good for like 5 years before it runs out. I also have Prime for my water conditioner and I have just purchased TPN+ for the plants.

I am fishless cycling at moment and at the Nitrite spike stage so hopefully will have fish in a week or two. 

Anyway that is about everything covered at the moment. Here are the pics. Sorry for the quality. Any criticism appreciated as this is my first tank ever.


----------



## Phoenix-cry

I like it, but I would move the wood up towards the back to hide the filter and heater.


----------



## Phoenix-cry

Here's mine: I've had it running for about five months now.

Flora:
Pettie Nana
Anubis
Pellia
Crypt

Fauna:
Cardinal Tetra
Young Betta
Emerald Eye
Long Fin White Cloud
Ner. Snail
Some form of very, very, very tiny synodontis (like 1/2 an inch)

Lights:
Recently replaced the stock lights with two high powered 4500K LED 12V. This gives a powerful dual spotlight effect...but I like that.


----------



## Curlyriff

> I like it, but I would move the wood up towards the back to hide the filter and heater.


Thanks for the comment. I know what you mean about the heater and I tried to move it more central and slightly back but it made access a little difficult and didn't make the tank look as balanced. 

I have a load of Xmas moss to put onto slate and carpet with. Also have a little baby sword on its way next week to add. 

I may well re-arrange once I am adding the new plants. 

I do like your tank. Has good shapes too it but does the stuff in the middle not get in the way. 

If anyone knows any heaters that are smaller than the one I have please let me know. The current one is almost 7" long and seems really big considering its only 25watts.

kind Regards,

Adam


----------



## Phoenix-cry

Some x-mas on a slate would look great in your tank.

I have no trouble with my set up the way it is. I probably have a little more snail poo gathering in the corners cause of the rock in front of the intake, but I do weekly spot water changes so it doesn't really matter.

There is a mini 25 that will fit in the filterbox, but I forget the name. I'm sure Big Al's online has them.


----------



## allen2oo3

i just cleaned my tank and sucked out a worm from my substrate. is he harmful to the tank or should i put him back in.


----------



## LilGreenPuffer

These are the sexiest, classiest tanks I've ever seen in my life, and I want one.


----------



## cale262

LilGreenPuffer said:


> These are the sexiest, classiest tanks I've ever seen in my life, and I want one.


And they are priced right too...well now they are:hihi:


----------



## Sylvester.1969

Hi Guys

I've had my Edge for almost a year now and I'm getting peed off trying to obtain replacement biomax from LFS's and when I do manage to get it, it comes with new sponges which I don't really want to replace as often as Hagen advise (I rinse the sponge out in aquarium water when doing water changes).

Would it be OK to use the loose Fluval Biomax in a net bag instead? I know the ceramics are rather larger...

Also, does anyone still use the carbon insert? I've read somewhere that it can remove Flourish Excel etc.

Your comments would really be appreciated.

I've currently got some Java Fern, Anubias Nana petite and a little Java Moss together with 6 Danio Tinwini and 4 Ember Tetras.


----------



## cale262

Personally, I don't use carbon in any of my tanks. Why do you want to replace the biomax? If it's really gunked up I would suggest just rinsing it with the sponges using the old water...roud:



Sylvester.1969 said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I've had my Edge for almost a year now and I'm getting peed off trying to obtain replacement biomax from LFS's and when I do manage to get it, it comes with new sponges which I don't really want to replace as often as Hagen advise (I rinse the sponge out in aquarium water when doing water changes).
> 
> Would it be OK to use the loose Fluval Biomax in a net bag instead? I know the ceramics are rather larger...
> 
> Also, does anyone still use the carbon insert? I've read somewhere that it can remove Flourish Excel etc.
> 
> Your comments would really be appreciated.
> 
> I've currently got some Java Fern, Anubias Nana petite and a little Java Moss together with 6 Danio Tinwini and 4 Ember Tetras.


----------



## MlDukes

Sylvester.1969 said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> I've had my Edge for almost a year now and I'm getting peed off trying to obtain replacement biomax from LFS's and when I do manage to get it, it comes with new sponges which I don't really want to replace as often as Hagen advise (I rinse the sponge out in aquarium water when doing water changes).
> 
> Would it be OK to use the loose Fluval Biomax in a net bag instead? I know the ceramics are rather larger...
> 
> Also, does anyone still use the carbon insert? I've read somewhere that it can remove Flourish Excel etc.
> 
> Your comments would really be appreciated.
> 
> 
> I've currently got some Java Fern, Anubias Nana petite and a little Java Moss together with 6 Danio Tinwini and 4 Ember Tetras.


 

What he said - you shouldnt have to replace the bio rings but once a year or so.



it wouldnt hurt anything to just use regular ceramic rings.


----------



## Sylvester.1969

Thanks guys.

The blurb on the box advises the Biomax should be changed every 2-3 months! 

From now on I'm going to remove the carbon sachet and alternate rinsing the sponge and biomax when doing water changes...


----------



## cale262

Sylvester.1969 said:


> Thanks guys.
> 
> The blurb on the box advises the Biomax should be changed every 2-3 months!
> 
> From now on I'm going to remove the carbon sachet and alternate rinsing the sponge and biomax when doing water changes...



Ah yes...the manufacturers recommended practices...My auto dealership thinks I should buy a new truck every 6 months, Me thinks not


----------



## jczernia

If you think of retro fitting your lights look at this for this price can’t beat this I
I wish I saw this sooner. Well I have to think of this I just might buy it looks like it will be easy to modify 

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=141&products_id=1571javascript:popupWindow('http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/popup_image.php?pID=1571&image=0')


----------



## MlDukes

Thought id share an update


- Gracilaria Garden -


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> If I did it over again I would have used black silicone...my only real regret...other than that it is working great, and quiet.


Any updates?

Hows the sump working?? Found any pitfalls yet? Mine still hasnt made it past the planning stage.... :hihi: Been busy!


----------



## cale262

MlDukes said:


> Any updates?
> 
> Hows the sump working?? Found any pitfalls yet? Mine still hasnt made it past the planning stage.... :hihi: Been busy!



Working great, top it off with 1/2 a litre of rodi once a week and all is good:hihi:


----------



## Scarlet_Pimp

Hi all, first post.

I've just got an Edge and going to do the planted tank thing as a centrepiece for my living room.

I'm very new to planted tanks though having used mostly silk plants in the past.

So can anyone give me advice on which plants to get, I want a big ish piece of drift wood in the centre of the tank with some willow moss attached, then maybe some flame moss attached to smaller pieces of wood/stone around the tank.
After that though I don’t know which other plants would thrive in the low light conditions of the tank?

I like the look of dwarf hair grasses too but not sure if it will survive in the tank.
What I would like is plants which wont require much maintenance but which still look nice and give my fish a nice home. 
Can you give me some advice?

I'm thinking of pygmy Corys and Ember Tetra with RCS for the fauna.


----------



## PaulG

Awesome thread. I've changed my plans and decided to get one of these.

I'm thinking of doing a very minimal planted Edge. Just a carpet of something and some rocks.

HC seems to be a bit tricky in these so will decide whether I want to try it. Otherwise I might just get some form of moss.

I'm thinking of positioning my tank on my kitchen worktop under the cabinets and attaching strong lights underneath so they're perhaps 1.5ft - 2ft above the tank. What do people think? Saves changing the stock lamps but might be too far away/look crappy.


----------



## MlDukes

cale262 said:


> Working great, top it off with 1/2 a litre of rodi once a week and all is good:hihi:


 
Weekly TOs sound great! Im topping off my SW edge every other day!

What do you think about this guys overflow, its very simple and wouldnt jeopardize the looks of the back column.

I dont know alot about overflows do you see any downsides to this design???

UPDATE: I got a msg back, hes using 3/4" drain and everythings workin great. 

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1884429


----------



## Fat Guy

PaulG said:


> I'm thinking of doing a very minimal planted Edge. Just a carpet of something and some rocks.
> 
> HC seems to be a bit tricky in these so will decide whether I want to try it. Otherwise I might just get some form of moss.
> 
> I'm thinking of positioning my tank on my kitchen worktop under the cabinets and attaching strong lights underneath so they're perhaps 1.5ft - 2ft above the tank. What do people think? Saves changing the stock lamps but might be too far away/look crappy.


yeah, scrap the HC. Moss it up!! That's what I've done with mine. Shrimp rocks and moss. go get it.
-el g


----------



## MlDukes

Fat Guy said:


> yeah, scrap the HC. Moss it up!! That's what I've done with mine. Shrimp rocks and moss. go get it.
> -el g


+1 what he said.

Anubias does well under stock lighting. Rotala rotundifolia has also done well for me if your looking for any stems.


----------



## PaulG

Awesome. Moss it is!!

Edit. Found some flame moss on ebay that will look great.


----------



## dpm

I'm hoping I won't be shot down here for my ignorance as I'm very new to this, and if anything, a little bit too enthusiastic maybe.

Sorry for the long post, and I wouldn't be surprised if anyone could be arced to read this but here goes!

I purchased my first Edge around 6 weeks ago. Originally, I was told 6 or 7 small fish, a couple of crabs and an otto would be fine, so that's what I originally and gradually went for. There seems to be a lot of controversy around the net as to what constitutes an overstocked or unhappy environment, and although after researching more I was initially worried that I would be overstocked, a few weeks down the line everything seems to be happy.

I have: 

3 ghost/glass catfish
3 Mountain Crystal Tetras
3 Red Clawed crabs
and a couple of cherry/crystal red shrimp

The ghost catfish and tetras seem to get on brilliantly - and divide their time equally between shoaling together, and sticking to their own groups at either end of the tank.

The Red Claw crabs also seem very happy too, and divide their time between scavenging around the tank, and getting air - they spend half their time in the filter which they access from the driftwood that pokes out of the access hole.

I've replaced the stock halogens with 8 LCDs that I had lying around from IKEA, and they seem to light the tank fairly well, although only time will tell if the plants agree, but the DHG I have seems to be doing fairly well.

Having become rather obsessed with the edge, I started looking at getting another one! I decided that this time I would stick to 1 species only and that would be Dwarf Puffers. Again, there is very conflicting opinion as to how many you should keep together, and also their compatibility with others. I found a pretty even percentage of people saying a few cherry shrimp have been fine over long periods of time, and others that suggest the DPs would munch them from the outset. I decided to risk it and see what happens. 

I also was told by my seller that 3 or 4 would be fine in a 6G tank, having looked into it I also came across quite a few examples of how they can live happily together as long as the tank was heavily planted. So went for 3 as they were selling them in 3s.

Also, completely unintentionally, I have what appear to be 4 african dwarf frogs. I purchased a couple of pieces of bogwood, and when I got home was surprised to see them all in the same bag - not knowing what to do and not being able to return them I didn't seem to have much choice but to put them in the tank. They spend quite a bit of time out of view, but all seem to have discovered the air access point, as fairly regularly the swim up for air and shoot back down into their hiding places.

The DPs have come into contact with both the shrimp and the frogs, and don't seem to be phased by them at all - I understand this could change either when they are hungry or when they mature, but I'm figuring I may be able to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Now, here's where the request for advice comes in!

As I said, I wanted the second EDGE to be very heavily planted, a) as I love the wild look of heavily planted aquariums, and b) in an attempt to ensure all the inhabitants would have space to either hide or create some kind of territory if need be?

I've only had the DPs and shrimp in for a couple of days, but all seem to be relatively happy - the DPs seemed rather hesitant to explore initially - huddling together on one side of the tank, but after a couple of hours began to look happier and start to explore. I haven't researched markings yet, but when they were first introduced, all 3 were very yellow in colour, with no clear markings - as the hours passed, the dark spots became more prominent and now appear to be different fish altogether, which I'm rather pleased with as I requested 3 with the most vibrant markings possible, and was very disappointed when I got to the car, looked in the bag and discovered 3 very yellow DPs with no clear markings at all!

Anyway, the planting. I understand that the stock lighting is not suitable for plant growth (although there does seem to be some success for a few people), so from day 1 I replaced the halogens with Ultra bright MR11 12v AC/DC 8 Led cool white bulbs with covers. These seemed to be a little on the dull side, and I wasn't overkeen on how blue the tank looked. So, I've ordered a pair of 12 Led MR11 150 Lumen Warm White AC/DC 2.8W=25W.

I told my seller what I wanted to achieve and discussed the limitations of the lighting with the edge, and was suggested plants that can survive well in low light conditions - mainly pant on bogwood, java moss on bogwood, a bit of dwarf hairgrass and a couple of others that I can't recall the name of. 

Anyone know if the plants have any chance of survival? I've never attempted a planted tank before, and although I've read a lot online, have relied a lot on the advice in store. The more I read, the more conflicting opinions I seem to come across, and out of all the forums I've visited this seems to be the best place to ask!

Thanks to anyone that managed to get to the bottom of this wall of text!

Cheers

P.S - the dwarf puffers are bloody awesome! I'm not sure if I'm going mad, but they all seem to rush to the front of the tank to see me whenever I go over to the tank!

heh


----------



## MlDukes

That looks really good Dpm! IMO one of the best looking planted edge that ive seen. roud: Thanks for sharing!


----------



## dkbmxr18

Wow, that EDGE is awesome!

My EDGE is pretty bare right now. I have been spending all my time on my 10g and home made 5g. After seeing this, there is hope for my EDGE once again


----------



## colinlp

Hey, that's awesome, good to see another UK edger!!


----------



## PaulG

That's an awesome tank! Probably my fave so far.

Got my Edge finally, when I got home it was missing the filter :icon_mad:. Exchanged the next day but still very annoying.

No plants or updated lighting yet, substrate and some cool Seiru stone has just been put in, will try and get some pics up soon.


----------



## LICfish

dpm said:


> P.S - the dwarf puffers are bloody awesome! I'm not sure if I'm going mad, but they all seem to rush to the front of the tank to see me whenever I go over to the tank!


That edge is awesome. Now I want one even more.
p.s. And no you're not going mad. DPs are very personable. Hope all goes well with them. My DPs won't even leave otos alone.


----------



## dkbmxr18

LICfish said:


> That edge is awesome. Now I want one even more.
> p.s. And no you're not going mad. DPs are very personable. Hope all goes well with them. My DPs won't even leave otos alone.



How many Dwarf Puffers can you keep in an edge? My understanding was 1 or MAYBE 2 in at least a 10g because they will fight otherwise. I'd love to put a few in my edge if that's incorrect!


----------



## PaulG

This is where I'm at...


----------



## Scarlet_Pimp

dpm said:


> I'm hoping I won't be shot down here for my ignorance as I'm very new to this, and if anything, a little bit too enthusiastic maybe.
> 
> Sorry for the long post, and I wouldn't be surprised if anyone could be arced to read this but here goes!
> 
> I purchased my first Edge around 6 weeks ago. Originally, I was told 6 or 7 small fish, a couple of crabs and an otto would be fine, so that's what I originally and gradually went for. There seems to be a lot of controversy around the net as to what constitutes an overstocked or unhappy environment, and although after researching more I was initially worried that I would be overstocked, a few weeks down the line everything seems to be happy.
> 
> I have:
> 
> 3 ghost/glass catfish
> 3 Mountain Crystal Tetras
> 3 Red Clawed crabs
> and a couple of cherry/crystal red shrimp
> 
> The ghost catfish and tetras seem to get on brilliantly - and divide their time equally between shoaling together, and sticking to their own groups at either end of the tank.
> 
> The Red Claw crabs also seem very happy too, and divide their time between scavenging around the tank, and getting air - they spend half their time in the filter which they access from the driftwood that pokes out of the access hole.
> 
> I've replaced the stock halogens with 8 LCDs that I had lying around from IKEA, and they seem to light the tank fairly well, although only time will tell if the plants agree, but the DHG I have seems to be doing fairly well.
> 
> Having become rather obsessed with the edge, I started looking at getting another one! I decided that this time I would stick to 1 species only and that would be Dwarf Puffers. Again, there is very conflicting opinion as to how many you should keep together, and also their compatibility with others. I found a pretty even percentage of people saying a few cherry shrimp have been fine over long periods of time, and others that suggest the DPs would munch them from the outset. I decided to risk it and see what happens.
> 
> I also was told by my seller that 3 or 4 would be fine in a 6G tank, having looked into it I also came across quite a few examples of how they can live happily together as long as the tank was heavily planted. So went for 3 as they were selling them in 3s.
> 
> Also, completely unintentionally, I have what appear to be 4 african dwarf frogs. I purchased a couple of pieces of bogwood, and when I got home was surprised to see them all in the same bag - not knowing what to do and not being able to return them I didn't seem to have much choice but to put them in the tank. They spend quite a bit of time out of view, but all seem to have discovered the air access point, as fairly regularly the swim up for air and shoot back down into their hiding places.
> 
> The DPs have come into contact with both the shrimp and the frogs, and don't seem to be phased by them at all - I understand this could change either when they are hungry or when they mature, but I'm figuring I may be able to cross that bridge when I come to it.
> 
> Now, here's where the request for advice comes in!
> 
> As I said, I wanted the second EDGE to be very heavily planted, a) as I love the wild look of heavily planted aquariums, and b) in an attempt to ensure all the inhabitants would have space to either hide or create some kind of territory if need be?
> 
> I've only had the DPs and shrimp in for a couple of days, but all seem to be relatively happy - the DPs seemed rather hesitant to explore initially - huddling together on one side of the tank, but after a couple of hours began to look happier and start to explore. I haven't researched markings yet, but when they were first introduced, all 3 were very yellow in colour, with no clear markings - as the hours passed, the dark spots became more prominent and now appear to be different fish altogether, which I'm rather pleased with as I requested 3 with the most vibrant markings possible, and was very disappointed when I got to the car, looked in the bag and discovered 3 very yellow DPs with no clear markings at all!
> 
> Anyway, the planting. I understand that the stock lighting is not suitable for plant growth (although there does seem to be some success for a few people), so from day 1 I replaced the halogens with Ultra bright MR11 12v AC/DC 8 Led cool white bulbs with covers. These seemed to be a little on the dull side, and I wasn't overkeen on how blue the tank looked. So, I've ordered a pair of 12 Led MR11 150 Lumen Warm White AC/DC 2.8W=25W.
> 
> I told my seller what I wanted to achieve and discussed the limitations of the lighting with the edge, and was suggested plants that can survive well in low light conditions - mainly pant on bogwood, java moss on bogwood, a bit of dwarf hairgrass and a couple of others that I can't recall the name of.
> 
> Anyone know if the plants have any chance of survival? I've never attempted a planted tank before, and although I've read a lot online, have relied a lot on the advice in store. The more I read, the more conflicting opinions I seem to come across, and out of all the forums I've visited this seems to be the best place to ask!
> 
> Thanks to anyone that managed to get to the bottom of this wall of text!
> 
> Cheers
> 
> P.S - the dwarf puffers are bloody awesome! I'm not sure if I'm going mad, but they all seem to rush to the front of the tank to see me whenever I go over to the tank!
> 
> heh


Holy Crap that edge looks awesome, exactly what I would like mine to look like, though I plan to have ember tetra, RCS and Pygmy Cories.

As for the Puffers I have read a lot of good things about dwarf puffers being fine in a community tank, alot of the bad press is from people mixing them up with figure of 8 puffers which people often get mis sold. This is what I have read any way.
Can you post some more pics of your tank DPM? 
Out of interest who is your local fish supplier, I’m from Stockport in the UK


----------



## dpm

Thanks for all the positive comments everyone!

@ scarlet pimp - I'm going to take a few shot's tonight, I'll bung them up later.

I'm based in North London, so I'm a bit spoilt with regards to suppliers - Crews Hill has 4 good ones within walking distance of each other, including Maidenhead Aquatics and Wildwoods and Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green is also good.


----------



## PaulG

Which branch is the maidenhead aquatics near you? I'm in NW London.


----------



## dpm

It's in Crews Hill - inside the Enfield Garden Centre.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Gar...d=DZpDxy4obSSB9pBxEqvqTQ&cbp=12,38.71,,0,3.87


----------



## jczernia

*Time to show*

This is where my EDGE is at. I still have a lot of work to do on the lights I have too many ideas and I can’t decide on one. Custom made LED to get the edges of the tank lit up and Catalina Nano light 2x13w. Growing UG, HC and giant hair grass. I am dreading the day I will have to fill the tank with water and every thing dies on me. Any help submersing the plants would be appreciated. 
 
The first picture Led only the second all the light are on


----------



## fish-n-pups

The petrified wood looks great! I think it's one of the best rocks aesthetically for tanks!


----------



## PaulG

Yeah that looks great. My LED arrived today, I say LED, apparently I only ordered one.


----------



## mjolson5

Love the petrified wood! 

I'm a newbie to planted tanks and just picked up the Edge on sale (couldn't resist). I can already see that stumbling across this thread is going to cost me some money!


----------



## Fat Guy

nice rocks paulg


----------



## PaulG

Fat Guy said:


> nice rocks paulg


Thanks! I have a few bits of flame moss in, will see how it takes.


----------



## MlDukes

PaulG said:


> This is where I'm at...


 
those rocks do look nice, what if you brought the big ones in closer together so they look like they naturally seperated?


----------



## PaulG

I'll give it a try and post some pics.


----------



## PaulG

The first scape with added flame moss.













The second scape, large rocks moved closer together and a smaller rock added to the left hand side. I'll take another pic when the water has settled.














I have my other LED coming soon and a small pressurised co2 system as it was super cheap and I figured why not try it!? Hopefully that will be enough light as it's only flame moss but I may add more.


----------



## MlDukes

PaulG said:


> The first scape with added flame moss.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The second scape, large rocks moved closer together and a smaller rock added to the left hand side. I'll take another pic when the water has settled.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have my other LED coming soon and a small pressurised co2 system as it was super cheap and I figured why not try it!? Hopefully that will be enough light as it's only flame moss but I may add more.


 
Sorry i made you get your hands wet... :redface: The original placement deff looks best.


----------



## PaulG

Changed back!

You can see the difference between the LED and the standard bulbs in those pics. LED on the right.


----------



## LilGreenPuffer

MlDukes said:


> Sorry i made you get your hands wet... :redface: The original placement deff looks best.


+1, I like the first one best. Looks fantastic.


----------



## PaulG

Thanks! I didn't put any real effort into the first scape, I couldn't see any other way they would look good so just put them straight in.


----------



## dpm

Things seem to be going well so far, and I grabbed some nice macros today so thought I'd bung them up.


----------



## dpm

more...


----------



## dpm

last ones!


----------



## PaulG

Great shots!

Is it just the upgraded LEDs you're using for lighting? I have the same only the cool whites.


----------



## Scarlet_Pimp

@DPM sweet shots, your tank is looking awsome too, do you add any thing to make the plants grow?

Can you tell me which lights you got from Ikea and if you had to do any other mods to get them working or was it a straight swap, I would like to get some for mine too?


----------



## dpm

Hey.

@ Scarlet Pimp - the ikea mod was in a different edge - I just straight swapped these:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/mr11-lum....html?osCsid=6a7877d5c6c62ba3d5e9cd80ff67edf2

Nope, haven't added anything to help the plants grow - and I'm not sure if they will. The java fern seems very healthy though.


----------



## jczernia

Dose any one have an extra plastic box laying around the one that the filter sits in the back of the tank and the lights are attached to, I don’t need the lights just the box, or if you know where I can get it? I am thinking of using Rapids Mini Canister
I would need to do some modifications to it to make the filter fit and it would be nice to have a spare.

Please let me know


----------



## PaulG

Can someone advise me what bulb I can add beneath the hood?

I have a ceramic light fitting that just fits, I added a 24W daylight bulb but it blew straight away! Silly me.


----------



## volatile

dpm said:


> Things seem to be going well so far, and I grabbed some nice macros today so thought I'd bung them up.


Nice pics! Thanks for sharing them with us. What kind of camera are you using? Hopefully you have better luck with shrimp and DPs than I did =(


----------



## dpm

Thanks. It's a 5D MkII. 

Yep, had to lose one of my DPs.

While 2 of them seem totally fine with the shrimp, the other was constantly going for them. I figured 3 was perhaps pushing it for the tank anyway, so I took him back.


----------



## jczernia

jczernia said:


> Dose any one have an extra plastic box laying around the one that the filter sits in the back of the tank and the lights are attached to, I don’t need the lights just the box, or if you know where I can get it? I am thinking of using Rapids Mini Canister
> I would need to do some modifications to it to make the filter fit and it would be nice to have a spare.
> 
> Please let me know


Any one ??:frown:


----------



## MlDukes

jczernia said:


> Any one ??:frown:


Im guessin thats gonna be pretty hard to find, unless by chance you catch someone with a broken tank. 

with a lil creativity you could make one... maybe out of plexiglass painted black..??


----------



## PaulG

Who wants to post their updated tank pics!? :smile:

My final shipment of plants should arrive soon. I hate the co2 diffuser my nano co2 kit came with so waiting on a new one, plus I have a drop checker on the way.

I'm not convinced I have enough lighting, one CF 6500k bulb and two upgraded LEDS. Hmmmm.


----------



## fattail95

I thought I would show you guys a piccy of my tank!


----------



## LICfish

dkbmxr18 said:


> How many Dwarf Puffers can you keep in an edge? My understanding was 1 or MAYBE 2 in at least a 10g because they will fight otherwise. I'd love to put a few in my edge if that's incorrect!


 Sorry for the late reply. Missed it. From my experience I would say 2 is the most you can keep in the edge. I know some people have done more but IMHO not the best set up. I had my 2 DPs in a 5 gallon at first. They chased each other around the tank so much I moved them to their 12 gallon. They're awesome fish


----------



## volatile

jczernia said:


> Dose any one have an extra plastic box laying around the one that the filter sits in the back of the tank and the lights are attached to I don’t need the lights just the box or if you know where I can get it? I am thinking of using Rapids Mini Canister I would need to do some modifications to it to make the filter fit and it would be nice to have a spare.  Please let me know


 I saw my local fish store sell replacement Fluval Edge tanks (boxed up) and those were $48.99. You can probably just order the top lid part by itself as well.


----------



## jczernia

Thank you volatile
I contacted Hagen USA I was told that they would send me the piece I need that was two weeks ago I think I will call tomorrow and see what happened.


----------



## jczernia

What kind of heater do you use in your EDGE??


----------



## jeffvmd

I have a hydor mini 15watt heater tucked in my HOB but haven't really used it since it gets too warm inside the house at this season specially when the building heaters are on.

My edge has been rescaped since i had the stocks wiped out by a friend when I left for a month's vacation. Here it is now almost 2 months after the rescaping and restocking.


























It now houses tiger endler's livebearers (3 pairs), 2 oto's, OEBT's, Blue bees and Blue Pearls.


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

nice scape jeff!


----------



## TLE041

That's a great looking Edge, Jeff. I'm always envious of anyone who manages to grow a carpet in this tank (because of the light limitations). 

Awesome fishes and shrimps, too.


----------



## jeffvmd

hey thanks CGY Betta Guy and TLE041.
Its just a carpet of subwassertang tied on acrylic plate to hold em down.
I've tried growing HC carpet before but all it does is melt away.
This was the solution I found on how to have a carpet (besides moss) inside the edge.


----------



## LICfish

jeffvmd said:


> This was the solution I found on how to have a carpet (besides moss) inside the edge.


It's a brilliant solution


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

Hey guys. I found an interesting German site with a modded lighting system that actually works well! Check it out.

http://www.einrichtungsbeispiele.de/18219.html

Just got my Edge. Waiting on ADA Aquasoil from ADG Shop. Their shipping is extremely slow from Texas to California. I'm actually kind of pissed because my delivery date was pushed back another 4 days. Took them 4 full days to drop the order off at Fedex. Never ordering from them again.


----------



## volatile

DarkzeroZ4 said:


> Hey guys. I found an interesting German site with a modded lighting system that actually works well! Check it out.
> 
> http://www.einrichtungsbeispiele.de/18219.html
> 
> Just got my Edge. Waiting on ADA Aquasoil from ADG Shop. Their shipping is extremely slow from Texas to California. I'm actually kind of pissed because my delivery date was pushed back another 4 days. Took them 4 full days to drop the order off at Fedex. Never ordering from them again.


Not sure if you're aware but Aqua Forest Aquarium is in SF, CA and they've never taken 4 days to drop an order off for me.

That link you provided is pretty cool. Too bad all of the text is in German so most of us don't know what it says. It looks like he made his own hood with LEDs.

He has a nice youtube video. That HC is growing low and compact.


----------



## dpm

Just thought I'd let people know I've just straight swapped my LED MR11s with LED MR16s and they work brilliantly. Straight plug and play swap with no modding needed, but obviously much bigger bulbs, that have many more LEDs and sit much closer to the water thus lighting the tank better. Won't bother taking pics now as theres too much daylight, but will later.

These were the bulbs I ordered:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/u1615cw-mr16-acdc-wide-angle-cool-white-p-1978.html

255 lumens per bulb. Nice!

edit:

Just found these that look even better, as they are covered and also output 320 lumens:

http://www.simplyled.co.uk/MR16-Hig...D-5050-320-Lumens-50-watts-equiv_ASI5U.aspx?0


----------



## jeffvmd

LICfish said:


> It's a brilliant solution


Thanks :icon_mrgr



DarkzeroZ4 said:


> Hey guys. I found an interesting German site with a modded lighting system that actually works well! Check it out.
> 
> http://www.einrichtungsbeispiele.de/18219.html


This is one cool mod.:thumbsup:


----------



## windsnake

Thought I'd throw my tank in here. Got into planted tanks, iwagumi and shrimps because of the Edge, wat.










The HC has bouts of flourishing and melting along with algae spurts if I look at it funny, probably in direct relation to my CO2 flailings. Eh well, it does seem to overall be surviving and looking pretty.
LOVE that german link, now I wanna try out that extra lighting idea. All I need is a classy piece of black plastic like he has.


----------



## dpm

Hi.

I have around 8 Cherry shrimp and 8 Orange shrimp that need a new home.

I get the impression that most posters here are US based, but thought I'd ask in case there were any London based posters that wanted them and would pick them up from North London.


----------



## PaulG

dpm said:


> Hi.
> 
> I have around 8 Cherry shrimp and 8 Orange shrimp that need a new home.
> 
> I get the impression that most posters here are US based, but thought I'd ask in case there were any London based posters that wanted them and would pick them up from North London.


I'll be looking for a few cherry shrimp in a few weeks.


----------



## dpm

Hey. You would have been welcome to them, but unfortunately my heater decided to go tits up last night, and as a result, when I cam down this morning the tank was in the 90's.  As a result, all the shrimp were fried.

Feel like taking it back to the shop and ramming it up where the sun doesn't shine.


----------



## J83

Sorry to hear about the shrimp, however if you want to get in touch with some london based aquascapers try this London based forum http://www.lfkc.co.uk/


----------



## Fat Guy

Haven't posted on this thread in awhile. All these tanks look great. I've been pondering getting an ADA tank as of recently, and just moss and shrimp farming in this edge. Anyway. Here's what mine's looking like.

night shot








day shot


----------



## dpm

Really pleased with my tank now. Added a couple more plants, and the Dwarf Puffers and shrimp all seem to be getting along very well!

Did a little vid last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k276XmnzWQM&hd=1


----------



## jczernia

dpm the tank looks good love the shrimp
Wish I had less plans for my tank maybe than it would be close to being finished.:frown:


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

Got my Edge set up for about 3 days now. Didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted, but it'll have to do for now. Took a good 4 hours. By the way, MR16 fits in the stock housing with a little mod. Just push the pins closer together and force it in. Slightly brighter than MR11. Sorry for photo quality. Taken with Nexus One.

Light: MR16 15 SMD LED + MR11 10 SMD LED + 10w CF Bulb
Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Amazonia II
Plants: Aponogeton, Willow Moss, Christmas Moss, Taiwan Moss, Dwarf Hairgrass
Decor: Manzanita Wood attached to some rocks to form a tree

Front View









Side View

















Close Ups


----------



## Derelique

MlDukes said:


> I read through your thread and i think your problem is more circulation than filtration: If thats the case a mini powerhead may fix your issues.
> 
> Additional filtration: For my SW Edge Ive been toying with the idea of removing the stock filter and cutting holes in the bottom of the base(directly below the stock filter). I would also cut holes in the stand that the tank sits on and place a fluval 205 or 305 below with the inlet/outlet tubing ran up through the holes to the tank. another option may be to rig up an overflow running down to a sump below. (probably not the best idea for a planted tank). Besides that the only and easiest option would be to go with a mini-internal filter.
> 
> PS: i know what you mean about trying to catch a fish in this thing without destroying the scape
> 
> - Impossible -


MIDukes; In regards to your question, I've myself mounted a Fluval 305 on my Edge now. I wanted to pimp the biological filter capacity, and that one was what I happened to find a cheap used one of that day on Ebay. I think the stock HOB's flow rate is actually excessive for my fish, even at the lowest setting, so I couldn't exactly plug the 305 straight onto my tank or I'd have turned my fish collection into bouillabaisse... Thus, I downgraded the HOB, to a Red Sea Deco Art Nano Filter, which gave me just enough room so that within the housing I could run the 305's standard intake and return both into and out of the Deco's filter chamber. The tubing runs down through the back of the casing and a hole I drilled in the shelf, so everything is concealed above deck. And the HOB become a bit of 'blast chamber' for the 305's current. The 305 is in part recirculating its own filtered water, which is fine. And despite that my tank is purposefully overstocked, (as well as overplanted), my water tests are coming out perfect. I just added a CO2 indicator, and I'm hoping the additional bio activity in the canister filter will actually provide extra CO2 which my plants should benefit from. I'm not dosing CO2, and as even with the tank opening's small surface area, my baseline CO2 readings were far below the optimal range. 

Will have my lighting pimped shortly as well and I'll try and post some photos at that point.


----------



## Derelique

Glass Embedded LED Lighting to top glass? 

http://www.sun-tec.ch/assets/s2dmai.../powerglass/powerglass/5023079e220b2f7ca.html

http://www.sun-tec.ch/assets/s2dmai.../powerglass/powerglass/5023079e220b2f7cf.html

http://www.sun-tec.ch/assets/s2dmain.html?http://www.sun-tec.ch/powerglass/lightpoints/index.html

http://www.sun-tec.ch/assets/s2dmai.../powerglass/powerglass/5023079e220b2f8da.html

Lighting - After having researched the matter extensively, perhaps we're all going about modding the lighting on these tanks in the wrong way, (budget permitting). After having been reviewing the spectral analysis of LEDs and aquatic plants, it seems that both cool white and warm white LED's in any case do an ideal job of providing the right light spectrum. The Edge tanks are beautiful pieces of design, but atrocious in terms of lighting. With the lighting hood set so far back I'm missing out on all the iridescent colours my fish have and they're just washed out while backlit. The lighting needs to be along the top front edge, which is a bugger to accomplish without of course compromising the design concept. The logical solution would of course be to use glass embedded LEDs. Has anyone tried this approach? The LED film would be the ideal and most discreet solution, but the LED strip in the link above could work also, while nevertheless being completely flush. It looks like the film and the strips could be afixed to the top of the tank at front or even the entire perimeter, with or without a thin secondary covering glass piece which wouldn't be difficult to cut to fit by hand or have a glass shop precisely mock up. Unfortunately I'd already purchase the Ecoxotic Stunner Strip before considering the embedded LED approach in greater detail. But if anyone else has had success with it then I might be willing to revert to that still.


----------



## dpm

IMO, making any modifications to the Edge other than within the hood completely defeats the point of having one - as it's the simplicity of the design and the overall aesthetics that appealed to me in the first place. As soon as anything is placed on the top glass, then an alternative tank seems to be the better option.

I quite like the idea of the LEDS on transparent film, but can imagine it looking quite tatty quite quickly. Also, would there not be a lot of glare coming from the top glass of the tank?

I seem to have gained quite a well lit tank using 320 lumen 120° beam angle 20 LED MR16 bulbs that sit very close to the water, but there is still - as you say - a certain amount of backlighting on the occupants...

The only solution I have come up with so far is to get a very high powered MR16 with a very narrow beam angle and use it to replace one of the ceiling spots I have above the tank and angle it to point towards the top glass of my tank - although I'm not sure how effective that will be, and most people probably don't have that set-up.


----------



## Derelique

DPM - In response, modifying the Edge simply within the top glass pane with embedded LED film would certainly be discreet enough to not detract whatsoever from the tank design's effect. In case you haven't seen embedded LED films used before, take a look at some of those examples in those links. I've seen them featured at a Building Industry trade show, (I'm an architect), set within the glass of a glass door. The wiring is invisible and the only thing you see is the light that is produced. It's of course far from being the least expensive alternative, but might be worth it for some as well as in keeping with a high-end interior design in case their Edge is used as a real design feature within their home. The best approach would be to sandwich the LED film between two panes of glass, where it would in any case be completely sealed and protected from anything that might make it appear 'tatty'. So you could razor the top pane off your Edge, replace it with two thinner panes laminated together with the LED film in-between, and silicon that back onto the top of the Edge. (Any custom glass shop should be able to do that in case it goes beyond ones DIY skills, if provided with the top pane to use as a template and the LED film. Alternatively, an additional thin top pane could be added instead, and cut around the opening upstand. Laminated glass is a very common thing and used for many purposes such as where extra strength or safety is required. Due to the prismatic nature of glass any light entering it beyond the 37 degree angle of incidence threshold should be projected straight through the glass and therefore I believe there shouldn't actually be any glare caused by this approach (when looking at the tank from the front or side, as well as at the edge of the top pane). I had been testing this myself with an LED flashlight and that certainly seems to be the case. IF however you were concerned about seeing the LEDs from above when you look down at the top of the tank, (in case it is set low), then that could potentially be mitigated by masking off and painting a black strip over the embedded LEDs on top of the glass. Personally I'd rather be able to see the embedded LEDs from above to make best use of their full effect. (I haven't checked though whether embedded LEDs come in both one-sided and two-sided, so it may not even be an issue.


----------



## dpm

If we're talking custom glass, then the option of going a little further is quite appealing...

I quite like the idea of using the existing filter/lighting casing/stand, but having the tank slightly wider! Providing the stand could manage a couple of extra inches each side, that would be awesome.

I'd love top get a ballpark figure on how much a custom glass shop would charge for replicating the edge glass but slightly larger, with the LEDs included in the top pane.


----------



## Derelique

*Sculptural Tanks and glass-embedded LED lighting?*



dpm said:


> If we're talking custom glass, then the option of going a little further is quite appealing...
> 
> I quite like the idea of using the existing filter/lighting casing/stand, but having the tank slightly wider! Providing the stand could manage a couple of extra inches each side, that would be awesome.
> 
> I'd love top get a ballpark figure on how much a custom glass shop would charge for replicating the edge glass but slightly larger, with the LEDs included in the top pane.


- I'd also been toying with the idea as well, of designing a considerably larger tank set-up based upon a few of the design principles of the Edge, such as the cantilevered base. Considering the weight of a tank that was much larger, I'd use acrylic instead though, with bevelled edges, as it's much stronger and can be finished more neatly. And the entire rear casing would be much better off used as a biological filter sump, containing the necessary water pumps, heaters, etc, such that no equipment whatsoever is visible. 

One could do much better than the plastic casing as well, which looks rather cheap still. Perhaps even a resin cast stone casing might be of feasible value, though it could remain as acrylic or glass as well. Anyone suspect there would be a reasonable market for such a product, of 'architecturally' designed high-end tanks which are equal parts sculpture and hobby? 

With a tank much larger and deeper it might quickly become cost-prohibitive to achieve the required lux levels solely via embedded LED film, though they could still be used for accent lighting to capture the iridescent colours of fish. I need to give the ideal lighting solution some further thought still, for a larger tank.

I've had some background in sculpture and glass-blowing as well, so there are a few design ideas from my work there which could translate well into a feature sculptural tank. Anyone interested in buying a prototype (at cost) if I was to design something and have a glass shop mock it up for me? I won't be able to do one for myself before I complete my own house extension next year in any case, but plan to following that.


----------



## dpm

I'd be interested if the design and price were right.


----------



## Derelique

dpm said:


> I'd be interested if the design and price were right.[/QUOTE
> 
> dpm - Send a message to me here or to [email protected], and I could get in touch. What size of a designed tank would you potentially be looking to achieve?


----------



## urples

@dpm: really nice pictures dude


----------



## tetraontheedge

Hi everyone.

Great site, great thread.  I have been learning a lot by reading this site. I have started a fluval edge that is heavily planted with low light plants (except a few stalks of cobomba directly under the lights). 

My question concerns Java ferns. Will they get burned by being directly under or close to the lights? Would it be better for them to be in the corners? I could put anubias under the lights. 

Since there are some ramshorn snails and 15 or so cherry red shrimp in the tank, I'm not worried about algae developing on either of these.

This, btw, is an unmodded light fixture. It is, I believe, what the forum would call "stock."

Thanks for any insight you may be able to provide.

Best wishes,

Megan


----------



## dpm

I'm running 2 MR16s that are hugely brighter than the stock bulbs, and my java fern is doing brilliantly, so I would say no - the stock lights will not do it any harm at all.

I also have anubias directly under the lights and it's flowering well.

Here's a vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k276XmnzWQM&hd=1


----------



## tetraontheedge

Thanks, DPM! I will leave them as they are, then.  Off to watch your video now.


----------



## Eric84

Hello everyone! I found this site after following a link from google.  TONS of info here - Thanks! Has anyone used the bamboo wall fluval has made available? I like the prospect of being able to hide the filter intake and heater. I am getting an edge for Christmas and I would like to see some pictures of the bamboo all being used. 

Some great looking tanks in this thread -- lots of inspiration! I've already purchased my LED replacement bulbs.


----------



## Jeff1192

I am receiving a Fluval Edge for Christmas....I know because I bought it while Black Friday shopping with my wife....haha. Anyways I was thinking of doing a low light planted with swords, cryps, mosses, ect and I'm looking for your opinions on the lighting. My 90 gallon is a high tech with pressurized CO2 and I don't want to do that with this one. I'm not against dosing with Excel however to get some better growth. So would you stick with the stock lighting or go with the LED bulbs mentioned on previous posts? If you go with LED would this bulb that I found on Ebay work:

MR16 210 Lumen Warm White 15 SMD LED 3 watt Wide Angle

Thanks,

Jeff


----------



## Derelique

Jeff, even with the MR16 bulbs, the intensity and spread of the lighting is woefully inadequate to achieve a fully densely planted tank. The other problems is that the lighting is set too far back to capture the iridescent colours fish have, as its lighting their wrong side, the side towards the back of the tank. There are a few options for additional lighting, some of which I'm experimenting with currently. 

One way is to but a waterproof LED strip off Ebay, where they are quite inexpensive and shipped directly from Hong Kong/China. (Some may require you to attach it to a transformer, and some come with). [Ebay Link Removed]
is the one I've currently ordered. I'm going to just coil it around the Edge's lighting fixture a few time, attach it with zip ties, and plug it into a timer. It can be trimmed as desired if need be. After experimenting with cool white LEDs, I have to say I prefer either the warm white, or an equal mix of warm white and cool white. 

Another is to buy one or two of the Lack LED pendant lamps from Ikea, which you can set on top of the tank to the front or the sides of the existing cover to get the light levels and distribution required. 

Yet a different solution is to buy on Ebay one or two rigid LED bars, search "20 Inch LED Strip Light 30 Surface Mount SMT Warm-White" or similar or try this link, 
[Ebay Link Removed]
and set it/them atop the glass near the front or middle. 

I personally bought the Ecoxotic Stunner Strip, but find the light to be a little cool for my taste and therefore have some warm white LEDs on the way to balance it out. Either the LED bar or the Ikea lack lights could be painted black to match, in case that is what your tank's surround is. 

Once I've experimented to find the light colour balance I'm happy with, I'm intending to order a lasercut 2 pieces of acrylic to form a thin black 'frame' to lay on top of the tank, and I will mount LED tape, (the waterproof flexible strips which are 1 or 2 mm thick) to the underside of that. Thus, the LED tape will be attached with adhesive strips to the top cover piece, and the other piece will have a hole cut out which will form the surround for the LED tape to sit inside. It's having to go outside 'the box' and add something else to the top of the tank, but is thin enough that it should still be very discreet.


----------



## Eric84

Well I could not wait until Xmas. Just set it up -- pic quality is pretty poor.


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

Please let us know when your project is complete. What I did for now was mount a 3rd MR16 with duck tape. So far the hairgrass and mosses are growing just fine. RCS are starting to reproduce.



Derelique said:


> Jeff, even with the MR16 bulbs, the intensity and spread of the lighting is woefully inadequate to achieve a fully densely planted tank. The other problems is that the lighting is set too far back to capture the iridescent colours fish have, as its lighting their wrong side, the side towards the back of the tank. There are a few options for additional lighting, some of which I'm experimenting with currently.
> 
> One way is to but a waterproof LED strip off Ebay, where they are quite inexpensive and shipped directly from Hong Kong/China. (Some may require you to attach it to a transformer, and some come with). [Ebay Link Removed]
> is the one I've currently ordered. I'm going to just coil it around the Edge's lighting fixture a few time, attach it with zip ties, and plug it into a timer. It can be trimmed as desired if need be. After experimenting with cool white LEDs, I have to say I prefer either the warm white, or an equal mix of warm white and cool white.
> 
> Another is to buy one or two of the Lack LED pendant lamps from Ikea, which you can set on top of the tank to the front or the sides of the existing cover to get the light levels and distribution required.
> 
> Yet a different solution is to buy on Ebay one or two rigid LED bars, search "20 Inch LED Strip Light 30 Surface Mount SMT Warm-White" or similar or try this link,
> [Ebay Link Removed]
> and set it/them atop the glass near the front or middle.
> 
> I personally bought the Ecoxotic Stunner Strip, but find the light to be a little cool for my taste and therefore have some warm white LEDs on the way to balance it out. Either the LED bar or the Ikea lack lights could be painted black to match, in case that is what your tank's surround is.
> 
> Once I've experimented to find the light colour balance I'm happy with, I'm intending to order a lasercut 2 pieces of acrylic to form a thin black 'frame' to lay on top of the tank, and I will mount LED tape, (the waterproof flexible strips which are 1 or 2 mm thick) to the underside of that. Thus, the LED tape will be attached with adhesive strips to the top cover piece, and the other piece will have a hole cut out which will form the surround for the LED tape to sit inside. It's having to go outside 'the box' and add something else to the top of the tank, but is thin enough that it should still be very discreet.


----------



## Jeff1192

But I'm wondering if the MR16 210 Lumen Warm White 15 SMD LED 3 watt Wide Angle bulb will work in the fixture. I'd like to order it now so that I have it when it's time to set up the tank.

Eric, what is that round plant you have in the tank a couple of times. On my Iphone I thought they were moss balls but when I looked again on my laptop I realized that they're not. Tank is looking good.

Thanks,

Jeff


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

MR16 will work. The pins are bigger, but they'll fit if you force it in. I have 3 set up for my tank. Haven't had a problem yet.



Jeff1192 said:


> But I'm wondering if the MR16 210 Lumen Warm White 15 SMD LED 3 watt Wide Angle bulb will work in the fixture. I'd like to order it now so that I have it when it's time to set up the tank.
> 
> Eric, what is that round plant you have in the tank a couple of times. On my Iphone I thought they were moss balls but when I looked again on my laptop I realized that they're not. Tank is looking good.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jeff


----------



## PaulG

So my tank is finally cycled!

Does anyone have any experience with galaxy rasboras in the edge? I'm thinking of adding 4/5.


----------



## windsnake

I've got 6 galaxies in mine and they're pretty happy.

My edge has the two MR16s and the walmart light mod crammed under my hood, but the HC directly under the lights is growing really unhappily tall (which ends with parts of it breaking off and floating). Gonna have to look into more lighting.

edit- Darkzero, if you see this could you take a photo of where you've put the 3rd mr16?


----------



## PaulG

:fish1:

Good stuff.


----------



## jeffvmd

I did have 6 galaxy rasboras before in my edge and they seem to do good.
But since i had my 20gal long tank I moved them to it already and have 5 tiger endler's in the edge now.


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

Made some changes to the tank since. I have a 20 watt light strip for the HC until they root.






windsnake said:


> I've got 6 galaxies in mine and they're pretty happy.
> 
> My edge has the two MR16s and the walmart light mod crammed under my hood, but the HC directly under the lights is growing really unhappily tall (which ends with parts of it breaking off and floating). Gonna have to look into more lighting.
> 
> edit- Darkzero, if you see this could you take a photo of where you've put the 3rd mr16?


----------



## Ibby

I have had my EDEGE setup since September with a few plants and the Bamboo Accessory. I replaced the halogens with LED's bought online. I have it stocked with the following
8 x Boraras brigittae
9 x CRS
3 x Amano shrimp
3 x Assassin Snails

I am wondering whether it could cope with anymore Boraras as i think they suit the tank well and seem very happy in there?


----------



## chumlee

Hey guys, I just got an early christmas present ....an EDGE and I have a few questions. I decided to go non-planted because I have my 29g dutch to worry about which Im currently still in the process of but....
1.Can someone link me to those 10$ walmart lights or something similar where I get the bulb and the housing or whatever is simple.



2. I retrofitted one of these guys(26 watt aero garden bulb stolen from a lamp I had in my house )-----







---- into the hood after blowing out my whole light fixture (I Put 20w bulbs in the 10w sockets DUH!!) and I didnt feel like returning the whole system so that was really my only choice. I understand that this light is really bright but Im getting terrible coverage in the tank. Can someone tell me how to improve this or give me some plans on a diy hood. 

Heres my take on a simplistic nature scape minus the plants...The water is still a little cloudy but it looks a lot better in person. try to Imagine just the hardscape but in ideal lighting and water conditions  .


----------



## TLE041

Ibby said:


> I am wondering whether it could cope with anymore Boraras as i think they suit the tank well and seem very happy in there?


I have 15 Boraras merah in mine and they seem happy. There's a lot of room to swim around and form schools because they're TINY. My water is pristine with weekly water change. I haven't lost a single one since I added them about 6 months ago.


----------



## jczernia

Where is your water temperature in your Edge??
I can't keep it below 77f I know its not the light I have 2 13w bulbs with 2 small computer fans and at any time I can put my hand on top of them. it is not the room temperature I live in Chicago and the room is at 72-74f. I have some shrimp in it now and wont the temp to be lower.


----------



## PaulG

Just a quick update for anyone planning to use just upgraded LEDS. I've kept all my plants in a tight bunch in a 5 square inch area underneath the lights, anubias and crypts all now growing well.

So, it can be done with just LED upgrades if you arrange the plants like this.

Edit: Removed co2 as it was causing me too much hassle, just dosing 5ml TPM Plus a week and using API root tabs in black gravel.


----------



## plaztic.dagger

Hi all, brand new here... Found the forum doing a search through Google. Looked like alot of good info here so I registered. Here's some pics of my Edge on my desk at work. Possible nitrate problem with the green algae... :icon_frow





Plants:
Aponogeton Crispus
Amazon Sword
Unknown plant on the right picked up at local pet store. (Some Java type?)

1 Copper HMPk Betta
1 Algae Eater
3 Ghost Shrimp

Not the most prettiest tank, but its a nice distraction from work. No longer keen on the sand I used for substrate, kind of a pain to clean. Would love to populate it with cherry shrimp at some point but I need to take care of my nitrate problem first i think.

Interested in replacing the halogen bulbs with LED ones posted here. There is also a florescent bulb above in a fixture under the shelf. But I dont think thats a standard size to replace with an aquarium size bulb.

Any suggestions would be appreciated


----------



## chumlee

Replaced my bulb with a smaller random Lowes Compact fluorescent bulb, and got some petrified wood for cheap. 
The tank is actually really bright in person but my camera did something weird with the lighting.


----------



## chris92486

*Size*

I am looking to get a Fluval Edge after the holidays and want to build a stand for it. Can someone please take some measurements for me.

I need the exact size of the base and the tank.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Chris


----------



## liquidity

Edit: The parts are spoken for, glad they could go to use and not landfill!

Hi everyone,

I cracked the glass on my Edge (hot light too close to the glass during maintenance, oops) so now I have a complete set of Pewter Fluval Edge plastic body parts available. This includes everything except the tank itself and the filter:


the stand that the tank itself sits on
the back cover that hides the filter and wires
lighting unit
stock bulbs and LED replacements
the hood that covers the tank opening
If anyone needs any of these pieces, I will be happy to send them for the price of shipping. Not looking to profit on these, just don't want to landfill them. PM me if interested.

Oh, and don't grieve for the loss of the edge; I've replaced it with an ADA 30-c.


----------



## MlDukes

Before you trash the tank. It might be pretty cool to cut off the top pane. Leaving you with a slick 6g rimless tank. The glass is thick "considering the size" so i think it would hold up pretty well. Just a thought. 

PMed about LED's and possibly extra parts.



liquidity said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I cracked the glass on my Edge (hot light too close to the glass during maintenance, oops) so now I have a complete set of Pewter Fluval Edge plastic body parts available. This includes everything except the tank itself and the filter:
> 
> 
> the stand that the tank itself sits on
> the back cover that hides the filter and wires
> lighting unit
> stock bulbs and LED replacements
> the hood that covers the tank opening
> If anyone needs any of these pieces, I will be happy to send them for the price of shipping. Not looking to profit on these, just don't want to landfill them. PM me if interested.
> 
> Oh, and don't grieve for the loss of the edge; I've replaced it with an ADA 30-c.


----------



## liquidity

That's a great idea. I'm going to try it. I will post my results in this thread.


----------



## DarkzeroZ4

Here's an update on the tank. I'm fighting green dust algae. Anyone have suggestions on how to get rid of this. I know I'm supposed to wait 3 weeks for it to mature, but it's extremely difficult to clean the tank. Algae scrubbers would spread it to other regions. Thanks.


----------



## allen2oo3

if something happens and the lighting fixture becomes available, please let me know. mine went out about a week ago for no reason


----------



## bleublaze55

*My upgrade*

Hey Forum, 

I just sound this thread and saw all the awesome upgrade everyone has done. So i did the 10w upgrade last night and the heater in the HOB. WAS A FANTASTiC upgrade. I also have my NANO diffuser coming. Here are my pictures and list

2 anubias, tons of java fern, ricota (??), lotus, and some hodge podge stuff. 
9 neons, 2 skunk corys, 2 dwarf rainbows, 2 guppies, 1 rio tetra, and 2 snails. (i know its a lot, but they all are doing great)

Pictures are before and after of the lighting.


----------



## VdubS

Hello from the UK!!

I read through this whole thread last night and what a read it was! I got my Edge for Christmas this year and have been looking forward to setting it up for the whole of december!

I, like everyone else on here am going with the naturalistic look- my aquatic planted tank and aquascaping knowledge is pretty slim though! Ive had loads of ideas from you guys/gals so thanks for that!!

I am itching to get the LED bulbs ordered up from Ebay but want to make sure im going for the correct ones first..i just have a couple of questions which im hoping you can help me with..

What is the best thing to go with quantity of lumens OR 'K' amount?? (Sorry for my newbieness when it comes to lighting...) for plant growth..

I found some bulbs on Ebay that are

MR 11 12Volt 1W 390lumes 20W White K5000 They are also 25degree beam angle.

That is obviously per bulb so i will have two of them in my tank, do you think this is sufficient to grow plants with??

Any help is very much appreciated as id like to get the bulbs ordered asap!




Also forgot to add, it is a black Fluval Edge, i have black fine sand substrate, 4 small moss balls, 2 small pieces of wood one with anubias growing on it, i have also bought a slightly bigger piece of swamp root wood in soak at the moment that i will be tying plant too.

I also have a list for livestock but i shant list that yet!:redface:

sorry to create a bit of an essay, but these tanks are addictive lol, i look forward to meeting other like minded people!


----------



## bleublaze55

I think lumens is the most important. the K is the temperature of the color of the bulb. I like bluer whites so the closer to 10K the better for me.


----------



## VdubS

bleublaze55 said:


> I think lumens is the most important. the K is the temperature of the color of the bulb. I like bluer whites so the closer to 10K the better for me.


Thanks for the quick reply, so 780 lumens do you think that is an efficient amount to grow, approx, 3 med sized plants and 4 small moss balls?

Thanks again!


----------



## bleublaze55

Should be fine. Im NOT a lighting expert. Ive got about 7 plants in my edge, and adding more all the time, without any problem. (2 LED bulbs, and a 10w CFL) looks like enough light.
Just make sure that whatever plants you add have the right amount of lighting to match. Low light plants with low light and high with high....:fish1:


----------



## Wes

Those LEDs have a VERY narrow beam. Look for ones with a much wider beam, they're out there. I just ordered a single 10w LED on ebay I'm going to DIY in just a bit. IIRC it's got a beam of 150 degrees.


----------



## Jeff1192

I finally got my Edge up and running. I went with black Flourite for substrate and I planted it with Christmas moss, java moss, windelov java fern, echinodorus tropica, echinodorus tellenus and an unknown crypt. I also added 3 pieces of petrified wood.

I have stocked it with some pygmy cories, scarlet badis, celestial pearl danios, cherry shrimp and crystal red shrimp.

Now I've got to order those LED bulbs to try and get slightly better lighting coverage.

I'll try to get some photos later.

Jeff


----------



## Jeff1192

So here's a couple quick shots:


----------



## VdubS

What is the ideal angle of light coverage i should be looking out for with these LEDS then? and the higher the lumen the better yeah? Sorry for all the questions but there are soo many to choose from and i want to get the right ones!


oh and a quick update, i have added my centre piece of wood furnishing into the edge along with some xmas moss, tied up to it and onto a small rock i have added! :icon_lol:


----------



## odie

Will these work?? Do they need to be sealed? 

*MR16 240 Lumen White 15 SMD LED Wide Angle Flood Light*

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=537


----------



## JACimages

So as many people here i found this awesome forum on google and had to subscribe to help with my trials and questions and hopefully provide answers for people looking.

i got my Edge a while ago because i moved and could use my 60 gal any more. i didnt have a main goal in what i wanted to achieve (planted,Marine,etc) but going from a 60 to a 6.6 was a hard separation. After researching a lot on different setups i had seen on the internet i kind of got the idea i wanted to try planted but doing further research the difficulty it can be.

so day 1 i started. i filled it with live sand which was the first oops. i was such in a rush to just get it set up i forgot to look at what substrate i was buying. and i also bought a fake plant this is what we got.









at this time i saw that i didnt like the shells and fragments in the live sand (because live sand can work in freshwater) so i decided to change to a very fine grain sand. and also tried to scape a little more add some bog wood and 2 plants thought i had blindly bought from petsmart (keep in mind i had no clue still about live plants)


















now here are some problems you will see.. well obviously you see the tannis from the bog wood cause a problem which normally isnt a bad thing.. it keeps your PH good etc and many people will tell you to do water changes. that is a good fix but with a 6.6 water changes will be VERY VERY frequent. another problem is the very fine grain sand. DONT BUY IT. at first everything seems dandy but after a couple hours, how the filter is set up it will start to dig a hole due to the flow of the water. (mind you i had a prefilter and had it lowest the little aqua clear would go. so i changed the substrate to a black gravel and put the bog wood to sit in water.

SO this is when i started to research planted aquariums and looked at many peoples EDGES on this sight as inspiration and a guide on which plants will be best. and this is what i came up with as of last night. im not running co2 but am using co2 tablets. its heated at 76.4 degrees.




























i feel like its missing another background plant in the back but hopefully will fill it with some growth

as for mods. i have the mr11 LED wide angle on order and will probably wrap them in some stuff.. do the actually led's get hott? and i was so mad cause my walmart ran out of the 10w bulbs im going to build. does anybody have a small writeup of how your wired it? socket housing and how you powered it (spliced an extension cord or wired all new)

any suggestions im very open to also!!


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## Newman

looks very nice, my only suggestion would be to move that crypt back, its going to grow much taller and will look odd where it is now. I know, because I have a crypt in the foreground in one of my tanks, and the thing grew very big and just looks plan awkward (but i cant move it now since it rooted itself down so well and sent out millions of baby plants)


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## JACimages

so today i did the 10w flouresent mod. and OMG this mod is a must have. seriously!!

i also added 4 Sunkist shirp and 4 cherry. i only got that much cause i didnt think they would all make the drive home but they did!!!

here a shot of a sunkist ( i posted it large so you can get the full effect lol)


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## dpm

TLE041 said:


> I have 15 Boraras merah in mine and they seem happy. There's a lot of room to swim around and form schools because they're TINY. My water is pristine with weekly water change. I haven't lost a single one since I added them about 6 months ago.


What sort of Boraras?

I've added 12 boraras urophthalmoides - which grow no bigger than 13mm - perfect for this tank.

Technically My tank is overstocked - heavily planted, with lots of fire red, a few CRS, 4 red nosed shrimp, 2 DPs, 12 Boraras and 4 armoured stickleback.

But you'd be forgiven for thinking there was nothing in there - as on first glance the tank looks empty.

Because everything is so small, and most of the fish love exploring or staying hidden (especially the stickleback) and the tanl is heavily planted, I feel perfectly OK with the situation - it's been months now and everything seems very happy.

I also calculated that I have 22cm of fish in nearly 30G - which some people say is OK anyway... I cant help but not include the Shrimp, as they don't actually use swimming space, and most stay well hidden anyway!

Edit: added vid - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN5kQowzc6o&hd=1


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## Newman

pics or it didnt happen dpm


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## dpm

Newman said:


> pics or it didnt happen dpm


hehe.

Here's a vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN5kQowzc6o&hd=1

It's just taken using my iPhone, which doesn't handle exposure or color balance very well, so it not only looks very dark, but when the exposure catches up, it makes it look green!

Anyway, it gives you an idea!


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## Newman

Oh, right this is the one with the puffers, I have seen this one before. are the puffers gone now? because 12 rasbora, those sticklebacks, and 2 puffers with shrimp would be madness for a 6 gal...

I must say the rasbora you found are quite the right size for this tank, though I personally wouldnt have done 12 of them...maybe 5-7 at most.
I like the way your mos actually grows lol. what kind is it? java? and what is the broad leaf plant in the back?


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## dpm

The sticklebacks may as well not be in there - they spend all their time hidden in the bogwood, and are so thin they are impossible to see even when they *do* come out...

The Rasboras stick together and take up no more room than my fist (with the odd exception where a couple will split off to have a bit of an explore in the undergrowth) - giving the 2 puffers pretty much the whole tank to themselves.

I agree, those numbers seem mad, but everything seems fine, and all seem happy and eat very well. My water parameters are perfect, I have no algae problems or anything, the plants are growing well and the CRS are breeding - so what problems could be caused by this stocking? I was told 1 cm of fish per litre would be acceptable providing they were the right type of fish, and that everything went well over a period of a few weeks.

Yeah, java moss and java fern mainly.


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## Newman

thats java fern in the back? the broad leaves? cool.

The problem is keeping all that alive long term for years to come. a lightly stocked tank will generally last longer because less detritis/waste gathers under and in the substrate. Then when you go to rescape or move stuff around if the substrate gets disturbed too much, you may have some trouble with toxic substances dissolving in the water. though quick and full water changes can help lessen the effects. Another issue would be the space: cramming these fish may not be good for them and they would not be this restricted in the wild(all that plant matter lessens the overall gallons in your system)..Though you seem to know how to run such a high population, your plants are growing extremely well and there's tons of them and they help keep the water cleaner.

I'm interested in finding out more about the sticklebacks. what species are they, do you know? what do they eat/what do you feed them?
O, and how old is this edge now, is the video giving the most recent look of this tank? This looks like a wicked tank, dont get me wrong, It's one of the best on this thread, and I wish you luck in keeping it running for years to come =)


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## volatile

Hey dpm,

How often are you doing water changes and how much do you change at a time?


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## dpm

Thanks Newman. Maybe I'll cut back on a few of the Boraras - I hadn't taken your point into consideration at all.

I do between 10 and 30 percent water change a week and around 50% every third week, both with 2.5ml aquacare NP+

I feed live daphnia and brine shrimp along with frozen bloodworm and white mosquito larvae.

The Sticklebacks are indostomus - but I haven't been able to find too much info on them - they are quite intriguing when they *do* come out though.


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## sauce

I already bought the MR11's but I need more light. I would like to try the zip-tied bulb mod. I need a fixture and a bulb, is there something I can buy online rather than go to Walmart or Home Depot like the suggestions in this thread?


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## dpm

Swap the MR11s for MR16s. They make a HUGE difference.


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## sauce

dpm said:


> Swap the MR11s for MR16s. They make a HUGE difference.


I don't want to do any electrical modifications. Zip-tying a bulb is pretty easy. Fitting new sockets... not so much


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## dpm

sauce said:


> I don't want to do any electrical modifications. Zip-tying a bulb is pretty easy. Fitting new sockets... not so much


No mods needed - they plug straight in.


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## Newman

dpm said:


> The Sticklebacks are indostomus - but I haven't been able to find too much info on them - they are quite intriguing when they *do* come out though.


could they be indostomus crocodilus? I've heard of them being kept in nano taks, they are very small.

Well its no surprise your fish are doing so well, you are feeding them an intense diet xD


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## dpm

Intense in a good way or intense in a bad way!?


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## Newman

intense as in a very nutritious way. not trying to put your tank/methods down, I can tell that tank is very important to you. just thought I'd give some opinions to help out in any way i can 

oh and in case your wondering why I am posting here w/o having my own Fluval edge, it's because In the future I want to have two Fluval Edge tanks. One for FW planted, and the other for SW reef. I come to this place to check out all these great Edge tanks and to get ideas/options for my future concept =)


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## dpm

Newman said:


> intense as in a very nutritious way. not trying to put your tank/methods down, I can tell that tank is very important to you. just thought I'd give some opinions to help out in any way i can
> 
> oh and in case your wondering why I am posting here w/o having my own Fluval edge, it's because In the future I want to have two Fluval Edge tanks. One for FW planted, and the other for SW reef. I come to this place to check out all these great Edge tanks and to get ideas/options for my future concept =)


Oh, I wasn't taking offence at all - just looking for advice. I'm slightly concerned that there may be too much protein and therefor not good for the shrimp.

Thanks again for the earlier advice re stocking, I've already looked in to re-homing some of the Boraras.


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## Newman

Just feed them blanched vegetables from time to time. romaine lettuce, spinach, zucchini, cucumber, sweet pepper are all good.

You dont seem to have a tank thread for the fluval?


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## CGY_Betta_Guy

Newman said:


> ...In the future I want to have two Fluval Edge tanks. One for FW planted, and the other for SW reef.....


You mean like this? :icon_surp


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## Jeff.:P:.

Very nice CGY_Betta_Guy, whats your lighting setup on the SW looks nice and bright!


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## Newman

Yes sort of like that, except they would either be on different desks in different rooms ro on the same desk in a room, but back to back.

also i would not employ that spray bar, at least not for the SW tank...
My FW edge is planned to hold 5 harlequin shrimp and 5 cardinal shrimp and the SW edge is to hold 3 sexy shrimp with two different colored maxi mini anemones.
just throwing ideas around.


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## Derelique

Has anyone tested their dissolved oxygen levels in the Edges? I was concerned about mine as I have a fairly high fish-load and wanted to dose CO2 for my plants as well. 

I bought a Tetra test kit, but the result is relatively illegible as the result colours all look basically the same! I've had a CO2 drop indicator in the tank as well, but it turns out that CO2 and oxygen are somewhat independent, and low oxygen does not automatically equate to low CO2. 

It also turns out the surface agitation of the filter is quite necessary to keep up the oxygen levels. I was trying to modify the stock filter but cracked the case while doing so and had to order a replacement. I had a great big canister filter running on the tank meanwhile (with its biological medium consuming oxygen as well), with its return positioned so that too much current wasn't being created. But then I found my fish gasping near the surface until I dropped the water level to where the full surface is exposed to air. And even when my fish were gasping the CO2 indicator still showed low CO2 levels.


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## tetraontheedge

A newbie and non-expert here, but I do have an edge. I am thinking that a tiny pump could fit in the black back housing, and then you could run tubing and an airstone.


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## Derelique

tetraontheedge said:


> A newbie and non-expert here, but I do have an edge. I am thinking that a tiny pump could fit in the black back housing, and then you could run tubing and an airstone.


Actually bubbles from an airstone themselves do little to oxygenate the water as they actually have relatively little surface area, but what airstones can do is create a flow across the surface which allows water with low oxygenation to be exposed to the surface to pick up fresh oxygen. With the Edge's stock aquaclear filter there is already a strong flow of water across the surface, (albeit a limited area of surface), so I'm not sure to what degree additional surface current would help that much more. And admittedly, I personally deplore the noise of air pumps and the visual distraction of the bubbles. I appreciate your suggestion though!

In any case, I will have my stock filter fixed soon and I can keep the surface level dropped until then. I'm going to be mounting a canister filter's hose bracket drilled through and then epoxied to the bottom of the stock filter so that I'll have a big canister filter to supplement the filtration. The houses run through the back housing and then through the shelf my Edge sits on so they're not visible. Whether the dissolved oxygen levels will be high enough that I feel safe in adding either DIY or pressurized CO2 I'm not yet sure of.


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## tetraontheedge

Interesting--I never knew that about airstones! I am always learning here. 

I am glad you have a plan--good luck with advancing your edge oxygenation!:angel:


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## Newman

if you fish are gasping, reduce CO2 levels
(maybe your indicator is wrong, fish are the best indicator) and if you say you have too many fish then obviously lower their count. its important for them to have adequate oxygen levels...

you can calculate the approximate CO2 level in your tank by taking a pH and dKH reading on the tank and searching on google for a CO2 level calculator or something of the sort.


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## Mxx

Newman said:


> if you fish are gasping, reduce CO2 levels
> (maybe your indicator is wrong, fish are the best indicator) and if you say you have too many fish then obviously lower their count. its important for them to have adequate oxygen levels...
> 
> you can calculate the approximate CO2 level in your tank by taking a pH and dKH reading on the tank and searching on google for a CO2 level calculator or something of the sort.


I was doing a little bit of DIY CO2 until I broke my HOB filter, at which point I stopped. And the indicator was working fine then, and showing good CO2 levels while the fish were happy. I'll keep my water level low to expose the entire surface until I fix the filter, after which I'll monitor the oxygen and CO2 levels. Prior to this I hadn't realized that CO2 and oxygen are not so interdependent, and that you can actually have high levels or low levels of both of them at the same time, as I had. I'll check my CO2 indicator against the method you'd recommended though to make sure it is displaying correctly though when my system is corrected and when I raise the water level once more.


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## brianS

I've been wanting to do a nano tank for a while now, and just picked up the Edge. In regards to co2...anyone here have any experience with the WATERPLANT CO2 SET-PREMIUM from GLA? If so, about how long would the diposable cartridge last?


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## JimmyYahoo

Disposable CO2 cartridges do not last very long, two weeks if you are lucky with a 1-2 bubble rate. Crossman makes small C02 cartridges that work with pball valves, they too dont last all that long. If i remember correctly its about 10 bucks for two, so about $20 a month. Places that refill pball is few and far between. Better off getting a large C02 tank, a refill gadget, and refilling the small 5lb tanks they sell for paintball. All in a decent setup will cost you about $200 upfront, which really is better in the long run and adaptable to both small and large scale setups.

EDIT: Can anyone with refilling their own C02 tanks experience direct me to where i could get a rig to be able to refill small canisters from a larger one? Thanks.


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## jczernia

Just couple update pictures of my EDGE 
Still working on it ,I always find something that I need to upgrade on this thing.


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## Newman

dont you just wish you could use bonsai tree remnants for scaping tanks as moss trees? would look so natural.


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## jerilovesfrogs

jczernia: that is amazing! i love how wind swept it is! very nice.  who do you have in there?


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## Newman

youre right, there is wind going on in there


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## jczernia

Thank you guys:smile:
Plants:
Giant Hair grass, that was mistake it is growing all over the place
some moss
HC
UG ,that I think is growing taller than it should

2 Amaon shrimp
10 Red cherry shrimp 
3 Endlers 
That is for now
The wind look is from the filter


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## VdubS

I finally added some galaxy rasbora last week along with some media my mate gave me!

i have planted it out a bit along with some moss, ive noticed though there is a strong green algae starting to grow directly under the light im guessing it is from the strength of the halogen bulbs? I have just ordered up some LEDs! also ive noticed the water evapourates very quickly but im hoping the leds will help resolve that problem! I'll upload a couple of pictures soon!


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## VdubS

Here are some pictures of my tank

Comments welcome! positive or negative-

hopefully you can see the algae i was talking about its like some sort of blanket algae? im guessing its from too much light but i'll see what you guys say! as i dont know!


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## TLE041

Awesome tank, VdubS. Your CPDs look great.

I didn't see much algae in your pics, but if it's noticeable in person, then about 0.8mL of Excel (or Easycarbo) everyday should help with that.


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## VdubS

TLE041 said:


> Awesome tank, VdubS. Your CPDs look great.
> 
> I didn't see much algae in your pics, but if it's noticeable in person, then about 0.8mL of Excel (or Easycarbo) everyday should help with that.


Please excuse my newbie'ness but what do you mean by CPD's? and you can kind of see the algae in the picture second from the bottom pic! i will try and get some more pictures of it tommorow. I have ordered the LED upgrade so im hoping maybe it will help reduce the algae growth..

I gave the tank a dose of plantamin and burried a Crypto tablet into the substrate to hopefully help promot the growth of my plants..

I will have a look into the 'easycarbo' you are talking about.

I am completely new to planted tanks to be honest so its all new to me, ive read through this thread which has been very helpful, so i am welcome to any critisisms

and thanks for the nice words, its much appreciated as ive been looking forward to setting my tank up for ages and now i finally have it and have it set up its nice to hear people tihnk it looks good! lol


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## flowmsp

Celestial Pearl Danios, aka galaxy raspboras.


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## Sunny_16

Hi! 

I stumbled on this thread whilst looking up ideas for my fluval edge and basically just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has given such great advice! The edge was my first tank and I am now really involved in the hobby (I have a 29 gallon community and I am setting up a 15 G brackish tank too!) 

When I first got the edge I basically just chucked whatever plants I liked in there but found that it looked a bit contrived, so I upgraded my lighting to LED's and decided to have a bit of a re-scape! 

my tank is now stocked with:

Java ferns
Java moss (still a bit yellow but I am hoping that the flourish excel will help)
Marimo balls that I have flattened to make a carpet.

I have a Betta in there at the moment but I will be adding some cherry shrimp too. 

No C02 running on this tank, but I am dosing with flourish excel.

Thanks again for all of the fantastic advice, there are some amazing examples of what you can do with the fluval on this thread too!

Clare


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## PaulG

I got so annoyed with my edge I turned it into a rimless. Painted the back black and ordered a big clip on light.


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## tener

hi all,would floating plants work in an edge??
ive got a friend from a diff site sending me 3 types of floating plants for my bigger tank,just wonderd if they would work in my edge.
my edge:


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## AkCrimson

I have the best boyfriend EVER! He got me a black Fluval Edge for my birthday...it was 99.99 and we got the floor model so she knocked off 25 bucks so it was only 75$! Woop!! 

I've been considering setting up my Zoomed 501, but I'm not sure if the spraybar would look ugly in there or not? What do you guys think of running both the fluval HOB on low and the ZooMed 501? 

Probably going to put some Endlers in here, and maybe some CRS. It's gotta be torn down for our move in 4 months so I'm keeping it simple and low-tech. Mostly crypts for now.


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## CGY_Betta_Guy

@JcZernia nice scape!!

@Sunny 16 Betta with cherrys = snacks for the betta. Depending on the betta's temperament, you might find that your cherry shrimp may start dissappearing....

@tener The floating plants will not likely work too well if you are using the stock HOB filter. The downflow of the water going into the tank will suck the plants down and likely send them under the glass part of the tank. You can give it a try though.



Jeff.:P:. said:


> Very nice CGY_Betta_Guy, whats your lighting setup on the SW looks nice and bright!


Hi sorry... havent checked the thread in a bit... I think the picture is slightly over exposed for whatever reason as it isnt quite as bright as it appears in my previous picture but it is pretty bright. The Lighting is currently 2x MR16 SMD LED, 50/50 Actinic CF bulb, and 2 Automotive LED light strips (1 blue 1 white)made into U shapes that lie on the top of the glass. This pic might be closer to viewing in person.


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## Crowther

*My new fluval edge*

]Hi this is my new fluval edge.
Im new to planted tanks so any ideas and criticism will be great.
The tank is only a week old and not finished yet as i want to take out the plant at the back right corner and put hair grass along the whole of the back.My girlfriend suggested putting a moss path from the back right to the bottom left,what you guys think?
I have ordered the MR11 bulbs but im yet to receive them.I have the fluval edge heater but it looks big and bulky,any ideas on how to hide it?
I have the flora-grow c02 nano 50 set up in it but as you can see the diffuser is massive so any ideas on that would help.
Let me know any suggestions you have as i need HELP!!


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## Crowther

The other two pics


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## boredouttahell

Just wondering, where are you guys placing your diffusers if you have one. I cannot seem to find a place that does not create gigantic co2 pockets at the top of the tank. I know that pockets of co2 will increase diffusion but aesthetically speaking it's not that great looking. I want to try and keep the air bubbles to a minimum.


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## Newman

would raising the water level to the rim help?


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## TLE041

I inject the CO2 output right into the AC HOB. All the gas gets diffused this way so bubbles aren't a problem.


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## Newman

TLE041 said:


> I inject the CO2 output right into the AC HOB. All the gas gets diffused this way so bubbles aren't a problem.


I'm hoping that is what he was doing..


----------



## VdubS

My LEDs turned up today so heres an update!! They are so much better than the halogens!!

Also i have taken a couple more pics of the algae growth, hopefully you can tell me what it is? Thanks!!


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## CGY_Betta_Guy

looks like cyanobacteria to me from the pics.


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## VdubS

CGY_Betta_Guy said:


> looks like cyanobacteria to me from the pics.


Thanks for the quick reply! Do you have any tips on controlling/eradicating it?


----------



## VdubS

Also just to add, i set the tank up christmas eve and left it running until approx 2 weeks ago when i added 5 galaxy rasbora and some media from an already cycled tank so im not too sure what the problem is.. 

looking online they said it could be down to not enough water changes but i wouldnt have thought id have to do so being so soon?

also i noticed there is a small spherical ball of like light brown algae stuck so one of the pieces of wood..


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## jerilovesfrogs

wow, thanks for posting that pic vdubs....i have had that same thing in 2 of my 5 gallons. it is annoying. easy to clean....but annoying! i wanna know how to get rid of it!!!

reducing light helped a bit. and adding floating plants as well. i am now using a 5 watt cfl in them. it's helping.  perhaps co2 would help.... personally i am not doing it.


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## Newman

its just cyano. feed less, lower your livestock, get your photoperiod in check at about 8-10 hours for a starting setup. do very frequent water changes on the tank and syphon i all out during each water change. This bacteria is a common form of a bloom in younger systems. it will eventually clear up with proper maintenance in a few months. by then the plants will be outcompeting it, or in the worst case scenario an algae will be out competing it.


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## Mxx

Erythromycin can stop blue-green cyanobacteria as well, and is available online for aquatic use without a prescription. Sometimes it will grow back if you don't change the conditions, but sometimes not. I had a bit in my tank, but it seemed to fade naturally before I'd treated it with anything, and supposedly happens at times temporarily with new aquarium set-ups.


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## Newman

Mxx said:


> Erythromycin can stop blue-green cyanobacteria as well, and is available online for aquatic use without a prescription. Sometimes it will grow back if you don't change the conditions, but sometimes not. I had a bit in my tank, but it seemed to fade naturally before I'd treated it with anything, and supposedly happens at times temporarily with new aquarium set-ups.


Good as a quickcure only. As you said if the source isnt fixed, it will just return. most people have it return in a few days or weeks because their maintenance is still not up to par or their plants could not rebound and take over from the cyano..


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## VdubS

It is a very new set up, i literally added 5 galaxies 2 weeks ago along with some mature media, the plants i gradually added..should i be doing a water change this early on? 

I will try and move as much of the algae by hand as i can and reduce the amount of time the lights are on (stick them on a timer!) 

I have also only been puttting small amounts of food in at a time- maybe i should invest in a couple of corys to help clean the place up?

Thanks for your help so far its much appreciated! and what an awesome thread this is!roud:


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## tetraontheedge

So I am becoming an addict quickly to this hobby...I have decided to upgrade my Edge lighting.

The LED part I understand, as the halogen fixture has the same prongs.

My ignorant electrical question concerns the 10 watt compact fluorescent. The original poster of this mod says that he wired an extension cord to a light fixture. Can I just use a regular (no doubt overpriced) bulb fixture with cord (I'm thinking the sort of thing that is used to hang paper lamps from the ceiling)?

Thank you for advising this confused neophyte. :red_mouth


----------



## volatile

Do you guys have any tips for feeding? It seems my boraras merah won't go to the opening to get the food. Should I lower the water level so that there is more surface area?


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## VdubS

volatile said:


> Do you guys have any tips for feeding? It seems my boraras merah won't go to the opening to get the food. Should I lower the water level so that there is more surface area?


I crush up the flakes and it eventually floats into the water streams and pushes it down into the water where the fish normally grab it?


----------



## VdubS

Quick update on my tank!

Well i pulled away some of the big bits of that algae and have reduced the amount of time the lights are on to help try and reduce the alage growth... 

I also bought myself some cherry red shrimps!! :icon_smil










My local shop are going to order me in some Cory habrosus! To also help clean the tank up..

How many would you guys reccomend would be suitable for the tank? im thinking maybe 3 or 4? they only grow very small maybe 2 cm?

Oh and also the shrimp are doing a great job of cleaning! ive been watching them eat the algae all evening! lol


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## VdubS

and another quick snap... sorry the pictures are brilliant i am taking them on my iphone and as you can imagine the galaxies are pretty hard to picture! lol


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## Newman

get about 3 cories if you have no other fish in the tank. if you have other fish, especially schools of them, skip the cories. in a tank this small they wont be cleaning it up as much as just adding to the biload and fueling your algae issues (until you overcome them)

also be aware that red cherry shrimp males are usually more clear with little red markings on them. all i see in your tank are females.


----------



## Drako11

Hey guys! These tanks are awesome! I had a quick question, can the Edge be used for a low tech, non excel tank? Most of these setups I have been seeing on here seem to be all using high light, c02, and ferts. Would the stock setup on these tanks be ideal for a low tech tank? 

Thanks in Advance!


----------



## jeffvmd

It can definitely be used as a low tech non co2 tank.
Lesser DIY upgrades to modify the tank.
Perhaps the only upgrade needed for that might be getting the halogen bulb changed to LED. 
There are mr11 6500K LED bulbs on ebay or mr16 type LEDs.


----------



## VdubS

Newman said:


> get about 3 cories if you have no other fish in the tank. if you have other fish, especially schools of them, skip the cories. in a tank this small they wont be cleaning it up as much as just adding to the biload and fueling your algae issues (until you overcome them)
> 
> also be aware that red cherry shrimp males are usually more clear with little red markings on them. all i see in your tank are females.


All i have in there at the moment, is 5 galaxies, 6 shrimp and thats it. 

oo i see, i picked the red ones as i thought theyd look the best against the dark sand lol, how many males would you reccomend getting to go with the females? and is it a bad thing having only females?

Thanks


----------



## Newman

well if none of the females are berried or show any signs of eggs, then its likely that you will never have them breed w/o males. two males will suffice as long as they survive long enough to breed.

5 danios is IMO enough, and cories arent necessary.


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## Jeff1192

My Edge has been running since just after Christmas. I have planted it with some Christmas moss, Java moss, Windelov Java fern, hygro, some crypts and a moss ball. 

I have just recently planted some hygro clippings from my 90 gallon in the back left corner behind the big rock and I'm waiting for them to grow in. I also planted some crypts in the back right corner that I'm waiting to grow in.

There are a pair of Badis Badis, some CPDs, some pygmy cories, CRS and RCS.

I upgrade the halogen bulbs to LEDs and I added a Taam Rio Mini Sun fixture to get a little more light on the left corner. It worked quite well so I'm going to get another one for the right corner of the tank.

Jeff


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## Newman

nice stocking Jeff, your edge is looking nice.


----------



## JACimages

did a rescaping last night


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## TJ_Burton

Very cool thread - loved seeing all the mods for the Edge!


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## aman74

Jeff1192 said:


> My Edge has been running since just after Christmas. I have planted it with some Christmas moss, Java moss, Windelov Java fern, hygro, some crypts and a moss ball.
> 
> I have just recently planted some hygro clippings from my 90 gallon in the back left corner behind the big rock and I'm waiting for them to grow in. I also planted some crypts in the back right corner that I'm waiting to grow in.
> 
> There are a pair of Badis Badis, some CPDs, some pygmy cories, CRS and RCS.
> 
> I upgrade the halogen bulbs to LEDs and I added a Taam Rio Mini Sun fixture to get a little more light on the left corner. It worked quite well so I'm going to get another one for the right corner of the tank.
> 
> Jeff


I was thinking of almost the exact stocking levels and pretty much the same species, plus an oto. Maybe swap a gertrudaes for the badis. How do you feel it's working out bio load wise? What are your levels, filtration and how often and what amount do you change the water.

I'd love to hear other peoples opinions and there experience stocking the tank.

I really wanted some PFR cherries in there, but worried they'll breed too well?


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## jeffvmd

Here's a last look at my planted edge before I took it down.









It is now undergoing renovation to hold up reef critters soon.
Light and paintball CO2 setup in the SnS now.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/123825-custom-fluval-edge-light-paintball-co2.html


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## Jeff1192

aman74 said:


> I was thinking of almost the exact stocking levels and pretty much the same species, plus an oto. Maybe swap a gertrudaes for the badis. How do you feel it's working out bio load wise? What are your levels, filtration and how often and what amount do you change the water.
> 
> I'd love to hear other peoples opinions and there experience stocking the tank.
> 
> I really wanted some PFR cherries in there, but worried they'll breed too well?


I change about 1/3 of the water once per week. I never test my tanks unless I think there is a problem so I'm not sure what the leves of nitrates are. The tank is staying very clean and requiring almost no maintenance.

Jeff


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## senoufo

just thought i'd share my LED build on the Edge ( link on my sig ), i tried to keep it as stock as possible. My apologies as its a reef but the general idea is still applicable.

cheers!


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## aman74

senoufo said:


> just thought i'd share my LED build on the Edge ( link on my sig ), i tried to keep it as stock as possible. My apologies as its a reef but the general idea is still applicable.
> 
> cheers!


You did an amazing job. A few questions:

Where did you get the extra hood? From another Edge or can these be bought seperately?

Did you document this buid anywhere with a parts list and pics by chance?

You said you wanted the led fixture as close as possible for more spread, but wouldn't the light spread more as you raise it?


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## Fat Guy

senoufo said:


> just thought i'd share my LED build on the Edge ( link on my sig ), i tried to keep it as stock as possible. My apologies as its a reef but the general idea is still applicable.
> 
> cheers!


wow. very cool. great video you made. very helpful.


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## senoufo

aman74 said:


> You did an amazing job. A few questions:
> 
> Where did you get the extra hood? From another Edge or can these be bought seperately?
> 
> Did you document this buid anywhere with a parts list and pics by chance?
> 
> You said you wanted the led fixture as close as possible for more spread, but wouldn't the light spread more as you raise it?


thanks!

extra hood was bought for $10 when i ordered an extra hood at the LFS, got it in a couple of days.

yes i do, but i don't think the moderator would like me pointing at a different website , even though its not a freshwater site, so i'll open a new thread this week-end so you can peruse the parts list.

more spread= higher yes, but, because i wanted the edge to look stock it must sit closer to the glass or else my mod would sit higher in the hood and my edge would look like it has a top hat ;-)
so since my Cree XRE leds are 100 degree spread then closer to the glass was better.


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## senoufo

Fat Guy said:


> wow. very cool. great video you made. very helpful.


many thanks!


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## Newman

jeffvmd said:


> Here's a last look at my planted edge before I took it down.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It is now undergoing renovation to hold up reef critters soon.
> Light and paintball CO2 setup in the SnS now.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/123825-custom-fluval-edge-light-paintball-co2.html


Incredible...
Why would you take something like this down though o_o
You could have gotten another edge for the SW reef or another small tank.
For the kind of money reefing requires on any scale, a new Edge would have been nothing in terms of total spending. shame you had to take this down. though room may have been an issue.


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## jeffvmd

@newman - yep room is definitely the issue with the wife.:hihi:
She'll be throwing me out of the house if I get another one. 
Plus I already have a 20gal long planted which I am really satisfied with already and a planted 10g shrimp tank plus a hidden 10g shrimp/endler breeding plant grow out tank..


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## Newman

o wow, yes that does sound like a lot already lol. I really hope she isn't serious though, that would not be a good sign lol. She is not into aquariums at all?


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## jeffvmd

She's not really an aquarium person. She appreciates having a nice set up tank but not to the extent of having "a few" nicely set up tanks.:biggrin:
I guess most hobbyists wives or husbands wouldn't really understand the passion we have in this hobby.
She keeps asking me how many tanks does a man need to be contented?
So I answer her back, How many shoes/boots do you need to be contented too?:hihi:

All plants from the old edge have been sold already and most other planted tank paraphernalia I have for it.
I already started conversion phase of the tank as materials came in already this week.
It is now currently cycling with live rock and sand which I got yesterday.


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## Mxx

Newman said:


> Incredible...
> Why would you take something like this down though o_o
> You could have gotten another edge for the SW reef or another small tank.
> For the kind of money reefing requires on any scale, a new Edge would have been nothing in terms of total spending. shame you had to take this down. though room may have been an issue.


Looks like somebody got it right in terms of dense planting! Did you do this by the way with just the Edge's lighting rig though?? I've upped the lighting several-fold in mine to target this type of plant density.


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## jeffvmd

I made a custom light frame which holds 2 10 watt CFL bulbs.
Here is the journal thread of my edge before.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/108335-jeffvmds-take-edge-2.html

The Blyxa japonica, dwarf hygro and Ludwigia repens grew like crazy in this set up.


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## Jamo3030

I'm brand new to the site, and to planted tanks. I have a couple of mid-sized non-planted but this edge thread convinced me to go for a planted edge. I just got it and set it up. So far just a couple plants and a few neons. I'll post more on it when I'm ready to show it off a bit. I know I'll have lots of plant questions.


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## jahmic

After a 7-year hiatus from a hobby that I've had since I was a kid...I stumbled across a fluval edge at my lfs. 

I picked it up not knowing what I was going to do with it, and started considering a planted tank...not really knowing if/how it could be done with that setup. I came here for some general advice on planted nano-tanks...

and eventually found this thread.

WOW.

There are some beautifully scaped tanks in this thread, thanks for the inspiration everyone. I started setting mine up a few days ago, and feel like that's all I've been doing. I'll be sure to have pics up once I get the tank established...planting just started today.

Thanks for all the tips on setup and DIY mods...very impressed...and glad that I've found an outlet for my habit of tinkering after giving up motorcycles a few years ago :hihi: I've upgraded the lights and have been testing the water...patiently waiting for the day I get to add some fish.


----------



## JACimages

For an UPDATE!!! here are some pics i snapped tonight after being away for the weekend..Paintball co2 Setup is on its way thanks to Jaggedfury

*List of everything so far*
6.6 Gallon Fluval Edge.
HOB filter w/ Prefilter
Flourish Flourite Substrate
Tetra 5-15g Heater
DIY co2 w/ Mr Aqua bubble counter/Diffuser
mr11 LED's
10w Walmart bulb Upgrade
Home Depot Desk Lamp(AWESOME!)
Dosing with Flourish. 

i got the home depot light and it is a savior! my HC is pearling!!!! WOW i tryed taking pictures but couldnt get too macro since i dont have a macro lens for my SLR
Happy Shrimp


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## Jamo3030

OK, well I have mine set up... kinda. This is attempt number one at this and it's my first planted tank. I'll definitely take critiques. It's a little messy and the water is a tad cloudy bc I rearranged some stuff today.

A quick summary:

Went up from the 10W stock bulbs to 20W (for now until my LEDs come in)
Added two more 20W Xenons under a shelf above the tank.
DIY Jello CO2 (bubbling alot)
6 Neons for now

1 Crypt
2 anubis
1 amazon sword
Xmas Moss
anyone know what the low plant in the center is??


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## jeffvmd

@JACimages - tank is looking good.
Is that the 27watt hampton desk lamp which kinda looks like it has 4 tubes?
Just be careful with that light as too much of it will lead you to having algae problems.

@Jamo3030 - Hard to tell what the low grass like plant in the middle is.
Is that moss on the background? If it is maybe you can tie them up on the drifwood you have. 
It will be much neater and would look nice once the moss grows out.
Much easier for trimmings too.


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## JACimages

yea i turn it on around 2 and turn it off around 9-10pm

so i was at a FST today and i told him i had an edge.. he said "did you know their comming out with a 12g edge with a protein skimmer and many other things, so it can be SW friendly" anyone confirm this???


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## Jamo3030

yeah its moss. I have it kind of tucked into some of the crevices in the wood but maybe I'll tie it down. It definitely is the messiest part of the tank. I'll try to get better pics of the unknown plant up.


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## timrhayward

tuonor said:


> Would you mind posting a pic of how you fit the Zoo Med 501 into the back housing? I am setting up my son's Edge and picked up the Zoo Med but can't quite fit it in the back...do you insert it from the bottom?
> 
> Thanks in advance...and here are pre-setup pics of our tank...figure people may be interested in seeing the orange color (which is alot nice than you'd think).


I really love your base. Where did you get it? I live in Los Angeles, but I am trying to track something beautiful down for the stand. 
Thank you for all your posts and modification advice. It's been really helpful to this newbie!


----------



## jahmic

Figured I'd post some pics of my new tank. This is my first attempt at having a planted tank; this forum has been INCREDIBLY useful...so thanks everyone :icon_bigg

I'll probably end up keeping a blog as well...but for the quick rundown...I've had the tank up for just over a week now, plants have been in there for about 5 days. Added the CFL bulb, swapped out the halogens for LEDs, and have been dosing excel until I get my CO2 setup together. No fish yet...(im)patiently waiting to have everything together and the plants well established. They've actually been doing pretty well, the stem plants are rooting and there's noticable new growth on everything except the anubias and bolbitis. The latter has actually been giving me trouble and I can't seem to keep it happy 

Bah...I'll save the rambling for the blog. Input on the setup is encouraged roud:


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## Fat Guy

cool. like the moonlight.


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## kilakila

Here's some pictures of my Edge. Been running since 12/23/10. Comments welcome. This is my first planted tank, so any advice would be great.


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## Jamo3030

I tried little side lights like someone here did on my Edge, they actually got so hot they cracked my top glass! The tank is OK and it's only the top. I sealed it up with a glass repair kit but damn!


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## chad320

Jamo3030 said:


> I tried little side lights like someone here did on my Edge, they actually got so hot they cracked my top glass! The tank is OK and it's only the top. I sealed it up with a glass repair kit but damn!


Ouch! Bummer. Thanks for the info though. Now we know.


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## jahmic

I went ahead and started my blog...link in sig.

Any help/comments by anyone willing to stop in that thread would be greatly appreciated :thumbsup:


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## timrhayward

still available? looking for the lighting elements but would definitely pay fair price. thanks!


----------



## tfinch

Hell all!

I'm new to this forum, but have been reading along for several weeks, trying to get learned up on how to make one of these sweet looking tanks. Last Thursday, the 4th, I finally had all of my supplies and set my tank up. I must note, I have never had a fish tank, so I'm quite inexperienced in all of this, despite trying to have read and learned as much as I could beforehand. In my option, my edge came out looking pretty neat! Pics below are a bit clowdy, as these were taken upon completion of getting everything setup. Specs:

Equip:
Fluval Edge 6gal tank
Hydro 15w Mini heater - placed in the filter media bay like many people recommended
Flourish Flourite substrate

Lights:
2x MR15 15 SMD LED bulbs in place of the stock halogens
1x 50/50 Coralife 6" CFL, also as I had seen many people in this thread do

Plants:
1x Whisteria
2x HC carpets
1x Anubias Nana planted into the driftwood
2x Cryptocorynes




























I haven't stocked it with any fish or anything yet, as I was going to let it cycle for a little while and stabilize. I've been using the included nutrafin aqua plus for the water, and nutrafin cycle to boost the bio levels. Also been dosing with Flourish Excel as per the instructions on the bottle. 

Everything had been going fine for the those first few days; the water cleared up things looked great. Then, I noticed on one of the leaves of my Whistera there was this bubble looking thing that I believe is really a egg sack of snails!  I also spied one or two snails walking around on the leaves. Unfortunately, I noticed this shortly before I had to go away for work for 4 days. Upon returning lastnight, I haven't seen many more snails, but I have discovered a new and disturbing growth outbreak in the tank that is making me really nervous:










It almost looks like hair to me! It's growing all over the petrified wood, drift wood, the center planted crypt, and the anubias thats planted into the driftwood.

I have no idea what to do about this!! If anyone can give me some advice on what they think this growth is, and what I need to do about it, I would be very appreciative. Again, unfortuantely I'm a noob to all of this, and don't have a lot of knowledge on the topic.


----------



## urples

My Girlfriend has an Edge tank and i want to setup a CO2 Kit for her. Was just wondering what kits people are using. I kinda want to hook it up to a timer so she doesn't have to worry about it. Suggestions please!  

Thanks


----------



## jahmic

tfinch said:


> Everything had been going fine for the those first few days; the water cleared up things looked great. Then, I noticed on one of the leaves of my Whistera there was this bubble looking thing that I believe is really a egg sack of snails!  I also spied one or two snails walking around on the leaves. Unfortunately, I noticed this shortly before I had to go away for work for 4 days. Upon returning lastnight, I haven't seen many more snails, but I have discovered a new and disturbing growth outbreak in the tank that is making me really nervous:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It almost looks like hair to me! It's growing all over the petrified wood, drift wood, the center planted crypt, and the anubias thats planted into the driftwood.
> 
> I have no idea what to do about this!! If anyone can give me some advice on what they think this growth is, and what I need to do about it, I would be very appreciative. Again, unfortuantely I'm a noob to all of this, and don't have a lot of knowledge on the topic.


Looks like hair / thread algae to me. Try to remove as much of it as you can manually for now. Then, try to figure out what's causing the issue so you can cut back on growth.

How long are you keeping your lights on? You may want to cut back the photoperiod to 8-9 hrs if they're on much longer than that.

Are you dosing any fertz at all? If you have been dosing too much, you may want to cut back a little.

Early on with the tank, if the plants aren't taking in the nutrients, it's going to allow the algae to thrive. I saw a couple threads of hair algae spring up in my tank mid-cycle...so I went to a lfs and planted about 30+ fast growing stem plants (ludwigia repens and wisteria). The faster growers will help take up the nutrients before the algae can, and may help cut back on growth. I also added some amano shrimp to the tank once the ammonia levels and nitrites when down enough...they seem to keep things in check. Every so often I see a hair here and there, but it's gone in a few days time thanks to the shrimp. Of course, another thread pops up in it's place...but the shrimp along with the stems tend to keep the algae at a manageable level...you can't see it unless you get right up to the glass and scour the tank for it.


----------



## tfinch

jahmic said:


> Looks like hair / thread algae to me. Try to remove as much of it as you can manually for now. Then, try to figure out what's causing the issue so you can cut back on growth.
> 
> How long are you keeping your lights on? You may want to cut back the photoperiod to 8-9 hrs if they're on much longer than that.
> 
> Are you dosing any fertz at all? If you have been dosing too much, you may want to cut back a little.
> 
> Early on with the tank, if the plants aren't taking in the nutrients, it's going to allow the algae to thrive. I saw a couple threads of hair algae spring up in my tank mid-cycle...so I went to a lfs and planted about 30+ fast growing stem plants (ludwigia repens and wisteria). The faster growers will help take up the nutrients before the algae can, and may help cut back on growth. I also added some amano shrimp to the tank once the ammonia levels and nitrites when down enough...they seem to keep things in check. Every so often I see a hair here and there, but it's gone in a few days time thanks to the shrimp. Of course, another thread pops up in it's place...but the shrimp along with the stems tend to keep the algae at a manageable level...you can't see it unless you get right up to the glass and scour the tank for it.


since i didn't have any fish yet and the tank was still pretty new, i did an 80% water change, replacing with ro/di water that i bought from my lfs (only 50 cents a gallon, so with a tank this small that was fine). they also told me that we have a lot of phosphorous in our local tap water, so i picked up a packet of phosphor remover to put in my filter for a couple weeks. i manually cleaned as much of the stuff up before filling the tank back up with water, and it's been going for about a week now and looks pretty good. i had my lights on for about 10 hours before, but cut it back to 6. i'm going to bump it back to 8 now because my HC is starting to die :-\

i had been dosing once a week with flourish excel before this problem, as the bottle said. i'm holding to that since its still pretty infrequent. hopefully things stay in check as they are

my pH, KH, and GH are all off the charts for some reason, so i havent bought shrimp yet. i plan to get ~5 cherry red or zebra shrimp once i get the water correct. bought a water softener pouch to put in the filter for 48 hours to help the KH and GH levels, and then i'm going to dose some pH down. hopefully that does the trick!


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## jahmic

You could also try doing a daily small dose of Excel. I was dosing 0.5 mls daily before adding CO2. I had noticed a few tiny pieces of thread algae here and there...the excel seemed to help keep that under control. Adding a steady carbon source would also help your plants plenty.


----------



## Newman

manual removal, and frequent water changes will get your algal troubles under control in a few months. excel will help as it lets the plants grow faster and take over instead of the algae taking over. so do those 3 things and you'll be good.


----------



## tener

Newman said:


> manual removal, and frequent water changes will get your algal troubles under control in a few months. excel will help as it lets the plants grow faster and take over instead of the algae taking over. so do those 3 things and you'll be good.


would this kill staghorn too?
also got a small amount off thead in the tank too :icon_cry:
how much excel would be safe in an edge?


----------



## Mxx

tener said:


> would this kill staghorn too?
> also got a small amount off thead in the tank too :icon_cry:
> how much excel would be safe in an edge?


After trying to do a fair bit of reading up on the use of Excel, I've ended up using about a half-capful a day. I appreciate this is certainly more than recommended, and I started testing that when I had just some dither fish in the tank. I haven't seen any problems from doing that in any case. I still have a little big of green algae growing here and there, but not enough that it's a problem at all.


----------



## JACimages

As of Today, Before i sell it.


----------



## Aquascapejackson

Awesome job on fixing the Edge's light problem. I'm thinking about doing this now. I have been wondering for quite some time about how to go about it...thanks again for sharing.


----------



## Newman

there are a whole bunch of ways to add on a fixture above this tank. some people place a small model of the Current USA PC fixture on the hood of this tank.


----------



## mike_freegan

EDIT:

Hi all

I want to add a coralife 50/50 to my tank. Does anyone know what size fitting I need for this? And to wire it, does it just go plug > fitting > bulb. Like no protection or transformer?

Is it not dangerous having 240v in a damp environment?

EDIT 2:

OK, I finally managed to establish that it's an E27/ES (E26 in the US) fitting.

If I just pull an old lamp to bits, seal as I feel appropriate and put the coralife bulb in, am I going to kill myself and everyone I love?


----------



## sirius_atx676

Hi all,

On the market to purchase an EDGE, and I stumbled onto this forum.

I have a couple noob question.

Will these MR16 LEDs fit the stock EDGE fixtures?

http://www.heroledstore.com/ultra-bright-mr16-12v-24-x-3chip-5050-smd-led-cool-white-5w50w-p-563.html

I've read some threads saying that socket should be replaced. Others say MR16 can be jammed into the stock fixtures with a little brute force...

Also, do these LEDs need to be sealed in any way?


----------



## ddiomede

dkbmxr18 said:


> Well, I finally got my lighting all figured out! I added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants. Man oh Man does the tank look awesome with the lights on now! :bounce: We'll see how the plants do with the lighting I am running. Now it's time to start making the inside of the tank look cool! Thanks to everyone that helped with suggestions.
> 
> (I assure you that the tank looks waay better in person. The camera captured the lights a little bit weird!)
> A few pictures of the setup:
> the fixture
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> turned on underneath
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and the FTS with all the lights on


Awesome job on the tank! I have one as well but I was wondering if you had a link for the base of the cfl bulb? Can't find those white ones anywhere. Thanks.:icon_bigg


----------



## JACimages

just go to your local home depot or lowes.. they have tons of them. i bought one where all you do is just screw the bottom to the extension cord


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

Slowly building it.. just need to design an acrylic shield.


----------



## tuelarsen

Here's my newly planted edge. What you think? Been running for 2 weeks.

Sorry for my newbie camera skills!


----------



## Newman

it looks fine


----------



## jahmic

I don't know if everyone's already seen this, but I stumbled across it on youtube a while ago...

Wall mounted fluval edge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vYClBpGG3Y


----------



## Newman

nice floating edge. a bit overstocked tho IMO...


----------



## Mxx

After reading through everyone's modifications which I'd found to be quite helpful, I thought I should respond in like by sharing my own set-up as well with my fellow hobbyists. 










However, mine is sort of an experimental work in progress, so I suggest you not try this at home! My goal is to achieve a decently balanced system through the principles of overstocking, overfeeding, overplanting, overfiltration, and low maintenance. The tank has been running for about five months now and water conditions remain quite good actually, despite that I'm basically breaking every accepted rule of aquarium keeping, (albeit in as informed a manner as I can). 

I have a Fluval 305 canister filter which has its intake and return tubes mounted to the underside of the stock hang-on-back filter. The media in the canister is primarily biological, including Seachem Matrix which should thus eliminate Nitrates as well. (I only just added it and denitrifying anerobic 'live-rock' type media takes quite a few weeks to mature). The filter and media are of course for a tank up to fifteen times the size of mine, but it happened to be the used filter I found cheap on Ebay so the excess size doesn't seem detrimental. I suspect in my set-up that despite very heavy planting, the plants themselves wouldn't be able to utilize all the nitrogen (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates), which is why the large biological filter is required. Whether I will need to use Phosguard for phosphate removal I'm not sure, but I took it out of the filter for now after realizing to what extent it was limiting my plant's growth. The filtration won't however remove the trace elements coming in from the food, so I'm hoping those will prove to supply enough for the plants without requiring extra nutrients to be dosed. And topping off for evaporation should remineralize the water as necessary, hopefully. (I'l add a little bag of crushed coral to the filter as well if my hardness and PH start to fall in time). 

The canister filter tubes, wiring and everything run through the stock rear housing, and the shelf is drilled to allow all the tubes/wires/cords to be hidden behind the books on the lower shelves, which I'm happy about with the Edge's design as I didn't really want to see any equipment visible anywhere. 
With the stock lighting set-up being completely rubbish in terms of light spread (especially after having added the dense planting) and with how it didn't shown any of my fish's iridescence as they were all backlit and looking washed out, what I needed was to add light from the front edge and along the sides of the tank. The 9 mm (3/8 inch) thick auxiliary LED housing strip does a good job of providing the desired light spread/angles/distribution, while still being quite discreet and being within the design character of the Edge. The stock halogen bulbs were also replaced by MR11 LED bulbs, and I have three small wands of LED's, in red and a small blue moonlight wand which I leave on 24/7, which are superglued to the stock lighting arm as shown. I built the auxiliary lighting hood by drawing the necessary shapes out in CAD, emailing the file to a lasercutting fabricator who produced the necessary pieces in acrylic. And then I laminated the three layers together to create the thin rectangular C shape which you can see on top and which has a narrow channel to the underside where I've mounted a few inexpensive LED strips I bought off Ebay. I experimented a bit, and am now using approximately an equal amount of warm-white and cool-white LED's, and I estimate that together my lighting is producing about 700 lumen, though despite trying to research it I'm still not sure whether that would qualify as high or low light intensity. The lights are on two cheap timers, with one strip of white LED's on about 13 hours a day, with the rest being on for 8 hours. I'll discontinue the use of the red and maybe even the blue, as especially given the ripple effect at the opening, the coloured likes look a bit distracting. I could have made the acrylic auxiliary lighting housing much narrower if I had used only the edge-lit/side-lit/side-shine LED strips, and they would have been much easier to fit around the corners of the housing, but I've only seen those come in cool-white. 

I've been dosing heavily with Excel, and tried DIY CO2 but found it to be too risky. (By the way, the surface agitation provided by the stock filter is quite necessary for ensuring that an Edge has sufficient oxygen levels). I now also have a pressurized CO2 system ready to go, as soon as I replace my check valves which don't seem to work very well. And the substrate is black Flourite sand. I occasionally need to scrape the front and top glass which get a little green algae, and there is a little on some of the leaves, as well as a lovely coat on the driftwood but it hasn't in any case been a bother. I've been dosing with Seachem Flourish, and put in some root tabs initially to try to get the plants started. 

The flora is a Dwarf Hairgrass carpet, 5 Amazon swordplants, 3 Corkscrew Vallisneria, African Tiger Lotus, a few Pygmy Chain Swords, American Lizard Tail, a few Cryptocoryne Lucens, some other Cryps to front left which I bought earlier at the LFS and following these pictures replaced with Blyx Japonica. I definitely had wanted to achieve something close the dense jungle look, but I may need to start to do some trimming shortly as the swordplants are starting to overshadow much of the tank and I will likely replace them in time. All the plants, apart from the Lizard Tail seem to be doing fairly well. It was a real pain to plant everything through such a small opening, (and especially so with the hairgrass), and I had to replant a number of things which floated up but eventually everything stayed put. The platies weren't there at first, but they are frequently pulling up some of the hairgrass, despite that it seems to remain relatively thick still. 

And the fauna is one Betta, three Platies and a baby now, six Cardinal Tetras, and a pair of Dwarf Ram Cichilds (which I don't recommend as despite seeming to be a pair, there has nevertheless been a fair amount of discord, so I wish I'd gone with Apistogramma instead). I had two Otincinulus, but as is the experience of many aquarists, I eventually lost them. I will be trying a few cherry shrimp, and am hoping they'll be able to survive without being eaten. 

It's just recently that I finished my lighting set-up, so I'm not sure what further adjustments will need to be made. I'm monitoring the conditions though, and am generally happy with everything for the moment, apart from the Lizard Tail which I'm going to pull and replace with Limnophila Aromatica. 






















































Red strips for plants to balance out the disproportionate blue from the LED strips. And a blue/white 4 LED moonlight kept on 24/7. All mounted with superglue onto stock lighting arm








Lasercut acrylic custom LED lighting strip enclosure, with 1 warm white LED strip, and 3 cool-white, (though I'm only actually using 1 or 2 of the cool-white at a time).

















My canister filter not yet out of sight when I was first setting the tank up.


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## jeffvmd

Do you have any heat issues with the 50/50 LED strips?
I did the same with my reef set up edge but used the 50/50 dome light LED instead of the strips and the leds in the similar casing I built from acrylic seem to heat up.
Old pic of the set up prior to adding more blue lights.


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## Mxx

jeffvmd said:


> Do you have any heat issues with the 50/50 LED strips?


I checked the temperature when I started adding lights, but should confirm that now that the weather and house temperature stays a little warmer. I didn't notice any temperature variations initially. As the heater is on a thermostat, I suspected that if there was much heat coming from the lights then the heater would simply turn itself off for those hours that the lights are on. Whether I get fluctuations on hot days remains to be seen, but the LED strips don't feel all that warm in any case.


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## SgtPeppersLHC

Hey quick question all.
Does this work or should I use the little glass heater I have instead? I think I read somewhere its fine but 
Its just one of those hydor mini heater heat mat things. 115v if that makes a difference.
I'm worried about it getting too hot and melting anything and it killing my biomax.









Sent from my Droid


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## Mxx

jeffvmd said:


> Do you have any heat issues with the 50/50 LED strips?
> [/IMG]


I've been monitoring the temperature and it seems to rise a degree or two during the day. The acrylic housing hardly feels warm to the touch, so I hadn't suspected it was having much impact. However, I realized that my stock Fluval Edge heater may be slightly out of whack, as the temperature in the morning is staying at a minimum of 80 degrees while the heater is supposed to be permanently fixed at 75. I do have another heater I could swap it out with in any case. 

Does anyone happen to have any idea whether a 2 degree daily variation would be detrimental?


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## jeffvmd

@SgtPeppersLHC - I used to have the same heater set up as yours and it seems to be fine but had removed it over the winter as the apartment heaters stay very warm and have no need for the heater in tank.

@Mxx - I usually have a 2 degree increase from my ambient temp with the current lights I have.
It is fine for now as I don't use heaters in my tanks


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## bradlgt21

I have a fluval edge and I am reluctant to do the 10 watt CFL. Maybe that's what I will try if this doesn't work. But I bought the LED's that fit in the stock unmodified outlet to upgrade a little. Will this be enough light to grow Anubius plants, and Crypt Wendii plants? Or will I need to upgrade to grow these?


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## SgtPeppersLHC

My Nana petite is growing slowly but surely on my DW with the led upgrades. One leaf a week or two. No ferts or anything. Crypts like a deep substrate I believe, but I'm not sure as I don't have any.

Sent from my Droid


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## Mxx

One modification I wish I'd done when I first bought the tank would have been to paint the very inside edge of the glass and plastic up-stand for the opening with a waterproof black paint or black silicone. I've always detested how the light shines through that and causes streaks of glare coming through the glass along the front. I tried lining the opening with electrical tape, but that isn't holding on very well of course and comes a little loose at the corners.


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## Mxx

By the way, does everyone have any suggestions on how to best silence the filter's motor? Not that it's that loud, but I want it to be as silent as possible.

I read of someone wrapping it in pieces of roofing lead.. I also thought about encasing it in pourable acrylic resin, although that means I'd have to take the filter off for a few days to let that cure outdoors. I'm not exactly sure what is causing the noise though, whether the motor housing is vibrating and therefore dampening the movement with additional mass might help or what?...


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## jahmic

I think most of the noise is from the vibrations shaking the lid on the filter. I removed mine a long time ago, and it made a noticeable difference.


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## SgtPeppersLHC

jahmic said:


> I think most of the noise is from the vibrations shaking the lid on the filter. I removed mine a long time ago, and it made a noticeable difference.


I did the same thing probably the second day I got it running. Definitely made a difference.
I've noticed if the "hood" isn't pushed down entirely it can vibrate too.

Sent from my Droid


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## Mxx

I had already taken the lid off, still it seem louder some days than others.


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## sugarbyte

*my first post! *

Hey! This is my first post on Plantedtank.net  My post is long so please bare with me..

Here is my brand new Edge! I've had it for less than a week now. (sorry for the bad photo :icon_redf )










I have been doing a lot of research into upgrading the lighting. I don't have much experience with modifying electronics so I'm wondering if simply replacing the stock halogens with MR16 LED's would be good enough for my plants? I was thinking of maybe adding an LED strip by the light bar too.. I'm just generally confused towards the ratio of watts/gallon for such a small tank. 

I chose some basic low/medium-light plants such as anubias, HC, java moss and Brazilian Micro Sword.
I've noticed that the micro sword started to turn yellowish at the edges after being in the tank for two days... I've added a small dose of ferts once and liquid C02 (1/3 cap) every day since I put in the plants... any idea why they are turning yellowish? Assuming it is caused by low amounts of light, I have been using my huge light-therapy lamp to provide some extra light to see if it makes a difference...

I'm so new to this so any advice is greatly appreciated! (And yes, I have read the entire thread and am aware of the most popular mods made on the EDGE  ..I'm just not sure how much light I would need for my plants to be comfortable in!)

Also, I would love to get some feedback regarding my aquascape! This is my first planted tank so I'm still sort of experimenting with the layout. I plan on having mostly shrimps in it. Due to the small height of the Edge, I didn't want to have any overly tall plants.

All constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!  I'm so happy to have joined this online community. The amount of helpful information is mind-blowing! Thank you


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## Newman

i highly suggest you start a tank thread too. nice edge btw.


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## sugarbyte

Thank you!


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## soup_nazi

*Fluval EDGE 2*

I haven't been able to verify it yet but I was resently looking on the web and found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOid3j4tohE 
It is a short video showing the Fluval EDGE 2/6 & 12 gallon versions. Thats right i said 12 gallon, but it isn't slated to come out till this fall sometime. :icon_frow

Quick specs: 

12 gallon variation- A taller and slightly wider than the ebi, with LED lights.
6 gallon White- A new color with Led lights. They had it as a reef setup though i doubt it can sustain that kind of life. 

To be honest i had contacted Hagen wondering if they would be doing a 12 gallon version. The replied that they had no intentions of further exploring it and that they didnt plan on doing it in the near future. Obviously they must have changed their mind.


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## Jenhunter

My Egde cracked today. I had the water level down & was moving my hardscape around when it *popped* and there was a good 1 inch crack in the top, starting at the opening.

Honestly, I think I'm done with this tank. I love the style, but the lighting a difficulty of actually working in the tank is a pain. 

It's too bad because I was really willing to deal with those issues.

This was a sign :sigh:


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## pandasus

*my first tank*

this is my first tank =) 
please note that some of the fish have been removed from the tank.


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## sugarbyte

Cool tank! I like the Spongebob theme!
Are you using the stock halogens or did you replace/upgrade the lighting?


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## jeffvmd

Alright! Bikini Bottom Rocks!:biggrin:

Anyway, I got the itch again for a light fixture remodel since i got a good deal on powerbrites and gave up on getting good light coverage while keeping the edge stock look intact.:icon_neut
This model is the white and blue mix powerbrite strip over the edge (2 powerbrites) and my DIY acrylic arm from some scraps I bought at an acrylic store.
I also attached 2 PC fans to be put in use in the summer months to cool the tank down.
Without further ado, here are the pics of the new light set up...




























Sorry for posting despite the reef set up but this light (well the all white powerbrites) can definitely be mounted the same way for better coverage on planted tanks as well.


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## pandasus

i wish i knew how to modify the halogen bulbs like others in this thread! instead, i just use a LED aquarium light loll it kind of ruins the whole Edge look..


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## sugarbyte

pandasus said:


> i wish i knew how to modify the halogen bulbs like others in this thread! instead, i just use a LED aquarium light loll it kind of ruins the whole Edge look..



How are your plants holding up with the added LED's?


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## feh

What kind of mods did you do to the filter for the reef setup?


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## jeffvmd

@pandasus- maybe you can just buy the MR11 LEds on ebay You just replace the halogens with it and just get a new DC power adapter. No rewiring in the internals needed. You just need to swap the power adapters though. 

@feh - its the same stock filter. I just have the coarse sponge, biomax (crushed live rock will be better though) and filter floss in it. Will probably run some carbon or chemipure in it at some point. 
I wanted to do some sort of overflow/sump mod but then the upgrading would not end. The stock filter works ok so now its time to just enjoy and watch the tank grow.:icon_smil


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## pandasus

i think i might actually have too much light now. the front keeps growing a thin layer of algae but other than that, my plants r growing rapidly so i cant really complain =D

ill definitely try the MR11 LEDs when im ready. im still really new at aquariums so i still worry a lot when i do something to my tank!


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## Blackstar65

Anybody try this kit

I bought the LED bars from this kit from Super Bright LED since the LED Shop isn't in the States. Ill post pics when I get it set up. I am keeping the halogens since they heat the water with the assistance of room temperature. I would rather use the watts for the light as opposed to a heater. I may add a heater in the winter.


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## tetraontheedge

Blackstar65 said:


> Anybody try this kit
> 
> I bought the LED bars from this kit from Super Bright LED since the LED Shop isn't in the States. Ill post pics when I get it set up. I am keeping the halogens since they heat the water with the assistance of room temperature. I would rather use the watts for the light as opposed to a heater. I may add a heater in the winter.


I'll be curious to see how this works out for you. I've done the initial lighting mod on this thread, but would potentially add the LED bars depending on your experience. :smile:


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## sugarbyte

jeffvmd said:


> You just need to swap the power adapters though.


Please excuse my ignorance but why do the power adapters need to be swapped? I ordered some MR16s in the mail..Will they not work if I simply install them?


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## jeffvmd

I'm not sure if there are MR16 Leds that run on the 24v AC that comes with the edge.
Anybody chime in on this who did the actual mr16 led mod?


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## Jeff.:P:.

Planting 























Exactly one month later....... :hihi:




























I'll have water in it very soon. Just getting the CO2, canister filter ready.


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## volatile

sugarbyte said:


> Please excuse my ignorance but why do the power adapters need to be swapped? I ordered some MR16s in the mail..Will they not work if I simply install them?


I am running MR16s in my Edge. The pins will need to be pushed together a bit and then you can force the MR16 into the socket.



jeffvmd said:


> I'm not sure if there are MR16 Leds that run on the 24v AC that comes with the edge.
> Anybody chime in on this who did the actual mr16 led mod?


MR16 LEDs work fine with the included AC adapter. The only problem is if you don't get covered LEDs, then the condensation and splashing will burn out some of your LEDs like it has done to mine.


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## sugarbyte

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad I won't have to change the adapter.. Would putting some saran wrap around the LED's work? (with zip ties). I saw one person put clear nail polish coats on their mr11s


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## drbotts

Ok so I have an option to purchase one of these and need a vote after ALL the experience folks have had on them. 
My option to purchase is a nearly brand new black edge. It comes with a large wooden cabinetry stand that they bought at Petco. Also in near perfect condition.
The whole setup is $100. Essentially, I can sell the stand and make back some of the money. 

If I sell the stand for $25... the tank cost me $75 Out of Pocket. Realistically, I can probably get between $50-$100 for it which would put the tank at a really low cost. 

Hard to turn down... Thoughts? I'm worried about algae, lighting, cleaning this tank.


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## jasonpatterson

sugarbyte said:


> Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad I won't have to change the adapter.. Would putting some saran wrap around the LED's work? (with zip ties). I saw one person put clear nail polish coats on their mr11s


You would probably do better with the nail polish. If you're bagging your lights with saran wrap you might create a problem cooling them/melting the saran wrap to the light.


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## volatile

jasonpatterson said:


> You would probably do better with the nail polish. If you're bagging your lights with saran wrap you might create a problem cooling them/melting the saran wrap to the light.


Jason is right. I tried saran wrap, and the heat from the lights melted holes in it.


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## sugarbyte

volatile said:


> Jason is right. I tried saran wrap, and the heat from the lights melted holes in it.


Good to know! Thank you 

@Drbotts:

I've had this tank for about a month now and I personally really like it... I have to say the mods and everything are kind of a pain but sometimes you have to suffer for beauty (in this case, a beautiful tank)  (it was an absolute nightmare for me to try and find a CFL socket and fitting it just right along the light arm.. but that's a whole other story lol)

There are some hindrances that I noticed along the way that weren't necessarily apparent when I first purchased it.. Such as how terrible the lighting is.. taking the filter's current into consideration when aquascaping..the limitations of how far the light can reach the corners (if you want to maintain the stock look), etc.. 

If you can get the tank for such a low price I definitely recommend it. It's an absolutely stunning piece for any room. This entire thread has a lot of helpful advice towards changes/mods too!


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## NewDisign

Mxx said:


> After reading through everyone's modifications which I'd found to be quite helpful, I thought I should respond in like by sharing my own set-up as well with my fellow hobbyists.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> However, mine is sort of an experimental work in progress, so I suggest you not try this at home! My goal is to achieve a decently balanced system through the principles of overstocking, overfeeding, overplanting, overfiltration, and low maintenance. The tank has been running for about five months now and water conditions remain quite good actually, despite that I'm basically breaking every accepted rule of aquarium keeping, (albeit in as informed a manner as I can).
> 
> I have a Fluval 305 canister filter which has its intake and return tubes mounted to the underside of the stock hang-on-back filter. The media in the canister is primarily biological, including Seachem Matrix which should thus eliminate Nitrates as well. (I only just added it and denitrifying anerobic 'live-rock' type media takes quite a few weeks to mature). The filter and media are of course for a tank up to fifteen times the size of mine, but it happened to be the used filter I found cheap on Ebay so the excess size doesn't seem detrimental. I suspect in my set-up that despite very heavy planting, the plants themselves wouldn't be able to utilize all the nitrogen (ammonia/nitrites/nitrates), which is why the large biological filter is required. Whether I will need to use Phosguard for phosphate removal I'm not sure, but I took it out of the filter for now after realizing to what extent it was limiting my plant's growth. The filtration won't however remove the trace elements coming in from the food, so I'm hoping those will prove to supply enough for the plants without requiring extra nutrients to be dosed. And topping off for evaporation should remineralize the water as necessary, hopefully. (I'l add a little bag of crushed coral to the filter as well if my hardness and PH start to fall in time).
> 
> The canister filter tubes, wiring and everything run through the stock rear housing, and the shelf is drilled to allow all the tubes/wires/cords to be hidden behind the books on the lower shelves, which I'm happy about with the Edge's design as I didn't really want to see any equipment visible anywhere.
> With the stock lighting set-up being completely rubbish in terms of light spread (especially after having added the dense planting) and with how it didn't shown any of my fish's iridescence as they were all backlit and looking washed out, what I needed was to add light from the front edge and along the sides of the tank. The 9 mm (3/8 inch) thick auxiliary LED housing strip does a good job of providing the desired light spread/angles/distribution, while still being quite discreet and being within the design character of the Edge. The stock halogen bulbs were also replaced by MR11 LED bulbs, and I have three small wands of LED's, in red and a small blue moonlight wand which I leave on 24/7, which are superglued to the stock lighting arm as shown. I built the auxiliary lighting hood by drawing the necessary shapes out in CAD, emailing the file to a lasercutting fabricator who produced the necessary pieces in acrylic. And then I laminated the three layers together to create the thin rectangular C shape which you can see on top and which has a narrow channel to the underside where I've mounted a few inexpensive LED strips I bought off Ebay. I experimented a bit, and am now using approximately an equal amount of warm-white and cool-white LED's, and I estimate that together my lighting is producing about 700 lumen, though despite trying to research it I'm still not sure whether that would qualify as high or low light intensity. The lights are on two cheap timers, with one strip of white LED's on about 13 hours a day, with the rest being on for 8 hours. I'll discontinue the use of the red and maybe even the blue, as especially given the ripple effect at the opening, the coloured likes look a bit distracting. I could have made the acrylic auxiliary lighting housing much narrower if I had used only the edge-lit/side-lit/side-shine LED strips, and they would have been much easier to fit around the corners of the housing, but I've only seen those come in cool-white.
> 
> I've been dosing heavily with Excel, and tried DIY CO2 but found it to be too risky. (By the way, the surface agitation provided by the stock filter is quite necessary for ensuring that an Edge has sufficient oxygen levels). I now also have a pressurized CO2 system ready to go, as soon as I replace my check valves which don't seem to work very well. And the substrate is black Flourite sand. I occasionally need to scrape the front and top glass which get a little green algae, and there is a little on some of the leaves, as well as a lovely coat on the driftwood but it hasn't in any case been a bother. I've been dosing with Seachem Flourish, and put in some root tabs initially to try to get the plants started.
> 
> The flora is a Dwarf Hairgrass carpet, 5 Amazon swordplants, 3 Corkscrew Vallisneria, African Tiger Lotus, a few Pygmy Chain Swords, American Lizard Tail, a few Cryptocoryne Lucens, some other Cryps to front left which I bought earlier at the LFS and following these pictures replaced with Blyx Japonica. I definitely had wanted to achieve something close the dense jungle look, but I may need to start to do some trimming shortly as the swordplants are starting to overshadow much of the tank and I will likely replace them in time. All the plants, apart from the Lizard Tail seem to be doing fairly well. It was a real pain to plant everything through such a small opening, (and especially so with the hairgrass), and I had to replant a number of things which floated up but eventually everything stayed put. The platies weren't there at first, but they are frequently pulling up some of the hairgrass, despite that it seems to remain relatively thick still.
> 
> And the fauna is one Betta, three Platies and a baby now, six Cardinal Tetras, and a pair of Dwarf Ram Cichilds (which I don't recommend as despite seeming to be a pair, there has nevertheless been a fair amount of discord, so I wish I'd gone with Apistogramma instead). I had two Otincinulus, but as is the experience of many aquarists, I eventually lost them. I will be trying a few cherry shrimp, and am hoping they'll be able to survive without being eaten.
> 
> It's just recently that I finished my lighting set-up, so I'm not sure what further adjustments will need to be made. I'm monitoring the conditions though, and am generally happy with everything for the moment, apart from the Lizard Tail which I'm going to pull and replace with Limnophila Aromatica.
> 
> 
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> 
> Red strips for plants to balance out the disproportionate blue from the LED strips. And a blue/white 4 LED moonlight kept on 24/7. All mounted with superglue onto stock lighting arm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lasercut acrylic custom LED lighting strip enclosure, with 1 warm white LED strip, and 3 cool-white, (though I'm only actually using 1 or 2 of the cool-white at a time).
> 
> 
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> My canister filter not yet out of sight when I was first setting the tank up.


Let me just say first that this is one of the most beautiful fluval edges I've EVER seen, along with the fish (especially the cardinals and the blue betta).
The other thing is that like me and many other edge owners have inadequate lighting problems for plants to live. I would want to know if you could post exact dementions or maby even the CAD file for others and myself to solve their lighting problems.


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## Newman

Let me just say that it is as beautiful as it is over stocked. In this case it is "very"


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## drbotts

So I ended up getting the Edge! Can't say I'm quite in the club yet because it doesn't have water in it yet. I'm really trying to decide what to do!? I figure I'll play with this one a bit. Bought the Edge + Petco Cabinet as a package for $100. Sold the cabinet to my neighbor for $60. 
Net, $40 for brand new edge.


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## Newman

lol score


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## Mxx

NewDisign said:


> Let me just say first that this is one of the most beautiful fluval edges I've EVER seen, along with the fish (especially the cardinals and the blue betta).
> The other thing is that like me and many other edge owners have inadequate lighting problems for plants to live. I would want to know if you could post exact dementions or maby even the CAD file for others and myself to solve their lighting problems.


Thanks! I'm certainly happy to share the details for my hood. You should be able to download the files from this link, or it not then PM your email - http://www.mediafire.com/?kcsqqfe4fm9n49f
That is a Zip file containing the CAD file, a dimensioned PDF showing each of the two parts, and then the EPS file. Some lasercutting fabricators use different file formats, I obtained quotes from 3 fabricators and the quotes varied widely. The fabricator I chose happen to use EPS files as the cut files for their machines. NOTE! The CAD file does not export the EPS file at scale, so the fabricator will need to rescale the file according to the dimensions shown in the PDF drawings once they open it up in their system. When I used lasercutting machines in grad school I thought they were able to use Autocad DWG or DXF files, as well as PDF files directly though, but you'd want to make sure the fabricator turns off the layers for the labeling and dimensions if so. 

It wasn't easy to get the warm-white LED strip at the center of the channel in as that had to be rather contorted at the corners. Another alternative, in case you don't mind using only cool-white LEDs, would be to just stack several of the side-shine strips together into the groove. They are easy to bend around the corners as they're mounted vertically, and you could actually significantly reduce the entire width of the C shaped acrylic surround while still having even half a dozen of those strips sandwiched together. 

And yes, my tank is definitely overcrowded by any measure, according to http://aqadvisor.com/ my tank is at least twice as overcrowded as it should be, especially now that I've added some crystal red shrimp and a Siamese algae eater. Psychologically it doesn't seem so overcrowded though, as the cardinals are mostly dither fish, and the rest are not really getting into each others business constantly. A pair of Rams certainly don't work in this due to intraspecies aggression, and I'm having to replace them with 2-3 Apistogramma borelli instead. 

Now what may make some of you really flip your cookies is the fact that I don't do any water changes, none. The only time I have removed water is the initial times when I cleaned my canister filter or ran a dripline to acclimate new fish. Nevertheless, my water conditions seem quite good, with zero nitrites, 10-20 ppm nitrates, neutral PH, and medium hardness. I do monitor my water conditions, (albeit with crappy test strips), and may need to add a little crushed coral to prevent gradual acidification and a PH crash. (If this seems like lunacy to you then please read the Why do Water Changes thread and feel free to draw your own conclusions). In feeding my fish I might err on the generous side, but I don't happen to add any macro nutrients for the plants. 

In any case, I obviously couldn't do the low maintenance route without using a Fluval 305 canister filter which is massively over-sized so far as a biological filter goes for this tank. It's meant for up to a 70 gallon tank which is about 15 times the size of one of these, and I have it filled with Seachem Matrix which provides enough anaerobic bio-filtration for up to a 100 gallon tank. I top off for evaporation with filtered tap water, and add some nutrient drops, which seems to appropriately re-mineralize to replace that used by the plants. I'm monitoring it carefully, but it seems to be working quite well for me still half a year later. Between the shrimp and the SAE there is little algae, and the shrimp now seem to be cleaning up an detritus that was slightly collecting previously as it's mostly gone now somehow. Perhaps I ought to add the disclaimer - Do not try this at home! 

Perhaps I should take some photo updates now that I got rid of that nasty crypt to the left, and added some anubias. But I just trimmed out a big handful of swordplant leaves and dwarf hairgrass to give some Blyxa j. I added a chance, so maybe when things grow back in a little more I'll do that. I'm just pleased with the result that there basically isn't any equipment visible in or around the tank, despite that there is an absolute rat's nest of cords and tubes hidden behind the books on the shelves below!


----------



## Newman

this sounds like insanity. how long has this tank been going like this?


----------



## Mxx

Newman said:


> this sounds like insanity. how long has this tank been going like this?


It's been running for six months now which I appreciate isn't an enormous amount of time, but it seems cleaner and more stable now than ever. And I appreciate it sounds unorthodox, but after spending a fair bit of time trying to look into the science underlying the ecology of our tanks and wading through the unsubstantiated myths and superstitions, I failed to find any reason it couldn't work. 

I had the nitrogen cycle covered by the filter, and I thought Phosphates might build up so I had some Seachem phosphate remover which I used initially, but once I got my CO2 system running properly I haven't used it and those seem to stay at around 10 ppm. 

I'd like to find a testable trace element such as iron to monitor in order to determine whether my micro nutrients are either accumulating or being depleted. I haven't gotten around to doing that yet, but it currently is a flaw in my practice I realize, and perhaps I don't even need to dose anything and could reply upon the micro nutrients introduced with the fish food. 

I'm still not sure whether it's my filter or plants that are depleting the ammonia, but suspect it must be primarily the filter as evidenced by the low level of nitrates present. I've tried testing my oxygen levels as well, but the test kit seems kinda useless. 

Tom Barr runs some no-water-change tanks successfully as well as he has described here, albeit with low fish stocking levels, limited feeding, but with limited filtration as well in order to rely upon the plants for filtration. So this is rather a different take on that philosophy, but all seems well still. 

Besides, my tank water right now is better than the stuff coming out of my faucet. And what exactly do people think happens to the water molecules after time, to where they need to be thrown out and replaced, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms break apart or something? To oversimplify it, I'm more convinced that water molecules can continue to be re-used indefinitely, as has already been done for on our planet for quite a good number of years.


----------



## Newman

plants are key to this thing's success, make sure you keep them alive and thriving. good luck, and definitely keep us up to date with what's happening in the tank =)


----------



## NewDisign

*Fluval edge co2 help!!*

A) I'll just get to the point, what size co2 system is best for the fluval edge??? 

1a)What kind of canister?

1ab) this goes along with question 1a: if the canister is a specific size, what equipment would you need for it. For example, does an 20oz co2 canister need to have specific kind of regulators, deffuser, ect? 

1c) If it's a paintball co2 canister, does it do the exact same thing as a canister made for the use of aquarium plant growth?

B) I've currently got two fluval edges; is it possible to have one co2 cartridge for two tanks? If so, what equipment do I need?

When responding, tell wether it's aquestion A, 1a, 1ab, 1c, or B so I can tell exactly what question your talking about.

So basically I need to know everything there is to know about co2 systems and set-ups. Any info will be greatly appreciated.


----------



## NewDisign

Mxx said:


> Thanks! I'm certainly happy to share the details for my hood. You should be able to download the files from this link, or it not then PM your email - http://www.mediafire.com/?kcsqqfe4fm9n49f
> That is a Zip file containing the CAD file, a dimensioned PDF showing each of the two parts, and then the EPS file. Some lasercutting fabricators use different file formats, I obtained quotes from 3 fabricators and the quotes varied widely. The fabricator I chose happen to use EPS files as the cut files for their machines. NOTE! The CAD file does not export the EPS file at scale, so the fabricator will need to rescale the file according to the dimensions shown in the PDF drawings once they open it up in their system. When I used lasercutting machines in grad school I thought they were able to use Autocad DWG or DXF files, as well as PDF files directly though, but you'd want to make sure the fabricator turns off the layers for the labeling and dimensions if so.
> 
> It wasn't easy to get the warm-white LED strip at the center of the channel in as that had to be rather contorted at the corners. Another alternative, in case you don't mind using only cool-white LEDs, would be to just stack several of the side-shine strips together into the groove. They are easy to bend around the corners as they're mounted vertically, and you could actually significantly reduce the entire width of the C shaped acrylic surround while still having even half a dozen of those strips sandwiched together.
> 
> And yes, my tank is definitely overcrowded by any measure, according to http://aqadvisor.com/ my tank is at least twice as overcrowded as it should be, especially now that I've added some crystal red shrimp and a Siamese algae eater. Psychologically it doesn't seem so overcrowded though, as the cardinals are mostly dither fish, and the rest are not really getting into each others business constantly. A pair of Rams certainly don't work in this due to intraspecies aggression, and I'm having to replace them with 2-3 Apistogramma borelli instead.
> 
> Now what may make some of you really flip your cookies is the fact that I don't do any water changes, none. The only time I have removed water is the initial times when I cleaned my canister filter or ran a dripline to acclimate new fish. Nevertheless, my water conditions seem quite good, with zero nitrites, 10-20 ppm nitrates, neutral PH, and medium hardness. I do monitor my water conditions, (albeit with crappy test strips), and may need to add a little crushed coral to prevent gradual acidification and a PH crash. (If this seems like lunacy to you then please read the Why do Water Changes thread and feel free to draw your own conclusions). In feeding my fish I might err on the generous side, but I don't happen to add any macro nutrients for the plants.
> 
> In any case, I obviously couldn't do the low maintenance route without using a Fluval 305 canister filter which is massively over-sized so far as a biological filter goes for this tank. It's meant for up to a 70 gallon tank which is about 15 times the size of one of these, and I have it filled with Seachem Matrix which provides enough anaerobic bio-filtration for up to a 100 gallon tank. I top off for evaporation with filtered tap water, and add some nutrient drops, which seems to appropriately re-mineralize to replace that used by the plants. I'm monitoring it carefully, but it seems to be working quite well for me still half a year later. Between the shrimp and the SAE there is little algae, and the shrimp now seem to be cleaning up an detritus that was slightly collecting previously as it's mostly gone now somehow. Perhaps I ought to add the disclaimer - Do not try this at home!
> 
> Perhaps I should take some photo updates now that I got rid of that nasty crypt to the left, and added some anubias. But I just trimmed out a big handful of swordplant leaves and dwarf hairgrass to give some Blyxa j. I added a chance, so maybe when things grow back in a little more I'll do that. I'm just pleased with the result that there basically isn't any equipment visible in or around the tank, despite that there is an absolute rat's nest of cords and tubes hidden behind the books on the shelves below!


Thanks, this will help big time. In fact, I has just about to pull plants and put them in a controlled environment to keep them from dying off beyond the state of any recovery. Now I can keep them in the tank, order the hood, and have a stabilized lighting distribution throughtout the tank


----------



## Mxx

NewDisign said:


> Thanks, this will help big time. In fact, I has just about to pull plants and put them in a controlled environment to keep them from dying off beyond the state of any recovery. Now I can keep them in the tank, order the hood, and have a stabilized lighting distribution throughtout the tank


Hopefully changing the lighting as such will help with your plants! In case you're not adding CO2 (which really isn't necessary for a tank this size), then make sure you try adding some Excel at least which will certainly benefit them considerably as well.


----------



## BlueJack

Amazing tank by Mxx. Almost inspired to try and wire something like that. On mine I just slapped 2 F4T5's on the side with velcro tape and a blue led bar on the inside with velcro tape. If you haven't noticed, velcro is my friend


----------



## NewDisign

Mxx said:


> Hopefully changing the lighting as such will help with your plants! In case you're not adding CO2 (which really isn't necessary for a tank this size), then make sure you try adding some Excel at least which will certainly benefit them considerably as well.


I do still think it was the lighting because only those two halogen lights don't deliver much light anyway, plus, over time they tend to get dimmer.

I don't have a co2 system, but I am planning on trying to get a rig set up in one of my two edges.

I actually don't use any growth Stimulents just because of the vast array of different brands, which one I need for a certain whatever, best brand, ect. I will, when I get to it, try to find some Excel and give that a try and see that it might be what I need.

Thanks for the advise


----------



## BlueJack

Has anyone used this  MR11 XP-G bulb? I'm looking at getting the warm white(123 lumens, 95 beam angle, 80 cri). I don't have much room to work with because of my driftwood is sticking through the top, so I need the smaller MR11 type bulbs. This bulb says it's meant to replace a 20w halogen but runs at 2.5w. I know the stock lights that the edge comes with are 10w halogens. Will it be safe to use in this fixture as is? Thanks for any help.


----------



## sugarbyte

I just received my mr16 Cool white LED's in the mail (from ebay).. I kind of regret getting the cool white.. It makes my red cabombas and overall tank look lifeless (especially with the added zoo med ultra sun CFL) I think I might get some warm white leds.. not sure  (maybe it takes getting used to)

What do you guys prefer? cool white lighting or warm white lighting on your edge?


----------



## BlueJack

I just caved into evil-bay also and bought similar 12 smd led's. I feel your pain on the lifeless look. Mine are just too blueish and really look artificial. I also have a 3100k bulb and I don't like the orange look to it either. I'm thinking the neutral white is the way to go. Time to save up some money.


----------



## sugarbyte

That sucks!  
I'm happy to not be the only one though who isn't a fan of the blue-ish look though. 
What kelvin color would a neutral white be? I need to start looking around on evil-bay again


----------



## jahmic

For me...the 6700 looks pretty natural. I think it's personal preference. 4k-5k would probably give you that warm look without the orange glow that you get with a bulb in the 3k range though.


----------



## Newman

4,or 5000K-7000K is very nice white.


----------



## sockfish

*Good Will Fluval*

Diving in,

I scored a new-in-the box black Fluval Edge at Good Will for 12.99!!! 

I've only had one, tremendously successful, low tech planted *bowl* for several years now and have enjoyed the beauty it affords for so little effort. But like everybody else, I've admired the Edge forever since I first saw it. So when I saw this great buy I scooped it. To avoid annoying my husband I may set it up at work, but after reading this entire thread, I worry I'll fiddle with it too much and not get any work done!

I'm thinking about a moss wall, maybe work on a bonsai look moss tree [I have a batch of moss in basement shrimp tank], but will have to consider the scale. I'm not a big fan of turning my tanks into what seems like a spaceship in my Luddite mind, but I've carefully noted all the DIYs here that look reasonable to me. Many thanks to the years of contributions that have built this thread!

BlueJack, please tell more about the "F4T5's" you added?

Yet another return to the planted tank world because of the Edge....

Sox


----------



## BlueJack

What a deal sockfish!! They are called  AmerTac 2-Pack Mini Fluorescent UtilityLite  and run $10 for the pair. They come with bulbs, but need individual 6v power adapters. You can find some on ebay for a couple bucks or look around your house for old electronic power adapters. Needs to be 6v though. I also glued a piece of aluminum siding to act as a reflector, then spray painted everything black. And stuck a little piece of felt to it so it wouldn't scratch the tank. It really lights the corners of the tank well.


----------



## NewDisign

sockfish said:


> Diving in,
> 
> I scored a new-in-the box black Fluval Edge at Good Will for 12.99!!!
> 
> I've only had one, tremendously successful, low tech planted *bowl* for several years now and have enjoyed the beauty it affords for so little effort. But like everybody else, I've admired the Edge forever since I first saw it. So when I saw this great buy I scooped it. To avoid annoying my husband I may set it up at work, but after reading this entire thread, I worry I'll fiddle with it too much and not get any work done!
> 
> I'm thinking about a moss wall, maybe work on a bonsai look moss tree [I have a batch of moss in basement shrimp tank], but will have to consider the scale. I'm not a big fan of turning my tanks into what seems like a spaceship in my Luddite mind, but I've carefully noted all the DIYs here that look reasonable to me. Many thanks to the years of contributions that have built this thread!
> 
> BlueJack, please tell more about the "F4T5's" you added?
> 
> Yet another return to the planted tank world because of the Edge....
> 
> Sox


Your telling me you got an entirely new fluval edge unit for ONLY $13.00!!! I wish I'd gotten that deal for my edge.


----------



## sockfish

Yep. At my local Goodwill store. Somebody probably got it for Christmas and ditched it, I'd guess. That's how I got my nifty $10.00 HomeMedics Complete Shiatsu Back Massager too....and all my clothes.

So far I did pay full price for the pre-filter sponge, 'bout 2.39. 

:icon_mrgr Sox


----------



## roni

BlueJack said:


> What a deal sockfish!! They are called  AmerTac 2-Pack Mini Fluorescent UtilityLite  and run $10 for the pair. They come with bulbs, but need individual 6v power adapters. You can find some on ebay for a couple bucks or look around your house for old electronic power adapters. Needs to be 6v though. I also glued a piece of aluminum siding to act as a reflector, then spray painted everything black. And stuck a little piece of felt to it so it wouldn't scratch the tank. It really lights the corners of the tank well.


really nice! I'm going to pick this up today. Where did you get the blue led you glued to the light fixture?


----------



## BlueJack

Off [Ebay Link Removed] type in LED strip light. Look for something around 4 inches long. I think my led is 4.35 inches.


----------



## sammiewags

Well I went and purchased one at Petsmart a few weeks ago for dirt cheap.  I am now an offical FLuval Edge owner!!  

I received my upgraded lights in the mail and I cannot wait to get it up and running!! Is anyone using the stock filter?? 

I see some people upgrading to the Zoo Med 501, what about the TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Rapids-Canister-hang-tank/dp/B000YJ0M1E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306936760&sr=1-2[/URL]


----------



## soup_nazi

The only reason to get the zoomed is for more filter media options. the difference between the to filters as far as filter power and amount of media is negligable. But if you want to get the zoo-med, its a great filter and you would be happy with it.


----------



## BlueJack

Take a look at the finnex px-360. I've heard some good things about it and it's only 40 bucks. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKF-CzLFuKk


----------



## CmdrBond

Hi all - First post and all that...

I'm in the UK and looking at getting an Edge (if I can convince the Missus). Pretty new to aquaria but a good learner.

If I can get the Edge at a price "her indoors" agrees with, I am looking to stock it with pico/nano/micro (whatever) small fish.

So far, if I can get my grubby mitts on them, I have my eye on ...

Scarlet Badis (_Dario dario_)
Either 1 male and 2 female or 2 male and 3 female (unless you think the tank would support more)
Requirements: 18-26°C (64-78°F), pH 6.5-8.5, dKh 3-15

Asian Stone Catfish (_Hara jerdoni_)
Again, probably a pair or 1 male and 2 female.
Requirements: 18-24°C (64-75°F), pH 5.6-7.6, dKh 8-15

or possibly up the temp for some 

Ember Tetra (_Hyphessobrycon amandae_)
Not sure on how many, probably 5.
Requirements: 24-28°C (75-82°F), pH 5.5-7, dKh 1-10


Also like some Red Cherry Shrimp (_Neocaridina denticulata sinensis_)
Again, not sure on how many of these, but at least 2 (probably a pair), maybe 4 or 5.
Requirements: 18.5-29.5°C (65-85°F), pH 6.2-8, dKh 3-15.

I would plan on swapping out the Halogens for LED's, probably around the 6500-6700 range, and maybe adding a moonlight strip. If CO2 is required then I plan on using the Fluval Chi mini CO2 setup, but would rather not if necessary.

What would be the best plants (pref slow growing and small) for this sort of low-tech setup. (if I go with the Asian Stone Catfish I may need an airstone).


----------



## JimmyYahoo

Jeff.:P:. said:


> Planting
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly one month later....... :hihi:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll have water in it very soon. Just getting the CO2, canister filter ready.


You should just leave it like that, itll never look better than it does now.


----------



## Newman

lol dont even put in water? just drop in a salamander or two...lol!


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

lol Thanks! I have now a 4" layer of HC, im still waiting on a diffuser so I can put water in it. I should have water in it a week or two. hopefully


----------



## sugarbyte

CmdrBond said:


> What would be the best plants (pref slow growing and small) for this sort of low-tech setup. (if I go with the Asian Stone Catfish I may need an airstone).



Anubias and Brazilian Micro Sword are what I have in mine currently and are very slow growing (I'm sure with more co2 the growth rate of the BMS would be different though). I definitely recommend replacing the halogens and maybe even adding a CFL bulb if you want to keep some higher light-demanding plants.

Make sure that when planning your aquarium you place your plants somewhat strategically since there are sometimes problems with the light reaching the far corners of the tank.

As for the fish selection, I can't really comment since I don't have experience with most of those, but try and stay away from fish like bettas and gouramis since they require a larger surface area for air than the Edge can provide.

I am by no means an expert, but I hope my experience is somewhat helpful


----------



## ncharlie

CmdrBond said:


> Hi all - First post and all that...
> 
> I'm in the UK and looking at getting an Edge (if I can convince the Missus). Pretty new to aquaria but a good learner.
> 
> If I can get the Edge at a price "her indoors" agrees with, I am looking to stock it with pico/nano/micro (whatever) small fish.
> 
> So far, if I can get my grubby mitts on them, I have my eye on ...
> 
> Scarlet Badis (_Dario dario_)
> Either 1 male and 2 female or 2 male and 3 female (unless you think the tank would support more)
> Requirements: 18-26°C (64-78°F), pH 6.5-8.5, dKh 3-15
> 
> Asian Stone Catfish (_Hara jerdoni_)
> Again, probably a pair or 1 male and 2 female.
> Requirements: 18-24°C (64-75°F), pH 5.6-7.6, dKh 8-15
> 
> or possibly up the temp for some
> 
> Ember Tetra (_Hyphessobrycon amandae_)
> Not sure on how many, probably 5.
> Requirements: 24-28°C (75-82°F), pH 5.5-7, dKh 1-10
> 
> 
> Also like some Red Cherry Shrimp (_Neocaridina denticulata sinensis_)
> Again, not sure on how many of these, but at least 2 (probably a pair), maybe 4 or 5.
> Requirements: 18.5-29.5°C (65-85°F), pH 6.2-8, dKh 3-15.
> 
> I would plan on swapping out the Halogens for LED's, probably around the 6500-6700 range, and maybe adding a moonlight strip. If CO2 is required then I plan on using the Fluval Chi mini CO2 setup, but would rather not if necessary.
> 
> What would be the best plants (pref slow growing and small) for this sort of low-tech setup. (if I go with the Asian Stone Catfish I may need an airstone).


If you did not know, there is a 12 gallon Fluval coming out soon in the US. October I think.

You might be able to get it in the UK sooner?

Also, the newer Fluvals are supposed to have better lights.

Do a search on Youtube for 12 gallon fluval edge. There is some videos from a Canadian trade show and some from Hagen.

I'll probably get one when they come out. 

I like my Fluval but I think 12 gallons would look even better!

Also, be careful when you upgrade lights. Follow the volt/wattage limit on the transformer. I burned out my transformer putting 20v halogens MR11 into the sockets and then had buy a new outfit for 40$!


----------



## sockfish

My Edge [the one in the "Goodwill Edge thread] is all original lighting and filtration. It's been set up about a month now. I have 3 types of crypts and a java fern in it as well as 2 nerites and a Betta. No problem for the Betta--the filter flow is very low and there is the top opening for him to get his air. 

I love this tank--it completely changes the atmosphere of my office! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine!

sox


----------



## tetraontheedge

Hello, fellow Edgers.

I recently blew out my Edge light fixture (with the mr11 leds) after water splashed up onto the lights from when I was running an airstone (never again).

It smoked and was generally a toxic mess which I am lucky did not kill or destroy anything beyond the lights.

I have exchanged the unit with Hagen, but now I am wondering about the use of mr 11 leds. :icon_eek:

Do I need to switch the power transformer on this? If so, how do I do that? Is it just the transformer box plug thingy that needs changing, or other wires also?

Your guidance and contribution to electrical fire prevention is much appreciated. :help:


----------



## Rick684

Wow! Where did you get your MR11's? I've actually knocked one out of it's socket, watched it sink to the bottom, retrieved it & plugged it back in with no issues what-so-ever. You must of gotten water into the sockets of the fixture and shorted it out? The "wall-wart" power supply for the halogens is the same power supply required for the LED's: 12v. That's assuming you are using the LED's from LEDWholesaler like most here are. Can't speak about others.....

Rick


----------



## tetraontheedge

Thanks for your reply, Rick684. They were the same led's everyone else has here. I definitely got water on it due to the stupid airstone, which created splash. The burnt looking socket was on the side where the airstone was splashing.

I had initially assumed that it was just the water shorting it out, but then I was reading this thread again for other lighting mods and saw some discussion of a stock 24v ac transformer vs. replacing it with a 12v dc for the led's (I sent away my fixture for replacement so I can't look at its transformer at the moment).

I am relieved to know that the stock transformer is okay. I was worried some other accident might be waiting once I put more (expensive, replacement) led's in...


----------



## raven_wilde

*Inner dimensions of lighting hood*

Howdy, any of you wonderful Edge owners be willing to measure the inside of their lighting hood? Also the width of the space remaining between the stock light fixture and the front of the hood... y'know, the spot where everyone has a CF zip-tied.

I'm just about ready to commit to buying one of these within the next month and I'm already making upgrade plans :icon_excl


----------



## Rick684

NP tetra & you're welcome....

If you look at the webpage for the LEDs', you'll notice that they operate with either an AC or DC supply. Generally speaking, as long as the supply puts out the correct voltage and the load offered by the LED's you're using is within the range of the supply's capability, all should be OK. The supply that comes with The Edge is rated at 1700ma. That's 1.7 amps! Way more than most people will ever push with their LED setup. For example, the MR11's were talking about only draw 125ma each. That would add up to 250ma for both. That's less than 25% of the supply's capability. Mine doesn't even get warm. As far as the sockets go, if you ever need to replace one of those, they're pretty cheap & easily replaced. It would just take a small amount of soldering skills to replace one. But, since Fluval did that for you, there's no need for that. 

Good Luck with your Edge ! Here's an FTS of mine with the LED lighting......


----------



## raven_wilde

sammiewags said:


> I see some people upgrading to the Zoo Med 501, what about the TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Rapids-Canister-hang-tank/dp/B000YJ0M1E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306936760&sr=1-2[/URL]


I can chime in here about the TOM Mini Canister, I have it on my 'monster' tank for some auxiliary bio-filtration... it works well, quite a little power-horse, and quiet too. However, its kind of hard to clean because you can't separate the canister from the intake/outake. Basically you have to lift the whole thing off the tank, intake spray bar and all. I suppose that ultimately the difficulty of this depends on your setup, although on mine it definitely sucks because its hanging off the back of a 30 gal that lives on the bottom rack of my tank stand. Pretty annoying, which is why I only keep bio-media in it and service it maybe every 2-3 months.


----------



## BlueJack

I've seen many people upgrade they're filter but I think the stock aquaclear filter is perfect for this little tank. Hopefully your plants will be doing most of the filtering for you.


----------



## Newman

awesome tank and color choices. its too bad those stems up front are so tedious to trim frequently to prevent them from ruining that nice look.


----------



## BlueJack

Newman said:


> awesome tank and color choices. its too bad those stems up front are so tedious to trim frequently to prevent them from ruining that nice look.


thanks...it is very tedious. But try trimming the hairgrass, that's a cluster!#$%


----------



## drbotts

I had a friend share with me to siphon above your scissors as you trim. Sucks the hairgrass right out of the tank so it doesn't get all over the place. Takes a little practice I hear.



BlueJack said:


> thanks...it is very tedious. But try trimming the hairgrass, that's a cluster!#$%


----------



## aman74

sammiewags said:


> Well I went and purchased one at Petsmart a few weeks ago for dirt cheap.  I am now an offical FLuval Edge owner!!


How much were they?

I didn't see any at Petsmart around here when I looked about 6 months ago. I'm wondering if they got more stock in from Hagen to blow them out or something.

Weird that they're coming out with a 12 gallon model when they discontinued this one so quick.


----------



## raven_wilde

aman74 said:


> Weird that they're coming out with a 12 gallon model when they discontinued this one so quick.


Where did you hear that they were discontinued? I just special ordered one from my LFS and they didn't indicate that they were... all of this year's promotional material still has the Edge front and center.

In any case, I'm super psyched to get mine- the LFS said it should show up as soon as next week... CAN'T WAIT!


----------



## aman74

raven_wilde said:


> Where did you hear that they were discontinued? I just special ordered one from my LFS and they didn't indicate that they were... all of this year's promotional material still has the Edge front and center.
> 
> In any case, I'm super psyched to get mine- the LFS said it should show up as soon as next week... CAN'T WAIT!


That was the talk awhile back and they were getting scarce and places were blowing them out. Maybe this has changed.

That's why I was asking what price they got it for. I got mine for around 80 I believe, more than half the price when they came out. Usually things don't get price cut and become hard to get unless they're discontinued, but maybe it was just a rumor or they decided to lower the price and make more.


----------



## tsedore

Hey,

Have been following this thread for ages, my first post, have had the Edge for over a month and love it. It's fully cycled and got some Endlers swimming around although they are so fast I couldn't photograph them well. The tank is sparsely planted right now, but hoping this tank will evolve over the summer. Stay tuned!


----------



## raven_wilde

Got my Edge in today at the LFS! :icon_mrgr:icon_mrgr:icon_mrgr








Almost a shame to fill it. I have temporarily named it 'Mud Cube'...


----------



## tetraontheedge

Congrats, ravenwilde!


----------



## tbarabash

Oooh looks dirty. I like it 

Here's my ghetto ikea diodr moonlights as I mentioned a page or so ago. Looks quite intense in this pic but no SLR at my fiance's place to take an accurate picture so you get some from my iphone.


----------



## tetraontheedge

Blackstar65 said:


> Anybody try this kit
> 
> I bought the LED bars from this kit from Super Bright LED since the LED Shop isn't in the States. Ill post pics when I get it set up. I am keeping the halogens since they heat the water with the assistance of room temperature. I would rather use the watts for the light as opposed to a heater. I may add a heater in the winter.


Blackstar65, ravenwilde et al., I am now running this mod. I also go the pieces from superbright. I don't have pictures of it yet, but it looks great, the plants like it, and I think it's a lot less unwieldy than the 10 watt bulb addition (which I had previously). 

Go with the 10 watt if price is an issue, though. 

Also, I am running this with the mr11's.

If you decide to run this mod, get the right angle (corner) connector; you will have to mount the bars closer to the mr11's than shown on the uk site, but it will be fine and will fit under the stock hood no problem that way.


----------



## Mxx

Has anyone found an automatic feeder that can somehow be fit onto an Edge?


----------



## raven_wilde

Ooooh yes! This is exactly what I want to do... I've been all over the internet trying to figure out how something like this would work and what parts to use. Thank you so much for finding it for me!

ps. I am already using the MR-11s instead of the stock lights... those halogens never even made it out of their boxes:icon_mrgr



tetraontheedge said:


> Blackstar65, ravenwilde et al., I am now running this mod. I also go the pieces from superbright. I don't have pictures of it yet, but it looks great, the plants like it, and I think it's a lot less unwieldy than the 10 watt bulb addition (which I had previously).
> 
> Go with the 10 watt if price is an issue, though.
> 
> Also, I am running this with the mr11's.
> 
> If you decide to run this mod, get the right angle (corner) connector; you will have to mount the bars closer to the mr11's than shown on the uk site, but it will be fine and will fit under the stock hood no problem that way.


----------



## raven_wilde

Is this the superbright you are talking about?
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2Ffit.htm



tetraontheedge said:


> Blackstar65, ravenwilde et al., I am now running this mod. I also go the pieces from superbright. I don't have pictures of it yet, but it looks great, the plants like it, and I think it's a lot less unwieldy than the 10 watt bulb addition (which I had previously).
> 
> Go with the 10 watt if price is an issue, though.
> 
> Also, I am running this with the mr11's.
> 
> If you decide to run this mod, get the right angle (corner) connector; you will have to mount the bars closer to the mr11's than shown on the uk site, but it will be fine and will fit under the stock hood no problem that way.


----------



## raven_wilde

tetraontheedge said:


> If you decide to run this mod, get the right angle (corner) connector; you will have to mount the bars closer to the mr11's than shown on the uk site, but it will be fine and will fit under the stock hood no problem that way.


Can you post a pic of your setup so I can see how it works out with the right angle connector?


----------



## mb3k

Hmm interesting... I want to try out those superbrightleds strips too.
The first time I attempted a planted Edge with just LED MR11's failed miserably - even low light plants melted and died away! Maybe a second chance with more lighting will do the trick

I just picked up the Fluval 105 canister filter for my Edge! Fits nicely


----------



## tetraontheedge

raven_wilde said:


> Can you post a pic of your setup so I can see how it works out with the right angle connector?


Hi there ravenwilde. I still don't have pix, but I am hoping to borrow a digital camera and perhaps get it done in the next week or so.

In the meantime, here are pix for your reference on the different parts and so on:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...ispPage&Page2Disp=/light_bars-rigid.html#lbfa

I'm using two rigid aluminum light bars (LBFA-xWxx) 5.9 inch (15 cm) bars in cool white. 

If you click on the link above, and then "See prices and buy" for the Model LFBA LuxBar series Linear Light Fixture, you wil see the light bars I am talking about, as well as the pieces you will need to make it work with your Edge: LBFA-IU : LuxBar Right Angle Jumper (right angle connector); LBFA-Px: LuxBar Power Connectors (the power cord--choose your desired length); and 24VDC-PS: 24VDC Power Supplies (choose the 24w version).

The bars have to connect to each other so that they can both run from the same power supply (like xmas tree lights). But a larger connector (LBFA-Ix: LuxBar Interconnect Jumper) will have so much leftover cord that it is too big for the Edge's screened cover.

Here is the picture from the UK website that originally inspired the mod:

http://www.theledshopuk.com/fluvaledgeaquarium.html

Look on the righthand side of your screen. As you can see, the led bars are sitting on the outside of the Edge's stock lighting bar fixture. In that picture, the led bars are connected to each other on the right side. When you use the right angle connector, the bars will have to mount below the Edge stock lighting bar fixture (closer to the round mr11 led bulbs or stock halogens), because the right angle connector is not long enough to do the outside mounting you see in the linked picture.

I don't know if this is too much/too convoluted explanation...but until I can get a pic up, hth.


----------



## raven_wilde

It all makes sense  But one question...

Why the cool white color? Is the spectrum better for plants?



tetraontheedge said:


> I'm using two rigid aluminum light bars (LBFA-xWxx) 5.9 inch (15 cm) bars in cool white.


----------



## tetraontheedge

For some reason I thought the cool white's larger brightness range is best for plants. But you should ask in the lighting section and see what they say. I will be curious to know.


----------



## Mxx

tetraontheedge said:


> For some reason I thought the cool white's larger brightness range is best for plants. But you should ask in the lighting section and see what they say. I will be curious to know.


After having spent a fair bit of time reading into how the spectrum of light affects plant growth and algae growth and discussing it here, I've actually ended up concluding that with LED's it doesn't actually matter so much whether you have warm whites, neutral whites, or cool whites. There seem to be widely varying opinions all over the place on the effects of different spectrums of light, but all the white LED's do nevertheless produce a fair proportion of PAR (light in the required blue and red parts of the spectrum). 

I'd tailor your chosen shade of white according to what you yourself find desirable. Accordingly, I'm using a mix of about 60/40% cool/warm LED's, as I found my initial all cool white LED's to wash colors out far too much and look to sterile. However, if you don't keep your tank clean and your water is yellow then the blueness of cool-white light would be much less noticeable as the water filters it out. Further, if you're kind of old then I hear that your eyes will be less sensitive to blue light and therefore it will actually look very white...


----------



## tbarabash

My mr11 LEDs are already starting to dim it seems... I have two of those, plus a 10W CFL ziptied into the hood and I notice a drastic change in brightness now compared to how it used to be. I have been growing HC and a bunch of random stem plants that I'm unsure of what they are and it's been going great until lately I'm getting some dark green leaves and a small bit of die off here and there which I'm accounting to light as my ferts and co2 are all good.

Quite annoying actually... I'm now thinking of doing something a little different. It may be slightly gawdy or it may look cool. I currently have one of these (http://www.finnex.net/index.php?pag...n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61) and end up just kinda laying it ontop of the edge and turning it on and shooting it down into the tank. I'm thinking of buying another one, and siliconing them on the plastic bottom lip of the light to the back edge of the tank to have them perched above the tank, on either side of the lid. I emulated this with two fluval clip on lights of the same style and it looked quite good actually amd will provide me with WAY more than enough light to grow anything  Two mr11 LEDs with the 10w to support the middle of the tank and then one of those beasts on either side (26w but losing about 40% effectiveness down to due to having to penetrate the glass top to make them ~15w) gives me an effective wattage over the tank at 40watts which is just over 6.5WPG... yes, needlessly high but with enough CO2 I think I should be fine... I hope. If not I can just run the side lights for 4h in the middle of photoperiod and things should be A O K


----------



## tetraontheedge

From p. 51 of this thread:



Jamo3030 said:


> I tried little side lights like someone here did on my Edge, they actually got so hot they cracked my top glass! The tank is OK and it's only the top. I sealed it up with a glass repair kit but damn!


Be careful..the clip on lights look awesome, but if they are too close to the glass or resting on it, see above.
:icon_eek:


----------



## Blackstar65

tetraontheedge said:


> Hi there ravenwilde. I still don't have pix, but I am hoping to borrow a digital camera and perhaps get it done in the next week or so.
> 
> In the meantime, here are pix for your reference on the different parts and so on:
> 
> http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...ispPage&Page2Disp=/light_bars-rigid.html#lbfa
> 
> I'm using two rigid aluminum light bars (LBFA-xWxx) 5.9 inch (15 cm) bars in cool white.
> 
> If you click on the link above, and then "See prices and buy" for the Model LFBA LuxBar series Linear Light Fixture, you wil see the light bars I am talking about, as well as the pieces you will need to make it work with your Edge: LBFA-IU : LuxBar Right Angle Jumper (right angle connector); LBFA-Px: LuxBar Power Connectors (the power cord--choose your desired length); and 24VDC-PS: 24VDC Power Supplies (choose the 24w version).
> 
> The bars have to connect to each other so that they can both run from the same power supply (like xmas tree lights). But a larger connector (LBFA-Ix: LuxBar Interconnect Jumper) will have so much leftover cord that it is too big for the Edge's screened cover.
> 
> Here is the picture from the UK website that originally inspired the mod:
> 
> http://www.theledshopuk.com/fluvaledgeaquarium.html
> 
> Look on the righthand side of your screen. As you can see, the led bars are sitting on the outside of the Edge's stock lighting bar fixture. In that picture, the led bars are connected to each other on the right side. When you use the right angle connector, the bars will have to mount below the Edge stock lighting bar fixture (closer to the round mr11 led bulbs or stock halogens), because the right angle connector is not long enough to do the outside mounting you see in the linked picture.
> 
> I don't know if this is too much/too convoluted explanation...but until I can get a pic up, hth.


I found that same UK site and ordered the same parts. The problem I ran into was that Superbright doesn't sell the same connector cables as the LEDSHOPUK. The right angle connector only comes in one length which isn't long enough to set the lights up like in the LED SHOP UK site. The straight connectors aren't flexible enough and stick out too far on the sides to allow the top to fit. I am going to wait until October when Fluval releases the bigger Edge ( Check their Facebook page) and see what kind of light set up the will have for purchase. Or order cables from the UK. or Ditch the MR11 's all together and run three or four LED bars.

The main distributor of LUXbar LED's is the Corelli Group
http://www.corelli.com.au/product/88

I think I am going to go with another 5.9" LED bar for a total of three, one more right angle connector for a total of two, and two 45 degree mounts to push light forward. Or add two 2" bars for the sides on 45 degree mounts to push light forward and to sides. The only hindrance is the flexibility of the connectors.


----------



## tetraontheedge

The superbright right angle connector is short, but you just put the lightbars closer to each other and it is fine.

I am running the mod right now. My cabomba grew several inches over the course of three days.

Can't blame you for wanting a new, state of the art Edge, though.:icon_mrgr


----------



## Blackstar65

tetraontheedge said:


> The superbright right angle connector is short, but you just put the lightbars closer to each other and it is fine.
> 
> I am running the mod right now. My cabomba grew several inches over the course of three days.
> 
> Can't blame you for wanting a new, state of the art Edge, though.:icon_mrgr


I bought the kit via superbright. I was speaking of issues I had experienced. This is the one and only Edge I will purchase. I am just hoping the LED kit that they release in October is worth good and not cost prohibitive.


----------



## tetraontheedge

Fair enough. I just wanted to let you know, since I found about about the whole idea (including UK site and superbright) from you! :angel: Also, in case it is not clear, I also bought all the parts from superbright, and experienced the same problems you mention with the longer connector cables. Once I put the bars closer together (but still parallel to each other) with the right angle connector, it fit.

Good luck with your Edge. I like your idea about the two inch bars. I too am curious to see what the new kits and lighting will look like. Perhaps since the bigger version will need lights that penetrate deeper into the water, the lights for that would give great plant growth in smaller Edges like ours. I did look at the facebook page you mentioned (great picture--thanks!) and was pleased to see them hinting at leds for the new kits. :icon_mrgr


----------



## raven_wilde

This video on youtube, presumably from a trade show, suggests that LEDs are included with the new Edge.


----------



## Moving Forward

Hello, just registered here. I have a Fluval Edge. If I go with this kit:
http://www.theledshopuk.com/fluvaledgeaquarium.html
will this be enough light for a planted tank? I live in the UK. Seems quite expensive for what it is and I want to get it right the first time.


----------



## tbarabash

Not for that money, no. Better to ebay a couple of the 11 LED mr11's off ebay and then go pick up a standard light socket and buy a 10W or 20W CFL bulb and zip tie it to the fixture. Would get you a lot more usable light for plants for less money cause those light bars do a whole lot of nothing plus the spread on the main bulbs is only 30 degrees which is pretty terrible as barely any of the PAR would be outside of the immediate beam area


----------



## Moving Forward

Thanks for the reply that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

OK, I may go with one of these: http://www.therange.co.uk/invt/475273/?source=132_4


----------



## rgr555

I read almost this whole thread and not much info shared on the heaters you guys are using.

What's the best heater for the Fluval Edge without having to spend too much time on DIY mods?

I'm reading some people have the Hydor Mini: http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-HEATER-...5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1312074161&sr=1-5

Is this sufficient for tropical fish/plants?


----------



## tetraontheedge

Moving Forward said:


> Hello, just registered here. I have a Fluval Edge. If I go with this kit:
> http://www.theledshopuk.com/fluvaledgeaquarium.html
> will this be enough light for a planted tank? I live in the UK. Seems quite expensive for what it is and I want to get it right the first time.


I disagree. It costs more but will give you lovely coverage and at a low heat. The 10 watt will work, but is a hotter, less elegant solution. A lot of wattage will be wasted out the top, or you'll need to create a reflector that also potentially causes heat issues.

I do agree with the critique of their mr11's though. I have mr11s with 110 degree spread and I believe my light bars are the same. Maybe you could put a similar kit together at a different led supplier.

For a budget solution, absolutely the 10 watt. Otherwise, I say go for it. You'll be set and never need to change it.

OR, you could wait for the new Edge to come out this fall that comes with stock led lights.


----------



## tetraontheedge

rgr555 said:


> I read almost this whole thread and not much info shared on the heaters you guys are using.
> 
> What's the best heater for the Fluval Edge without having to spend too much time on DIY mods?
> 
> I'm reading some people have the Hydor Mini: http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-HEATER-...5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1312074161&sr=1-5
> 
> Is this sufficient for tropical fish/plants?


I'm using the 25 watt Edge heater that came free with my kit with no problems, but as you may have seen, there have been some problems earlier on. I find that Hagen honors their warranties and supports their product beautifully, so you may want to give it a try (but be careful to let it settle to tank temp for a day or so before you plug it in). On the other hand, some people's tanks got cooked...so maybe see how it works before any fish or plants are in there.:icon_eek:


----------



## Blackstar65

rgr555 said:


> I read almost this whole thread and not much info shared on the heaters you guys are using.
> 
> What's the best heater for the Fluval Edge without having to spend too much time on DIY mods?
> 
> I'm reading some people have the Hydor Mini: http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-HEATER-...5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1312074161&sr=1-5
> 
> Is this sufficient for tropical fish/plants?


I don't use one. Between the house and the AC20 motor heating the water my tank stays at 80. I may have to pick up one for the winter but if I do it be one of the 7.5 watt small tank heaters that I can stuff in the filter.


----------



## Eden

Hi I've just set up a planted edge with mod lighting and co2. For the lighting I have attached a 15w cfl and also replaced the stock mr11s with these babies.. 

http://www.enerled.co.uk/led-spot-aluminium-3.5-watt-24-smd-5050-12v-ac-dc-with-base-mr16.html

The're mr16 but fit perfectly without having to change anything, just make sure you dont have the water more than half a cm or so into the rim as they are slightly larger than the mr11s and would get wet. Due to the bulbs being closer to the water you get a much wider spread over the tank. 

Each bulb has 24 5050 SMD leds the 5050 part means the leds are larger than most and have 3 diodes in rather than 1, this means that the 2 bulbs together are the equivalent of 144 regular leds! (340-400 lumens each)

To top it of the're also waterproof!


----------



## advanaw11

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...vanaw11-fluval-edge-planted-tank-journal.html

*^^^^^heres my journal ^^^^^*


heres my edge


----------



## rgr555

advanaw11 said:


> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...vanaw11-fluval-edge-planted-tank-journal.html
> 
> *^^^^^heres my journal ^^^^^*
> 
> 
> heres my edge


That looks really amazing. How long did it take to set up?

I spent like 2 hours tumbling over planting these live plants I have. So annoying for them to keep moving and not being in perfect place. Am I supposed to remove all the sponge that came with the plant in the pot? Any tips appreciated.


----------



## BlueJack

^ That is sick!!! I think with side lighting like that, the fluval edge no longer has limitations.


----------



## thirdchild

*How do upgrades stack up*

Hello! Just started a brand new Edge tank and this has been a great post to read through.

I'm getting a little confused about all the popular lighting upgrade options though and how they compare. Is this correct?

stock halogen = algae level
mr11 led upgrade = low light
mr16 led upgrade = better low light
1 lightbar + led upgrade = med light
1 power compact + led = med light
2 lightbars + led = high light?

---
I'm trying to shoot for a low-med light faux iwagumi thing, so I'm only planning to keep some hardier plants. Doesn't have to grow in super fast, but I do want to keep what I've got by dosing Excel. (Marsilea minuta, Staurogyne repens (tropica 049g), HC)


----------



## Storm

thirdchild said:


> Hello! Just started a brand new Edge tank and this has been a great post to read through.
> 
> I'm getting a little confused about all the popular lighting upgrade options though and how they compare. Is this correct?
> 
> stock halogen = algae level
> mr11 led upgrade = low light
> mr16 led upgrade = better low light
> 1 lightbar + led upgrade = med light
> 1 power compact + led = med light
> 2 lightbars + led = high light?
> 
> ---
> I'm trying to shoot for a low-med light faux iwagumi thing, so I'm only planning to keep some hardier plants. Doesn't have to grow in super fast, but I do want to keep what I've got by dosing Excel. (Marsilea minuta, Staurogyne repens (tropica 049g), HC)


I too would like to know. Right now I just have the MR16 led upgrade (painted with clear nail polish to hopefully waterproof them). I'm trying to do a low-light excel tank but I want to make sure the MR16's are not too bright as I don't want algae growth.


----------



## Storm

I have a question about water flow in the Edge:

Right now I only have plants, driftwood, rocks, and a few shrimp in mine. When I have the built in filter on the lowest possible flow setting, the water starts to get a little film after a few days. If I turn it up a little bit, the flow is better, but it tends to blow my shrimp around a bit and also stirs up my foreground plants (marsilea minuta) a bit more than normal.

What flow setting does everybody leave their filter on for a shrimp/planted tank?


----------



## tener

hi, i have mine at half flow.i use the plants to slow the water flow around the tank down.
also id like to know how much and how often do u guys do water changes on your edge??


----------



## ncharlie

I keep my flow on high but I have alot of plants. 

The fish do not seem to mind, but sometimes I also will set the outflow out to middle.

The shrimp also does not seem to mind. 

I do have a prefilter, so that does reduce the outflow.


----------



## mochox

Here's my Fluval Setup!

I am never really happy with anything stock.

The Fluval Edge is an awesome, modular nano tank with a perfectly able stock filter and lighting set up. However, I like to tinker and modify just about everything I can get my hands on. Using spare materials i had lying around the garage, I transformed the 6-gallon Fluval Edge into a 16-gallon combined system.

The first step I took was to create an extra lip so the water level could overflow in a controlled fashion. (others have just cut holes in the stock rim of the tank but I initially decided to choose a different approach.)









^The first piece of acrylic I cut to fabricate a taller rim.









^After a few patient attempts with a heat gun the final product turned out swell.

The next piece of the puzzle was to design a "gate" or filter for the water to overflow through without the fish fitting as well.









^I started this project after an all-nighter and after i finished cutting it up I realized I needed to leave a space on either side. The final product was based off this design, however.

I got lazy and distracted and was poor to take pictures for a while.
At this point I had the basic design for the top portion of the overflow. I moved on to scrapping up some wood and more acrylic (not sure why I had so much acrylic in the garage to spare..)
Anyways to fit within the space below the nightstand on which the Fluval is located, I had to construct a custom ~10gallon tank. :headshake2:

The dimensions I cam up with were ~14"x~18"x~9" roughly. (had to make minor adjustments here and there..









^Much work later, this is just before i installed the corner supports.









^This picture shows how tight the acrylic came together, and shows off the grooves I created within the frame ~1/4" deep. Oh yeah...the longer sides are made from 1/4" thick acrylic and the bottom & smaller fronts are from 1/8". (this is the main reason i created the corner supports out of fear the fronts would bulge out too much.









^All corners secured and ready for silicone.

By this point in the build I was pretty ...bored and impatient. I started to make unorthodox decisions with regard to how I was going to set up the bottom tank as a sump/refugium.









^Initial design with baffles and current controlling baffles for the bottom tank. I found out later that wood was a terrible choice for this...









^Where the majority of filtration occurs.









^Overflow pipe(left), return pipe (right). I didn't take any pictures of me building the top "bowl" step-by-step, sorry. I used some screws hot glued in a ladder-like fashion to keep the two from moving too much.









^The "bowl/return tray".









^Drilling the holes for the plumbing. Extremely messy. Also had to trim a couple of the tongues that help hold the Fluval's back column in place.









^How the tank looks from behind with the drain pipe installed.









^Front of apparatus(left), Rear(right). First application of expandafoam.









^Plumbing installed and expandafoam doing its thing.









^Other side foam starting to expand.









^Final result after heatbending some tubing to allow the return to fit snugly up top there.









^"Refugium" set up with a few plants along the flow path.

At this point I was just happy to be done(ish) with the whole fiasco. Within a few days I noticed some gross gooey algae/mold/whoknowswhat growing off the wood. I assume it was because it was pressed wood and contained a glue that some microorganisms were having a hoedown with.









^Best seen here.

Frustrated as I was by the nasty growth, the pieces of wood kept trying to float off anyways. Time to think of something new.

The ultimate decision was to leave the back baffles as they were and greatly reduce the complexity of the front while greatly increasing its aesthetics.

I found a bunch of pavers leftover from a pool decking construction and decided they would be a good material that wouldn't try to float away.









^Pavers being stacked like legos.









^End result for the "refugium"ish contraption. Most of the filtration business happens in the rear while the front remains ALMOST stagnant. There is a minute circular current within the display zone.









^Final Product for now about a week in the making.

This write up took a bit longer than expected and I've lost track of any details I have said or left out.. Any and all questions are welcome! ^_^

Enjoy!


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

Unique build. Are you using silicon on the joints for your acrylic parts? I would caution you that silicon doesn't stick too well on acrylic so eventually it might fail on you.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Wow...that's some DYI skills...


----------



## mochox

Yes, white silicone was used for the joints on the acrylic parts...but the frame worked out better than expected and was so tight without silicone it was almost sealed. Hopefully it lasts a little while, at least.

I already had to repair the silicone in the tray at the top ( I blamed greasy fingers for the poor adhesion). Everything seems to be thriving, though, almost a month later there's almost no nitrates and all the fishes seem to be enjoying themselves.


----------



## Blackheart

Today I was using a razor, and for about a half hour of use, I managed to cut the top portion of the Edge off. It looks like one of those fancy ADA-style nano cubes kinda now. I always did like the Edge, especially it's size and shape, just not all the hassle off trying to work around the layout of it. Now I can scape freely!


----------



## mike_freegan

Wow, people are getting very fancy with their mods. Some of these projects are unbelievable.

Anyway, changed my substrate to Fluval Stratum and planted some HC to compliment the java fern and anubias nana. It came in rock wool though, and I couldn't get it out so I separated it into clumps and jammed it in the substrate. Chances of survival are low.

DIY CO2
MR16 11 LEDs
7w CFL.

What do you guys think?


----------



## sugarbyte

@mike_freegan: looks really nice. How is the DIY co2 working out for you? I had some problems with mine+ the fluval edge :/


----------



## willzy

All,

This is my first post 

My fluval edge's light unit blew up not so long ago. Picked up some LED lights yesterday from the LFS.

Dual lights on








t
Single Light On





























Edge contains Crystal Red Shrimps.

I'm finding it a little too difficult to maintain this tank, and I'll soon be purchasing the ADA Mini M. I'm hoping these lights will light up the ADA tank considering the tank dimensions are pretty similar.

Cheers,

Will


----------



## sammiewags

Will what is the specs on those leds? And who makes them?


----------



## willzy

I've thrown out the box, but I don't recall it having a specific brand. It just some generic led aquarium light.

It has 30 SMDs in total, 27 being white and 3 being blue

I'll find out more info next time I head to the LFS, it also comes in a 45cm version. The ones pictured above are 17cm.


----------



## chriscenter1

Hey guys, new member here. So I bought an Edge and have got it setup and running. I ordered these lights :http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L2AIIE off Amazon since they seemed to pop up regularly on forums such as this. Anyways here's my question. I got them today and went to install them and the prongs are slightly farther apart and slightly larger than the holes for the original edge light. Any help would be appreciated!


----------



## chriscenter1

Any of you other guys with MR11's have any problems like this or did yours fit right in?


----------



## BlueJack

chriscenter1 said:


> Any of you other guys with MR11's have any problems like this or did yours fit right in?


They just fit right in. No problems at all.


----------



## jrwestcoast

chriscenter1 said:


> Any of you other guys with MR11's have any problems like this or did yours fit right in?


I did not have any problem with them. The fit was perfect. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chriscenter1

Huh, I wonder if they're actually MR16's?


----------



## chriscenter1

So here's the actual difference in the two bulbs:


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

Hi... yeah I had to force the MR16 bulbs into the socket. Be warned that after you do this the MR11 will have problems staying in if you ever go back to the smaller bulbs. The covering is basically paper so you can slit it to help you with plugging the bulb in.


----------



## mike_freegan

OK, so had my HC in here for about 6 days and it pearls up every day 

Must say, I'm very impressed with this Fluval Stratum substrate so far!

Can anyone recommend a decent mid / background plant that won't overshadow my HC but will fit in an Edge? I was thinking spiral vallis, but does this grow too high?


----------



## haralds

CGY_Betta_Guy said:


> Hi... yeah I had to force the MR16 bulbs into the socket. Be warned that after you do this the MR11 will have problems staying in if you ever go back to the smaller bulbs. The covering is basically paper so you can slit it to help you with plugging the bulb in.


I found it just as easy to redo the sockets properly with MR16. Sockets are cheap @ $0.50.

This way, there is no bending of pins, and they stay in - although I added small duct tape security strips on the flat side of the bulbs.


----------



## irANTHONY

chriscenter1 said:


> So here's the actual difference in the two bulbs:


i bought the same thing and it doesn't match up quite right and I'm thinking that we got shipped a mr16 instead of a mr11.


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

haralds said:


> I found it just as easy to redo the sockets properly with MR16. Sockets are cheap @ $0.50.
> 
> This way, there is no bending of pins, and they stay in - although I added small duct tape security strips on the flat side of the bulbs.


Yes I agree, however for simplicity sake, jamming them in works as well but will not allow you to go back to using MR11s if done. I will be retrofitting mine with proper MR16 sockets when I find the need to bump my light levels up some more. So far the MR11s have allowed me to grow quite a few different plants with no issue. Check out this sword and its root system that I recently pulled from my tank that has CRS and MTS only with fluorite black gravel, no ferts and super slow trickle of Co2. some minor signs of deficiency but still pretty healthy.


----------



## tener

anyone here had problems with the standerd edge heater?
mines not heating up to 26c like its ment to any more.


----------



## haralds

Mine did not work at all, and I returned it. We do not heat our house at night, and it gets cool enough in northern California to need a 50W heater anyway.


----------



## tsedore




----------



## urbguy

I'm about to give my shrimps a spanking for dislodging all my HC!!!!


----------



## bostoneric

tsedore said:


>


new 12G LED version?


----------



## tsedore

bostoneric, correct, that's the new 12G LED Fluval Edge in all it's glory. If anyone thought aqua-scaping was difficult in the 6G, wait till this one is readily avail.


----------



## Ziggy

A little late to the party, but I thought I'd ask: how are you finding cleaning these to be? When I first saw one I thought they were terribly cool but never bought one because with that (relatively) tiny aperture I couldn't imagine how I would vacuum the gravel (front half anyway) or, heaven forbid, scrub GSA off the surfaces.


----------



## tener

Ziggy said:


> A little late to the party, but I thought I'd ask: how are you finding cleaning these to be? When I first saw one I thought they were terribly cool but never bought one because with that (relatively) tiny aperture I couldn't imagine how I would vacuum the gravel (front half anyway) or, heaven forbid, scrub GSA off the surfaces.


heres mine:
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx114/tenerds/IMG_0654.jpg
very easy to clean,i use 1 nerite snail to keep the walls clean and i only have 8 
small rasboars in there, and 1 MTS to turn over the sand.
gets a water change 10% 2x a week.
have now change the stock bulbs for LED ones,looks 10x better now.


----------



## Dragonii

tsedore said:


>


I wonder how much it will cost...


----------



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Here's my 6 gallon Edge


----------



## Bjielsl

Got my Edge today.. Think I nailed down my hardscape.

























Whadya think?


----------



## Newman

I think it needs shrimp. would probably look better with shrimp and no fish. that's just my opinion. also do very short plants like HC groundcover. that will go well with the low lying DW you have there.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

That's a cool hardscape. Looks like Ginseng.


----------



## rgr555

Looks great. Where did you get the wood?


----------



## bryfox86

awesome... it would be really cool to see one of these in a classy Iwagumi style.


----------



## irANTHONY

hey all! just picked up an edge a couple weeks ago and love it! 
i also bought a powerhead but i tend to keep it off because it makes the tank dirty tossing everything around. any suggestions? its the kora nano. 240 gph.


----------



## Newman

The K-nano should be a good powerhead for this tank. I would definitely use one if i had an edge. point it at the rockwork to dissipate the strong flow. It looks to me that you also went a bit too fast with stocking. Cycle, then CUC, then add fish gradually. 2 fish in the first few weeks of the tank's life is asking for trouble.
Is this going to be a FOWLR?


----------



## jeffvmd

Try to have it positioned at the back pointing up towards the opening on top. 
I have mine set up that way and it doesn't disturb the sand bed in my edge reef.


----------



## irANTHONY

yeah FOWLR, i did 2.5 weeks sand and live rock, then introduced the clown, waited a week then got the goby. yeah i was thinking it was a bit fast but the dude at the lfs was giving me play by pay steps lol. i just listened and followed.


----------



## Newman

well hopefully, everything can still turn out fine. yes try the method jeff suggested, that might even be better for your tank. I have that K-nano in my 3 gal pico, pointed at a rock and it does good. that's in addition to an AC70 

Do FOWLR tanks have macro algae? if they allow it then do some macros in there, it could really liven up the tank with different colors. there are even blue and purple macros lol.


----------



## irANTHONY

yeah lol my tank needs color. thank for the advice!


----------



## Bjielsl

rgr555 said:


> Looks great. Where did you get the wood?


LFS... Aquascapes in Aiea


----------



## Bjielsl

bryfox86 said:


> awesome... it would be really cool to see one of these in a classy Iwagumi style.


Friggin' self-promoter.
He is doing an iwagumi edge as we speak!


----------



## bryfox86

Bjielsl said:


> Friggin' self-promoter.
> He is doing an iwagumi edge as we speak!



Don't listen to him... he is not important.


----------



## raven_wilde

*New Edge 'Range' Video up on the YouTubez*

Fluval Edge Aquascaping tutorial with George Farmer

Also there is this... Fluval Blog Post with specs about the new lighting.

Looks like they are coming out with replacement LEDs for those of us who already own Edges... 










How do you think these stack up to the MR-11s everyone (myself included) has already purchased? Its nice that they are splash proof anyway


----------



## tetraontheedge

I was in a state of awe looking at that video--and in a way I envy the splash guards, but I'm really happy with my mods and the water is so quiet that it has been okay without any guard (especially after my m11's melted through the plastic I initially covered them with).

In a way I am fantasizing over the new Edge, but I like that my existing Edge is so small and manageable.

raven_wilde, you are a dangerous temptress. :icon_smil


----------



## raven_wilde

tetraontheedge said:


> I was in a state of awe looking at that video--and in a way I envy the splash guards, but I'm really happy with my mods and the water is so quiet that it has been okay without any guard (especially after my m11's melted through the plastic I initially covered them with).
> 
> In a way I am fantasizing over the new Edge, but I like that my existing Edge is so small and manageable.
> 
> raven_wilde, you are a dangerous temptress. :icon_smil


Which lighting mods did you employ? Just the MR-11s or was there more? I know I've seen pics of your tank but I'm having trouble remembering who has done what to their tanks.


----------



## urbguy

Hey everyone,

I bought my brother a Fluval Edge back in April for his birthday. He likes keeping fish but I have sort of converted him to planted tanks. I told him they look way better and besides, your fishes usually live longer. His girlfriend is such a trooper, she is his supplier of fish. They all come with names (she provides them names) rest assured, he is in a good situation to keep fish. However, they die as often as them come due to poor filtration. He had a 1 gallon starter tank with just an airstone placed at the bottom as a filter. I felt he needed something real so I thought, what better thing to buy for a college student than a fish tank?! None of his friends have ever seen an Edge before so it'll be good for the room. Well he loved it. I personally went down to his school apt to fix it up for him but at the time he wasn't sure about the plants. A few months pass and the tank accumualted alot of algae mainly because it was a new tank. Summer comes and he brings home his tank and I said to him. Give me a day with your tank and I'll make it look decent for your stay at home during the summer. I bought some riccia and figured since he'll be home for 3 months, he'll get to see the riccia grow because it's a fast grower and maybe persuade him to go planted. It took only a month and the tank looked completely different. The riccia grew way out of control, trimming proved super tedious, so we decided to just leave it. A month and a half ago, my brother went back to school and decided it was too much...The riccia kind of scared him (sorry) so he said why don't you just take care of it while i'm gone. I thought, i need to make it up to him because it would be great for him to have it again at his apt. So, as a dedicated older brother, I bought some HC and planted it all over. With a good amount of light and a DIY bottle of CO2, HC spread and showed great signs of growth. Very responsive. I plan for it to grow a bit more and build up a tough sod and hope to deliver it to him as a great Christmas Gift-Re-Gift sorta thing. I'll post some pictures of some of the progress since April.


----------



## urbguy

Here's a couple of pics.

"Charles" the Amano Shrimp April 2011









May/June 2011









August 2011 (All the Riccia floated up)









August 2011









September 2011









September 2011 (Note all the HC around the filter and the rim, thanks to the shrimps)


----------



## grunion

Hello, new here. Been catching up with this thread over the past couple days and though I had been dismissive of the Edge when seeing them in the lfs (never actually set up, only the boxes) indeed I am salivating over some of the pictures here.

Stopped by the local Petco during my lunch break today and saw a lot of the Fluval "chi" boxes everywhere (5 gal tank for $66 had very dim LED, includes fake planter and silly rock holder on top, no cover, but the tank itself was pretty elegant). When I asked about the Edge he pointed me to a corner endcap that had them on Clearance for $109. Still think it's too much but I am tempted to pull the trigger.


----------



## volatile

I'm interested in seeing the spread of their new LED lights on the 6g Edge. Hopefully it will cover the edges and have less of a spotlight effect, and also be bright enough to sustain medium to high light plants.


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

I am as well.. I am hoping that they make the LED light available as a retrofit kit so that past owners can upgrade.


----------



## Bjielsl

Myself and my neighbor BRYFOX86 did a great deal of reading on the  Edge Thread and did the following upgrades

MR11 GU4 LED Lights (wouldn't let me put the ebay link here)

ZooMed 501

Inline Diffusers from Greenleaf Aquariums
Here is the Diffuser Installed









First Cut the back out 









Here it is with the ZooMed 501 installed. Made the bending a lot less noticeable.








You can also see the CO2 Line coming out.

Using the supplied parts with the ZooMed and a Zippo made a custom intake and outflow. (Thanks to BRYFOX86 for the outflow)









Threw together a Paintball CO2 setup on each tank using a 9oz tank.

Here is my Edge Day 1










And BRYFOX86's Edge Day 1


----------



## aman74

CGY_Betta_Guy said:


> I am as well.. I am hoping that they make the LED light available as a retrofit kit so that past owners can upgrade.


When I watched the video from Fluval I thought that's what they meant as well. However, when you go to the website it just shows the MR11's Raven_wilde showed the pic for above. I think that's all they were referencing.


----------



## haralds

CGY_Betta_Guy said:


> I am as well.. I am hoping that they make the LED light available as a retrofit kit so that past owners can upgrade.


Given their offer of LED bulbs, I kind of doubt it...


----------



## raven_wilde

agreed, from everything I have seen this pic appears to be off one of the new models... the retrofit for the regular 6gal is just a pair of MR11 LEDs much like the bulbs we've all been buying off the internet.

It may however be possible to order this as a 'replacement part' through your lfs, I will definitely be checking this out!


----------



## raven_wilde

I have decided to start lobbying Hagen to allow us to purchase the new lightbar as a replacement part/retrofit. After all, if it is anything like the current Edge the lightbar assembly is just a piece that snaps into place, I don't see why this would be so difficult.

You can go here for contact info:
http://www.fluvalblog.com/contact/

And (at least for the US region) you will be redirected to a FAQ, from there click on the "Can't find an answer" button and you will get a form you can fill out.

This is what I sent them (please don't copy and paste it and send it to them, I don't want them to think we are spamming them, the more individual requests they get the better):
--------------------
I and the many people I converse with on plantedtank.net would like to know if we will be able to order the new LED lightbar as a retrofit to our current EDGE setups. We know that Hagen will be offerring plug-in LED bulbs as a way to retrofit our older models but we feel that this is not much of an upgrade since we have already installed similar LED bulbs that we have located from various other suppliers over the internet. We are far more interested in a true upgrade for our tanks and would gladly pay Hagen for the new lightbar if it were offered separate, perhaps as a replacement part.

Please let me know what Hagen's plan is regarding this, I know that there is a strong interest in the new LED lightbar as a means to improve our already established EDGE setups.

Thank you,

{raven_wilde's real name}
--------------------​
There are also customer service numbers available on the site, I plan on bugging them until they let me buy a lightbar.

Who's with me?


----------



## raven_wilde

I just left a comment on the Fluval facebook page as well:
http://www.facebook.com/fluval/posts/10150464518939867
Feel free to add your own and show them how bad we want this!

If the link to my comment doesn't work, here is the link to the Fluval page: http://www.facebook.com/fluval

I think the more we poke them the more likely they will make this happen.


----------



## volatile

Raven,

Worst case scenario, we can probably order the light fixture and back assembly as a separate part. I've seen my local fish store have just the Edge tank for sale, as it was shipped from Fluval/Hagen as a replacement part.


----------



## twospoos

Hi All, 
Another noobie with an edge. My first aquarium and my first planted tank. I have really enjoyed the information and all the lovely photos shared here.

I just purchased an ebi.....I have found this to be horribly addicting! 

Raven_Wilde....I am with you on the retrofit light kit and sent my comments/request to Hagen.


----------



## raven_wilde

*Responses from Hagen*

Here are the responses I have received:

To my query via customer service:

Dear {raven_wilde},

We thank you for taking the time to contact us.

In the future you will be able to fit the new led light fixture onto your original edge unit.

But, at this time we do not have a date of when they will be coming out on the market.

Thank you, 
{very nice lady} 
Customer Service Dept. 
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.​
and on Facebook:

*Fluval:* Official Fluval Edge LED bulbs are already available to fit your existing sockets and enable to you enjoy the brighter light and increased economy of LED lighting. The light bar will not be available as a standard retail item. It will be stocked as a spare/replacement part by us (Hagen) but not for a while I'm afraid.
9 hours ago · Like

*Somebody else asked:* does the light bar fit in to the swinging light bracket?or do u need a new dif bracket to have the light bar?
5 hours ago · Like

*Fluval:* It's all one piece, the whole 'swinging' part unscrews with 4 screws, 2 on each bar, one at the bottom and another about half way up.​
So it looks like we get what we want! We just don't know when. That is kinda alright though, I love my current EDGE and don't want to have to buy a whole new one. 

Plus, I found this on fluvalblog.com, what seems to be an official response about the cost and release date:

*$189.99 US, available from 15th October.* < that was in response to a query about the 12gal.​


----------



## tetraontheedge

raven_wilde said:


> Which lighting mods did you employ? Just the MR-11s or was there more? I know I've seen pics of your tank but I'm having trouble remembering who has done what to their tanks.


Hi raven_wilde. I never did get pix up on here, lol, but we did discuss my mods previously. I have the mr11 led's and two led lightbars (so the two lightbars are parallel, with the mr11's in between).

One of my mr11's is always falling out, and it fell off my desk last week and shattered. So I'm seriously considering trying to get the shielded Hagen led's, but knowing me, I'll probably just order another mr11 online.

Thanks for all you're doing to investigate the availablity of the official hagen products as upgrades. My biggest fear is that I am about to have multiple edges, but I think I can divert my incipient multiple tank syndrome into low tech nano vase-type things with plants and shrimp, or maybe minnows.


----------



## raven_wilde

twospoos said:


> Raven_Wilde....I am with you on the retrofit light kit and sent my comments/request to Hagen.


YAAAY! My hope is that the more response they get about this the sooner replacement parts will be available.



tetraontheedge said:


> Thanks for all you're doing to investigate the availablity of the official hagen products as upgrades.


No problem, I get paid to contact/bother people about technical data ALLLL day!


----------



## jasa73

I cant wait for this! I'm going to get one for sure. Now i have to decide whether i do a shrimp tank or try for a nano reef.


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

Why choose.... just do both.


----------



## Newman

nice ones CGY_Betta_Guy, looks like the reef one improved significantly. good call on raising the rockwork to block out that spraybar.
How many fish do you have in that SW edge? also what else do you have in there besides corals?
I spot a firefish, a goby and a blood fire shrimp right?


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

Actually that isnt rock work. Its macro algae that has gotten a bit out of control. I just recently ripped it all out and moved it into my sump which has left the display tank looking quite a bit more empty. No corals yet since I havent had much time to research etc but its certainly in the plans.

In addition to the 3 fish you mentioned I have 2 red spotted gobys in there as well. 4 Nassarius snails, 3 trochus snails. there are a couple blue leg hermit crabs as well.


----------



## Newman

I mentioned 2 fish and a shrimp. so you have 4 fish in there right now? i would lose one of the bigger fish (the antenna goby or that firefish). 4 fish isnt a good idea in a 6 gal SW... remember that big shrimp counts too, so your tank is really stocked right now. CUC shouldn't be much of an issue, sounds like a good amount of them in there.

That's really all algae up there? it looks so much like LR lol especially on the right side. also i though you had yellow polyps in there at least, that yellow mass in front looked real nice haha.


----------



## iKine

CGY_Betta_Guy said:


> Why choose.... just do both.


:drool: very nice!


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

@Newman rather than hijack this thread check out my journals in my signature. 

Thanks for the compliment iKine


----------



## haralds

*Use Quartz Diffuser with Hagen Nutrafin CO2 Natural Plant System?*

My tank is set up with the Hagen Nutrafin CO2 Natural Plant System (generator with sugar, baking soda, and yeast). After using the ungainly "ladder", I actually routed the hose straight into the impeller of the factory filter. I could have done a home built generator, but chose the fast approach by just buying the Hagen kit.

I am very happy with the longer term impact. I have modified the lights to use MR-16 sockets with 2x240 Lumen LEDs, also use Seachem Flourish Excel, and the plants have taken off after months of struggle!

The question is, would this generator work with a small quartz diffuser? How effective would it be in comparison to direct injection into the filter?

ps Feel kind of silly to post this simple approach at this sport in the thread after the discussion of the sophisticated mods by others... awesome work!


----------



## thebettashop

Joining the Crew. I am a new Edge Owner also.


----------



## raven_wilde

haralds said:


> The question is, would this generator work with a small quartz diffuser? How effective would it be in comparison to direct injection into the filter?
> 
> ps Feel kind of silly to post this simple approach at this sport in the thread after the discussion of the sophisticated mods by others... awesome work!


There is nothing wrong with a 'simple approach'! I find them to be the most rewarding sometimes 

As to your question... I don't know 100% that your Nutrafin system would not work with a quartz diffusor, the only potential problem I can see is that there might not be enough pressure depending on how high-quality the diffusor is. You could always try it but I would avoid sinking a ton of money into a top of the line diffusor. Also, before you buy anything, try poking around on the DIY CO2 threads in the equipment forum- I'm sure someone else has asked this question.

Regarding injecting CO2 directly into the Aquaclear, check this out:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/104645-mini-co2-reactor-aquaclear-hob-filter.html... it seems to get good results and is something that I am considering- in any case, I like the challenge of keeping as much equipment out of the tank as possible.


----------



## ShawneeRiver

Fyi, I just got a display model Edge yesterday at Petco for $36. It was new and never had water in it. The orange model was in the box, and it was clearance priced at $109.


----------



## krishanu

@ShawneeRiver: That's quite a deal. I'd buy an Edge if I got if for $36 for sure.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

Anyone get your hands on one of the new vertical Edge yet?


----------



## raven_wilde

shrimpnmoss said:


> Anyone get your hands on one of the new vertical Edge yet?


Fluvalblog says it comes out Oct. 15th. I don't plan on buying one, but I am totally psyched to hear what other people have to say about it.


----------



## haralds

Your link refers to what I am doing. Perhaps I should just stay with what I have.


----------



## haralds

ShawneeRiver said:


> Fyi, I just got a display model Edge yesterday at Petco for $36. It was new and never had water in it. The orange model was in the box, and it was clearance priced at $109.


I'd get a second one at the drop of a hat for that price. The only real mod would be to go for LED lighting.


----------



## ShawneeRiver

I couldn't turn it down. Check your Petcos!


----------



## ncharlie

Anyone know if the new 12g Edge will be able to support SW with the stock LEDs?

I would think not.

Also, looking at the few photos of the tank, it seems they increased the size of the top opening. I see big pieces of drift wood

Anyone know if that is for sure?

Thanks


----------



## Jerrayy

Does anyone have any more pictures of edge's that have the top glass taken off so it's like a rimless tank? :biggrin:


----------



## jeffvmd

ncharlie said:


> Anyone know if the new 12g Edge will be able to support SW with the stock LEDs?
> 
> I would think not.
> 
> Also, looking at the few photos of the tank, it seems they increased the size of the top opening. I see big pieces of drift wood
> 
> Anyone know if that is for sure?
> 
> Thanks


FOWLR tank will be no problem. But that depends on how bright of a lighting you want.
Reef set up on the other hand is most likely a definite no.:icon_neut


----------



## raven_wilde

FOWLR?

I'm so behind on my forum-speak


----------



## somewhatshocked

Fish-Only With Live Rock


----------



## jasa73

I saw the Fluval Edge's on sale at Petco today for half off. Should i get one or wait for the new LED version? I'm thinking i could just retrofit those with the LED module Fluval is offering right?


----------



## aman74

jasa73 said:


> I saw the Fluval Edge's on sale at Petco today for half off. Should i get one or wait for the new LED version? I'm thinking i could just retrofit those with the LED module Fluval is offering right?


I doesn't appear that the new LED option on the 6 gallon edge is much, if any, different than what people are already doing by buying some MR11 or MR16 replacements.

If they make the retrofit from the new model available it would still have to be purchased regardless.


----------



## haralds

*Ick Medication safe for plants and inverts?*

I am posting this here, since in the Edge it is impossible to catch my active fish without tearing up the tank.

Everything is going well, but one of my neon tetras shows early signs of ick (white spots). I have raised the temp to 84, but am reluctant to go higher due to fire shrimp. The tank has pico cories, otos, snails, and a variety of shrimp, and is heavily planted.

None of the fish are showing distress.

What medication would be safe for the plants and invertebrates? I do not want to go with salt.


----------



## raven_wilde

jasa73 said:


> I saw the Fluval Edge's on sale at Petco today for half off. Should i get one or wait for the new LED version? I'm thinking i could just retrofit those with the LED module Fluval is offering right?


I would wait... it should be out in a couple weeks. Talk to your LFS and see if you can pre-order. If you read back a couple pages you will see that the new light bar will be available as a replacement part/retrofit, but not for a while. Might as well start off with it from the beginning


----------



## raven_wilde

haralds said:


> I am posting this here, since in the Edge it is impossible to catch my active fish without tearing up the tank.
> 
> Everything is going well, but one of my neon tetras shows early signs of ick (white spots). I have raised the temp to 84, but am reluctant to go higher due to fire shrimp. The tank has pico cories, otos, snails, and a variety of shrimp, and is heavily planted.
> 
> None of the fish are showing distress.
> 
> What medication would be safe for the plants and invertebrates? I do not want to go with salt.


You should go ask this over in the shrimp threads... they will probably get you an answer quicker.


----------



## aman74

raven_wilde said:


> I would wait... it should be out in a couple weeks. Talk to your LFS and see if you can pre-order. If you read back a couple pages you will see that the new light bar will be available as a replacement part/retrofit, but not for a while. Might as well start off with it from the beginning


Now I'm confused. I thought we established that the LED version of the smaller Edge was just going to be replacement MR11's like many are already doing. You had even posted the pic and said the same thing I did. Did Hagen confirm the new small Edge would actually have a proper LED fixture? Maybe I missed that part.


----------



## ShawneeRiver

jasa73 said:


> I saw the Fluval Edge's on sale at Petco today for half off. Should i get one or wait for the new LED version? I'm thinking i could just retrofit those with the LED module Fluval is offering right?


I'm already disillusioned with my Edge. I wish I had something that I could get into more easily.

Also, I just paid $36 at Petco for mine. It was an unused display model.


----------



## haralds

aman74 said:


> Now I'm confused. I thought we established that the LED version of the smaller Edge was just going to be replacement MR11's like many are already doing. You had even posted the pic and said the same thing I did. Did Hagen confirm the new small Edge would actually have a proper LED fixture? Maybe I missed that part.


No, they redesigned the light bar to have integral LEDs. Mainly white, and a few blues for night lighting. You can switch between them. The design does not allow switching them separately with a timer without rewiring, since they are hooked to the same transformer.

The upgrade kit for legacy Edges has the MR-11 LED lights other here have already bought, but the Fluval versions have integral splash guards on the bulbs.


----------



## aman74

haralds said:


> No, they redesigned the light bar to have integral LEDs. Mainly white, and a few blues for night lighting. You can switch between them. The design does not allow switching them separately with a timer without rewiring, since they are hooked to the same transformer.
> 
> The upgrade kit for legacy Edges has the MR-11 LED lights other here have already bought, but the Fluval versions have integral splash guards on the bulbs.


Where did you see this info?

All the info from Fluval just shows the upgrade kit with the MR-11's. You can buy those on your own, with splash guards as well.


----------



## tetraontheedge

aman74 said:


> Where did you see this info?
> 
> All the info from Fluval just shows the upgrade kit with the MR-11's. You can buy those on your own, with splash guards as well.


It's linked in raven_wilde's post on p. 64 of this thread.


----------



## raven_wilde

tetraontheedge said:


> It's linked in raven_wilde's post on p. 64 of this thread.


I had originally also thought that the new 6 gal Edge was just going to have MR11s similar to the ones we already use (like the bulbs they are pushing as a 'retrofit'), but then I got to reading a post on fluvalblog.com and realized that the new smaller size tank also comes with a slick LED bar. 

"With new Edge comes a completely re-designed lighting system. Super bright LED bulbs (*21 bulbs on the 23L model*, 42 bulbs on the 46L model) with a 7600k spectrum create a strong, white light. A flick of a switch activates night mode, where 3 blue LEDs cast a cool moonlight glow over your aquascape, perfect as a night-light."​
I used the customer feedback form on the Hagen website and the Fluval facebook page to ask if the new lightbar would be available as a replacement part (ie. not retail, you will have to have your LFS order it or contact Hagen directly). They confirmed that it will be available, just not for some time.

I can't wait :biggrin:


----------



## raven_wilde

My next thought is this...

Once someone on here buys one of the new larger size Edges I hope they are gracious enough to post the measurements of the new model, specifically the measurements of the lightbar and the arms that attach it to the tank.... because if both lightbars are the same dimensions (but differ only in the number LEDs) then it would be possible to order a replacement lightbar meant for the larger Edge and hook it up to our existing tanks...

42 LEDs... it would be SO BRIGHT!


----------



## aman74

tetraontheedge said:


> It's linked in raven_wilde's post on p. 64 of this thread.


I had seen that and it was unclear as they were showing the retrofit, but I should have counted the LED's on those MR11's and seen that they have 19 and they were talking about 21 and a night option.

I actually think that page may have been updated so that's it's clearer now what they're offering. I could be wrong, but Raven_wilde was mistaken at first as well, so not sure.



raven_wilde said:


> I had originally also thought that the new 6 gal Edge was just going to have MR11s similar to the ones we already use (like the bulbs they are pushing as a 'retrofit'), but then I got to reading a post on fluvalblog.com and realized that the new smaller size tank also comes with a slick LED bar.
> 
> "With new Edge comes a completely re-designed lighting system. Super bright LED bulbs (*21 bulbs on the 23L model*, 42 bulbs on the 46L model) with a 7600k spectrum create a strong, white light. A flick of a switch activates night mode, where 3 blue LEDs cast a cool moonlight glow over your aquascape, perfect as a night-light."​
> 
> I used the customer feedback form on the Hagen website and the Fluval facebook page to ask if the new lightbar would be available as a replacement part (ie. not retail, you will have to have your LFS order it or contact Hagen directly). They confirmed that it will be available, just not for some time.
> 
> I can't wait :biggrin:


Yeah, thanks for your work confirming this and getting more info.



raven_wilde said:


> My next thought is this...
> 
> Once someone on here buys one of the new larger size Edges I hope they are gracious enough to post the measurements of the new model, specifically the measurements of the lightbar and the arms that attach it to the tank.... because if both lightbars are the same dimensions (but differ only in the number LEDs) then it would be possible to order a replacement lightbar meant for the larger Edge and hook it up to our existing tanks...
> 
> 42 LEDs... it would be SO BRIGHT!


I could almost guarantee it will be the same as the new model is just taller right? It makes sense from a manufacturing perspective for them to keep things as much the same as possible.

I'm thinking 42 is probably too much light.

Also, wondering if some of the DIY stuff here is better anyhow. With the new models you're still going to have issue with light spreading to the corners. With DIY you can fix that and also get exactly what you need.


----------



## raven_wilde

aman74 said:


> I could be wrong, but Raven_wilde was mistaken at first as well, so not sure.
> 
> .....
> 
> Also, wondering if some of the DIY stuff here is better anyhow. With the new models you're still going to have issue with light spreading to the corners. With DIY you can fix that and also get exactly what you need.


I was mistaken, and yes, I do agree that they have added stuff to that blog post over the past week... or else I didn't read it thoroughly enough the first time.

As for DIY, you might be right, but I'm not so keen to fuss about with wiring and electricity near water... at least not more than I have to.


----------



## aman74

raven_wilde said:


> I was mistaken, and yes, I do agree that they have added stuff to that blog post over the past week... or else I didn't read it thoroughly enough the first time.
> 
> As for DIY, you might be right, but I'm not so keen to fuss about with wiring and electricity near water... at least not more than I have to.


I'm glad I'm not the only one...so that makes us not mistaken then 

Anyways, I'll be curious to see how this all shakes out and see if the part is worth the cost, etc...

I would say though that if you get the current Edge at a steep discount it's probably not worth waiting for the new one at full price.


----------



## ncharlie

If you look at the Fluval Blog and see the video of the guy decorating the Edge 12, it looks like it might be a pain in the butt.

He had to use tweezer and throngs to plant stuff through the small opening in the top which is likely the same size as the current Edge.

I dread cleaning it.

However, I'll probably buy it anyway.


----------



## raven_wilde

I've found my Edge to be an exercise in patience... so whenever I have to maintenance it I mentally prepare myself for the inevitable frustrations and just kind of roll with it.

That said, I only have shrimp and a couple of nerites in it so they are doing most of the work for me


----------



## Winsloop

Sooo, Shrimp and nerites keep the maintenance down? I have a true community in my Edge
Platys, pristella Tetras, harlequin rasboras in my tank. I have three too many platys and am planning on moving them once they get large enough for me to net without crushing them. With six platys of varying sizes, the tank is rather full of fish poo and I can't vacuum 'till the fry can be removed. Would ghost shrimp be an okay edition to clean up the detritus or would it just eat the fry that I am already trying to raise?

Also how would I re-scape my tank with fish in it? Would I remove them first?


----------



## raven_wilde

Hmmm... I don't know much about ghost shrimp (I've never kept them), you should probably ask that question in the shrimp forum here on PT.

As for rescaping, I think you should definitely remove all your fish before you set about doing anything drastic- it will be easier on them and you won't have to worry about working around them.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that with the Edge (because of the difficulties it presents in regards to cleaning), the best thing to do is stock your tank with a mind to keep the maintenance on the easy side- keep the fish load small and incorporate a cleaning crew. Nerite snails are good for keeping the glass clean (also they won't breed out of control), and algae eating shrimp are just about the best creatures to have around if you are going to keep plants- its like the perfect symbioses. There should be a list of shrimp compatible fish somewhere over in the shrimp forum.


----------



## Newman

cherry shrimp> ghost shrimp


----------



## Winsloop

Thanks. I'm going to ADA within the next week. The fry should be big enough then.roud:


----------



## kev311

hey i just happened to come across this page in my search for viable lighting mods and it looks like there would be a alot of good options there. heres a link.

http://www.dealextreme.com/c/led-light-bulbs-907?page=2&pagesize=52&pagesort=relevence


----------



## aman74

kev311 said:


> hey i just happened to come across this page in my search for viable lighting mods and it looks like there would be a alot of good options there. heres a link.
> 
> http://www.dealextreme.com/c/led-light-bulbs-907?page=2&pagesize=52&pagesort=relevence


That links to a whole page of options.


----------



## kev311

What do you guys think about this. 

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/e27-1210-6w-84-led-588-lumen-6500k-light-bulb-white-85-265v-ac-35829 

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


----------



## bostoneric

give it a try. cheap enough


----------



## kev311

Thought it would be cool because the led part of the bulb swivels to what ever direction you like. 

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


----------



## kev311

ncharlie said:


> If you look at the Fluval Blog and see the video of the guy decorating the Edge 12, it looks like it might be a pain in the butt.
> 
> He had to use tweezer and throngs to plant stuff through the small opening in the top which is likely the same size as the current Edge.
> 
> I dread cleaning it.
> 
> However, I'll probably buy it anyway.


Forgive me if this has been addressed but do they have a price point on the edge 12

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


----------



## ShawneeRiver

Question: How many shrimp can I put in an Edge? I have 6 now: 2 yellows, 2 cherries and 2 oranges. 




Winsloop said:


> Sooo, Shrimp and nerites keep the maintenance down? I have a true community in my Edge
> Platys, pristella Tetras, harlequin rasboras in my tank. I have three too many platys and am planning on moving them once they get large enough for me to net without crushing them. With six platys of varying sizes, the tank is rather full of fish poo and I can't vacuum 'till the fry can be removed. Would ghost shrimp be an okay edition to clean up the detritus or would it just eat the fry that I am already trying to raise?
> 
> Also how would I re-scape my tank with fish in it? Would I remove them first?


You might want to check out this chart. My ghost shrimp are much bigger than my cherries, oranges or yellows, and according to this, ghost shrimp don't do well with other shrimp. I wouldn't want them with fry. http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/articles/dwarf-shrimp-compatibility-chart.php


----------



## raven_wilde

kev311 said:


> Forgive me if this has been addressed but do they have a price point on the edge 12
> 
> Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


Check back a few pages in this thread to where I listed the responses I got from Hagen... or go to the official Fluval Blog- I got the price from the comments section on the post about the new Edge.

I'd go back and find this stuff for you but I'm just popping in while on my lunch at work and the internet here is sloooooooow.


----------



## raven_wilde

@kev311



raven_wilde said:


> Plus, I found this on fluvalblog.com, what seems to be an official response about the cost and release date:
> 
> *$189.99 US, available from 15th October.* < that was in response to a query about the 12gal.​


----------



## kev311

raven_wilde said:


> @kev311


Cool thanks. 

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


----------



## HeathBar

Is anyone keeping Betta's or African Dwarf Frogs in their Edge? Are they able to find the hole at the top to breath okay?


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

My betta had no issues figuring out where to get air. Only had him in there for a couple months before I moved him though.


----------



## Mxx

Betta was fine finding the opening, Corydoras melanistus was fine, Pygmy Cordoras it seems were unfortunately not... or at least I suspect that was what the problem was for mine though I can't be 100% sure.


----------



## ShawneeRiver

Here's my bargain Edge. This is my first nano tank and my first attempt at an all-natural tank. The rocks were my favorites from my rock garden. All have some sparkly white granite and were found on walks around my neighborhood, except for one. The one in the back is a fossil that I picked up this summer on a Lake Huron beach. I like the contrast against the substrate.

Occupants are 2 cherry shrimp, 2 orange shrimp and 2 yellow shrimp, and a pair of juvenile Aphyosemion australe orange. They are just a little bigger than the yellow shrimp. I plan to add a school of celestial pearl danios soon.

Plants are not fancy and lighting is stock until I see what Fluval will offer for upgrades. I also have my desk light shining on it. It's been planted for 2-3 weeks, and the dwarf hairgrass might be spreading. Yay!










This is the angle I see as I'm sitting at my desk.










The occupants:


----------



## kev311

Found the official fluval led replacements at a site in the UK. A little spendy though. 

http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/a...-edge-aquariums/fluval-edge-led-bulbs-x2.html 



Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk


----------



## sugarbyte

@ShawneeRiver: So jealous of your lyretail!! >.< I never see them at my lfs!


----------



## ShawneeRiver

Sugarbyte, check Petco if you can. I got these from a breeder who spoke at our local aquarium club meeting. He donated two pairs to the club. But I think I saw them at Petco recently with a "new fish" sign. I just kind of thought, "Those are pretty," and I didn't realize that I bought the same fish from the breeder until I got home from the meeting.


----------



## mcqueenesq

@ShawneeRiver: Your tank looks so peaceful. I'd love to have that view from my desk.


----------



## ShawneeRiver

Thanks! I love looking at it. I want to make it a bit more active with the schooling cpd.

@sugarbyte, I was wrong about Petco. They were some other type of lyretail fish. Sorry.


----------



## sugarbyte

Sadly we don't have petco here in Canada-land (not in my region anyway)
but thanks for the reply  My lfs gets some nice killies once in a blue moon.. I'm hoping I can get them to special order some, but i doubt they'd do it since I'd only be buying 1 or 2 >.<

ps. 69'th post (on the 69'th page!!)...ohhh yeah. lolll


----------



## micr0

Here's a pic of my Edge from a few weeks ago. :fish:










I'm excited to see what people do with the new models, and how much of an improvement the new LED fixtures will provide over our MR11s.


----------



## braggalot01

I just want to make sure I understand, my fluval edge is my first planted aquarium. I can use these lights, and it will be enough light for plants? http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=541 . What types of plants do well with these types of lights? Also I am kind of impatient, are there any lights like these that I can pick up from Home Depot, rather than ordering online?


----------



## Danimals

micr0 said:


> Here's a pic of my Edge from a few weeks ago. :fish:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm excited to see what people do with the new models, and how much of an improvement the new LED fixtures will provide over our MR11s.


What kind of regulator are you using on your C02 tank? Looks spiffy.


----------



## raven_wilde

*Raven_Wilde's 'Ebiwagumi' Edge*

I finally started a journal for my Edge!



Raven_Wilde's 'Ebiwagumi' Edge


----------



## haralds

Mxx said:


> Pygmy Cordoras it seems were unfortunately not...


I have six of these little guys, and they do not seem to have an issue.


----------



## Mxx

haralds said:


> I have six of these little guys, and they do not seem to have an issue.


Do yours occasionally seek out the surface for a breath of air, as Cories in particular are prone to do? And do they manage to find the opening when they do try to? And you keep your Edge topped up all the way?Mine were just tiny little ones when I got them, so I thought perhaps they didn't manage to find the opening if/when necessary. But perhaps they'd had difficulty acclimating instead for some reason, though I don't know what as my water parameters had seemed okay.


----------



## micr0

Danimals said:


> What kind of regulator are you using on your C02 tank? Looks spiffy.


Believe it or not it's the Fluval 88g co2 system. I got it plus 9 carts for next to nothing. Once I run out I'll be switching to a real rig.

Regarding cories, I had a group of habrosus that did fine in an Edge. After a couple days they knew just where to go for air, and the tank was filled all the way.


----------



## Noobens

Hello all, just figured I'd post up my own personal Edge. Got it a few weeks ago at Petco for $30. They said the light fixture didn't work so it was discounted. Got it home and plugged it in... yep, they work. I'm still running the halogens, but my LEDs should be in in the next week or so. Currently I've got Java Fern, Java Moss, Dwarf Baby Tear, and Dwarf Hair Grass. The moss and hair grass are doing the best thus far. I've also got 2 ghost shrimp, one red shrimp, and 9 cardinal tetras in the tank. Some might say it's overstocked, but everyone is getting along just fine. This is my first personal tank, but the house I live in (just me and a roommate) we have a 125 gallon freshwater, a 30 gallon freshwater, and a 50 gallon aquatic turtle tank. And at my motorcycle repair shop, we have a 240 gallon freshwater in our lobby. This is the first attempt at aquatic plants though!










(This was right after a water change so it's a little murky from the sand getting kicked up)










White sand was a BAD IDEA but it's too late to go back now!


----------



## sugarbyte

micr0 said:


> Here's a pic of my Edge from a few weeks ago. :fish:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm excited to see what people do with the new models, and how much of an improvement the new LED fixtures will provide over our MR11s.


HOLY TITS That looks amazing!!! What lights/substrate/dosing are you using?
How much co2 are you dosing? I was having problems with my edge and diy co2 (i know, not the same thing). It looks super nice


----------



## pageerror404

Brand new tank. Water is cloudy from the flourite, can't wait until it clears. I love that you can see through the top as well.


----------



## Lemsip

Been reading this thread thoroughly - love some of the setups and inspired me to pick up a Fluval Edge myself. I replaced the halogens with the new Fluval LEDs, and have Eco Complete as a substrate.

Looking for some advice on planting though - would I be able to grow hairgrass as a carpet for one side of the tank without CO2 injection (maybe with excel?).

Not too sure if the lighting would be able to handle it.


----------



## dunehole

Lemsip said:


> Been reading this thread thoroughly - love some of the setups and inspired me to pick up a Fluval Edge myself. I replaced the halogens with the new Fluval LEDs, and have Eco Complete as a substrate.
> 
> Looking for some advice on planting though - would I be able to grow hairgrass as a carpet for one side of the tank without CO2 injection (maybe with excel?).
> 
> Not too sure if the lighting would be able to handle it.



I am trying to figure out the same thing, I actually planted some DHG just over a week ago, and its not looking so hot. You can see my post in the Plant thread regarding this exact question.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/152173-carpet-question.html

I hope someone is able to give some advice.


----------



## Lemsip

dunehole said:


> I am trying to figure out the same thing, I actually planted some DHG just over a week ago, and its not looking so hot. You can see my post in the Plant thread regarding this exact question.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/plants/152173-carpet-question.html
> 
> I hope someone is able to give some advice.


Reading their responses and some other threads it seems glosso may be more suitable for a nano tank, then again still not sure how well it would cope without CO2 (but dosing excel) and just the new LED lights.


----------



## micr0

sugarbyte said:


> HOLY TITS That looks amazing!!! What lights/substrate/dosing are you using?
> How much co2 are you dosing? I was having problems with my edge and diy co2 (i know, not the same thing). It looks super nice


Why thank you sir! Sadly, after flourishing for about two months, the staurogyne that looked so great in this tank suddenly dropped all its leaves over a two day period... Not sure what exactly happened, but this led directly into an algae outbreak that also forced me to do a huge trim. The tank is now recovering but it's a shadow of what it was a couple weeks ago. The stauro was my fav! 

I added a signature link to my tank journal which has more pics and info but to answer your questions:

Lights: MR11 LEDs that everyone uses plus a couple hours of sun in the afternoon from the window. 
Substrate: 20lb Eco-complete
CO2: Fluval 88g system - got this on the cheap and plan to replace with a full system once I run out of cartridges. I run 1bps during the day only.
Ferts: Flourish, Trace, and potassium 2x a week plus root tabs.


----------



## bsquizzato

Does anyone have any idea what "intensity" the new light system would correspond to in the NEW Edge2 12 and 6 gallon models? For example the 12 gal has 42 LED's apparently... in this size tank would this be a med light or high light tank?


----------



## cath1024

Got my New Fluval Edge 12 gal the other day!
I have never owned fish or any tanks before so I am starting from scratch - live plants and some other decorations and will add some small fishies next week.

Maybe some advice on what i should add?

I will post a few pictures later this evening.


----------



## haralds

*Persistent Cloudy Water*

I am running into a persistent cloudy water problem that really has me stumped.
Fish (neon tetras, cories, otos) are doing fine, as a the shrimp and neurites. The tank is heavily planted, and I have cut way back on the food. I do not have an algae issue, either.
I do run the filter at its lowest speed, since it does tend to blast things around.

I do about 15% water change twice a week (10% once, then maybe 20%). I do filter cleans once a month normally (light rinse of sponge and biological media, replace charcoal, clean siphon etc.). I also run a pre filter, which I clean about once a week, since the Fluval plant medium seems to "shed" a little - it mainly seems to collect its brown dust.

I just added some fiber matt, since that worked well, when I was setting up the tank some eight months ago and the media really created cloudiness.

This tank overall has done well, but I like that water clear again! My initial experience was for waiting, but it's easily been three weeks.

Any tips or ideas?


----------



## ncharlie

cath1024 said:


> Got my New Fluval Edge 12 gal the other day!
> I have never owned fish or any tanks before so I am starting from scratch - live plants and some other decorations and will add some small fishies next week.
> 
> Maybe some advice on what i should add?
> 
> I will post a few pictures later this evening.


Where did you get it?

I have not seen it sold anywhere locally or online!


----------



## raven_wilde

cath1024 said:


> Got my New Fluval Edge 12 gal the other day!
> I have never owned fish or any tanks before so I am starting from scratch - live plants and some other decorations and will add some small fishies next week.
> 
> Maybe some advice on what i should add?
> 
> I will post a few pictures later this evening.


Whatever you do, make sure that you cycle your tank properly before you buy any inhabitants!

http://www.aquariumslife.com/freshwater-101/aquarium-cycle/


----------



## raven_wilde

haralds said:


> I am running into a persistent cloudy water problem that really has me stumped.
> Fish (neon tetras, cories, otos) are doing fine, as a the shrimp and neurites. The tank is heavily planted, and I have cut way back on the food. I do not have an algae issue, either.
> I do run the filter at its lowest speed, since it does tend to blast things around.
> 
> I do about 15% water change twice a week (10% once, then maybe 20%). I do filter cleans once a month normally (light rinse of sponge and biological media, replace charcoal, clean siphon etc.). I also run a pre filter, which I clean about once a week, since the Fluval plant medium seems to "shed" a little - it mainly seems to collect its brown dust.
> 
> I just added some fiber matt, since that worked well, when I was setting up the tank some eight months ago and the media really created cloudiness.
> 
> This tank overall has done well, but I like that water clear again! My initial experience was for waiting, but it's easily been three weeks.
> 
> Any tips or ideas?


Add some Purigen to your filter. It seems like you have a pretty significant bioload and the purigen will help absorb a lot of the extra ammonia and nitrate that may be contributing to the hazy water.

You can probably also ditch the charcoal to make room for the Purigen... you really only need charcoal if you are trying to get medications or heavy metals out of your water. I pretty much never use it on my planted tanks.

If you think that the cloudiness might be particulate - like dust from the substrate - add a layer of fine filter floss to the top of your filter... something like this: Blue Bonded Filter Pad.


----------



## raven_wilde

*Edge Gallery*

The Aquatic Gazette has posted a collection of TPT Edge builds....

Pretty cool to see them all together like this, go have a look:

Fluval Edge | A Pictorial Celebration of your Passion


----------



## Mxx

raven_wilde said:


> Fluval Edge | A Pictorial Celebration of your Passion


Happened to look at the link and was quite surprised to see some familiar images and rather flattering comments there! My original post was #780 on Page 52 here, but thought I'd put up an update. 










In a densely planted jungle scape I guess poor 2D photos can be a little difficult to accurately discern a scape by, as in losing the depth that you can perceive in person it all becomes very confusing to try to understand the complexity of. The photos are a little blurred as well, but I'm in any case relatively happy overall with the tank still. I suppose I haven't cleaned any algae from the glass in months, though that might have a lot to do with adding two nerite snails. 

I hadn't been adding any macro fertilizers but eventually started to see some thinning and significant deficiencies particularly in the swordplants, so I'm doing some further dosing now and seeing some recovery. I tried to add some Blyxa Japonica and Marsilea quadrifolia around the same time, but they soon disappeared, I suppose due to an apparent lack of macros at that time as well. 

The platy that my wife insisted that she really wanted decimated my hairgrass in short order, so I had replaced that with Staurogyne repens. It turns out that's not an actual carpeting plant as it doesn't spread on its own and needs to be topped with the cuttings replanted, so that's a little annoying. I took out the strange olive coloured crypt originally on the left after it went crazy, and I added some Anubias that I received from a friend and which I'm quite happy with now. The Limnophila aromatica is supposed to be in there temporarily while I do some work on a different tank, but it's going wild and starts to fill in the entire tank if not trimmed. The crypts that I'd planted in the back and had forgotten about have been growing over the surface now, but their narrow leaves look a bit weedy here, so I'd have preferred if I'd stuck to broader leaf species.


----------



## sockfish

So...is that new 12 gal with the LED lights out there yet--does anybody know?

sox


----------



## HeathBar

sockfish said:


> So...is that new 12 gal with the LED lights out there yet--does anybody know?
> 
> sox


I saw the new 6g Edge's with the upgraded LED's at LFS the other day. I haven't seen the 12g version yet though.

A lot of the stores seem to still be carrying the old ones and selling them at full price. I guess they aren't in the rush to start offering the newer models.


----------



## raven_wilde

sockfish said:


> So...is that new 12 gal with the LED lights out there yet--does anybody know?
> 
> sox


The LFS I used to shop at in Toledo is advertising them as in stock: http://www.trilbytropicals.com/.

I may take a drive down there in the next couple weeks and check 'em out. I will be sure to report back


----------



## raven_wilde

Mxx said:


>


That's a beautiful tank Mxx!

What kind of lighting do you have on it?


----------



## HeathBar

Here is my Edge. The only mod I did was replace the lights with MR11's. It's still a work in progress which is why it looks so empty right now.










My betta


----------



## Rick684

*12 Gal. Edge*

I've seen them in one of my LFS here in the KC area. So yea, they're out. Selling here for $179.95


----------



## haralds

*Rescaping with our without inhabitants?*

I want to do some rescaping on my Edge, which will involve removing plants, thorough vacuuming, adding some media, moving hardscape, and then replanting.

I could move the inhabitant into a temporary tank, but in the edge catching small critters is not trivial. The real question is, what is more traumatic? Being caught in a net and moved twice, or total chaos in the tank?

I suspect, moving is the better solution, if more tedious.

Ideas, stats?

-- Harald


----------



## Mxx

raven_wilde said:


> That's a beautiful tank Mxx!
> 
> What kind of lighting do you have on it?


Thanks! it's all LED's, an assortment of bulbs, bars, and strips I ordered direct from China. I had some photos and a more detailed description here on the following page, http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/95967-official-edge-thread-52.html post #780.


----------



## haralds

*Fluval 12 Gallon Switch*

My local store (Dolphin Pet Village in Campbell, CA) had just gotten in the 12 Gallon Edge, and since I like to support the local fish stores and keep them alive, I paid list price.

I moved everything to my new tank tonight. Here are some observations:
- catching all the little guys out of the old Edge is a real pain, even with lowered water levels. Breaking down the old tank and harvesting the gravel etc. took 2 hours.
- the 12 Gallon is a pain to aquascape. it is just a little too tall to reach the bottom comfortably, even while standing on a stool. Have to get some LONG planting tools.
- plants will have to grow taller, or I might buy some to hurry the process, very vertical!
- there are little tabs that hold the back housing to the tank. these do not exist on the 6 Gallon. One of them easily broke off during handling, but it does not really impact performance.
- there is a power connector for the lights inside the housing. Mine was pulled apart. If your lights do not work, check that!
- I changed to covering the dark Fluval plant substrate with light sand, and it really helps with the lighting, and making the little pico cories actually visible!
- The LEDs are brighter than the original lighting, but do not match the brightness of my super brights LED MR16s
- 12 gallons feels like a LOT more than 6 gallons...


----------



## raven_wilde

Good to hear feedback about the new model... keep it coming!

Also, can't wait to see pics of it scaped!



haralds said:


> My local store (Dolphin Pet Village in Campbell, CA) had just gotten in the 12 Gallon Edge, and since I like to support the local fish stores and keep them alive, I paid list price.
> 
> I moved everything to my new tank tonight. Here are some observations:
> - catching all the little guys out of the old Edge is a real pain, even with lowered water levels. Breaking down the old tank and harvesting the gravel etc. took 2 hours.
> - the 12 Gallon is a pain to aquascape. it is just a little too tall to reach the bottom comfortably, even while standing on a stool. Have to get some LONG planting tools.
> - plants will have to grow taller, or I might buy some to hurry the process, very vertical!
> - there are little tabs that hold the back housing to the tank. these do not exist on the 6 Gallon. One of them easily broke off during handling, but it does not really impact performance.
> - there is a power connector for the lights inside the housing. Mine was pulled apart. If your lights do not work, check that!
> - I changed to covering the dark Fluval plant substrate with light sand, and it really helps with the lighting, and making the little pico cories actually visible!
> - The LEDs are brighter than the original lighting, but do not match the brightness of my super brights LED MR16s
> - 12 gallons feels like a LOT more than 6 gallons...


----------



## haralds

Waiting for it to clear...


----------



## WingoAgency

We in the reefing community also picked up couple 12G Edge but unfortunately the LED that it comes with only is suitable for sustaining low light plants, we reef people need stronger light so I made an engineering sample of 12W LEDs 50% 12,000K and 50% royal adjustable by remote. Of course, I could have made in with any color LEDs, such as 6,700K with royal blue or neutral white with 12,000K .....

Picctured is how it lights up the old 6G. I wanna sell the tank now to switch to the 12


----------



## haralds

Could you show more about the design?

It really looks like I will have to do a light upgrade of some sort on my 12 galloon.


----------



## haralds

*Filter Syphon Extensions for 12 G Fluval Edge?*

Does anybody know of an easy way to extend the length of the filter siphon?

The 12gall siphon is the same length as the 6, and I would prefer it to reach deeper into the tank.


----------



## WingoAgency

haralds said:


> Could you show more about the design?
> 
> It really looks like I will have to do a light upgrade of some sort on my 12 galloon.


Are you asking me?

The design is based on the Revolution Strips. Revolutions Strips are my approach to DIY LEDs. Pre fabricate couple LEDs on a strip and we only need to solder the edge. Notice the left edge of the circuit marked with C1 C2...? Those the are the soldering points for the upto two channels of light.








[/url] Flickr 上 WingoAgency 的 RS1.0 Installed Sample A IMG_2038[/IMG]

However, this is only an engineering sample and that my original RD1.0 strips cannot squeeze many LEDs into this short fixture, I implemented it with the common LED on stars.

The fixture looks like this but only 5.25" instead.








[/url] Flickr 上 WingoAgency 的 RS1.0 Fixture on a 18x18x18 cube IMG_2036[/IMG]

This is how it looks without the hood


----------



## haralds

*Fluval Edge 12 Gallon Switch - Day 1 & 2*

Here are the first two days of switching. Coming from the 6 gallon, there is a deficit in the top section 

I will look for a few tall plants on the back to cover the filter and siphon, good, because they are about 1/3 over. The neons really like schooling in the top 3rd, so I will leave lots of space for that.


----------



## haralds

*Fluval LED Lighting - not so bright...*

I am on my third day with the Fluval Edge 12 gallon. The lights do not look very bright. My Edge 6 Gallon modified with MR16 LEDs was MUCH brighter.

I am sure, the added depth makes it more of a challenge, but the new 6 gallon has fewer LEDs.

It might be enough for very low light plants, but will need supplement for more demanding applications.

Disappointing, I think...


----------



## WingoAgency

haralds said:


> I am on my third day with the Fluval Edge 12 gallon. The lights do not look very bright. My Edge 6 Gallon modified with MR16 LEDs was MUCH brighter.
> 
> I am sure, the added depth makes it more of a challenge, but the new 6 gallon has fewer LEDs.
> 
> It might be enough for very low light plants, but will need supplement for more demanding applications.
> 
> Disappointing, I think...


If you have access to thin acrylics and can devise a small box to shield the splash/spray from the filter, MR16 *WITH* 60 degree lens could be good choice for the new 12G because of the added height. Most light will stay inside the tank and yet the light would not be too concentrated to burn your plants.

The PAR I achieved in 12W of LEDs is upto 230 with 4 lens installed. You can scale down number of lens or dim down the current to adjust to lower light demands.

You can intentionally over light your tank slightly with MR16 bulbs to have enough headroom for dimming it down to what you need with a simple controller.

If you are in my vincity(zip 11355), we can test the PAR of your light.


----------



## haralds

WingoAgency said:


> If you have access to thin acrylics and can devise a small box to shield the splash/spray from the filter, MR16 *WITH* 60 degree lens could be good choice for the new 12G because of the added height. Most light will stay inside the tank and yet the light would not be too concentrated to burn your plants.
> 
> The PAR I achieved in 12W of LEDs is upto 230 with 4 lens installed. You can scale down number of lens or dim down the current to adjust to lower light demands.
> 
> You can intentionally over light your tank slightly with MR16 bulbs to have enough headroom for dimming it down to what you need with a simple controller.
> 
> If you are in my vincity(zip 11355), we can test the PAR of your light.


I am in California...

My MR16 LED in the 6 gall edge had 480 Lumen combined. I looked at installing a 10W fluorescent similar to the images at the beginning of this thread, but there is not enough clearance. Inside the hood, the only options are to add LED strips, or replace the LED assembly inside the fixture, or remove the newly designed light bridge altogether and replace it with something else.

It is really a shame, Fluval chose low output LEDs for this. I am exploring the LED strip idea, or setting up some "outboard" MR16 in their own shades placed on the glass. Not sure about the heat issue with that solution, since it would couple 100% to the water.

My picture above is a little misleading, since the camera compensated. In day light, the light is pretty dim.


----------



## WingoAgency

haralds said:


> I am in California...
> 
> My MR16 LED in the 6 gall edge had 480 Lumen combined. I looked at installing a 10W fluorescent similar to the images at the beginning of this thread, but there is not enough clearance. Inside the hood, the only options are to add LED strips, or replace the LED assembly inside the fixture, or remove the newly designed light bridge altogether and replace it with something else.
> 
> It is really a shame, Fluval chose low output LEDs for this. I am exploring the LED strip idea, or setting up some "outboard" MR16 in their own shades placed on the glass. Not sure about the heat issue with that solution, since it would couple 100% to the water.
> 
> My picture above is a little misleading, since the camera compensated. In day light, the light is pretty dim.


Looks like you are running 6W total in your old 6G for around 480 lumens.

Check out the Savoir, it may save your hassle.
The ley to it is the fixture heatsink *with splash guard*. You can get the heat sink and DIY the rest. The next thing you need for it is to make sure to put 60 degree lens on the LEDs.


----------



## ncharlie

haralds said:


> I am on my third day with the Fluval Edge 12 gallon. The lights do not look very bright. My Edge 6 Gallon modified with MR16 LEDs was MUCH brighter.
> 
> I am sure, the added depth makes it more of a challenge, but the new 6 gallon has fewer LEDs.
> 
> It might be enough for very low light plants, but will need supplement for more demanding applications.
> 
> Disappointing, I think...


I was under the impression that the 12 gallon had LED strip lighting and a moonlight.

From what you say, sounds like just new LED bulbs. 

In my old EDGE 6 I added a CFL 10 watt bulb ziplocked into place.

Adds alot of light. 

Could this be a mod for the new Edge 12?

Frankly, I think I got enough light and I grow a bit of algae.


----------



## haralds

ncharlie said:


> I was under the impression that the 12 gallon had LED strip lighting and a moonlight.
> 
> From what you say, sounds like just new LED bulbs.


It does have an LED strip and three moon lights - 42 in total. They just do not appear that bright in comparison to my MR16.


----------



## haralds

This is day 3...
Cleared up considerably with the help of fine fiber floss and Purigen.

Hard to see, but with the large open space, there is more schooling, and the cories are sometimes joining the neons!


----------



## haralds

ncharlie said:


> In my old EDGE 6 I added a CFL 10 watt bulb ziplocked into place.
> 
> Adds alot of light.
> 
> Could this be a mod for the new Edge 12?


There is less space between the LED light bar and the edge & cover. I actually looked at trying a CF10 as a temporary solution, but it will not fit there. I went so far as to try one physically in place with a socket - no way.


----------



## ncharlie

I still like the idea of an Edge 12. Looking forward to seeing it at the LFS. I have a 6 and I would like to move my fish to a 12, especially since it is getting crowded as I move guys from an EBI.

I'll make it my main tank.

I rather not fool with the lighting since I did so with my EDGE and burned out the thing, costing me 40$ to replace.

An external supplemental light source would be better.

I have seen folks put halogen spots right on the top of the glass and it does not look bad at all on a 6.


----------



## WingoAgency

ncharlie said:


> I still like the idea of an Edge 12. Looking forward to seeing it at the LFS. I have a 6 and I would like to move my fish to a 12, especially since it is getting crowded as I move guys from an EBI.
> 
> I'll make it my main tank.
> 
> I rather not fool with the lighting since I did so with my EDGE and burned out the thing, costing me 40$ to replace.
> 
> An external supplemental light source would be better.
> 
> I have seen folks put halogen spots right on the top of the glass and it does not look bad at all on a 6.


Modding any light setup with LED is very simple and durable as long as you observe one rule-the light has to have *SPLASH GUARD*


----------



## haralds

*Swapped lights*

I tried the old light bar from the 6 Gallon Edge modified with MR16 LED lights, and it was noticeable brighter!

I made the permanent swap. I suspect, the 12Gall LED bar will be perfect for the 6 gallon tank, and this is much brighter. Due to auto white balance, the attached picture does not show it. One noticeable thing is that water particulates show up more. It took a bit of handling to get this done.

The moon light function might also work better for the 6 gallon. In the 12 gallon tank, it was barely visible in complete darkness.

We'll see, how those plants now do in this tank.


----------



## haralds

*16 Gallon LED Bar Perfect for 6 Gallon Edge*

Could not resist, and set up the older 6 Gallon Edge with the 12 Gallon LED light bar in our family room populating it with "remnants" - no final scaping yet, and no fish. On the 6 gallon, the LED bar should be bright enough for plants. The moon light should also be better in the smaller tank.


----------



## Noobens

Quick newb question as this 6 gallon edge is my first planted tank...

I've got some green growth on my fine sand substrate around my plants. Looks very similar in color to my java moss, but I think it may be algae accumulation? The walls are clear, the water is crystal clear, and my plants seem to be doing fine. The only reason I am leaning towards algae is the speed at which it appeared. It's producing a considerable amount of oxygen, and it's a very beautiful green color. I've currently got 5 ghost shrimp and one red shrimp and they don't seem too interested in it. It's also growing on my rocks. I honestly think it looks great and since it's staying off the walls I'm just wondering if anyone knows what it may be? 

I've got the stock light fixture and am dosing with Excel up to 1 thread on the cap every two days.


----------



## WingoAgency

Good thinking!


----------



## raven_wilde

WingoAgency said:


> Good thinking!


Ditto. I'm totally ordering a 12gal lightbar as a replacement part and putting it on my old model 6gal.

Hopefully Hagen will make good on their promise to make replacement parts available.


----------



## pageerror404

Can you actually grow plants with the default halogen bulbs? I like the warm light they give off now that I stand back and look at it. I have te orange tank, with orange flourite and it looks good. I have java moss, anubias, and amazon swords all under the lights. Will they grow or I need the buy the blueish Amazon.com led Mr11s? Are the warmer toned leds?


----------



## WingoAgency

The halogen will grow low light demanding plants.

You just have to to watch out for the temperature, they do make the tank quite warm.




pageerror404 said:


> Can you actually grow plants with the default halogen bulbs? I like the warm light they give off now that I stand back and look at it. I have te orange tank, with orange flourite and it looks good. I have java moss, anubias, and amazon swords all under the lights. Will they grow or I need the buy the blueish Amazon.com led Mr11s? Are the warmer toned leds?


----------



## ncharlie

I might stick back in the halogen lights now that it is getting colder and my house drops below 70 degrees.

I have a strap on 10 watt CFL so that add more light.


----------



## haralds

*Fluval E100 on 12 Gallon*

My house tends to be in the 60s in winter (66-68).

I just switched to an E100 Fluval (100W) from a Marineland 50W. I was running at 82 deg. The E100 is set to 82, but does not seem to exceed 78-79 deg. It is indicating to be cold (blue light).

Does not look normal, does it?

I went to 100W, because there are time the house is in the 50s at night in the Winter.


----------



## adriano

Hey all,

Picked up one of the new "Edge 2" 12 gallon tanks yesterday after quite a bit of consideration. It'll be my first venture into aquariums for fish and plants, actually. I believe I'm covered with all the preparation gear (more powerful filter, heater & separate thermometer, algae magnet, API master test kit, dechlorinator and so forth).

Currently I'm still in the planning phase of how how I'd like to set up the interior. I've been browsing for design ideas for a tank that's so narrow and tall and it seems a bit tricky to get proper coverage at the top. I'd like to avoid a lopsided feel with empty space up there.

Right now I'm thinking a rather large piece of driftwood (if I can get one to fit into the opening) at a diagonal would be a decent focal point. What I'm unsure of is the plants.

Would stuff like amazon swords, anarcharis, myrio and hygrophila augustifolia, in time, provide sufficient coverage for the background?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Naekuh

i thought id pop some info for you guys who want an edge.

A few Petco's are having a clearance on edge so you can pick one up for like 69.99.
They priced it the same price as the Chi. 

I was tempted to pick one up, but i have no space to lay out another tank.


----------



## Kato

Naekuh said:


> i thought id pop some info for you guys who want an edge.
> 
> A few Petco's are having a clearance on edge so you can pick one up for like 69.99.
> They priced it the same price as the Chi.
> 
> I was tempted to pick one up, but i have no space to lay out another tank.


Anyone in the SF bay area know any Petco that has a Edge with this price? I've been to 5 Petcos from SF to San Mateo and none of them have any. I'm willing to go as far as San Jose or east bay.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Greetings fellow Edge lovers, I joined up because this seem like the place where most owners go to.

Does anyone think the replacement MR11 LEDs bulbs are worth the 35 dollars Hagen is selling them for? 

Or should we just wait till Hagen offers replacement parts such as the 12 gallon light bar. 

Here is my extremely cheap temperately fix until Hagen offers the light bars. 6500 K bulb, A crypt and two Anubias Nana.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> Does anyone think the replacement MR11 LEDs bulbs are worth the 35 dollars Hagen is selling them for?
> 
> Or should we just wait till Hagen offers replacement parts such as the 12 gallon light bar.


I had good luck with high intensity MR11 LED bulbs for a cheaper price, but it depends on the amount of spray you have. I later switched the sockets to MR16, and was pretty happy with that setup. One trick is to affix small strip of duct tape to the bulb sockets to help give them a little extra hold. If the hot bulbs drop into the tank, chances are, they will not survive.

I would not get the 6 gallon LED bar, because I suspect it is not bright enough for anything but low light plants. The 12 Gallon LED bar is pretty nice for the 6 Gallon Edge.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

How did you switch the socket to MR 16? I heard you can just force them into the socket but then you can never go back to MR 11. 

Do any of you think the 12 gallon lights will be strong enough for medium light plants?


----------



## colinlp

FlyingHellFish said:


> How did you switch the socket to MR 16? I heard you can just force them into the socket but then you can never go back to MR 11.
> 
> Do any of you think the 12 gallon lights will be strong enough for medium light plants?


Undo the 4 screws that hold the 2 halves of the light fitting together, pop it open, unscrew the old fittings and disconnect the wires, screw in the new fittings and connect back up, reassemble and that's it. Well worth fitting an LED driver while your at it, LEDs last much longer with them


----------



## gotfrogs

I joined the club yesterday an purchased a 6 gallon from Petsmart for $100. MR11 LEDs are on order. I hope to have water in by next weekend.


----------



## WingoAgency

Flyinghellfish,

I have never thought of putting the Edge on the floor would look so great!

I just a space of empty Edge, LOL


----------



## ncharlie

FlyingHellFish said:


> How did you switch the socket to MR 16? I heard you can just force them into the socket but then you can never go back to MR 11.
> 
> Do any of you think the 12 gallon lights will be strong enough for medium light plants?



Make sure the bulbs you put in dont use up more wattage than the transformer.

You dont need to change the plugs from MR 11 to MR16. MR16 will fit with a little push. Tight but workable.

I stuck MR16 halogens and my trnasformer burned out 10 minutes later.

Cost me 40$ to replace the housing. I could have just replaced the transformer but I could not be bothered with trying to find one!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

WingoAgency said:


> Flyinghellfish,
> 
> I have never thought of putting the Edge on the floor would look so great!
> 
> I just a space of empty Edge, LOL


Hahah, in the process of redecorating and I can't decide where to put the tank.
On the plus side, it made maintenance and water changes extremely easy. 


Hey ncharlie, do you know what the wattage is for the MR16? I heard they need a mod to work with the existing transformer. It looks so complicated with MR16, LED drivers, transformers. Wish Hagen would just make the light bar available as a replacement part. 

I'm really tempted to get the Edge 12 gallon version but it looks pretty dim with the extra space. The tank isn't very bright and I doubt medium light plants will do well.


----------



## raven_wilde

FlyingHellFish said:


> Wish Hagen would just make the light bar available as a replacement part.


They are... we just have to wait


----------



## Bell

Rob43623 said:


> Stupid I am....just dropped a lcd bulb in the water..drying is out...Will it still work????
> 
> Thanx...


I just set up my new edge today and when I was done scraping the air bubbles from under the glass, I put the light bar back down only to have it fall the last 2 cm or so and both of the halogen bulbs just fell straight out and into the water! They've filled up with water on the inside. How the hell did that happen? Are they not supposed to be water tight? Will they dry out somehow, if so how do I do that, and can I still use them or will I have to buy new ones?


Will be getting LED mods sometime in the near future but until then... I need the plants to grow and the tank to cycle... help?


----------



## haralds

Bell said:


> They've filled up with water on the inside. How the hell did that happen?


They likely fractured from thermal stress. Just spend the $30 on the LED bulbs from LEDWholeSalers.
I recommend the idea of cutting little strips of (duct)tape, and fixing them to the base of the lamp going to the socket. It retards slippage just enough to catch problems before they happen. The pin friction sockets are not designed to withstand separation of the heavy bulbs, when the bridge is handled in anything but a gentle way. One drop, and plop!


----------



## colinlp

Yes they'll still work, I used to use MR16s on my marine Edge and they were always falling in, quick wash under the tap and a good drying and away they went. The good thing about the filling up so quickly is that they'll dry properly without too much bother


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I just couldn't help myself, I had to buy the 12 gallon Black to go along with my 6.6 gallon.

Got myself SeaChem Flourite Red and am waiting for the chocolate milk coloured water to disappear.

Did you guys know that the picture on the box have the Filter PHOTOSHOPED out!


----------



## prototyp3

Could one of the Edge owners take a couple measurements for me? 

How far from the back glass does the plastic housing stick out, and what is it's width? How tall is the plastic base directly under the tank, and what is it's width? How tall above the top glass is the plastic canopy?

Thanks!


----------



## raven_wilde

How far from the back glass does the plastic housing stick out, *3 1/2 in*
and what is it's width? *7 3/4 in*
How tall is the plastic base directly under the tank, and what is it's width? *2 in x 11 3/4 in*
How tall above the top glass is the plastic canopy? *3 1/2 in*

This is off my 6 gal.
Let me know if you need anything else!


----------



## haralds

raven_wilde said:


> How far from the back glass does the plastic housing stick out, *3 1/2 in*


You will need additional clearance to make it easy to remove and manipulate the back cover. I find it easy to be able to pull it up and tilt is slightly with the equipment in place to wipe the back glass.


----------



## prototyp3

Thanks for the info guys. I'm doodling designs for a stand, but it's been difficult to get my hands on an edge with Petco's clearance pricing.


----------



## raven_wilde

@prototyp3 are you looking for one of the new models? Or an old model for cheap?


----------



## prototyp3

raven_wilde said:


> @prototyp3 are you looking for one of the new models? Or an old model for cheap?


I'm trying to score the old model for cheap. A family member ia considering a small tank for their office. I just want to build the stand and of course scape the tank. Here's the cabinet ideas I've drawn up so far. 

Your moss scape is really really nice looking btw.


----------



## sayurasem

i like the 3rd stand prototyp3


----------



## raven_wilde

I like the width on the 1st two... not only does it look aesthetically better to me but it's probably safer to have some amount of perimeter around the tank itself to prevent any accidents if someone should bump into it. You'll see once you get an Edge, even once its filled with water the tank is still movable and could be knocked off its base.

ps. Thanks for the compliment! I'm really happy with the way its turning out


----------



## dunehole

raven_wilde said:


> I like the width on the 1st two... not only does it look aesthetically better to me but it's probably safer to have some amount of perimeter around the tank itself to prevent any accidents if someone should bump into it. You'll see once you get an Edge, even once its filled with water the tank is still movable and could be knocked off its base.
> 
> ps. Thanks for the compliment! I'm really happy with the way its turning out



I totally agree. The tank is really easy to move. You definitely want some extra space around it in case it gets bumped. Looks like it will be a nice stand. Good luck.


----------



## Davesofthunder

Hi All

I am new to the forum but thought I would share my new tank with you all. 

These pictures are a couple of weeks old now. 

I though I might put a tank journal together but also thought some might be Interested in seeing a 46L edge since they are relatively new. 

I have enjoyed looking at what people have done on this thread, some really good stuff!


----------



## haralds

Looks like you extended the siphon the way I did - by buying a second extension, cutting off the strainer, and putting it together?


----------



## ryguy76

Well, several days later, I've finally made it through all posts in this thread! Kinda sad I'm all caught up, I was enjoying myself. I have ordered a new 6g edge with the stock LED's and am in the planning stage for it, so this thread was lots of fun to go through and see the various tanks and mods. 

I'm currently planning a semi low-tech tank that I'll most likely dose with Flourish and Excel (if needed), but I plan on doing a small school of CPD's, a couple types o' shrimp and 2 snails perhaps. I'd like to do a fairly well planted tank in hopes that it outcompetes algae and reduces the in-tank maintenance that seems to be on the harder side with these tanks. 

I'm leaning toward Seachem Flourite as the substrate and will leave the lighting stock with the new LED's until I find a reason to upgrade. 

What will the limitations regarding plants be with the new lighting? I'm not sure which plants I should begin with.


----------



## colinlp

Just a couple of pics showing the progress with our new 46 (marine)


----------



## raven_wilde

Davesofthunder said:


> I though I might put a tank journal together but also thought some might be Interested in seeing a 46L edge since they are relatively new.


Looking great and welcome to the forum! You should totally start I journal, I will definitely subscribe!



ryguy76 said:


> What will the limitations regarding plants be with the new lighting? I'm not sure which plants I should begin with.


Its looking like even with the new LED lightbar that the amount of light is still on the pretty low side so I would try sticking to plants that can handle that: anubias, java fern, mosses, and cryptocorynes. I definitely think that with a good base of flourite you could get some good crypt growth and wenditii and parva would not get too tall for the 6gal.



colinlp said:


> Just a couple of pics showing the progress with our new 46 (marine)


----------



## ryguy76

raven_wilde said:


> Its looking like even with the new LED lightbar that the amount of light is still on the pretty low side so I would try sticking to plants that can handle that: anubias, java fern, mosses, and cryptocorynes. I definitely think that with a good base of flourite you could get some good crypt growth and wenditii and parva would not get too tall for the 6gal.


Thanks for the tips, I'll look into those plants for sure!


----------



## raven_wilde

ryguy76 said:


> Thanks for the tips, I'll look into those plants for sure!


If you can't find them locally check the Swap n Sell on this site... lotsa crypts you can't find at the LFS turn up there


----------



## ryguy76

raven_wilde said:


> If you can't find them locally check the Swap n Sell on this site... lotsa crypts you can't find at the LFS turn up there


Good to know. I'm in Canada, so it could be tougher for sure. 

Any recommendations on the number of plants I'll need to achieve a dense'ish look once they all reach maturity? I'd like a dense tall background and with driftwood and rock midground (with plants attached), then sporadic low foreground plants but not necessarily ground covering. I'd like to keep the foreground substrate fairly visible.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@ colinlp 

OMG , dude you MUST keep us posted. It's like a science project you got going there!


----------



## ryguy76

Went out looking for driftwood today, but didn't find anything that I liked enough to bother with the process of making it "aquarium-ready." Then I did some searches for stuff to buy and found this: http://alturl.com/4wj5d

What are your thoughts? and can anyone provide me with a rough estimate of what length to be looking at, as I don't have me edge yet... I know the dimensions of the edge, just curious as to what would be the average size piece I should be looking at to avoid having something that looks out of place on the small or larger side of optimal.

Thanks!!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Hey ryguy, I'm in Canada too and if your from the Toronto area, I can tell you some good places to visit.

But, I'm sure you can find wood at your LFS. Google this type of wood, it's called manzanita wood and I think it's way better than African Mopani.

I had Mopani and it totally turn my tank into a yellow color, and this is after I boil the hell out of it. Plus I heard it changes the water chemistry to a more brackish water setting. Some people actually prefer this but I think the whole yellow amazon water looks a tad dirty. Some people get lucky and pick up Mopani with little tannin but honestly, it's a such a gamble for such an expensive piece of wood. Just my opinion. 

The Manzanita wood doesn't leach as much tannin as the other and I think it looks way better.


----------



## ryguy76

where can I get this manzanita you speak of?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Not sure if the big retail stores have a constant stock but its usually there. The problem is finding the best one as they quickly get brought. 

Also, you're going to face the same problem I'm facing and it's the size of the opening.

The edge has such a small hole that I find it impossible to fit any decent looking Manzanita driftwood, you might be able to fit in a medium size one tho.

The big chain stores such as SuperPets, PJ pets and Big Al in Canada might have them but I advise you to stay away from those, as they're really poor in quality and easily broken. 

I got mine from a local shop in Toronto, was actually cheaper than retail. I don't like the retail stores because they always throw their driftwood in a bin, which gives them all these hair line cracks.


----------



## Danimals

colinlp said:


> Just a couple of pics showing the progress with our new 46 (marine)


Wow that looks really nifty, but what is it? LOL sorry, I don't know anything at all about marine setups...that and dang I thought maintaining a normal Edge would be a pain, I can't imagine the time you're gonna have working through that tiny access port.


----------



## baysidefish

are you making your own overflow box? wow....


----------



## colinlp

Yes it's an overflow box to feed a sump. Marine tanks aren't that bad to maintain, actually hands in tank is probably a lot less that a planted. Aquascaping an Edge is done with smaller lumps of live rock that you could use with a normal tank but it can be done and you only need to do it once.


----------



## baysidefish

that's cool...I have a 36G reef tank in the office which I bought everything......I wish I could DIY some of them...


----------



## ryguy76

I'm going to just start with the stock LED's that come on the new edge, and I'm debating between painting the back black, or doing a wall covering sorta idea. What would be the best/quickest way of doing a wall covering in a stock lit environment?

Then I'll be doing anubias, crypts and java fern most likely.


----------



## sugarbyte

I'm in need of some advice right now..

I have the classic 6 gallon Edge and I started out with the 1 cfl + 2 mr16 ebay led mod.. I recently added 2 cfls to the swing arm with no led's because I was tired of the led bulbs falling in the water from trying to jam the cfl on the swingarm under the hood. (the leds also weren't very bright).

Pros of 2 cfls: lots of light 
cons: heat, inconsistent temperature, hard to fit under the hood (unless I make a bracket built into the hood).

now that I have 2 cfls attached to the swingarm, I can't put the hood on (unless I want my bulbs submerged in the water lol)..I also don't want heat to be an issue and I'm not interested in adding a fan.

I would consider going back to 1 cfl and 2 LEDS but I would like them to be as bright as the extra cfl and preferably without the heat... it just seems like a simpler set up (but I do like the light 'fill' from the cfl vs the limited beam angle of the led bulbs).

I'm sorry if I'm rambling and if this doesn't make too much sense.. I'm just tired of tinkering around with this tank's lighting and i'm trying to figure out what the best option for me is.

Any advice/info/opinion/consolation (lol) is appreciated (as I'm ripping my hair out trying to figure out what I should do), thanks!!


----------



## toofazt

sugarbyte said:


> I'm in need of some advice right now..
> 
> I have the classic 6 gallon Edge and I started out with the 1 cfl + 2 mr16 ebay led mod.. I recently added 2 cfls to the swing arm with no led's because I was tired of the led bulbs falling in the water from trying to jam the cfl on the swingarm under the hood. (the leds also weren't very bright).
> 
> Pros of 2 cfls: lots of light
> cons: heat, inconsistent temperature, hard to fit under the hood (unless I make a bracket built into the hood).
> 
> now that I have 2 cfls attached to the swingarm, I can't put the hood on (unless I want my bulbs submerged in the water lol)..I also don't want heat to be an issue and I'm not interested in adding a fan.
> 
> I would consider going back to 1 cfl and 2 LEDS but I would like them to be as bright as the extra cfl and preferably without the heat... it just seems like a simpler set up (but I do like the light 'fill' from the cfl vs the limited beam angle of the led bulbs).
> 
> I'm sorry if I'm rambling and if this doesn't make too much sense.. I'm just tired of tinkering around with this tank's lighting and i'm trying to figure out what the best option for me is.
> 
> Any advice/info/opinion/consolation (lol) is appreciated (as I'm ripping my hair out trying to figure out what I should do), thanks!!


Check out my light mod, post #36: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/126779-edge-6g.html

I leave the hood off most of the time to help with even light spread but can still put the hood on when people come over so it looks good. Best of both worlds...


----------



## sugarbyte

toofazt said:


> Check out my light mod, post #36: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/126779-edge-6g.html
> 
> I leave the hood off most of the time to help with even light spread but can still put the hood on when people come over so it looks good. Best of both worlds...


I love the mod you did, and I have seen your thread before.. Unfortunately, I can only find that type of work light at 30$ or more.. I'll look into that type of bulb though.


----------



## ryguy76

Will the 15w Hydor mini heater be enough for the 6g edge in the winter where our house drops to about 61F at night and then back to 68F in the day? I'd really like a heater that is small enough to be hidden in the filter. Suggestions welcome.

TIA


----------



## raven_wilde

ryguy76 said:


> Will the 15w Hydor mini heater be enough for the 6g edge in the winter where our house drops to about 61F at night and then back to 68F in the day? I'd really like a heater that is small enough to be hidden in the filter. Suggestions welcome.
> 
> TIA


It would imagine that this would be fine. I have the same heater tucked into my Edge filter right now and my house has definitely dipped below 61F at least a few times already. The temp in the tank seems to maintain itself in the mid to low 70s.

Its my guess that the same enclosed design that gives people using CFLs so much trouble with heat is working to the advantage of those of us trying to keep our tanks warm in drafty houses. :smile:


----------



## Blackheart

Just got myself a Fluval tonight.  looks great already and there isnt even anything in it lol

I was hoping to use it as a small planted Red Cherry Shrimp tank. wanted to go low maintenance as possible. Crypts a good way to go? or how about Marsilea Minuta and a few Crypts?


----------



## sugarbyte

Blackheart said:


> Just got myself a Fluval tonight.  looks great already and there isnt even anything in it lol
> 
> I was hoping to use it as a small planted Red Cherry Shrimp tank. wanted to go low maintenance as possible. Crypts a good way to go? or how about Marsilea Minuta and a few Crypts?


It's hard to get good lighting in the tank, and trust me I've tried out a bunch of different mods. Go as basic as you can (unless you want to sacrifice the edge's stock look)..Essentially low/med-light plants. I think you should be set with the plants you mentioned


----------



## Blackheart

What is actually better though, the stock lighting or those LED upgrades? I would think that Marsilea Minuta would have a hard time growing under led lights?


----------



## sugarbyte

Blackheart said:


> What is actually better though, the stock lighting or those LED upgrades? I would think that Marsilea Minuta would have a hard time growing under led lights?


The stock lighting is pretty terrible (assuming you have the classic 6 gallon edge with the halogens?). I would suggest (bare minimum) upgrading them for some nice mr16 led bulbs. I've heard good things about the bright wide angle ones you can get off ledwholesalers.com. If you do get smd led bulbs without a protective lens, you should probably apply a few coats of clear nail polish to protect them from moisture.
I got some cheap ones off ebay that ended up burning out pretty quickly so maybe investing more money into quality bulbs would be worth it. You don't need to change the sockets to fit in the mr16 bulbs, it will just be a bit of a tight fit. Trust me, once you try the mr16 leds you won't want to go back to the halogens  If you want to add more light, I would suggest adding a compact fluorescent bulb (just browse the forums for fluval edge light mods, a bunch of people have done them so you'll find some instructions and info). I personally think that for low/med light you'll be good with that (2x mr16 and a cfl bulb).. It's hard to get high light with this tank while keeping the edge's clean look because the hood blocks off a lot of the light that could essentially spread to the corners of the tank (also, the wide angle led bulbs could help spread the light a bit more).. so just a word of advice, keep your higher-light requiring plants closer to the middle of the tank.

I hope this made sense (i'm pretty tired) lol. Feel free to pm me if you have any more questions


----------



## Blackheart

Well, if anything, I'd definitly upgrade sooner or later to the LEDs if they're better. One thing for sure as well, the stock lights are WAY too hot. I'm hoping to at least have some kind of lights that'd be bright enough to start a carpet of Marsilea Minuta.

other then that, naw, I'm fine. i dont wanna mess with anything other then that, i like it just the way it is :smile: Except for the filters. I much prefer Cascade power filters and need to pick up a new one to fit this tank.


----------



## sugarbyte

Yeah the LED upgrade is definitely a million times better than the stock halogens. If you don't want to bother with adding a cfl you can maybe add some extra led lights strips along the light-arm or something. As for the filter, I think the aquaclear is a solid filter, I'm very happy with it (and it's SUPER quiet), but it's up to you  Good luck!


----------



## Blackheart

thanks :smile:

The best filters I've personally ever used are Cascade filters. amazing job and very quiet, barely even noticeable at all.

Isn't there a new set of Fluval Edge tanks coming out next week? Including the new 6 gallon LED kit, and a 12 gallon LED kit?


----------



## sugarbyte

Have you tried the aquaclear? May as well give it a go and see if you can save yourself a few bucks (unless you have a spare filter already) . Regarding the LED bulb upgrade, I heard its quite pricey, but besides that I don't know anything about it. I did see the newest Edge with the built-in LED light bar and it looks AWESOME. I wonder how those led's will fare in terms of plant growth! I would strongly suggest checking out those ultra bright bulbs from ledwholesalers, I regret buying those cheap and useless led bulbs. If those bulbs are going to be your primary lighting source you definitely don't want to skimp out on them.


----------



## Mxx

Looks as if the MR16 LED bulbs which can be used as replacements have come quite a long way in the past year. And now there are wide-angle Cree bulbs with an output of 200-240 lumen, and which can have a frosted cover even to further improve the light spread. I would think those would achieve quite a dramatic difference in terms of illuminating the far corners of the tank.

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=353
http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=373

So they're $30 a pop as well, but could make your life a lot easier in terms of growing certain plants. Does anyone know whether the stock transformer can handle the 3.4 or 3.6 watts of current these require? If it is a magnetic transformer then it apparently would, but not all electronic transformers can. 

If using just standard MR16 bulbs (halogen or standard LED) a decent planting strategy seems to be to put a few medium sized plants just under the opening, and then to spread a low-light carpet such as Marsilea around the front and sides.


----------



## wastedtime

Mxx said:


> Looks as if the MR16 LED bulbs which can be used as replacements have come quite a long way in the past year. And now there are wide-angle Cree bulbs with an output of 200-240 lumen, and which can have a frosted cover even to further improve the light spread. I would think those would achieve quite a dramatic difference in terms of illuminating the far corners of the tank.
> 
> http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=353
> http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=373
> 
> So they're $30 a pop as well, but could make your life a lot easier in terms of growing certain plants. Does anyone know whether the stock transformer can handle the 3.4 or 3.6 watts of current these require? If it is a magnetic transformer then it apparently would, but not all electronic transformers can.
> 
> If using just standard MR16 bulbs (halogen or standard LED) a decent planting strategy seems to be to put a few medium sized plants just under the opening, and then to spread a low-light carpet such as Marsilea around the front and sides.


I purchased similar ones from ebay to replace the MR11 LED SMD's i had installed 

MR16 GU5.3 6 LED 230 Lumen 3W Wide Angle Lens 12V AC DC Track Rail, Cool White

In comparison with the MR11 SMD's 










This is a picture of how it looks on the tank. Sorry about the other crap in the tank.. I am still scaping it


----------



## colinlp

wastedtime said:


> This is a picture of how it looks on the tank. Sorry about the other crap in the tank.. I am still scaping it


You're going to need a lot more substrate than that mate! :hihi:


----------



## WingoAgency

colinlp said:


> Just a couple of pics showing the progress with our new 46 (marine)


That's a very extensive work you put there! 

Are you putting ATO with the system too?

I felt that UK peers really love the Edge. Many peers who bought my lights never worries about the $35 shipping charges that USPS charges for a small Edge Savior light.


From the reflection, looks like your workshop is lighted with LED too.


----------



## wastedtime

colinlp said:


> You're going to need a lot more substrate than that mate! :hihi:


Ha ha ... I actually took out the substrate from the tank, one thing I have to admit is that the Edge is pretty hard to scape because of the small opening.


----------



## ncharlie

I just saw the Fluvals 6 and 12 gallons on sale at Petco.com The 12 is 160$ My LFS is selling it for 220$ and it is a 30 minute drive.

I'll probably wait until I see it in the store.

My biggest concern is the long reach from the little hole at the top. 12" gardening tools are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$


----------



## sockfish

ryguy76 said:


> Went out looking for driftwood today, but didn't find anything that I liked enough to bother with the process of making it "aquarium-ready." Then I did some searches for stuff to buy and found this: http://alturl.com/4wj5d
> 
> What are your thoughts? and can anyone provide me with a rough estimate of what length to be looking at, as I don't have me edge yet... I know the dimensions of the edge, just curious as to what would be the average size piece I should be looking at to avoid having something that looks out of place on the small or larger side of optimal.
> 
> Thanks!!


Hey there. I can comment on the Mopani. I have a 12 inch piece in my Edge 6 gal. I would warn you that it gets a smelly white fuzz on it which I had to scrub off for the first 2 weeks. It didn't seem to hurt my fish, but it was ugly and stunk to high heaven. My lfs advised me about the scrubbing and it's fine now. 

I've had mine set up since April this year--everything is stock. I have florishing crypts of 4 types and one java fern growing out of the mopani. It now houses a troupe of crystal red shrimps and 4 neons and 1 olive nerite.

I would not want to maintain it if the lighting were more powerful since it's on my desk at work. I dose with Flourish Excel and Fluorish Comprehensive according to directions and change the [email protected] gal--on Fridays.

Enjoy! I love this little tank!

sox


----------



## colinlp

WingoAgency said:


> That's a very extensive work you put there!
> 
> Are you putting ATO with the system too?
> 
> I felt that UK peers really love the Edge. Many peers who bought my lights never worries about the $35 shipping charges that USPS charges for a small Edge Savior light.
> 
> 
> From the reflection, looks like your workshop is lighted with LED too.


Yes I've made a 3 float switch system that has been doing the rounds on some of the UK salty forums. Big day tomorrow, it's getting wet, yey!! The LEDs are in our our kitchen, we used to have T5s but they kept dying on us so we're trying the stick on LEDs just to see how they fare.

I always thought the Edge was far more popular in the States, especially on this forum, it still seems to attract a degree of disapproval overhere for this, that or some other reason from the traditionalists. They are becoming a little more popular as marine tanks and since George Farmer did that planting session for Hagen on Youtube with the 46l they may well become more popular on UK forums such as UKAPS which couldn't be a bad thing.

I've seen your Edge lights on ebay, brilliant price, I bought a set from nanotuners back in February, cost a fortune but I don't regret it, a properly designed set of lights makes such a difference to the Edge. I'd tried playing around wit MR11's and MR16s but a proper unit just floods the tank with light. I hope to get one of yours for our planted edge in the new year when funds permit again. I've put the LEDs out of the 46 in the 23, better spread but not enough light


----------



## colinlp

wastedtime said:


> Ha ha ... I actually took out the substrate from the tank, one thing I have to admit is that the Edge is pretty hard to scape because of the small opening.


Yeah, it's worth it though, the Edge is a stunning tank


----------



## WingoAgency

Response in Blue


colinlp said:


> Yes I've made a 3 float switch system that has been doing the rounds on some of the UK salty forums. Big day tomorrow, it's getting wet, yey!! The LEDs are in our our kitchen, we used to have T5s but they kept dying on us so we're trying the stick on LEDs just to see how they fare. If you ever use stick on ribbon type LED, remember NEVER get the one with clear vinyl on it, find a water splash/guard solution with something else. Most of the so called waterproof ribbon LED ones with clear tubing will die out.
> 
> I always thought the Edge was far more popular in the States, especially on this forum,(agreed it's very popular in the States but people who bought them are just liking them not LOVING them.) it still seems to attract a degree of disapproval overhere for this, that or some other reason from the traditionalists. They are becoming a little more popular as marine tanks and since George Farmer did that planting session for Hagen on Youtube with the 46l they may well become more popular on UK forums such as UKAPS which couldn't be a bad thing.
> 
> I've seen your Edge lights on ebay, brilliant price, I bought a set from nanotuners back in February, cost a fortune but I don't regret it, a properly designed set of lights makes such a difference to the Edge.(it's so sad that Chris can no longer sell to retail customer direct anymore-it's a very powerful and good light) I'd tried playing around wit MR11's and MR16s but a proper unit just floods the tank with light. I hope to get one of yours for our planted edge in the new year when funds permit again. I've put the LEDs out of the 46 in the 23, better spread but not enough light(so are saying even with the stock 46 LED is not enough light for the 23?)


----------



## colinlp

WingoAgency said:


> If you ever use stick on ribbon type LED, remember NEVER get the one with clear vinyl on it, find a water splash/guard solution with something else. Most of the so called waterproof ribbon LED ones with clear tubing will die out.


Thanks for the advice, Do you have an example, afraid I'm a bit lost



WingoAgency said:


> (agreed it's very popular in the States but people who bought them are just liking them not LOVING them.)


Do you think so? Maybe the very few over here are fanatical (possibly?) but I always thought that most of the best Edge tanks are in the States, maybe we need to start a gallery? 



WingoAgency said:


> (so are saying even with the stock 46 LED is not enough light for the 23?)


I think they are a just about right for a very low tech tank but nowhere near enough for a high tech. Saying that the general illumination isn't what it could be but I guess that's where people like you come in. Maybe I'm right about people loving the Edge being in the States; you never see these lights for sale in the UK


----------



## pageerror404

New photo of my edge after replacing the halogen bulbs, adding more plants and introducing co2.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ what Co2 system are you using? I thought the 6 gallon Edge couldn't use their Fluval Co2 system?

I would love to add a system to mine. The space is barely enough for a heater.


----------



## toofazt

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ what Co2 system are you using? I thought the 6 gallon Edge couldn't use their Fluval Co2 system?
> 
> I would love to add a system to mine. The space is barely enough for a heater.


I'm currently setting up a paintball CO2 system for my Edge: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/p...09-5g-edge-locally-collected-moss-shrimp.html

Not sure how I'm going to diffuse the CO2 yet...


----------



## pageerror404

Just a cokebottle DIY system. Works great, cost $4

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Well, here my 12 gallon Edge. I'm pretty new to this stuff.










Also, got a video of the puffers, not sure if we're allow to post youtube links tho.


----------



## Blackheart

Looks good. I can't even imagine trying to get your hands into that 12 gallon though! the 6 is hard enough lol

I was thinking about trying out my Edge for a Low-tech, Iwagumi style tank with Marsilea Minuta, and Red cherry shrimps

Any pointers? Idk if this would be ideal or not


----------



## sugarbyte

FlyingHellFish said:


> Well, here my 12 gallon Edge. I'm pretty new to this stuff.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also, got a video of the puffers, not sure if we're allow to post youtube links tho.


Very nice, I'm a big fan of the new edge model  Your tank looks awesome! 
If you want to 'declutter' you can buy a cheap lcd thermometer off of ebay for like 3 bucks and tuck it ontop of the filter. I'm not sure which Hydor heater size you have but you can also try to tuck it with the aquaclear filter media basket.

I think you can link to youtube videos, im a huge fan of puffers and I'd love to see it.


----------



## Mxx

pageerror404 said:


> New photo of my edge after replacing the halogen bulbs, adding more plants and introducing co2.


That looks surprisingly bright throughout. Which specific bulbs did you use as replacement?

And has anyone had problems with their transformers with the high-powered MR16 bulbs?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I thought the 6 gallon was hard, this tank almost drove me insane because I had to tear it down and move it 2 inches, I needed more AC outlets at the back. 

Well, here the youtube video: Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ8HoQbVHmo&feature=feedu

I have one Zebra Snail that does the algae cleaning and this extremely small puffer, was tilting his head back and forth. 

By the time I took out my iphone 4, he stop. They also beg for food, it's the cutest thing in the world.


----------



## rgr555

I want to add more variety of plants in the background and move the anubias in the middle ground. Also going to add some rocks on the right side and attach the 2 right side anubias to them. 

Any suggestions/ideas on plants?


----------



## ncharlie

FlyingHellFish said:


> I thought the 6 gallon was hard, this tank almost drove me insane because I had to tear it down and move it 2 inches, I needed more AC outlets at the back.
> 
> Well, here the youtube video: Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ8HoQbVHmo&feature=feedu
> 
> I have one Zebra Snail that does the algae cleaning and this extremely small puffer, was tilting his head back and forth.
> 
> By the time I took out my iphone 4, he stop. They also beg for food, it's the cutest thing in the world.


Very nice tank. I have an Edge 6 and want the Edge 12. 

But it is hard enough keeping a 6 in order.

I think for my 12 I will do one big piece of driftwood I already have and some Swords. I am going to keep it very simple.

Use my Edge 6 for more fancy stuff.


----------



## haralds

*LED Light Bar - Update*

I previously reported I added at 12 gallon Edge to my 6 gallon, moved most of the contents to the 12 gallon and started over on the six.

Cameras tend to normalize exposure, so the real light output is hard to tell in pictures. What I found is that the 12 gallon LED bar is not sufficient for plants in the 12 gallon except those needing little light.

I swapped the 12 gallon light bar with that from the 6 gallon tank, which I had modified with MR16 sockets and LED lights.

I am happy with the results on the 12 gallon tank. The dispersion pattern of the bulbs matches the tank dimensions well.

It looked like the 12 gallon LED bar on the 6 gallon tank would be enough, but it is clearly still less than what you can achieve with MR12 LED lights. It's taking a bit of effort to get the plants going.

If you have the original Edge, I would recommend not upgrading the 6 gallon for the light bar, and staying with MR12, or better, MR16 LED bulb conversions of the high output kind. Mine deliver 240 lumens per bulb.

Of course, LED strip conversions are cool, too. But I want to keep it simple for now.

BTW, I have been using a CO2 generator initially on the 6 gallon, then moved it to the 12. I also use Seachem Flourish Excel on both tanks. But I now see that the CO2 from the generator does make a difference. Perhaps I will move the generator to the 6 gallon and try a cartridge system, but then I wonder, why switch from something that works...


----------



## haralds

ncharlie said:


> But it is hard enough keeping a 6 in order.


I have both, and have to report that the 6 gallon takes much less effort than the 12. I am happy to also have the larger tank, but due to its size and dimensions it takes more than twice the effort for water changes, keeping it clean, etc.

The 6 gallon is a complete cinch! The 12 gets closer to being a chore.


----------



## ryguy76

Hey, just wondering what people are using for thermometers in their Edges... digitals, stickies or floaters?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

haralds said:


> I have both, and have to report that the 6 gallon takes much less effort than the 12. I am happy to also have the larger tank, but due to its size and dimensions it takes more than twice the effort for water changes, keeping it clean, etc.
> 
> The 6 gallon is a complete cinch! The 12 gets closer to being a chore.


Nice set up, what kind of Co2 are you using for the 12? I want a Co2 system but there is a serious lack of space in the back.

I can attest to the 12 gallon LED light bar, it's really lacking in reaching the lower parts of the tank. I'm using a 6500 K bulb high out put lamp that sits on top of the tank. I only leave it on when I'm home as I don't like to leave a lamp sitting on top of a tank.

Not sure if I should go Excel or buy a small Co2 system.

@ryguy76, I brought the clear stickies , I like how it matches my heater's red. Plus when the heater turns on, there a little amber flame. Did you grab the Edge?, it's on sale at PJ Pets (Since your Canadian).

@sugarbyte, Heater won't fit in there, it's a 50 W and I got the 25 W version for my 6 gallon. It has this really neat Flame effect when it turns on. No idea how those digital thermometers work, also there no space when the hood is on. 

Oh and about the 12 gallon, water changes are actually a lot faster and simpler than the 6 gallon. Mine is on my kitchen counter top, and I use the Fluval gravel cleaner that goes directly into the sink. The hard part is aquascaping because you to reach down with one hand and if you make a mistake, it's back to square one.


----------



## pageerror404

Mxx said:


> That looks surprisingly bright throughout. Which specific bulbs did you use as replacement?
> 
> And has anyone had problems with their transformers with the high-powered MR16 bulbs?


I used these ones here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L2AIIE/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details

The picture makes it look a little brighter than it actually is though. The corners of the tank do get less light than the middle, but all the plants are covered. 

Also I was worried about the micro swords getting too little light in the front, so I zip-tied that walmart CFL bulb to the light arm with a $2.50 lamp socket from home depot. The total cost was not even $10. The light doesn't seem much more intense, but the plants pearl more now. 

To save some time for others trying this out, you must use that walmart light. Most other CFL bulbs seem to have a larger base circumference and you won't be able to replace the lid with them on there.


----------



## rgr555

pageerror404 said:


> I used these ones here:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002L2AIIE/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
> 
> The picture makes it look a little brighter than it actually is though. The corners of the tank do get less light than the middle, but all the plants are covered.
> 
> Also I was worried about the micro swords getting too little light in the front, so I zip-tied that walmart CFL bulb to the light arm with a $2.50 lamp socket from home depot. The total cost was not even $10. The light doesn't seem much more intense, but the plants pearl more now.
> 
> To save some time for others trying this out, you must use that walmart light. Most other CFL bulbs seem to have a larger base circumference and you won't be able to replace the lid with them on there.


that's a good price on those bulbs, they lowered them
I remember I paid $23 shipped for 2 from same distributor during the summer

personally i like the spot light look


----------



## pageerror404

rgr555 said:


> that's a good price on those bulbs, they lowered them
> I remember I paid $23 shipped for 2 from same distributor during the summer
> 
> personally i like the spot light look


Yeah the new CFL doesn't take away from that either. It's ok because I don't have any plants in the corner anyway. My amazon sword is kinda halfway in the shadow because it grows like crazy and I don't want it getting too huge.


----------



## ryguy76

Is anyone doing the Walstad Method with this tank? I'm looking into doing and wonder if the stock led lighting is good enough for this method. I'm concerned about the light reaching the corners and this method is supposed to have a 75% planted tank, but doesn't require strong lighting.


----------



## WingoAgency

The stock LED is for low light plants. I make a LED light with PAR spread described in the attached pdf. The values are measure with only 3 LED out of the the 6, so you can multiply the values by 2 to get the estimate total PAR.

It's a 12W LED: 2 x 3x2W arranged. You can remove or add lens to change the spread and intensity ratio, you can dim the two strings separately.


----------



## rgr555

Do you guys leave the filter water flow on High (far left) or Low flow (far right)? Seems like High disturbs the swimming of the fish so I leave it on low...should I put it on high?


----------



## ShawneeRiver

I rescaped my tank, and it looks much better. It's a little odd, but I put the higher light plants in the hot spots from the lights, which means they are in the middle of the tank. I think it's OK with the Edge because it I can see in it from the top. 

Btw, I keep my filter on high or medium, but I have just two killis in there. I want a school of celestial pearl danios, and I will turn the filter down if they have trouble swimming. The killis are kind of oddballs, and they seem to like to swim in front of the filter sometimes.

The killis seem to like the new scape. They are swimming around a lot today and are more in the open than usual. They are shy, but today they were up high in the middle of the tank checking me out!


----------



## wastedtime

This is my custom LED Solution for the EDGE. I added 2 new MR16 230 Lumen bulbs and 2 x 5.9" LED strip lights from superbrightleds.com


----------



## ryguy76

These the ones? http://alturl.com/mmsyk Did you go with cool white?

What else is needed when ordering to make them work for this purpose?

Thanks,
Ryan


----------



## ryguy76

I finally got my tank and I'm going to upgrade my stock LED lighting with the LED strips mentioned above, but I'm wondering about how many plants I'd need for a dense'ish planted tank look with the following plants.

Microsorium Pteropus (Java Fern)
Vesicularia Dubyana (Java moss)
Anubia Barterie Nana
Anubia Barterie Petite
Cryptocoryne Beckettii
Cryptocoryne Walkeri Lutea 
Cryptocoryne Wendtii 
Cryptocoryne Parva
Bacopa Caroliniana (Giant Bacopa)
Cabomba Caroliniana (Green Cabomba)
Echinodorus Parviflorus (Black Amazon Sword Plant) 

I have an idea for an aquascape that I drew up but am not sure being new to this about how many plants I should order of each for the edge. The DW is about 8" long and 3.5" wide.

Hopefully someone can give me feedback (good or bad) about my proposed scape that I'll attach, and let me know how many plants of each I should order to achieve kinda what I'm after.

Thanks!!


----------



## raven_wilde

ryguy76 said:


> Hopefully someone can give me feedback (good or bad) about my proposed scape that I'll attach, and let me know how many plants of each I should order to achieve kinda what I'm after.
> 
> Thanks!!


I would leave out the Bacopa and the Camboba... or plan on taking them out once the crypts have taken off. C. Lutea and C. Wendtii like to spread out and will need more room. Also, Camboba and Bacopa seem out of scale for a small tank like this.

C. Lutea may also be too large for the Edge... I have it growing like weeds in my 30 gallon and gets to be at least 12-15" in height.


----------



## ryguy76

raven_wilde said:


> I would leave out the Bacopa and the Camboba... or plan on taking them out once the crypts have taken off. C. Lutea and C. Wendtii like to spread out and will need more room. Also, Camboba and Bacopa seem out of scale for a small tank like this.
> 
> C. Lutea may also be too large for the Edge... I have it growing like weeds in my 30 gallon and gets to be at least 12-15" in height.


What about doing sag. subulata instead of the cabomba and bacopa?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

ryguy76 said:


> These the ones? http://alturl.com/mmsyk Did you go with cool white?
> 
> What else is needed when ordering to make them work for this purpose?
> 
> Thanks,
> Ryan


Awesome find on the light bars! The waterproof small bar looks perfect for the 6 gallon. How would one attach the light to the hood? Zip ties maybe?


----------



## wastedtime

FlyingHellFish said:


> Awesome find on the light bars! The waterproof small bar looks perfect for the 6 gallon. How would one attach the light to the hood? Zip ties maybe?


Yes you can zip tie the lights to the swivel bar on the edge.


----------



## Storm

I've had the 6 gallon Edge for about 6 months and all the light options are terrible, to be honest. I upgraded the LEDs to MR16s and they are too bright near the opening, so plants directly underneath them become an algae farm, even on just an 8 hour a day photo period. Plants in the front and sides are getting low light, but plants in the middle are getting high light. Maybe if you supplement with Co2 you'll be ok, but personally I'm about ready to cut the top off of the tank and use a desk lamp instead.

The tank looks awesome, but it is a pain to scape because of the closed top, and the light distribution is terrible. Even the DIY light bar mods still give un-even distribution - and putting a 3 watt LED 8" from the substrate is asking for algae. I have BBA growing on my filter sponge...


----------



## wastedtime

Storm said:


> The tank looks awesome, but it is a pain to scape because of the closed top, and the light distribution is terrible. Even the DIY light bar mods still give un-even distribution - and putting a 3 watt LED 8" from the substrate is asking for algae. I have BBA growing on my filter sponge...


I have 2 x 3W MR16 bulbs and 2 light strips on the edge... I have had no algae issues so far.. Could be because I am dosing with excel on a regular basis... I also have a ton of plants in there... so that might mean less nutrition for algae.


----------



## Storm

wastedtime said:


> I have 2 x 3W MR16 bulbs and 2 light strips on the edge... I have had no algae issues so far.. Could be because I am dosing with excel on a regular basis... I also have a ton of plants in there... so that might mean less nutrition for algae.


Your tank looks great. How much Excel are you dosing and how long have you had it running?


----------



## wastedtime

Storm said:


> Your tank looks great. How much Excel are you dosing and how long have you had it running?


I have had it running for little over a month now.. I am dosing excel as per recommended dosage every alternate day.. So on the edge, I do a little over 0.5 ml every alternate day along with iron : 0.5ml and flourish twice a week 0.5 ml


----------



## mjproost

*New edge - day 7*

Not sure if this should be its own post but I will start here.

I thought I would share my latest project, my Fluval edge. This was a tank style I have always enjoyed and I have a thing for little tanks and high tech tank stuff. I loved the look of the tank but dis-liked the lack of light coverage. So, I did what I usually do, and made a modding project out of it. Aside from the lighting and CO2 reactor, all of the other equipment was stuff I had on hand from past projects. Here some details and I will add more as I get the time.
*Hardware*
Tank: Fluval edge
Lighting:
Mod #1 -replaced stock halogens with mr11 5050 LED units from ledwholesalers - _NOTE: this mod by itself made a huge difference and would facilitate most common plants._
Mod #2 - modified a second base piece I received from Fluval and origianl top cover to accomodate 5 Cool White CREE XR-E Led's driven by two 350mA moonlight drivers, mounted on individual heatsinks with solderless connectors from Rapidled.com _NOTE: I love this! Should be enough intensity to grow anything and I can access the tank without moving the lighting. _
Substrate: Minerialized worm castings capped with older Eco-complete I had on hand
Filter - Fluval 204 with Marineland ins and outs -_NOTE: these work great because they blend into the black of the column on the back pretty well_
Heater - inline hydor_NOTE: I will never use anything else, nothing inside the tank_
CO2 - paint ball cylinder + adapter + azoo regulator, solenoid, and needle valve+ fluval bubble counter _NOTE: works good so far, but I will probably change the needle valve_
CO2 reactor - ISTA max mix _NOTE: looks like the best $10 piece of hardware ever, but I am getting mist in the tank. Will build a DIY inline Grigg reactor when I get time_


*FLORA*
Utricularia Graminifolia and Hemianthus Calictroides- emersed grown by me in this tank as a "dry start" _NOTE: actually thrown in few months back and pretty much forgotten and they look it now_
Dwarf Hairgrass(parvula) - purchased as an emersed grown mat
Plant nutrients - EI(KNO3&KH2PO4 pre-mixed liquid) + Flourish + Excel at double dose until tank gets established_Note: I dose small amounts daily - it easier for me to remember the same thing every day_
CO2 is cranked way up 50+ppm until plants get established then I will back down and set light to 8 hours a day. 

*FAUNA*
nothing yet...thinking 6 ember tetras + ottos and pygmy cories OR some cool shrimp plus ember tetras or CPD's or other upper level swimmer. IDEAS????

*UPDATE 11-29*
a few months back I through the rocks in and some HC and UG under just the mr 11 leds. Stuff grew great and I kind of neglected it for 8 weeks only misting a few times. it had some BGA, diatoms and green algae going on 
11-22 - HC was replanted, Hairgrass added and tank flooded. Immediately some UG and HC melted but seem to be recovering. The tank is now 7 days in from being flooded, I am just starting to see a little daitom and the green algae that grew in emersed phase is starting to grow a little. 

Let me know your thoughts and any ideas on what fauna to add would be much appreciate.

Here some pics from my crappy P&S camera:
























Pic with flash on to see overall:








Pics of the light/hood mod:


----------



## Blackheart

Dude, that looks awesome! And I love the scaping of your tank. Nicely done!


----------



## raven_wilde

Nicely done indeed!

In regards to your fish question:
You might get more satisfaction from ember tetras that CPDS as CPDS are pretty shy and will probably try to stay low and as close to the plants as possible. I have seen embers in various iwagumi setups though and they seem to do quite well in the middle and upper open areas.


----------



## Kato

Anyone has the new Edge 6gal with the led lights? I was wondering if I needed to add more light like the old Edge that came with halogen lights?


----------



## haralds

Yes, unless you have very low light plants...


----------



## krazypara3165

*New to this....*

Howdy! my names Craig and im new to this fishkeeping and planted tank stuff and after seeing some of the tanks on here i went out straight away and bought an EDGE.

And heres how it went...... 

The first modification i made was changing the standard lights to l.e.d ones but had problems with them 'flashing' and after installing larger bulbs ended up blowing something resulting in it not working. upon looking at some of the designs on this site it gave me inspiration to build my own powerful light rig. so after spending $200 importing bulbs and drivers from the U.S this is the result.






























































Basically it consists of two circuits, x3 phillips rebel tri star cool whites and x3 phillips rebel tri-star Royal blue L.E.D's (bettter tha cree xr-e bulbs) which are mounted onto a heatsink due to the high operating temps that the bulbs run at. and then theres drivers and transformers for both circuits.

anyway im really pleased with the results! but any feedback would be appreciated!

_Stock:

_x2 shrimp
x2 clams
x3 neon tetra's
x3 glow light tetras
x1 ram cichlid

+various plants.

obviously im good with electrics but poor with planted tanks so any more feedback would be appreciated, and yes i do realise my tank is a lil overstocked.....

if anyone wants more info on the electrical specs let me know and i'd be happy to help.

craig.


----------



## sugarbyte

@krazypara3165: I really like your set up, and I like what you did with the lighting (I always love seeing what new lighting solutions people create for this tank). My only problem is that the fluval edge is way too small for a Ram Cichlid. According to AquariumWiki.com they need a _minimum_ of 15 gallons.

I'm a big fan of Rams and have wanted some for ages but am considering starting a 30 gallon 'community' tank so that I can accommodate them. It's important to read up on what minimum tank sizes are appropriate for certain fish. Even some smaller fish aren't meant to be cooped up in small tanks. On the forums there's an excel file you can download with a list of nano-appropriate fish (with notes included) that I definitely recommend reading.


----------



## Blackheart

got my MR 11 bulbs in the mail today. man do they look nice, what an upgrade. and not much heat, either, comapred to the other ones. the stock bulbs get so hot!


----------



## fishyjoe24

nice, I can't wait to see the new edges planted. yes the 12g edges are in the stores, or at least in the D/fw , texas area they are...


----------



## krazypara3165

@sugarbyte: Yeah i was told the ram was a dwarf and should be ok for my tank which now it appears is incorrect...... but its fine as it will go into my friends 200ltr when hes big enough  cheers for the advice! and the links too! its good reading.


----------



## BIG_KAHUNA

IM SO LOST

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...ion=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/MR16-x48SMD.htm

I would go with the 6500K. But no splash guards? These also require new sockets correct?

GX5.3 base - 1.5mm pins with 5.3mm spacing <-- This is whats on the Edge stock or I have to buy new sockets too?


----------



## wastedtime

BIG_KAHUNA said:


> IM SO LOST
> 
> http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...ion=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/MR16-x48SMD.htm
> 
> I would go with the 6500K. But no splash guards? These also require new sockets correct?
> 
> GX5.3 base - 1.5mm pins with 5.3mm spacing <-- This is whats on the Edge stock or I have to buy new sockets too?


The MR16 bulbs are the same as the MR11's except that the pins on them are thicker
The MR16's will fit on the existing sockets with a little force.. but that means that the sockets on the edge will now be permanently wider and you can no longer use the MR11 bulbs.


----------



## curious_shrimp

I *seriously* do not like the filter that my Fluval edge 12g came with and am considering a nice canister filter for it. Anyone recommend any particular model that is easy to clean and will filter my water better? (oh and also doesnt look bad, as it will prob end up sitting on my countertop)


----------



## mjproost

Somewhere on this thread, someone jammed a mini canister(TOM's or ZooMed make the filter I believe) in the back where the aquaclear that came with the tank goes.

Others have crammed a larger HOB in there after doing a light mod. 

Personally, I have a Fluval 204 filtering mine, but it sits below and behind the tank.


----------



## rgr555

What's the best replacements for the Fluval filter? sponge, bio, carbon bag

I've been buying the original Fluval stuff but are there better alternatives?


----------



## curious_shrimp

mjproost said:


> Somewhere on this thread, someone jammed a mini canister(TOM's or ZooMed make the filter I believe) in the back where the aquaclear that came with the tank goes.
> 
> Others have crammed a larger HOB in there after doing a light mod.
> Personally, I have a Fluval 204 filtering mine, but it sits below and behind the tank.


 argh.. that's a good idea. I was deciding between fluval and eheim, and I decided to go with eheim 2215 for my fluval edge. I cannot stand the weak filtering on the stock model it came with the fluval edge tank.... mine sits on the kitchen counter, and canister filter will have to sit behind the tank. I will try to decorate it with a flower to hide the filter. 



rgr555 said:


> What's the best replacements for the Fluval filter? sponge, bio, carbon bag
> I've been buying the original Fluval stuff but are there better alternatives?


 you can look into buying a sponge pad(comes like 18"x20") and activated carbons on amazon. They come in a jar and will last you a life time,(and cheap)
I dont think filter that comes with fluval edge12g has enough power to properly filter the 12g tank, IMO.


----------



## mjproost

curious_shrimp said:


> argh.. that's a good idea. I was deciding between fluval and eheim, and I decided to go with eheim 2215 for my fluval edge. I cannot stand the weak filtering on the stock model it came with the fluval edge tank.... mine sits on the kitchen counter, and canister filter will have to sit behind the tank. I will try to decorate it with a flower to hide the filter.
> .


Awesome!! I only used the Fluval because it is one I had on hand. How are running the tubing into the tank?


----------



## mjproost

rgr555 said:


> What's the best replacements for the Fluval filter? sponge, bio, carbon bag
> 
> I've been buying the original Fluval stuff but are there better alternatives?


Personally, I never use carbon, just the bio media and sponges in my aquaclear. I have had the same ones for over 2 years I think. I just squeeze them out in the water change water I take out and through them back in. That is one of the things I love about aquaclears.


----------



## rgr555

mjproost said:


> Personally, I never use carbon, just the bio media and sponges in my aquaclear. I have had the same ones for over 2 years I think. I just squeeze them out in the water change water I take out and through them back in. That is one of the things I love about aquaclears.


Is it good to do that? I rather not buy new filter stuff if I don't have to roud:


----------



## sockfish

I just use the bio rings and a sponge on my Edge 6. So far no trouble at all. I also have a sponge cover [made by Fluval] over the intake so as not to harm the shrimp....

sox


----------



## raven_wilde

rgr555 said:


> Is it good to do that? I rather not buy new filter stuff if I don't have to roud:


I only use carbon in my aquariums when there is something in the water that I want to get out... like medications or an unusual smell. For the most part, this only happens in my 30 gallon oddball tank where I am regularly feeding live foods to a large carnivorous waste producer. In my 30 gal planted and my 6gal Edge I pretty much never have to use it.

At the moment in my Edge I have: 
The original sponge: I will probably never throw this out, just keep rinsing it in tank water as the I want to keep the bacteria that develop on it nice and happy.
Bio-Media: Same as the sponge- I NEVER throw out Bio Media (unless something goes horribly horribly wrong in a tank)... just keep rinsing it every now and then in tank water to keep it from getting clogged.
Bag of Purigen: spooned into a filter bag from a larger jar I purchased to use in all my aquariums. This will help absorb any excess ammonia, nitrites or nitrates... I love this stuff, keeps the water crystal clear. And I won't really have to throw this out either since it can be recharged.

Anyway... whatever you decide to do, it is always cheaper to buy a large container of your media of choice and spoon the desired amount into a refillable filter bag.

I mean, look at this breakdown (my LFS prices, from memory) of Purigen:

100ml of Purigen in a bag: about 16.00

250 ml of Purigen in a jar: about 12.00
small reusable filter bag: about 2.00

1.5x the amount of Purigen for less, score!


----------



## rgr555

raven_wilde said:


> I only use carbon in my aquariums when there is something in the water that I want to get out... like medications or an unusual smell. For the most part, this only happens in my 30 gallon oddball tank where I am regularly feeding live foods to a large carnivorous waste producer. In my 30 gal planted and my 6gal Edge I pretty much never have to use it.
> 
> At the moment in my Edge I have:
> The original sponge: I will probably never throw this out, just keep rinsing it in tank water as the I want to keep the bacteria that develop on it nice and happy.
> Bio-Media: Same as the sponge- I NEVER throw out Bio Media (unless something goes horribly horribly wrong in a tank)... just keep rinsing it every now and then in tank water to keep it from getting clogged.
> Bag of Purigen: spooned into a filter bag from a larger jar I purchased to use in all my aquariums. This will help absorb any excess ammonia, nitrites or nitrates... I love this stuff, keeps the water crystal clear. And I won't really have to throw this out either since it can be recharged.
> 
> Anyway... whatever you decide to do, it is always cheaper to buy a large container of your media of choice and spoon the desired amount into a refillable filter bag.
> 
> I mean, look at this breakdown (my LFS prices, from memory) of Purigen:
> 
> 100ml of Purigen in a bag: about 16.00
> 
> 250 ml of Purigen in a jar: about 12.00
> small reusable filter bag: about 2.00
> 
> 1.5x the amount of Purigen for less, score!


Is this what you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-165-P...5VK2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323527161&sr=8-1

100ml OK for the Fluval Edge?

edit: just purchased, 100ml comes with mesh bag btw


----------



## otisinhotville

Has anyone used the fluval mini compact florescent 13 watt that is on the shrimp setup on an Edge? The bracket fits on the Edge but it won't fit in the cover.


----------



## raven_wilde

rgr555 said:


> Is this what you're talking about? http://www.amazon.com/Seachem-165-P...5VK2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323527161&sr=8-1
> 
> 100ml OK for the Fluval Edge?
> 
> edit: just purchased, 100ml comes with mesh bag btw


yeah, you'd do alright with 100ml in your Edge... when it comes time for you to recharge your Purigen follow the directions that come with it but also search around this forum for tips and tricks. There is a lot here about it on here and I found it quite useful because I didn't entirely understand the instructions that came with the packaging.


----------



## NatCh

mjproost said:


> CO2 reactor - ISTA max mix _NOTE: looks like the best $10 piece of hardware ever, but I am getting mist in the tank. Will build a DIY inline Grigg reactor when I get time_


 Apparently they can be converted to a dandy Purigen reactor, if that interests you.

May I ask which size you have, medium or large? And also how tall the thing is? They look pretty compact from the imagery I can find, but I cannot find any actual dimension data on them.


----------



## rgr555

How often do you guys take apart the filter to clean? including the small motor fan?

I hear some low noises coming from filter every now and then, I think its time to take it apart for some cleaning.


----------



## raven_wilde

rgr555 said:


> How often do you guys take apart the filter to clean? including the small motor fan?
> 
> I hear some low noises coming from filter every now and then, I think its time to take it apart for some cleaning.


*shrugs* as needed I guess... I did a few times when I first set it up and kept stirring up the Shrimp Stratum- so much dirt got sucked into the filter that it was necessary.

Since then though pretty much never, but I'm only keeping cherry shrimp and I have a sponge pre-filter... I don't think much large waste gets to the impeller itself.


----------



## mike_freegan

Hey guys. Replaced my halogens with MR16 SMD LEDs about 6 months ago. Lately they've started flickering when turning on, and they won't remain lit unless I jiggle them. Then they seem to be fine.

A less bright LED bulb works ok, but both my best ones flicker. I read that LED bulbs might damage it in the long run.

Is my lighting unit failing?


----------



## rgr555

raven_wilde said:


> yeah, you'd do alright with 100ml in your Edge... when it comes time for you to recharge your Purigen follow the directions that come with it but also search around this forum for tips and tricks. There is a lot here about it on here and I found it quite useful because I didn't entirely understand the instructions that came with the packaging.


Where did you put your Purigen?

Should I put it in the middle between sponger and biomax?


----------



## 600rr

Currently 1 month into HC DSM. Using Aquasoil New Amazonia powder. Lights replaced with MR16 sockets and 15 LED bulbs also added a strip of 30 LEDs along the outside perimeter of the hood. 

Can't wait for the HC to fill in and flood the tank already!


----------



## curious_shrimp

mjproost said:


> Awesome!! I only used the Fluval because it is one I had on hand. How are running the tubing into the tank?


i am planning on making acrylic lily pipes to fit into my fluval edge 12g box in the back, with a bit of mod(without cutting any original pieces).
I almnost bought fluval- but there were so many peeps who swear by eheim, I had to try them. lol.

but then, I received my eheim 2215 this past saturday, and found it arrived with elbow piece broken during shipping:angryfire
so I am returning that one, and replacing it with the same filter...
:bounce::bounce::bounce:


----------



## curious_shrimp

600rr said:


> Currently 1 month into HC DSM. Using Aquasoil New Amazonia powder. Lights replaced with MR16 sockets and 15 LED bulbs also added a strip of 30 LEDs along the outside perimeter of the hood.
> 
> Can't wait for the HC to fill in and flood the tank already!


wow, that LED strip light looks sharp!


----------



## rgr555

I just cleaned the filter and fan and its making a little noise, very annoying.

Thinking of replacing the entire filter now. Is there one you guys can recommend that is always silent?


----------



## wastedtime

rgr555 said:


> I just cleaned the filter and fan and its making a little noise, very annoying.
> 
> Thinking of replacing the entire filter now. Is there one you guys can recommend that is always silent?


The filter on the edge makes a little noise until it settles in.. Everytime I clean it.. i get the rattling noise for about 24 hours.. then it is dead silent. 
Also try taking off the top cover on the filter or securing it with some tape.. that is also the cause of noise sometimes.

If you plan on replacing the filter.. the Zoo-med 501 fits in the back housing of the edge.. but i do not think it is any better in terms of noise.


----------



## rgr555

Top cover fixed the first time I was getting sound. Hopefully 24 hours will cure this sound. Thanks for the hope


----------



## prototyp3

So I picked up one of the LED lit Edges.. The new glossy black instead of the matte is nice, but the LED light is extremely dim. My unit has a messed up switch, so I'll have to get that replaced. 

I can appreciate low light for low maintenance in a tank like this, but the light really is pretty disappointing. I'm even considering swapping for the original Edge, but then I'd lose the gloss.


----------



## mjproost

NatCh said:


> Apparently they can be converted to a dandy Purigen reactor, if that interests you.
> 
> May I ask which size you have, medium or large? And also how tall the thing is? They look pretty compact from the imagery I can find, but I cannot find any actual dimension data on them.


That is interesting, I will look into converting to a purigen reactor. I just finished building and installing My new Grigg reactor. 

I have the large and and it is around 13" tall and just over 2" in diameter. If I remember correctly, the smaller sizes are the same diameter just shorter. I have read that many people attribute to low a flow to the mist I as getting. This does not make sense to me since the longer reactor length should give more contact time. It looked to me that the cool propeller chopped the bubbles up small enough to make them less bouyant and they easily traveled through the reactor and out. Here is a pic of it still wet from tank, it also came with a bunch of fittings.


----------



## mjproost

otisinhotville said:


> Has anyone used the fluval mini compact florescent 13 watt that is on the shrimp setup on an Edge? The bracket fits on the Edge but it won't fit in the cover.


Interesting you say that, that was my original plan before I did my Cree LED mod. My plan was to remove the arm completely, use aftermarket sockets and put 2 under the little hood and power it with a remote workhorse ballast. It all fit nice, but light coverage was not was still not what I was looking for. I will sell you the bulbs sockets and ballasts for half of what I paid if you want to wire something up yourself and take some pics. I used some old t8 bulb clips and rubber bands to hold the bulbs in place, but i gave those away.


----------



## mjproost

curious_shrimp said:


> i am planning on making acrylic lily pipes to fit into my fluval edge 12g box in the back, with a bit of mod(without cutting any original pieces).
> I almnost bought fluval- but there were so many peeps who swear by eheim, I had to try them. lol.
> 
> but then, I received my eheim 2215 this past saturday, and found it arrived with elbow piece broken during shipping:angryfire
> so I am returning that one, and replacing it with the same filter...
> :bounce::bounce::bounce:


Sounds Awesome! Agreed Eheim or Rena would have been my choice had I not already had the Fluval on hand. I bought the Fluval for $20 at a fish club auction, it was missing tubing and an impellar. I would have never used the Fluval tubing anyways.


----------



## mjproost

600rr said:


> Currently 1 month into HC DSM. Using Aquasoil New Amazonia powder. Lights replaced with MR16 sockets and 15 LED bulbs also added a strip of 30 LEDs along the outside perimeter of the hood.
> 
> Can't wait for the HC to fill in and flood the tank already!


Looks awesome! Dry-start is test in patience:icon_surp

Can you give us some detail on the LED strip around the hood?

Looks nice and simple.


----------



## raven_wilde

rgr555 said:


> Where did you put your Purigen?
> 
> Should I put it in the middle between sponger and biomax?


I have it layered as such, bottom to top:

Sponge
Biomax
Purigen
Thin layer of fine blue filter pad (to remove any fine particles)

I put the Purigen last because it sucks up Nitrate/Nitrite and I'd rather the bacteria on the Biomax have first crack at it. This is my reasoning... I don't know if it really matters though.


----------



## NatCh

mjproost said:


> TmI have the large and and it is around 13" tall and just over 2" in diameter. If I remember correctly, the smaller sizes are the same diameter just shorter.


Thank you!

I'm glad that you found the Purigen mod interesting. I though the look of the stuff floating about was kinda cool.


----------



## 600rr

curious_shrimp said:


> wow, that LED strip light looks sharp!


It does doesn't it? :icon_smil




mjproost said:


> Looks awesome! Dry-start is test in patience:icon_surp
> 
> Can you give us some detail on the LED strip around the hood?
> 
> Looks nice and simple.


Sure. I apologize I have no pics of the build process. I had intended to take pics but completely forgot lol. Luckily, it's rather simple.

I purchased the LED setup from http://www.superbrightleds.com
19.5" flexible LED strip, part# NFLS-CW30X3. Make sure they're the 3 chip high power 5050 SMDs. They can be cut into 3 LED sections which you can then solder or purchase connectors to re-connect them. They are rated at 561 lumens FWIW, and I've basically doubled the output of the 2 MR16 bulbs.

24watt power supply, part# CPS-12VDC-24W (can power up to 3 strips, I bought 2 but 1 is plenty with the 2 MR16 bulbs)
And they have various different plugs and adapters you can select to connect the LED strip to the power supply. I purchased the NFLS series CPS Adapter Cable which ended up requiring me to cut and solder.

Total around $40 shipped, not too bad.

I then purchased an aluminum L channel at Home Depot ($5 or so). I measured around the hood and the channel and made 2 90 degree cuts on one plane of the channel with a dremel (if you are anal, make sure you measure the right end of the hood. One end of the hood is 1-2mm wider than the other end for some reason, I learned the hard way lol). Then take a couple pairs of pliers and bend at the cuts to create the 90 degree bends. Glued the seam to keep it from bowing out (should probably have used jb weld or something better), lightly sanded, then spray painted.

The LED strips have double sided tape already applied. I just cut to appropriate lengths, taped them to the fixture, and soldered the ends of the LED strip. The fixture also acts as a heatsink for the LED strip so it's dual purpose.

And here is your finished product...


----------



## Sjoerd

*New start*

Hi Edgers,

I'm from the Netherlands, so please don't argue about my language. :help:

I just started my Edge a few days ago.
This is what i made of it:















Now I'm thinking about the fish I want to add in a few weeks. 
I'm thinking about this setup:

- 2 Otocinclus macrospilus

- 2 Tateurndina ocellicauda (m/f)

When those fish do well in my aquarium I want to add

- 6 Rasbora Galaxy

Do you think the Oto is to busy for this small aquarium? and the Tateurndina gets too big?


----------



## mjproost

600rr said:


> Sure. I apologize I have no pics of the build process. I had intended to take pics but completely forgot lol. Luckily, it's rather simple.


Thanks for the detail! I am the same, I get going on something and always forget to take pics.

It looks great!


----------



## 600rr

Sjoerd said:


> Hi Edgers,
> 
> I'm from the Netherlands, so please don't argue about my language. :help:
> 
> I just started my Edge a few days ago.
> This is what i made of it:
> 
> I'm thinking about the fish I want to add in a few weeks.
> I'm thinking about this setup:
> 
> - 2 Otocinclus macrospilus
> 
> - 2 Tateurndina ocellicauda (m/f)
> 
> When those fish do well in my aquarium I want to add
> 
> - 6 Rasbora Galaxy
> 
> Do you think the Oto is to busy for this small aquarium? and the Tateurndina gets too big?


looks good you should really consider upgrading to mr16 bulbs at least. Makes a huge difference.

I think the otos are fine, not too sure about the goby though. Maybe someone else can chime in. The galaxy rasboras would be nice though. Always loved the mini trout look. Plan on getting some myself.



mjproost said:


> Thanks for the detail! I am the same, I get going on something and always forget to take pics.
> 
> It looks great!


haha thanks. Now just gotta find another tank so I can build another setup.


----------



## sockfish

Sjoerd--

Just to chime in again. I have the same 6 gal set up at work with lush crowth of crypts and java fern. *No modifications to the lighting.* It does seem like you may be putting too many fish into yours. I find maintenance easier with fewer fish. 

Enjoy!

sox


----------



## tbarabash

When I had my heavily planted edge I had it so overstocked for a bit while I got my new tank set up. Poor cramped fishes lol. I had 6 guppies 4 Amani's an Ito and 4 Amano shrimp. And a few harlequin rasbora haha. They're all running the show in my 36G now though


----------



## Sjoerd

Allright thanks foy your positive reactions.
At the Dutch forums they all said "your tank is too small, you can only have shrimps, and maybe a rasbora". I'm glad i found this real Edge topic, where people share their own experience about what you can stock in an Edge. 

Thanks you all, I'll update when i've got my fish.


----------



## Mark Oliver

Is it possible to fit a fluval c2 filter on the 6G edge? Not sure if it is small enough but I'd like to upgrade if possible.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

What size is that filter? If it's the same width as the AquaClear 20, then yeah.

Has anyone ever tried a small canister filter for the Edge? I'm not talking about those Zoo Med or poorly constructed Tom's nano canister, has anyone done a mod for a Eheim canister?


----------



## Mxx

FlyingHellFish said:


> What size is that filter? If it's the same width as the AquaClear 20, then yeah.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried a small canister filter for the Edge? I'm not talking about those Zoo Med or poorly constructed Tom's nano canister, has anyone done a mod for a Eheim canister?


I used a canister filter on mine, except that as it is a Fluval 305 I couln't say that it is small, (but it was cheap). I drilled holes in the bottom of the stock HOB, and epoxied a house mounting bracket to that. I drilled though the shelf I have my edge on so that the hoses run down through the housing and to the filter which is hidden away underneath. Of course, that size filter is serious overkill as it is for a tank a dozen times the size of this one, which is perhaps to the detriment of my plants...


----------



## Mark Oliver

FlyingHellFish said:


> What size is that filter? If it's the same width as the AquaClear 20, then yeah.


I have no clue what the size is. Only seen it online and they don't give the exact size.


----------



## mike_freegan

Where have you guys put your CO2 diffusers? I originally had mine off to the side but I've just moved it to dead centre so that the bubbles either get blown into the tank in the current, or sucked into the filter intake. Is this a better idea?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I always thought it was best to get those bubbles back in circulation, I wonder if they defuse if left floating on the top glass.


Guys still the Fluval C series is worth the price? Around 40 - 50 bucks, their Fluval Canister 100 is around 110 dollars, maybe best to go with canister? 


Do you guys think a small Canister filter intake and output will fit in the edge

@Mxx - Can you just remove the HOB and use a canister intake and output lines? I'm not good with drilling and epoxy of holes. Can one use any such input and output, like for instance, illy pads ADA?


----------



## rgr555

tbarabash said:


> When I had my heavily planted edge I had it so overstocked for a bit while I got my new tank set up. Poor cramped fishes lol. I had 6 guppies 4 Amani's an Ito and 4 Amano shrimp. And a few harlequin rasbora haha. They're all running the show in my 36G now though


I have 6 Harlequin Rasbora, 3 Amano, 6 cherry shrimp, 1 guppy fry (who's growing up fast)

They seem fine :bounce:


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ That almost exactly what I have! Great minds think alike.


----------



## mjproost

FlyingHellFish said:


> Do you guys think a small Canister filter intake and output will fit in the edge
> 
> @Mxx - Can you just remove the HOB and use a canister intake and output lines? I'm not good with drilling and epoxy of holes. Can one use any such input and output, like for instance, illy pads ADA?


I am using a can on my edge. My plan was to use lily pipes, but I had the marineland intakes and outputs I threw in at the build until I could find the pipes. Now I am think I am going to leave the marineland pipes, they are black and hide in the shadow the LED's create in the back really nicely. I cut out the indented part on the back of the base with my dremel to run the hoes through. Here is a pic from when the tank was a week old with the marineland inputs and outputs in there. The hairgrass has grown considerably since and the tubes are even less noticeable.


----------



## smracer31

Finally got around to redoing my pathetic edge! I took the top off this thing a while ago, couldn't stand that small hole!I will start a journal soon for this, still waiting on my canister filter, need to make my acrylic pipes and do some kind of background. Gonna see how this goes with non c02 and a daily dose of excel.


----------



## Mark Oliver

Weird. Some of these mods seem to defeat the simplicity and eligence of the edge.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

smracer31 said:


> Finally got around to redoing my pathetic edge! I took the top off this thing a while ago, couldn't stand that small hole!I will start a journal soon for this, still waiting on my canister filter, need to make my acrylic pipes and do some kind of background. Gonna see how this goes with non c02 and a daily dose of excel.


Holy !!! , That an Edge? I was expecting to see a ADA sticker at the side. What did you do with the base?




mjproost said:


> I am using a can on my edge. My plan was to use lily pipes, but I had the marineland intakes and outputs I threw in at the build until I could find the pipes. Now I am think I am going to leave the marineland pipes, they are black and hide in the shadow the LED's create in the back really nicely. I cut out the indented part on the back of the base with my dremel to run the hoes through. Here is a pic from when the tank was a week old with the marineland inputs and outputs in there. The hairgrass has grown considerably since and the tubes are even less noticeable.


How is the suction on it? Did you have to put the filter lower than the tank? Any special thing you got to do? I'm guessing you just thread the tubes through the back of the base, are you worry about a leak with so many electronic close by? I'm thinking of going towards a Canister as well. Beautiful Tank by the way.


----------



## mjproost

FlyingHellFish said:


> How is the suction on it? Did you have to put the filter lower than the tank? Any special thing you got to do? I'm guessing you just thread the tubes through the back of the base, are you worry about a leak with so many electronic close by? I'm thinking of going towards a Canister as well. Beautiful Tank by the way.


I didn't really do anything different than you would with any other tank with a canister. The can sits below the tank in a cabinet that acts like a stand of sorts. I added tightened zip ties at each point that the tubing connects to a fitting so nothing can slip off. 

If you do go with a canister get a much more powerful one than you think you need. The Fluval 204 on mine in still underpowered for a single water movement source.

HTH


----------



## volatile

Mark Oliver said:


> Weird. Some of these mods seem to defeat the simplicity and eligence of the edge.


If you are referring to taking the top off of the Edge, just wait until you have to do maintenance, re-arrange the hardscape, put in some wood, or try to catch fish/shrimp through the little hole in the top.


----------



## Mark Oliver

volatile said:


> If you are referring to taking the top off of the Edge, just wait until you have to do maintenance, re-arrange the hardscape, put in some wood, or try to catch fish/shrimp through the little hole in the top.


Prob best to choose a different type of tank then.


----------



## sockfish

Mark Oliver said:


> Weird. Some of these mods seem to defeat the simplicity and eligence of the edge.


That's why I always chime in with the fact mine is un-modded and perfectly lovely. Beginners should know they can use the tank just as it is if it pleases them.

I think it's just the creative nature of the folks on this forum that they're so often tweaking and trying to improve. I've learned a lot here that I have used in other tanks!

sox


----------



## Mxx

FlyingHellFish said:


> I always thought it was best to get those bubbles back in circulation, I wonder if they defuse if left floating on the top glass.
> 
> @Mxx - Can you just remove the HOB and use a canister intake and output lines? I'm not good with drilling and epoxy of holes. Can one use any such input and output, like for instance, illy pads ADA?


You perhaps can take off the HOB and use just the normal canister hoses. I did that as a temporary measure, but had some fish die as a result... The HOB apparently does a very good job of oxygenating the water, but when I was using just the canister filter it turned out that my surface circulation wasn't great and I woke up to gasping fish and a few casualties...

So if you have a fully stocked tank you'll just need to make sure that your canister's return bar is positioned to provide good turnover at the surface. With my Fluval 305 I was trying to keep the current from turning the plants and fish into bouillabaisse, so I'd had both the intake and return hoses sitting in a small perforated water bottle to disrupt the current, unfortunately... 

And I'd been using that temporary set-up after I broke the housing to the original HOB while trying to modify it. I was trying to soften the housing in a pan of boiling water to make a sufficient indentation up the back of it so that I could pass the hoses up the back of the filter and then curl them over the back of the HOB and into it. I then bought a Red Sea Nano which I stuck the hoses into instead, but that filter made quite a racket and the flow wasn't sufficient either. So I ordered two more HOB housings, and managed to mold my desired indention along the back of the filter, and got that working finally. But getting the siphon on the canister hoses going in that situation was a total nightmare, and remolding the HOB housing seriously restricted the flow to an unacceptable level again. So for the fourth try, I drilled out the bottom of the HOB and mounted the hose brackets. The epoxy still smelled chemically more than a week later, so I bought a tube of silicon and covered all the exposed epoxy in a very thick layer of that. So it took some work, but it has worked perfectly since, and it results in the canister filter being self-priming. 

I think I have some photos of my mods back in my own original post here, which I think was #686 if I remember correctly. 

P.S. Leaving your CO2 bubble floating on the top glass is fine as they should diffuse from there. I used the airline into the HOB with a chopstick tip stuck in the end mod myself which seems to work great.


----------



## rgr555

whats the best co2 system for the edge? getting tired of doing doses of flourish excel. i have 4 anubias, would it be overkill for co2 ?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ You don't need Co2 for Anubias, they are naturally slow grower. For the 6 gallon , you will do fine with DIY Co2. 

Did you get a Co2 kit rgr? If so, which one did you settle for? I'm looking for a complete kit too but due to the holiday season, I think I rather wait till the mail volume dies down.

I'm thinking of starting a DIY Co2, my guess is the Edge will hold the Co2 a lot better than other tanks. I think once the Co2 hits the upper glass, it's trap and will slowly diffuse even more. Only draw back when be the ugly bubbles on top.

There was also a thread that claim you can skip the Co2 as long as you have high light and heavy fertilizer with your own EI dosing depending on your plants. It's a sticky in "Lighting". 

Don't get the Fluval 88g, a lot of people complain by fast they run out and how expensive the replacement cans are. What kind of lights do you have on your Edge rgr?


----------



## SpeedKilz

Mark Oliver said:


> Prob best to choose a different type of tank then.


+1 to that


----------



## rgr555

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ You don't need Co2 for Anubias, they are naturally slow grower. For the 6 gallon , you will do fine with DIY Co2.
> 
> Did you get a Co2 kit rgr? If so, which one did you settle for? I'm looking for a complete kit too but due to the holiday season, I think I rather wait till the mail volume dies down.
> 
> I'm thinking of starting a DIY Co2, my guess is the Edge will hold the Co2 a lot better than other tanks. I think once the Co2 hits the upper glass, it's trap and will slowly diffuse even more. Only draw back when be the ugly bubbles on top.
> 
> There was also a thread that claim you can skip the Co2 as long as you have high light and heavy fertilizer with your own EI dosing depending on your plants. It's a sticky in "Lighting".
> 
> Don't get the Fluval 88g, a lot of people complain by fast they run out and how expensive the replacement cans are. What kind of lights do you have on your Edge rgr?


I don't have a co2 kit. I'm new to that stuff, don't even know where to begin. But apparently I don't need one anyways for anubias?

I have MR11 LED lights, http://www.amazon.com/Brightest-LED...AIIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324606656&sr=8-1

(crazy 50% off when I paid for them, plus now they are prime eligible)

Getting some algae grown on my walls, these lights seem strong. I try and do 7 hours a day max.


----------



## rgr555

smracer31 said:


> Finally got around to redoing my pathetic edge! I took the top off this thing a while ago, couldn't stand that small hole!I will start a journal soon for this, still waiting on my canister filter, need to make my acrylic pipes and do some kind of background. Gonna see how this goes with non c02 and a daily dose of excel.


why buy the edge in the first place, haha
That's not an edge. that's a regular fish tank now. You should have used the same money to buy a 20g


----------



## FlyingHellFish

rgr555 said:


> I don't have a co2 kit. I'm new to that stuff, don't even know where to begin. But apparently I don't need one anyways for anubias?
> 
> I have MR11 LED lights, http://www.amazon.com/Brightest-LED...AIIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324606656&sr=8-1
> 
> (crazy 50% off when I paid for them, plus now they are prime eligible)
> 
> Getting some algae grown on my walls, these lights seem strong. I try and do 7 hours a day max.


Yeah, Anubias Nana are really slow growing plants and don't really need Co2. It's good you got those Amano Shrimps, they will work wonders for your tank. My Anubias Nana were covered with thread algae once and within the first day, the whole tank was completely clean. 

Those lights look great! I remember the MR11 were around 30 bucks when I first search for them. Fluval's MR11 LED replacement are 40 bucks where I'm from, it's crazy how expensive the lights are.


----------



## raven_wilde

FlyingHellFish said:


> Yeah, Anubias Nana are really slow growing plants and don't really need Co2. It's good you got those Amano Shrimps, they will work wonders for your tank. My Anubias Nana were covered with thread algae once and within the first day, the whole tank was completely clean.


Anubias are slow growers, however, they can and do benefit from CO2... in fact, you'll find that with CO2 they're not really such slow growers after all 

EDIT: If you have questions about CO2 equipment you might do well to check out the Equipment area of the Forum... the CO2 setup gurus tend to hang out there.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

raven_wilde said:


> Anubias are slow growers, however, they can and do benefit from CO2... in fact, you'll find that with CO2 they're not really such slow growers after all
> 
> EDIT: If you have questions about CO2 equipment you might do well to check out the Equipment area of the Forum... the CO2 setup gurus tend to hang out there.


They are warrior plants indeed, I did see a moderate growth rate with excel but I like them better when they slowly grow. My 6 gallon barely has room for more growth  

Anyways, does anyone have the exact dimensions for the 12 gallon? I mean, the base and the stand, not the tank. I don't have a measuring tape.


----------



## joyz

Hi all, this is my first post here.
I'm from italy so my english is what is it... 
I've got an edge with this mod:

http://s8.postimage.org/f2whmzjwj/plafo.jpg












There are 3 rows of 5050 led stripes
The yellow ones are warm white, the white ones cool white.

I've got hemianthus callitrichoides that was in great health in the first times, but now i've got some problems.
Now old leaves get yellow, and sufferent, and the pearling stopped!
Some filamentous algae are growin on my calli.









I use the seachem base protocol. 
I have co2 with 25 drops / min
I fear i've got too much light... or bar colour.

What do you think i can do to have a good hemianthus grow?
Thanks!


----------



## rgr555

FlyingHellFish said:


> They are warrior plants indeed, I did see a moderate growth rate with excel but I like them better when they slowly grow. My 6 gallon barely has room for more growth
> 
> Anyways, does anyone have the exact dimensions for the 12 gallon? I mean, the base and the stand, not the tank. I don't have a measuring tape.


I do have some weird algae problems with my anubias. Some have had black algae on top, others some green algae dots, and some have holes and are yellowish. I tried 6 hours of light a day and still some problems. Any idea what's going on? I do regular doses of flourish excel. Do they need more supplement?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ That weird, Anubias Nana should do fine without strong lights or heavy ferts. 

Mine were always dark green but had a huge algae problem, yours should be fine with the MR11. I still have stock lighting on my 6'. 

Seachem has a list on their site detailing aquatic plant problems, yellowish colour could be a lack of iron, or even Mg. Don't get the Seachem Trace, it's basically Flourish except in lower numbers. There should be enough minerals in your tap water to give you a solid GH. 


I'm fighting the same problem in my 12 gallon, I added some extra Seachem Iron and the new stems are showing a darker green. Except I have fast growing plants, my Water Sprite and Hygrophila Corymbosa were in need of Flourish. 

You should grab Flourish, it will last you a really long time with a 6 gallon. I added Seachem Iron and the new stems have a nice dark green. You will see the improvements on the new leafs so give it time.

But, this is all advice for fast growing plants, the Nana should be doing well without the excel or strong light. It a beast of a plant. Maybe you have it directly under the light, those MR 11 don't really spread out evenly. My amano shrimps ate all the algae and mine a bit out of the light.


----------



## raven_wilde

rgr555 said:


> I do have some weird algae problems with my anubias. Some have had black algae on top, others some green algae dots, and some have holes and are yellowish. I tried 6 hours of light a day and still some problems. Any idea what's going on? I do regular doses of flourish excel. Do they need more supplement?


If you search around on the forum you can find a lot of threads about plant deficiencies... this is probably the cause of the holes and the yellowing of the leaves. I know that I have holes in the older leaves of my anubias and I've started dosing potassium more regularly after the advice I found here... its seems to have helped, or rather, there are no more new holes.

As for the algae... generally I would recommend frequent water changes to remove excess nutrients from the water column followed by a double dose of excel (if you don't have shrimp that are sensitive to excel) to help the plant uptake whatever nutrients are left in a more efficient manner. You may want to cut your light period back to. Basically, you want to starve the algae out so it has nothing left to feed on.

But do check the other threads on this forum before you make any changes. There is a WEALTH of info about algae and plant deficiencies on here


----------



## raven_wilde

joyz said:


> Hi all, this is my first post here.
> I'm from italy so my english is what is it...
> I've got an edge with this mod:
> 
> There are 3 rows of 5050 led stripes
> The yellow ones are warm white, the white ones cool white.
> 
> I've got hemianthus callitrichoides that was in great health in the first times, but now i've got some problems.
> Now old leaves get yellow, and sufferent, and the pearling stopped!
> Some filamentous algae are growin on my calli.
> 
> I use the seachem base protocol.
> I have co2 with 25 drops / min
> I fear i've got too much light... or bar colour.
> 
> What do you think i can do to have a good hemianthus grow?
> Thanks!


Buon Giorno!

Nice lighting mod!

It would be my guess that your HC is experiencing some sort of deficiency. I would suggest that you start a new thread under the 'Plants' or 'Fertilizers' section of the forum and give all your details there... title your post something like: _Growth problems with Hemmianthus Callitrichoides_... or _Hemmianthus Callitrichoides has stopped growing - Help Please!_

There are a lot of people on this forum with experience growing HC and if you start a new post about it that will get their attention. 

Again, nice tank! and good luck!


----------



## Mark Oliver

Here's my edge which is 3 weeks old. This is my first tank since I was a teenager 20 years ago. Right now things look too fresh but in a couple months the java moss will grow in plus I also plan on carpeting the bottom with something nice and green.

5 Bloodtail Tetra
3 Amber tetra
5 Cherry Shrimp
5 Zebra Shrimp

Heater & Fluval CO2 injector, LED Lighting kit from 12G fluval Edge.

So far everything and everyone seems happy. I'm gonna see if the fluval filter included works over the next few months if not I'll upgrade to an Ehime Canister one.


----------



## Blackheart

So, I got my fluval shrimp stratum the other day and the mail, rinsed it off, and put it in my edge. there's no plants as I'm not sure how i wanna go. should I fill it up with water to let it cycle? or wait til I get the plants, plant them, and then fill with water?


----------



## wastedtime

Blackheart said:


> So, I got my fluval shrimp stratum the other day and the mail, rinsed it off, and put it in my edge. there's no plants as I'm not sure how i wanna go. should I fill it up with water to let it cycle? or wait til I get the plants, plant them, and then fill with water?



You can do either... but planting with a tank full of water is difficult, unless you want to drain it after you plants arrive, put the plants in and then fill it back up.


----------



## raven_wilde

Blackheart said:


> So, I got my fluval shrimp stratum the other day and the mail, rinsed it off, and put it in my edge. there's no plants as I'm not sure how i wanna go. should I fill it up with water to let it cycle? or wait til I get the plants, plant them, and then fill with water?


Unless you plan on attempting a dry start you might as well fill it and let it start cycling. When you get your plants just drain it down to the substrate (or about an inch above- just make sure the stratum stays wet so any bacterial colonies that have started are not harmed) and then do your planting.


----------



## Dollphoto

*Algae*

With regards to cleaning, how difficult is it to clean this tank? It seems like the small slot on the top would make it difficult to clean, especially the inside of the 
top...


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Dollphoto said:


> With regards to cleaning, how difficult is it to clean this tank? It seems like the small slot on the top would make it difficult to clean, especially the inside of the
> top...


Oh you think the 6 gallon is hard to clean? Wait till you try the 12 gallon, same opening with twice the length.


----------



## Azrie

600rr said:


> Sure. I apologize I have no pics of the build process. I had intended to take pics but completely forgot lol. Luckily, it's rather simple.
> 
> I purchased the LED setup from http://www.superbrightleds.com
> 19.5" flexible LED strip, part# NFLS-CW30X3. Make sure they're the 3 chip high power 5050 SMDs. They can be cut into 3 LED sections which you can then solder or purchase connectors to re-connect them. They are rated at 561 lumens FWIW, and I've basically doubled the output of the 2 MR16 bulbs.
> 
> 24watt power supply, part# CPS-12VDC-24W (can power up to 3 strips, I bought 2 but 1 is plenty with the 2 MR16 bulbs)
> And they have various different plugs and adapters you can select to connect the LED strip to the power supply. I purchased the NFLS series CPS Adapter Cable which ended up requiring me to cut and solder.
> 
> Total around $40 shipped, not too bad.
> 
> I then purchased an aluminum L channel at Home Depot ($5 or so). I measured around the hood and the channel and made 2 90 degree cuts on one plane of the channel with a dremel (if you are anal, make sure you measure the right end of the hood. One end of the hood is 1-2mm wider than the other end for some reason, I learned the hard way lol). Then take a couple pairs of pliers and bend at the cuts to create the 90 degree bends. Glued the seam to keep it from bowing out (should probably have used jb weld or something better), lightly sanded, then spray painted.
> 
> The LED strips have double sided tape already applied. I just cut to appropriate lengths, taped them to the fixture, and soldered the ends of the LED strip. The fixture also acts as a heatsink for the LED strip so it's dual purpose.
> 
> And here is your finished product...


I was looking at doing something similar to this but I'm unsure about which color LEDs I should get. The cool white are 7500K while the warm white are 5600K. Would the natural white still work well for plant growth? I'm worried that if I get the cool white my edge will look too clinical and stark. Here's the link to the LEDs just in case: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/specs/FLSX3.htm.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> Oh you think the 6 gallon is hard to clean? Wait till you try the 12 gallon, same opening with twice the length.


Got that right. But I have the Fluval siphon, just long enough.

I mainly try to be spare with my feeding (difficult), and let the critters do the cleaning - nerites, cories, otos, shrimp...

There are plenty of plants in there, too.

I finally started water testing (ran without it in the beginning), and all the critical levels are 0. Have to think about my high pH, however - 8.2 - 8.6. I am thinking of moving from naturally generated CO2 to a bottle to dose it more and perhaps offset this in a controllable fashion. My school of Rasporas suddenly was decimated from 6 to 2 (only one body was found, the rest probably cleaned up by critters in hours), after everything had gone well for a long time. I am suspecting the pH, since there was no odd behaviors or symptoms.

The jungle makes it hard to spot critters hiding.


----------



## Mark Oliver

I had a PH of 7.6 and then I started adding CO2 for 14 hours a day at only 1 bubble every 7 seconds. Within a week my PH dropped to 6.2 which I didn't want.

For the last 3 days I am only leaving the CO2 on for 6 hours a day and so far the PH has already gone up to 6.6.

So just a word of warning with these small tanks.


----------



## 1anz1

*Re: home depot socket*



Suncat said:


> I have a similar question about the socket for a mini Coralife fluorescent bulb. Has anyone found a light socket that will fit the small space of the Edge top and still be safe to use near water? I've seen the ones at Home Depot, but I'm not sure I would want them go get damp.:eek5:


You need to look for the rubber(sealed) sockets they are the only ones i will use in hood DIY's there are no exposed screws work nice....here is a pic of my mod with one of these
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lounge-introductions/159532-new-edge-guy.html:)


----------



## moonwasaloon

I just got the edge, instead of reading through this thread. Can someone point out which lights I should get?

Jason


----------



## raven_wilde

moonwasaloon said:


> I just got the edge, instead of reading through this thread. Can someone point out which lights I should get?
> 
> Jason


:icon_roll:icon_roll:icon_roll:icon_roll:icon_roll:icon_roll:icon_roll


----------



## FlyingHellFish

moonwasaloon said:


> I just got the edge, instead of reading through this thread. Can someone point out which lights I should get?
> 
> Jason


If you got the older model:

You got two basic options, buy the Fluval MR11 LED (quite expensive) or buy MR16 LED or MR11 LED. You also have to make sure they are water proof. Some people just buy the ones with the splash guard other use nail polish. You're better off with a splash guard. 

The problem with MR16 on the kit is the sockets, again, people just mod their hood to make them fit. Also, you need to make sure the voltage is rated for the Edge, some MR16 or MR11 are higher rated. 

If you got the new model:

You will be fine with the stock light if you buy low requirement plants. I got the 12 gallon one and the stock lighting is not very good due to the depth of the tank.


----------



## moonwasaloon

So I can get these and just cover it with clear finger nail polish?


http://www.amazon.com/Brightest-LED...AIIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320343777&sr=8-1


----------



## FlyingHellFish

moonwasaloon said:


> So I can get these and just cover it with clear finger nail polish?
> 
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Brightest-LED...AIIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320343777&sr=8-1


Wow, the price on those dropped big time. These were will work but I would not go that route with nail polish. Spend a bit more to get one with a splash guard. 

But honestly, it all depends on the plants you get. You won't need super bright lights because you will have to get some Co2 going at the same time. 

One of the main problems with the Edge is the light spread, some MR11 and MR16 have horrible spread and you end up with an algae farm in the middle while your plants die at the side corners. Avoid MR11-16 that are label as "spotlight", try to find ones that are evenly spread.

Another option is to just add a desktop lamp with a Daytime 6500k, that what I did. I actually like the warm halogen that are in the small Edge. I have seen some mods where people ram in light sockets, but those are the brave ones who turn their Edge into a saltwater tank. 

If you do get really strong lights, keep in mind that you will need to add ferts and a Co2 system. With such a small tank, you will also need to monitor your PH and Oxygen level which takes a lot of effort.


----------



## moonwasaloon

I can't find one with a splash guard. Can you point out where I can one please? 

I have a ten gallon tank already set up with a paintball Co2 setup. I plan on moving the paintball to the Edge.


----------



## haralds

mike_freegan said:


> Hey guys. Replaced my halogens with MR16 SMD LEDs about 6 months ago. Lately they've started flickering when turning on, and they won't remain lit unless I jiggle them. Then they seem to be fine.
> 
> Is my lighting unit failing?


I also run MR16 SMDs on my Fluval 12G - I swapped with the original hood from my 1st generation 6 gallon, since the stock 12G LED is too weak for my taste. I actually changed the sockets from stock to MR16. The output is nice for the 12G tank.

I did run into some flickering elements after they had touched the water. I disconnected the bulb, let it cool, and flushed with rubbing alcohol. Some of the oxidation products had created a high impedance short. I also gently rubbed away the surface oxidation with a q-tip. I made sure, everything had evaporated before reconnecting. It seems to have fixed the problem.


----------



## haralds

*CO2 Diffuser Location - Fluval Edge 12G*

I ran into some unexpected losses (5 out of 6 Rasporas) after everything had been thriving for weeks. I think, it is tied to pH changes. My well water is quite high >8.5, but with CO2 it is usually around 7.4-7.6.

I had been generating CO2, and injecting the product into the filter. I suspect, since this is not well controlled and more difficult to monitor, I had run out faster than I thought, and it shot up the pH.

I just switched to CO2 injection. Currently I use 20oz paintball cans with an adapter hooked to a regulator with needle valve and solenoid. I plan on switching it with the tank lights. Bubble counter and current diffuser are Fluval. This should make dosing more controlled.

What is the best location for the diffuser? Currently I ended up to the right of the siphon, so the bubbles still hit the opening, but are not directly in the filter output stream. But I still get some bubbles blown around from the top.

I cannot think of a more optimum location, but is there a better reactor? I don't mind the little stream of bubbles in the back - the are partly obscured by the moss I have wrapped around the siphon to camouflage it and the heater wire and air tube running behind it. But I am not fond of bubbles blown to the front of the tank.

I guess an alternate approach would be to design a filter edge deflector to remove the vertical component of the filter output - but that also reduces circulation.

BTW, I added to extensions to the siphon, it is really silly, how Fluval uses the same, short siphon for 6 and 12G tanks.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@ haralds

What did you buy to add on the siphon? I'm using it for both 12 and 6 and yes it is quite short for the 12. 

Also, I'm thinking of a paint ball set up too. Did you buy a normal Co2 regulator and just add a paintball adaptor? How long does your 20 oz last for you, 12 or 6. I want to see if it more cost effective to just buy a 5 lb can or a 20 oz bottle. Space is limited so I'm leading toward the bottle.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> @ haralds
> 
> What did you buy to add on the siphon? I'm using it for both 12 and 6 and yes it is quite short for the 12.
> 
> Also, I'm thinking of a paint ball set up too. Did you buy a normal Co2 regulator and just add a paintball adaptor? How long does your 20 oz last for you, 12 or 6. I want to see if it more cost effective to just buy a 5 lb can or a 20 oz bottle. Space is limited so I'm leading toward the bottle.


 I just got two Hagen extensions, and cut off the screen cones. Made it ridiculously expensive for a little plastic pipe, but so it goes.

I bought a regular CO2 regulator/solenoid/needle valve with an adapter for 20 oz paintball tanks from Amazon.com. I already had the bubble counter and quartz diffuser from Fluval. I also added a CO2 indicator. I have two paintball tanks, and can just swap them when one runs dry. The tank is in my home office, the bottles are small enough to hide behind the waste paper basket.

It really popped my pH right back into the 7.2 range. Interestingly, everything is more active. Even the three Otos normally hiding are poking their heads out. And I am looking forward to more jungle growth...

I moved the older setup to my Fluval 6 gallon tank today, also adding a bubble counter. The sugar/yeast/baking soda reactor does not generate enough pressure for a diffuser, so I just inject it into the filter impeller.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> If you got the older model:
> 
> You got two basic options, buy the Fluval MR11 LED (quite expensive) or buy MR16 LED or MR11 LED. You also have to make sure they are water proof. Some people just buy the ones with the splash guard other use nail polish. You're better off with a splash guard.


If you got the older model, you are in luck! Even the G12 light bar on a 6G Edge is less than the MR11 mod!


----------



## haralds

*CO2 Injection 12G versus 6G*

At least for my water, it looks like 1bps is plenty. The CO2 indicator goes to green, and anything more has the critters "climbing the wall." This is switching it with the lights. Mine are on quite long - about 15 hours. But I do not have any algae issues. Lights are MR16 SMD resulting in about 480 lumens, but I am looking at CREs (expensive at $30 per). I also have to watch the pH. It starts high (8.6), but at this level it ends up at 7.0! I have low gH, but very high kH.

It took a couple of days for the levels to stabilize.

I am leaving the 6G on the generator. It varies around 1/10bps - slower at night, when it gets colder. But I would imagine, the tank will get saturated pretty quickly.


----------



## Mark Oliver

I'm seriously considering using an external canister filter on my edge.
http://www.eheim.com/products/detail/Easy-ecco

The only thing I am worried about is if the in/out hoses will fit out the little slot in the bottom back of the tank.

Anyone have the same thickness hose they can test out? The hole looks big enough but there is a curve so it isn't as big as it seems.

thanks.

P.S. I found out from Hagen that the Fuval C2 will not fit in the edge.


----------



## moonwasaloon

I got my my LEDs today. Now do i coat the whole tops of the bulb or only the corners?


----------



## moonwasaloon

Would these work:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10192107/


----------



## WingoAgency

This is the Edge Savior I designed, bit expensive but solved 90% of the lighting issue with the stock look/Edge tank deficiency issues.

I have made a planted tank version with 12,000K 8,000K and 6,7000K combo since then.


Power is 12W to 18W to get enough head room to adjust the color temperature to the users' likings. More details can be found by searching, let's say, eBay. A bit lazy to type all the specs.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

moonwasaloon said:


> Would these work:
> 
> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10192107/


I don't think those 2700k 7watts are good for the Edge, not to mention with 44 bucks you can get a MR16 set up going. Keep in mind, once you jam those MR16 into the sockets, you can't go back to MR11. Try a search on google for the mod, it's not a walk in the park so there a few bit of reading.

@ haralds I'm going to try to get the same set up going with a 20z paintball. What kind of regulator do you have and was there any problems? I'm not sure if I should grab a full regulator or just a paint ball one without a gauge. Got a pic?


----------



## ncharlie

moonwasaloon said:


> Would these work:
> 
> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10192107/



The thing I do not like with Ikea lights is all the wires and weird shaped adapters.

Home Depot has similar lights (basically identical) but with cleaner wiring.

Look at those.

They are halogen.

Ikea does have cheap LED strips though.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> I'm going to try to get the same set up going with a 20z paintball. What kind of regulator do you have and was there any problems? I'm not sure if I should grab a full regulator or just a paint ball one without a gauge. Got a pic?


It's an AQUATEK CO2 Regulator with COOL TOUCH SOLENOID - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041YLM7G/ref=oh_o02_s00_i01_details
- plus their CO2 Paintball Tank CGA 320 Adapter - http://www.amazon.com/AQUATEK-CO2-Paintball-Tank-Adapter/dp/B004M49QDC/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_b
You can also get the Paintball tank from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Energy-20oz-Tank-graphic/dp/B0008G2WAW/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_b
Being impatient, I got one from the local paintball store and had it pre filled. I ordered a second one, and plan to have a spare on hand. I plugged the solenoid into my timer to be the same as the light, and CO2 levels are fairly constant with this through day and night. I also have a check valve where the CO2 hose passes down in the Fluval housing next to the filter.

I am using the Fluval nano diffuser and bubble counter, and used the Aquatek one on my 6G with the CO2 generator. I also added a CO2 indicator, which I think is essential on a small 12G tank. It really takes only about a bubble a second to get the level correct and prevent the fish from gasping. The bubble stream is fairly low, but still gets blown a bit by the filter. I have a glass diffuser on order, but given the low flow, I am not sure it is not overkill.

So far, I like the setup.
A couple of caveats: it's single stage, the secondary pressure is fixed, and the needle valve is actually working over a small range for this tank. After some fiddling it has settled down for the last few days. I had it on too high initially, and I think I lost a couple of rasporas due to the stress (they just "disappeared", there is some dense foliage, and there are clean up critters lurking).

It takes a couple of days for levels to stabilize. Another reason to go slow is that there is a significant impact on pH. Mine dropped from about 8.6 to 7.2 - 7.4 - I have softened well water with high kH.

It's a bit more work than the sugar and yeast route, but it's a hobby - so it's fun!


----------



## 5150munky

Just found this thread, thought I would post my Edge! 

*Equipment:*

6g Fluval Edge
Aquaclear 20
Crystal, Cherry Screen Filter Guard
Led Bulbs upgrade, MR16x2
Mod stock Hood w/ MR11x5
20oz paintball CO2 tank w/ Fluval Regulator
Seiryu Stone (Random sizes)
ADA Amazonia Aquasoil (normal/powder)

*Flora:*

HC,
Limnophia,
Aromatica,
Blyxa,
Ludwigia Repens,
Downoi,
Rotala Butterfly,
Dwarf Hairgrass,
Rotala SP Green,
Eriocaulon Sp. 'Setaceum'


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@haralds 

Good stuff! I'm looking at the AquaticLife Co2 regulator because of it's compact size. 

Did you have to fine tune your regulator a lot? I need those clippard needle valves need constant adjustment.

My water is 7.6 and fairly hard, would it go dangerously low with 1 - 2 bps?


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> @haralds
> Good stuff! I'm looking at the AquaticLife Co2 regulator because of it's compact size.
> Did you have to fine tune your regulator a lot? I need those clippard needle valves need constant adjustment.
> My water is 7.6 and fairly hard, would it go dangerously low with 1 - 2 bps?


The regulator is preset. I am still adjusting the valve about once a day. We'll have to see, whether it settles.
I would bring the CO2 up slowly, and wait a couple of days testing to see the pH reaction to CO2. It does depend on some other factors in your tank.

I think, I can see the difference of the higher dose of CO2 already within a couple of days. Some of the plants are going wild. Will have to do some trimming this weekend, so the lower regions are not too shaded.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Good to know, I was asking about the clippard needle valve (most retail regulators have these cheap needle), is the bps steady yet and how much would you say you had to adjust it?

People were recommending adding on a new needle valve (Fabco etc) to get it consistent. 

How long do you think a 20 oz on the 12 gallon at 1 - 2 bps will last?


----------



## haralds

*Cheap CRE MR16 - 440 Lumens?*

I ordered some cheap LED MR16 Spotlights - 12V 4W (440 Lumen - 50 Watt Equivalent) 7000K Cool 60 Degree Beam at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051SRKVI/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

I did this to compare to my current bulbs, since the output is rated almost twice as high! They do seem quite bright, but the beam is narrower than my MR16 SMDs. The pin attachment criticized by some customers does not seem an issue, and they do have a glass shield. It is really hard to tell, whether the differential between edge and center results in less actual illumination at the edge than they get from the lower output SMDs (240 lumens each). Our eyes tend to be relative. If it simply only looks that way, because the center is so much brighter, I will use them - the effect is kind of nice. But I will have to check this more thoroughly, not sure yet, how.

At $12.96 delivered for two the price is amazing. Actually, I noticed, they went up a buck. it will cost you 15 bucks now... i placed the order on Monday, got it Thursday - quite prompt.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> I was asking about the clippard needle valve (most retail regulators have these cheap needle), is the bps steady yet and how much would you say you had to adjust it?
> 
> People were recommending adding on a new needle valve (Fabco etc) to get it consistent.
> 
> How long do you think a 20 oz on the 12 gallon at 1 - 2 bps will last?


As I wrote, I am still adjusting daily, and there is still drift. We will have to see. I hope not to have to add a valve.

At 1bps, the 88g cylinder supposedly lasts 1 month. 20 oz is 567g, I would calculate the paint ball can to last a bit more than half a year at that rate. Since I turn it off 9 hours a day, it would actually last even longer (10.3 months). But at twice that rate it is half.

Net-net - I would guess 5-6 months, if kept at a moderate rate.


----------



## bereninga

5150munky said:


> Just found this thread, thought I would post my Edge!
> 
> *Equipment:*
> 
> 6g Fluval Edge
> Aquaclear 20
> Crystal, Cherry Screen Filter Guard
> Led Bulbs upgrade, MR16x2
> Mod stock Hood w/ MR11x5
> 20oz paintball CO2 tank w/ Fluval Regulator
> Seiryu Stone (Random sizes)
> ADA Amazonia Aquasoil (normal/powder)
> 
> *Flora:*
> 
> HC,
> Limnophia,
> Aromatica,
> Blyxa,
> Ludwigia Repens,
> Downoi,
> Rotala Butterfly,
> Dwarf Hairgrass,
> Rotala SP Green,
> Eriocaulon Sp. 'Setaceum'
> 
> View attachment 40170


Damn, that is a pretty awesome tank!


----------



## CGY_Betta_Guy

I agree... it looks quite spacious in there.


----------



## TeaQue

600rr said:


> It does doesn't it? :icon_smil
> 
> 
> 
> Sure. I apologize I have no pics of the build process. I had intended to take pics but completely forgot lol. Luckily, it's rather simple.
> 
> I purchased the LED setup from http://www.superbrightleds.com
> 19.5" flexible LED strip, part# NFLS-CW30X3. Make sure they're the 3 chip high power 5050 SMDs. They can be cut into 3 LED sections which you can then solder or purchase connectors to re-connect them. They are rated at 561 lumens FWIW, and I've basically doubled the output of the 2 MR16 bulbs.
> 
> 24watt power supply, part# CPS-12VDC-24W (can power up to 3 strips, I bought 2 but 1 is plenty with the 2 MR16 bulbs)
> And they have various different plugs and adapters you can select to connect the LED strip to the power supply. I purchased the NFLS series CPS Adapter Cable which ended up requiring me to cut and solder.
> 
> Total around $40 shipped, not too bad.
> 
> I then purchased an aluminum L channel at Home Depot ($5 or so). I measured around the hood and the channel and made 2 90 degree cuts on one plane of the channel with a dremel (if you are anal, make sure you measure the right end of the hood. One end of the hood is 1-2mm wider than the other end for some reason, I learned the hard way lol). Then take a couple pairs of pliers and bend at the cuts to create the 90 degree bends. Glued the seam to keep it from bowing out (should probably have used jb weld or something better), lightly sanded, then spray painted.
> 
> The LED strips have double sided tape already applied. I just cut to appropriate lengths, taped them to the fixture, and soldered the ends of the LED strip. The fixture also acts as a heatsink for the LED strip so it's dual purpose.
> 
> And here is your finished product...


Dude that is sick! I'm planning on doing this at some point this winter. roud:


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> I ordered some cheap LED MR16 Spotlights - 12V 4W (440 Lumen - 50 Watt Equivalent) 7000K Cool 60 Degree Beam at Amazon:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051SRKVI/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details


Here is an image of the lights installed. You can also see the rather focused beams...


----------



## moonwasaloon

Has anyone been able to breed CRS in the edge?


----------



## TeaQue

What drop checker are you all using?


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> Here is an image of the lights installed. You can also see the rather focused beams...


For now, I switched back to the SMD bulbs. Illumination is wider, and they run cooler!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

haralds said:


> For now, I switched back to the SMD bulbs. Illumination is wider, and they run cooler!


Yeah, those spot light didn't look so good on the taller Edge. How easy was the mod for the MR16? Did you just add the MR16 sockets and rewire the cables? 

Any risk of over heating? I'm guessing the MR16 LED use much less than the stock MR11 Halogen so there no worry of heat. 

I do remember a forum member here using a dimmable MR16 that blew his board.


----------



## colinlp

FlyingHellFish said:


> Yeah, those spot light didn't look so good on the taller Edge. How easy was the mod for the MR16? Did you just add the MR16 sockets and rewire the cables?
> 
> Any risk of over heating? I'm guessing the MR16 LED use much less than the stock MR11 Halogen so there no worry of heat.
> 
> I do remember a forum member here using a dimmable MR16 that blew his board.


If you can change to MR16 fittings it's a lot better than trying to force them into the ones for the MR11s, it pays to fit a proper LED driver too instead of the basic 12V that supply's the halogens, the LEDs will last a lot lot longer


----------



## BrettAA

Hi All! I just got here, and the sight of an Edge in the store has led me tumbling into the hobby. I've dabbled before, but now I'm doing it right 

I have a brand new Edge with the stock LED lighting. As a total noob, I'm not sure if it's enought for a planted tank. I'd like to upgrade, but most of the upgrades I've seen in this thread don't work for mine. My swing arm is a little different, so the Walmart bulb upgrade listed early in the thread won't fit. Any suggestions? Is my stock lighting sufficient?

I have EcoComplete substrate (about 75%), and a Fluvel CO2 setup in the mail. The filter is the HOB that comes stock. 

I'll try to get some pictures up soon. 

Flora:
1 Java Fern, back right corner
2 corkscrew vals, scattered in front of the fern near the filter intake
4 Anubias Caffefloras in the front right corner, various sizes 
Some dwarf hair grass in the back (a foolish purchase I'm not expecting much out of)
2 java moss rocks I just put in

Thanks so much! This thread has been rocking my world!

Flora


----------



## BrettAA

Oh, the Fauna. Forgot that. 

1 male betta
3 Ceylon dwarf barbs
2 African dwarf frogs

The frogs and betta are having no trouble finding the air hole. The frogs are the best!


----------



## moonwasaloon

I did the m11 upgrade.

Will this been enough for xmas moss? Java ferns and Anubias?










I am going to put xmas moss on the two parts of the driftwood going across the tank.

I have this: 
http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-Bamboo-Baskets-Aquarium-Ornament/dp/B002LL37VU

Instead of using bambo, I will fill with java ferns and Anubias.


----------



## haralds

colinlp said:


> If you can change to MR16 fittings it's a lot better than trying to force them into the ones for the MR11s, it pays to fit a proper LED driver too instead of the basic 12V that supply's the halogens, the LEDs will last a lot lot longer


Changing the fittings is easy and cheap. I have had not trouble with the stock supply running a variety of MR11 SMDs, and later MR16.


----------



## akpoly

That's a nice tank! Especially with HC!



5150munky said:


> Just found this thread, thought I would post my Edge!
> 
> *Equipment:*
> 
> 6g Fluval Edge
> Aquaclear 20
> Crystal, Cherry Screen Filter Guard
> Led Bulbs upgrade, MR16x2
> Mod stock Hood w/ MR11x5
> 20oz paintball CO2 tank w/ Fluval Regulator
> Seiryu Stone (Random sizes)
> ADA Amazonia Aquasoil (normal/powder)
> 
> *Flora:*
> 
> HC,
> Limnophia,
> Aromatica,
> Blyxa,
> Ludwigia Repens,
> Downoi,
> Rotala Butterfly,
> Dwarf Hairgrass,
> Rotala SP Green,
> Eriocaulon Sp. 'Setaceum'
> 
> View attachment 40170


----------



## FlyingHellFish

haralds said:


> Changing the fittings is easy and cheap. I have had not trouble with the stock supply running a variety of MR11 SMDs, and later MR16.


What could happen if there no LED drivers for the MR16? I might do the socket rewire but this LED driver business seem way more complicated. 

I have ask my LFS to order the 12 gallon light bar as a replacement part, I'll let you guys know if Hagen says yes. Hopefully the part won't be too expensive. I'm sure the 12 gallon LEDs on a 6 gallon Edge will be enough for some medium light plants.


----------



## raven_wilde

moonwasaloon said:


> Has anyone been able to breed CRS in the edge?


I don't see why you would not be able to breed CRS. Just set the water params to meet their needs and you should be good to go.

IMO shrimp are the best inhabitants for the Edge anyway


----------



## akpoly

raven_wilde said:


> I don't see why you would not be able to breed CRS. Just set the water params to meet their needs and you should be good to go.
> 
> IMO shrimp are the best inhabitants for the Edge anyway


It's such a pain to catch shrimp in this tank :angryfire Or I must be doing something wrong.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> What could happen if there no LED drivers for the MR16? I might do the socket rewire but this LED driver business seem way more complicated.


The MR11 and MR16 lamps are designed to replace stock quartz lamps of the same voltage. However, they draw significantly less current, and the power supply needs to be a of a decent design to supply a stable voltage under those conditions. The Fluval supply on the generation 1 Edge appears to work fine - no flickering, variation, or other problems.
I would stick with the current light bar, the Fluval LED bars are not that bright, and getting the LED bulbs is a cheaper solution.
Folks have been successful using MR16 in the MR11 socket. Supposedly, the only difference is pin diameter, so you can force the thicker pins of the MR16 into the sockets. If it does not work that well, you can always upgrade to MR16 sockets.
In either case, I find adding two small small strips of duct tape to either side of the shaft of the bulb and forcing it into the surrounding space of the socket with a chop stick after the bulb is plugged in is additional insurance that the bulbs will not flop into the water. This is an issue with the halogen bulbs as well.
You need to be careful in lowering the light bar, and not letting it drop.


----------



## Blackstar65

all you folks with planted tanks:

What are you dosing?
How much are you dosing?
How often are you dosing?


----------



## bradlgt21

I can't breed cherry shrimp either. Don't seem to breed any shrimp. I had a eclipse 3 gallon that bred like crazy but the edge they won't breed. I think the problem was they were frying in the summer under the stock halogens. Those things get crazy hot and with no surface area it stays hot. I went with LED's and they temp is better no more dead shrimp but no more pregnant shrimp either. I can't figure it out.


----------



## haralds

*Pin spacing: MR11 (4.0mm) - MR16 (5.3mm)*



colinlp said:


> If you can change to MR16 fittings it's a lot better than trying to force them into the ones for the MR11s, it pays to fit a proper LED driver too instead of the basic 12V that supply's the halogens, the LEDs will last a lot lot longer


I finally decided to look up the pin spacings, and the spec is different between MR11 (4.0mm) and MR16 (5.3mm).

Again, some folks have had no trouble forcing the pins anyway, but I am am glad I decided to change the sockets.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Any advice on changing the socket? I can buy them pretty cheap, it's just the fact that the wires need to be cut. What about the polarities? Does it matter which wire connects to where.

How would you seal the cut? Just electric tape and some epoxy? By the way, would love a picture of your Co2 set up.

@ moon 

Moss is easy to grow, it's undemanding and grows slow. Those MR11 you got looks like spot light, not sure if you will get optimal coverage for corner plants.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ Any advice on changing the socket? I can buy them pretty cheap, it's just the fact that the wires need to be cut. What about the polarities? Does it matter which wire connects to where.
> 
> How would you seal the cut? Just electric tape and some epoxy? By the way, would love a picture of your Co2 set up.


Polarity does not matter. I used a crimping tool, but you could also solder and use heat shrink tubing, or wrap with electrical tape. There are other posts, which talk about disassembly (screws inset into the bottom of the bridge). You will void your warranty...


----------



## moonwasaloon

I went to my LFS, and they had the Fluval M11 LEDs for 19.99...If i would of know, I would of bough them.


----------



## BrettAA

*Hello?*



BrettAA said:


> Hi All! I just got here, and the sight of an Edge in the store has led me tumbling into the hobby. I've dabbled before, but now I'm doing it right
> 
> I have a brand new Edge with the stock LED lighting. As a total noob, I'm not sure if it's enought for a planted tank. I'd like to upgrade, but most of the upgrades I've seen in this thread don't work for mine. My swing arm is a little different, so the Walmart bulb upgrade listed early in the thread won't fit. Any suggestions? Is my stock lighting sufficient?
> 
> I have EcoComplete substrate (about 75%), and a Fluvel CO2 setup in the mail. The filter is the HOB that comes stock.
> 
> I'll try to get some pictures up soon.
> 
> Flora:
> 1 Java Fern, back right corner
> 2 corkscrew vals, scattered in front of the fern near the filter intake
> 4 Anubias Caffefloras in the front right corner, various sizes
> Some dwarf hair grass in the back (a foolish purchase I'm not expecting much out of)
> 2 java moss rocks I just put in
> 
> Thanks so much! This thread has been rocking my world!


I posted this earlier, and haven't gotten a response yet.  I tried to upload an image or two, but I'm having troubles. In the meantime, can anyone answer my question about the stock LEDs on the new Edge?

Thanks!


----------



## monkeyfish

Seems like most will say it's not enough for all but low light plants. I set mine up a couple months ago with dwarf sag, anubias petite, E. Vesuvius, and moss. They seem fine, very slow growth which is exactly what i wanted.


----------



## monkeyfish

Has anyone tried rewiring the led fixture to have the moonlights on a separate cord? I can't stand manually switching them.


----------



## BrettAA

I almost wish I had the old Edge, because I'm finding little to no information on what to do with mine. Lots of good ideas here, but I have no clue if my lights are enough. I'm thinking of setting up a basic T5 light directly over the glass. I know the glass will filter out some of the lighty goodness, but I don't know how much.

Also, Amazon.com says that the new stock lighting is a 42-LED bar with, "Powerful bright white 7600K high luminosity LED's." Does that help?

Thanks for your help, this is my new favorite hobby but I'm not very knowledgeable yet.


----------



## O_Danny_Boy

BrettAA said:


> I almost wish I had the old Edge, because I'm finding little to no information on what to do with mine. Lots of good ideas here, but I have no clue if my lights are enough. I'm thinking of setting up a basic T5 light directly over the glass. I know the glass will filter out some of the lighty goodness, but I don't know how much.
> 
> Also, Amazon.com says that the new stock lighting is a 42-LED bar with, "Powerful bright white 7600K high luminosity LED's." Does that help?
> 
> Thanks for your help, this is my new favorite hobby but I'm not very knowledgeable yet.


I am by no means an expert but I am seeing good growth in my LED version of the EDGE.. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...m/159799-o_danny_boys-led-6g-edge-1-17-a.html


----------



## BrettAA

Thanks, Danny Boy. My corkscrew Val has been melting away, but that was before I upgraded the substrate. It seems to have slowed down, so I'll give it a couple of weeks. I hope the LEDs price enough. I'm not too skilled at DIY stuff. 

Also, good looking Edge!


----------



## colinlp

haralds said:


> Changing the fittings is easy and cheap. I have had not trouble with the stock supply running a variety of MR11 SMDs, and later MR16.


I've went through a couple of sets of MR16s using the standard power supply. I learnt from guys building DIY marine LED fittings that a proper driver suppies a constant current rather than a constant voltage which is what LEDs require. Since changing the MR16s have lasted the best part of a year and still going strong, they're dirt cheap and super easy to fit.


----------



## cuprajake

*newb with an edge*

hey guy's

first post here, so hello roud:

not had a tank for over a year now, the itch was coming back, sadly we have no room in our two bed for a larger tank, so i decided on a nano, the edge seems to fit the bill perfect.

will post pics up soon

jake


----------



## haralds

colinlp said:


> I've went through a couple of sets of MR16s using the standard power supply. I learnt from guys building DIY marine LED fittings that a proper driver suppies a constant current rather than a constant voltage which is what LEDs require. Since changing the MR16s have lasted the best part of a year and still going strong, they're dirt cheap and super easy to fit.


My MR16 SMD/High Output have been ok for 5 months with the stock supply. I did have one bulb failure within 3 days, which was replaced by the vendor. But the reliability also depends on the bulb design.

I have no doubt, a current optimized supply is better, especially, if the LEDs are not designed to be halogen replacements -as for example LED strips.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Does anyone know the PAR rating for the 12 Gallon Edge? I'm talking about mid to background levels as I'm sure the bottom would rate as low light - under 1 wpg.

I took a chance and just added some Dwarf hair grass and surprisingly, they're doing pretty well with no Co2. 

I dose frets and excel, I'm guessing these LEDs are not as bad. Maybe it's too early to tell.


----------



## cuprajake

hey guy's

really struggling to find the answer, so though id ask here, lol

are the upgraded led bulbs in the edge good enough to grow hair grass and java moss, with or without co2?

thanks jake


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I'm trying dwarf hair grass with the 12 gallon version, it's not dying I can tell you that. 

It's not carpeting either, just growing straight up. Colour is great on the hairs too. Have you guys read the Tom Barr thread about low par rating (low light) with high Co2 and Fertilizers. Supposedly you can grow HC Cuba, Hair Grass, Glosso etc with medium light if you have a good supply of Co2. 

I dose excel, planning to do a Co2 paintball soon.


----------



## cuprajake

i think thats the only down fall of the tank design, while its sleek its limited in the way the light is provided, unless your planting directly in the centre


----------



## bereninga

The center seems to be pretty strong, esp if you have plants right under the light. However, the corners are the weakest areas. It would be helpful if there was a PAR diagram somewhere. :wink:


----------



## haralds

cuprajake said:


> ... are the upgraded led bulbs in the edge good enough to grow hair grass and java moss, with or without co2?


 As a relative newbie (I did a lot of salt tanks 25 years ago, and stopped when I realized that my weekends were spend maintaining), I got sucked into planted freshwater nano scapes because of the Fluval.
The moment I added CO2, plants did better. When I added dosed injection from a CO2 tank, they went wild. It's the way to go!
I am now backing off a little on the dose, because I lost a couple of small rasporas. I think, we have to be careful with these smaller tanks, and not go to the full indication of the CO2 indicator.
Given the growth rate, there is plenty of margin!
So, I think MR11 LED with CO2 injection might do very well!


----------



## Petrie

just thought I'd post my fluval, it's a saltwater tank and the only plant is calerpa but I like it none the less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHn88zT4woA


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Hahahah that music is funky as hell. Just imagine those critters dancing to that music when your not around.


----------



## BrettAA

I just got the Fluvel 20g CO2 kit. I'm not going to use the gigantic plastic diffuser, rather I got a cute little glass one. How much CO2 are y'all using in your tanks? I feel like I've read 2 bubbles a minute, but I'm sure if that's right.:help:


----------



## gus6464

How much Plant Stratum would I need to fill up a 6gal Edge with a slight slope? I was thinking one 8.8lb bag but I'm not sure if that's a lot considering the size of substrate.


----------



## Petrie

BrettAA said:


> I just got the Fluvel 20g CO2 kit. I'm not going to use the gigantic plastic diffuser, rather I got a cute little glass one. How much CO2 are y'all using in your tanks? I feel like I've read 2 bubbles a minute, but I'm sure if that's right.:help:


a drop checker is an absolute must, I've just put mine in and have realized that a steady flow at any rate is not sufficient, you need to know the level and adjust it daily to keep it at a good level.


----------



## haralds

BrettAA said:


> How much CO2 are y'all using in your tanks? I feel like I've read 2 bubbles a minute, but I'm sure if that's right.:help:


I have the Fluval 12G, and after some experimentation and some lost fish (by the time you find them gasping, they are stressed, and could disappear a couple of days later), I settled on 1 bps. Currently it is on for a about 11 hours - it is on a timer separate from the lights.

I am using a 20oz paintball tank, and AquaTek regulator/solenoid/needle valve, and a Spio III quartz diffuser. There is a separate check valve at the top of the tank inside the Fluval equipment bay, and a Fluval bubble counter outside the bay, where I can see it when tweaking the needle valve. The setting has been stable for about 4 days now.

The Red Sea CO2 gauge is slightly below the brightest green, e.g. towards the bluish green, but definitely green. There is a mild stream of bubbles that has a little accumulation under the glass toward the back corner of the opening (the tank is leveled just right). At this setting, they are not blown all over the tank, and do not results in foam all over the cover. The bubbles actually add to the look by being subtle! The CO2 pushes my water from a pH of about 8.2 to 6.8-7.2. I am playing around with balancing this with R/O water, but want to keep the tinkering down.

Plants are doing well. I dose Excel about every 3-4 days. I am using MR16 SMD LEDs with about 240 lumens each. I swapped the "old" light bridge from my 6G Fluval, which is barely doing ok with the LED lights, but I am playing with plant placement on the 6G to make it work. The 6G just has a "natural" CO2 reactor. Plenty of trimmings from the 12G to keep the 6G going. 

I am going to keep this running stable for a while, and let it all settle before making further changes.


----------



## dkbmxr18

Wow, I haven't been on here in ages. The tanks and ideas are looking AWESOME! I honestly got tired of the edge and put everything in a low tech 20g that's going strong. I might just take the edge out of storage, though.


----------



## BrettAA

Petrie said:


> a drop checker is an absolute must, I've just put mine in and have realized that a steady flow at any rate is not sufficient, you need to know the level and adjust it daily to keep it at a good level.


I've been reading about drop checkers. Let me see if I've got it straight. You put a solution of 4dkh in, add some of the pH checker stuff, and viola. 

Do LFS sell the 4dkh? And how many drops of pH checker? Sorry for the noob questions, but there is surprisingly little step-by-step co2 instructions out there.


----------



## rrrrramos

gus6464 said:


> How much Plant Stratum would I need to fill up a 6gal Edge with a slight slope? I was thinking one 8.8lb bag but I'm not sure if that's a lot considering the size of substrate.


That's what I plan on using. Should give you a solid 1.5/2". I'll check back in next week when I get mine!


----------



## gus6464

rrrrramos said:


> That's what I plan on using. Should give you a solid 1.5/2". I'll check back in next week when I get mine!


Awesome look forward to checking out your tank. I am going a different way with the lighting and I'm not going to be using the spotlights but instead I am making 2 tiny led light bars that will sit on top of the tank and spread high light all over the tank.


----------



## rrrrramos

gus6464 said:


> Awesome look forward to checking out your tank. I am going a different way with the lighting and I'm not going to be using the spotlights but instead I am making 2 tiny led light bars that will sit on top of the tank and spread high light all over the tank.


Cool I'll be getting the new LED one, gonna evaluate the lights once I get it set up. Just waiting on LFS to get the back or gray ones in, they only have the white ones right now and thats not what I want...


----------



## gus6464

Has anyone painted the plastic base of their Edge? I got in on the $27 clearance deal but all they had left was burn orange and I want to paint it black. I got a can of Krylon Fusion for plastics ready to go but I want to be sure it can be painted.


----------



## Deano37

Hi all i am new to fishkeeping and looking forward to getting tank think i am going to go for the edge as i love the disign, i have a question first the edge with 2 bulbs i can get for £70 on amazon then i could upgrade to the led bulbs or the new design edge with 21 LEDS is £100 with night light what do you think is best ? are the new edges with the leds descent enough ? also what heater fits behind the filter and is the filter sufficent enough? i want a planted tank and to flourish lol

thanks Dean


----------



## adriano

Can't really advise you about the lighting, but the filter it comes with is just a re-branded Aquaclear 20, which is more than enough for the 6 gallon Edge.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Don't get their heater, there a lot of problems with it. Just grab any heater, it does not have to be a Fluval one.

The most important item they have is the pre filter or that long vacuum tube; everything else is just overpriced. Actually come to think of it... it's all overpriced.


----------



## haralds

Deano37 said:


> Hi all i am new to fishkeeping and looking forward to getting tank think i am going to go for the edge as i love the disign, i have a question first the edge with 2 bulbs i can get for £70 on amazon then i could upgrade to the led bulbs or the new design edge with 21 LEDS is £100 with night light what do you think is best ? are the new edges with the leds descent enough ? also what heater fits behind the filter and is the filter sufficent enough? i want a planted tank and to flourish lol
> 
> thanks Dean


As you can see from other notes, I prefer the older lighting converted to LED SMD bulbs. The MR11 should be enough for the 6G. The filter is good enough, I second adding the prefilter. I rinse my pre filter at least once a week, and it keeps small critters from where they should not go.

Look at typical temperatures in your house to get the right size heater. I preferred having 50W over 25W for the 6G. I also had trouble with the Fluval heaters, and would stay away from them.

For planting, get some good substrate, but you may want to cover it with a layer of sand to reduce clouding. Look at the light pattern, and plant more towards the center. Start with plants requiring low light. Like many others, I swear by using Flourish Excel, especially, if you do not dose CO2.

Have fun, go slowly, and learn as you go. These are small tanks, so small changes can have big impacts.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ very good advice, I wanted to add on that the Edge is notorious for lack of light in the corner spaces. It's just the way the hood is design, you can try to get LED that are labelled as "wide spread" but it's really not that great. They should be listed as degrees, I think 60 is the highest. 

Set up your layout first and then slowly add the pieces, it is a nightmare to rescape the tank once it's full with water. It's almost impossible to move wood in the tank because of the small opening. 

Also, I found that those long plant stick work great for the 12 gallon if you ever wanted to smooth out gravel.


----------



## donnoj

Deano37 said:


> Hi all i am new to fishkeeping and looking forward to getting tank think i am going to go for the edge as i love the disign, i have a question first the edge with 2 bulbs i can get for £70 on amazon then i could upgrade to the led bulbs or the new design edge with 21 LEDS is £100 with night light what do you think is best ? are the new edges with the leds descent enough ? also what heater fits behind the filter and is the filter sufficent enough? i want a planted tank and to flourish lol
> 
> thanks Dean


Check out my experience with the LED model, so far. The lighting is decent but you may need additional depending on what you want to accomplish. the Fluval E heater 50 watt fits and is working well.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/161940-fluval-edge-6-gallon-led.html


----------



## Petrie

FlyingHellFish said:


> Don't get their heater, there a lot of problems with it. Just grab any heater, it does not have to be a Fluval one.
> 
> The most important item they have is the pre filter or that long vacuum tube; everything else is just overpriced. Actually come to think of it... it's all overpriced.


Petsmart has a generic version of the black fluval heater, I got one for a fraction of the price and put it in my edge with no problems for about 6mo. Within the past month I put one in my flora as well, no problems with that one yet either.

The intake sponge is a definate must

The magnetic scraper is meh


----------



## Petrie

gus6464 said:


> Has anyone painted the plastic base of their Edge? I got in on the $27 clearance deal but all they had left was burn orange and I want to paint it black. I got a can of Krylon Fusion for plastics ready to go but I want to be sure it can be painted.


you got an edge for $27?!?!?! =O

I guess if you found the right paint it wouldn't be a problem, I know people modify the tops and repaint them


----------



## cuprajake

as long as you prep the surface with grey scotchbrite you will be fine, 

jake


----------



## Deano37

lovely tank donnoj, anyone else have the new edge with 21 LEDs the 6 gallon one ? great advice people thanks a lot will still have many questions lol will buy some flurish excel when get tank is that the correct one for a planted tank ?


----------



## BassMiesterNJ

I have the 6G LED set up since xmas and it's going very smoothly.

Java Fern and Java Moss attached to a small piece of driftwood, some play sand and a few stones. Minimalist look.

Six White Cloud minnows (no heater) and a Pygmy Cory.

Benefit of the low light = no Algea for me.

I dos with Excel and a few other Flourish products.


----------



## cuprajake

app i have lost a fish, cold water minnow to the filter inlet pipe!!!! dam thought mine were big enough to not get stuck filter foam is required people !!!!


----------



## BrettAA

cuprajake said:


> app i have lost a fish, cold water minnow to the filter inlet pipe!!!! dam thought mine were big enough to not get stuck filter foam is required people !!!!


Me too! A wee little Ceylon Dwarf Barb. Thing is, I can't find it at all. Is the impeller in the filter strong enough to completely chop up a less than 1" fish? I expected to see some kind of body or evidence, but it's just gone. I don't think any of the other tank denizens could have eaten it that fast. My fauna is:

1 Betta
2 African Dwarf Frogs (not the Clawed frogs, these aren't predatory)
1 Oto
2 more Ceylon Dwarf Barbs

What do you think, all? Would the filter dice it up that finely? I'm quite confused. Also, should I do a water change?


----------



## donnoj

Deano37 said:


> lovely tank donnoj, anyone else have the new edge with 21 LEDs the 6 gallon one ? great advice people thanks a lot will still have many questions lol will buy some flurish excel when get tank is that the correct one for a planted tank ?


Thanks!

I've use Flourish Excel and Pfertz Micros & Nitrogen in my other, year old, tank. The plants don't seem to grow crazy fast but they are very green and healthy looking.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishExcel.html

http://www.pfertz.com/


----------



## Deano37

Yeah everyone used the flourish excel so i will be purchasing some of that once decide on small aquarium think its going to be the edge

thans Dean


----------



## moonwasaloon

Added some Xmas moss. Also Some Pearl Shrimp

(sorry about the reflection of my 10 Gallon


----------



## FlyingHellFish

BrettAA said:


> Me too! A wee little Ceylon Dwarf Barb. Thing is, I can't find it at all. Is the impeller in the filter strong enough to completely chop up a less than 1" fish? I expected to see some kind of body or evidence, but it's just gone. I don't think any of the other tank denizens could have eaten it that fast. My fauna is:
> 
> 1 Betta
> 2 African Dwarf Frogs (not the Clawed frogs, these aren't predatory)
> 1 Oto
> 2 more Ceylon Dwarf Barbs
> 
> What do you think, all? Would the filter dice it up that finely? I'm quite confused. Also, should I do a water change?


A cherry shrimp of mine spent a full day in that AquaClear 20, that when I decided I needed the pre filter. Shrimp came out find, he was stuck on the form and was all white. Colour up quite nicely after a few days.


----------



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Here's some pics of my Edge 6 gallon tank, I removed the top, and waiting for some equipment to come in.





























I plan on a Tom Rapids Mini-canister c-80 filter, 1 more epoch clip light, and a Co2 injection system. As for the plants I want to use would be an HC carpet, 2-4 dwarf sword plants, some brazilian micro-swords, some riccia attached to the driftwood, and some needle tip java ferns.


----------



## monkeyfish

Does the Edge prefilter sponge have carbon in it? I ask because when I rinsed it before using it, a lot of black stuff came out, similar to rinsing a carbon pad. I searched but could not find an answer.


----------



## bereninga

monkeyfish said:


> Does the Edge prefilter sponge have carbon in it? I ask because when I rinsed it before using it, a lot of black stuff came out, similar to rinsing a carbon pad. I searched but could not find an answer.


It doesn't have any carbon as far as I know.


----------



## austinz33

How exactly do you do the led mods? I'm such a newb I need a guide!


----------



## monkeyfish

I didn't think so, it isn't mentioned anywhere I looked, including Hagen's website. Just wondering what all that stuff I rinsed out was? Dye, foam bits, idk.


----------



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

austinz33 said:


> How exactly do you do the led mods? I'm such a newb I need a guide!



Well if you're like me and got the original series Edge 6 gallon setup that came with stock halogen bulbs for the fixture, it was easy to just order two MR11 led bulbs, because they fit right into the lighting ballast. Whereas other people modify theirs with a MR16 ballast and led bulbs.


----------



## CmdrBond

Been a long while since I saw this thread, never did get round to getting one though. But I am pleased I waited.

I will be persuading the missus (I hope) and I will be getting the 23l (6gUS), and will go for the 46l (12gUS) light-bar upgrade when it becomes available.

I did contemplate the 46l, but don't like the proportions. To be perfectly honest, I would have preferred an upscaled model in all 3 dimensions, not just height - maybe with a bigger opening too.

23l edge (tank) is 43cm (W) x 26cm (D) x 22.4cm (T)
46l edge (tank) is 43cm (W) x 26cm (D) x 44.8cm (T)

Personally, I would have preferred something along the lines of 60cm (W) x 30cm (D) x 30cm (T) which would be 54l (14gUS), but have a more useful area IMHO and be just as aesthetically pleasing. Anyway - thats not an option right now .

I originally wanted to keep some pygmy cory's or oto's but have decided against these (in the 23l at least) and am instead going to plump for some scarlet badis - either 1m or (if I can find them) 1m+2f. To go with them, as clean up crew, I plan to add some shrimp (not decided which ones yet) and maybe some snails.

The problem I have is what plants to put in there. I have no knowledge of planted aquaria, and apart from moss balls I am not sure what to use. I want to keep it easy to maintain and don't want plants that get too leggy (difficult for the height). I also want to keep it pretty spacious.


----------



## icepotato89

i set these ones up where i work, no mods. left one is the old version with halogens will plant it up when i replace the light bar with the new LED one.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@ icepotato

As a reseller of Hagen, can you order replacement LED bars or no?

Hagen told me to talk to my fish store about the replacement lights but I have receive no words from them yet. 

That anibas nana 6 gallon you have is amazing, very simple and well done. I like it! 

You got any set up tips to create something like that? I just rescape my 6 gallon (original halogen) and am waiting on word for the replacement light bar.


----------



## icepotato89

from what i know we cant order the replacement light bars but the boss is in charge of all the buisness side of things so i could be wrong. also im in australia it might be different in Canada or the US. 

for the tank on the left i was just going to open up a new fluval edge box and take out the entire back part with the light and replace the old one so i can use the LEDs.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I think they mean as a replacement part for OWNERS of the Fluval Edge 12 gallon.

I don't know if someone can just walk into a LFS and ask for that particular item. I do have the 12 gallon and I would love the lights on the 6.


----------



## Nettopp

*Starting up emersed*

This is my Edge at work, just started it this week.









Trying to get some growth emersed as we are moving offices in a month. This is my first attempt at a "dry" start. HC in the front, dwarf hairgrass in the back, some Hydrocotyle sp. "Japan" to the right. 

Currently stock leds and a compact bulb, DIY leds and CO2 will be added when submerging.


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## JamieH

awesome


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## Mxx

icepotato89 said:


> i set these ones up where i work, no mods. left one is the old version with halogens will plant it up when i replace the light bar with the new LED one.


The one on the right looks spectacular with the white sand. Now I almost wish I'd gone for white with mine, instead of the black sand that I have.

Are there any real drawbacks to white sand though? Is it much more difficult to keep it looking clean for instance? I seem to have a little bit of brown whatever growing on the inside face of the front pane below the substrate line, but it's almost unnoticeable with the black sand. With the poor access in the Edge, I suppose that could be quite difficult to keep looking clean if you had white sand, and anything growing there would quickly ruin the pristine appearance of the white sand?


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## raven_wilde

http://www.partsandmedia.com/fled42ledfiw.html

Looks like the new LED lightbars are available as 'replacement' parts.


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## BlueJack

Has anyone measured how much PAR that new 42 Led light bar puts out??


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## adriano

I'd love to find out as well. I'm considering removing the light from my 12 gallon and using it on a 6 gallon SW setup.


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## FlyingHellFish

raven_wilde said:


> http://www.partsandmedia.com/fled42ledfiw.html
> 
> Looks like the new LED lightbars are available as 'replacement' parts.


Jumping Kangaroos :bounce: !!!

That awesome, good find. When are these babies hitting the retail stores? 

That quite a high price for lights, Hagen's site has it for 59.99 

http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Replacement-Parts/A13926?ParentID=298558


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## Blackstar65

FlyingHellFish said:


> Jumping Kangaroos :bounce: !!!
> 
> That awesome, good find. When are these babies hitting the retail stores?
> 
> That quite a high price for lights, Hagen's site has it for 59.99
> 
> http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Replacement-Parts/A13926?ParentID=298558


You beat me to it. I will be ordering it from Hagen.


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## raven_wilde

FlyingHellFish said:


> Jumping Kangaroos :bounce: !!!
> 
> That awesome, good find. When are these babies hitting the retail stores?
> 
> That quite a high price for lights, Hagen's site has it for 59.99
> 
> http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Replacement-Parts/A13926?ParentID=298558


I doubt that you will be able to buy them right off the shelf at a retail shop. Typically replacement parts are special ordered... at least this is how it works at the LFSs around where I live- They are all Hagen dealers but they don't keep replacement parts in stock, however, if I want something they will order it for me and will usually get it in within the week.

Or you can always order it online or call Hagen directly


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## cuprajake

Untitled by cuprajake1, on Flickr

mines starting to bed in nicely now, got some nice rock algea going on haha


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## FlyingHellFish

^ DAMN, that is mighty nice. What your set up?


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## cuprajake

its a cold water minnow setup, i have the led upgraded bulbs, 

contains 10 white cloud minnows 4 cherry shrimp, java moss and an unknown plant, i have a filter sock on the filter and thats it, water change twice a week .


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## moonwasaloon

Where would the 42 LED fixture put you light wise? Med?


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## haralds

*Water Quality & RO*

Despite a nominally excellent water quality re pH, Nitrites, Nitrates etc., I have been running into longevity issues with certain fish like raspoboras. Suddenly I would lose them 1 a day.

Since we are on well water that is softened, my kH has been quite high (~20). I also read that the particular hardness quality of softened water can create issues.

I embarked on replacing most of the water with a 90% RO mix. I am doing this with a daily 10% change. The fact that I recently replaced our RO system came in handy. This will take some time, the kH currently is at 15. The plan is to get it below 10, and see.

But everyone seems to be happy so far, including some trumpets that snuck in with the last plant buy. Gives something for those assassins to do, and boy, are they on it. A bit gruesome to see, when it is happening at the top of the tank...


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## FlyingHellFish

Which tank are your rasbora in? The 12 or the 6? 

How the Co2 going by the way?


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## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> Which tank are your rasbora in? The 12 or the 6?
> 
> How the Co2 going by the way?


Most everything's in 12. CO2 is working great. Have not touched it. It's running at 1bps, but for only about 11 hours a day. This keeps the indicator at the low end of the bright green range (e.g. towards the blue). Fish are doing great, and the plants need trimming to make sure, the fast growers do not shade the slower ones.

The 6G has a betta and some snails plus a large bamboo shrimp. I am also bringing down the kH on it.


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## FlyingHellFish

You have a betta in there? I had one initially but he couldn't figure out where the hole was. 

Anyways, I brought a Co2 system as well. Testing it out on the 6 gallon. Where did you place your ph Drop Checker and the diffuser? 

Are you using the ceramic too?


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## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> You have a betta in there? I had one initially but he couldn't figure out where the hole was.
> 
> Anyways, I brought a Co2 system as well. Testing it out on the 6 gallon. Where did you place your ph Drop Checker and the diffuser?
> 
> Are you using the ceramic too?


Must be a high IQ betta :hihi: 
Given their piggish feeding behavior, you might be able to train them with food.

My CO2 indicator is at the top left back wall, low enough that a 10% water changed keeps it submerged. The Spio II quartz CO2 diffuser is towards the left of the siphon at the bottom of the tank. The siphon has two extensions, so the diffuser bubbles are not sucked into the siphon. At 1bps, the stream is small, and I like the look. It adds a subtle interest without being the typical aquarium bubbler, and looks more natural. What reaches the top is not blown around by the filter, and the bubbles do not accumulate under the top glass. Took a while to get it low enough. If I would do it again, I would start with the lowest possible stream, wait a couple of days, and look at the color of the indicator, and then work up. I also decided to dial the needle valve to a low setting, letting it settle, and then do the rest of the adjustment with the time the system is on. I haven't touched the CO2 for a week now. It just cycles on its timer, and runs. I would say that an indicator is a must, the bubble counter is just a rough indicator. There are too many variables influencing the final concentration to use it for more than a rough calibration.

Bubbler and filter siphon are mainly hidden by a center driftwood piece and plant. Towards the top, the siphon is camouflaged with some java moss wrapped around it. Heater cable and CO2 hose run down on the back side of the siphon.

I am feeding sparingly every second day.

BTW, the Spio does a nice job, I wish I'd have bought a spare, since they are currently not available. My backup is the Fluval ceramic, but the Spio III works just a little better.

I still use a reactor for CO2 on the 6G, and just inject into the filter. Seems to work fine, and less fiddling. I imagine, a pressurized CO2 on the 6G would have to be on even less, since it is difficult to get accurate control at very low flow rates, unless you use an electronic flow control system. The price of that gets a little silly...


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## CmdrBond

curious_shrimp said:


> I *seriously* do not like the filter that my Fluval edge 12g came with and am considering a nice canister filter for it. Anyone recommend any particular model that is easy to clean and will filter my water better? (oh and also doesnt look bad, as it will prob end up sitting on my countertop)


Is the filter on the 12g the same as the 6g? I am assuming it is as the 6g is the AquaClear Mini/20 which is supposedly suitable for 20g tanks !

I only ask this, as if it is the same, then 12g owners can up their flow rate very inexpensively.

See: The Fluval Edge Forum :: Fluval Mods :: 100gph to 200gph by inexpensive mod

I have done a bit of digging, and it seems that the AQ M/20, 30, 50 & 70 share some common parts. Parts in common with the M/20 are in bold



Code:


			M/20	30	50	70
Motor Unit		[B]A-16000[/B]	[B]A-16000[/B]	[B]A-16000[/B]	[B]A-16000[/B]
Impeller Shaft		[B]A-16001[/B]	[B]A-16001[/B]	[B]A-16001[/B]	[B]A-16001[/B]
Impeller Assembly	A-630	A-632	A-634	A-636
Seal Ring		[B]A-16017[/B]	[B]A-16017[/B]	[B]A-16017[/B]	[B]A-16017[/B]
Impeller Cover		[B]A-16015[/B]	[B]A-16015[/B]	[B]A-16015[/B]	A-16315
Intake Stem		A-16050	A-16150	A-16150	A-16350
Extesnsion Tube		[B]A-625[/B]	[B]A-625[/B]	[B]A-625[/B]	A-627
Filter Case		A-16020	A-16120	A-16220	A-16320
Filter Case Cover	A-16030	A-16130	A-16230	A-16330
Filter Media Basket	A-16040	A-16140	A-16240	A-16340


Flow Rate		Mini/20	30	50	70
Litres Per Hour		124-378	189-567	250-757	378-1135
Gallons(US) Per Hour	33-100	50-150	66-200	100-300


From left to right *Mini/20*, *30*, *50* & *70*































From that it would seem that it is entirely possible to interchange the impellers between the M/20, 30 & 50 to control the flow rate. The impeller from the 70 MAY fit, but that all depends on whether the difference for the Impeller Cover on the 70 is to do with the Impeller itself or just the housing it sits in. Note also that the extension tube is also different, suggesting a wider bore.

Hope this is useful.


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## haralds

CmdrBond said:


> Is the filter on the 12g the same as the 6g? I am assuming it is as the 6g is the AquaClear Mini/20 which is supposedly suitable for 20g tanks !


I know that the extension for the siphon is the same as the one for AquaClear 20/30/50 - this speaks for it being the AquaClear 20 model. Based on the spec'd flow capacity (100g/hour) it is an AquaClear 20. i have both versions of the tank, and the filters are the same at least from the look of things.


----------



## CmdrBond

In that case, buying the impeller for the AQ 50 _should_ get close to double the flow rate - that may be a suitable upgrade for the 12g owners who don't really want to spend on a new filter.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Nice, find!

Where would you get the impeller fro the 50? If it is the same size then how come the AquaClear 50 is bigger? 

I wanted to put a Fluval C3 but it does not fit  

Has anyone tried adding a small canister filter PLUS leaving the AC 20 in? Just have the lilly pipes to the side of the opening, I do think there enough room. 

If Hagen just added a bit of space in the back of these Edges, we could of fit the new Fluval C series in.


----------



## monkeyfish

FlyingHellFish said:


> Nice, find! Where would you get the impeller for the 50? If it is the same size then how come the AquaClear 50 is bigger?


That is a nice find. I would assume it's available online or possibly a lfs that stocks parts. Bigger housing = more room for media = more filtration.


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## haralds

CmdrBond said:


> I have done a bit of digging, and it seems that the AQ M/20, 30, 50 & 70 share some common parts.


Ordered a couple of A-634 impellers to try out (plus a better timer to make the shipping cost worthwhile.) http://www.marinereef.com

There are cheaper hobbies...


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I been told they run for around 7 - 10 bucks, quite expensive for such a small item.

Would a internal filter yield more bang for the buck? There is quite a few small underwater filter for around 10 - 15 with room to house a sponge foam.


PS - How do you guys deal with pearling plants in an Edge? There a layer of bubble under the top glass, kind of ugly mess of Co2.


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## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> How do you guys deal with pearling plants in an Edge? There a layer of bubble under the top glass, kind of ugly mess of Co2.


I found I was overdosing. I cut back on the CO2, plants are still doing great, CO2 indicator is green, but the top glass stays clear.


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## CmdrBond

Getting back on the plants theme, I have another query.

I am looking to place a plant in my Edge, that will have tall thin leaves that wave in the water like a kelp bed in the ocean, BUT I don't want something that is going to take over.

I am considering _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis_, but I am unsure where in the Edge to plant it.

Firstly, the lighting in my Edge is the stock 21 LED bar, and if it is likely to change it will probably be for the 42 LED bar.

Now I have read that grown under high light, _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis_ grows low and spreads. Grown under low light it grows taller (leggy, like most phototropic plants) and slower, but I am unsure how much it spreads.

Ideally I want a low a maintenance option as possible. I was originally planning to plant a few clumps in the centre, right under the light. But now I am considering planting in the back corners instead.

Which option do you think would work best?

Also, I am planning on using CaribSea's Tahitian Moon Sand as my substrate, I wasn't planning on anything under it so was wondering if I needed to place small containers of a different substrate for the _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis_, or if the sand would be sufficient.

Lastly, whether I just use sand, or use another substrate as well, how would you recommend separating from the rest of the tank to prevent is slowly taking over?


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## FlyingHellFish

Beautiful choice of plant, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis looks awesome as a foreground plant. 

If you're looking for something that is tall and dances in the waves, give Cryptocoryne spiralis a look. Under moderate lighting, they don't have much of a spiral on the leaves. Mine is recovering nicely from Crypt melt.

Actually, if you're using the 6 gallon Edge, don't get the Spiralis as it does grow quite tall. 

Why are you going with Moon Sand? I find that Seachem Black Sand has a lot of favourable reviews. You can place a substrate under the sand as most people use sand as a cap. As long as you don't put sand first with a larger size grain substrate, you will be fine.


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## CmdrBond

I want the TMS because I want a black sand for Cory's. The seachem from what I read is far too sharp as it is fractured clay. The jury is out TMS, some say it is too sharp and some say it isn't. Ideally I would like to feel a teaspoon-ful before I make my decision, but as none of my LFS carry it I can only order online.

The only other black sand available in the LFS (Unipac Aqua Gravel Colour Sand) seems to be dyed - could this be?

Re the _Crypt_, that is exactly the sort of plant I want, but as you say gets too tall.

Anything like that, that maxes out at 6"/15cm tall would be brilliant.

My tank is going to be pretty sparsley planted.

At the moment I have 3 planting zones in mind.

Zone 1 - Back corners
Zone 2 - Back centre
Zone 3 - Front half

My current plan is for _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis_ in zone 1 or 2, possibly surrounded by small stones/rocks. With _Anubias nana_ or _Anubias nana 'Petite'_ on a bit of driftwood in the other zone. I am leaning towards the _Lilaeopsis_ in the corners and the _Anubias_ in the centre, but it could be the other way.

Zone 3 will have some moss outcrops, but I have not decided which ones yet.


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## FlyingHellFish

Cories in a 6 gallon Edge? I heard they are best kelp in groups. They also occasionally dive up to the surface for air. The Edge's top glass design might not be suitable for Cory Cats. 

It said "coated" so I'm sure that sand is dyed. I don't think sand comes in those colour at all. 

I think there is a dwarf version of the cory that might work. If you do end up with a planted tank, then you will be limiting the small space even further. Cory will be sniffing all around the tank.


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## CmdrBond

I know about the size issues. Bio-mass shouldn't be an issue, but I am looking to have 3 of either _Corydoras hastatus_ (Dwarf cory) - max size 1.0" (Male) 1.3" Female OR _Corydorus habrosus_ (Salt & Pepper Cory) - max size 1.4" with 3 _Otocinculs spp._ - max size 2". Ideally I would like a mix of _Otocinclus cocama_ (Zebra Oto) and _Corydorus habrosus_ 

I know both Cory's and Oto's like to be in groups of 6 or more, but I have also read they will happily shoal together. With the edge I know there isn't too much room.

Re breathing from the surface, provided there is enough oxygen in the water, they shouldn't _need_ to surface. Although I know they may do so anyway. Another reason for them darting up and down the tank is due to stress - hopefully with enough tank mates and enough cover and breaks they should be happy little fish.

That is the theory anyway.

Planting of the tank is going to be minimal, as I said above, I am looking at the _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis_ in the rear corners, will only be about 3 plants in each corner (I am thinking) with a little space between them, with a pice of wood with _Anunbias nana/nana 'Petite'_ under the opening. In the front half of the tank will be 2 or 3 stones with some moss on - with plenty of space for fishies to swim.

See attachment for sample planting plan


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## mike_freegan

Well I ran MR16 21 SMD LED bulbs for about 8 months with no problem. In the last month, I've got through 3 (at £9 a pop). I think something must be wearing out with the driver whcih is making them die more quickly.

The CFL in there is still going strong though.

I'm not willing to buy any more of these LED bulbs if theyr'e only lasting a few weeks so I think it's time to re-think my lighting setup.

What is the current thinking on the best lighting mod?


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## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> Cories in a 6 gallon Edge? I
> I think there is a dwarf version of the cory that might work. If you do end up with a planted tank, then you will be limiting the small space even further. Cory will be sniffing all around the tank.


I have dwarf cories. I love them, they are always busy, although with my plants they are not always visible (but more visible than the otos).


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## CmdrBond

haralds said:


> I have dwarf cories. I love them, they are always busy, although with my plants they are not always visible (but more visible than the otos).


How many of each do you have (I am presuming they are in the Edge) and what else do you have in there?


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## FlyingHellFish

There is a replacement part that Hagen (parent company) sells that will be quite nice for the 6 gallon. It's the Fluval Edge 12 gallon LED bar for 60 dollars. I think it might be 60 Canadian so you guys should get it for less.


It's not really the light mod that is limiting the tank, the top cover blocks the spread and you will find it hard to keep plants at the corner. 

You can always suitable a desk lamp with 6500 K 23 watts , this lamp plus the LED bar will be way way more than enough. 

If they had ADA tanks locally here in Canada, I would of gone for one.

About Cories: I had them for the 6 gallon and it was awful watching them swim up to the surface to find an invisible shield. I gave them away and I think cories do need more than 6 gallons, especially with school of them. 

Just take a look at the list of Nano Fish for the Edge, I think it looks way better for a small tank to have a population of fish that isn't as big. You will keep the illusion of a bigger thank with smaller fish.


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## haralds

CmdrBond said:


> How many of each do you have (I am presuming they are in the Edge) and what else do you have in there?


They are in the 12G. I currently have 3, and just added 2 small ones today. They've had no trouble aclimating to the smaller opening. In addition, I have two otos, three rasboras, 4 neon and 4 black tetras. There are also a number of shrimps and snails. These all have been stable. I have had some trouble with rasporas, but adjusting the water to lower kH seems to make a real difference. They look more peaceful. Interestingly, the rasporas and black tetras school, while the neons stay in the lower parts.
The whole crowd is quite piggish, so I keep feeding to every second day. I mix a variety of frozen and dry food.


----------



## Mxx

CmdrBond said:


> I want the TMS because I want a black sand for Cory's. The seachem from what I read is far too sharp as it is fractured clay. The jury is out TMS, some say it is too sharp and some say it isn't. Ideally I would like to feel a teaspoon-ful before I make my decision, but as none of my LFS carry it I can only order online.
> 
> The only other black sand available in the LFS (Unipac Aqua Gravel Colour Sand) seems to be dyed - could this be?


To read a discussion on the limited types of black sand we have available here in the UK, and what Unipac's sales rep told me when I rang him, you might want to read this thread - http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17588&start=20

I'm using Seachem Black Flourite Sand in my Edge and it works fine and isn't sharp at all. It's only the non-sand flourite which is a bit sharp, thought I'm not sure whether that's actually something to worry about even. I just wished I had used a soil underlay with it.


----------



## moonwasaloon

If I bought the 12 gallon LED light for the 6 gallon version, would it be too much light?


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## mike_freegan

moonwasaloon said:


> If I bought the 12 gallon LED light for the 6 gallon version, would it be too much light?


I'm new to this, but from what I gather, there is no such thing as 'too much light'. So long as you get enough CO2 in there to balance it out, you'll be fine.

I'd imagine that the standard Fluval light bars are extremely weak anyway compared to what some people are running.


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## moonwasaloon

I am avoiding co2, since i am keeping mainly shrimp in there.


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## haralds

moonwasaloon said:


> If I bought the 12 gallon LED light for the 6 gallon version, would it be too much light?


I think, it's barely enough...
If you have the older tank, replacing the halogens with SMD LED will give you more light.


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## JCFans01

willzy said:


> All,
> 
> This is my first post
> 
> My fluval edge's light unit blew up not so long ago. Picked up some LED lights yesterday from the LFS.
> 
> Dual lights on
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> t
> Single Light On
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edge contains Crystal Red Shrimps.
> 
> I'm finding it a little too difficult to maintain this tank, and I'll soon be purchasing the ADA Mini M. I'm hoping these lights will light up the ADA tank considering the tank dimensions are pretty similar.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Will


Hi Will,

Wanted to ask about the black pipes you have in your tank. Where can I buy some? They look so elegant.

Thanks.


----------



## CmdrBond

JCFans01 said:


> Hi Will,
> 
> Wanted to ask about the black pipes you have in your tank. Where can I buy some? They look so elegant.
> 
> Thanks.


Well I don't know where they came from and was going to ask a similar question, until I stumbled across them while looking for something completely different.

The "pipes" are in fact "Ceramic Breeder B" from AquaEl's AquaDecoris range.


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## mike_freegan

moonwasaloon said:


> I am avoiding co2, since i am keeping mainly shrimp in there.


You're probably not going to grow much other than algae if you're running lights with no CO2.

Believe me; I'm an expert at growing algae.


----------



## simply amazing

hey guys! finally starting my planted tank venture! 

wanted to contribute to this thread as i have the old school edge (halogens) which i've just recently took the top off. will update with pics when i get everything together in a few days! i know it looks like a regular rimless now, but im still going to keep it on the edge stand and using the regular halogens with another light hanging above it for the time being. going to upgrade my filter to an eheim canister and splurging on an archaea 36w for the lighting!


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## haralds

CmdrBond said:


> From that it would seem that it is entirely possible to interchange the impellers between the M/20, 30 & 50 to control the flow rate. The impeller from the 70 MAY fit, but that all depends on whether the difference for the Impeller Cover on the 70 is to do with the Impeller itself or just the housing it sits in. Note also that the extension tube is also different, suggesting a wider bore.


I just received the 50 impeller and am using it with my 12G. It fits right in. But I a might have to put the old one back in, there is quite a bit of flow at the lowest setting. The 30 might be a better choice.


----------



## CmdrBond

haralds said:


> I just received the 50 impeller and am using it with my 12G. It fits right in. But I a might have to put the old one back in, there is quite a bit of flow at the lowest setting. The 30 might be a better choice.


Well it is supposed to double the flow. Good to know it works tho.


----------



## haralds

CmdrBond said:


> Well it is supposed to double the flow. Good to know it works tho.


I just put the old one back in - too much flow for now...


----------



## raven_wilde

mike_freegan said:


> You're probably not going to grow much other than algae if you're running lights with no CO2.
> 
> Believe me; I'm an expert at growing algae.


this it not necessarily true.

as haralds has said... the LED lights for the 12 gallon are still fairly low light. I think that if you install them on the 6 gallon and run the tank without CO2 you should not have any issues with algae as long as you do not go wild with the ferts.

Keep your plant selection to the low to mid light range and you should be golden


----------



## vvDO

Thought I'd share info and a few photos of my setup, 

Lighting: modded completely removing the original light fixture and arm with a reflector made of aluminum exhaust tubing and an E27 fixture with a 10W walmart CFL bulb zip tied to the case. This produces medium-high light directly below the fixture and of course low low light elsewhere. This causes BBA on some leaves of anubias nana petite.

Substrate: EcoComplete most of a 20Lb bag

Plants: Anubias nana petite, fissidens has completely attached itself to the wood, several crypts (wend and crisp I think), sag (?dwarf), small piece of java fern behind the wood, and anubias nana on the left attached to rock. There are misc stray mosses which need constant removal which are placed into some bowls.

Fish: neons and green neons about 7 total, and one-two amano.

The wood barely fit when placed, and I can no longer remove it as it's completely waterlogged and larger than ever. And the glass can never be completely cleaned as my hand doesn't reach certain places and the magnet cleaner doesn't seem to create any friction on the glass.

It needs a bit of cleaning up even though I attempted a cleanup just before these shots. Please exuse these iphone photos.


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## simply amazing

finally started my first official plant tank! 

excuse the bubbles, i took this as soon as i flooded the tank. but i picked up a couple fluval mini pc lights (13w each) and clipped them onto the topless edge. i've since moved them to the back of the tank instead of on the sides. here's to hoping my noobiness with plant tanks dont kill off all my plants!


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## BlueJack

Stole the idea from icepotato


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## akpoly

simply amazing said:


> finally started my first official plant tank!
> 
> excuse the bubbles, i took this as soon as i flooded the tank. but i picked up a couple fluval mini pc lights (13w each) and clipped them onto the topless edge. i've since moved them to the back of the tank instead of on the sides. here's to hoping my noobiness with plant tanks dont kill off all my plants!


Hows it working for you without the top part?


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## simply amazing

akpoly said:


> Hows it working for you without the top part?


it's going considerably well. it's like any other rimless haha. however, the only problem i foresee is that because the top of the edge where the opening is, the glass raises up about an inch or so.. so the filter hangs right over that and your water level can go up a little higher. without the top, the water level sits lower than what you would have with that opening, so the outflow of the filter splashes the water a little bit. 

i mean, that problem can be solved if you don't choose to use the edge stand and have the filter right on the back of the glass and just use it as a rimless setup. but the other solution i'll be resorting to is to just get an eheim canister and just route the lines like any other tank so i can keep the tank on the stand


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

I went with taking off the top of the glass of the edge. The previous setup was far too restricting when came to maintenance. Here's its running with a Ehiem 2211 and co2. The lights are on adjustable hangers. Im really glad that took off the top.










http://youtu.be/H5--e5jMlN4


----------



## simply amazing

Jeff.:P:. said:


> I went with taking off the top of the glass of the edge. The previous setup was far too restricting when came to maintenance. Here's its running with a Ehiem 2211 and co2. The lights are on adjustable hangers. Im really glad that took off the top.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://youtu.be/H5--e5jMlN4


Niiice! Welcome to the club! Haha.did you just do it recently? So you completely did away with the stand I see


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Both of you have very nice topless tanks!


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

simply amazing said:


> Niiice! Welcome to the club! Haha.did you just do it recently? So you completely did away with the stand I see


 Haha yeah thanks. I just saw someone on here that did it, and followed suit. The stand wasn't going to workout so I tossed it. Im very happy with my Rimless Edge.


----------



## acitydweller

Just seems like taking off the top really lets you enjoy the whole tank, rather than fidgeting through a whole in the top. Its like marrying the high school hottie, sounds great at the time, but hard to live with as you soon learn.


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

acitydweller said:


> Just seems like taking off the top really lets you enjoy the whole tank, rather than fidgeting through a whole in the top. Its like marrying the high school hottie, sounds great at the time, but hard to live with as you soon learn.


 haha spot on. ++1 ^^ :icon_mrgr


----------



## ycbs

acitydweller said:


> Just seems like taking off the top really lets you enjoy the whole tank, rather than fidgeting through a whole in the top. Its like marrying the high school hottie, sounds great at the time, but hard to live with as you soon learn.


Couldn't you just buy a regular rimless tank cheaper and not have to do all that work? Especially if you aren't going to use the base, filter, light, etc.

I love my tamely modded Edge. I just upgraded to MR11 and added a few LED strip lights along the top. I have to do next to no maintenance on this tank outside of water changes/filter cleanings. I have low-light, low maintenance plants (Narrow leaf java fern - short form, only gets about as high as the tank, and anubias nana).


----------



## simply amazing

ycbs said:


> Couldn't you just buy a regular rimless tank cheaper and not have to do all that work? Especially if you aren't going to use the base, filter, light, etc.
> 
> I love my tamely modded Edge. I just upgraded to MR11 and added a few LED strip lights along the top. I have to do next to no maintenance on this tank outside of water changes/filter cleanings. I have low-light, low maintenance plants (Narrow leaf java fern - short form, only gets about as high as the tank, and anubias nana).


Yea if I would have known from the beginning I probably would have bought a rimless. But when I bought the edge, the novelty factor wore off pretty quick so I had to work with what I had.. So out of boredom one day I just decided to take off the top


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

yeah Sure but trying to design impossible systems is 3/4 of the fun :hihi:
20-20 hindsight



ycbs said:


> Couldn't you just buy a regular rimless tank cheaper and not have to do all that work? Especially if you aren't going to use the base, filter, light, etc.
> 
> I love my tamely modded Edge. I just upgraded to MR11 and added a few LED strip lights along the top. I have to do next to no maintenance on this tank outside of water changes/filter cleanings. I have low-light, low maintenance plants (Narrow leaf java fern - short form, only gets about as high as the tank, and anubias nana).


----------



## BarleyBear

*Chris's 12 Gallon*

Hi all. I'm new to the forum, and I'm so excited to see a thread devoted to the Edge. I have enjoyed reading through some of the posts and seeing the amazing pics. I've just gotten back into aquarium keeping after several years, and I love my 12-gallon Fluval so much, I'm thinking about getting the 6 gallon, too. Below are some pics. I need to do some pruning, especially on the aponogetons, and there's some grass and micro-sword I need to take out. Any other tips would be much appreciated. I love having a heavily-planted tank, but I don't know all that much about proper plant care. I put stuff in, see if it grows, and if it doesn't, I take it out. I use a timer set for 14 hours of light, and I prune when things get too large. The only real problem I'm having right now is that my Amazon swords are spotty--brown spots. They are growing well and sending up baby shoots, but I don't know why they have the spots. They almost look like burns. Too much light? I use the 42 LED light system that came with the tank.


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> I just received the 50 impeller and am using it with my 12G. It fits right in.


After going back and forth with my 12G, here is my take:

For freshwater with CO2, the original impeller is the way to go, anything else will blow the bubbles all over the place at the minimum setting, unless they are injected outside the tank. If you still need to increase the flow rate, the 30 impeller should provide a good range.

If I was doing a nano salt tank, the 50 impeller is an awesome solution without changing the whole filter. It easily doubles the flow rate.

ps Just ordered a 30 impeller for grins. I might be willing to sell one of my 50 impellers (I got 2, because the s&h was so high, and thought to refit my 6G, too)...


----------



## haralds

Nice tank! How long has it been running?


----------



## raven_wilde

BarleyBear said:


> The only real problem I'm having right now is that my Amazon swords are spotty--brown spots. They are growing well and sending up baby shoots, but I don't know why they have the spots. They almost look like burns. Too much light? I use the 42 LED light system that came with the tank.


I would think that if too much light were the issue you would have algae problems along with any potential damage to the plant.

You are probably seeing signs of some variety of nutrient deficiency- go browse though the 'Plants' section of the forum, there is a lot of information on nutrient deficiencies... charts, dosing suggestions and the like. If you can't find anything helpful start a new thread under that forum and ask people if they've had similar problems- close up pics of the spots in question are always helpful too. 

Otherwise, nice work- it looks like you have a pretty nice set up roud:


----------



## BarleyBear

Thanks. I started a new thread to ask about the swords and other plants. Maybe they need some root fertilization. 

I pruned all the bad leaves out last night, so no pics. The younger leaves all look great.


----------



## BarleyBear

haralds said:


> Nice tank! How long has it been running?


Thanks! Set it up in January, so about two months now.


----------



## mike_freegan

simply amazing said:


> Yea if I would have known from the beginning I probably would have bought a rimless. But when I bought the edge, the novelty factor wore off pretty quick so I had to work with what I had.. So out of boredom one day I just decided to take off the top


Sorry, I'm feeling argumentative.

So you took a £90 tank, cut the top off and removed all of the stands and tech, so that it looks exactly like a tank that you can buy for £10?

I would have stuck it on eBay rather than losing £80.

Looks great anyway, and I'm sure it'll be super easy to manage, but I'm not sure it belongs in this thread any more.


----------



## simply amazing

mike_freegan said:


> Sorry, I'm feeling argumentative.
> 
> So you took a £90 tank, cut the top off and removed all of the stands and tech, so that it looks exactly like a tank that you can buy for £10?
> 
> I would have stuck it on eBay rather than losing £80.
> 
> Looks great anyway, and I'm sure it'll be super easy to manage, but I'm not sure it belongs in this thread any more.


 I'm still using the stand and everything except the top glass for now. The rear plastic column is the perfect place to route my filter and co2 lines when I get it in. Plus, selling something like this on Ebay I personally wouldn't


----------



## xconverge

Started my first tank today! I have the substrate in, just waiting for a few plants to arrive in a few days. Then going to cycle before getting into it

I have the newer fluval edge with the LED's, I've looked through the thread and haven't found much info on this one and the light output vs the older version + a CFL


----------



## BarleyBear

Welcome to the Edge!

6 gallon or 12 gallon? I just had to look up the specs for my 12 gallon. 

7,600k high-luminosity LEDs,
120V, 60Hz, 5W. 

The info is on the top of the light bar.


----------



## xconverge

6 gal 7600K, I am just wondering how much light I really need. This is my first tank :X

It seems to be positioned in a way that would make adding a CFL difficult. I think I will stick with it for now and see how far it takes me. I don't plan on using CO2 yet, just some excel but maybe in the future I will add more light and a co2 setup!


----------



## CmdrBond

Both the 6 and 12 G are 7600K, one has 21 LED's (18 white and 3 blue) and the other has 42 LED's (39 white and 3 blue (I think)). 

The thing is 7600K is the spectrum/colour/temperature of the light - call it what you will. And while that *does* make a difference to plants (so I have read), nowhere seems to detail the WPG of the LED's or compare them to the old MR11 halogens (2x10W = 20W/6G = >3W/Gal - but is more likely to be equivalent to half that due to the shading in the tank caused by the design).

Also, Fluval are now releasing LED replacements for the stock MR11 Halogens, 9 LED's each, 1.8W power consumption (I presume that is each) and a 10,000K spectrum - but again no idea how they compare WPG with the Halogen (probably much better).


----------



## arjaydee

I am new to aquariums and liked the design of the 6 gallon Edge. Have got it up and running and put in 3 plants and 6 small fish (All Barbs - 2 green, 2 tiger and 2 gold). However there doesn't seem to be enough fish. Am frightened of overstocking. Everything running smoothly but need more action - any ideas greatly appreciated


----------



## moonwasaloon

Im debating if I should the Fluval MR11 LED's or should I get the 12 gallon LED light bar?


----------



## BarleyBear

CmdrBond said:


> Both the 6 and 12 G are 7600K, one has 21 LED's (18 white and 3 blue) and the other has 42 LED's (39 white and 3 blue (I think)).
> 
> The thing is 7600K is the spectrum/colour/temperature of the light - call it what you will. And while that *does* make a difference to plants (so I have read), nowhere seems to detail the WPG of the LED's or compare them to the old MR11 halogens (2x10W = 20W/6G = >3W/Gal - but is more likely to be equivalent to half that due to the shading in the tank caused by the design).
> 
> Also, Fluval are now releasing LED replacements for the stock MR11 Halogens, 9 LED's each, 1.8W power consumption (I presume that is each) and a 10,000K spectrum - but again no idea how they compare WPG with the Halogen (probably much better).


Does WPG mean watts per gallon? I don't know the lingo. The wattage for the LEDs are 5 watts. I don't know what that translates to for WPG.

The shading in the 12 gallon is not an issue because the tank is too tall. The shaded zones are only two triangular patches that reach about 6 inches from the top at their longest (reach), and only about 4 or five inches in breadth. Only the very tips of very tall plants would be in this zone. The light penetrates to all four corners and all of the middle.

I imagine in the 6 gallon, though, that the shaded zone is an issue, since the tank is half the height of the 12.

Can you explain WPG? How does one figure out WPG? And is 7,600k a good spectrum?


----------



## raven_wilde

arjaydee said:


> I am new to aquariums and liked the design of the 6 gallon Edge. Have got it up and running and put in 3 plants and 6 small fish (All Barbs - 2 green, 2 tiger and 2 gold). However there doesn't seem to be enough fish. Am frightened of overstocking. Everything running smoothly but need more action - any ideas greatly appreciated


Yes, you are overstocking, and those barbs are going to outgrow that tank pretty fast. Tiger barbs, and what I am guessing are Gold Barbs (Puntius semifasciolatus), all get much too large to keep in 6 gallons of water. Personally, I would never keep them in less than 30 gal as they really need space to move around.

I would suggest you return your fish to the store and exchange them for a smaller species... the fish will be happier and in the end you will be happier because you will have a better balanced tank and maintenance (already difficult due to the design of the Edge) will be much simpler.

Take a look at the Nano-fish List for more suitable inhabitants for your Edge.


----------



## arjaydee

Thanks v much for advice - I had read a lot and several people suggested a mixed Bard shoal and they do seem v happy. I have already decided to get a bigger tank so will move the Barbs in due course. I might try some minnow in the Fluval - will check Nano-fish list though.


----------



## CmdrBond

BarleyBear said:


> Does WPG mean watts per gallon? I don't know the lingo. The wattage for the LEDs are 5 watts. I don't know what that translates to for WPG.
> 
> The shading in the 12 gallon is not an issue because the tank is too tall. The shaded zones are only two triangular patches that reach about 6 inches from the top at their longest (reach), and only about 4 or five inches in breadth. Only the very tips of very tall plants would be in this zone. The light penetrates to all four corners and all of the middle.
> 
> I imagine in the 6 gallon, though, that the shaded zone is an issue, since the tank is half the height of the 12.
> 
> Can you explain WPG? How does one figure out WPG? And is 7,600k a good spectrum?


Yes, WPG - Watts per Gallon, in this case we are using US Gallons which are smaller than UK Gallons. I don't actually know, but I presume it is total Wattage output divided by the number of Gallons of water.

You say the official MR11 LED's are 5 Watt - Are you sure? The rated power consumption is 1.8W See Here. But that is not the output wattage, which with LED's and energy saving bulbs is a lot more difficult to define. I would have thought that the new LED's would be a higher Wattage equivalent than the original 10W MR11's, not lower.

From what I have read, 7,600K is a good spectrum for plants, but someone more knowledgeable than I will be better able to answer that for you.


----------



## BarleyBear

CmdrBond said:


> Yes, WPG - Watts per Gallon, in this case we are using US Gallons which are smaller than UK Gallons. I don't actually know, but I presume it is total Wattage output divided by the number of Gallons of water.
> 
> You say the official MR11 LED's are 5 Watt - Are you sure? The rated power consumption is 1.8W See Here. But that is not the output wattage, which with LED's and energy saving bulbs is a lot more difficult to define. I would have thought that the new LED's would be a higher Wattage equivalent than the original 10W MR11's, not lower.
> 
> From what I have read, 7,600K is a good spectrum for plants, but someone more knowledgeable than I will be better able to answer that for you.



Yep, the wattage on the MR11 LED's are 1.8, according to the ads. I was responding to a post about the watts of the LED light bars that come with the 12 gallon and the new 6 gallons. Those are 5 watts. The 12 gallon has 42 total LEDs--38 white and 4 blue. 

So to figure out WPG for my 12 gallon, do I multiply the total number of lights by 5, then divide by 12? The total lights would be 38 because I can't count the 4 blue ones. So (38x5) / 12 = 190/12 = 15.8 WPG. Are the calculations, right?

I've been poking around at some other forums, and it seems the WPG rule is kind of outdated and not applicable to LED's. I haven't found anything else that helps you decide how to evaluate your LED's, though. All I can find is "get good quality LED's."


----------



## FlyingHellFish

WPG is out dated and is generally not useful for smaller than 10 gallon tanks. Beside, they're LEDs and use less wattage so if anything, we should use PAR readings.

Anyways, I find it weird that my dwarf hair grass at the corner is sending out new leafs and growing well. I have stock lighting in my 12 gallon and dose only excel and flourish at recommended levels.

My other 6 gallon original Edge is lit by a 23 watt CFL and a 13 watt Full Spec CFL with pressurized Co2 yet the dwarf hair grass is growing exactly the same.

I dose heavy with KNO3, Iron, Flourish, MgSo4 on the 6 gallon but in both cases, the growth is a bit better in my 12 gallon. The hair grass also pearl quite well in the 6 gallon. 

Very strange indeed.

My advice is start out with the stock lighting and watch how your plants react.


----------



## CmdrBond

BarleyBear said:


> Yep, the wattage on the MR11 LED's are 1.8, according to the ads. I was responding to a post about the watts of the LED light bars that come with the 12 gallon and the new 6 gallons. Those are 5 watts. The 12 gallon has 42 total LEDs--38 white and 4 blue.
> 
> So to figure out WPG for my 12 gallon, do I multiply the total number of lights by 5, then divide by 12? The total lights would be 38 because I can't count the 4 blue ones. So (38x5) / 12 = 190/12 = 15.8 WPG. Are the calculations, right?
> 
> I've been poking around at some other forums, and it seems the WPG rule is kind of outdated and not applicable to LED's. I haven't found anything else that helps you decide how to evaluate your LED's, though. All I can find is "get good quality LED's."



Ahh - got confused with the MR11's and the ligt bars - sorry.

but as said, with LED's, WPG is pretty hard to calculate, as you would need to work out the output of the LED to an equivalent incandescent bulb - almost impossible.


----------



## xconverge

I have no idea what I am doing... think I am doing ok so far though


----------



## Mark Oliver

Here's an updated picture on my 2 month old tank. Its doing really well without any major problems. I made some effort to hide all the equipment such as heater and CO2 hose.

I have been using the LED lights from the 12G tank since day one.

I have a second 42 LED bulb set with power adapter from Hagen that can be used on the 6G tank. The blue lights suddenly stopped working but I get the feeling if I opened it up it would work again.

If anyone is interested in the extra bulb set I have for their tank PM me as I would be willing to sell it for $20. The white lights work perfectly and it's nice and bright! I should mention I am in Toronto, ON. Canada. If you want to pick it up that's fine if not I can ship it wherever if you are willing to pay shipping.


----------



## CmdrBond

Mark Oliver said:


> ...
> 
> I have a second 42 LED bulb set with power adapter from Hagen that can be used on the 6G tank. The blue lights suddenly stopped working but I get the feeling if I opened it up it would work again.
> 
> If anyone is interested in the extra bulb set I have for their tank PM me as I would be willing to sell it for $20. The white lights work perfectly and it's nice and bright!
> 
> ...


PM Sent


----------



## CmdrBond

Question - Should put a background on the tank?

I don't really know. This is my first tank and now I cant decide whether I should put a background on it or not.


----------



## Mark Oliver

CmdrBond said:


> Question - Should put a background on the tank?
> 
> I don't really know. This is my first tank and now I cant decide whether I should put a background on it or not.


Depends on what you mean with background. Picture or moss wall.

Neither really seems to suite the edge in my opinion.


----------



## raven_wilde

Has anyone else noticed that the metal mesh on their light cover is rusting from condensation? Any ideas on how to clean this up?


----------



## CmdrBond

Mark Oliver said:


> Depends on what you mean with background. Picture or moss wall.
> 
> Neither really seems to suite the edge in my opinion.


Yeah, I have just moved the Edge from inside a shelf of a built in cabinet to a table - and now I think I don't need a background. it also looks far better where it is now too (Just had to re-arrange my entire lounge for 1 tiny fish tank :help



raven_wilde said:


> Has anyone else noticed that the metal mesh on their light cover is rusting from condensation? Any ideas on how to clean this up?


Well not yet - mine hasn't even gotten wet yet though !!!

I am presuming yours is the halogen - might make a difference but I doubt it.

Best thing I can recommend - take it off, take it outside, and rattle-can it. Dunno what to use though - not sure if normal aerosol paints would be suitable once dry.

Just don't do it in the house - A it's a messy process and B the aerosol could affect the fish, even from another room.


----------



## CmdrBond

Well here is my Edge - still dry unfortunately. The lighthouse is the wifes - she insited (even though I want to keep it natural - you should see the dragon ornament she bought, it only just fits through the opening, God knows where I am going to put it)

Any way, this is its new (and final) resting place in my lounge - rearranged the whole room for this one little tank :help:










and this is the *75 WATT* Aquael Neoheater - it's *TINY*


----------



## raven_wilde

CmdrBond- is your Edge red? Or is it the orange model and it just looks red because of the lighting?


----------



## CmdrBond

It is indeed red.

So far in the UK I have seen Gloss Black, Gloss White, Pewter, Burnt Orange and Red.

I would have preferred Pewter, but that came with the older halogens so we went for the red - dunno if we made the right choice but it is done now. Any way the wife likes it, which is the main thing


----------



## raven_wilde

CmdrBond said:


> It is indeed red.
> 
> So far in the UK I have seen Gloss Black, Gloss White, Pewter, Burnt Orange and Red.
> 
> I would have preferred Pewter, but that came with the older halogens so we went for the red - dunno if we made the right choice but it is done now. Any way the wife likes it, which is the main thing


Infest it with super red cherry shrimp and I think it will look GREAT


----------



## CmdrBond

Another image of my super duper nano heater










There it is in position, it sits in a cradle which is suction cupped to the glass, but slides in and out of the cradle with ease.

And it protrudes into the tank about as much as the filters intake tube does, so pretty much a super duper fit for an adjustable digital heater, with display. The 25, 50 and 75 watt heaters are all the same size, so I got the 75W.

One thing I can't say just yet is how accurate or reliable it is - only time will tell - very few reviews out there for it.

One thing I would say is on the face of it, it seems the only real choice for in tank heating for constant high temps, espexially in colder climes or where there is no central heating.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Red? When did this beauty come out? My glossy 12 gallon, is less and less glossy by the day. Just letting you guys know.


----------



## CmdrBond

I'm not sure if it was a limited edition, I got it from Maidenhead Aquatics here in the UK, they had Red, White and Black (and some *were* marked as LE, but I can't remember which) - and our local Pets At Home have Black White and Pewter. Southern Aquatics also stock them, but I'm not sure if they have the LED ones in yet.


----------



## CmdrBond

One of my other _toys_ turned up today with my Neoheater - a seneye REEF

I have plugged it in, even though the tank is dry and I haven't unwrapped the slide, as I wanted to test the light meter.

I have no idea how accurate it is, but Fluval rate the new LED bar in the edge at 7500K

I took the readings with the sensor in the bottom of the tank, which has *no water* in it (I am sure that this will make a difference to the readings) in a dark, but not pitch black room.



seneye user guide said:


> ...
> 
> The seneye light meter is designed to be used submerged, giving the most accurate more accurate PAR, LUX and Kelvin readings.
> 
> As the light meter has specially designed optics for underwater use, if used out of water the results may not be accurate.
> 
> ...


The line of interest is the gray and white one. The solid colour changing line relates to the top button just to the right of the graph (has a blue dot and what looks like a twig), the dotted coloured line relates to the second button (blue dot and what looks like an eye)

*Day (18 white and 3 blue LED's) reading*









*Night (just 3 blue LED's) reading*










As soon as I have filled it with water I will test again


----------



## acitydweller

now this is an awesome gadget indeed!



CmdrBond said:


> One of my other _toys_ turned up today with my Neoheater - a seneye REEF
> 
> I have plugged it in, even though the tank is dry and I haven't unwrapped the slide, as I wanted to test the light meter.
> 
> I have no idea how accurate it is, but Fluval rate the new LED bar in the edge at 7500K
> 
> I took the readings with the sensor in the bottom of the tank, which has *no water* in it (I am sure that this will make a difference to the readings) in a dark, but not pitch black room.
> 
> 
> 
> The line of interest is the gray and white one. The solid colour changing line relates to the top button just to the right of the graph (has a blue dot and what looks like a twig), the dotted coloured line relates to the second button (blue dot and what looks like an eye)
> 
> *Day (18 white and 3 blue LED's) reading*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Night (just 3 blue LED's) reading*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As soon as I have filled it with water I will test again


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Very nice cmd, keep us posted.

13 PAR rating seem awful low, don't you guys think? Is that just the average of all the readings? Can you test the PAR directly under the led bar?


----------



## mahko

Interesting test. Also curious to see PAR directly under the LEDs. This is the first time I've ever seen a PAR test done on the new Edge, thanks!


----------



## CmdrBond

this was directly under the leds, albeit at the bottom of a *dry* tank with a sensor that is designed for use under water.

Once I have filled it (need a few more toys first :help I will retest both bottom and top of the tank.


----------



## Mxx

CmdrBond said:


> One of my other _toys_ turned up today with my Neoheater - a seneye REEF
> 
> I have plugged it in, even though the tank is dry and I haven't unwrapped the slide, as I wanted to test the light meter.
> 
> I have no idea how accurate it is, but Fluval rate the new LED bar in the edge at 7500K
> 
> I took the readings with the sensor in the bottom of the tank, which has *no water* in it (I am sure that this will make a difference to the readings) in a dark, but not pitch black room.
> 
> The line of interest is the gray and white one. The solid colour changing line relates to the top button just to the right of the graph (has a blue dot and what looks like a twig), the dotted coloured line relates to the second button (blue dot and what looks like an eye)
> 
> As soon as I have filled it with water I will test again


Very helpful post! It also shows a ratio between Lux and PAR which should be more or less constant for cool white (6500K LED's). So we could use an inexpensive lux meter instead, and then divide that measurement by 38 to obtain an approximate measure of PAR. I'll be interested to see how what changes once you've added water as well. How accurate are the Seneye, according to reviews and user comments by the way?


----------



## CmdrBond

I did try and do some research, and couldn't glean much from other peoples comments so being the gadget freak that I am I thought I would give it a shot - my wife thought it was a good idea to have 24/7 tank monitoring too (which is good seeing as I already managed to persuade her to buy an overpriced tank ), however she thinks I bought the £50 Pond version not the £100 Reef version (actually cost me £85 from Warehouse Aquatics (NOT Aquatics Warehouse - 2 different companies))

I'll be honest, I don't expect miracles and the company does seem to be pretty new and have some teething problems, but I also hear they have excellent customer service (how good that gets when they get 1000's of customers instead of 100's remains to be seen, but here's hoping.


My final piece of tank tech should turn up in the next few days - a Hydor Ario 1 (I was going to go with the Ario 2 or the H2Show but decided their flow rates were far to high for the size of the tank). Once that turns up I can put the sand in, nip round the corner and grab some _Microsorum pteropus "Narrow"_ and _Anubias nana_ (wanted petite but can only get that online) all on driftwood from my local Pets At Home (dunno what their prices are yet), fill it with water and get some more results for you.


----------



## CmdrBond

Mxx said:


> Very helpful post! *It also shows a ratio between Lux and PAR which should be more or less constant for cool white (6500K LED's)*. So we could use an inexpensive lux meter instead, and then divide that measurement by 38 to obtain an approximate measure of PAR. I'll be interested to see how what changes once you've added water as well. How accurate are the Seneye, according to reviews and user comments by the way?


Just re-read that - please note that:


The lights are supposed to be 7500K not 6500K (I have had close to 7500 on one reading, but may have been with additional room lighting, I can't remember.
The sensor is designed to be used in water - this may skew the results and the ratios between them.
They are not sole white LED's - even in day mode where there are 18 white LED's, the three *blue* night-time LED's are also lit.
In night mode it is just 3 blue LED's


It could also mean that the software is only *estimating* one of the readings from the other (PAR from LUX most probably), rather than actually measuring both.

either way, it is still interesting. If someone in the UK is willing to send me a PAR meter to test then we will know how far off it is.


----------



## CmdrBond

Just found this: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/review 



Advanced Aquarist said:


> Converting Lux to PAR
> 
> If you have a lux meter, it is possible to convert lux to PAR. Since spectral quality plays a part in these conversions, each light source (actinic lamp, 6,500K metal halide, etc.) will have a difference factor. The equation is:
> 
> *Lux ÷ Constant = µmol·m2·sec*
> 
> Lux to PAR Conversion Factors
> Light Source -	Constant
> Sunlight	54
> Warm White Fluorescent	76
> Cool White Fluorescent	74
> URI (now UV) Actinic Fluorescent	18
> URI (now UV) Daylight Fluorescent	54
> Actinic/Daylight Combination	38
> Philips 03 Actinic Fluorescent	40
> Panasonic 6,700°K Power Compact	72
> Panasonic 7,100°K / 6,700°K Combination	55
> Osram Powerstar Metal Halide	57
> Ushio 10,000°K Metal Halide	54
> Coralife 10,000°K Metal Halide	30
> Venture "Daylight" Metal Halide	46
> Radium "Blue" Metal Halide	51
> Fusion Sulfur Lamp	41
> Westron Mercury Vapor Lamp	70
> Iwasaki 6,500°K Metal Halide	57


----------



## BlueJack

Awesome stuff Cmdrbond!!! Please update us when you have tested this in water and around a few points inside the tank. I'm dying to see what it reads at the corners. 

Also, 13 Par seems about right. I know these small smd's don't give off much light at all.... and readings like 13 are around most plants LCP. Very low light levels, guess that's why people have trouble turning these edge's into planted tanks without mods.


----------



## raven_wilde

BlueJack said:


> Awesome stuff Cmdrbond!!! Please update us when you have tested this in water and around a few points inside the tank. I'm dying to see what it reads at the corners.


Yes, I'm interested too in the variance of light in the corners vs. light directly under the fixture. If, when you get around to filling your tank, you could take readings at a few different points in the tank it would be great to see how different the readings are!


----------



## Mxx

CmdrBond said:


> Just found this: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/review


Unfortunately no conversion factor there for LED's!...

I'd looked at the Seneye in a shop and was surprised that it 'might' measure PAR considering it is relatively inexpensive and with the other features it has. That might make more sense IF it's just a random estimate of PAR in that case. 

Wow, the thread reached 100 pages. :icon_smil


----------



## CmdrBond

It all depends on how accurate that estimate is (if indeed it is an estimate, I do not know for sure). If it is reasonably accurate then I can see a lot of reefers/planters buying it just for that as an Apogee is at least 2-3 times the price. The added extras not including the the consumable slides might just be enough to sway if the accuracy is only a little out. Lets be fair, most of us are not operating our tanks under laboratory conditions, so we don't really need laboratory accuracy. Obviously the more accurate we can be the better, but I doubt it will be the end of the world for most of us.

Now, re seneye's customer service.

I sent them an email on Saturday - (I didn't expect an immediate reply, due to the weekend). I was incredibly suprised to receive a reply to my issue at 09:11 this morning (Monday for you readers that come to this in the future ) - not only acknowleding my issue, but telling me it had been fixed and that they were working on the code to allow to change this option ourselves in the future.

So customer service wise - *very happy* right now.


----------



## CmdrBond

Interesting news re the light sensors - after my last post I sent this email:


Sent: 27 February 2012 11:59 said:


> *To: [email protected]
> Subject: Light meter question*
> 
> Dear seneye,
> 
> In discussing your product on one aquatic forum and reading other peoples comments on other forums, there is a little confusion.
> 
> Could you please clarify, does the unit actually measure all three scales (Lux, PAR and Kelvin) or does it only measure 1 or 2 of these and calculate/estimate the remaining. If the latter, could you please specify which are calculated - and how accurate those calculations are likely to be compared to a specialist meter calibrated specially for that scale.
> 
> Many thanks.


This was their (quick) response:



Received: 27 February 2012 14:06 said:


> Hi,
> 
> The measurement for PAR LUX and Kelvin are measured independently. There is a lot more information regarding the differences in the light measurements on the following link on our website. http://www.seneye.com/lighting
> 
> We believe the measurements for each of these parameters to be really quite accurate. Obviously there is technology out there for doing these measurement but usually at a much higher price point and with different applications in mind. The seneye has been designed to take readings from within the aquarium environment, this is different to other test methods - ie photograph equipment etc.
> 
> I hope that this answers your questions.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> seneye support


----------



## BlueJack

Found this from that link:

"Most PAR devices are aimed for use in greenhouses where they are more interested in the red end of the PAR spectrum as this is where most terrestrial plant get there useful light from. The seneye device is more sensitive than most at light below 450nm (bluer). 

Moreover the seneye device has no cosine corrector fitted; these are normally fitted to devices that are used to measure the sun so that they can be left in one position and the change in the suns angle depending on the time of year (its zenith angle) means that the reading is unaffected. In an aquarium with a fixed light source this is not needed and adding a cosine filter may introduce light from places you don't want. In our view a narrow angle light sensor will allow us to look at light sources with more accuracy and directional control."


----------



## BarleyBear

So how successful have folks been using the standard Fluval LED lights?

I have the 42 LED system that came with my 12 gallon. I planted some Cabomba last week, and it has remained a vibrant green and has grown at least 4 inches with no browning. It seems to be thriving.

Can we determine from this what the standard LED light level is? I've seen some sources say Cabomba likes high light, others medium.

I'd just like to know what plants the LED's are suitable without everyone just assuming they're no good. I think they've been pretty good.


----------



## CmdrBond

Pass, but i am hoping to get my hands on a 12 Gal light unit (albeit blue LED's not working) - if I do, I will make sure that I take some readings from that too.


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> Just ordered a 30 impeller for grins. I might be willing to sell one of my 50 impellers (I got 2, because the s&h was so high, and thought to refit my 6G, too)...


I installed the AquaClear 30 impeller in the 12G Fluval, and it looks like a perfect match for fresh water. Gentle enough at lower settings not to blow the smaller critters around, but with a good 150G/hours circulation on full. I am surprised that Fluval did not make the switch routinely in the upgrade from 6G parts - it would have been COGs neutral. For salt water, I would still recommend switching to the 50 impeller.


----------



## CmdrBond

Good to know - cheers


----------



## haralds

*Aquatek CO2 with 20oz bottle - 6 weeks at 1bps-15hrs*

Well, just ran out a little faster than I thought. I leak checked, and this looks like the real first use case.

I am running about 1bps in a 12G for 15 hours per day, and got about 6 weeks. It's ok, since I have two bottles, and this is about 83 cents a week...

Once everything has settled down, I don't touch that dial. Based on the CO2 indicator, there was no dumping.

But a larger bottle might be more convenient in the end :hihi:

Those little 8oz Fluval carts must really not last very long...


----------



## FlyingHellFish

haralds said:


> Well, just ran out a little faster than I thought. I leak checked, and this looks like the real first use case.
> 
> I am running about 1bps in a 12G for 15 hours per day, and got about 6 weeks. It's ok, since I have two bottles, and this is about 83 cents a week...
> 
> Once everything has settled down, I don't touch that dial. Based on the CO2 indicator, there was no dumping.
> 
> But a larger bottle might be more convenient in the end :hihi:
> 
> Those little 8oz Fluval carts must really not last very long...


Have you thought of using an Atomizer? Might lower your bps since it's diffusion is better than normal glass ceramic.


----------



## CmdrBond

OK, back on PAR 

Right, firstly a disclaimer - *this is not a scientific study* - The I have only taken readings once so I have not managed to build up an average. The readings I posted before ware taken with the sensor perfectly flat on the bottom glass of the tank directly under the light bar and with no water. These readings have been taken in water (although the Edge wasn't fully filled - I had to leave 1/2" at the top to take into account the displacement of my arm). The sensor is now ~1 - 1 1/2" off the base of the tank now as the sand is in, and also not lying perfectly flat. I took 3 readings for both day and night lighting, centre, rear corner and front corner. In both tests, the test was conducted in a darkened room, the only additional light would have been from the laptop, or filtering in from another room - so shouldn't make to much of a difference.

So without further ado


*Centre Day*









*Centre Night*









*Back Corner Day*









*Back Corner Night*









*Front Corner Day*









*Front Corner Night*










In other news, My Seneye Reef has had a few teething problems, but customer service has been excellent - and it is still a new product, so I am happy with it for now - got to work out what to do about my pH though - its about 8.5 out of the tap!

I have to say that I am currently VERY happy with my 75W Aquael Neoheater - whilst I am just starting the tank I have it set at 25°C - According to my Seneye Reef, once it got to temperature it has peaked at 25°C and troughed at 24.5°C, averaging 24.7°C. OK, it's only been up a couple of days but for it to be staying within half a degree I find excellent.


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

Top down


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> Have you thought of using an Atomizer? Might lower your bps since it's diffusion is better than normal glass ceramic.


Will give that a try. Just ordered one.
Smaller is better... :icon_smil


----------



## FlyingHellFish

haralds said:


> Will give that a try. Just ordered one.
> Smaller is better... :icon_smil


If you haven't already done so, I suggest GLA. I had some bad experience with some cheap chinese atomizer that literary clog on 40 psi. Diffusion wasn't even as I think it was poorly made.

I too am looking for a real atomizer, though I think GLA is a bit on the expensive side, I wouldn't mind something that last. The shipping with UPS and customs is a bit high to my neck of the woods.


----------



## tbarabash

That seneye thing looks awesome, I'm definitely adding that to my "list of stuff to buy without the wife knowing how much it costs"


----------



## CmdrBond

tbarabash said:


> That seneye thing looks awesome, I'm definitely adding that to my "list of stuff to buy without the wife knowing how much it costs"


Interesting you should say that, my "signature" in a sea fishing forum I visit reads: _My only hope is that when I am dead and gone my wife does not sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it!_


----------



## simply amazing

Jeff.:P:. said:


> Top down


nice! do you have a FTS? 



CmdrBond said:


> Interesting you should say that, my "signature" in a sea fishing forum I visit reads: _My only hope is that when I am dead and gone my wife does not sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it!_


lol!


----------



## CmdrBond

Some more on the seneye

Firstly, the computer app

*The main screen* Showing free ammonia and pH (both require the replaceable slide ~£6.00 GBP/30 days), temperature and if the device is submerged.









*The replace slide screen*









*The digistrip screen* - digistrip and reader coming soon









*The light meter screen* (this one you have already seen)









*The settings screen*









*The device info screen* (some information blocked out - I do not know whether I needed to do this, but it just felt right)










and then there is the web panel - here you can actually resize, rearrange and rename all the little graphs; and adjust the min/max thresholds for each. I do not really use the Lux PAR and kelvin graphs, but you can just see them poking up from the bottom. The solid lines on the graphs are from actual readings and the dotted/dashed lines are for _predicted_ readings. Hopefully my temperature predictions will settle down after a few more days.










You also get text alerts when you go outside your set parameters. More useful *once* the tank is cycled 
HTH


----------



## Mxx

CmdrBond said:


> Some more on the seneye
> 
> You also get text alerts when you go outside your set parameters. More useful *once* the tank is cycled
> HTH


Cool stuff!... Especially with an upcoming upgrade that might be able to monitor nitrates and hardness. (Now if you could just get it to DOSE nitrates as well to keep a set level)... The PAR meter itself seems worth the price, especially as it actually seems more accurately geared towards aquarium use. Are you selling them too? LOL


----------



## Jeff.:P:.

simply amazing said:


> nice! do you have a FTS?
> 
> 
> lol!



here you go!


----------



## CmdrBond

Mxx said:


> Cool stuff!... Especially with an upcoming upgrade that might be able to monitor nitrates and hardness. (Now if you could just get it to DOSE nitrates as well to keep a set level)... The PAR meter itself seems worth the price, especially as it actually seems more accurately geared towards aquarium use. Are you selling them too? LOL


No, I'm not  would love to earn some commission 

i have asked them to develop a "signature banner" much like the ones used on computer forums to show live stats of peoples PC's to the world. They seemed to like the idea and I believe have put it in their to do list - don't know how high up though.


----------



## Say Car Ramrod

FlyingHellFish said:


> If you haven't already done so, I suggest GLA. I had some bad experience with some cheap chinese atomizer that literary clog on 40 psi. Diffusion wasn't even as I think it was poorly made.
> 
> I too am looking for a real atomizer, though I think GLA is a bit on the expensive side, I wouldn't mind something that last. The shipping with UPS and customs is a bit high to my neck of the woods.



You might be able to get an atomizer from made by up aqua on amazon. They're pretty cheap but I've heard good things about them.


----------



## AnotherHobby

First post here, first aquarium ever, lots of firsts...

My wife and I picked up a 12 gallon Fluval Edge (fish tank project was anniversary gift to each other) as a first aquarium. The primary obvious reason was style. It's a great looking aquarium! I've done a bit of research, but it was all after we ordered the tank. I basically spent a week reading and talking to the LFS, and then we dove in this weekend. This is my first ever aquarium, so go easy on me. 

The LFS sold us some substrate that was pre-cycled and in water in a 20 pound bag. He said you need to get fish in right away (I waited 24 hours), because the bacteria are dormant until they get exposed to oxygen. After that they need the ammonia from the fish. I asked if it was okay to just buy all the fish I want to put in there and put them in right away, and he said yes. It caught me off guard, as I hadn't read about it yet, but this sounded better than doing a 1 fish cycle or a no fish cycle for weeks, so I went for it.

Here is the current setup...

Fauna:
6 Tetra Neons (small size < 1" long)
3 Danio Glofish - yellow
2 Rasbora - Galaxy
2 Panda Corydoras
3 Cherry Red Shrimp
2 Mystery Snails - Gold
Flora:
Red Wide Leaf Ludwigia
Petite Anubias Nana
Water Sprite

I picked up the API master test kit, and got PH dialed in right away. Amonia is at 0, Nitrites are at 0, and nitrates are at about 20-30 after the first 36 hours. I'll be checking these daily for at least the first week. The water is slightly cloudy right now, but the LFS guy said that it would be from the driftwood tannins (I put in 2 pieces) and the setup. Hopefully that clears up soon.

Only traumatic event so far was that 3 tetra's got sucked up by the impeller over the night and didn't live to tell the story.  I quickly fabbed a pre-filter to block the holes. 

Found a perfect stand for it at Target:










Here is how I scaped it out. It's not exactly how I had pictured it in my head, but I like how it turned out. 










My wife picked out most of the rocks and the drift wood. I picked the substrate color and all the plants. I did most of the layout, and she helped with direction. We both picked the fish. It's been really fun so far. One unexpected beautiful surprise is that the yellow Danio Glowfish are absolutely electric under the moon light. It's just stunning to see. I took a video of it: Youtube Video

So far I'm loving the tank, other than when it ate 3 tetras. Getting air bubbles off the top is a little tricky, but I'm figuring that out. One thing I'm a bit clueless on at the moment is feeding them. I'm not sure how much I should be feeding them, and how often. The LFS guy gave me Sera micron growth food. It's a gray powder. They seem to like it. He also sold me Sera crabs natural to drop down for the 3 little shrimp, but they don't seem to interested in it. Any tips on feeding?

EDIT: I've done more reading, and they sold me too small of food for these guys. I zipped off to the store and got tropical flake food. I also did a bunch of reading on how much to feed them and how often, so I think I'll be fine there.


----------



## haralds

AnotherHobby said:


> One thing I'm a bit clueless on at the moment is feeding them. I'm not sure how much I should be feeding them, and how often.


Get the foam siphon cover. It acts as a first stage filter, and prevents small animals ending up in the filter. I normally take this off and carefully rinse in warm water every two weeks.
In case of doubt, feed less! Only feed enough so that eat the fish everything in 2-3 minutes. In case of doubt, feed only every second day.

Overall, take it very slow. Even with pre-seasoned gravel, the system will take a while to settle down.


----------



## simply amazing

Jeff.:P:. said:


> here you go!


thanks! looking real good there! are you using a paintball setup?


----------



## haralds

Say Car Ramrod said:


> You might be able to get an atomizer from made by up aqua on amazon. They're pretty cheap but I've heard good things about them.


This is the one I ordered. Should be here Wednesday. :icon_cool


----------



## Philosophy

Hello,


Just connected a diy Co2 and ceramic diffuser to the edge today. Every looked pretty good. Until about an hour ago where a noticed a lot of CO2 bubbles built up on the top front glass (kinda like the first time you start cycling) I'm wondering if this is a bad thing? I have the diffuser under the outtake of the filter. Im guessing the water flow is pushing the bubbles forward. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. Phil


----------



## 600rr

It's fine. I get tons of bubbles from my pressurized system. Seems to have no ill effects on its inhabitants.



Philosophy said:


> Hello,
> 
> 
> Just connected a diy Co2 and ceramic diffuser to the edge today. Every looked pretty good. Until about an hour ago where a noticed a lot of CO2 bubbles built up on the top front glass (kinda like the first time you start cycling) I'm wondering if this is a bad thing? I have the diffuser under the outtake of the filter. Im guessing the water flow is pushing the bubbles forward. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated. Phil


----------



## Philosophy

Thanks 600. I appreciate the input. BTW, nice tank!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Can you do a PAR rating on the 42 LED but with the 6 gallon? I'm not sure if I should grab the 12 gallon LED bar for 60 bucks if MR16 have more PAR and LUX.

They are quoting me as 60 - 65 bucks for the 42 LEDs.
MR16 x2 is at 20 - 30 bucks.


----------



## raven_wilde

Psst.... I just posted a big update on my Edge Journal


----------



## FlyingHellFish

raven_wilde said:


> Psst.... I just posted a big update on my Edge Journal


It's spring time and I too rescape my 6 gallon Edge. Your growth is great Raven, love the moss on wood.


Here a teaser for my rescape..... 

Red & Rilli 









HC I'm growing...

















Combined









Pearling HC on Rock









I want to get a good carpet going before doing any major addition. The battle with algae is slowly being won by WC and a Smooth Scarper. My shrimps barely touches the stuff, I been spoiling them with Shrimp food.


----------



## CmdrBond

FlyingHellFish said:


> Can you do a PAR rating on the 42 LED but with the 6 gallon? I'm not sure if I should grab the 12 gallon LED bar for 60 bucks if MR16 have more PAR and LUX.
> 
> They are quoting me as 60 - 65 bucks for the 42 LEDs.
> MR16 x2 is at 20 - 30 bucks.


Only if I get the 42 LED bar.


----------



## haralds

Say Car Ramrod said:


> You might be able to get an atomizer from made by up aqua on amazon. They're pretty cheap but I've heard good things about them.


Trying the atomizer by Up. Definitely finer.
The larger impeller definitely increases the flow rate. My siphon prefilter was plugged after one week! Time to switch that item to the weekly rinse schedule! :angel:


----------



## Ashted

Hey all im kinda new to this and this is actually my first post. Ive just recently bought the larger 12 Gallon Edge tank and i (hopefully) intend to get a Betta (they are just gorgeous) ive done my research and things but was wondering if this tank would be ideal for it? Ive heard people havent had any problems with having Bettas in their Edge tanks and i know they rely on coming to the surface to get air, however, these people are using the smaller 6 gallon tanks. Would the betta have a problem with finding the surface in a larger 12 gallon version?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Ashted said:


> Hey all im kinda new to this and this is actually my first post. Ive just recently bought the larger 12 Gallon Edge tank and i (hopefully) intend to get a Betta (they are just gorgeous) ive done my research and things but was wondering if this tank would be ideal for it? Ive heard people havent had any problems with having Bettas in their Edge tanks and i know they rely on coming to the surface to get air, however, these people are using the smaller 6 gallon tanks. Would the betta have a problem with finding the surface in a larger 12 gallon version?


It really all depends on the betta finding the hole and remembering it. Some people like haralds' betta finds the hole no problem in his 12 gallon, mine on the other hand isn't very smart.

I had my betta in the 6 gallon initially and he freaked out when he couldn't find the hole. After a few days, I decide to buy him his own tank. With a 12 gallon, since it's taller, I think you might run into more problems.They like sleeping on plant leafs close to the top, at least mine does anyways, so the height of the tank might pose further problems.

I just really didn't want to torture my betta, he couldn't find the hole in spite of me feeding him there. I seen a betta in my LFS that finds the hole no problem.


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> It really all depends on the betta finding the hole and remembering it. Some people like haralds' betta finds the hole no problem in his 12 gallon, mine on the other hand isn't very smart.
> 
> I had my betta in the 6 gallon initially and he freaked out when he couldn't find the hole. After a few days, I decide to buy him his own tank. With a 12 gallon, since it's taller, I think you might run into more problems.They like sleeping on plant leafs close to the top, at least mine does anyways, so the height of the tank might pose further problems.
> 
> I just really didn't want to torture my betta, he couldn't find the hole in spite of me feeding him there. I seen a betta in my LFS that finds the hole no problem.


As pointed out, mine has had no trouble. But I wonder, if you see them having an issue, whether they could be trained by temporarily putting a black cover on the top glass, so only the open area is lit?


----------



## BarleyBear

Ashted said:


> Hey all im kinda new to this and this is actually my first post. Ive just recently bought the larger 12 Gallon Edge tank and i (hopefully) intend to get a Betta (they are just gorgeous) ive done my research and things but was wondering if this tank would be ideal for it? Ive heard people havent had any problems with having Bettas in their Edge tanks and i know they rely on coming to the surface to get air, however, these people are using the smaller 6 gallon tanks. Would the betta have a problem with finding the surface in a larger 12 gallon version?


Hi Ashted,

First, congrats on getting the 12 gallon Edge! I've had mine since January. Just bought the 6 gallon, too. 

Before I bought my betta, some folks were concerned that he'd have trouble finding the opening. So I made sure to monitor him for several hours when I first put him in, and I was prepared to lower the water level to provide an inch of surface air for the whole tank if need be. However, he had no trouble whatsoever finding the cut out at the top. And he's had no problem adjusting to a taller tank. I imagine a 12 gallon tall tank is way more space than he's ever had in his life, but he pretty much commands the whole thing. There isn't a nook or cranny, top or bottom, that he doesn't hang out in.

I'd say it took him about 30 minutes to figure out where to get air from. Now he goes straight to it anytime he needs to. Of course, that's where his food comes from, too. He's a pretty smart and adventurous fish, though. Others may have different experiences.

I'd say, make sure you have a few hours to devote to watching him when you put him in and be prepared to either lower the water line or house him somewhere else if he doesn't seem to figure it out.

Good luck!


----------



## kkuzelka

Hey everyone! 

So I joined this forum because everyone seems really eager to help one another and seems a lot nicer than all the other forums I've been stumbling upon when doing research. (A LOT of RESEARCH!!) 

Well I picked up the new fluval edge 6G LED a couple weeks ago. Even after reading thread upon thread, post upon post, and forum upon forum I still and have some questions. I'm looking for some opinions from fellow tank lovers about my tank setup.
The tank is sitting in my room right now completely clean and gutted...Didn’t want to start anything before running it by this thread. 
So ok here it goes...My first stab at a planted tank... 

*Equipment:*
- 50W fully submersible adjustable heater
- Standard aqua clear filter that comes with the edge
- Fluval edge pre filter sponge
- Bubbler 
- After reading the comments on the new led setup on the edges. I decided to upgrade the standard 21 LED that comes with the 6G to the 42 LED light kit made for the 12G fluval. Ordered it last night so should be in the next couple of days.

*Miscellaneous:*
-	Black Fluorite (10pds)
-	C02 Booster
-	Root Tablets
-	Plant Food (Petsmart)
-	2 Pieces of Amazon Driftwood (Already boiled) 

*Flora: This is what I'm thinking.. Looking/wanting opinions on this*
-	Moss 
o	Java Moss or Christmas Moss…Which one is preferred? 
-	Ricca
o	Do you think this will just take over the tank? Or too hard to keep with the small opening in the edge? 
-	Amazon Sword 
-	Anubias
-	A couple Crypts 
o	Any Recommendations on the species of crypts that would go well with the edge/setup? 

*Fauna: Again, What I’m thinking.. Opinions Wanted*
-	Shrimp two different species (any suggestions)
-	Trumpet snails (to turn the gravel over)
-	Open to other snails, fish, anything.. 
-	Would love to put a fish or two but don’t want the shrimp being gulped up as a midnight snack 

*Questions: *
-	Any other recommendations on any other type of plants would be great! This is my first planted tank so I want to be extra careful with this part. 

-	I would like to stay away from the C02 tanks and all that because of two reasons.. One, being it’s expensive… Two, just looks like a hassle to setup and maintain. Any input? Will I be able to grow a good number of plants without it and just using supplements (excel, tablets, etc.) 

- Since I upgraded my hood to the 42 LED kit do you think that is enough light now for the 6G? Or Do I need more? 

-	I would love to get two stones for the edge and wrap them in a moss. I know that I don’t want to use any stones/rocks that can be found outside because it can harm a tank. So any recommendations on this issue? 

Thanks for tanking your time and reading about my setup. I’m really excited about starting this tank but need to be patience! So that’s why I need the forums help!


----------



## Ashted

Massive thankyou to BarleyBear, Haralds and FlyingHellFish for your help! Im certainly open to the idea of having to lower the water line if needs be and the blacking everything but the opening idea sounds fantastic. 

Ill most certainly have time to devote to keep an eye on him. Ill be sure to post some pics for you guys of my final set up! Thanks again!


----------



## BarleyBear

I started a new thread "Betta vs. Fluval Edge" to see if we can get more first hand experience from actual betta/Edge owners. 

Haralds, FlyingHellFish, would you guys mind posting your experiences there? I'm hoping to gather more anecdotal evidence for folks who are considering housing a betta in an Edge. 

The conversation has derailed into a debate over whether or not bettas can drown. Your posts could help steer it back on track. 

Thanks.


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> UP Atomizer - This is the one I ordered. Should be here Wednesday. :icon_cool


I am returning the small UP Atomizer to Amazon.com after a promising start. It is spec'd to required > 2kg/cm2, I am supplying about 3.9 kg/cm2 (55psi), the max capability of my system.

The atomizer plugged to a very small % of the original volume. CO2 content is dropping.

Going back to the blown glass unit, which has worked great for a while and been very steady.

Your mileage may vary... :bounce:

Of course, going in there so deep is always a pain. Plenty of partial water changes!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

kkuzelka said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> So I joined this forum because everyone seems really eager to help one another and seems a lot nicer than all the other forums I've been stumbling upon when doing research. (A LOT of RESEARCH!!)
> 
> Well I picked up the new fluval edge 6G LED a couple weeks ago. Even after reading thread upon thread, post upon post, and forum upon forum I still and have some questions. I'm looking for some opinions from fellow tank lovers about my tank setup.
> The tank is sitting in my room right now completely clean and gutted...Didn’t want to start anything before running it by this thread.
> So ok here it goes...My first stab at a planted tank...
> 
> *Equipment:*
> - 50W fully submersible adjustable heater
> - Standard aqua clear filter that comes with the edge
> - Fluval edge pre filter sponge
> - Bubbler
> - After reading the comments on the new led setup on the edges. I decided to upgrade the standard 21 LED that comes with the 6G to the 42 LED light kit made for the 12G fluval. Ordered it last night so should be in the next couple of days.
> 
> *Miscellaneous:*
> -	Black Fluorite (10pds)
> -	C02 Booster
> -	Root Tablets
> -	Plant Food (Petsmart)
> -	2 Pieces of Amazon Driftwood (Already boiled)
> 
> *Flora: This is what I'm thinking.. Looking/wanting opinions on this*
> -	Moss
> o	Java Moss or Christmas Moss…Which one is preferred?
> -	Ricca
> o	Do you think this will just take over the tank? Or too hard to keep with the small opening in the edge?
> -	Amazon Sword
> -	Anubias
> -	A couple Crypts
> o	Any Recommendations on the species of crypts that would go well with the edge/setup?
> 
> *Fauna: Again, What I’m thinking.. Opinions Wanted*
> -	Shrimp two different species (any suggestions)
> -	Trumpet snails (to turn the gravel over)
> -	Open to other snails, fish, anything..
> -	Would love to put a fish or two but don’t want the shrimp being gulped up as a midnight snack
> 
> *Questions: *
> -	Any other recommendations on any other type of plants would be great! This is my first planted tank so I want to be extra careful with this part.
> 
> -	I would like to stay away from the C02 tanks and all that because of two reasons.. One, being it’s expensive… Two, just looks like a hassle to setup and maintain. Any input? Will I be able to grow a good number of plants without it and just using supplements (excel, tablets, etc.)
> 
> - Since I upgraded my hood to the 42 LED kit do you think that is enough light now for the 6G? Or Do I need more?
> 
> -	I would love to get two stones for the edge and wrap them in a moss. I know that I don’t want to use any stones/rocks that can be found outside because it can harm a tank. So any recommendations on this issue?
> 
> Thanks for tanking your time and reading about my setup. I’m really excited about starting this tank but need to be patience! So that’s why I need the forums help!


Sooo many questions, I'll try my best.

First, try to think of what you want the final tank to look like and go from there. With the 42 LED, I think you will be fine with your choice of plants but if you can, get a table lamp to help out the corners of the tank. Due to the hood, it's does limit the corners of light.

My suggestion is to add the stone, plants, etc first before the fish. You will help get the cycle going and also be able to move things around if you choice. Since the space is limited, you might freak out the livestock with too much of a rescaping. 

Adding Co2 with Excel will work for some plants but it really doesn't replace pressurized Co2. You can get a small 5lb and a Aquatek for about 200. Then you can grow all sort of stuff.

How about this:
Moss on Rocks
Driftwood with Moss

Dwarf Hair Grass - Easy carpet plant , try to add a space divider because they can over take other plants. 
HC Cuba - If you use a desktop lamp 23 watt 6500 k along with Co2, you will have no problems with this great plant.

Add some Fire Red Shrimp to deal with algae, they have very little bio-load and are hardy.

Some people might tell you to buy Dry Fertilizers but for such a small tank, you can buy Seachem line which will last you a while. 

If you don't want to do a Co2 system, you can add Excel with a DIY Co2.


----------



## LiveDivine

Hey guys, completely new to the site/thread.

I've been wanting to do live plants for a really long time now and thought the Edge would be a perfect starting point.
Very happy with how it turned out.
Bought the LED light upgrades along with a 45 LED light bar to go along with it. (not on in the picture)

11 Neon Tetras. (asked for nine and got three as a bonus I guess.)
3 baby Peppered Cory's
3 Amano Shrimp


----------



## haralds

LiveDivine said:


> Hey guys, completely new to the site/thread.
> 
> I've been wanting to do live plants for a really long time now and thought the Edge would be a perfect starting point.
> Very happy with how it turned out.
> Bought the LED light upgrades along with a 45 LED light bar to go along with it. (not on in the picture)
> 
> 11 Neon Tetras. (asked for nine and got three as a bonus I guess.)
> 3 baby Peppered Cory's
> 3 Amano Shrimp


Love it. Would recommend the foam filter over the siphon. And hide that big thermometer floating there.... :hihi:


----------



## LiveDivine

haralds said:


> Love it. Would recommend the foam filter over the siphon. And hide that big thermometer floating there.... :hihi:



I plan to put some black nylon screen around the filter tube, haven't had much time to shop for it unfortunately. It's been about a month and thankfully no one has gotten sucked up yet! *knocks on wood*

The thermometer is temporary, the heater im using doesn't have a guage so I have to adjust it blindly, just making sure it doesn't fluctuate.


----------



## BarleyBear

For those of you with the 6 gallon who've upgraded your 21 LED light bar to the 42 LED light bar, how did you do that? As in, where did you buy it and how did you change it out?

I have been very happy with the 42 LED light bar that came with my 12 gallon. I've just recently bought the 6 gallon and plan to do an Iwagumi style aquascape with it. I'd like to change the 21 LED bar to the 42 LED bar, but I don't know where to buy it or how to change it out. 

Please tell me it's not complicated.


----------



## kkuzelka

Thanks FlyingFish for the reply!! 

Quick question though... What did you mean by this? 5lb and a Aquatek for about 200. is it a co2 system? And if so can i order it online? i put aquatek in google and got a bunch of fish store links and a water filter company.... 

Thanks again for reading and helping me out with...


----------



## kkuzelka

BarleyBear said:


> For those of you with the 6 gallon who've upgraded your 21 LED light bar to the 42 LED light bar, how did you do that? As in, where did you buy it and how did you change it out?
> 
> I have been very happy with the 42 LED light bar that came with my 12 gallon. I've just recently bought the 6 gallon and plan to do an Iwagumi style aquascape with it. I'd like to change the 21 LED bar to the 42 LED bar, but I don't know where to buy it or how to change it out.
> 
> Please tell me it's not complicated.



Two screws are all you need to remove to switch out the bar light from the 21 to 42 LED. You can order it here... 

http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Replacement-Parts/A13926


----------



## daisy7896

Ok quick question, I have the stock edge with 21 led lighting with a Betta and CPO in it. I put in a bunch of baby tears hoping to accomplish a carpet effect but don't know if the regular lighting is enoug. Should I upgrade to the 42 led light and would thatbe enough? I'm fairly new to this and still confused about lighting lol I also dose with flourish and excel since I haven't gotten intothe.co2 thing yet....


----------



## Kernowmcrae

Evening guys, just wanted to add another EDGE owner - a planted, Co2 enriched 12 Gallon, growing in rather nicely... I've got a couple of issues with the standard lighting at the mo, so will be going through a large modification to add a 10 watt LED into the cover - will post in here when I manage it! If you want a look at how mine is going, I've just updated my tank journal here:

Clicky

Some good looking edges in here!


----------



## raven_wilde

kkuzelka said:


> Two screws are all you need to remove to switch out the bar light from the 21 to 42 LED. You can order it here...
> 
> http://ca-en.hagen.com/Aquatic/Replacement-Parts/A13926


That is the Canadian site for Hagen... has anyone here in the US actually ordered from it? Because, after at least a preliminary look, it doesn't appear that we can.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

kkuzelka said:


> Thanks FlyingFish for the reply!!
> 
> Quick question though... What did you mean by this? 5lb and a Aquatek for about 200. is it a co2 system? And if so can i order it online? i put aquatek in google and got a bunch of fish store links and a water filter company....
> 
> Thanks again for reading and helping me out with...


A lot of people will tell you to get a dual stage etc, they are worth the money if you have 300 - 400 otherwise you will have to spend some time finding the parts.

What you should do is get a Aquatek for 60 - 70 dollars and a 5 lb Co2 tank. I think it's cheaper to get the tank locally because you will need to find a place to refill it. A 5 lb will last you nearly a year or even more, especially on a 6 or 12 gallon. Harald has the Aquatek and he has no problems with it. You can also find other retail regulators like the AquaticLife compact version for 149. I have it and it's sexy as hell, a bit expensive tho.

By adding the 42 LED along with Co2, I think you can grow carpeting plants. 


*Items:*
AquaTek Co2
5 lb locally (It's heavy, 1 year or more)
Paintball 20 - 24 oz (a few months) Requires AquaTek Adapter (15 - 30)

Dry Fertilizers 

K2SO4 Potassium Sulphate
KNO3 Potassium Nitrate
KH2PO4 Mono Potassium Phosphate (Might not be needed)
MgSO4 Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salt) 

A cheap Desktop Lamp with 6500k Bulb 23 watts 

Because of the physical limitation of the tank, the corners are lacking in light due to the hood. Instead of doing some crazy mod, I really think the easiest thing to do is to add a desktop lamp. Plants will grow slower with normal lighting as long as you have Co2 and Fertilizers in check.

 I was in your shoes and I had to read a ton of stuff. 

Whatever you choose for Co2, avoid at all cost those cheap overseas regulators. They are equipped (most of the time) with the British / European style connection. Now, the connection we use here is CGA320 and the British style one WILL connect to our thread size but it is not recommended as the steal is prone to leaks. Some of the ebay regulators are not even regulators but flow valves. 

Just get the AquaTek or AquaticLife or any North American style regulator, not worth the hassle to change the connection on those cheap Ebay ones. I got burned by one of them.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

raven_wilde said:


> That is the Canadian site for Hagen... has anyone here in the US actually ordered from it? Because, after at least a preliminary look, it doesn't appear that we can.


Raven, you have to talk to your local Pet store. If they are a Hagen distributor, they can order the part for you. Here in Canada, we can order from the site or the pet store.


----------



## kkuzelka

raven_wilde said:


> That is the Canadian site for Hagen... has anyone here in the US actually ordered from it? Because, after at least a preliminary look, it doesn't appear that we can.


Raven her is another site.. I added this light to my cart and went to checkout and allows you to ship in the U.S. 

The only downside about this purchase is off the hagen site its like 25-30 bucks cheaper. On this site its gonna cost you 81 bucks without shipping fee.

http://www.partsandmedia.com/fled42ledfiw.html


----------



## CmdrBond

kkuzelka said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> So I joined this forum because everyone seems really eager to help one another and seems a lot nicer than all the other forums I've been stumbling upon when doing research. (A LOT of RESEARCH!!)
> 
> Well I picked up the new fluval edge 6G LED a couple weeks ago. Even after reading thread upon thread, post upon post, and forum upon forum I still and have some questions. I'm looking for some opinions from fellow tank lovers about my tank setup.
> The tank is sitting in my room right now completely clean and gutted...Didn’t want to start anything before running it by this thread.
> So ok here it goes...My first stab at a planted tank...
> 
> *Equipment:*
> *- 50W fully submersible adjustable heater*
> - Standard aqua clear filter that comes with the edge
> - Fluval edge pre filter sponge
> - Bubbler
> - After reading the comments on the new led setup on the edges. I decided to upgrade the standard 21 LED that comes with the 6G to the 42 LED light kit made for the 12G fluval. Ordered it last night so should be in the next couple of days.
> 
> *Miscellaneous:*
> -	Black Fluorite (10pds)
> -	C02 Booster
> -	Root Tablets
> -	Plant Food (Petsmart)
> -	2 Pieces of Amazon Driftwood (Already boiled)
> 
> *Flora: This is what I'm thinking.. Looking/wanting opinions on this*
> -	Moss
> o	Java Moss or Christmas Moss…Which one is preferred?
> -	Ricca
> o	Do you think this will just take over the tank? Or too hard to keep with the small opening in the edge?
> -	Amazon Sword
> -	Anubias
> -	A couple Crypts
> o	Any Recommendations on the species of crypts that would go well with the edge/setup?
> 
> *Fauna: Again, What I’m thinking.. Opinions Wanted*
> -	Shrimp two different species (any suggestions)
> -	Trumpet snails (to turn the gravel over)
> -	Open to other snails, fish, anything..
> -	Would love to put a fish or two but don’t want the shrimp being gulped up as a midnight snack
> 
> *Questions: *
> -	Any other recommendations on any other type of plants would be great! This is my first planted tank so I want to be extra careful with this part.
> 
> -	I would like to stay away from the C02 tanks and all that because of two reasons.. One, being it’s expensive… Two, just looks like a hassle to setup and maintain. Any input? Will I be able to grow a good number of plants without it and just using supplements (excel, tablets, etc.)
> 
> - Since I upgraded my hood to the 42 LED kit do you think that is enough light now for the 6G? Or Do I need more?
> 
> -	I would love to get two stones for the edge and wrap them in a moss. I know that I don’t want to use any stones/rocks that can be found outside because it can harm a tank. So any recommendations on this issue?
> 
> Thanks for tanking your time and reading about my setup. I’m really excited about starting this tank but need to be patience! So that’s why I need the forums help!


Just a question - have you chosen your heater yet?

There are not many that will fit.

I know for a fact that the Fluval E Series 50W fits, see this thread: Fluval Edge 6 Gallon LED (Page #3, Post #33)

In the end I went with the Aquael Neoheater (also linked in that thread), and I went for the 75W as it was the same size. To see it in scale, go to this thread: The official EDGE thread (page #98, post #1470)

I am well chuffed with my choice although 75 watts is probably overkill for a 6 Gal in a centrally heated house in the south of the UK. Temperature has never exceeded the set 25.0°C, and has not fallen below 24.5°C - averaging about 24.7/24.8°C (According to my Seneye reef tank monitor)

Its a great fit, its unobtrusive, it shows the current temp (thereabouts) and its digital (which I believe should mean if it breaks, it should not stay "stuck on").


----------



## kkuzelka

CmdrBond said:


> Just a question - have you chosen your heater yet?
> 
> There are not many that will fit.
> 
> I know for a fact that the Fluval E Series 50W fits, see this thread: Fluval Edge 6 Gallon LED (Page #3, Post #33)
> 
> In the end I went with the Aquael Neoheater (also linked in that thread), and I went for the 75W as it was the same size. To see it in scale, go to this thread: The official EDGE thread (page #98, post #1470)
> 
> I am well chuffed with my choice although 75 watts is probably overkill for a 6 Gal in a centrally heated house in the south of the UK. Temperature has never exceeded the set 25.0°C, and has not fallen below 24.5°C - averaging about 24.7/24.8°C (According to my Seneye reef tank monitor)
> 
> Its a great fit, its unobtrusive, it shows the current temp (thereabouts) and its digital (which I believe should mean if it breaks, it should not stay "stuck on").


Aqueon 50w fully submersible adjustable heater...also shatterproof

What do you think about that heater?


----------



## CmdrBond

kkuzelka said:


> Aqueon 50w fully submersible adjustable heater...also shatterproof
> 
> What do you think about that heater?


Well I have no experience of them, so it would be unfair to make a direct comparison. I can however comment on appearance and technology.

Firstly, it looks like a reasonable heater, so good luck with it. but it would not be my choice based on it's size (unless I am looking at the wrong one)

Here is how I see them stacking up.

The Aquael is definately the smallest adjustable heater. Has as led based thermometer. Is fully shatterproof and is digitally controlled.

The Fluval E is a standard glass thermometer in a plastic housing to protect the fish. It has a digital thermometer, with colour alert. And I believe is also digitally, rather than thermostatically controlled.

The Aqueon Submersible (http://www.aqueonproducts.com/assets/008/11506.pdf), does not say if it is digitally controlled or not, has no thermometer read out, just a light (I presume to show that the heater is heating). This one is made from shatter_resistant_ glass.

The Aqueon Pro (http://www.aqueonproducts.com/products/pro-heaters.htm) also does not mention if it is digitally controlled or not, but I think it might be. It has a heating light and a correct temp light, but no thermometer. It is however fully shatterproof having no glass at all.

If I were to choose either it would be the pro, but both are very big for the edge, the Sub is 3.8" x 1.5" x 11" and the pro is 4" x 2"x 12.5"

but that is just my opinion based on very little research.


----------



## CmdrBond

Time for an update, just got some Tropica plants for my tank from my local Pets At Home.

I got 2 _Microsorum pteropus_ "Narrow" on bogwood, 1 _Cryptocoryne wendtii_ "Tropica" on [STRIKE]bogwood[/STRIKE] rock and 1 _Anubias barteri_ var. nana on rock.

The _Microsorum_ was fresh in and was not even unpacked. The others came out of established tanks, some had some algae.

Anyway, they are all in there now - looking a little crowded though . My have to either give the _Microsorum_ a haircut or donate some to my mums goldfish.










Also found some hitchhikers when rinsing the plants, 3 snails, currently quarantined in a beaker of old tank water until I can decide if I want them in the tank or not - dunno what snails they are.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I finally got my 42 LED replacement lights. 









The 4 screws were hard to remove from the original Edge, the ports for the new light bar are bigger because of this.

Here is the replacement with a Razer gaming sticker I had lying around. 









Here is the moon lighting that really makes my rock glow, the iphone 4 can not capture the true luminosity of this effect. Think a Neon Tetra in rock form.










Here is a side shot of the tank with the HC cuba pearling - left side of tank. I'll remove my desktop light and see how the growth compares.


----------



## mahko

Was the power supply the same specs as the original one? I'm wondering if it's possible to just take apart the original one, and buy some LEDs in bulk and solder them in. IIRC there are slots for additional LEDs in the 6 gal Edge.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Nope, it's smaller and draws less power. The original one is bigger and gets warm after a while.

To be honest, it's still suffer from the the dark corner problem that plagues the original halogens. It's the hood, not the lights.


----------



## CmdrBond

mahko said:


> Was the power supply the same specs as the original one? I'm wondering if it's possible to just take apart the original one, and buy some LEDs in bulk and solder them in. IIRC there are slots for additional LEDs in the 6 gal Edge.





FlyingHellFish said:


> Nope, it's smaller and draws less power. The original one is bigger and gets warm after a while.
> 
> To be honest, it's still suffer from the the dark corner problem that plagues the original halogens. It's the hood, not the lights.


@mahko - If you look at the pics, FHF has upgraded from the halogens to the 42 LED, not from the 21 LED. I presume you are talking about the 21 LED as you mention the spare slots for the extra LED's.

@FlyingHellFish, can you post the specs of both transformers.

According to mine (21 LED)

UK Power Adapter

Model: HS06-1200400UK
Input: 100-240V ~ 50-60Hz 0.2A Max
Output: 12V 400ma


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Not sure where the spec are, I think it is listed under the manual. Both 6 and 12 come with the same transformer, at least in size. The manuals should be on the Hagen site. 

The 21 LED is only 10 dollars cheaper, if you guys do go this route, just grab the 42 LED version. It's not as bright as one would expect, I seen MR16 with better lighting. The problem with having a really strong light is the physical limitation of the tank. The hood blocks the light to the corners and buying stronger lights will just give you an algae farm. 

The certain thing is the intensity, this light bar blows the Halogen lights out of the water, no pun intended.


----------



## CmdrBond

Pull the plug out the socket and look underneath, all my specs are printed between the prongs.

Re the hood, maybe coating the inside in a reflective material would help?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

100 - 120 V input
12 v - 400 mA output

Smaller than the original transformer. 


Here is a simple DIY Co2 diffuser that works great for nano tanks like the 6's.
All you need is a Cigarette filter. 


Youtube Link


----------



## CmdrBond

Do you know the voltage/current of the original transformer and are the power connectors the same size.

For those that don't know, if there is a mis-match between devices and the current rating (A or mA), it is always better to over supply current.

A device will generally only use the current it requires - however if the AC Adapter under supplies it can burn out the adapter.

So if the original ACA is 400 mA or less, you are home and dry - other wise you will need to find out.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Ahh I put that old light bar away.  Someone else could probably let you know.

The transformer I got in the replacement is the same as the one I got retail with my 12 gallon. 

Same make, voltage and letters etc. I think the serial numbers might differ. Anyways, you guys can buy LED transformer AC adapter etc.


----------



## MathewNOR

Hey guys, Im completely new to this forum so here my first post goes!
Im wondering about getting myself 2x black Edge (6gal) to have on each side of my TV, which is on a long low stand. I havent had an aquarium for a while, and wanted to try a planted tank for a change

what im thinking so far is the new ADA Amazonia powder as sub, some sort of carpet/low plant, and some stones.. something along the likes of Knott's 6gallon(without the statue)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLqhJ1eu8F4

what plants can/ cant be sustained with the original LED bar? is it no good? I see alot of you guys have the 12gal light on the 6, but wondering if this is a must, cause i do not know how to get hold of one.

Im trying to get nice planted Edges without CO2, as i have next to nothing experience with planted tanks i hope you got some tips  1 post down many to go!


----------



## mahko

Moss is going to be your best bet. Any low light plant will work as well. Anubias, crypts, hygro, etc. I've grown all those in my stock led model Edge.

No CO2, but I dose ferts once a week on water change day. Very small amounts.


----------



## xconverge

My tank is doing alright, about 3 weeks into a fish in cycle, plants are thriving. Might bring the remainder fish back to the LFS and try and pick up on a fishless cycle :x

I found all of the necessary parts for a co2 setup so I might try that this weekend. Solenoid, needle valve, and my kegerator 5lb co2 tank with regulator.


----------



## retrocity

What's a fair price on a used 6 gallon Edge? I found one on craigslist for $50 and was thinking about it. Waiting on hearing if it's the older or newer model, and what substrate and rocks they are including with it. How much are the LEDS to upgrade the light if it's the older model?

Thanks for your help, love the tanks in this thread.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

The filter alone is worth 15 - 20, the lighting is complete garbage so that pretty much trashed. 

Tank is a good 20 - 30, that is if it includes the base and hood.

50 dollar is a good price, I heard of people getting them for 30 for a open box original generation 1. 

This thread is kind of dead, where are you guys?


----------



## sugarbyte

I got two super bright mr11's from ledwholesalers (which came to about 12$ for both) and have to say it made a world of difference.. the problem is the hood really constricts the spread of light. I like to keep it on or else my cats just drink from the filter like it's their own private water fountain 

I find it frustrating trying to get more light into this tank..Because of this, your aquascape may have to be designed around the tank's constrictions (including the small opening).

Hope that helps.


----------



## haralds

sugarbyte said:


> ...or else my cats just drink from the filter like it's their own private water fountain


I love open tank designs, but noticed trouble with water quality that killed fish. Turned out to be the cats drinking and contaminating the water.

Only closed systems for me... a good reason for Fluval Edge!


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> This thread is kind of dead, where are you guys?


Enjoying our tanks in blissful peace!

I replaced another Marineland Visitherm 50W heater in my 6G, when I caught the temp dropping. I always stick in a finger for a quick calibrated feel, it makes it obvious. Of course, I can also squint at the thermometer, but it's a quick test at feeding time.

Temporarily, I put in my recalled Marineland Stealth Pro 50W heater. I am now trying the Hydor theo 50W, which is also the perfect size, and was reviewed well. Seems to be working ok, but the pilot light is really dim.

It's a shame. The Stealth Pro is really nice for the 6G. Small, black housing. Clear dial at the top with a nice pilot light (red/green). And it worked perfectly for me. But the explosion danger is a problem I do not want to tempt...


----------



## xconverge

My setup, almost done cycling:


----------



## haralds

xconverge said:


> My setup, almost done cycling:


It looks like all the important elements are close together - tank, tap, I suspect the game console is on the other wall....


----------



## mahko

Is the CO2 for the tank or the keg? Or both!


----------



## xconverge

Both  In the picture of the regulator you can see the red line running to the keg from a T right under the main part of the regulator. Then it goes into a solenoid/needle valve for the plants.

Just finished the CO2 setup, we will see how it works. My drop checker is green now so it looks like I am all good, mostly just something to play with but we will see what it does to my growth


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@harald, The Theo is quite nice, I have two in both Edge and the flame effect is by my favourite indicator. Mine is quite bright, is your heater used? The new one I brought a few months back is noticeable brighter than the older one. 

@xconverge Great set up, the Co2 rig looks like a beast. What gravel is that? Flourite?


----------



## justtheti

My first Edge. I couldnt how bad The ligjting was.

Stainless 30”x18” sheet.
2 moisture resistant , rubber sealed sockets, turn/click toggle switch, lamp cord.

1 HO, 6,700kelvin 13 watt CFL, 1 blue CFL.

Anubius Nana on African Mopati Drift Wood. Growing surprisingly fast, java moss....not so much.

All together, $30.00. Well worth it.

1 Indo Dat, 2 Octocinclius, 1 Pea Puffer, 1 German Blue Ram, 1 Gold Ram, 2 Gold Tetras.


----------



## haralds

justtheti said:


> My first Edge. I couldnt how bad The ligjting was.
> 
> Stainless 30”x18” sheet.
> 2 moisture resistant , rubber sealed sockets, turn/click toggle switch, lamp cord.
> 
> 1 HO, 6,700kelvin 13 watt CFL, 1 blue CFL.
> 
> Anubius Nana on African Mopati Drift Wood. Growing surprisingly fast, java moss....not so much.
> 
> All together, $30.00. Well worth it.
> 
> 1 Indo Dat, 2 Octocinclius, 1 Pea Puffer, 1 German Blue Ram, 1 Gold Ram, 2 Gold Tetras.


Very nice and clean looking!


----------



## haralds

FlyingHellFish said:


> @harald, The Theo is quite nice, I have two in both Edge and the flame effect is by my favourite indicator. Mine is quite bright, is your heater used? The new one I brought a few months back is noticeable brighter than the older one.


Brand new, but behind a dense thicket of plants...
I like equipment to be invisible.

Temp looks good, which is the most important.


----------



## xconverge

yeap, fluorite


----------



## FlyingHellFish

@justtheti

Nicely constructed sir! Do you find any condensation on the bulbs itself?


----------



## justtheti

A little on The bulbs. But at $3 a bulb, Ican deal with it. When I put my 50/50 bulbs in,, then Ill jave to figure out a solution.


----------



## GMYukonon24s

Nice looking tank.


----------



## icepotato89

i setup this one up today at the shop so the water is a bit cloudy. i'll see how the blyxa does under the stock LEDs, if they struggle i might replace with mini java fern or just more moss.


----------



## xconverge

inhabitants are on the way, a bunch of RCS!


----------



## Landshark

*You can purchase the 42 (or 21) LED lights directly from Hagen in the US*



kkuzelka said:


> Raven her is another site.. I added this light to my cart and went to checkout and allows you to ship in the U.S.
> 
> The only downside about this purchase is off the hagen site its like 25-30 bucks cheaper. On this site its gonna cost you 81 bucks without shipping fee.
> 
> http://www.partsandmedia.com/fled42ledfiw.html



You can purchase the 42 (or 21) LED lights directly from Hagen in the US. I just ordered the 42 LED kit (A13926) for ~$62 ($51.99 + shipping). 

Just call their customer service number, 800-724-2436. What a ripoff PartsandMedia.com are - claiming the retail price is $110.99!


----------



## spratocaster

Is anyone growing DHG or E. tenellus in their edge? If so how do you get the clippings out after a trim. I have read that some use a siphon hose while they trim, but this doesn't seem like a viable option in a shrimp tank. Sure it gets the clippings out faster but then you spend 30 minutes "rescuing" baby shrimp. I am currently using a small net that I bent into an L and a magnetic scraper. I fill the tank all the way up, then use the scraper to try to push all the clippings together and then use the net to pull them into the opening. This is a tedious process and I never get all the clippings out. Anyone have a better method?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Landshark said:


> You can purchase the 42 (or 21) LED lights directly from Hagen in the US. I just ordered the 42 LED kit (A13926) for ~$62 ($51.99 + shipping).
> 
> Just call their customer service number, 800-724-2436. What a ripoff PartsandMedia.com are - claiming the retail price is $110.99!


If you ask your LFS to order it, you can avoid shipping cost and just paid for the price of the lights.

No, it's not 110 and it's most defiantly not over 100 as I brought mine for 60 Canadian, plus tax of course.

Avoid shipping and just ask the manger, you can also try to get it for free if you bring them a broken light fixture. Mine wasn't broken , I just wanted the light fixture for my 6.

Oh and don't forget to ask if there any broken Edge package as they are willing to part with various items. Well, at least my LFS is willing to anyways. 

By the way, it's not that bright...


----------



## xconverge




----------



## Lludu

Mark Oliver said:


> Is it possible to fit a fluval c2 filter on the 6G edge? Not sure if it is small enough but I'd like to upgrade if possible.


Has this been figured out yet?

I was interested in putting a c2 filter in, but wasnt sure if its thin enough for the back housing.


----------



## butter_fingers

Hi Everyone,

I have read this thread with great interest after purchasing the new Fluval Edge 6G Led tank, and realised with regret that it is almost impossible to 'upgrade' the stock led light. I wish I had purchased the first version as an upgrade would only require the purchase and swap out of the halogen bulbs with the MR16 led bulbs.

I am not giving up yet though, and am thinking of removing the stock led light, and in its place install 2 led GU10 cool white leds. I would appreciate if anyone could give me some feedback if these Leds would work? They have a glass cover and I think it may help with shielding the leds from the water splashes...and I think the lumens they give off are bright enough? I am hoping to grow dwarf hairgrass, and dwarf teardrops as a carpet for the foreground of the tank.

GU10 21 SMD LED BULB COOL
Beam angle: 120 degrees
Emitting Color: Cool White
Voltage: 110v
Color Temp: 6500k
Luminous Output: 350 LM
Luminous Intensity: 45000-50000 MCD
Wattage: 4W

I think using these leds do not require the use of any transformers, and I can just directly plug these into the wall sockets.

Although, I am still figuring out how I am to remove the stock 21 led light bar and thinking how to mount these GU10 cool white leds in its place.

Thanks for any suggestions.:icon_smil


----------



## xconverge




----------



## Mark Oliver

Lludu said:


> Has this been figured out yet?
> 
> I was interested in putting a c2 filter in, but wasnt sure if its thin enough for the back housing.


Ask Haagen. Will not fit. I found out that the stock filter is fine if you use better media.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

butter_fingers said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I have read this thread with great interest after purchasing the new Fluval Edge 6G Led tank, and realised with regret that it is almost impossible to 'upgrade' the stock led light. I wish I had purchased the first version as an upgrade would only require the purchase and swap out of the halogen bulbs with the MR16 led bulbs.
> 
> I am not giving up yet though, and am thinking of removing the stock led light, and in its place install 2 led GU10 cool white leds. I would appreciate if anyone could give me some feedback if these Leds would work? They have a glass cover and I think it may help with shielding the leds from the water splashes...and I think the lumens they give off are bright enough? I am hoping to grow dwarf hairgrass, and dwarf teardrops as a carpet for the foreground of the tank.
> 
> GU10 21 SMD LED BULB COOL
> Beam angle: 120 degrees
> Emitting Color: Cool White
> Voltage: 110v
> Color Temp: 6500k
> Luminous Output: 350 LM
> Luminous Intensity: 45000-50000 MCD
> Wattage: 4W
> 
> I think using these leds do not require the use of any transformers, and I can just directly plug these into the wall sockets.
> 
> Although, I am still figuring out how I am to remove the stock 21 led light bar and thinking how to mount these GU10 cool white leds in its place.
> 
> Thanks for any suggestions.:icon_smil


I have the 42 LED on my 6 gallon and it's not that great, I think you will do better with those MR16 or GU10. Come to think about it, damn I might just put back the stock light with MR16's. 

How are you going to do the GU10 mod?


----------



## butter_fingers

FlyingHellFish said:


> I have the 42 LED on my 6 gallon and it's not that great, I think you will do better with those MR16 or GU10. Come to think about it, damn I might just put back the stock light with MR16's.
> 
> How are you going to do the GU10 mod?


 
Hey there FlyingHellFish,

Thanks for your feedback on using the 12G 42 Led inside the 6G tank. I did think about this when reading the suggestions on doing that, but do thank you for your candid feedback on it. 

I am planning to use only 2 of the GU10 LEds with specs that I posted(Forum wont let me link them to the Ebay site), and hope that with the two leds, it would be enough lighting to grow most types of plants in the tank. 

However, I am unsure how to remove the light bar containing the stock 21 LEDs. I still want to have the swing arms intact but only detach the bar of leds. I cannot find any exploded view of the light fixture to see what screws I need to remove.

If I am able to remove the Led Bar, I hope to cut some arylic plastic sheet, attach it to the swing arms, and mount the 2 GU10 Leds onto the acrylic sheet. The GU10 Leds each would than be kinda angled towards the sides of the tank so that I am hoping the light would reach further and illuminate more of the tank. I should think these leds would not really have a spot light effect since they are supposed to have a beam spread of 120 degrees...

I guess I would purchase the leds later from eBay. Each of them costs about $12.

UPDATE:

Upon inspection, I see that it is not possible to just seperate the LED bar from the swing arms.....and I would have to remove the swing arms completely. I dont see any scews holding the swing arm to the main top body. Do I just pry the two flat pieces of plastic that are sandwiching each swing arm apart to remove each swing arm?


----------



## Lludu

Mark Oliver said:


> Ask Haagen. Will not fit. I found out that the stock filter is fine if you use better media.


what media are you using in it?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

butter_fingers said:


> Hey there FlyingHellFish,
> 
> Thanks for your feedback on using the 12G 42 Led inside the 6G tank. I did think about this when reading the suggestions on doing that, but do thank you for your candid feedback on it.
> 
> I am planning to use only 2 of the GU10 LEds with specs that I posted(Forum wont let me link them to the Ebay site), and hope that with the two leds, it would be enough lighting to grow most types of plants in the tank.
> 
> However, I am unsure how to remove the light bar containing the stock 21 LEDs. I still want to have the swing arms intact but only detach the bar of leds. I cannot find any exploded view of the light fixture to see what screws I need to remove.
> 
> If I am able to remove the Led Bar, I hope to cut some arylic plastic sheet, attach it to the swing arms, and mount the 2 GU10 Leds onto the acrylic sheet. The GU10 Leds each would than be kinda angled towards the sides of the tank so that I am hoping the light would reach further and illuminate more of the tank. I should think these leds would not really have a spot light effect since they are supposed to have a beam spread of 120 degrees...
> 
> I guess I would purchase the leds later from eBay. Each of them costs about $12.
> 
> UPDATE:
> 
> Upon inspection, I see that it is not possible to just seperate the LED bar from the swing arms.....and I would have to remove the swing arms completely. I dont see any scews holding the swing arm to the main top body. Do I just pry the two flat pieces of plastic that are sandwiching each swing arm apart to remove each swing arm?


I had the same problem, I was about to remove the 42 LED and make a DIY Cree lighting but it was just too complicated. There is a top and a bottom but I have no idea how to open the thing, prying it open might break some pieces and most likely will void the warranty. 

Some people made their Edge into a reef tank, they just zip tied a 50/50 Coral life CFL but I think the moisture would create problems down the line.

With the 42 LED on a 6 gallon, the spread of light is awful. I have to use a desktop lamp hovering over the tank to provide a nice coverage. 

What plants are you planning to keep? I think you can grow some DHG in your stock 21 LED bar.


----------



## spratocaster

butter_fingers said:


> Hey there FlyingHellFish,
> 
> Thanks for your feedback on using the 12G 42 Led inside the 6G tank. I did think about this when reading the suggestions on doing that, but do thank you for your candid feedback on it.
> 
> I am planning to use only 2 of the GU10 LEds with specs that I posted(Forum wont let me link them to the Ebay site), and hope that with the two leds, it would be enough lighting to grow most types of plants in the tank.
> 
> However, I am unsure how to remove the light bar containing the stock 21 LEDs. I still want to have the swing arms intact but only detach the bar of leds. I cannot find any exploded view of the light fixture to see what screws I need to remove.
> 
> If I am able to remove the Led Bar, I hope to cut some arylic plastic sheet, attach it to the swing arms, and mount the 2 GU10 Leds onto the acrylic sheet. The GU10 Leds each would than be kinda angled towards the sides of the tank so that I am hoping the light would reach further and illuminate more of the tank. I should think these leds would not really have a spot light effect since they are supposed to have a beam spread of 120 degrees...
> 
> I guess I would purchase the leds later from eBay. Each of them costs about $12.
> 
> UPDATE:
> 
> Upon inspection, I see that it is not possible to just seperate the LED bar from the swing arms.....and I would have to remove the swing arms completely. I dont see any scews holding the swing arm to the main top body. Do I just pry the two flat pieces of plastic that are sandwiching each swing arm apart to remove each swing arm?


I have never been able to get a reasonable amount of light to the front corners of the tank. The problem is the hood. No matter how much you angle the bulbs the hood still prevents light from reaching the corners. The only way to get sufficient light over the whole tank is to have lighting outside the hood. 

I think your GU10 bulbs will grow whatever you like in the center of your tank. The corners however will still be low light. I grow DHG like a weed with 2 MR16 bulbs in my edge. There was not enough light outside the center to grow HC, but my MM is growing pretty good.


----------



## butter_fingers

spratocaster said:


> I have never been able to get a reasonable amount of light to the front corners of the tank. The problem is the hood. No matter how much you angle the bulbs the hood still prevents light from reaching the corners. The only way to get sufficient light over the whole tank is to have lighting outside the hood.
> 
> I think your GU10 bulbs will grow whatever you like in the center of your tank. The corners however will still be low light. I grow DHG like a weed with 2 MR16 bulbs in my edge. There was not enough light outside the center to grow HC, but my MM is growing pretty good.


Thanks all for your feedbacks.

Does anyone know how to detach the whole light fixture from the tank?(Swing arms and all):help:


----------



## FlyingHellFish

butter_fingers said:


> Thanks all for your feedbacks.
> 
> Does anyone know how to detach the whole light fixture from the tank?(Swing arms and all):help:


Unscrew all that you can find, that is what I did.


----------



## butter_fingers

FlyingHellFish said:


> Unscrew all that you can find, that is what I did.


Been busy for the last few days but I did remove all the screws, and did successfully remove the entire stock led light fixture including the arms.

I have also been thinking on how to design a new light holding fixture that will be flexible enough to hold a variety of lighting options and I think I have come up with a workable idea. I think the design will allow a greater amount of light to reach the sides of the tank with just 2 of the GU10 Led lights.....we'll see.

I am hoping to get it completed soon and will post pics ..if I am successful....:tongue:


----------



## FlyingHellFish

butter_fingers said:


> Been busy for the last few days but I did remove all the screws, and did successfully remove the entire stock led light fixture including the arms.
> 
> I have also been thinking on how to design a new light holding fixture that will be flexible enough to hold a variety of lighting options and I think I have come up with a workable idea. I think the design will allow a greater amount of light to reach the sides of the tank with just 2 of the GU10 Led lights.....we'll see.
> 
> I am hoping to get it completed soon and will post pics ..if I am successful....:tongue:


Where were you when I spend 70 dollars on the 42 LED's. I always thought that a DIY with some LEDS pointed in different directions would work wonders on the Edge, never got to researching the parts tho.

What kind of heatsink are going to use? The top part is covered (The button that powers on blue moonlighting), are you just using the arms?

Anyways, Edge folks here seem to be dead, so here a look at my first tank layout compare to the current one.

*First tank, first try at layout*









*Current test tank, trying to get some experience with various plants.*


----------



## butter_fingers

FlyingHellFish said:


> Where were you when I spend 70 dollars on the 42 LED's. I always thought that a DIY with some LEDS pointed in different directions would work wonders on the Edge, never got to researching the parts tho.
> 
> What kind of heatsink are going to use? The top part is covered (The button that powers on blue moonlighting), are you just using the arms?
> 
> Anyways, Edge folks here seem to be dead, so here a look at my first tank layout compare to the current one.


Lol.....I was probably still trying to catch up with reading this thread starting from post #1 when you decided to spend $ for the upgraded 42 leds. It took me some time to catch up to the current post before I decided what I wanted to do to upgrade my DIY lighting system. 

The GU10 led light that I got does not seem to give out alot of heat, and I dont think I need any heatsinks. I am not using any part of the stock light fixture at al, but instead am making my own fixture which will be based alittle on the stock design. 

Yes, I do not see much activity here in this thread anymore, but it's nice to see you still around.

For your current test tank, you seem to have nice growth on the carpeting plant (Bottom left hand side of tank). What plant is that? Dwarf Teardrops? Are you using the stock 'upgraded' 42 led light without the cover to grow those plants? Are you adding any CO2?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

You got a link for the GU10? 

I'm using Co2 at less than 1 bps, I timed it at one bubble per 3 seconds. My drop checker is green so I'm slowly going to increase it. The HOB does a great job at moving the water, I added a suction cup to the outflow to prevent out gassing. Livestock behaviour is indifferent to the change.

It's HC Cuba left side (really starting to take off now.) UG in the front (getting a lot of new shooters) and Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides that hitchhiked with my HC Cuba. 

The Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides is growing super fast, it is in the direct line of the Co2 blast from the HOB. It was a small stem and flower that I just buried to see if it would grow.

People with their ADA Mini M (5 gallon) have HID lighting and at least 1 bps, I'm finding that Co2 is more concentrated due to the Edge's top design.


----------



## butter_fingers

FlyingHellFish said:


> You got a link for the GU10?
> 
> I'm using Co2 at less than 1 bps, I timed it at one bubble per 3 seconds. My drop checker is green so I'm slowly going to increase it. The HOB does a great job at moving the water, I added a suction cup to the outflow to prevent out gassing. Livestock behaviour is indifferent to the change.
> 
> It's HC Cuba left side (really starting to take off now.) UG in the front (getting a lot of new shooters) and Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides that hitchhiked with my HC Cuba.
> 
> The Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides is growing super fast, it is in the direct line of the Co2 blast from the HOB. It was a small stem and flower that I just buried to see if it would grow.
> 
> People with their ADA Mini M (5 gallon) have HID lighting and at least 1 bps, I'm finding that Co2 is more concentrated due to the Edge's top design.


This forum does not allow the posting of links, as it removed it when I try to post. But do a search on this phrase and you will find it. It does give out alittle heat but I think it's not too much. I have not installed it to test out prolonged usage and effects yet. But the lights seem very bright, and the angle is wide enough not to have the narrow beaming effect...which is what I am looking for.

"GU10 21 SMD LED BULB 50W HALOGEN BULB EQUIVALENT COOL"

What kind of CO2 system are you using? Is it a DIY system? What is 'HOB'? Do you think the Edge design allows for the CO2 bubbles to trap at the top sealed part of the tank to allow for them to dissolve better? Do you add any other fertilizer to nurish the HC & UG?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I use a 5 lb with a Aquatic Life regulator, I'm going to switch to a paintball setup once I get the experience in growing a few plants first. 

HOB is the Aquaclear 20 filter that is stock, it can handle a small tank such as the 6 very well. 

I get high Co2 concentration quicker when the tank is full, I find it takes a while longer if I leave a few mm of space at the top of the glass. The bubbles will gather at the top of the glass, it's not very pretty. The HC Cuba pearls a lot so the left side is filled with bubbles. 

I had a terrible yellowing problem with the HC Cuba, it was spreading but dying at the same. My light was too strong and I was under dosing. I fixed the problem by dosing more K and Iron. 

I have all the dry fertilizer N,P,K with standalone doses of Seachem Iron and I use Flourish for traces. My local water is hard but I find that a really small pinch of MgSO4 helps too.


----------



## Asgerlund

*First tank*

Hey everybody. I figured this was the appropriate channel to post the Edge 46l i just set up yesterday. My problem so far is that I cant fint any rocks that fit into the little opening in the top 

best, Asger














































Any feedback or advice is welcome!


----------



## sunyang730

I have the LED part for sale if anyone is interested 










I took my top off and still trying to make it look nice now! Will post a picture later!


----------



## spratocaster

FlyingHellFish said:


> Where were you when I spend 70 dollars on the 42 LED's. I always thought that a DIY with some LEDS pointed in different directions would work wonders on the Edge, never got to researching the parts tho.
> 
> What kind of heatsink are going to use? The top part is covered (The button that powers on blue moonlighting), are you just using the arms?
> 
> Anyways, Edge folks here seem to be dead, so here a look at my first tank layout compare to the current one.
> 
> *First tank, first try at layout*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Current test tank, trying to get some experience with various plants.*


What are you using for lighting on this tank? I tried HC with MR-16's and LED light bars and it never seemed to do well. Even DHG grows slow in that part of the tank (though it is a weed in the center of the tank). I am not using CO2 but I am dosing Excel. I ended up removing the HC and going with MM, and so far it has been doing well, but it takes for ever to fill in a carpet!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

DHG grows in my 12 gallon without Co2 or Excel or fertilizers, very strange indeed. 

All you need to do is cut off the parts that are rotting, pump K and Iron the 2nd week and BANG, Cuba will grow over the bad parts and send out runners. 

You really do need Co2, the cool thing about having Co2 in the Edge is that you won't need so much. The HOB AquaClear 20 is a beast in a 6 gallon, I use a suction cup to reduce the flow/aim it at the HC. 

Don't give up, the first 2 weeks you will see some melting, some algae and a lot of uprooted HC Cuba. Once the first layer is cut, the 2nd wave of leafs will be used to your water condition and grow. 

Oh and regarding your question on light, I use a cheap-o desktop lamp with a 23 watt 6500 K bulb. It was too much light as I couldn't add enough fertilizers due to my painted red shrimps, I try to keep it 5 - 10 ppm Nitrate so they won't freak out. 

But honestly, the best thing to do is add a Co2 pressured system. Don't get those chinese knock off on Ebay, either get a Aquatek or a DIY Dual Stage.


----------



## spratocaster

FlyingHellFish said:


> DHG grows in my 12 gallon without Co2 or Excel or fertilizers, very strange indeed.
> 
> All you need to do is cut off the parts that are rotting, pump K and Iron the 2nd week and BANG, Cuba will grow over the bad parts and send out runners.
> 
> You really do need Co2, the cool thing about having Co2 in the Edge is that you won't need so much. The HOB AquaClear 20 is a beast in a 6 gallon, I use a suction cup to reduce the flow/aim it at the HC.
> 
> Don't give up, the first 2 weeks you will see some melting, some algae and a lot of uprooted HC Cuba. Once the first layer is cut, the 2nd wave of leafs will be used to your water condition and grow.
> 
> Oh and regarding your question on light, I use a cheap-o desktop lamp with a 23 watt 6500 K bulb. It was too much light as I couldn't add enough fertilizers due to my painted red shrimps, I try to keep it 5 - 10 ppm Nitrate so they won't freak out.
> 
> But honestly, the best thing to do is add a Co2 pressured system. Don't get those chinese knock off on Ebay, either get a Aquatek or a DIY Dual Stage.


So your not using the hood? This makes sense. With the hood the corners are extreme low light. I ended up not using the LED bars as the lighting was too much in the middle and it didn't really increase it much at the edges. The 2 MR16's grow DHG way faster then I would like and my MM is growing well. I maybe could have got HC started if I were running a pressurized CO2 setup, as the CO2 should have made it easier for the HC to adapt to low light. I just didn't wanted to keep everything slow growing as maintenance is a bit of a chore in the edge. Speaking of which I really do not have a good method for getting DHG clippings out of the tank. You have a method that works for getting small clippings out?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

This was just a test tank that surprising started to grow on me. I wanted my 12 gallon to be the main tank but I thought I would get some experience first.

You can use the hood once the HC Cuba is fully rooted, then you basically want it to be stable with medium light. I really hate trimming in the Edge, it's almost makes me want to shave the top off. Plants will adapt, especially with Co2 making up for the lights. I want the growth to slow down anyways, I had way too much light and the stem had very small leafs. Once I turn down the intensity and photo period, I got growth that resemble pictures of HC on the net. 

DHG clippings makes me want to rip the whole thing out, it's damn near impossible to remove all the trimmings. I do the old net trick and wait until the next day to fish out the reminder. 

Here the most recent picture after a trim. I trim off any parts that are remotely yellow or brown, I find that the new growth is better managed than waiting for the old growth to recover.










For the algae, I been told to ignore it for now. Once the tank is stable, the advice given was to remove as much as possible and do a water change. Oh and I change my entire layout for the 12 gallon, waiting for the DHG to grow in.


----------



## spratocaster

Yeah I can't imagine it's fun to trim in the 12G. One trick that worked ok for me with DHG was to trim with the tank full so all the clippings stick to the top glass. Then you drain the tank down and the clippings stay stuck. Then you can use your hands to remove them. Still tedious but it I am able to get like 90% of the clippings like this. The rest either stick around for a while or I use a magnet cleaner and a net to remove them. 

The HC looks really good. Maybe If I get bored with the scape I will piece together a paintball setup and give it a try.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Hey thanks man, I wish I started off dosing right as I was seriously under dosing.

The DHG idea is pretty smart, I will try that next time. You got a picture of your set up? 

I find the HC Cuba will literary waste away at first but the new growth continue to get better and better. As soon as it adapts to your water, it will grow in less than desirable conditions.


----------



## Asgerlund

I've been reading that I should remove the carbon media from the filter, when I'm done cycling in a month or something, but what should I use instead? Another biological media (some white pellets) or a mechanical media (that white foam stuff )? Hope anyone knows 

best, Asger


----------



## sockfish

Just dropped in to announce I just bought a 12gal Edge to add to my 6 gal Edge I keep at work [pics here on this thread somewhere].

I love this Edge tank and can't wait to get mine going!

Asger--I don't use carbon media filtering on any planted tank. I believe it absorbs the fertilizers I buy to put in the tank! I just use sponges, filter floss, or a few more ceramic rings to fill up the filter.

Cheers! 

sox


----------



## FlyingHellFish

NICE!!! 

Welcome to the 12 gallon + 6 gallon club. What do you have plan for the 12 gallon? Keep in mind trimming is REALLY hard with the small opening, suggest you get those long curve pinchers.


Here my current 6 gallon testing ground..... my HC recovering finally! 










Don't mind the black tape, I'm trying to black out some algae near the substrate line + Excel. If you guys ever think of getting a moss, I can tell you experience that Taiwan moss + Co2 + Lights = uncontrollable growth.


----------



## sockfish

No carpet planned for _this_ tank! I'm thinking a central rock focus with a "Surprise" figure in it. Some tall crypts like C. balansae or C. spiralus in the back and maybe a wider, lower crypt wendtii or lutea with their darker colors around the rock group.

Since this will be my nightstand tank, it won't be a "Terribly Serious Scape", but will incorporate a little personal oddity. There will be some favorite fancy nerites, but haven't decided what fish to include. 

I just lost an old buddy Betta and may end up replacing him, we'll see.

Man, I love this tank! Even my husband is interested (!)

sox


----------



## xconverge

roud:


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Congrats on the babies, how long did you have them in there?

Mine are always loaded with eggs but it turns out they're all females 

Even the painted fire red that was suppose to be a boy turn out to be a female too.


----------



## xconverge

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ Congrats on the babies, how long did you have them in there?
> 
> Mine are always loaded with eggs but it turns out they're all females
> 
> Even the painted fire red that was suppose to be a boy turn out to be a female too.


I got ~20 RCS a few weeks ago. its a pretty good mix of males and females


----------



## Islandx

*My Edge 3 Months In*

Hi All,

Thought I'd share my Edge here, I'd read this entire thread as I was waiting for my 6 Gallon LED version to arrive from Amazon....kind of wish I had gotten the older version so I could have upgraded to mr-11's or 16's but gotta work with what I got.

The stock 21 LED light is a bit dim, but grows Anubias, Java Fern Lace and my Marimo Ball just fine. This Tank is 3 months in, so it's pretty safe to say that these plants are gonna make it. The problem I've found with the LED and this may be common to even the older models is that the center of the tank is high enough light to grow algae on Anubias and even the Cabomba I placed along the center back wall, while the edges of the tank are pretty dim. 

Also I can tell that just the LED is probably insufficient in a room with no other lights. My Anubias tend to turn their leaves upwards and reach for the light on the weekends as my office lights are off on Saturday's and Sunday's. By end of day Monday though, they'll have accustomed to the added florescent ceiling lights and resume their natural shape.

Overall a fantastic tank to have in the office, it's design get's many compliments.

Substrate: Fluval Stratum
Flora: Various Anubias, Cabomba, Java Fern Lace, Marimo Ball
Fauna: 3 guppies, 1 remaining pygmy cory

Steve


----------



## Islandx

the above images were progression pics:

1st image: Day of Set-up
2nd image: 3 weeks later
3rd image: 2 months in
4th image: Today


----------



## paybackranch

Well, I may not post much, but I am a BIG Edge fan. I own three of them (old style 6 gallon). My oldest Edge has been set up for at least 3 years. The newest is still in its box waiting for the adult children to move out so that I get my fish room back!The photo below was taken today just after I re-did it. I have changed out the Halogens for MR11's like was done earlier. I do mount a Finnex Epoch light (over the tank in this photo) or their Ray II LED DD fixture over them for additional lights when I am not expecting someone over to look at tanks. I grow a lot of red plants in my tanks and they need the extra light. Anyhow, the Manzanita wood pieces are covered with newly 'super glue gel'ed Fissidens. The crypts on the right are C. parva. The red plants are A. reineckii 'rosefolia' that will totally fill the middle, an anubias nana cutting on the right and needle leaf ludwigia seedlings on the left side of the tank. I will post photos as the plants grow out. The needle leaf ludwigia will be replaced with stones covered with Fissidens as I get more grown out. Sand for substrate, which I may not do again. It is a pain. I do EI dosing with additional iron for the red plants. 

This tank is home to Blue Pearl Shrimp & a male Blue Halfmoon Butterfly Betta. The betta is on a retreat right now while the tank settles in. Yes, he gets some shrimp, but mostly, they are faster than he is. There are well over 100 shrimp as residents. Corona Horned Nerite snails for cleanup. 
Melanie


----------



## Bonefish

This is a great, informative thread. I've skimmed part of it already and will need to spend more time thoroughly digesting all the advice. I skipped ahead to the end of the thread for the moment because a.) I don't have a Fluval Edge yet BUT b.) there's a 6 gal one on sale at a local store for $60 and I'm having trouble resisting the temptation.

I've been out of the hobby for almost a year but have been wanting to get back into it. Originally I was planning on shelling out $$$ for an nice ADA nano aquarium sometime this summer, but seeing the Fluval Edge on clearance sale is making me reconsider...

So, some questions! 

1.) I'm hoping to keep some Endler's, RCS, and maybe CRS. I want the tank to be both a display tank and a breeding tank, and the fact that the tank's top is mostly covered seems like a pro when you consider that Endler's and RCS are jumpers (if I got the ADA tank, I'd need to buy a separate glass cover). However - how hard is it to get a net into the opening to net your fish? This is a real, practical concern for me if I'm going to be constantly netting little guys to sell.

2.) The stock Edge lighting is clearly insufficient and I would have to change it. I have one of those 27 watt Hampton Bay lights on hand. Has anyone just set the lamp over the tank without taking the lamp apart, or do you guys recommend the DIY Hampton Bay hack?

3.) Overall, what has been your experience with cleaning the tank? Is it particularly messy or challenging? I'm in a rental with wall-to-wall carpeting to I want to avoid splashing too much water on the ground. Again, seems like a situation where the covered top would be a pro, but someone in the early pages of the thread mentioned that sticking your hand in the opening can cause the water to overflow unless you lower the water level first.

Looking forward to any feedback from you all. All the lovely scapes posted in this thread have gotten me excited about planted tanks again!


----------



## AutumnSky

*Frustrations and Love*

It is easy to do everything by hand but a pain. Vacuuming I have to get the thing started first in my bigger tank them come over to it with it full of water I will be getting it completely planted then won't be vacuuming. Had guppy fry in it up to last week.

You won't forget to take the water level down only once or twice, before you stick your hand in there and remember. I ruined my book shelf I have it on! 

It is beautiful and it is a pain in the a**. I had to bend a small net into a strange configuration to be able to get out my fish. The cute triangular shaped net isn't that much help. 

It is easier if you take the water down a couple inches to catch stuff. Once planted with rocks too, don't plan on netting much out of it! Maybe little plastic bottle shrimp trap. I was thinking of the tiny plastic ones for toddlers so they might actually fit inside of it.

I had to get my Cory out and had to take out most of the decorations and rocks

IMHO, Best as display tank!!!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Hey, just a bit of advice on fish that like to gulp air, you might find a few of them too "dumb" to find the opening.

I moved my Betta to her own tank because she had a really hard time finding the hole, I gave away my Cory cats for the same reason. The 6 gallon is a bit too small for Corys who like to school with 3+, they also like to gulp air from time to time but I find them much smarter compare to my Betta.


----------



## xconverge

I want to replace my Limnophila sessiliflora with something else, it is taking over the tank. I also want to replace the wisteria. Any suggestions on a larger sized background plant that wont grow too much or can be trimmed relatively easily? I was thinking some sort of large anubia or something

old picture for reference, it is way more dense now


----------



## Azrie

Just got an Edge 6 gallon and have a quick question after searching through the thread. I have sand in my edge and I'm having trouble with the stock filter blowing it around and creating a large hole right underneath the outflow area. Is there any DIY fix or mod I can do to the filter or add on to reduce this? I've tried turning it down but I still get a hole right in the middle. It makes it hard to keep anything planted.


----------



## xconverge

Azrie said:


> Just got an Edge 6 gallon and have a quick question after searching through the thread. I have sand in my edge and I'm having trouble with the stock filter blowing it around and creating a large hole right underneath the outflow area. Is there any DIY fix or mod I can do to the filter or add on to reduce this? I've tried turning it down but I still get a hole right in the middle. It makes it hard to keep anything planted.


I saw a post where someone put a little bit of sponge prefilter material in the outflow of the filter to slow down the water a bit


----------



## sockfish

Fluval makes a sponge filter just for the intake on these tanks. Cost is 2-3$. I have one on my 6 gal to protect the shrimp amd the flow is pretty slow.

sox


----------



## Islandx

Azrie said:


> Just got an Edge 6 gallon and have a quick question after searching through the thread. I have sand in my edge and I'm having trouble with the stock filter blowing it around and creating a large hole right underneath the outflow area. Is there any DIY fix or mod I can do to the filter or add on to reduce this? I've tried turning it down but I still get a hole right in the middle. It makes it hard to keep anything planted.



I'd also like to know if anyone has a DIY solution to this problem. Is there any way to redirect the flow a bit from at the floor of the tank to maybe the front wall? Maybe some sort of deflector or extension to the lip on the outflow.


----------



## gkatz007

Azrie said:


> Just got an Edge 6 gallon and have a quick question after searching through the thread. I have sand in my edge and I'm having trouble with the stock filter blowing it around and creating a large hole right underneath the outflow area. Is there any DIY fix or mod I can do to the filter or add on to reduce this? I've tried turning it down but I still get a hole right in the middle. It makes it hard to keep anything planted.


dont even need to buy anything i have a piece of sponge on the filter outflow and the flow is almost 0 it creates enough flow to agitate the surface but not enough to blow anything away...im currently on vacation in china so im away from my tanks but ill post to the thread with a picture if u want. check out my fluval on youtube if ur curious. youtube.com/gkatz007


----------



## gkatz007

sockfish said:


> Fluval makes a sponge filter just for the intake on these tanks. Cost is 2-3$. I have one on my 6 gal to protect the shrimp amd the flow is pretty slow.
> 
> sox


i think he was talking more about the output tho even with the sponge on the input which i have as well the flow was pretty strong. just cut any extra sponge material you may have from filter media and stick it on the filter output the flow is reduced heavily. and if ur worried about no flow causing algae etc iv never had a problem with algae in my edge 6g with hardly any flow. iv kept 6 neon tetras without a problem in the tank. now im on vacation so idk what will happen when im home but its been fine so far.!


----------



## [email protected]

I just recently purchased the Edge also and I got that bulb from Walmart to start and I plan on ordering the mr11 bulbs also. But I tell you what, that sucker really gets hot! Did I do something wrong?


----------



## Rick684

My year old Edge 6. Switched from two "eBay Special" 10 LED MR11's to the new Fluval 42 LED Light Bar. Much better light spread. Quite a difference...


----------



## mahko

$80 for a strip light? Looks like you could piece something together from superbrightleds.com for much cheaper and still maintain the stock look.


----------



## moosenart

anybody know where i can get parts?

I traded and got the tank, nothing more. Looking for the lid/lights i have a filter heater and a plan (betta) already, i dont want to make my own lid though.


----------



## mahko

Azrie said:


> Just got an Edge 6 gallon and have a quick question after searching through the thread. I have sand in my edge and I'm having trouble with the stock filter blowing it around and creating a large hole right underneath the outflow area. Is there any DIY fix or mod I can do to the filter or add on to reduce this? I've tried turning it down but I still get a hole right in the middle. It makes it hard to keep anything planted.


Essentially what I did was use the inspiration from this:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f59-axolotl-tank-set-ups-filters-substrate/81802-reducing-flow-aquaclear-20-a.html

But instead of using foam, I made the same shape from a plastic water bottle. The part that scoops up over the water line is sort of pinched together on the end so the flow goes left and right. My flow is at full and no more substrate crater.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

mahko said:


> $80 for a strip light? Looks like you could piece something together from superbrightleds.com for much cheaper and still maintain the stock look.


That glued on piece looks out of place, no idea where the 80 dollars price tag came from either. 

@Rick684 

Hey, I did the same thing


----------



## raven_wilde

Just posted some pictures of my Edge taken over the past couple months... http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals/151981-raven_wildes-ebiwagumi-edge-updated-pics-6-a-post1892718.html


----------



## daygoboiz

Hi guys. So I just picked up a used edge on craigslist for $55 and got real excited a day later found out there was a little crack that show a little piece of silicone on the bottom right corner and there goes my mood swing  I immediately tested the water and it was fine but I had some extra acrylic so I patched it up plus more silicone on the inside so I was happy again  ! Sorry about the mislead just wanna share it. So my question for now is That I ordered 2 12v mr16 led+ sockets (6w total)and 3 12v led strips (18LED = 18w) so total with the mr16 and 3 strips I have total 24w would I be able to connect all that to my power supply from the original edge to get the max powering the bulbs? 
Thanks in advance


----------



## FlyingHellFish

daygoboiz said:


> Hi guys. So I just picked up a used edge on craigslist for $55 and got real excited a day later found out there was a little crack that show a little piece of silicone on the bottom right corner and there goes my mood swing  I immediately tested the water and it was fine but I had some extra acrylic so I patched it up plus more silicone on the inside so I was happy again  ! Sorry about the mislead just wanna share it. So my question for now is That I ordered 2 12v mr16 led+ sockets (6w total)and 3 12v led strips (18LED = 18w) so total with the mr16 and 3 strips I have total 24w would I be able to connect all that to my power supply from the original edge to get the max powering the bulbs?
> Thanks in advance


Can't you just pick up another adapter for the LEDs? What LED strips did you buy? Got a pic?


----------



## daygoboiz

2 of these








MR16 Specifications:
Base:MR16
Light Color: Cool white
Color temperature: 6500k , Cool white
LED Quantity:19 Pieces SMD5050 
Voltage: AC/DC 12V
Power:3W 
Luminous Flux:190-210 lm
frequency:50Hz
CRI >70
Lifespan:30,000h
Beam Angle:140°
Size:50 x 47.5mm(Dia x H)

4 of these 1 for back up









Specification:
Casing material: Aluminum
Number of bulbs(each): 6
Color of light: Pure White
Each LED bulb 1w 
Input voltage: 12V
6000k

I just started my first dsm yesterday with one 10w stock halogen and a 18w cfl from an old tank Eco on a thin layer and activ-flora on top with API root-tap and misting daily with my 30l tank (dry ferts)


----------



## EllynE

Hi all, I am new to this thread and have one of the original edge's that has been just sitting around. Was really unhappy with how hot the halogen lights got...

So I am ready to make some changes would like to just have some plants and shrimp for it, what would you recommend for substrate and mods for lighting; I have tried to read the whole thread but it seems like there is conflicting info...looking for any advice/suggestions

Thanks!


----------



## daygoboiz

I think most people upgraded to mr16 led with new sockets and zip tied it with a 10w cfl, I'm new to hope that helps


----------



## raven_wilde

daygoboiz said:


> I think most people upgraded to mr16 led with new sockets and zip tied it with a 10w cfl, I'm new to hope that helps


Or you can just buy the MR11s or MR16s and forgo the compact florescent (which will also generate quite a bit of heat). That's what I did and I've been very happy with the results. Of course, this has also meant that I have been somewhat limited with my plant choices but understanding this from the start allowed me to plan accordingly and I have had great results 

This gets me thinking....

While there are lots of different mods discussed in this thread and elsewhere I think that you can assess your needs by asking yourself the following two questions:

*Am I okay with having to modify my plant selection to meet the requirements of the Edge?*
If yes, follow *Path A*. If no...​*Am I willing to modify my Edge to meet the requirements of my plant selection?*
If yes, follow *Path B*. If no, slap self in the face and return Edge to the store.​
*Path A:* Accept the Edge for what it is... a low light tank.

This means mod the lighting only if you have an older model and get rid of those terrible halogens. Buy some MR11 or MR16 LED bulbs -OR- Splurge a little by ordering one of the new LED lightbars as a replacement part (even if you buy the one made for the 12 gal and install it on your 6 gal you will still only have low to middle intensity light).
Accept that low light can be nice too and make your plant choices accordingly 
Also accept that no matter what you do, your plants will not grow nearly as fast as you want them to 
Discover that the payoff to exercising extreme patience while waiting for your tank to really fill in is getting to enjoy less frequent maintenance, ie. pressurized CO2 is optional and you don't have to dose frequently or perhaps even at all.
Enjoy tank 

*Path B:* Decide that the plants you want to keep are more important than the tank you are keeping them in and mod the crap outta your Edge

Decide what kind of tank you want it to be and what kind of plants you want regardless of the Edge's innate limitations.
Research the requirements necessary to grow the plants you want and get them to look the way you want them to. For example, do you want a carpet of HC? Maybe consider dry start method. Do you want clusters of stem plants? Better look into pruning methods and if you think you are not going to be able to perform these through that little hole maybe you'd better remove the top of the tank.
Find the lighting mod you can both afford and install yourself that best meets the needs of your desired plants. If you want that HC carpet you are probably going to have to at least zip-tie a compact florescent bulb up under the hood. If that makes things too hot for you then maybe look into adding more LED strips. If that HC carpet fails to do well in the corners of the tank because the hood is in the way then perhaps look into some mods that are external to the hood.
Find (if necessary) the pressurized or DIY CO2 method and or mod that best meets the needs of your desired plants. The higher the light you have in your tank the more CO2 you need to control algae. _See other sections of the forum for details on CO2_
Maintain the tank as needed taking into account your amplified lighting and CO2 levels... this will probably mean more frequent fert dosing and water changes. _Again, refer to other sections of this forum for these details_
Enjoy tank


----------



## EllynE

raven_wilde said:


> Or you can just buy the MR11s or MR16s and forgo the compact florescent (which will also generate quite a bit of heat). That's what I did and I've been very happy with the results. Of course, this has also meant that I have been somewhat limited with my plant choices but understanding this from the start allowed me to plan accordingly and I have had great results
> 
> This gets me thinking....
> 
> While there are lots of different mods discussed in this thread and elsewhere I think that you can assess your needs by asking yourself the following two questions:
> 
> *Am I okay with having to modify my plant selection to meet the requirements of the Edge?*If yes, follow *Path A*. If no...​*Am I willing to modify my Edge to meet the requirements of my plant selection?*If yes, follow *Path B*. If no, slap self in the face and return Edge to the store.​*Path A:* Accept the Edge for what it is... a low light tank.
> 
> This means mod the lighting only if you have an older model and get rid of those terrible halogens. Buy some MR11 or MR16 LED bulbs -OR- Splurge a little by ordering one of the new LED lightbars as a replacement part (even if you buy the one made for the 12 gal and install it on your 6 gal you will still only have low to middle intensity light).
> Accept that low light can be nice too and make your plant choices accordingly
> Also accept that no matter what you do, your plants will not grow nearly as fast as you want them to
> Discover that the payoff to exercising extreme patience while waiting for your tank to really fill in is getting to enjoy less frequent maintenance, ie. pressurized CO2 is optional and you don't have to dose frequently or perhaps even at all.
> Enjoy tank
> Thanks for the advice! I am definitely the Path B, don't really care which live plants, just want live plants that will do well.
> 
> 
> Now on to another question, how about substrate? I was thinking aquasoil since I have a naturally high ph out of the tap and can't ever get it down. I see there are different types of aquasoil so my question would be what type and how much? Where is the best place to buy from?
> 
> 
> Do you just use the stock filtration that came with the tank?
> 
> 
> How about CO2, I don't have any on my tanks (want to but want to do it right). I do have one of those nutrafin systems kicking around somewhere I was thinking of putting on the edge, what do you think?


----------



## raven_wilde

EllynE said:


> Thanks for the advice! I am definitely the Path B, don't really care which live plants, just want live plants that will do well.


Ehh... Path A is the one where you don't kinda don't care which plants you end up with and you choose them based on the limitations of the tank.

Additionally, I hope you don't think that my post meant to suggest that one path was better than the other. Plants will do well both ways, its just the rate of growth that will differ and the types of plants that can be kept.



> Now on to another question, how about substrate? I was thinking aquasoil since I have a naturally high ph out of the tap and can't ever get it down. I see there are different types of aquasoil so my question would be what type and how much? Where is the best place to buy from?


I've never used aquasoil so I don't know what to tell you other than everyone seems to love amazonia. I am sure though that there are TONS of threads about it over in the Substrate section of the forum.



> Do you just use the stock filtration that came with the tank?


I do and I think that it has worked just fine.



> How about CO2, I don't have any on my tanks (want to but want to do it right). I do have one of those nutrafin systems kicking around somewhere I was thinking of putting on the edge, what do you think?


If you not upgrading your lights (other than perhaps swapping out halogens for LEDs) then the nutrafin system will probably do alright for you. If you add more lights then you should probably venture into pressurized CO2, either paintball or something more professional. However, I recommend you search around the Fertilizers and Water Parameter section of the forum and learn about the relationship of light, CO2 and ferts before you start buying anything.


----------



## raven_wilde

EllynE said:


> Now on to another question, how about substrate? I was thinking aquasoil since I have a naturally high ph out of the tap and can't ever get it down. I see there are different types of aquasoil so my question would be what type and how much? Where is the best place to buy from?


Keep in mind that if you don't use aquasoil (or if it ends up not helping to lower your ph) that you can also lower your ph by including driftwood in your tank. The slow decomposition of organic matter produces CO2 which in turn uses up some of the calcium carbonate (aka KH) in the water and lowers your ph over time. Its a slow process and not harmful to your fish (as opposed to sudden ph drops due to over injection of pressurized CO2) but it can help to counteract hard tapwater.

This can also be accomplished to some degree by placing indian almond leaves, peat moss or pellets in your filter.


----------



## daygoboiz

Bump for a great edge Raven


----------



## novv

hello, it took me couple of days to read through the 100+ pages of this edge thread... a lot of information to know  

anyway, for those who use the MR16 bulb instead of the stock MR11, how close it is between the bulbs and the water surface? as far as i know, the MR16 is bigger than MR11.


----------



## jeb6789

*My New Fluval Edge*

So I thought Id be a complete dork and post about my new Edge that I just set up a few weeks ago. Ive been eyeing the tank up for years, but I think they just discontinued it so I got it for a great price, and I didn't want to miss the chance of owning such an awesome and unique tank. Thats Hygrophila Compact in the middle, its definitely growing, sending roots down and putting out new leaves. The plan is to train it to look like a big green clump in the middle without the lower stalks showing. Some of the new leaves are all twisted and deformed though, any ideas why? The plant on the left is a lily grown from a bulb. It is really taking off. It put off all that growth in about a week. The substrate is just plain old aquarium gravel, will be adding root tabs soon. I have 6 neon tetras which are doing great. I do weekly water changes and I treat the new water with FloraPride. Also have the edge heater in there. Any advice? Like I said this is my first attempt at aquascaping so any suggestions would be great!

Image 1: Two weeks ago
Image 2: Today


----------



## cm16600

*Pomacea diffusa*

Hi ,i'd like to know if some of you have pomacea diffusa in an edge is the snail able to find the opening to breathe?

Thannks for your help


----------



## daygoboiz

Hi all, I have been reading a lot about these tank but still undecided on which light exactly to fit to grow hc. Anyone have a solid and manageable DIY hood mod please advice me thanks!


----------



## icepotato89




----------



## Philosophy

I recently went topless do to a crack on the top glass. Wondering how safe are the seams on the fluval edge. Planning on making it a work tank and would probably be in a world of hurt if this tank busted on me. Also, as far as pressure is involved, would there be more pressure in the tank if there were contents such as rocks and wood and filled with water or would the pressure be the same or greater if the tank was just completely filled with water? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. Phil.


----------



## Islandx

Philosophy said:


> I recently went topless do to a crack on the top glass. Wondering how safe are the seams on the fluval edge. Planning on making it a work tank and would probably be in a world of hurt if this tank busted on me. Also, as far as pressure is involved, would there be more pressure in the tank if there were contents such as rocks and wood and filled with water or would the pressure be the same or greater if the tank was just completely filled with water? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. Phil.


I would imagine that there would be less pressure on the seams of the tank were it filled with rocks and wood. Like if you had one large 5 gallon sized rock centered in the tank, seems like there'd be only 1 gallons of water pressure on the tank. I dunno, sounds logical to me but I'm no expert.


----------



## Vermino

will moonlight LED's on the 6 gallon Edge grow algae if left on 24/7? thinking about aftermarket LED mod for 6-8 hours then moonlights left on.


----------



## sugarbyte

icepotato89 said:


>


Your tank looks amazing! Please share the details  Lighting? Plants? Co2?


----------



## daygoboiz

Here is my share, finally got everything together;
1st nano and shrimp tank 
Started emerged grow on my edge for 2 weeks and got fungus so I flooded it last Sunday
Substrate - Activ-flora with root-tabs
Co2 - paintball with nano diffuser
Ferts - Ei dry dosing (very little) and daily excel (wc at least once or twice weekly)
Lighting - 24w 24 led, 2 mr16 (3w 19 5050 led each)
Flora - Hc, hydrocotyle, staurogyne, dhg and weeping moss.
Stocking with 10 Painted fire red, 11 blue/red rili, and 11 rcs and 2 blue ramshorn snails.

































What do you guys think?


----------



## icepotato89

sugarbyte said:


> Your tank looks amazing! Please share the details  Lighting? Plants? Co2?


Thanks, I'm just using the stock lights. Plants are java moss and blyxa japonica. Nothing special in the substrate, just white sand. No CO2.


----------



## sugarbyte

icepotato89 said:


> Thanks, I'm just using the stock lights. Plants are java moss and blyxa japonica. Nothing special in the substrate, just white sand. No CO2.


Keep it up, it looks fantastic


----------



## FlyingHellFish

daygoboiz said:


> What do you guys think?



Nice, close up shot of the HC Cuba would be awesome. I'm trying to spread my HC Cuba too, how long are you leaving your lights on.


----------



## daygoboiz

FlyingHellFish said:


> Nice, close up shot of the HC Cuba would be awesome. I'm trying to spread my HC Cuba too, how long are you leaving your lights on.


My lights go on for about 11 hours a day, here are some pics i took with my iphone, this was 2 weeks emerged and 2 weeks flooded. Last week i notice new roots and this week they look like they have anchored most of it down.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Nice, that a good sign for your tank daygo, they're spreading and rooting. 

Here mine.










Does your LED heat up the glass? I'm not sure LEDs are made to be in contact directly. Could be wrong tho.


----------



## daygoboiz

Yours look fantastic  i guess it does heat it up a bit but with the alluminum housing it isnt so bad.


----------



## hydrosparky

For the lights, anyone think about using the FugeRay 16" on the 12 gal? The LED is cheap and nice, but I want to know if it can grow some nice high light plants in conjunction with the stock lights.


----------



## mesohuanny

I have the ray 2 16" on my Edge and am very happy with it. It is plenty of light and I haven't had a problem growing anything.


----------



## hydrosparky

mesohuanny said:


> I have the ray 2 16" on my Edge and am very happy with it. It is plenty of light and I haven't had a problem growing anything.


Is your tank 12 gal?


----------



## Dany08fa

just got my new fluval edge! probaby wont be a while til i get it running though. Any must have upgrades? i have one of the new models that comes with leds and plan to go with dwarf tears/grass so hopefully i dont need upgrade lighting.


----------



## Vermino

Dany08fa said:


> just got my new fluval edge! probaby wont be a while til i get it running though. Any must have upgrades? i have one of the new models that comes with leds and plan to go with dwarf tears/grass so hopefully i dont need upgrade lighting.


if your putting carpet down for HC or DHG then you will need a lighting upgrade seeing how the edge doesn't really get the edges with light (hmm, so that's why they call it that)


----------



## Kratos

Wow so beautiful.


----------



## mesohuanny

Sorry, 6g and the Ray II actually, but the Ray II is *very* bright.


----------



## hydrosparky

Looks like I'll try that out! Thanks! Must get money!


----------



## sunyang730

Hi there, 

I am looking for the fluval edge tank. I just need the tank. Please let me know if you are in New York City area and would like to sell yours. 

Thanks


----------



## CryptKeeper54

Love this thread.

I originally posted this in the nano forums but think I might get mere feedback here:

My Fluval Edge 6 gallon tank arrived today. I'm late to the party, but going to enjoy this setup. Nice and contemporary design. 21 LED lighting could be more intense, definitely less intense then my eheim aquastyle lights, but the spectrum of 7600K is very pleasing to the eyes. Makes my eheim aquastyle lights look yellow. Checking for leaks. Silicone seams are not bad (looking at ADA tanks just spoiled my perception of every other tank out there as far as quality and build). Plastic base and top seems a bit flimsy but serves its purpose. I think I'm gonna have a friend build a replica base with koa wood. That would look pimp, classy and highend as hell. Anyways, always fun to start with a blank slate.

Going to use Fluval Stratum... plants I'm thinking of using: Crypt wendtii in corners, anubias nana petite used as borders, s.repens somewhere, crypt parva as foreground, branchwood and stones (forgot name...yamana stone? Got to check LFS Aquascapes for name). Will plan for a low maintenance tank. No CO2 and maybe weekly fertz along with a wekly water change type of regimen. The more I look at the tank, the more I think it needs white decorative sand somewhere to brighten up the tank. Comments and suggestions welcomed. Would love for this to be a planted nano tank based on TPT member input. Going to give away this tank to a friend in a month or so, when its settled in a little. Building this tank for the sake of plantednanotanks.com. I will be updating the progress in the tank journal forum.


----------



## wetbizquit

i just got the fluval edge 6 gal and i was wondering the major pro's and cons of the setup, im trying to figure out if i should keep it, since i already have 7 tanks, one of my shrimp tanks is a 5 gal hex marineland full setup, i got it for 30$ new so thats why i bought it, clearance on petco rocks!! but the lid is attached to the light and filter so trying to get in to maintain it is nearly possible, i noticed it might be the same on the edge, and wanted to ask members if its pretty hard to do maintenance or change a scape on the edge


----------



## Vermino

wetbizquit said:


> i just got the fluval edge 6 gal and i was wondering the major pro's and cons of the setup, im trying to figure out if i should keep it, since i already have 7 tanks, one of my shrimp tanks is a 5 gal hex marineland full setup, i got it for 30$ new so thats why i bought it, clearance on petco rocks!! but the lid is attached to the light and filter so trying to get in to maintain it is nearly possible, i noticed it might be the same on the edge, and wanted to ask members if its pretty hard to do maintenance or change a scape on the edge


well this is my first experience with aquascaping (i saw an edge in the store and was like "that would be cool") so yeah. maintenance is very high on these things.

cons:

- alot of top offs (like to evaporate quickly)
- any aquascaping tools (the 12 inch or taller) are useless
- very difficult to hardscape from the 7 1/2 and 5 1/2 opening
- lighting arm is very inconvenient with maintenance (if you keep it up, you must have alternate lighting to see in the tank) 
- OEM lighting still kind-of sucks, doesn't reach all the way into the corners. Either upgrade system or be restricted to low light plants and/or center display
- (ive heard poor oxygen unless with full power on HOB, or Co2 with lots of plants)
- (if) you do have hardscape - good luck catching your livestock with a net or saucer. (very difficult in my opinion) 

pros:

- beautiful top view of the glass
- a bit easier to use a magnet scrubber to get the air bubbles,trimmings,etc etc into the center of the hole (careful with the HOB because it loves to push it back down)
- very modern look
- alot of mods can be accomplish with this thing and be hidden within the bottom plate, backwall, and/or hood

concerns:
- they say "safe of bettas", but every fish is different. I was able to teach my betta to find the 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 hole so he can gulp air but it took a few days increasing the water level slowly. (bettas also seem to hate high flows, personally mine like to chase the air bubbles getting pushed into the water)

hope this gives you alittle bit better information on them - I know a rimless 12gallon has to be easier maintenance with planting, trimming, collecting. thing is, you dont get that beautiful "top-view" like the edge will give you.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Yeah, I also had problems with my Betta (first fish in the tank), he couldn't find the hole and was very inactive. Eventually he found the hole by swimming constantly at the top, it was a horrible sight. 

I end up buying him his own tank and new fish for the 6 gallon Edge which started me on this crazy and expensive hobby.


----------



## spratocaster

wetbizquit said:


> i just got the fluval edge 6 gal and i was wondering the major pro's and cons of the setup, im trying to figure out if i should keep it, since i already have 7 tanks, one of my shrimp tanks is a 5 gal hex marineland full setup, i got it for 30$ new so thats why i bought it, clearance on petco rocks!! but the lid is attached to the light and filter so trying to get in to maintain it is nearly possible, i noticed it might be the same on the edge, and wanted to ask members if its pretty hard to do maintenance or change a scape on the edge


The biggest con is maintenance. It is a major pain to trim plants in an Edge. It's tough to get at things through the opening and removing clippings is a pain. I have DHG in my edge and I dread having to trim it. All of the trimmings stick to the side glass where it is impossible to reach. It takes 5 minutes to do the trim and 30 to clean up the trimmings and I will still end up with tons of them trapped under the top glass. 

If you are only planning to grow crypts, anubias, moss, etc... Then you may be ok with an edge. If you are planning faster growing stems and grasses with lots of trimming, I would get a tank with an open top.


----------



## Caleb19

I actually took down my 12g edge due to the difficulty in doing any maintenance on the inside of the tank. Such a sleek look, but not very practical when it comes to scaping, cleaning etc..


----------



## Dany08fa

Im gonna be planting some dwarf hairgrass in my edge tomorrow. Sounds like trimming is gonna be a pain but i love the way this plant looks in my 1.5g so im going with it. Im using the fluval shrimp substrate. Can someone tell me if its easier to plant before adding water or adding some water then planting on the edge?


----------



## Vermino

if you have patience - then do a DSM (dry start method) where you plant while it's moist but not submerged. This will give you a better root system. Right now, my Betta is swimming around my DHG and uprooting them because i didn't do a DSM. I say have fun with the edge and when you upgrade to an awesome rimless, you will love how easy it is to scape (from what I can picture it as haha).


----------



## Dany08fa

today i decided to upgrade the egdes lighting so i'll have no problem growing my DHG. i took off the factory 21 led light bar. Then i used the factory hood and added 2cfl bulbs under the hood like others have done. I used shiny sheet metal to make a housing for the bulbs as well as help reflect.

i'm happy with everything i was just wondering if any of you ran into any problems like the tank overheating? i also heard some people had the bulbs explode/short circuit due to condensation, evaporation, water splash, etc.... do i need to make the bulbs splash proof?


----------



## wetbizquit

thanks for the advice yall

for plants if i want the least maintenance what do you guys have in your setup?? im thinking crs for this tank maybe bkk and was planing on moss what would you all recommend


----------



## CryptKeeper54

Day 3: so far so good. Still waiting for wood to be fully water logged. Right branch out of place cause its floating (semi anchored to a rock). I'm hoping these lights will sustain these plants, especially the crypt parva. The 21 LED light leaves a lot to be desired for planted tank fans. Forced to use low light plants it seems with this stock light. This has probably been said a million times in this thread but didn't have time to read every post...lol. The edge is very cool to look at from the top if you can maintain an air bubble free view. Very sleek an contemporary design that would look great in most homes. Would I buy another one? Probably not, unless the prices drop dramatically.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Nice looking Edge, I took hate the LED's light coverage. I have a 42 LED (Edge 12 gallon light) on my 6 g and it still has horrible coverage.


----------



## aqua_diy

*Fluval Edge 2*

Hi, 

I will share my tank as well 

It's a 12 gallon and bought recently. Aesthetically it's very beautiful, however the access to the interior is not the 

best. It's hard to trim the plants. The switch is also annoying. 
I got tired to switch it manually so I added a timer  At the same time I also added some extra LED's for the plants that require more light.

You can check step by step here: http://diy.appdetector.com/fluval-edge-2-diy-lighting-upgrade-led-light-timer/


















-Peter


----------



## CryptKeeper54

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ Nice looking Edge, I took hate the LED's light coverage. I have a 42 LED (Edge 12 gallon light) on my 6 g and it still has horribble coverage.


Yup... I'm gonna accept this tank for what it is and move on. Going to spend my money elsewhere rather then modifcations. 

Does anyone have experience with crypt parva in this tank? I read that parva can be low to medium light and survive.


----------



## FluvalEdger

Day 1. 

Mostly anubias varieties that worked well in my previous Fluval Spec without any mods. No mods planned for this either as I keep this on my desk at work. I will however notch out a small rectangular hole in the mesh of the canopy to allow for a small automatic feeder on the weekends.

I used an OceanVisions black adhesive background which you can see clearly in the top view photo. No need for a clear back since my desk hutch sits behind it. 

Plans are for a few cherries, snails, galaxy rasbora and/or some threadfin rainbows or Endlers. Nothing too crazy...just something to enjoy at work.


----------



## raven_wilde

CryptKeeper54 said:


> Yup... I'm gonna accept this tank for what it is and move on. Going to spend my money elsewhere rather then modifcations.
> 
> Does anyone have experience with crypt parva in this tank? I read that parva can be low to medium light and survive.


I tried parva in my Edge when I first set it up but had no luck... I mean, it lived, and when I finally tore it out and moved it to another tank I found that it had put down some nice roots but it never really seemed to GROW. I did have mine planted along the edges of the tank though. You'll probably have better results because you've got it directly underneath the lights.

FWIW, I agree about accepting this tank for what it is and sinking the big money into other projects. Aside for swapping out the stock halogens for LED bulbs I haven't really done any other mods. I just work within the parameters of a low light tank- couldn't be happier with the results


----------



## FluvalEdger

Notched a hole in the top for an automatic feeder. The flaps are angled in a bit to keep food aimed at the opening between the light and front edge. 

This feeder is temporary. Switching to an eheim with a narrower chute that will rotate parallel to this opening. 

This is at my office so I needed it for the weekends and days I'm not there. 

On a daily basis, makes it convenient to feed and dose as well since I don't have to remove the lid.

And when I'm sitting, the hole isn't visible at all.


----------



## pageerror404

Anyone have experience with bettas in fluval edge? I'm upgrading my shrimp and tetras to a bigger aquarium and I want to move a betta into the edge.

My concern is that they have to go to the surface to breathe don't they? And I don't want one to get confused and not be able to find the upper reservoir or not be able to comfortably battle the current. Would I just have to lower the water level?


----------



## DBlauj

pageerror404 said:


> Anyone have experience with bettas in fluval edge? I'm upgrading my shrimp and tetras to a bigger aquarium and I want to move a betta into the edge.
> 
> My concern is that they have to go to the surface to breathe don't they? And I don't want one to get confused and not be able to find the upper reservoir or not be able to comfortably battle the current. Would I just have to lower the water level?


 My betta was actually the first fish I had in my edge. At first he seemed to panic unable to find the opening to breathe so I lowed the water level for the night. The next day I tried it again using food to show em where the opening was. That seemed to do the trick for my guy.


----------



## ncharlie

My bettas do fine in the Edge. However, I'd be very careful if you use liquid Co2, etc.

I dosed the tank once and in a few minutes all the fish were at the top gasping for air. All my neons died, etc.

I think the O2 levels in an Edge tend to be fragile due to the small opening. 

I too dont fill it up to the top but leave it very close.


----------



## Shrimpie

I apologize for the quality ;(


----------



## pageerror404

Does anyone have any experience with plant grow using the LED lights that come with the 6 gallon tanks now? I am curious if it's worth upgrading. I replaced the Halogen bulbs with small lights at plugged into the same socket.


----------



## maxwellag

ncharlie said:


> My bettas do fine in the Edge. However, I'd be very careful if you use liquid Co2, etc.
> 
> I dosed the tank once and in a few minutes all the fish were at the top gasping for air. All my neons died, etc.
> 
> I think the O2 levels in an Edge tend to be fragile due to the small opening.
> 
> I too dont fill it up to the top but leave it very close.


I just thought I'd clarify that it is unlikely that dosing excel or other liquid carbon supplements caused this. There is no such thing as liquid co2; but there are carbon supplements in liquid form.


----------



## sunyang730

pageerror404 said:


> Does anyone have any experience with plant grow using the LED lights that come with the 6 gallon tanks now? I am curious if it's worth upgrading. I replaced the Halogen bulbs with small lights at plugged into the same socket.


When I still have it with the top, I need to add extra light bar to get enough light to grow HC.


----------



## Stussi613

Figured I'd chime in with some pics of my layout and a few questions after lurking for 2 years and reading all 118 pages of this thread.

I got my 6g Edge over a year ago, but had major filtration problems in my planted 125g discus tank so I didn't set this tank up until a month or two ago when I decided that I would turn it into a CRS tank. I got some Christmas moss, Fluval Shrimp stratum and small driftwood and a few rocks and dry scraped the tank. Super glued the moss on wood, moved a chunk of annubias nana over to a rock and tied it down and then got a bit of water in the tank and covered it with cling wrap to let the glue/moss set and the moss to take hold. 

A month later I got the tank filled and got the cycle going and a few Otto cats in it. I added some micro swords and something I can't remember the name of in the back. 

The annubias nana leaves died, but new leaves started appearing recently. 

Last week I picked up 5 CRS and put them in. For the most part, I was happy with the layout. 



















But the lighting (original MR11 bulbs) looked like crap and it was driving me nuts. And I was pretty sure I couldn't grow much with 22 watts of halogen light. 

The idea of crazy mods did not appeal to me, so I bit the bullet and paid $80 for a 42 LED replacement fixture from a 12g Edge after seeing the link on here. Installed it on Thursday and the lighting is much better!



















I'm thinking of moving the micro swords and adding some dwarf hair grass. I'm also thinking I need to go with CO2 and ferts considering the lighting is much higher now and I'm already getting algae near the top on the moss. I actually have a paintball setup with a regulator and solenoid that I bought from a friend and was going to put on my 125g but never did, I also have a small glass diffuser that I could put in the tank under the outflow of the HOB. 

I would love to hear feedback on the layout and any advice on plant stocking and adding CO2!


----------



## CryptKeeper54

Nice tank stussi... reading 118 pages is pretty crazy. I commend anyone wo can make this a tank with CO2. I mean, having to scape & trim plants frequently will be a real PITA with this tank.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Test tank is nearly finished, got a whole bunch of exp on Lights,Growth,Co2.

Coming along nicely, I going to tear it down and start again, finally get to aquascape without fear of dying plants. 









































Just for fun, my old 12 gallon Edge.


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## Dany08fa

Pics of my edge. Tanks about a month old.


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## FlyingHellFish

^ Dammit man, why do I always get out staged.


----------



## gus6464

After scoring an Edge 6g for $29 months ago at Petco and letting it sit in my closet I finally started putting it together. Just put together a DIY LED strip tonight and this is what lighting looks like now. These pics were taken with no flash in a completely dark room so you can see how bright the new lights are and how much of the tank they cover.


----------



## CryptKeeper54

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ Dammit man, why do I always get out staged.


LOL.... I thought my Fluval Edge scape was looking dope until you guys came along.



gus6464 said:


> After scoring an Edge 6g for $29 months ago at Petco and letting it sit in my closet I finally started putting it together. Just put together a DIY LED strip tonight and this is what lighting looks like now. These pics were taken with no flash in a completely dark room so you can see how bright the new lights are and how much of the tank they cover.


Nice score. I will NEVER see those prices at Petco here in Hawaii. I think it was 169 bucks the last time I checked. One of the few disadvatages of living on an island.


----------



## sunyang730

If you are talking about Dany08fa's edge I think it is dwarf hairgrass?


----------



## gus6464

Would replacing the stock bulbs on my 6g edge with 2x of these be way too much light with my 2 light strips?

MR16 bulbs
http://www.amazon.com/MR16-7000K-White-Spotlight-Lumen/dp/B005YUVP9G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_1

Have 2x of these strips already
http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...s-30-high-power-led-flexible-light-strip/874/

I will be using pressurized Co2


----------



## Dany08fa

gus6464 said:


> Would replacing the stock bulbs on my 6g edge with 2x of these be way too much light with my 2 light strips?
> 
> MR16 bulbs
> http://www.amazon.com/MR16-7000K-White-Spotlight-Lumen/dp/B005YUVP9G/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_1
> 
> Have 2x of these strips already
> http://www.superbrightleds.com/more...s-30-high-power-led-flexible-light-strip/874/
> 
> I will be using pressurized Co2


That depends on what plants, how heavily planted? how much co2? ferts? etc.....

I think thats a lot of light and could lead to algae issues and temp issues on the edge, but if you find the right balance of light, nutrients, co2 you can made it work. I think? Haha


----------



## gus6464

Dany08fa said:


> That depends on what plants, how heavily planted? how much co2? ferts? etc.....
> 
> I think thats a lot of light and could lead to algae issues and temp issues on the edge, but if you find the right balance of light, nutrients, co2 you can made it work. I think? Haha


Thanks for the suggestions, I ordered them since they are cheap and if anything I will just put them on separate timer from the light strips and just run them for half the light period. Plus I am installing a dimmer on my light strips as well.

As far as plants I am for sure doing HC carpet and want some red plants like cabomba furcata mixed with some erios or some sort of midground bushy plant.


----------



## Ach1Ll3sH33L

derimmed edge


----------



## DBlauj

Ach1Ll3sH33L said:


> derimmed edge


What kind of filter is that? Awesome tank btw.


----------



## Ach1Ll3sH33L

^ finnex pf-5


----------



## vurb

Mark Oliver said:


> Here's my edge which is 3 weeks old. This is my first tank since I was a teenager 20 years ago. Right now things look too fresh but in a couple months the java moss will grow in plus I also plan on carpeting the bottom with something nice and green.
> 
> 5 Bloodtail Tetra
> 3 Amber tetra
> 5 Cherry Shrimp
> 5 Zebra Shrimp
> 
> Heater &* Fluval CO2 injector, LED Lighting kit from 12G fluval Edge.*
> 
> So far everything and everyone seems happy. I'm gonna see if the fluval filter included works over the next few months if not I'll upgrade to an Ehime Canister one.


Reading through this thread and I plan to setup the same exact setup as above light-and-Co2-wise. Can someone advise on what the approximate old-school WPG rating the above setup would yield (6G Edge with the 42LED lamp from the 12G Edge)?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Still need more light unless you plant to have all the plants in the middle. I have the 42 LED on the 6 gallon and it barely covers the corners.


----------



## Drift Monkey

Just picked up an edge (thanks dunehole) and right now it's using the M11 LED bulbs. It has christmas moss and Hydrocotyle sp. Japan in it right now...and I plan on just us adding other low light plants/moss, nothing fancy.

Would a 21 LED or 42 LED fixture be worth it for me? I don't plan on injecting CO2 btw.


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## FlyingHellFish

The MR11 LEDs are more than enough if you don't have any high light plants. I wouldn't upgrade.


----------



## metallicanick78

How can I find a sale on these? And is only on certaint colors or just the old style ones etc... I looked online and found ~$95 and I tried my local petco and it was $119. They called the next 3 closest stores and they were all the same... Is this sale over or is it off and on? Im looking to get this for the office where I work, Fisheries field office. They are all into local fish (go figure), and Im trying to convert them to planted tank enthusiasts. But I just blew all my cash on a co2 setup for my four 40b rack...


----------



## Dany08fa

metallicanick78 said:


> How can I find a sale on these? And is only on certaint colors or just the old style ones etc... I looked online and found ~$95 and I tried my local petco and it was $119. They called the next 3 closest stores and they were all the same... Is this sale over or is it off and on? Im looking to get this for the office where I work, Fisheries field office. They are all into local fish (go figure), and Im trying to convert them to planted tank enthusiasts. But I just blew all my cash on a co2 setup for my four 40b rack...


You just missed the petco sale two days ago but that was just a one time thing. I got 50% my total at checkout. Maybe a member on this forum has one available ive seen them for sale on here before. Brand new ordering online will probably be cheapest. $120 isnt a bad price imo...


----------



## bostoneric

gus6464 said:


> After scoring an Edge 6g for $29 months ago at Petco and letting it sit in my closet I finally started putting it together. Just put together a DIY LED strip tonight and this is what lighting looks like now. These pics were taken with no flash in a completely dark room so you can see how bright the new lights are and how much of the tank they cover.



specs?


----------



## gus6464

bostoneric said:


> specs?
> 
> 
> I emailed them last week with no response yet..


1x 5050SMD 5600K strip
1x 5050SMD 7500K strip
aluminum channel

Cut each strip into multiple pieces with 3x LED in each piece and soldered in following config:

7500K - 5600K - 7500K- 5600K - etc

Also replaced the stock halogen bulbs with 2x MR16 4W 440lumen

I ordered a lux meter to see how much light I get at different parts of the tank but I think it's going to be a ton of light so I will have to dim it.


----------



## bostoneric

gus6464 said:


> 1x 5050SMD 5600K strip
> 1x 5050SMD 7500K strip
> aluminum channel
> 
> Cut each strip into multiple pieces with 3x LED in each piece and soldered in following config:
> 
> 7500K - 5600K - 7500K- 5600K - etc
> 
> Also replaced the stock halogen bulbs with 2x MR16 4W 440lumen
> 
> I ordered a lux meter to see how much light I get at different parts of the tank but I think it's going to be a ton of light so I will have to dim it.


how much did it cost you to build the LED bar setup?


----------



## gus6464

bostoneric said:


> how much did it cost you to build the LED bar setup?


Around $65 bucks for everything.


----------



## bostoneric

does anybody know where to get the 12G LED upgrade lighting from?
the Hagen canada site wont allow you to use a US billing address.
the US site has it, but cant figure out how to buy it from there.
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/pro...01139260020101

I emailed them last week with no response yet.


----------



## Dany08fa

bostoneric said:


> does anybody know where to get the 12G LED upgrade lighting from?
> the Hagen canada site wont allow you to use a US billing address.
> the US site has it, but cant figure out how to buy it from there.
> http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/pro...01139260020101
> 
> I emailed them last week with no response yet.


Keep looking i know ive seen it online before if you really want it. This topic has already been talked about many times but you can spend less money and get better light with a diy setup of some kind. The 21 led light bar still isnt bright enough for high light plants or high tech setup really.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

bostoneric said:


> does anybody know where to get the 12G LED upgrade lighting from?
> the Hagen canada site wont allow you to use a US billing address.
> the US site has it, but cant figure out how to buy it from there.
> http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/pro...01139260020101
> 
> I emailed them last week with no response yet.


You have to talk to an official distributor, mostly any store that carry Hagen bands. They will order one for you at no cost. This will save you shipping charges as well. 

If you have a 12 gallon tank, you can ask for a replacement at no charge though you might have to show them the broken light fixture.


----------



## bostoneric

FlyingHellFish said:


> You have to talk to an official distributor, mostly any store that carry Hagen bands. They will order one for you at no cost. This will save you shipping charges as well.
> 
> If you have a 12 gallon tank, you can ask for a replacement at no charge though you might have to show them the broken light fixture.



thanks!!


----------



## Drift Monkey

FlyingHellFish said:


> The MR11 LEDs are more than enough if you don't have any high light plants. I wouldn't upgrade.


Thanks, I'll keep what I got then. I just thought maybe the spread would be a bit better with the 21/42 is all.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ ahahah me too.

It's not the lights, it's that Hood that blocks the spread. I find that a simple desktop lamp with a 6500 k light will help with the spread. I got a 23 watt but I inject a ton of Co2 and ferts.

Recent shots, all on Seachem Flourite Black. I dislike the dirt balls of ADA AquaSoil, it does grow plants well though.


----------



## cm16600

Hi flying hell fish. Could you comment on how easy cleaningthe HC carpet is? How do you proceed?

Thanks


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ It is very hard and takes a lot of work. The problem is trimming the corners so you need to have an open space in the middle. You can't put any rocks or wood in middle, unless you're planning on moving them each time.

The worst part about trimming is the left over clippings, you need a pre-filter on the AquaClear 20 or else it will clog. It is really hard to clean the glass as well, you have to do twice as much work with this tank.

I think I going go with a normal tank and have this as a low - tech.


----------



## cm16600

Ok thanks for the info, i am actually thinking of havingHc in a juwel lido, iam wondering about vacuming the bottom to get the dirt up.Do you use a gravel cleaner and vacum like you would with regular substrate?


----------



## cm16600

H flying hellfish,thanks for your inputs.i Do you use a gravel cleanener to clean the HC carpet?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Nope, but I do read it a bed time story and whisper good night to it.


----------



## aznartist34

FlyingHellFish said:


>


What fish do you have in there? They look like something I might put in one of my nanos.


----------



## tommypham

my tank 1 week old


----------



## TomsStew

This is a photo of my Edge which is a month old and doing well.









Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## Clint

Hello all, I'm considering ordering the 12g edge tonight for our living room. This thread has gotten a bit long, but most of the posts I saw talk about replacing the stock led lights. 
Are they that bad, or are they good enough for some low light plants in the middle of the tank? The wife is a little tired of all my standard tanks, i think this would would be something she would like and one way i can invade another room with my aquariums


----------



## FlyingHellFish

aznartist34 said:


> What fish do you have in there? They look like something I might put in one of my nanos.


Norman Lamp Eye Killifish. 


@ Clint - The stock lighting is fine, I found that it was able to grow low light plants. You can't really put any tall plants in the middle due to the filter's flow. You can put them at the side but not too far off in the corners. You can always put shorter plants in the middle but not so much taller plants since they will constantly get hit by the water flow. 


Damn Fluval Edge is so hard to clean... argh.


----------



## Stussi613

Quick update. The last time I posted my edge looked like this:










After spending some time looking at the tank, and watching the algae at the top near the lights grow exponentially, I ripped the tank apart, removed the driftwood and added a bunch of dragon stones, some dwarf hair grass and moved the micro swords around. I also added around 15 more CRS. 

I'm liking the layout, but the dwarf hair grass is taking FOREVER to grow/spread. I think going to add CO2 to the tank this week and start dosing ferts.


----------



## Assassynation

Clint said:


> Hello all, I'm considering ordering the 12g edge tonight for our living room. This thread has gotten a bit long, but most of the posts I saw talk about replacing the stock led lights.
> Are they that bad, or are they good enough for some low light plants in the middle of the tank? The wife is a little tired of all my standard tanks, i think this would would be something she would like and one way i can invade another room with my aquariums


The New Edge's have upgraded LED lighting.


----------



## ophiophagus

There are some sharp looking tanks in this thread. I was wondering, if anyone who did an LED conversion, has an original light fixture for sale?


----------



## Dany08fa

thought i'd post an up to date pic of my edge. Still in progress of full carpet.


----------



## supermoto

Might have seen my thread in here but if not I'd thought I'd show you guys the edge that I just took the top of and made a LED lit dwarf puffer tank.


----------



## Matt1977

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195794


----------



## Neatfish

I saw these tanks on sale at petco today. Don't remember what size they were.


----------



## Matt1977

[/url]
IMG_1764 by Matt1977_Tank, on Flickr[/IMG]

This one is the 46 litre..


----------



## Dutchworks

Been wanting to try to scape one of these, so here goes.

MR-11 LED light upgrades, ZooMed 501 filter, Fluval shrimp substrate, EI with Excel.

Initial plants = xmas moss, needle leaf java fern, and some anubius.
Slowly adding some chili rasboras and a couple CRS.



















Hoping to get a moss carpet once it start growing in. Will also add some fissiden tied to rocks.


----------



## AnotherHobby

So I got my 12 gallon edge back in February and posted about it on page 101 of this thread. It's my first tank, and I've really learned a lot. I've had plenty of struggles and frustrations. Much of that has been from wanting to put plants in the tank, but I have crappy gravel substrate and not enough light. Now it's getting an overhaul, including ADA aqua soil and a full red-do with enough light to grow what I want. But the light is why I came back here to post.

About a week ago the 42 LED unit in my edge fried out. Basically water got into it somehow and the whole thing, other than about 5 lights, is toast. A replacement unit isn't cheap, and it never provided enough light anyway. I ended up going the DIY route, and figured I'd share it here. I'm now pushing 2.25 w/gal with power compact, and for only about $20.

I won't bore you with all the things I tried, or was planning to try — just where I ended up. While bumming around my local Menards trying to come up with a solution to use regular compact fluorescents, I had an "ah ha!" moment. I found an inexpensive way to get a 27W power compact bulb, ballast, and socket by getting this cheap $17 lamp: Natural Full Spectrum Desk Lamp. It came with everything I needed!

I made the housing and light diffuser/reflector from 4" sewer PVC. It's a little lighter and thinner than regular PVC. I happened to have about 6' of it sitting up in the rafters in my garage (free!). I cut it so it's not quite as wide as the lid, and heat can easily flow out the sides and escape through the mesh on the lid. Here's what it looks like:










Here it is fitted in place. Little notches keep it from sliding side to side, and the big notch lets the pump flow water by it.










The next step was to gut the lamp for parts. This was very easy. All I needed was the socket, the ballast, the metal clip that holds the end of the bulb, and the wiring. I mounted them into my fabricated PVC hood with a trimmed piece of a PVC end cap for the socket and a cut down hollow wall anchor for the light clip. As you can see, the light fits into the whole setup perfectly!



















Here it is with the wiring and all. The ballast will be stored in the plastic tower on the back of the tank.










Here it is installed and turned on. It's VERY bright. I have no measurement tools, but it feels like it's 2-3x brighter than the LEDs. It's a full spectrum 6500k bulb, so the color is great.










Look at how much light it floods the tank with! I'll definitely be able to grow more than java moss and tiny anubias now.










I still have a few things left. This weekend I'm going to make arms just that attach where the LED one did so I can swing it up out of the way. I'm also going to paint the back of it with black paint so that light doesn't come though the top, as you can see in the last pic.

I'll post pictures of the arms when they are done done. It should only cost another $3-4 in PVC parts. So this whole project should run me less than $25 total.


----------



## wetbizquit

hey quick question, i have a 6g with stock lighting, i also have the upgraded fluval replacement bulbs, just the ones you can buy at petsmart, is this enough wpg to grow simple stuff, not looking to plant much, maybe just some java fern and moss


----------



## supermoto

wetbizquit said:


> hey quick question, i have a 6g with stock lighting, i also have the upgraded fluval replacement bulbs, just the ones you can buy at petsmart, is this enough wpg to grow simple stuff, not looking to plant much, maybe just some java fern and moss


Yep it is enough to grow the low light plants.


----------



## Dany08fa

that is one nice diy light.


----------



## Matt1977

Decided to ditch the HOB filter from my Edge and swapped it with a canister filter. Eheim classic 250 was the choice. Hoses fitted nicely through the opening at the back. The flow is now very good.


----------



## AnotherHobby

I finished up the light today by making arms to connect to where the original arms were, so that I can flip up the light to service the tank.










I painted the whole thing black for looks and to block light from bleeding out the top of the PVC.










As you can see, no light comes through the top now.










I am absolutely thrilled with how well it turned out!


----------



## AnotherHobby

Interesting. I submitted an email to Hagen when the light went out, and explained that it got wet and fried out, and attached my receipt. In the meantime I constructed the new light since I wasn't expecting them to replace it. They just responded saying they'll replace my unit that died. Nice customer service! So that's cool, but I like my new light better. I guess I'll probably just sell this one or something.


----------



## Matt1977

*Fluval Edge HOB & Canister Filter Mod.... ish*

I recently updated the standard Edge HOB to an Eheim Classic 250 canister filter. I was very happy with the update and the turn over of the water was very good!. However, because of the small opening of the Edge, hence a small surface for gas exchange. I don't think the tank was getting enough surface agitation for proper gas exchange because .

Options were:
1. Spray bar - This will ruin the whole aesthetics of the Edge;
2. Lower the water level so the output of the canister filter agitates the water surface, again ruin the whole aesthetics of the Edge; or
3. Revert back to the HOB filter and sacrifice the water turn over that I want.

So I made a quick change|mod to get water agitation and not loose the efficiency of a canister filter. 

I placed the HOB back to its position with the motor (turned off) still in place, but without the media basket or media. I then hooked the output spout of the canister filter on the HOB. I used sponge and wedge it between the inner wall of the HOB and the spout of the canister filter


----------



## sayurasem

Impressive DIY!


----------



## AnotherHobby

@ Matt1977 — clever solution to the surface agitation issue!


----------



## ncharlie

AnotherHobby said:


> Interesting. I submitted an email to Hagen when the light went out, and explained that it got wet and fried out, and attached my receipt. In the meantime I constructed the new light since I wasn't expecting them to replace it. They just responded saying they'll replace my unit that died. Nice customer service! So that's cool, but I like my new light better. I guess I'll probably just sell this one or something.


I have a few burned out LEDs too. A replacement is like 90$. What is the warranty? 1 year? 

I never registered the tank and I think I bought it when they came out last year.

The light is okay but I am sure in time more LEDs will burn out and it will get worse.

Do you recall the e-mail address you used?

Thanks


----------



## AnotherHobby

ncharlie said:


> I have a few burned out LEDs too. A replacement is like 90$. What is the warranty? 1 year?
> 
> I never registered the tank and I think I bought it when they came out last year.
> 
> The light is okay but I am sure in time more LEDs will burn out and it will get worse.
> 
> Do you recall the e-mail address you used?
> 
> Thanks


I'd guess the warranty is 1 year, but I never checked. I never registered mine either. The way I submitted my request was with this form:

http://faq.hagencrm.com/newquestion.asp?us

On that page, you'll see there is a way to attach files with your submission. I submitted my receipt from where I got it (confirmation email from aquariumguys.com) in PDF format.

I simply told them exactly what happened. Note that it did take them about a week to respond to me.


----------



## andrewss

sayurasem said:


> Impressive DIY!


yeah, great work


----------



## ncharlie

AnotherHobby said:


> I'd guess the warranty is 1 year, but I never checked. I never registered mine either. The way I submitted my request was with this form:
> 
> http://faq.hagencrm.com/newquestion.asp?us
> 
> On that page, you'll see there is a way to attach files with your submission. I submitted my receipt from where I got it (confirmation email from aquariumguys.com) in PDF format.
> 
> I simply told them exactly what happened. Note that it did take them about a week to respond to me.


Thanks,

I am pretty sure I bought it online but I dont recall from where. I think Petco? 

There web site says 2 year warranty which seems long!


----------



## Matt1977

*Latest Pic of my Edge*








[/url]


----------



## Fat Guy

nice looking tanks!! great lighting mods too!!


----------



## milkman55

Just picked up an EDGE 6 gal at 40% off this weekend at Petco. I will be reading this thread to see what to do next.


----------



## sindari

AnotherHobby what are the different pieces that you used for constructing the arms that attached to your 4" PVC sewer pipe? It's one slick setup.

If I could get a breakdown of them all it would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


----------



## AnotherHobby

sindari said:


> AnotherHobby what are the different pieces that you used for constructing the arms that attached to your 4" PVC sewer pipe? It's one slick setup.
> 
> If I could get a breakdown of them all it would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Here is the PVC that I used:

1/2" tubing for the arms. < 1' worth 
2 1/2" 45 deg elbows
2 1/2" end caps 
4" sewer pipe. < 1' worth
4" end cap (cut down to make bracket to attach the light socket to)

I also have more pictures of it if you need.


----------



## fermentedhiker

I know I'm way late to this party but I caved on the cyber-Monday sales and picked up a 6 gallon Edge(21LED) for my desk. It literally took me three days to read this entire thread 

I'm planning a fairly simple setup(I hope). It will be my first attempt at something similar to an Iwagumi layout. Still trying to figure out where to find some nice looking stone. Seiryu or maybe petrified wood if I can find either. Suggestions on a source are welcome.

I will be using the stock filter(I use the same thing on my 10 gallon QT tanks and am comfortable with it's ability and maintenance.

I was thinking of getting the light bar for the 12 gallo(42LED) but from the sound of it this may not be a worthwhile upgrade. Twice as much light in the center and little or no improvement in coverage toward the outside.

I'm planning on doing it low tech(at least that's my plan) with a carpet of Marsilea Minuta and possibly nothing else. Alternatively maybe some DHG or microsword in the backround and maybe some sort of dwarf crypts in the corners to help make them dissappear, although I don't think that fits in with the spartan nature of Iwagumi. Again suggestions are welcome.

I'm thinking of using one of those Hydor mini 15W heaters. I like the idea of stuffing it in the filter to not have anything extra in the tank, but was also considering burying it under the substrate(kind of like radiant flooring taking advantage of the thermal mass of the substrate). Not sure if it's enough of a heater though as the house stays in the low 60's in the winter.

Speaking of substrate; was looking at using Fluval Stratum maybe with some MGOPS under it to help keep the plants going.

For stock I'm planning on keeping it simple;
Blackworms
MTS
Thai micro crabs
Red Rilli
and maybe.....just maybe a small school of Pseudomugil gertrudae(I have six in a 20L that I'd like to tear down and use for something else.

I'll post pictures once I get it scaped.

Adam


----------



## AnotherHobby

Back in early November I posted my DIY lighting upgrade in here. Since then I've done a quite involved the rescape of my 12 gallon Edge. I have a thread going on it here: 12 Gallon Reboot — Learning Experience

Here is now it's looking today. The new light (along with ADA aqua soil, CO2, and ferts) is providing excellent plant growth! Right now it's almost done going through a new full fishless cycle, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to drop my fish/shrimp back in soon. It'll be home to about 25 shrimp (mostly cherry reds) and about a dozen tetras. 

I'm not planning on doing any more with the scape other than adding christmas moss on the driftwood on the left (tis the season!). Other than that, it'll just be maintenance — weekly trimming and plant care.

I know I also have all this in my tank journal, but I figured I'd drop it in here as well since this is the thread that brought me to planted tank, and subsequently got me excited about growing plants.


----------



## Lovemybetta

*Awesome deal on the Edge!*

Today I stopped in at petsmart to pick up a few things for my betta and lo and behold, there was the edge on sale (halogen stock light) for $35! I have been looking at them for sometime but I couldn't pass up this deal,

My plan is to run a low tech non co2 tank with this, and I am wondering if led light upgrade is right for my project. I want this to be as low tech as possible and I am hoping for a few suggestions about the best way to go about this. Ideally I'd like to start setting up over christmas holiday. 

I'm so excited!


----------



## Mxx

Lovemybetta said:


> Today I stopped in at petsmart to pick up a few things for my betta and lo and behold, there was the edge on sale (halogen stock light) for $35! I have been looking at them for sometime but I couldn't pass up this deal,
> 
> My plan is to run a low tech non co2 tank with this, and I am wondering if led light upgrade is right for my project. I want this to be as low tech as possible and I am hoping for a few suggestions about the best way to go about this. Ideally I'd like to start setting up over christmas holiday.
> 
> I'm so excited!


Even for a low-tech setup it'd be best to swap out the halogens for some good quality WIDE ANGLE MR16 bulbs. The MR16's vary widely in terms of of output, but you can get some that output 400 lumens at 120 degrees and are just 5 or 6 watts. It's easier and less expensive to do that than trying to get into swapping out the lighting bar for a replacement one which would cost more than your tank did. *(By the way, does anyone have a clear idea what sort of PAR two 400 lumen bulbs might output, and whether that would put you in the low-light range for an Edge tank?)

Use an inch of mineralised topsoil with the correct additives, and top that with an inch of medium grain sand. Then it'd be best to do a dry start method for a month or even two in order to get most of your plants well rooted to give them the upper hand over algae. Simples!

That's how I'm about to redo my own tank anyway.


----------



## "Got light?"

WOW.... soooo many killer nano's !!


----------



## haralds

Lovemybetta said:


> Today I stopped in at petsmart to pick up a few things for my betta and lo and behold, there was the edge on sale (halogen stock light) for $35! I have been looking at them for sometime but I couldn't pass up this deal,
> 
> My plan is to run a low tech non co2 tank with this, and I am wondering if led light upgrade is right for my project. I want this to be as low tech as possible and I am hoping for a few suggestions about the best way to go about this. Ideally I'd like to start setting up over christmas holiday.
> 
> I'm so excited!


Upgrade to MR16 LED, I used MR16 240 Lumen 15 SMD LED Wide Angle Flood Light Light Color - White (5000 to 6500K)
Item number: 120607-191501-3402
from LEDwholesalers.com. Brighter than the new LED bridge from Fluval. I actually rewired for these sockets, but you can jam them into the MR11.


----------



## Matt1977

*An update on my Edge*

A few months ago, I documented the take-down of my nano cube and the setting up of my Edge. Here is the Journal link: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195794

It's now been running for a couple months and everything have settled in well.


----------



## hsilive

so how many lumens would be too much for a 12g ? i want to be able to grow even high light plants ?


----------



## hsilive

hmm im thinking for my new 12g fluval tank 2000 lumens cool white led reflected into the tank from up top and around 800 lumens uv light shining directly down these will be set in thier own housing and mind you these are probably very high numbers as i only listed the total wattage for the strips im buying the leds will no doubt be cut shorter thus less watts as well as the white ones may not be facing directly down on the tank plus they will be on dimmers as well so if its overkill i can simply slow the flow 

ok thats the light setup i am considering ! advice is always appreciated !!
also i know alot about umm counter culture botony but dont know if the same theories apply to water hmmm i will be asking alot of stange questions bout that !! 

next filtration ! never had live plants i know of over crowding with fish but how do i measure my co2 needs ? and my filtration needs ??


----------



## hsilive

ok so i cant sleep !!
uhg i hate holidays bah humbug 

so i figured i would ask some ?s and see how planted tanks are similar to umm what i know which is planted pot !! lol to each thier own right ?

ok ill start with what i know these were always my simple rules growing smokables anyway 

first cleanslyness is next to godlyness i imagine this is the same 

next and i dont understand how exactly this works with water but growth and um potency was always dictated by a few things 
light and what kinds of light 
personally i used lights im sure would be overkill !

ferts and co2 
i place these in the same catagory because they are the same a plant is actually 80-90% carbon and almost all of that comes from co2 ! ! 
ferts i will ask about once i see how my substrate works out 

water cycles were important but i dont think thats too much a issue here !!

so the parts i am wondering about are mostly due to lights and co2 .

first i know how to get my light wp2f using dirt this wpg stuff is bothering me water and acrylics act as receptical for light to me that should mean a watt does much more then it would just floating through the air ?! also different light dont produce the same um "cfi" ? for example my hps or mh lights would have good spectrums for growing and that spec stayed the same for close to six feet ! basically from the ceiling to the floor ! now as for florecence which i used alot low heat low watts even with the best bulbs only had 3 to 6 inches of light that worked well for photosynthisis !!!!!!! big difference.

now we had tried led for cloning with some success but the plants tend to stretch even when they are very close to the led already 

now when we were using the led lights for cloning we used rgb yellow and uv only one we havent tried was the ir and mind you these were single cells that we soldered to a board ourselves !!
so my plan is to use twice the watts i think i need and throw in some uv they really do help i think with the stock led and another 60watts white at 6300k CCT and another 30 plus whats in the uv spectrum im not sure the CCT as its not listed 

so does the water and tank hold the watts in or does it impede the flow of electrons ? 
is it possible to burn your plants like when growing other things ?
in a tank how far will a led produce usable light ?

last of all how overkill am i going ? lol


----------



## rizorith

I've ready through much of this thread and I'm wondering if there is a good list of groups of fish that would work. I have a 6 gallon Fluval Edge

i.e. 5 ELB, 2 sparkling gourami, 3-4 shrimp
or 5 green tetras, 5 Galaxy Rasbora

I'm new to this and have a good idea of what I can stock on it's own but grouping them together makes me unsure. Sometimes the fish are all bottom dwellers or fight, or I'm just unsure if they school. Any thoughts?

Right now, this is what I'm thinking (stock LED, low tech, planted of course)
2 Sparkling Gourami, 5 Galaxy Rasbora, 3-4 red shrimp, 1 snail
Or 5 green tetras, 2 Sparkling Gourami, 3-4 shrimp


----------



## Dany08fa

rizorith said:


> I've ready through much of this thread and I'm wondering if there is a good list of groups of fish that would work.
> 
> i.e. 5 ELB, 2 sparkling gourami, 3-4 shrimp
> or 5 green tetras, 5 Galaxy Rasbora
> 
> I'm new to this and have a good idea of what I can stock on it's own but grouping them together makes me unsure. Sometimes the fish are all bottom dwellers or fight, or I'm just unsure if they school. Any thoughts?
> 
> Right now, this is what I'm thinking (stock LED, low tech, planted of course)
> 2 Sparkling Gourami, 5 Galaxy Rasbora, 3-4 red shrimp, 1 snail
> Or 5 green tetras, 2 Sparkling Gourami, 3-4 shrimp


6gal or 12gal?


----------



## rizorith

6 Gallon


----------



## jjt

Java moss and moss balls only.
1 half moon
5 endlers
1 pea puffer

Any tips? They all get along fine even when hungry. How many endlers do you guys think I can put in here?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## aman74

FlyingHellFish said:


> You have to talk to an official distributor, mostly any store that carry Hagen bands. They will order one for you at no cost. This will save you shipping charges as well.
> 
> If you have a 12 gallon tank, you can ask for a replacement at no charge though you might have to show them the broken light fixture.


You're saying they'll replace the halogen fixture with the new LED unit?


----------



## Sc0pe92

Hello everyone,

After weeks of searching for a right aquarium for my room I finally decided on the fluval edge 12 gallon. This is my first aquarium I have ever owned and plan to start if off right  I have been doing alot of research on types of fish Ive been looking for my aquarium (freshwater) Now I have a few questions from a first time owner to experts on this forum. 

1. I plan to have about 3 plants Ive been looking at the amazon sword and a anubias nana. I was wondering if these plants can grow well in just sand or would I need some substrate that will grow these plants. If they do grow well in sand do I need liquid co2 for the plants?

2. I know the fluvals stock leds are not that strong but any other suggestions for plants that are easy to grow with low maintenance would be great I dont want to modify the tank leds just something that can start me on the right track for a beginner.

3. Last question. What is the amount of fish I can have in this 12 gallon I know there is the 1inch/1gallon rule but I would like a community tank where I can have a mix of some different types of fish, shrimp , maybe some snails.

Sorry if these are really nooby questions but this is my first time owning an aquarium and want to get it right the first time. 

Thanks alot everyone! roud:


----------



## shift

The first one (now gone)










New 12G version


----------



## rizorith

I have a 6G with stock LEDs, low tech, all stock with some annubias, java fern, java moss and a marimo ball. How long should I be keeping the light on per day? It doesn't get any direct sunlight but does have weak indirect throughout the regular daylight hours.


----------



## shift

I do 12 on 12 off


----------



## rizorith

shift said:


> I do 12 on 12 off


Is there some rule of thumb or reasoning behind that? I have a bit of string algae starting up and I was giving it about 12 hours a day so I just cut back, but I'm wondering if there is a system I should be using to figure this out.


----------



## shift

If you are having algee problems get a nerite snail or cut it back to maybe 10 hours and see how it goes


----------



## hisxlency

Friends

I have a 6 gallon en route as a late holiday gift and I am very excited! :bounce:

I have done some research and I want to go the planted route instead of plastic. My questions are as follows and I appreciate any and all answers

- I have read "carpet" style plants wont work too well because of being able to service them through the limited opening. Is there a species available that isn't so high maintenance? 
- whats a good background, taller filler plant to give some "height" to the tank?
- any preferred vendors you guys suggest for online purchases?

I am getting the update version with better lights and plan on keeping it simple if I can help it. The caveat being a c02 system seems interesting especially if I can do it on the cheap. I play paintball so no shortage of 20z tanks in my house  Is there is a simple pre-made setup I can use? 

Thanks again! roud:


----------



## vvDO

rizorith said:


> I've ready through much of this thread and I'm wondering if there is a good list of groups of fish that would work. I have a 6 gallon Fluval Edge
> 
> i.e. 5 ELB, 2 sparkling gourami, 3-4 shrimp
> or 5 green tetras, 5 Galaxy Rasbora
> 
> I'm new to this and have a good idea of what I can stock on it's own but grouping them together makes me unsure. Sometimes the fish are all bottom dwellers or fight, or I'm just unsure if they school. Any thoughts?
> 
> Right now, this is what I'm thinking (stock LED, low tech, planted of course)
> 2 Sparkling Gourami, 5 Galaxy Rasbora, 3-4 red shrimp, 1 snail
> Or 5 green tetras, 2 Sparkling Gourami, 3-4 shrimp


I have 7 ember tetras and 7 Cory habrosus living in mine. Fairly well planted.


----------



## Pukki

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd add my Fluval 12g here on the official thread. 

I've also started my own journal, so feel free to take a look at it!


----------



## Honey Badger

Hey everyone, Im getting a 6g Edge with the new LED system. I was planning on putting baby dwarf tears in it, has anyone grown these successfully with the stock lighting? If not is there a good lighting solution that fits within the hood?


----------



## LICfish

Here's mine. I just redecorated it


----------



## timfok

Hey guys,

I'm looking to upgrade the lighting in my 23L fluval edge, as I wanted to have a heavily planted tank.

I've done a fair bit of research on this, I've upgraded my bulb fixings for the larger ones to house bigger led bulbs, and I was hoping to add the popular mini fluorescent bulb in the gap between the hood and light arm.

The thing is, I've searched everywhere and I can't find a supplier in the UK that makes a bulb slim and small enough, that is daylight kelvin.

What are people doing here? Buying a US bulb and converter? Another type of bulb?

Another thought I had was to make an extension of the light arm using fibreglass and house another pair of MR16 bulbs. What are people's thoughts on this? Less effective than a small fluorescent?

Thanks


----------



## Mxx

timfok said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm looking to upgrade the lighting in my 23L fluval edge, as I wanted to have a heavily planted tank.
> 
> I've done a fair bit of research on this, I've upgraded my bulb fixings for the larger ones to house bigger led bulbs, and I was hoping to add the popular mini fluorescent bulb in the gap between the hood and light arm.
> 
> The thing is, I've searched everywhere and I can't find a supplier in the UK that makes a bulb slim and small enough, that is daylight kelvin.
> 
> What are people doing here? Buying a US bulb and converter? Another type of bulb?
> 
> Another thought I had was to make an extension of the light arm using fibreglass and house another pair of MR16 bulbs. What are people's thoughts on this? Less effective than a small fluorescent?
> 
> Thanks


You could order one from the States. You shouldn't need a transformer though, just an outlet adapter. 

Personally I'm just doing DIY Cree LED stars which I'm mounting inside a straight length of aluminum channel which I'll be setting on the top glass.


----------



## sockfish

*12 Gal Edge*

The stock light on a 12 Gal Edge I bought on Craigslist has burned out. Can someone direct me to a source for a new one or some thread that describes installing some other light? I found the website for a new replacement light, but it's around $70.00 [yikes]. Any other suggestions?


sox


----------



## tetraontheedge

Sockfish, I ordered my replacement from a similar site (or perhaps the same one you found) at a similarly horrible price. 

Have you considered the led wholesalers site? (You would put the two words together plus dot com).

You can mount a bunch of rigid, somewhat insulated lights on your burnt out light arm with zip ties.

I am somewhat selfish in mentioning this because I am looking to sell my lights that I did this with on my Edge 6 gallon.

The only reason I am not still using it is that after a spectacular HVAC outage at work that went on for six months and killed all my fish, shrimp, and 2/3s of my plants, followed by cold that created excessive condensation, the 2-prong part of my original light arm rusted out and the leds on my superbright mr11's came unglued.

The led wholesalers light strips are okay, though.

I decided, upon restarting my tank properly last week, to upgrade to the 12 gallon replacement light arm.

So...if you are interested in three functioning strip lights and all connecting parts, including transformer, pm me. Also, I have my old light arm which may still work, and I'm willing to mail it to you at cost of shipping if you want--you could change out the sockets and put some crazy strong led's in there, maybe?

Elsewhere in this thread people say you may need a different transformer for that, so I'm not totally sure if that would work, though.


----------



## du3ce

not planted but heres my 6g edge shellie tank


----------



## giantdny

Here are my two. I just got them last week. Used and free.














And here's how they sit on my dresser. A little cloudy. It's from right when I set them up.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ How? Were the tanks owned by some drug lord?


----------



## giantdny

Lol no. Just a good buddy who had one of his big tanks crack. He replaced it and felt like he had too many tanks to take care of. He knew I had nice plans for some new tanks so he offered them to me. Lucky me I love them. I will be transporting my OEBT and crs into them when they are completely done cycling. They have the fluval led upgrade too.also I'd like to add more led's to them.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

^ Don't brother, I got the 42 LEDs on the 6 gallon and the light still sucks. It's the hood that blocks the light to the side. I going to rescape mine where the plants are around the middle.


----------



## giantdny

Really. Well maybe ill work on some reflective material for the hood.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

You can't defy the laws of physics, you will just increase the intensity of light in the middle.


----------



## giantdny

I understand that but if you can add lights and reflect that light throughout the tank that should be better.


----------



## tetraontheedge

I have some mirror/foil-type shelf paper. Does anyone think that applying that to the inside of the black square cover (not on the screen ventilation part, of course) would help light distribution?

I'm using the 42 led on a 6G and I feel like the light in the corners is better than when I had souped up led's on the halogen light arm. Still, I'm curious what benefits might come from reflector-izing the interior sides of the cover (maybe none)?


----------



## shift

Led's are fairly directional and I dont think much of the beam hits the sides.. you have a some minor refraction but i dont think it would be a noticeable différence


----------



## tetraontheedge

shift said:


> Led's are fairly directional and I dont think much of the beam hits the sides.. you have a some minor refraction but i dont think it would be a noticeable différence


Thanks for that. I will forego the reflective shelf paper.


----------



## giantdny

I just tried real quickly with some tinfoil. No difference.


----------



## NevetsG

*need help with co2 ideas*



FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ ahahah me too.
> 
> It's not the lights, it's that Hood that blocks the spread. I find that a simple desktop lamp with a 6500 k light will help with the spread. I got a 23 watt but I inject a ton of Co2 and ferts.
> 
> Recent shots, all on Seachem Flourite Black. I dislike the dirt balls of ADA AquaSoil, it does grow plants well though.


Im just setting up my Fluval 6gal with the new leds and have been trying to figure out what co2 to use. What do you have there. I was thinking about getting the Fluval Mini Pressurized 20g-CO2 Kit. However i like the ceramic diffuser of same brand and this little glass one http://www.amazon.com/Nano-Carbon-D...8&qid=1360529094&sr=1-3&keywords=co2+diffuser so can someone point me in the right direction


----------



## Blackheart

Was thinking of getting the 6 gallon Edge, and just planting it all crypts tank with some driftwood, and cherry shrimp. Not sure though.


----------



## shift




----------



## tetraontheedge

Wow, shift! That is beautiful. :bounce:


----------



## NevetsG

I have a 6 gal edge with the LED lights in it i was just wondering what kind of CO2 setup you have or what i should use. I was debating the Fluval pressurized system but i notice most people have a little glass diffuser but what set up is that attached too. HELP


----------



## ryguy76

Hi,

I bought a 6G edge when they first came out with the stock LED's but have been busy with work and never had the time to set it up. Well, I'm back at it now and am compiling all the supplies I need. I had read all of this thread around the time of purchase, but's it looks to have grown about twice the size it was at the time, and it was huge then.

Anyway, I was going to do the Walstad Method at the time, but now, I'm going to start it pretty simply using Fluval Stratum and dosing flourish and excel.

I'm putting an order together and I have the 15w flat hydor heater AND the 25W Visi-Therm heater in my e-cart. Can you help me decide which I should buy and why? I want to hide the heater, ideally, but more importantly, I want it to do the job correctly as well. If there are other suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thanks!!

Ryan


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Shift! That is a fine looking moss tree, I can't believe you went all dirt on us. Did you see a spike in your water yet? If you get a Co2 system, you can grow a lust carpet and it will look great, maybe some DHG.

Hey Ryan, I got the 25 w Hydor with the orange/red led that lights up in both my tank. It is adjustable and I think the LEDs flicker effect looks great in it. It's small too, comparable to the intake of the AC20.


----------



## ryguy76

FlyingHellFish said:


> Hey Ryan, I got the 25 w Hydor with the orange/red led that lights up in both my tank. It is adjustable and I think the LEDs flicker effect looks great in it. It's small too, comparable to the intake of the AC20.


This badboy?
http://alturl.com/38ne7

Is it small enough to put in the HOB?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Nice, it actually went down in price. But yeah, that the one. It's the LED flicker effect that I love so much. You can't put in the HOB but it looks great at the side near the AC20 in take.

I notice that the temperate doesn't really go up and down much, little heat is lost in the Edge. You only got a small portion of water that is expose to the surface. At least that true for my 6 gallon.


----------



## shift

tetraontheedge said:


> Wow, shift! That is beautiful. :bounce:


Thank you! I just redid it the other day!


----------



## shift

I have a 50w heater in mine!

Haha yes I made the dirt plunge. I wanted to change my subtrate to black so what the heck. I did mgopm capped with Eco-complete. Now co2. Low tech for now. Although I would love a carpet. I just broke up the mini leafy one for now


----------



## ryguy76

I should receive all my ordered goods tomorrow, so hopefully I can begin my cycle. I've set my edge up that's been sitting for well over a year. I'm at pg 106 of this thread, and have been VERY interested in the lighting topic. My 21 LED stock strip isn't wowing me at the moment. I'm not planing on high tech, and won't be dosing CO2, but will be dosing flourish and excel, if required. I'm not planning much more than several anubias, java's, and perhaps crypts.

My wife had bought 2 single LED desktop lamps that aren't used, so I set them up to see what they would do for me. Quite a difference, but the spectrums don't remotely match. I have 7600k on the Fluval light, and 2700k on the lamps. Is this an issue for plant growth? Is there any way I could swap out the single LED's for a higher temp bulb?

I'm going to keep reading through the pages and hopefully somebody has solved this dilemma, but I'm not holding my breath. I see the 42 LED bar is available as replacement, but I gather it's not going to be that different for spread.

Also, what are your thoughts on my scape idea? I'd like to have some substrate contours, not just flat, so each element pops a bit more on the vertical axis. I think the driftwood should be center-stage, but I'm not convinced.


----------



## Mark Oliver

Just an update on my 14 month old tank. Lots of plants and fish/shrimps. About 30 in total. Everything very stable. Only made minor mods to my tank from the start.


----------



## Sc0pe92

This is my tank first ever in my life I want to put something in the bottom right corner in the front any suggestions? I was thinking either a moss ball or some dwarf sag? Cant seem to make up my mind


----------



## Mik

These are my Fluvals... 







​
















All informations about my DIY projects you will find on my website... www.aquaristik.bplaced.com



BR,
Maik

P.S If anyone like a glass intake Pipe like this... click , please contact me per PN! The pipe is almost unvisible... click

​​


----------



## Mik

*My Fluvals...*

These are my Fluvals...

All informations about my Fluvals look at... www.aquarisitk.bplaced.com


































BR,

Maik


----------



## NevetsG

*New Setup*

Already gonna change it. Trying to figure out what to do with it. Im not happy yet.


----------



## sayurasem

Wow that is an amazing work Mik! Are you using original light?


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Mik said:


> These are my Fluvals...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All informations about my DIY projects you will find on my website... www.aquaristik.bplaced.com
> 
> 
> 
> BR,
> Maik
> 
> P.S If anyone like a glass intake Pipe like this... click , please contact me per PN! The pipe is almost unvisible... click
> 
> ​​



WOW, I think we have the winner of best Edge.... throwing in the towel right now.


----------



## shift

Mik - your tank looks amazing!

I took some new shots of the tank after chaning it up.. so mind as well post the updates 

So the 12G edge has been redone with about 2" of miracle grow organic potting soil caped with an inch or two of Eco-complete and a bunch more plants. Everything seems to be growing well. The inhabitants are still the 4 neons, 12 CPD's, 10 pumpkin shrimp (although i can only find 8...) and a nerite snail.

I'm much happier with the dark substrate!

12g tank









I'm really happy with how the tree is filling in.










Some CPD's










neons










Pumpkin Shrimp


























The Apple/Nerite snail


----------



## Sc0pe92

Mik said:


> These are my Fluvals...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All informations about my DIY projects you will find on my website... www.aquaristik.bplaced.com
> 
> 
> 
> BR,
> Maik
> 
> P.S If anyone like a glass intake Pipe like this... click , please contact me per PN! The pipe is almost unvisible... click
> 
> ​​


Wow man Where do you find a tree like that?!?!


----------



## FlyingHellFish

I checked Mik's site, didn't list the fertilizer he was using. Hey Mik, would you mind telling us more details? 

What do you dose and how much?


----------



## tetraontheedge

Mik, I love the "path" in your 6 gallon (and your 12 gallon's tree).

Edges to aspire to!


----------



## Mik

I do not use liquid fertilizer.

For a perfect balance in the aquarium, the following points are important:
_(This is my experience!!)_

lots of light! 6 gallon version klick 12 gallon version klick
CO2
many plants
> 10 snails (Clithon sp.)
low filtering (in filter just a sponge!)
> 50% water change (every 2 weeks)

The tree is made of "Fissidens fontanus".... klick


----------



## Shepherd

*New to Site! New to Plants! New to EDGE!*

HEY ALL! I'm new to the forum, new to planted tanks, and new to the EDGE. I just picked up a used EDGE a couple weeks ago and have it set up as a dirted shrimp tank right now, and I am loving it! :bounce:

Trying the Walstad (sp?) method a bit here with some organic Miracle Grow soil and black gravel on top. Water is still a bit brown due to the dirt. No CO2, don't really plan on using it at this point. I don't have a ton of plants in it yet either. Just a couple stems of bacopa and some hygro of some kind, I think sunset. They seem to be doing okay. The hygro is starting to turn a nice pinkish color since being put in the dirt. Will keep propagating the two plants and fill them in as they grow out. Would like to maybe add some baby tears eventually. It is a start. Current lighting is just the stock halogens but would like to upgrade to the LED's that are available now. Here's a pic. It's sitting on an end table by our South facing window and this pic is during the brighter afternoon hours. Let me know what you think.


----------



## Shepherd

dkbmxr18 said:


> Well, I finally got my lighting all figured out! I added a 10w Walmart aquarium bulb to my LED for some extra power for the plants. Man oh Man does the tank look awesome with the lights on now! :bounce: We'll see how the plants do with the lighting I am running. Now it's time to start making the inside of the tank look cool! Thanks to everyone that helped with suggestions.
> 
> (I assure you that the tank looks waay better in person. The camera captured the lights a little bit weird!)
> A few pictures of the setup:
> the fixture
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> turned on underneath
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and the FTS with all the lights on


I know this was awhile ago, but I am loving this mod! Do you have any more info on the lamp base or how you wired it? Like what the base is made of, etc. I checked my small town hardware stores, and they have some bases that look like they could work. Most of them are porcelain, so don't know if that works and don't know about water proofing the wiring etc. Let me know if you can on any more of those details. You may have already mentioned it in another post but I haven't had the time to read through 120 pages. I have skimmed through this whole thread looking at pics and I must say, impressive stuff! Thanks!


----------



## Shepherd

Would something like this work for a Fluorescent bulb in the hood? Like adding a 10w Coralife or other small mini CF? A socket with a switch and power supply all already attached with no assembly acquired! 


http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100351572/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=Lamp+Socket&storeId=10051#.US06LzBUU1I


----------



## NevetsG

So my Edge has the stock LED's with it. would this be sufficient. Im thinking i may have to change the substrate cause i was using the fluval but its impossible to plant things in there! Also can someone please tell me a good CO2 kit to use with this tank! PLEASE!


----------



## Shepherd

*Fluorescent light mod video*

This was my weekend project. Did a little light mod to my EDGE. It is similar to other Fluorescent additions, such as what dkbmxr18 did. The bulb I bought from Walmart and was a cheap compact fluorescent by Aqua Clear? It was in the fish department. I used a weather proof light bulb base and attached it to an extension chord. I connected the stock light and the fluorescent both to a timer to run for about 10 hours a day. So far so good! I live in a fairly small town of about 13,000 people so most this stuff came from a farm and fleet store and Walmart. If I can do it, anyone can do this. Here is a link to a video I made to see how it all fit together. Should be pretty self explanatory. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F2l0t8KzQg&feature=youtu.be


----------



## BrokeCurmudgeon

*Bad night at Edge Town!*

I have been disappointed with one aspect of my Edge. Not enough surface area to allow for a good oxygen transfer to the water. I had replace the Edge filter with a Ehiem Ecco 2232 canister filter. I had noticed that the fish seemed to lack oxygen, mostly at night, because they were always at the surface. To solve this I place an airstone to agitate the surface. All went well until yesterday. I didn't like the moisture on the led lights because of the bubbles so, not thinking, I turned off the air pump. This morning I find two of my prided corydoras habrosus dead with two of my nicest male guppies dead. The water parameters were all good. I did a fifty percent water change and turned on the bubble machine and now the remaining fish seem OK. Thoughts?

Also, the blue led's on the Fluval light fixture stopped working after four months. All I can say is that Hagen (Fluval) is super easy to work with! They replaced my lights without any problem. Great customer service!


----------



## NickS

Apologies if this is the wrong place for this question but I'm looking at getting the Edge 12 Gallon and I want to see if you guys think this table would support the weight:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80176279/

It's made of pine. I have the TV unit of the same style and it's pretty sturdy. I thought if the table seemed a little weak for the 12 Gallon (~125lbs), I could put a backer of thin plywood to add support.

Thoughts?


----------



## ryguy76

We a 12G Tank with 12G of actual water in it will weigh 100lbs in water alone. the tank itself and accessories, you'll be looking at another 40lbs. You'll substitute some of the 12G with subtrate, which will weigh about 20lbs for that size edge, mind you that displaces some water. I would expect that whatever decorations you place in the tank would offset the water weight similarly on average, unless you go ALL rock. So I think 160lbs is a good potential prediction of total weight.

The Ikea shelf says 33lbs/shelf on their site. If we use the middle 2 sections, which yields 4 compartments and the top shelf, I would assume that you could do 4x33lbs=132lbs, plus the top shelf which should do twice the weight of 33lbs in that section (66+132=198lbs).

I would say based on that info that you "should" be safe. I would minimize load on other areas of the unit and avoid using the middle compartments for anything other than light supplies like fish food, ferts etc.

Hope this helps.

Ryan


----------



## ryguy76

Hi,

I thought I'd share my new Edge that is currently cycling with some plants. I was completely underwhelmed with the stock LED lighting, so I read every page of this thread and decided to build a DIY lightbar with "superbrighleds" using an idea that another member had for the fixture. I went to home depot and bought an aluminum L channel.









Then mitre cut the aluminum with a dremel and a cutoff disc. (I remembered reading that the hood was actually not square and wider at one end. I accounted for this and made the narrower end the front, so the mitre cuts ended up being slightly wider than 90 degrees from each other. Then I used JB weld to join the 3 parts.









I bought 3/4" aluminum square bar too and cut that into three to make a lighting support/heatsink for the LED's, and JB welded those 3 pieces together and affixed the LED's with their adhesive backing. I drilled a hole to feed the LED leads into the square bar. 

















Then I sanded, spray painted it black and clear-coated the outer L shaped fixture.









Then, it was just a matter of welding the lightbar into the L channel fixture.









I had planned on having the Light strip hug all sides of the stock hood, but I found the light coverage is much better at the front by pulling it out a bit, and I don't hate the look, so it's staying as is now. Here's my freshly planted tank with the added DIY lightbar.


----------



## Matt1977

BrokeCurmudgeon said:


> I have been disappointed with one aspect of my Edge. Not enough surface area to allow for a good oxygen transfer to the water. I had replace the Edge filter with a Ehiem Ecco 2232 canister filter. I had noticed that the fish seemed to lack oxygen, mostly at night, because they were always at the surface. To solve this I place an airstone to agitate the surface. All went well until yesterday. I didn't like the moisture on the led lights because of the bubbles so, not thinking, I turned off the air pump. This morning I find two of my prided corydoras habrosus dead with two of my nicest male guppies dead. The water parameters were all good. I did a fifty percent water change and turned on the bubble machine and now the remaining fish seem OK. Thoughts?
> 
> Also, the blue led's on the Fluval light fixture stopped working after four months. All I can say is that Hagen (Fluval) is super easy to work with! They replaced my lights without any problem. Great customer service!


HI Mate,

Check out my Journal on my Edge build. I changed the filter into a canister filter and was concerned about O2 levels in the water as well. So I used the HOB as a water cascading unit : http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195794


----------



## Matt1977

*My Edge... - 6 months on and going strong.*

Hi All,

This is my 6 month old edge... I just did a major clean (excluding the glass intake) and re-scape. Still all low tech.


----------



## shift

its looking good!


----------



## plantedfluvaledge

*Planted Edge with CPDs and Sundadanio Axelrodi*

Just stocked my (cycled) 6g Fluval edge with 5 Celestial Pearl Danios, and 5 Sundadanio Axelrodi 'blue's as well as 3 Red Cherry Shrimp and a random snail that appeared while I was cycling.

So far so good with water parameters, but it's early days. Has anyone had any experience stocking the Fluval Edge with tiny fish like these? I would like to wait and see how the tank settles, then add a few more Sundadanios to bring it up to 7 or 8 (they seem a little skitty with only 5) but I'm worried it might be a bit too much for the biological filter. Also - are Hikari micropellets fine for these fish, or should I be looking at something more involved like baby brine shrimp or frozen things?

Any advice is much appreciated! Pic attached.


----------



## shift

I feed my cpd's crushed up flakes and frozen food, microworms or bbs to mix it up once in a while


----------



## carpenoctem

Here's a tank I just recently set up for my sister.










It was cycling with nothing in it for a week or so before I added some plants. Hopefully the diatoms start to clear up soon. I'm planning to change up the plants and scape and eventually get it low maintenance/low light. Progress on it is hampered by having to bring out the bucket and siphon whenever I want to stick my hands in to change something, so most of the time I put it off.


----------



## BrokeCurmudgeon

Question: I have several of the LED's that came with my 46l Edge that have gone bad. Does anyone know what type of LED they are? I want to replace them. Thanks!


----------



## postskunk

*Does anyone have suggestions for where to get the socket/fixture thats compatible with the "Fluvial Edge 10,000K LEDs" So I can Make a DIY rig for my 12gal Edge?*

It's probably been discussed somewhere in the thread and I apologize if it's already been answered and I missed it.

I have the built in LED bar model, and I bought them the other day not realizing they were only compatible with the halogen model? and now that I have them, I thought I would cut back the arms on the LED bar that came with it and make space for the 2 bulbs for extra lighting.... if I can find and rig, the fixture for them?

thanks for the help 
-Matt


----------



## Mxx

Matt1977 said:


> HI Mate,
> 
> Check out my Journal on my Edge build. I changed the filter into a canister filter and was concerned about O2 levels in the water as well. So I used the HOB as a water cascading unit : http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=195794


I mounted canister filter hose intakes and returns to the bottom of the hang-on-back, effectively piggybacking onto it. However, I have quite a large canister filter, (Fluval 305), and I'm concerned that the low oxygen levels have been detrimental to my system. I've had unexplained losses which may be as a result of pathogens benefitting from low O2. I believe it has increased my water temperature as well, (unless that is due instead to my light mods), and it's usually around 80-85 degrees which doesn't help O2 levels either. I upgraded to a 500 series larger impeller for the hang-on-back filter, which seems a little noiser but doesn't seem to have made a huge difference in the current, (too many plants in the way perhaps).


----------



## Mxx

ryguy76 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I thought I'd share my new Edge that is currently cycling with some plants. I was completely underwhelmed with the stock LED lighting, so I read every page of this thread and decided to build a DIY lightbar with "superbrighleds" using an idea that another member had for the fixture. I went to home depot and bought an aluminum L channel.


Great light mod. I've been working on doing a similar thing. Does the JB weld sufficiently hold the mitered aluminum angles together though? 

I'm also curious, why did you use both the angle and square sections? Could you not have mounted the LED's directly onto the angles? Or used C channels even? That's what I'm using and I've painted them already but haven't mounted the chips and wires.


----------



## ryguy76

Mxx said:


> Great light mod. I've been working on doing a similar thing. Does the JB weld sufficiently hold the mitered aluminum angles together though?
> 
> I'm also curious, why did you use both the angle and square sections? Could you not have mounted the LED's directly onto the angles? Or used C channels even? That's what I'm using and I've painted them already but haven't mounted the chips and wires.


Thanks! So far, the JB has held up well, but I am careful when handling it, so I can't testify to how much strength it actually has. It seems very sturdy though.

I had planned on just using the L channel alone, but then I didn't like that the light strip was going to be so recessed from the glass, and the forward projection of the light was going to be limited by the front face of the L channel.

The square channel was just the right size to bring the light strip almost perfectly flush with the bottom edge of the L channel, which would allow for the best light spread. Plus, the square channel also acts as a heatsink, which I thought would minimize the any chance of heat related paint bubbling, etc.

I don't have a way to measure the difference of light output over the stock lighting, but it's HUGE. I would safely say at LEAST 4-5x brighter with better coverage. 

The only thing I would do differently, is to build a wider U, as I like the coverage much better with it pulled out 1.5". If I built it 1.5" out from the sides too, that would have been best.


----------



## Mxx

ryguy76 said:


> Thanks! So far, the JB has held up well, but I am careful when handling it, so I can't testify to how much strength it actually has. It seems very sturdy though.
> 
> I had planned on just using the L channel alone, but then I didn't like that the light strip was going to be so recessed from the glass, and the forward projection of the light was going to be limited by the front face of the L channel.
> 
> The square channel was just the right size to bring the light strip almost perfectly flush with the bottom edge of the L channel, which would allow for the best light spread. Plus, the square channel also acts as a heatsink, which I thought would minimize the any chance of heat related paint bubbling, etc.
> 
> I don't have a way to measure the difference of light output over the stock lighting, but it's HUGE. I would safely say at LEAST 4-5x brighter with better coverage.
> 
> The only thing I would do differently, is to build a wider U, as I like the coverage much better with it pulled out 1.5". If I built it 1.5" out from the sides too, that would have been best.


Thanks, I'm building a new light mod with a 3/4" deep by 1.5" wide C-channel, painted back with Krylon. So I guess I'll eventually see whether it causes any paint bubbling with heat issues...


----------



## Soup12

are these high clarity glass tanks? low iron?


----------



## freeleo3

Soup12 said:


> are these high clarity glass tanks? low iron?


I don't believe so. I can definitely see a blue-green tint in the glass of my edge, and you can see it in a fair number of the photos in this thread.


----------



## Vermino

no they arent high clarity glass.


----------



## Mxx

They're small tanks though, thus the glass is thin enough that the blue-green tint is nevertheless rather negligible.


----------



## mediolanos

Hello edge lovers, i proudly present my 46lt Fluval Edge, hope u like it


----------



## pennywisdom

Just planted my first tank this week.










I've got the 42 LED bar coming in the mail, and I'm boosting with liquid co2, but am I going to need a pressurized setup to get the grass to carpet?


----------



## ahoysteven

*$100 Fluval Edge 6 gallon package with Filter,Lights,Plants,Driftwood,Endlers*

Hey guys,

A friend of mine is quitting the hobby and is trying to sell his 6 gallon edge along with all his components like the Aquaclear 20 filter, LED lights, Black Bar Endler colony, and plants which include java moss, ferns, amazon swords, anubias 

ALL FOR 100$

There is algae in the tank, but all of this for $100 is quite the bargain..

He's from Southern California, specifically the Fullerton area, so pickup can be done if you're in the area! Contact [email protected] for details and pictures!


----------



## Icarus5

My first tank. I was really inspired by all the people on this forum. Just planted it a few days ago, and hopefully the plants will fill in well.


----------



## gus6464

Has anyone drilled holes in their 6g Edge? I have an old Edge tank that I want to convert to a nano-reef and want to drill 3 holes for a sump as well as take the top off.


----------



## jjt

gus6464 said:


> Has anyone drilled holes in their 6g Edge? I have an old Edge tank that I want to convert to a nano-reef and want to drill 3 holes for a sump as well as take the top off.


You could take the top off with a razor blade

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## 6365melanie

*My new fluval edge!*

Hi Folks
Having had my eye on the Fluval Edge for some time, done copious amounts of research and read this entire thread! I finally purchased a 46 litre and have it set up! Had it running a week and a half before adding 3 crystal red shrimp...they've been in a week now and seem to be doing well. Will stick with stock lighting (LED kind) and have a mix of fake and real plants...have selected low light plants (currently have the lights on for 10 hours a day) Will I need an algae eater in this tank do you think? Have had larger tanks before and plecs did the job then, but now sure if I should get something smaller for this one?...came with an anti algae sachet...have not put this in as yet...any thoughts?
will try and add pics!
Melanie
:red_mouth


----------



## FlyingHellFish

jjt said:


> You could take the top off with a razor blade
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


I find a hammer to be quite faster.


----------



## jjt

FlyingHellFish said:


> I find a hammer to be quite faster.


Or that!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## GeraldStringham

Anyone want to trade some plants for my 21 led fluval edge light? I went topless this past week and have no need for the light anymore. Let me know what you have to trade.


----------



## gus6464

jjt said:


> You could take the top off with a razor blade
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


Yeah I just took the top off 2 days ago with a Derby blade that I use for my safety razor and it took less than 5 mins.


----------



## GeraldStringham

gus6464 said:


> Yeah I just took the top off 2 days ago with a Derby blade that I use for my safety razor and it took less than 5 mins.


Not sure how you guys got it done with a razor blade I tried and it was a huge pain. I found that some braided fishing line makes it about a 2 minute painless job to remove the top. Simply wrap the two ends of the braided line around some wooden dowels and start sawing at the seam.


----------



## gus6464

GeraldStringham said:


> Not sure how you guys got it done with a razor blade I tried and it was a huge pain. I found that some braided fishing line makes it about a 2 minute painless job to remove the top. Simply wrap the two ends of the braided line around some wooden dowels and start sawing at the seam.


You need super thin sharp razor blades like these:

Amazon.com: Derby Extra Double Edge Razor Blades, 100 Count: Beauty










I use them for shaving and a box of 200 lasts me 2+ years.


----------



## aman74

I could use some input. I have a 6g Halogen Edge, haven't ever set it up. I'm looking to upgrade the lighting and wondered what the current options are. I kinda wanna keep the DIY and expense to a minimum and I don't need high light. I just want a bit more light and to get rid of the heat and yellow color of the halogens and the poor coverage of them.

I forget if these come with MR11 of MR16, but what is the purpose for using the ones that fit improperly? I believe I've seen both models at Home Depot, can't remember if they were LED, but I believe they were something other than halogen. Do you get decent coverage just using these and not adding a CFL?

I saw a youtube thread of a mod where they replace the 21 LED lamp with the 42, but do these bars work on the old halogen model? Are they even available anymore? The link posted on youtube about the mod was for Amazon and they no longer have them.

Anyone selling kits in the US? I saw one that looked nice, but it was in the UK.

I guess my last option would be to de-lid it. I kinda wanted to keep the slick look, but I'm now considering it. Anyone's tank break from that? What light would then be a good one to go with?

Thanks!


----------



## gus6464

You can stick and MR11 or MR16 bulb in the halogen EDGE. You can get decent coverage with a wide angle of either but MR16 would give you more PAR. I used to have 2x of these and it was a ton of light.

Amazon.com: TORCHSTAR LED MR16 6000K Daylight Spotlight 12V 4W (330 Lumen - 50 Watt Equivalent) 60 Degree Beam angle: Home Improvement


----------



## revspeed

My Edge up to date...


----------



## aman74

gus6464 said:


> You can stick and MR11 or MR16 bulb in the halogen EDGE. You can get decent coverage with a wide angle of either but MR16 would give you more PAR. I used to have 2x of these and it was a ton of light.
> 
> Amazon.com: TORCHSTAR LED MR16 6000K Daylight Spotlight 12V 4W (330 Lumen - 50 Watt Equivalent) 60 Degree Beam angle: Home Improvement


Thanks, I didn't know about the "wide angle" models, I'll have to look into that.

So there's no issue putting in the MR16's other than the fit being tight? I thought some people were doing an upgrade to some of the electronics to make these work. Just want to make sure it's safe. Also, would you say the ones you linked to push it into high light territory? I want to keep this tank low tech.


----------



## hisxlency

Just joined this club! Wife picked up an Edge for $64 on clearance! I want to keep it low tech. I am ordering a ZooMed 501 to replace the tock filter. Whats been the best update in terms of lighting for this without having to DIY? i.e. better bulbs and so forth?

I am also considering taking the top off, seems pretty straight forward.


----------



## re_hashed

I've had my edge up and running for a few months now and it's all settled down nicely.

The only thing that I'm not happy about is the filter.

Definitely seriously thinking about purchasing a canister filter and doing what others have done in this thread.


----------



## raven_wilde

*Review of EDGE after two years running*

In case anyone is wondering about how the EDGE stands up over time, I recently tore down the one that I'd had running for the past two years. Here is a summary about the wear and tear I have noticed:

*Rust & Corrosion:*

The mesh screen on the hood it totally rusted - which sucks and is a stupid design flaw. That thing gets constantly wet from back splash and evaporation - super dumb to not take that in consideration when selecting materials. This started to be noticeable after 1 year. At 2 it is now totally ugly & I would want to replace it were I to set the tank up again.
I've also noticed corrosion around the pin-holes that the bulbs plug into. I'm not sure exactly how bad that is but it can't be good.

*Filter*

Held up pretty good - But then, Aquaclears usually do. Mine needed a really good scrubbing when I tore it down to get water deposits off but it's still in good working condition and will likely be re-purposed some day.

*Tank*

Also held up really well, except for a few places that I accidentally scratched its in good shape. The only thing is that since its so darn hard to clean I don't know if I'll ever get it back to sparkling new. So there's that.

NOTE: My Edge was out of the first iteration of the product - before they redesigned the light bar to include LEDs, so maybe some of the problems I noticed have been resolved in the more recent versions.

If anyone has any specific questions about wear and tear over time I am happy to answer them 

EDIT: A note about CREE LED MR11 bulbs - when I first set up the tank I used these instead of the stock Halogens. The worked great but since they are not sealed against water they started to corrode after about 8mo to a year. I ended up buying the replacement LED bulbs that Hagen sells and I would definitely say that they were worth the slightly higher price point. They are sealed and waterproof and comparable to the MR11 CREE bulbs in the amount of the light they give off. Just thought I'd let you guys all know that if you are considering which bulbs to buy.


----------



## hisxlency

Well this is a let down. My Edges light does not work!!

I want to upgrade anyway. Anyone have any suggestions?


----------



## xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

hisxlency said:


> Well this is a let down. My Edges light does not work!!
> 
> I want to upgrade anyway. Anyone have any suggestions?



Yes, 18" Finnex Ray II DS - http://www.aquavibrant.com/finnex-ray-ii-ultra-slim-led-ds-dual-7000k.html


----------



## hisxlency

Is Ray II too much light for this tank? Its a low tech setup


----------



## 6365melanie

I have the 46L edge.....what have people on here done when they go on holiday? Will be gone for 2 weeks in November...any recommendations?
Melanie


----------



## JoeD

*Eheim auto feed for my 46l Edge.*

I like the Eheim auto feed for my 46l Edge. 
I set it on a block of 2x4 wood (1.5 " side to raise it above the edge "lip") with asparagus rubberbands (thick rubber bands keep it from walking"). 
It took awhile (measuring dispatch amounts on paper sheet, over and over) to adjust feed door position for the wanted amount of flakes. 
I use flakes - and break it up a bit as to not block feeder door with a large flake since my opening was small. Micro pellets proved too small to dispense small enough amounts for a 46l tank, and my fish won't eat pellets.
I set the Eheim for a morning feeding (small amounts) using the once a day feature plus the 1 minute delay feature. It assures that all fish are aware by the second roll of the Eheim and the earliest pigs don't eat all the food.
I leave the top hood off while I'm away so that I didn't have to modify the hood. Could be a problem with flying fish?
I recommend adjusting a week before leaving for vacation to be certain it'll work - everything worked well for 3 weeks total. Could have gone on twice as long.
Be sure you install new batteries - many reviews brought attention to supplied batteries dying, causing failure.
Hope this helps.


----------



## creekbottom

Has anyone taken the top off of the 12 gallon Edge? These make really nice rimless tanks when just the tank is left!


----------



## hisxlency

creekbottom said:


> Has anyone taken the top off of the 12 gallon Edge? These make really nice rimless tanks when just the tank is left!


took the top off my 6 gallon and its fine

Questions - are you guys running co2 or low tech with heavy plants?


----------



## haralds

aman74 said:


> I could use some input. I have a 6g Halogen Edge, haven't ever set it up. I'm looking to upgrade the lighting and wondered what the current options are. I kinda wanna keep the DIY and expense to a minimum and I don't need high light. I just want a bit more light and to get rid of the heat and yellow color of the halogens and the poor coverage of them.
> 
> I forget if these come with MR11 of MR16, but what is the purpose for using the ones that fit improperly? I believe I've seen both models at Home Depot, can't remember if they were LED, but I believe they were something other than halogen. Do you get decent coverage just using these and not adding a CFL?
> 
> I saw a youtube thread of a mod where they replace the 21 LED lamp with the 42, but do these bars work on the old halogen model? Are they even available anymore? The link posted on youtube about the mod was for Amazon and they no longer have them.
> 
> Anyone selling kits in the US? I saw one that looked nice, but it was in the UK.
> 
> I guess my last option would be to de-lid it. I kinda wanted to keep the slick look, but I'm now considering it. Anyone's tank break from that? What light would then be a good one to go with?
> 
> Thanks!


I would go with MR16 - they have higher output than the MR11. I actually replaced the sockets, which was not hard. MR16 output with the right bulbs is higher than 42LED Fluval kit. You can always try just jamming the MR16 into the MR11 sockets. If you are not happy with that, you can switch.

I switched to a 12G and had the 6G mothballed, but I put it back in my office. And with the MR16 and CO2, it is now my favorite tank! The 12G with stock LED lighting seems hard to scape naturally. I ended up supplementing the natural plants with a couple of high grade plastic replicas to make it look ok without going through too many. I cringed, but like the results.

But the 6G with MR16 is definitely the sweet spot.


----------



## shift

I have a 12G edge going strong and just picked up a used 6G.. i'm debating keeping it as is or making it a "topless" tank use using the base as a light cover for more leds on my 12G.


----------



## tlatch89

I want a 6g edge so bad.


----------



## shift

Woot 

Lighting upgrade









And a topless edge


----------



## kman

Subbed. Placing an order for a 6g Edge any day now. 

(Unless I can find a used one in burnt orange)

So the consensus is the original halogen light versions, upgraded to MR16 led replacement bulbs, delivers the best light? (Before adding true supplemental lighting, that is)


----------



## kman

ryguy76 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I thought I'd share my new Edge that is currently cycling with some plants. I was completely underwhelmed with the stock LED lighting, so I read every page of this thread and decided to build a DIY lightbar with "superbrighleds" using an idea that another member had for the fixture. I went to home depot and bought an aluminum L channel.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then mitre cut the aluminum with a dremel and a cutoff disc. (I remembered reading that the hood was actually not square and wider at one end. I accounted for this and made the narrower end the front, so the mitre cuts ended up being slightly wider than 90 degrees from each other. Then I used JB weld to join the 3 parts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I bought 3/4" aluminum square bar too and cut that into three to make a lighting support/heatsink for the LED's, and JB welded those 3 pieces together and affixed the LED's with their adhesive backing. I drilled a hole to feed the LED leads into the square bar.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then I sanded, spray painted it black and clear-coated the outer L shaped fixture.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then, it was just a matter of welding the lightbar into the L channel fixture.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had planned on having the Light strip hug all sides of the stock hood, but I found the light coverage is much better at the front by pulling it out a bit, and I don't hate the look, so it's staying as is now. Here's my freshly planted tank with the added DIY lightbar.


Love it. Super clean! Doesn't mess with the clean lines of the original. I'll have to steal your method. 

Where did you get the LEDs? How are they holding up?


----------



## haralds

Does anybody know of a source for MR16 clear bulb covers. I do seem to replace my LED replacements about once a year due to water damage that could be avoided.

But I prefer the output over the Fluval LED approach, since it is so much brighter!


----------



## kman

I have my tank set up, initially, at least. I'm definitely going to be tweaking things moving forward, if not completely redoing things, but it's a start. 

At the moment I have:

Fauna:
A Dwarf Gourami (_Trichogaster Ialius_)
A Long-Finned Red Minor Tetra (_Hyphessobrycon eques_)
Two Neon Tetras (used to get the tank going)
A Golden Mystery Snail
A Zebra Nerite Snail (_Neritina natalensis_), and
Five Ghost Shrimp.

Fauna:
Crypt parva
Anubias barteri
Java Fern Narrow Leaf

Eco-complete substrate. I clearly need more plants, but life has been slightly hectic with the holidays. I hope to do some more work this weekend. I'm also still playing with lighting, since that's clearly this tank's biggest weakness. Since I wanted the Burnt Orange color tank for aesthetic reasons, I knew I'd need to upgrade from the stock halogen. I was initially going to pick up the 42 light OEM upgrade sold with the 12 gallon tanks, but given the cost I wanted to look at other options, too. The Fluval Nano light (freshwater version) has double the output of the stock light, and is fairly compact, and the same price, on Amazon (!), so I gave it a try. I'm curious to know if anyone else has experimented with it? So far it seems that by strapping the light to the inside of the hood cover, and taking off the top of the filter, it's literally a mere 1/8" or less off. I'm thinking it can be adapted in a few ways, so I may still give it a go. Thoughts?

OEM Halogen lighting:









Upgraded to Fluval Nano light:









The upgraded light clearly gives more even coverage and doubtless better light quality, but I'm not certain it's a huge step up, and clearly still imperfect, at least. Might be good enough that it's worth sticking with the upgrade, though. Better than the MR16 LED upgrade? I wish I knew.


----------



## shift

My latest re-scape


----------



## JasonL89

Hello, some great looking setups in this thread!

Been out of the hobby for a few years now, and I just picked up a 12G Fluval edge to use as a planted tank. I previously have experience with freshwater planted, reef and cichlid tanks, but I have never used LED fixtures before, only t5 fluorescent. 

I have the stock LED version and I have added another 3.8w 42 LED light fixture to the tank. Just trying to plan out what plants to add, and I am wondering if this would now be considered medium light?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## paquette12

There are some awesome tanks here. Here's the first shot of mine, going shopping tomorrow to determine what's going to be put in. Comments accepted.


----------



## Teibban

Here is my son's Fluval Edge Tank.

Been running for 12 weeks now.

1x Red Honey Gourami
6x Neon Tetras
2x Black Phantom Tetras
4x Yellow Neocaridina shrimps
1x Neritina snail


----------



## Sykocus

Does anyone still have the box from their 12 gallon edge and can give me the dimensions? I'm trying to buy one and not many places will ship it to Hawaii. So need to the dimensions to see how much one of the forwarding companies will charge me. Thanks in advance.


----------



## Danjinkies

Here are a couple photos of my edge.


----------



## kman

Looks like you cut off the top to go rimless, and are using TWO Fluval Nano lights for lighting?



Danjinkies said:


> Here are a couple photos of my edge.


----------



## paquette12

Sykocus said:


> Does anyone still have the box from their 12 gallon edge and can give me the dimensions? I'm trying to buy one and not many places will ship it to Hawaii. So need to the dimensions to see how much one of the forwarding companies will charge me. Thanks in advance.


20" width x 16.5" deep x 23" height


----------



## Sykocus

paquette12 said:


> 20" width x 16.5" deep x 23" height


Thanks!!


----------



## Danjinkies

kman said:


> Looks like you cut off the top to go rimless, and are using TWO Fluval Nano lights for lighting?


Yeah, you pretty much got it. lol


----------



## VintonC

Sykocus said:


> Does anyone still have the box from their 12 gallon edge and can give me the dimensions? I'm trying to buy one and not many places will ship it to Hawaii. So need to the dimensions to see how much one of the forwarding companies will charge me. Thanks in advance.


I ordered mine from petsolutions and it came double boxed. I highly recommend the double boxing. The fluval box is nice but it really doesn't look like it would stand up to the rigors of shipping. The outside box was heavy duty cardboard and measured 23" x 23" x 29" and weighed 45.2 lbs. At the time I bought mine, I got it for the price of the 6 gallon edge.


----------



## Menace

Anyone know the wattage on the Fluval 6 Gallon 21 LED Lights?

I did a Lumen (7600 as per advertised) to Watt conversion and it says 126.7 watts. That in anyway correct?


----------



## kman

Menace said:


> Anyone know the wattage on the Fluval 6 Gallon 21 LED Lights?
> 
> I did a Lumen (7600 as per advertised) to Watt conversion and it says 126.7 watts. That in anyway correct?


Definitely nowhere near that. The stock 21 LED light is not very bright, which is why many, at a minimum, upgrade it to the 42 LED version that comes with the 12 gal Edge tank (and is available separately).


----------



## Menace

kman said:


> Definitely nowhere near that. The stock 21 LED light is not very bright, which is why many, at a minimum, upgrade it to the 42 LED version that comes with the 12 gal Edge tank (and is available separately).


Yeah I figured. Amazon doesn't have that 12 gal light anymore (listed as unavailable). Any idea of how much that roughly goes for? I did see someone in this thread make a really nice light using a PVC pipe cut in half and attached florescent bulbs.


----------



## kman

Menace said:


> Yeah I figured. Amazon doesn't have that 12 gal light anymore (listed as unavailable). Any idea of how much that roughly goes for? I did see someone in this thread make a really nice light using a PVC pipe cut in half and attached florescent bulbs.


You can buy it directly from Fluval's website (may need to just call the company). Your LFS may also be able to order it for you, assuming they carry Hagen products. As I recall, they were roughly $50.


----------



## shift

An update from my empty topless edge up the page . Finally flood this bad boy a few days ago


----------



## Menace

Looks good Shift! What're you going to add to it?


----------



## shift

Thank you!

Temporarily some CPDs for a few weeks to let the bio film build up then my OEBTs are moving in


----------



## MaiDoM

Trying to get the most out of that Edge!


----------



## binzer

Hello Edge-owners! Can I call you Edgies?

I just bought my first tank ever: A 6G Edge. I've probably spent about 50 hours on these forums lurking and learning about planted tanks. I live in a small space so I wanted a nano tank, but I decided I wouldn't buy anything that wasn't on sale.

I snagged my Edge for 40% off because it was missing its LEDs. Turns out the rear column is missing too, so I got an extra $35 off. 

Now my issue is that I have no lights or rear column! Since I'm a beginner I plan on going low-tech, so I was actually okay with the stock lighting. Since so many of you have modded your tanks, I was wondering if anyone has spare lighting or a rear column they'd be willing to sell me? I'd be fine with the 12G lights too, and any color of column (since I can paint it).

Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good low/mid light set-up? My husband is a manufacturing engineer and sort of wants to build a new LED bar himself, but I still don't feel like I have a good handle on the whole lighting thing, and wouldn't know which LEDs to buy (and how many). My brain is already ready to explode after trying to memorize all the latin names and characteristics of so many plants and fish!

Anyways, even if you can't help me, thank you for this thread! It's one of my favorites. I admit I haven't read all 127 pages yet, but I'm working on it


----------



## kman

binzer said:


> Hello Edge-owners! Can I call you Edgies?
> 
> I just bought my first tank ever: A 6G Edge. I've probably spent about 50 hours on these forums lurking and learning about planted tanks. I live in a small space so I wanted a nano tank, but I decided I wouldn't buy anything that wasn't on sale.
> 
> I snagged my Edge for 40% off because it was missing its LEDs. Turns out the rear column is missing too, so I got an extra $35 off.
> 
> Now my issue is that I have no lights or rear column! Since I'm a beginner I plan on going low-tech, so I was actually okay with the stock lighting. Since so many of you have modded your tanks, I was wondering if anyone has spare lighting or a rear column they'd be willing to sell me? I'd be fine with the 12G lights too, and any color of column (since I can paint it).
> 
> Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good low/mid light set-up? My husband is a manufacturing engineer and sort of wants to build a new LED bar himself, but I still don't feel like I have a good handle on the whole lighting thing, and wouldn't know which LEDs to buy (and how many). My brain is already ready to explode after trying to memorize all the latin names and characteristics of so many plants and fish!
> 
> Anyways, even if you can't help me, thank you for this thread! It's one of my favorites. I admit I haven't read all 127 pages yet, but I'm working on it


Congrats on your Edge!

Potential sellers should note that you are in Canada, which could complicate/raise the cost of shipping the items to you.

You might want to look into a replacement column direct from Fluval. Might be relatively cheap!

I don't have stock lights I can sell you, but if you're interested (and shipping works out) I actually do have the Fluval Nano light that I was using on mine available to sell. If you scroll up on this page, Danjinkies has two of these on his, but one is plenty of light for low tech purposes.


----------



## binzer

kman said:


> Congrats on your Edge!
> 
> Potential sellers should note that you are in Canada, which could complicate/raise the cost of shipping the items to you.
> 
> You might want to look into a replacement column direct from Fluval. Might be relatively cheap!
> 
> I don't have stock lights I can sell you, but if you're interested (and shipping works out) I actually do have the Fluval Nano light that I was using on mine available to sell. If you scroll up on this page, Danjinkies has two of these on his, but one is plenty of light for low tech purposes.


Thanks kman!

I was actually looking at that light as an option if I couldn't get something second hand since it looks like I could get it for about the same price as the stock lights. Does a single one fits under the Edge's hood fairly well? I hear they're a pain to mount securely, but I'm not worried about that. It's tough to find detailed specs on the Edge lights. How do you think the nano light compares in terms of strength? A little better than stock?

The column from fluval is $25 plus another $20 for shipping, which is a bit of a ripoff for a piece of plastic imo. I'd much rather find one or even make something, especially since it's no big rush to get it.

I forgot to mention it in my last post, but my brother lives in Washington, so I can have parts shipped to him to save on shipping. How much would you sell your nano light for?


----------



## kman

binzer said:


> Thanks kman!
> 
> I was actually looking at that light as an option if I couldn't get something second hand since it looks like I could get it for about the same price as the stock lights. Does a single one fits under the Edge's hood fairly well? I hear they're a pain to mount securely, but I'm not worried about that. It's tough to find detailed specs on the Edge lights. How do you think the nano light compares in terms of strength? A little better than stock?
> 
> The column from fluval is $25 plus another $20 for shipping, which is a bit of a ripoff for a piece of plastic imo. I'd much rather find one or even make something, especially since it's no big rush to get it.
> 
> I forgot to mention it in my last post, but my brother lives in Washington, so I can have parts shipped to him to save on shipping. How much would you sell your nano light for?


Nano is way brighter than the stock light. (84 LEDs vs 42 for the 12gal stock light or 21 for the 6 gal stock light) It's not a _perfect_ fit under the hood, with the stock filtration, because the HOB filter is just a smidge too tall. I was using a canister filter instead. It mounts fine, although now that the sticky bit has been used you _may_ need to find replacement sticky stuff, or perhaps try industrial velcro. It might still work fine, though, since it came off pretty cleanly from mine. Or actually, now that I think about it, with the stock HOB filter I just used some wire to hang it inside the hood instead of using the intended light mount, so that may not even be an issue for you.

Shoot me a PM, we'll work something out if you want to buy it.


----------



## binzer

kman said:


> Nano is way brighter than the stock light. (84 LEDs vs 42 for the 12gal stock light or 21 for the 6 gal stock light) It's not a _perfect_ fit under the hood, with the stock filtration, because the HOB filter is just a smidge too tall. I was using a canister filter instead. It mounts fine, although now that the sticky bit has been used you _may_ need to find replacement sticky stuff, or perhaps try industrial velcro. It might still work fine, though, since it came off pretty cleanly from mine. Or actually, now that I think about it, with the stock HOB filter I just used some wire to hang it inside the hood instead of using the intended light mount, so that may not even be an issue for you.
> 
> Shoot me a PM, we'll work something out if you want to buy it.


With that much light, do you think I'll have to add CO2 to counter algae growth? As far as size is concerned, I'm not worried about length so much since my husband can either remount the HOB or alter the light fixture itself to fit. I'm more worried about its height since it looks pretty thick.

It sounds like it'd be a lot simpler if someone has a stock light they want to get rid of, but otherwise I'll send you a PM in the next couple days. Thanks!


----------



## Reefcowboy

Even though i had a reef going in the edge 12 gal, thought would post the pic here since i oove those little tanks!

Just wish Fluval would make these tanks with decent lighting!!





When i was setting this tank, heard many saying the tank isnt "appropriate" for a saltwater reef. I kept this tank set up for almost a year, and had the most success of all my tanks!
They are great tanks


----------



## Mxx

Reefcowboy said:


> Even though i had a reef going in the edge 12 gal, thought would post the pic here since i oove those little tanks!
> 
> Just wish Fluval would make these tanks with decent lighting!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> When i was setting this tank, heard many saying the tank isnt "appropriate" for a saltwater reef. I kept this tank set up for almost a year, and had the most success of all my tanks!
> They are great tanks


Cool tank! Can you share with us how you are running this please? Lighting? Skimming? Filtration? Etc?


----------



## Mxx

Is anyone running their edges without the HOB? I detest the noise the HOB makes, and I was going to redo my tank. Any proven ideas? 

I was thinking of maybe a small tunze powerhead inside which is pointed at the opening, in order to hopefully push enough water movement across the opening to achieve adequate oxygenation despite the limited surface area there? And I was thinking of adding a little canister filter which I could stuff i the cabinet underneath to keep it muffled, but I guess I'd just want that so I'd have someplace to put a little bit of carbon.


----------



## Briz

It took me a few days, but I read through this entire thread. 

I have recently acquired a 6 gallon Edge, with the respective journal found here!

*Mxx*: Many people have run their Edge without the HOB. What some people do is leave the HOB on the tank (but off and empty) and have a canister filter outlet run in there, sometimes baffled with a sponge. That way the water still runs out the HOB slope to help oxidize. Or people do what you thought and simply have the canister's outflow angled towards the surface opening for water movement.


----------



## Reefcowboy

Mxx said:


> Cool tank! Can you share with us how you are running this please? Lighting? Skimming? Filtration? Etc?


I had to do mods, which in my opinion, are the fun part. I enjoy working in those things and see them as cool little projects. I removed the HOB and light bracket(weak leds which are bad for anything you plan on keeping). Eshops makes a nano overflow box that fits almost perfectly inside the plastic tower that before housed the HOB filter.

You must remove with a sharp blade the top glass from the tank in order to be able to have the overflow box work properly. I ran a 1/2" clear hose from the overflow box down to a sump(5 gal cube i had underneath). I made a hole through the base of the plastic frame that hold the tank on the back and through the top of the stand the tank was on so the hose was completely hidden, like the tank had never been modded.
In the sump, i ran a small skimmer and phosphate reactor. On the tank top, since i had removed the glass that holds the "light box", i got two glass strips that were placed exactly where the light box sits so it had support without the top glass. I also did some DIY led combo of whites and blues. 

Here are some pics of the mods:
The overflow box is already installed, and the change is minimal to the sharp tank appearance which is the nicest aspect of the Edge IMO




I glued small pieces of rock to hide the box, and scaped the tank in a way so the the rocks formed a center pillar following the box all the way down to look natural



Sump with filtration



Light mods. As you can see, i attached the led module with screws through the metalic mesh that is on the top if the box. Also since i wanted the light spread to reach farther thowards the front glass, i bought an extra top box, and had a glass shop cut one of the sides so both boxes would meet looking like a longer box.




Final result!


----------



## kman

Mxx said:


> Is anyone running their edges without the HOB? I detest the noise the HOB makes, and I was going to redo my tank. Any proven ideas?
> 
> I was thinking of maybe a small tunze powerhead inside which is pointed at the opening, in order to hopefully push enough water movement across the opening to achieve adequate oxygenation despite the limited surface area there? And I was thinking of adding a little canister filter which I could stuff i the cabinet underneath to keep it muffled, but I guess I'd just want that so I'd have someplace to put a little bit of carbon.


The biggest issue, of course, is inadequate oxygenation of the water without the HOB's trickle. A powerhead MIGHT get the job done, but it'll have to be pretty small to not overwhelm the small Edge tank. I converted mine to a canister and used an airstone to aid with water aeration. Worked nicely.

Very easy to run canister hoses through the column into the Edge, but remember, these are small tanks. I positioned my spray bar to spray _backwards,_ directly at the glass, so I didn't blast away everything in the tank with current.


----------



## MWebee

*bump*

Any new setups or re-scape pics?


----------



## superboy604

Here is my Edge


----------



## Traffic66

Thought I would add my new Edge to the growing (huge) list. 

Standard equipment for now

Fluval Stratum

Plants:
Alternanthera reineckii (Scarlet Temple)
Glosso

5 cardinal tetras (for now)


----------



## scoutsdoitbetter

I'll add mine as well. I got mine for free from a family member who no longer wanted it. I didn't like the white so I rattle canned it black with krylon. I also have a little Marineland led sitting in front of the light box. My plants seem to be doing alright. 
I'm running an air stone for now but I want to modify the hob filter to hold the air stone and a heater. 

Gravel/peat mix, capped with Ada aqua soil. 

1 medium sized red amazon sword
Stargrass, and the tall skinny anacharis, Brazilian pennywort floating

5 white cloud minnows
2 otocinclus
Breeding pair of GBRs
Bunch of pond snails 
Bunch of assassin snails




























Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


----------



## digitalgraffiti

Our new-ish edge. Pardon the clouds ... Annoying waiting for them to clear up -.- you can see some of the scape through there..

5 endler x guppy hybrids 
4 dwarf loaches
And many mts & pond snails that stowed away on our first batch of plants...


----------



## itsjustarumour

*New 72L Fluval Edge...*

72 litres! I must say, I'm rather excited.:drool::drool::bounce:

"Hagen announces new larger Fluval EDGE tanks with LED light and Simpletec filter"

http://reefbuilders.com/2014/06/04/...nks-led-light-simpletec-filter/#ixzz348iShNLX


----------



## digitalgraffiti

oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I want the plant one! i <3 lime green and specific plant model would be nice


----------



## gus6464

That looks like quite a large heatsink. From the looks of it this will be a blast to mod for more powerful lighting.


----------



## itsjustarumour

I've been thinking of setting up a modded 46L with better lighting for a while, but now I've seen this I may not have to bother - and at a longer 72 litres, well, thats big enough to increase the "suitable species" list by a quite a bit.

On second thoughts, perhaps what I need are *two* Fluval Edges


----------



## Varmint

The 19 gallon edge is so cool. I might be tempted to upgrade!

Here is my 12 gallon. It has been running for a little over 11 months. Two rainbow Threadfins, three ember tetras, two algae eating gobies and some shrimps and snails decided to be camera shy:


----------



## Revenant

Loving the new Edge models....

Not a planted (soon to come) but here's my current 12g marine FOWLR Edge. Running about 6 months, 2 x Maroon clowns, cleaner shrimp, Saron shrimp and a few hermits....


----------



## Kdog

Revenant said:


> Loving the new Edge models....
> 
> Not a planted (soon to come) but here's my current 12g marine FOWLR Edge. Running about 6 months, 2 x Maroon clowns, cleaner shrimp, Saron shrimp and a few hermits....


Wow, awesome. How difficult to keep saltwater in this tiny tank?


----------



## Revenant

Kdog said:


> Wow, awesome. How difficult to keep saltwater in this tiny tank?




Not 'extremely' difficult but it does have its challenges. 3 years of reading, trial and error, and pure determination are the reasons for this tanks creation and mostly success.

For proper success with the Edge you must know, understand and accept its limitations. If you decide to push those limitations be prepared to do the necessary work to compensate. I had to learn that.

I run no modifications to the Edge - what's the point if you ruin the integrity of the form and design. Stock filter with filter floss, Purigen, biopellets, and biofoam. Natural sea water (NSW) water changes @ 30% twice weekly without fail.

Well I did add a single 6" 453 actinic blue 4w LED strip to soften the lighting a bit. But it fits on the stock light bar so seamlessly it could hardly be called a mod.


----------



## andrewq

So I picked up a 6 gallon fluval edge for cheap on craigslist. It came with everything I needed to get it started. I did upgrade the lights to the 21LED. I plan on running pressurized co2, sand mixed with first layer laterite, and root tabs. In anyones experiece, would the 21LED be sufficient to carpet hairgrass? These LEDs seem pretty bright.


----------



## Revenant

andrewq said:


> So I picked up a 6 gallon fluval edge for cheap on craigslist. It came with everything I needed to get it started. I did upgrade the lights to the 21LED. I plan on running pressurized co2, sand mixed with first layer laterite, and root tabs. In anyones experiece, would the 21LED be sufficient to carpet hairgrass? These LEDs seem pretty bright.



I would suggest that you use the stock lighting for the 12g Edge -the 42 LED- for your 6 gallon, if you want a carpeting plant. At the very least buy the splash proof upgrade LED's for the original 6 gallon stock lighting. Both are better alternatives.


----------



## kman

andrewq said:


> So I picked up a 6 gallon fluval edge for cheap on craigslist. It came with everything I needed to get it started. I did upgrade the lights to the 21LED. I plan on running pressurized co2, sand mixed with first layer laterite, and root tabs. In anyones experiece, would the 21LED be sufficient to carpet hairgrass? These LEDs seem pretty bright.


The stock LED lights (21 LEDs) on the the 6 gal Edge are definitely _not_ strong enough to carpet DHG. I have strong doubts that upgrading to the 12 gal's 42 LED lights will do much for carpeting, either. Both are too centered, and light drops off a lot in the corners. Supplemental lighting on top of the glass is going to be needed for most carpeting plants.


----------



## raven_wilde

itsjustarumour said:


> 72 litres! I must say, I'm rather excited.:drool::drool::bounce:
> 
> "Hagen announces new larger Fluval EDGE tanks with LED light and Simpletec filter"
> 
> http://reefbuilders.com/2014/06/04/...nks-led-light-simpletec-filter/#ixzz348iShNLX


The hardware on that seems great... not real wild about the lime green though - kind of sucks that if you want the plant specific kit you're stuck with just the one color :icon_roll


----------



## gus6464

andrewq said:


> So I picked up a 6 gallon fluval edge for cheap on craigslist. It came with everything I needed to get it started. I did upgrade the lights to the 21LED. I plan on running pressurized co2, sand mixed with first layer laterite, and root tabs. In anyones experiece, would the 21LED be sufficient to carpet hairgrass? These LEDs seem pretty bright.


This is a cheap way to get any amount of light throughout an entire Edge.

SMD5630 LED strip cool white (6500K)
Look for item 331198926269 on [Ebay Link Removed] It comes with a 6A 12V power supply for $20.

Aluminum led strip channel.
http://www.environmentallights.com/15711-el-alu-10.html

40 inches of channel is enough for two strips. Then add dimming with a regular pot.
Do a search for 12V led dimmer on amazon or [Ebay Link Removed]

Wire everything together and voila! You get this for less than $50 and can output as much light as you could possibly want.


----------



## volatile

itsjustarumour said:


> 72 litres! I must say, I'm rather excited.:drool::drool::bounce:
> 
> "Hagen announces new larger Fluval EDGE tanks with LED light and Simpletec filter"
> 
> http://reefbuilders.com/2014/06/04/...nks-led-light-simpletec-filter/#ixzz348iShNLX


Thanks for sharing! I'm glad they are moving away from the tall 12g tanks. The growth in that planted tank looks pretty good (assuming the carpet was grown using the stock lighting). I wish you had a choice of colors for the planted version though, as I'm not a fan of that lime green.


----------



## volatile

gus6464 said:


> That looks like quite a large heatsink. From the looks of it this will be a blast to mod for more powerful lighting.


I hope you can drop food in that opening or in the panels on the left and right without lifting up the entire lid. It was always a pain on the older Edges opening the lid and then having the light shine up at you.


----------



## MaiDoM

Follow up of the Edge 4 months later: Yet another aquascape!

Last Update: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=5398226&highlight=#post5398226

It's a bit of a mess right now, I got a good amount of java moss floating on the gravel, I don't know what to do with it and I dont want to throw it away either!

I bought a cheap fan at Target tu cool down the tank a bit. It can get quite hot during summer, +80 degres. The fan really helps a lot with the evaporation and keep it down to 75-76 degrees.

I also added some Salvinia natans as the Amazon Frogbit I had was almost all eaten by my previous Dwarf Gourami which I brought back to the pet store.

Overall im pretty happy with how "heavily" planted it is, considering the tank's limitation and the gravel I used.


----------



## itsjustarumour

volatile said:


> Thanks for sharing! I'm glad they are moving away from the tall 12g tanks. The growth in that planted tank looks pretty good (assuming the carpet was grown using the stock lighting). I wish you had a choice of colors for the planted version though, as I'm not a fan of that lime green.


Yup, I'm not a fan of the lime green either. Hopefully when they're properly launched to market there might be a bit more flexibility in the available colour options. I always set up heavily planted tanks, and I'd definitely want a black or white one.


----------



## digitalgraffiti

Dollface said:


> Oh man, that picture right there could sell another hundred tanks, easily, that's amazing.


+1, Troof.
This really is a stunner!

______________________________
pardon my typos, I'm on my phone.


----------



## settlelover

i found two 5w led made in china very useful.


----------



## lscotty

I was in petsmart the other night for something and saw a 6 gallon edge with led light marked down to $50. Brand new not even open so I figured what the heck and grabbed it. Set it up and just threw some plants in. I like the looks of the tank but not real happy with the lighting. The corners just seem to dark. Is there a small light that anyone would recommend to add to it. I'd like something mostly to light it up a little more in the corners but not tank up a lot of space, be bulky sitting on top or be really expensive. Its just going to be low tech with a few plants and probably just a betta or some shrimp. Thanks for any input.


----------



## liam_m

My old edge replanted 










Took the glass off the top to.


----------



## TheAnswerIs42

*New to the Edge World*

loving this thread on the Fluval Edge aquariums. I got 6 Gal in April for my birthday and immediately went back to the LFS and upgraded to the 12Gal.

The first thing I did was make an additional light hood to add some extra light for better plant growth which then meant I needed to up the CO2. So I use a DIY co2 system with a cigarette filter as the diffuser. The cig filter makes tiny bubbles and works like a dream.

My first setup was a disaster and no matter what i did, it looked shabby, so after a couple months of fiddling, I tore it down and started again with Tropica 1-2-Grow plants and a couple Japonica Blyxa. 

I am considering taking the top glass off, but I am not sure if 12 gallons of water pushing on the sides will cause the tank to fail.... I have a lot of thinking to do before I take that leap.

Here is the new setup at Day 55


----------



## sockfish

I've had the original 6 gal Edge on my desk at work since April of 2011. At one point, I upgraded the lights to the MR-11s. The light bar got soaked over the Labor Day weekend and, even after trying new bulbs, it seems to be dead. I found the 42 LED bar for the 12gal tank for sale at my LFS for $44 and hooked it up. 

I keep anubias, crypts, and a hugely overgrown C. spiralis with lush growth. Doing Friday 1-2 gallon water changes and dose according to directions on my Seachem "Fundamentals Plant Pack" box. 

Very interested to see what changes happen, if any, with these new lights. I've had the same 3 Emerald Eyed Rasbora, 1 Amano shrimp all this time and just added a trio of Nerites to replace the ones who died over the years.


----------



## sockfish

So far, no changes that I can see with this lighting change [put up the 42LED 12gal light on my 6 gal]. Added a Sparkling Gourami and may take the Rasbora out, I don't think they have enough open space to swim!


----------



## Mxx

Has anyone measured the PAR at substrate level for the stock lighting of a 12 gallon edge? 

(I had the 6 gallon version before but am upgrading to a 12 gallon version which I'm picking up tomorrow and looking forward to setting up once more. I heard that it's adequate for low light plants and intend to mod it, though I wasn't sure how much additional light I needed.


----------



## kman

Mxx said:


> Has anyone measured the PAR at substrate level for the stock lighting of a 12 gallon edge?
> 
> (I had the 6 gallon version before but am upgrading to a 12 gallon version which I'm picking up tomorrow and looking forward to setting up once more. I heard that it's adequate for low light plants and intend to mod it, though I wasn't sure how much additional light I needed.


Stock lighting? Barely adequate for low light plants. Stock measurements won't do you much good if you're changing it anyway. I would consider it to be pretty much nothing (or maybe 10-20 PAR at best, if I had to hazard a guess?), and add as much light as you think you'll need for whatever you intend to plant.


----------



## Zuzu

Fluval 15396 Edge Burnt Orange 6 Gallon Aquarium Set w/Halogen for $79.99 on Sellout.woot.com for 11 more hours.


----------



## Mxx

kman said:


> Stock lighting? Barely adequate for low light plants. Stock measurements won't do you much good if you're changing it anyway. I would consider it to be pretty much nothing (or maybe 10-20 PAR at best, if I had to hazard a guess?), and add as much light as you think you'll need for whatever you intend to plant.


I'm to keep the stock lighting but to add to it with DIY LED's, so if I'm aiming for PAR 50 then I just wasn't sure how much I'd need to add to achieve that which is why I was hoping someone might have measured it.


----------



## JEiffel

I have the 6 gallon Edge. How would I add lighting? Do I just set a lighting fixture on top of it? 
2 affordable lighting fixtures I was looking at:
- Finnex Stingray Aquarium LED Light
- Marineland LED Aquarium Light, 11-Inch

Or would I have more luck just replacing the standard Fluval 6 gallon 21-LED to the Fluval 42-LED (the one that comes with the 12-gallon)?

My tank under standard Fluval 6-gallon lighting:


----------



## shift

Here is my diy lighting upgrade


----------



## glacious

shift said:


> Here is my diy lighting upgrade


Are the details of the light upgrade anywhere? I'm looking into doing a DIY light upgrade on the 6G using a black aluminum channel attached to the front of the top hood (flush on the glass). I'll add a strip of LEDs to it, just trying to figure out what LEDs to get (can get all white 7000k easily/cheaply, not sure if I need to get red/blue as well for those wavelengths).

Thanks!


----------



## shift

I should have build pics kicking around. I'll do a little write up on what I did


----------



## kman

glacious said:


> Are the details of the light upgrade anywhere? I'm looking into doing a DIY light upgrade on the 6G using a black aluminum channel attached to the front of the top hood (flush on the glass). I'll add a strip of LEDs to it, just trying to figure out what LEDs to get (can get all white 7000k easily/cheaply, not sure if I need to get red/blue as well for those wavelengths).
> 
> Thanks!


Usually people look for 6500k for planted tanks. Also readily available.


----------



## glacious

kman said:


> Usually people look for 6500k for planted tanks. Also readily available.


yeah anywhere from 6000-7500 I've seen, just user preference there I suppose. Red/Blue LED's are also easy to find individually, just need to solder them into the strip with proper resistors. Not sure if the benefit is large enough to go through the trouble there though.


----------



## Mxx

glacious said:


> yeah anywhere from 6000-7500 I've seen, just user preference there I suppose. Red/Blue LED's are also easy to find individually, just need to solder them into the strip with proper resistors. Not sure if the benefit is large enough to go through the trouble there though.


I put 6500K on my tank and it was rubbish and everything looked completely washed out. An equal mix of warm white and cool white is fine though (6500K and 3000K). Coloured lights such as red and blue don't have enough depth to spread out in a small tank such as this, and it'll look like a disco. (Trust me, I tried that as well, but more just for fun).


----------



## glacious

Mxx said:


> I put 6500K on my tank and it was rubbish and everything looked completely washed out. An equal mix of warm white and cool white is fine though (6500K and 3000K). Coloured lights such as red and blue don't have enough depth to spread out in a small tank such as this, and it'll look like a disco. (Trust me, I tried that as well, but more just for fun).


The colored lights aren't necessarily for the look, it's to promote plant growth through specific wavelengths. It's why you see red/blue mixed in with the primarily white LEDs in high-end plant fixtures. Weather or not there is a huge advantage is something to be figure out.


----------



## Mxx

If you look at the spectral graphs for cool white LED's, they have an output spike right in the blue range where plants can utilise that for photosynthesis. Warm white have a smaller spike within that range of blue, but it's nevertheless still a spike, and they have some red within the photosynthetic range as well. As such, LED's do provide plenty of PAR appropriate to achieve good plant growth.

If you are only worried about plant growth then there are plenty of blue and red or violet and red LED lights, with many sold as marijuana grow lights. But a tank would not look very good under those. 

Neutral white LED's in about the 4000K range would actually achieve the best look for a small tank such as this, and would provide a good balance of appearance versus plant growth, though neutral white can be a little harder to find than either cool or warm white. 

As disclosure, I'm somewhat an architectural lighting expert by profession, and am pleased to finally see that many of the products sold for residential use are finally becoming 2700K Very Warm White lights, with improved CRI (colour rendition).


----------



## glacious

Mxx said:


> Neutral white LED's in about the 4000K range would actually achieve the best look for a small tank such as this, and would provide a good balance of appearance versus plant growth, though neutral white can be a little harder to find than either cool or warm white.


Thanks! I was always afraid anything < 6500 would look too yellow. I think stock Edge LED's are ~ 7200 (from somewhere else on this forum) and I like the crisp white look balanced with the few blue LEDs. I might just look for a strip of white LEDs and put it into a black aluminum channel, directly on the glass. Still won't get the back wall of plants super bright, but that's the trade-off unless you want a light suspended off the glass or multiple rows of LEDs for front/back. Thanks again, time for more ebay searches!


----------



## KenR

Hey, I have a 6 gallon edge... Its been going for about a week now, so I am just to the point of adding fish. I will add a clean up crew in the near future. What does everyone recommend?


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> Hey, I have a 6 gallon edge... Its been going for about a week now, so I am just to the point of adding fish. I will add a clean up crew in the near future. What does everyone recommend?


Best cleanup crew usually consists of Otos and Amano shrimp.

Nerite snails can be popular, too. They'll sometimes climb out of the top of an Edge, though, so keep an eye on them.


----------



## KenR

Is a 6 gallon too small for an Otocinclus Catfish? Do they come up to gulp air at the top? I had a cory in there but he kept trying to surface to get air… he could never find the sweet spot so I ended up taking him out.

Do the shrimp get sucked up in the filter intake?


----------



## shift

Well I turned my Planted edge into a reef

2 weeks before Christmas









A couple days ago


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> Is a 6 gallon too small for an Otocinclus Catfish? Do they come up to gulp air at the top? I had a cory in there but he kept trying to surface to get air… he could never find the sweet spot so I ended up taking him out.
> 
> Do the shrimp get sucked up in the filter intake?


No, you can have at least 2-3, perhaps a little more if you don't have other fish.

Put the foam prefilter on the intake, and then no problem with the shrimp.


----------



## shift

I took the pre filter off but I may add the stainless one back on. So far nothing has been sucked in!


----------



## kman

shift said:


> I took the pre filter off but I may add the stainless one back on. So far nothing has been sucked in!


Stainless prefilters are definitely popular for shrimp-keepers. The sponge ones are, too, though, for different reasons: Some species of shrimp _really_ love "grazing" on the sponge. Amanos don't seem as attracted to them, though, so either would work in your setup.

It generally just depends on the filter, and how concentrated (and powerful) the suckage is. The AC20 that comes with the Edge is pretty strong, though, so some sort of prefilter is a good idea, at least for shrimp. My canister, while powerful, has a glass intake with a large intake area which spreads the suction over a larger area, so my shrimp have yet to have any issues. (My previous intake had the suction over a smaller area, and it actually killed two curious mystery snails before I replaced it!)


----------



## shift

Freshwater 100% agree on sponges. I hear they can cause nitrates in marine tanks so stainless is prob the way to go


----------



## KenR

Thanks for the pre-filter suggestion. I think it will also help with any guppy fry should we have any. Any ideas where to get a good pre-filter from? I have looked at Petco but did not find anything size appropriate. As you know it is a tight space, I don’t want anything too big.


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

KenR said:


> Is a 6 gallon too small for an Otocinclus Catfish? Do they come up to gulp air at the top? I had a cory in there but he kept trying to surface to get air… he could never find the sweet spot so I ended up taking him out.


Otos do not come up for air like cories. I have some otos in my Edge 6G. Since they grow up to 2" the theory says one could have 3 of them in Edge 6G.

I also tried a cory in my Edge and most of the time when coming up for air it would bump its head on the glass ceiling. It never learned.



KenR said:


> Do the shrimp get sucked up in the filter intake?


Yes, I had a ghost shrimp die horrible death in AquaClear 20 in my Edge 6G. So I would recommend a pre-filter sponge or a steel mesh.


----------



## KenR

Thank you all for the input. Will one Otos do the trick or do they school? I already have a couple guppies and a handful of tetras. I don’t want to overstock the tank. Can I just add one Otos and a couple shrimp?


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> Thank you all for the input. Will one Otos do the trick or do they school? I already have a couple guppies and a handful of tetras. I don’t want to overstock the tank. Can I just add one Otos and a couple shrimp?


Otos prefer a group. Three (or more) would be better but two is ok. One will get lonely and likely die. As long as you keep the numbers you have (read: your guppies don't start increasing the permanent population), you should be fine adding a couple, as all of the fish you mentioned are quite small species.

Shrimp have nearly zero impact on the bioload. Add as many as you want. Start with 3 or so, and go from there.

Fluval sells sponge prefilters made specifically for the Edge. In fact, they usually come with one (mine did) ... yours didn't? Otherwise they're easily had on Amazon or no ebay links allowed Just look for Edge sponge prefilter or AC20 sponge prefilter.


----------



## Neatfish

shift said:


> Well I turned my Planted edge into a reef
> 
> 2 weeks before Christmas
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A couple days ago



Looks good makes me miss my old yellow clown goby.


----------



## KenR

Hey all, I recently started a 6G Edge. It has the stock 21 LED light and is planted with plants that have low light requirements. What is everyone’s opinion on CO2? Gas vs Liquid or none at all?


----------



## shift

Neatfish said:


> Looks good makes me miss my old yellow clown goby.




He's my only fish in there for now. Super cute little guy


----------



## KenR

Hey all, I recently started a 6G Edge. It has the stock 21 LED light and is planted with plants that have low light requirements. What is everyone’s opinion on CO2? Gas vs Liquid or none at all?


----------



## shift

It will grow low light plants. Unless you upgrade the light. Or swap to thee 12g light (may have one for sale.. Debating keeping or not). No need for co2. If you upgrade the light then co2 can be useful. Biggest thing with the edge is to make sure you diffuse it fully is you don't get air pockets on track top glass. (Doesn't look as good!)


----------



## glacious

shift said:


> Biggest thing with the edge is to make sure you diffuse it fully is you don't get air pockets on track top glass. (Doesn't look as good!)


This, it's a pain. I have my pressurized CO2 setup with a ceramic diffuser right below the filter output, so as bubbles come up the flow from the filter pushes them back down and they rise a 2nd time. They get very small, but after a day I still see small bubbles on the top glass.


----------



## shift

Try diffusing it in the aquaclear.


----------



## GreenNinja

Ok, I don't have it in me to read 132 pages of posts. (I got about 50 in and had to stop...) I scored a 6gal Edge at Petco a few days ago for half price ($65) because it was missing the filter entirely. I believe it originally came with an AquaClear 50. I'm considering doing the AquaClear 20 because I'll most likely have very small fish in it (rasboras) and shrimp. Any reason this wouldn't work? Thoughts? Opinions? 

(Also have an LED lighting mod in mind, just have to wait for the supplies to arrive.)


----------



## shift

They come with aq20. 50 will only fit if you remove the light mounting tabs


----------



## KenR

any other opinions on the use of CO2 in a 6G edge with stock 21 LED lighting?


----------



## Veritas

i would upgrade the lighting first. I use excel in my Edge


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> any other opinions on the use of CO2 in a 6G edge with stock 21 LED lighting?


There are those that do it, but yes, you'll probably want to upgrade the lighting. Otherwise, just stick to low light plants and it should do fine. Excel can help, but it's definitely not as good as actual co2. MUCH less complicated, though.


----------



## GreenNinja

Does anyone else have any concerns about the stability of the tank when full? I notice it scoots around on the base pretty easily. I'm leak-testing my tank today and that made me very nervous. It will be pushed back on a counter top, but I have a toddler and two cats... I'm considering building some little front supports to help keep it in place in case the cat decides to try sitting on it. 

Also, thanks to Shift for the quick reply on the filter. I've ordered the AQ20 and should receive it Friday. Also trying out a new-to-me substrate. I see a trip to the LFS for plants in my future...


----------



## shift

No prob! I have had mine for a year or two no issues. I like that I can move it on the base.. I give it a tilt to get the air bubbles out 

If you are really concerned about movement go buy a roll of that black sticky liner stuff and put it underneath


----------



## kman

I can't imagine it would be an issue. A cat sitting on it won't hurt it. Well, an especially large cat might damage the thing plastic "top hat" I suppose, but it's not likely to hurt (or move) the tank itself. A particularly determined toddler might, but only with leverage. I can't imagine a toddler could affect a tank sitting at normal counter height.

A full tank is going to weight over 65 lbs, so not an easy thing to move.

I would discourage your cats from sitting on top of it on a regular basis, but walking across it from time to time shouldn't cause an issue. Glass is strong stuff.


----------



## KenR

Hey, I am thinking about getting a TrueLumen Padlight and and setting it on the top glass of the 6G Fluval Edge. Does anyone have any experience/thoughts on this light?

Amazon.com : TrueLumen Padlite TrueLumen Aquatic LED Strips : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies


----------



## shift

You can also use the base from another edge as a trim to hide more lights! I used o have it on my planted version


----------



## GreenNinja

Thanks for the reassurance on stability. It will be on a counter and under a top cabinet, so I'm hoping that will deter the curiously destructive members of the family. 

I just got my lights and supplies to do a lighting mod similar to @Mxx did way back on the thread. Mine won't be as high-tech. I'm building a wooden frame, rather than having one fabricated. I got my LEDs from the LED wholesale site linked waaaay back in this thread (only to find they were a couple bucks cheaper and free Prime shipping on Amazon). Will post pics of my mod, assuming it works out like I hope.

Glad this thread is still active. It's extremely helpful!


----------



## kman

GreenNinja said:


> Thanks for the reassurance on stability. It will be on a counter and under a top cabinet, so I'm hoping that will deter the curiously destructive members of the family.
> 
> I just got my lights and supplies to do a lighting mod similar to @Mxx did way back on the thread. Mine won't be as high-tech. I'm building a wooden frame, rather than having one fabricated. I got my LEDs from the LED wholesale site linked waaaay back in this thread (only to find they were a couple bucks cheaper and free Prime shipping on Amazon). Will post pics of my mod, assuming it works out like I hope.
> 
> Glad this thread is still active. It's extremely helpful!


Just for fun, I happened to stumble across this thread today:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=792722

Second picture might answer your concern about cats on an Edge.


----------



## GreenNinja

LOL! Thanks @kman! That actually helps a lot!

I got my Edge set up yesterday. It's still in the early stages and not it's permanent spot. It will be replacing a Spec V I have in the kitchen, as well as absorbing some of the inhabitants of that tank. Still playing with plants and such. You can't really tell in that picture, but I'm trying some moss carpeting. My lighting upgrade is still in progress, so I have it near a window that gets morning sun. I'll try to get a proper tank journal going this weekend.


----------



## volatile

Any updates about the 72 litre/19 gallon new style edges? Seems they announced them like 6 months ago but nothing since. :icon_roll


----------



## shift

So far Only for sale in the uk and crazy expensive


----------



## kman

GreenNinja said:


> LOL! Thanks @kman! That actually helps a lot!
> 
> I got my Edge set up yesterday. It's still in the early stages and not it's permanent spot. It will be replacing a Spec V I have in the kitchen, as well as absorbing some of the inhabitants of that tank. Still playing with plants and such. You can't really tell in that picture, but I'm trying some moss carpeting. My lighting upgrade is still in progress, so I have it near a window that gets morning sun. I'll try to get a proper tank journal going this weekend.


Alright, congrats on getting things started!

Be careful of natural sunlight, though ... sunlight is often a surefire way to end up with a serious algae problem.


----------



## GreenNinja

I'm hoping to have enough time to switch tanks around in the next day or so. Luckily, it's fairly grey here right now, so it's just a bit of extra light. I've got a ton of pink ramshorn snails running around in other tanks, so I can add an algae clean-up crew easily.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

The Fluval Edge of "Madness"








=======









No more Fluval Edge for me, I'm turning it into an emmersed grow out tank. This 6 gallon tank takes so much work...


----------



## shift

But it looks so good!!


----------



## shift

You could cut the top off and use it as a rimless.. Did it on this one > http://fishtankprojects.com/aquascaping/dry-start-hc-dwarf-baby-tears-dsm.html


----------



## TheAnswerIs42

Just wanted to share my 12gEdge with everyone. I am super proud of it.










Thanks for looking. Btw, anyone have experience taking the top glass off the 12g? Would it hold together?


----------



## shift

Looks awesome! I only made my 6g topless. I'm sure it would work though on the 12


----------



## clownnut

same thickness of glass but much taller. if you remove the top, it might fall apart. just for the safety reason i wouldnt.


----------



## Cokeman

FlyingHellFish said:


> The Fluval Edge of "Madness"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> =======
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> No more Fluval Edge for me, I'm turning it into an emmersed grow out tank. This 6 gallon tank takes so much work...


What do you have carpeting the bottom on the left?


----------



## shift

Looks like dwarf baby tears or "HC"


----------



## FlyingHellFish

shift said:


> But it looks so good!!


Thanks man!  You grew a pretty lust carpet of HC too. Not a lot of people try HC Cuba in the Edge, I think the sane hobbyist were smart enough not to try it. 

And yes, the carpet on the left is HC Cuba. I highly advise against growing it in the Edge, it's wayyyyyyy too much work. Here's a vid of the tank when the HC wasn't so thick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpF-pwX3hLI


----------



## kman

FlyingHellFish said:


> Thanks man!  You grew a pretty lust carpet of HC too. Not a lot of people try HC Cuba in the Edge, I think the sane hobbyist were smart enough not to try it.
> 
> And yes, the carpet on the left is HC Cuba. I highly advise against growing it in the Edge, it's wayyyyyyy too much work. Here's a vid of the tank when the HC wasn't so thick.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpF-pwX3hLI


I can't imagine the nightmare that would be cleaning up after a major carpet trim, via that little access hole! :icon_frow


----------



## Cokeman

FlyingHellFish said:


> Thanks man!  You grew a pretty lust carpet of HC too. Not a lot of people try HC Cuba in the Edge, I think the sane hobbyist were smart enough not to try it.
> 
> And yes, the carpet on the left is HC Cuba. I highly advise against growing it in the Edge, it's wayyyyyyy too much work. Here's a vid of the tank when the HC wasn't so thick.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpF-pwX3hLI


So, not good for a new guy. Too bad. It looks great.


----------



## shift

Haha this is likely why I went with glosso in the new tank. Next to no maintenance!








And decided to try salt in the bigger edge


----------



## KenR

So how many fish can you keep in a 6 gallon edge? Right now I have:
- 2 guppies
- 5 neon tetras 
- 2 ottos cats
- 4 ghost shrimp

I have seen small tanks with more fish, just not sure how many you can safely manage in the 6G edge.

I have added an LED light bar to the top of the tank and am toying with the idea of adding CO2 but I am not quite sure how to do it, and I dont want to lose any fish. Any CO2 suggestions?


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> So how many fish can you keep in a 6 gallon edge? Right now I have:
> - 2 guppies
> - 5 neon tetras
> - 2 ottos cats
> - 4 ghost shrimp
> 
> I have seen small tanks with more fish, just not sure how many you can safely manage in the 6G edge.
> 
> I have added an LED light bar to the top of the tank and am toying with the idea of adding CO2 but I am not quite sure how to do it, and I dont want to lose any fish. Any CO2 suggestions?


Rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon, so 6, but I think that's a little overly-conservative when dealing with little fish like neon tetras. Realistically a tank is limited by filtration, which is how fish shops cram so many fish into one tank, they have really really good filtration so they can exceed normal limits.

Shrimp have about zero bioload on a tank, so as many as is reasonable for those. You should be fine with the fish you have now, as long as your guppies don't reproduce out of control.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

shift said:


> Haha this is likely why I went with glosso in the new tank. Next to no maintenance!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And decided to try salt in the bigger edge


Very nice glosso!!! I had a glosso carpet too, way easier than HC Cuba.

But your reef tank.... *_drools_. You got a thread on it? 

@*cokeman* - You can try HC, just buy a small amount and see how you like it. Very rewarding if you don't mind the work. :icon_smil

@*kman* - yo bro, did you ever start up the tank back up?


----------



## shift

I started a build thread on my site the other day > http://fishtankprojects.com/saltwater/12g-edge-nano-reef.html


----------



## kman

FlyingHellFish said:


> @*kman* - yo bro, did you ever start up the tank back up?


No, not yet. Just too much work. I keep threatening to turn it into the shrimp-only tank at the office, but so far I haven't wanted to deal with it. I'm spending way too much time maintaining my main tank at home, and my wife won't let me have another one there, LOL.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

kman said:


> No, not yet. Just too much work. I keep threatening to turn it into the shrimp-only tank at the office, but so far I haven't wanted to deal with it. I'm spending way too much time maintaining my main tank at home, and my wife won't let me have another one there, LOL.


Hahah me too! I had to fight tooth and nail for my new tanks. The compromise was shutting down one tank for another. Guess which one :bounce:

I was going to ask what you did with your Edge now that it's not active. I'm thinking of doing a grow out tank. 

@shift - That a gorgeous reef tank, was the learning curve hard? I want to have something like that on my 12gallon, with a lot of that "glowing" thing on the bottom right. :icon_surp


----------



## shift

So far not really. Most people say reefs are harder and bigger is better. I'll have to prove them wrong! I defiantly check it a lot more than the fresh water. Keep an eye on my site and I'll keep updating the tank log as I go


----------



## Chiumanfu

Here's a link to my 6G Edge lighting mod
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7108265


----------



## kman

Chiumanfu said:


> Here's a link to my 6G Edge lighting mod
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7108265


Brilliantly done! If I ever resurrect my Edge, I might have consider swiping your method. Although matching the burnt orange top is going to be a lot tougher than matching black (or painting it so the blacks match). :/


----------



## volatile

Looks like the new Edge won't launch in UK until "early 2015" with an estimated price of £400 (~$610 US). 

http://www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/Fluval-Giant-Edge-Aquarium.html


----------



## FlyingHellFish

volatile said:


> Looks like the new Edge won't launch in UK until "early 2015" with an estimated price of £400 (~$610 US).
> 
> http://www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/Fluval-Giant-Edge-Aquarium.html


600!!! Oh come on, Fluval, at least buy me dinner first.


----------



## shift

Pricey little bugger. I could see 300-400 but 600 is crazy


----------



## GreenNinja

I'm super sad about my Edge. After spending hours playing musical tanks (changing where every tank was sitting), it doesn't fit in my space. Well, it fits, but the lid won't open. I tried it a few other places, but it just won't work. 

I was feeling really bummed out, but then remembered my sister has been on the hunt for a tank around 5-6 gallons for her kitchen island. So, I'm finishing my mods and such and gifting it to her for her birthday. I'd rather see it go to her than take it back. Plus, I'll get to enjoy it whenever I visit. (It's not all bad, she's got an older style Eclipse 12g that's coming my way.)


----------



## shift

Could always take the top off and use it as a rimless


----------



## madcapzany

*But...is moisture not an issue?*



dkbmxr18 said:


> I ordered these LED's from e-bay for $13 each you can find them by searching for "Brightest MR11 12 V 10 SMD LED White 160 Lumen Wide Ang":
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Or you can get them from their website direct. www.ledwholesalers.com
> 
> For the 10w light I added today, I bought a base for a light bulb at home depot for $3. I cut the socket portion of an extension cord off and wired it to the bulb base. I got the bulb at walmart.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10448675
> 
> And then zip tied it all to to the stock light fixture as seen in the pictures above. I put some aluminum foil under half the cover so the light doesn't shine through the top. So I'm working with about 14watts of light total. I have both sets of lights timed to be on at the same time for 10hours a day. If I start getting algae growth then I'm going to cut back the 10w for a little bit halfway through the day.....etc. I'll keep everyone updated how it works.:thumbsup:


I love the mod...but how is it waterproof? (Sorry if I am being dense...)


----------



## KenR

Do you, or how do you clean the substrate in a lightly planted 6G Edge?


----------



## shadowplant

daygoboiz said:


> Here is my share, finally got everything together;
> 1st nano and shrimp tank
> Started emerged grow on my edge for 2 weeks and got fungus so I flooded it last Sunday
> Substrate - Activ-flora with root-tabs
> Co2 - paintball with nano diffuser
> Ferts - Ei dry dosing (very little) and daily excel (wc at least once or twice weekly)
> Lighting - 24w 24 led, 2 mr16 (3w 19 5050 led each)
> Flora - Hc, hydrocotyle, staurogyne, dhg and weeping moss.
> Stocking with 10 Painted fire red, 11 blue/red rili, and 11 rcs and 2 blue ramshorn snails.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you guys think?


Does anyone what kind of light mod is this? That is a cool light mod and looks pretty easy to set up!


----------



## kman

KenR said:


> Do you, or how do you clean the substrate in a lightly planted 6G Edge?


Either very carefully, with much swearing and annoyance, using a small siphon of some sort, or ... you don't.


----------



## shift

Old one using base from another edge









Current custom led in hood


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

*RIP Escape Artist*

Well, this morning, when I removed the tank cover to feed the little monsters, I discovered one of my Tetra Neons wedged between the collar and the cover. It was all desiccated already










Poor thing :icon_cry:


----------



## shadowplant

will modding my 6gallon fluval edge with this 42 led light

Amazon.com : Fluval Edge 42 Led 46l (12 Gallon) Lamp : Led Household Light Bulbs : Pet Supplies

be enough light to grow carpet plants?


----------



## kman

shadowplant said:


> will modding my 6gallon fluval edge with this 42 led light
> 
> Amazon.com : Fluval Edge 42 Led 46l (12 Gallon) Lamp : Led Household Light Bulbs : Pet Supplies
> 
> be enough light to grow carpet plants?


I answered in your other thread, but here, too:

The problem isn't (just) the light, it's the lack of spread. All the light is concentrated straight down by the hood. That light MIGHT be enough to get a carpet, but there is no PAR data available, so hard to be sure, and the carpet would only be right under it since light still doesn't get to the corners.

The other issue is co2. Most plants that produce good carpets really need co2, and that's a real struggle to effectively implement in an Edge due to the small size and (more importantly) closed top. Not impossible, but definitely not straightforward.


----------



## shift

You can grow a nice glosso carpet with out co2


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

shadowplant said:


> will modding my 6gallon fluval edge with this 42 led light
> 
> Amazon.com : Fluval Edge 42 Led 46l (12 Gallon) Lamp : Led Household Light Bulbs : Pet Supplies
> 
> be enough light to grow carpet plants?


I don't know about carpet plants. But I have upgraded mine as well, and while the light in the middle is stronger, it falls off very quickly to the sides, so plants on the sides arent growing much and everything grows towards the light.

I am planning to replace the light with something longer that would extend over whole tank and modify the tank cover to accomodate for that.

Also, see previous posts for examples of light mods for Edge. If you are serious about growing carpet plants, I would skip the 42 LED upgrade and go directly for something more serious. It will save you wasting $70 for 42 LED light. For less than that money you can buy someting decent like 16" Finnex.

P.S. The only positive from upgrading to 42 LED light, is that now I have the old 21 LED light that I have disassembled and I will cut it and modify to hold my new Finnex light ;-)


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

*Fluval C2 filter in Edge?*

Is it possible to fit Fluval C2 filter in Edge's filter compartment? Anyone tried?


----------



## shift

Google the size of it. Essentially the same thing as aquaclear with a different media basket.


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

shift said:


> Google the size of it. Essentially the same thing as aquaclear with a different media basket.


Awesome. I will try it next time I order something from Amazon.
I am tired of AquaClear 20. It gets gunked quickly and large portion of water bypasses media basket.


----------



## AquaMan25

*Just stating out my Edge*

Super excited for my new edge, Iwagumi style.

Trying out DSM with HC, all is well so far been about 4 days.


----------



## shadowplant

AquaMan25 said:


> Super excited for my new edge, Iwagumi style.
> 
> Trying out DSM with HC, all is well so far been about 4 days.


Do you have a tank journal?

I'm really jealous of your setup, its awesome! Are you using co2 and stock lighting?


----------



## shift

This might help you out. http://fishtankprojects.com/aquascaping/dry-start-hc-dwarf-baby-tears-dsm.html


----------



## shadowplant

shift said:


> This might help you out. http://fishtankprojects.com/aquascaping/dry-start-hc-dwarf-baby-tears-dsm.html


how do you get the top off of the edge?


----------



## TheAnswerIs42

0xDEADBEEF said:


> Well, this morning, when I removed the tank cover to feed the little monsters, I discovered one of my Tetra Neons wedged between the collar and the cover. It was all desiccated already


This has happened to me a few times:
- 1 cherry barb
- 1 CPD
- and a bunch or RCS

Its very sad to lose a fish friend


----------



## volatile

0xDEADBEEF said:


> Well, this morning, when I removed the tank cover to feed the little monsters, I discovered one of my Tetra Neons wedged between the collar and the cover. It was all desiccated already
> 
> Poor thing :icon_cry:


Might want to lower the water level so that it will be harder for them to jump.


----------



## Badorties

Hey all, here is my new dual Fluval edge 6 setup on my desk. I got one on sale for $99 and just had to get another.










The left tank has been cycled and contains wood and rocks from lake Ontario. It currently has a betta, two african dwarf frogs, some shrimp, a snail, and some blue endlers which will move to right tank once it's cycled. 










The right tank will be more of a mountain scape, currently full of silt and bubbles as i just added water last night.










I have no problems with the low light in the left tank as the shadows add some drama, but I plan to plant some HC in the right tank so will need a better lighting solution. My desk lamp is a high wattage, high color temp, CFL, so I think if I just direct it on top of the tank it should be fine.

First time posting, any comments would be great!


----------



## kman

shadowplant said:


> how do you get the top off of the edge?


YouTube has a bunch of videos showing how. It's not difficult, but it's generally a one-way operation... you're cutting it off, and it's not likely to ever go back.

Bump:


AquaMan25 said:


> Super excited for my new edge, Iwagumi style.
> 
> Trying out DSM with HC, all is well so far been about 4 days.


Looks great! What you are you going to do about co2?

You may end up needing a baffle to slow down the water coming out of the AC20, or once you flood it and water is running, it could drill a hole in the mountain towards the back.

Bump:


shadowplant said:


> Do you have a tank journal?
> 
> I'm really jealous of your setup, its awesome! Are you using co2 and stock lighting?


His first picture shows a light laying across the top, so he has definitely upgraded his lighting.


----------



## kman

shift said:


> This might help you out. http://fishtankprojects.com/aquascaping/dry-start-hc-dwarf-baby-tears-dsm.html


If I haven't said it before, great site!


----------



## AquaMan25

Hey, 

No journal yet i will get one started!


----------



## AquaMan25

kman said:


> YouTube has a bunch of videos showing how. It's not difficult, but it's generally a one-way operation... you're cutting it off, and it's not likely to ever go back.
> 
> Bump:
> Looks great! What you are you going to do about co2?
> 
> You may end up needing a baffle to slow down the water coming out of the AC20, or once you flood it and water is running, it could drill a hole in the mountain towards the back.
> 
> Bump:
> His first picture shows a light laying across the top, so he has definitely upgraded his lighting.



Just stated a journal with some more tank info.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7276506#post7276506

I have a paintball tank for co2 with an aquatec regulator. how is the filter on the edge, does it create a pretty strong flow? I figured it would be pretty weak.


----------



## fermentedhiker

AquaMan25 said:


> Just stated a journal with some more tank info.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7276506#post7276506
> 
> I have a paintball tank for co2 with an aquatec regulator. how is the filter on the edge, does it create a pretty strong flow? I figured it would be pretty weak.



The filter on an edge is just an Aquaclear 20. Flow is too strong really. I have an edge prefilter sponge on mine(mostly designed to keep it from sucking up shrimp I think) which cuts the flow a little(a lot once it starts to clog) and helps keep the media basket from getting filled up with mulm.


----------



## kman

^^ Yup. It's not enormously powerful (although it's a good little HOB overall), but the tank is so small the outflow tended to blow my substrate around right under it, if I built it too high. The mound of gravel you have right under where the outflow comes is borderline, IMO... you may be ok, or you may just need to baffle the outflow a bit. Lots of simple DIY methods out there (many in this thread), including the simplest one with just a clear plastic water bottle cut in half (lengthwise) to give a "halfpipe" to fit under the outflow.

That's a very decent co2 setup (same one I use), IMO. Your main challenge with that on the Edge will be to keep the diffused bubbles off the underside of the top glass, unless you don't intend to fill it to the top (which defeats the point of the Edge, IMO). Also, to a lesser extent, getting enough co2 dissolved since an HOB filter, with it's excellent aeration, works against you when you want to keep co2 dissolved.


----------



## AquaMan25

kman said:


> ^^ Yup. It's not enormously powerful (although it's a good little HOB overall), but the tank is so small the outflow tended to blow my substrate around right under it, if I built it too high. The mound of gravel you have right under where the outflow comes is borderline, IMO... you may be ok, or you may just need to baffle the outflow a bit. Lots of simple DIY methods out there (many in this thread), including the simplest one with just a clear plastic water bottle cut in half (lengthwise) to give a "halfpipe" to fit under the outflow.
> 
> That's a very decent co2 setup (same one I use), IMO. Your main challenge with that on the Edge will be to keep the diffused bubbles off the underside of the top glass, unless you don't intend to fill it to the top (which defeats the point of the Edge, IMO). Also, to a lesser extent, getting enough co2 dissolved since an HOB filter, with it's excellent aeration, works against you when you want to keep co2 dissolved.


I am planning on having shrimp, so I like the pre-filter idea. I'll check into the DIY baffles. I don't have many other ideas for co2 diffusion in a small tank like this, I have only used standard glass diffusers. Was just going to put the diffuser in the path of the filter flow and see how it works for me.

thanks for the info guys!


----------



## shift

kman said:


> If I haven't said it before, great site!




Thanks!


----------



## erinbirdsong

The orange EDGE is on sale on woot dot com today for $ 49.99

http://home.woot.com/offers/fluval-orange-6-gallon-aquarium-set-8?ref=cnt_wp_3_30


----------



## zerodameaon

0xDEADBEEF said:


> Awesome. I will try it next time I order something from Amazon.
> I am tired of AquaClear 20. It gets gunked quickly and large portion of water bypasses media basket.


Check your local petsmart, I got a C2 for 14 bucks because they were "discontinuing them." Funny thing is the other C series are not per the employee.


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

*Yet another Fluval Edge Lightiing Mod*

Yet another Fluval Edge 6G Lightiing Mod - Finnex Stingray 16 + Current USA Single Ramp Timerhttp://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7287978


----------



## 0xDEADBEEF

shift said:


> Google the size of it. Essentially the same thing as aquaclear with a different media basket.





0xDEADBEEF said:


> Awesome. I will try it next time I order something from Amazon.
> I am tired of AquaClear 20. It gets gunked quickly and large portion of water bypasses media basket.


And the answer is: No Fluval C2 will not fit in place of AquaClear 20 in Fluval Edge. It is about 1/2" too wide to fit and easily and inch wider than AquaClear 20. bummer. :icon_sad:

I'll probably keep it, I plan to build a bigger tank in the future and it will be handly. Also, the dust from ceramic pieces that are used for the media was all over the box and the filter shiny plastic was somewhat marred by rubbing inside the box.


----------



## Ckent42

My girlfriend picked this up at a fish store with a cracked top for 5 dollars. It took me three years to get to it, but I finally stripped the top off and set it up. I always loved the edge look, but after reading about it on here it seems like a pain in the neck to maintain, and I also love the rimless look.


----------



## Beardie

I'm sure this has been posted on here but I don't have time to go through 137 pages... What are people's experience using the fluval nano led light over this tank? Is it too much light? Are you using co2?

I got a used 6g edge yesterday that had the stock lighting completely removed. I found the nano on amazon for $40 so that seems to be my #1 choice unless there are some real algae horror stories out there. I'd really prefer to keep equipment at a minimum on this tank and avoid using co2. 

Thanks


----------



## kman

Beardie said:


> I'm sure this has been posted on here but I don't have time to go through 137 pages... What are people's experience using the fluval nano led light over this tank? Is it too much light? Are you using co2?
> 
> I got a used 6g edge yesterday that had the stock lighting completely removed. I found the nano on amazon for $40 so that seems to be my #1 choice unless there are some real algae horror stories out there. I'd really prefer to keep equipment at a minimum on this tank and avoid using co2.
> 
> Thanks


I used one. It doesn't _quite_ fit under the stock hood, and it's a LOT of light concentrated in one spot. Powerful little light. I found it impossible to balance the dark edges and the over-lit center, and had algae issues as a result. I would recommend buying a replacement stock light and sticking to low light plants. Keep only _ultra_ low light plants (if any) in the front corners where there is very little light.

Else look into a complete rebuild of the top, to add a wide light, like 0xDEADBEEF did above.

I've found the Edge works best when using it only as intended (very low light), otherwise it's a crazy rabbit hole of modifications needed to force it's unusual design to function more like a regular tank.


----------



## Beardie

Thanks for the advice. The only plants going in the tank will be fissidens thailand, which I am told needs bright light, sunset hygro, and crypt parva. The fissidens will be the focal point on driftwood directly under the light, the sunset hygro will also be under the light behind the driftwood, and the parva will fill in around the base in front. 

Do you think a 42 led replacement fixture would suffice this set up? The fissidens is really the only thing im worried about having enough light.


----------



## kman

Beardie said:


> Thanks for the advice. The only plants going in the tank will be fissidens thailand, which I am told needs bright light, sunset hygro, and crypt parva. The fissidens will be the focal point on driftwood directly under the light, the sunset hygro will also be under the light behind the driftwood, and the parva will fill in around the base in front.
> 
> Do you think a 42 led replacement fixture would suffice this set up? The fissidens is really the only thing im worried about having enough light.


In that case the 42 LED replacement might be a good way to go. No promises, but it definitely puts out more light than the stock version, and of course fits perfectly. You'll still have dark corners, but that doesn't sound like an issue in your scape.


----------



## Beardie

Thanks so much. Now I'll just have to find a way to attack it since it looks like the previous owner just ripped it off. :/


----------



## Beardie

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+24473&pcatid=24473

Decided to go with one of these instead. They have great spread and awesome par values which they provide on a neat chart for each model. I found a thread on here with a guy growing a glosso mat under two of them so that was good enough for me. 

The pump shaft on the filter was also broken so I ordered a rapids mini canister filter so the light will have plenty of room under the top. I got everything scaped yesterday so I'll post some pics later today.


----------



## vilenarios

New member here, totally been obsessed with my Fluval edges since I got them. I have a 12g and 6g, but recently rescaped my 6g. 

As all of you are aware, aquascaping the edge is a giant pain in the ass! I try to make sure every move is calculated and doesnt distrurb the pristine-ness of everything. Knocking something out of place can quickly turn into making the whole tank a mess, and me cursing repeatedly. Maybe one day I will take the top off the 6g, since its kind of high up on a bedroom dresser, and you cant even look down through the top anyway.

After doing tons of research on substrates, lighting and nutrients, I decided to put some miracle grow potting soil under the eco-complete, and so far it has been pretty good. I'm still having issues getting the right surface agitation with my zoomed canister outlet, but nothing a trip to home depot and some trial and error wont solve. No fish yet, so im not hurting anything (I dont think?)










Still a bit cloudy. I soaked the driftwood for a week and a half, but then left it out overnight and I guess the water evaporated enough for it to float when I filled it up... hence the tongs holding it down. Im not sure if the fluval aqualife & plant nano LED light is going to be good enough for the corners, but only time will tell. Need to test the water tonight, but I dont anticipate stocking it with anything until another week - no clue what to put in it. A few shrimps hopefully in the mix.


----------



## kman

^^ Very pretty scape! I hope that works out for you. Do you have any shots of the overall tank? I'm curious how you integrated the light and the canister.


----------



## vilenarios

I started with getting 2 of the fluval plant and aqualife LEDs

Amazon.com : Fluval Nano Aqua Life and Plant Performance LED Lamp : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies

For whatever reason the price was down to like 40 bucks on amazon, so i figured it was such a great deal I must take advantage. Not sure if its the best light for the Edge but why the heck not. I feel like it works better on the 12g, since its taller and the light spreads a bit more. The 6g it seems like it just blasts directly under it.

I didnt use the bracket that it came with, since it wouldnt fit without altering the top hood. It was actually pretty easy to attach anyway. It fits nicely under the hood, and I just took a drill and made one of the tiny holes on the top mesh of the hood a little bit bigger. I used the screw the light came with, with a couple of washers to ensure it was going to stay firmly on the hood. The cord just comes out the back and down the rear column.

Top









Underside









Unfortunately, it woudlnt fit with the aquaclear 20 HOB filter, so I got a Zoomed Nano 10 canister filter. I saw a couple threads of people claiming it will fit in the rear column of the edge... but i was pretty disappointed when I got it that it did NOT fit all the way.










I had to drill a hole for the tubing, and im definitely not happy with how its laid out. I'm going to try to fashion a HOB box and have the outlet dump into that, which will then overflow into the tank, similar to the aquaclear.

Here is how the light looks on the 12g (same mounting)


----------



## vilenarios

I started with getting 2 of the fluval plant and aqualife LEDs

Amazon.com : Fluval Nano Aqua Life and Plant Performance LED Lamp : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies

For whatever reason the price was down to like 40 bucks on amazon, so i figured it was such a great deal I must take advantage. Not sure if its the best light for the Edge but why the heck not. I feel like it works better on the 12g, since its taller and the light spreads a bit more. The 6g it seems like it just blasts directly under it.

I didnt use the bracket that it came with, since it wouldnt fit without altering the top hood. It was actually pretty easy to attach anyway. It fits nicely under the hood, and I just took a drill and made one of the tiny holes on the top mesh of the hood a little bit bigger. I used the screw the light came with, with a couple of washers to ensure it was going to stay firmly on the hood. The cord just comes out the back and down the rear column.

Top









Underside









Unfortunately, it woudlnt fit with the aquaclear 20 HOB filter, so I got a Zoomed Nano 10 canister filter. I saw a couple threads of people claiming it will fit in the rear column of the edge... but i was pretty disappointed when I got it that it did NOT fit all the way.










I had to drill a hole for the tubing, and im definitely not happy with how its laid out. I'm going to try to fashion a HOB box and have the outlet dump into that, which will then overflow into the tank, similar to the aquaclear.

Here is how the light looks on the 12g (same mounting)


----------



## vilenarios

I started with getting 2 of the fluval plant and aqualife LEDs

Amazon.com : Fluval Nano Aqua Life and Plant Performance LED Lamp : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies

For whatever reason the price was down to like 40 bucks on amazon, so i figured it was such a great deal I must take advantage. Not sure if its the best light for the Edge but why the heck not. I feel like it works better on the 12g, since its taller and the light spreads a bit more. The 6g it seems like it just blasts directly under it.

I didnt use the bracket that it came with, since it wouldnt fit without altering the top hood. It was actually pretty easy to attach anyway. It fits nicely under the hood, and I just took a drill and made one of the tiny holes on the top mesh of the hood a little bit bigger. I used the screw the light came with, with a couple of washers to ensure it was going to stay firmly on the hood. The cord just comes out the back and down the rear column.

Top









Underside









Unfortunately, it woudlnt fit with the aquaclear 20 HOB filter, so I got a Zoomed Nano 10 canister filter. I saw a couple threads of people claiming it will fit in the rear column of the edge... but i was pretty disappointed when I got it that it did NOT fit all the way.










I had to drill a hole for the tubing, and im definitely not happy with how its laid out. I'm going to try to fashion a HOB box and have the outlet dump into that, which will then overflow into the tank, similar to the aquaclear.

Here is how the light looks on the 12g (same mounting)









Im sure it could be better, but its a work in progress!


----------



## vilenarios

I started with getting 2 of the fluval plant and aqualife LEDs

Amazon.com : Fluval Nano Aqua Life and Plant Performance LED Lamp : Aquarium Lights : Pet Supplies

For whatever reason the price was down to like 40 bucks on amazon, so i figured it was such a great deal I must take advantage. Not sure if its the best light for the Edge but why the heck not. I feel like it works better on the 12g, since its taller and the light spreads a bit more. The 6g it seems like it just blasts directly under it.

I didnt use the bracket that it came with, since it wouldnt fit without altering the top hood. It was actually pretty easy to attach anyway. It fits nicely under the hood, and I just took a drill and made one of the tiny holes on the top mesh of the hood a little bit bigger. I used the screw the light came with, with a couple of washers to ensure it was going to stay firmly on the hood. The cord just comes out the back and down the rear column.

Top









Underside









Unfortunately, it woudlnt fit with the aquaclear 20 HOB filter, so I got a Zoomed Nano 10 canister filter. I saw a couple threads of people claiming it will fit in the rear column of the edge... but i was pretty disappointed when I got it that it did NOT fit all the way.










I had to drill a hole for the tubing, and im definitely not happy with how its laid out. I'm going to try to fashion a HOB box and have the outlet dump into that, which will then overflow into the tank, similar to the aquaclear.

Here is how the light looks on the 12g (same mounting)









Im sure it could be better, but its a work in progress!


----------



## adamp4545

New here. I have the Fluval 6 gallon and upgraded to the Fluval Nano 84 LED light fixture. It did require some modificationt o the factory hood. I had to cut the back panel out with a dremel. Also, the fixture doesnt quite clear the filter so i had to move the hood forward about 3 inches. It still looks good and if you didnt know better you'd think it came that way. I have only low to medium light plants but they have taken off since the upgrade. There are better LEDs out there, but this one keeps the look that makes the edge so cool.


----------



## kman

adamp4545 said:


> New here. I have the Fluval 6 gallon and upgraded to the Fluval Nano 84 LED light fixture. It did require some modificationt o the factory hood. I had to cut the back panel out with a dremel. Also, the fixture doesnt quite clear the filter so i had to move the hood forward about 3 inches. It still looks good and if you didnt know better you'd think it came that way. I have only low to medium light plants but they have taken off since the upgrade. There are better LEDs out there, but this one keeps the look that makes the edge so cool.


Let's see a pic!


----------



## adamp4545

Having trouble attaching pic for some reason


----------



## adamp4545

*here it is*









Bump:


----------



## kman

Very pretty.  Be careful of algae, with that wood so close to the very intense lights, but I like the arrangement, and those stripey rocks are very cool.

Do you have a shot of the mods you did for the light to fit?


----------



## adamp4545

The "wood" is actually resin but it does get some algae there. I use a tooth brush to clean it. Also just pruned the anubius so it had been covered until recently.there wasnt much mods i had to do. I did end up moving the hood forward after cutting it to get better light dispersion

Bump: Btw got.those rocks at walmart for like a buck lol. And thanks for the feedback


----------



## Beardie

White leds only








White and blue leds 








Blue leds only








Here is where I cut the holes for the canister filter tubes. You can see the slot where the light arm would normally be at the top of the photo, but the light was not on the tank at the time.


----------



## XRamboX

First post, and here's my Edge:


















Up till now, I've focused on fish, but starting to add plants (the one embedded in the red rock, the rest are fake for now). 
I have a dwarf gourami, four tetras, two ghost shrimp, and a few nerite snails. Technically, that's slightly overloaded, but I keep close tabs on water quality, and haven't had any issues. A year ago, I replaced the stock halogen lights (which burned out incessantly) with the 12g 42LED array. 

I'll be removing that gravel and replacing it with Eco-Complete substrate. For now, I'm dosing the plant with API Leaf Zone, and it seems to be fine, albeit growing slowly (no surprise there).

Previous aquascape:

*Daylight:









*Nightlight:









I realize that amount of aeration is overkill, but it actually saved my fish through through a massive cyanobacteria bloom. I treated that with erythromycin, so now the tank is sparkling clean. I'm more careful with my feeding since then, and the problem hasn't resurfaced.


----------



## bishop169

here is my 12 gallon edge


----------



## kinghrothgar12

*lighting options*

I just purchased a 6g edge. I was planning on doing a smaller planted tank, and then I encountered the design of this and purchased it for the aesthetics before really doing my research. I appears like many people mod them, but I am not handy at all when it comes to building things, so I wanted a quick fix. It seems like many upgrade to the 48led fixture, but what if I were to do this instead? If I used this Finnex to plop on top of the tank, 



 would this be good enough light to grow low to moderate level plants without having to use pressurized co2?


----------



## brendan

Hi guys new to this forum I love the edge tanks I have owned a few of them I'm now down to one unfortunately lol. I've moved a few times in the last few years so it has limited me as for now I'm doing a fresh water planted tank. Jscape style in the 12 gallon fluval edge tank I have the stock led's on the tank but they are getting old  . So my question is are there any links on this thread to easy to do retro fits for better Led's or does anyone have a already made led that they use on there tank that fits great under the cover with not to much modding let me know what u guys have also here are a few pictures of the tank


----------



## FlyingHellFish

adamp4545 said:


> The "wood" is actually resin but it does get some algae there. I use a tooth brush to clean it. Also just pruned the anubius so it had been covered until recently.there wasnt much mods i had to do. I did end up moving the hood forward after cutting it to get better light dispersion
> 
> Bump: Btw got.those rocks at walmart for like a buck lol. And thanks for the feedback


What lighting fixture is that?


----------



## adamp4545

Its the fluval nano 84 led. The light spread like a pyramid though but i wanted to keep the canopy it came with


----------



## JEiffel

I've had quite the journey with my Fluval Edge 6 gallon. Check out my progress from the link in my sig  
My biggest problem at the moment is green hair algae...urgh...


----------



## kman

JEiffel said:


> I've had quite the journey with my Fluval Edge 6 gallon. Check out my progress from the link in my sig
> My biggest problem at the moment is green hair algae...urgh...


No sig is showing?


----------



## JEiffel

That's awkward...it should be? ..hm...

Bump: There it is! ^^


----------



## caffeinetherapy

Just finished my latest rescape on the Edge in my daughter's room. Definitely my most challenging one so far. Water's still cloudy. Better photos coming soon!


----------



## boguz

Hi guys
I am an edge tanks lover. I like its design a lot. And finally got one 6months ago. As i like planted tanks, i have been trying some low tech designs. I tried tying mosses to small rocks but it didnt go well. So, i am now trying tying to small nets. We ll see if its work or not.
And yes, lightining is poor, hope to get 42led soon.
Do you have any ideas for growing well mosses at this poor light ?


----------



## prostudent4life

I've been working on my edge. Its stocked with shrimp, Ruby and Ember tetras. The micro sword is looking better since adding the Planted+, it even appears to be spreading now.


----------



## sockfish

Not much has changed in my 6, but after switching over to the
42 LED, I've grown whole crops of horsetail and a ginormous corkscrew val!


----------



## Newbie2015

I recently bought a 12gal Edge and had my heart set on having it planted. I found this thread and have read almost the entire thing and found it very helpful. However, all the information I find on the internet is becoming VERY overwhelming with all the maintenance it appears that planted tanks need. I'm a beginner and would want something small to start, low-tech and relatively easy to care for. But I'm starting to FREAK OUT with all the stuff I've been reading and am now thinking I should start with *gasp* fake plants. 
Please someone tell me that it's not all that hard to keep a nice little planted tank! I hate how cheap even the "nicest" fake plants look in a tank, but all this CO2, ferts, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, water hardness/softness, daily monitoring is starting to hurt my head.


----------



## shift

It really isn't that hard. If you pick the right plants for your lighting and desired growth / care level


----------



## Newbie2015

What would you recommend to start me off? The very basics of plant keeping. 
What should I do to set up my new tank for plants and fish? 
I know practically nothing but am very enthusiastic about learning.


----------



## kman

Newbie2015 said:


> What would you recommend to start me off? The very basics of plant keeping.
> What should I do to set up my new tank for plants and fish?
> I know practically nothing but am very enthusiastic about learning.


Start with basic, slow growing, low light plants. Hardly any maintenance needed. Think Anubias and Java Ferns. Java moss. Crypt Parva. Very slow growing, just add some root tabs under the Crypts every 3-4 months and that's all that's needed. Snip off the occasional leaf if it gets too big. Don't worry too much about ferts and water parameters. (well, water parameters are important for your fish, but the plants don't really care)


----------



## Newbie2015

Thanks for the tips! 

I went out and got a couple little plants last night to help with the cycling of my tank. Once thats all sorted out I'll go from there. 

Do I need to be adding CO2 right now?


----------



## kman

Newbie2015 said:


> Thanks for the tips!
> 
> I went out and got a couple little plants last night to help with the cycling of my tank. Once thats all sorted out I'll go from there.
> 
> Do I need to be adding CO2 right now?


Definitely not. Keep it simple to start!


----------



## sockfish

Newbie, it'll be OK! 

When I start a planted tank, I plant my crypts, java ferns, and anubias then put a big batch of horsetail in it to soak up the nutrients as it cycles. Horsetail floats so is easily removable later if you don't want it.

Find some plant substrate you like, don't dose anything, throw it all in and give it a couple weeks. You can add nerite snails, shrimp, fish slowly later.

I do far less maintenance on planted tanks than on any other; you don't have to go crazy with mods if you don't want to. My 6G has been running for years since 2011 and I only upgraded the light when the original stock light died. I get daily compliments on this tank at work.


----------



## Newbie2015

I set my tank up last week with a few plants, sand and some root tabs. I used a water conditioner for chlorine etc even though I'm on a well. Added a little bit of Fluorish as well. Tested the water just now; ph 7.2, ammonia looks to be 0, nitrite 0, nitrate also 0. 
I got four make guppies to help cycle it last night and today they're all hanging out at the top. 
Should I do a water change?
I gave them a little food this morning and they gobbled it up, but I didn't want to give them too much. 
Maybe they're still hungry?


----------



## Newbie2015

I also now have a few tiny spots of green algae on the sand beneath the flow of the filter.


----------



## WendyF

Newbie2015 said:


> I set my tank up last week with a few plants, sand and some root tabs. I used a water conditioner for chlorine etc even though I'm on a well. Added a little bit of Fluorish as well. Tested the water just now; ph 7.2, ammonia looks to be 0, nitrite 0, nitrate also 0.
> I got four make guppies to help cycle it last night and today they're all hanging out at the top.
> Should I do a water change?
> I gave them a little food this morning and they gobbled it up, but I didn't want to give them too much.
> Maybe they're still hungry?


Hi Newbie, and welcome to one of the most exciting/relaxing/stimulating/frustrating/rewarding/obsessive-compulsive hobbies! You will laugh, you will cry, you will peak mountains of joy following valleys of trial...but believe me, you will not be sorry! I have been keeping fish for over 3 decades. I started out with guppies, as you have . They're a great place to start! They normally like to hang out at the top of the water. You should only be concerned by this behavior if there is a filmy haze on the surface of your water, or if they are breathing really rapidly in an open-mouthed, gulping sort of way. Also, look at their gills. If they are flared wide open, that is a sign to be concerned with. Otherwise, guppies are just top-swimmers usually. Also, they are little gluttons. So resist the urge to keep giving them more food every time they spaz out at the sight of you. They're little beggars who have instincts constantly driving them to eat as much as possible however often they can, because their instincts haven't figured out that they aren't going to be seeing periods of starvation in our display tanks as a wild guppy might see in its natural environment. If you feed them every time they ask, you will end up with very poor water quality. Twice a day is plenty. Did I read your post correctly that they are all males?


----------



## WendyF

Hi all, I am thinking of getting the Edge 12 gallon with LED lights for a desktop display at my office. I will be bringing in cuttings from my home aquarium, and I need to know if the new 42 LED set up is sufficient for medium light plants, or if I should stick to low light plants. Also, I have no experience with substrate heaters. I'm looking at this: 



. Does anyone have any of these installed in their Edges? If so, I'm curious as to what types of mods are necessary to keep cables/cords hidden from sight.

Bump: Hmm, not sure why my post above hides the heater link, but this is the heater cable I'd like to run under my substrate: http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-50w-Hydrokable-Substrate-Heater/dp/B0006JLPGS/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_y


----------



## kman

^^ Stock lights are definitely suitable for low light plants only.


----------



## haralds

*Reducing filter noise*

I have a 6 Gallon and 12 Gallon Edge. Both of them have become noisier.

What are the method folks have used to quiet those filters?


----------



## kman

haralds said:


> I have a 6 Gallon and 12 Gallon Edge. Both of them have become noisier.
> 
> What are the method folks have used to quiet those filters?


You might pull apart the motor to check your impeller and see if it needs cleaning, or if it's worn. Replacement impellers for the AC20 filters are fairly inexpensive, IIRC. That's the only real moving part that's serviceable, I believe.


----------



## haralds

kman said:


> You might pull apart the motor to check your impeller and see if it needs cleaning, or if it's worn. Replacement impellers for the AC20 filters are fairly inexpensive, IIRC. That's the only real moving part that's serviceable, I believe.


Thanks. Will check into. It's really a humming noise caused by vibration.


----------



## nomanni

ordered these LED's from e-bay for $13 each you can find them by searching for "Brightest MR11 12 V 10 SMD LED White 160 Lumen Wide Ang":

Or you can get them from their website direct. http://www.pbcheap.com/led-light-flashlights

Bump: I ordered my LED's from e-bay for $13 each you can find them by searching for "Brightest MR11 12 V 10 SMD LED White 160 Lumen Wide Ang":

Or you can get them from their website direct. http://www.pbcheap.com/led-light-flashlights

For the 10w light I added today, I bought a base for a light bulb at home depot for $3. I cut the socket portion of an extension cord off and wired it to the bulb base. I got the bulb at walmart. 

And then zip tied it all to to the stock light fixture as seen in the pictures above. I put some aluminum foil under half the cover so the light doesn't shine through the top. So I'm working with about 14watts of light total. I have both sets of lights timed to be on at the same time for 10hours a day. If I start getting algae growth then I'm going to cut back the 10w for a little bit halfway through the day.....etc. I'll keep everyone updated how it works
\


----------



## Razberry910

My wife and I purchased the Fluval Edge 12 Gallon and are waiting for it to arrive. We want to keep live plants and stick with the stock lights and no CO2. We are thinking of Java Fern and Anubias spread on driftwood/rocks and Cryptocoryne, Wendtii. For fish I would like a pair of Blue Rams I've had a pair in the past and loved them. We want an Otocinclus and maybe a couple shrimp for cleaning. I sort of originally thought a small school of Cardinal Tetra or Rummynose would be nice but we are now thinking having 3-5 other unique fish would be nicer that a small school of the same fish. 

So I'm looking for suggestions for additional fish to the pair of rams and Oto.
Any other suggestions for plants particularly a short foreground plant.
Substrate. I've only ever used gravel would Eco-Complete substrate be fine?
Also when starting the cycle is it best to wait to add plants or can they go in from the get go?


----------



## kman

Razberry910 said:


> My wife and I purchased the Fluval Edge 12 Gallon and are waiting for it to arrive. We want to keep live plants and stick with the stock lights and no CO2. We are thinking of Java Fern and Anubias spread on driftwood/rocks and Cryptocoryne, Wendtii. For fish I would like a pair of Blue Rams I've had a pair in the past and loved them. We want an Otocinclus and maybe a couple shrimp for cleaning. I sort of originally thought a small school of Cardinal Tetra or Rummynose would be nice but we are now thinking having 3-5 other unique fish would be nicer that a small school of the same fish.
> 
> So I'm looking for suggestions for additional fish to the pair of rams and Oto.
> Any other suggestions for plants particularly a short foreground plant.
> Substrate. I've only ever used gravel would Eco-Complete substrate be fine?
> Also when starting the cycle is it best to wait to add plants or can they go in from the get go?


Eco is fine for a substrate. You can add plants from the start. It's fish that need to be held back until the tank cycles.

A pair of Rams in a small tank like this is pushing it, so I'd hesitate to add a bunch of other species as well. Otos should be fine, perhaps get 3 (one is not good for the fish, as they are very social and need at least 1 if not 2 others of their own kind to be happy). And some Amano shrimp. That may very well be enough for your tank.

Bear in mind that mixing other species with Otos can also lead to feeding issues. Rams are very shy and reclusive (and yet highly territorial, so be sure to get a mated pair, since there's little room to hide in a tank this small). But also importantly is they are very slow feeders, and while much smaller, tetras tend to be fairly aggressive and "enthusiastic" at feeding time. It becomes difficult to get food down past the tetras and to the Rams, who will take their sweet time getting to eating it.


----------



## Razberry910

kman said:


> Eco is fine for a substrate. You can add plants from the start. It's fish that need to be held back until the tank cycles.
> 
> A pair of Rams in a small tank like this is pushing it, so I'd hesitate to add a bunch of other species as well. Otos should be fine, perhaps get 3 (one is not good for the fish, as they are very social and need at least 1 if not 2 others of their own kind to be happy). And some Amano shrimp. That may very well be enough for your tank.
> 
> Bear in mind that mixing other species with Otos can also lead to feeding issues. Rams are very shy and reclusive (and yet highly territorial, so be sure to get a mated pair, since there's little room to hide in a tank this small). But also importantly is they are very slow feeders, and while much smaller, tetras tend to be fairly aggressive and "enthusiastic" at feeding time. It becomes difficult to get food down past the tetras and to the Rams, who will take their sweet time getting to eating it.


We might just end up bagging the ram idea I'll wait a few years until we are done moving around and get a bigger tank. 

Can you think of any species that would mind being the only one of their kind in the tank? I know Bettas fit this description but it seems bettas are everywhere. How about a Dwarf Gourami? 

Also I don't have access to an old filter media for the fish less cycle is there a product you would recommend? I thought I had read somewhere you could just put a pinch of fish food in and it would turn into ammonia and start the process?


----------



## kman

Razberry910 said:


> We might just end up bagging the ram idea I'll wait a few years until we are done moving around and get a bigger tank.
> 
> Can you think of any species that would mind being the only one of their kind in the tank? I know Bettas fit this description but it seems bettas are everywhere. How about a Dwarf Gourami?
> 
> Also I don't have access to an old filter media for the fish less cycle is there a product you would recommend? I thought I had read somewhere you could just put a pinch of fish food in and it would turn into ammonia and start the process?


Dwarf Gourami is ok, but they tend to just hide all the time. Sometimes they'll come out and harass the tetras, who proceed to hide, so you rarely see them out, except at feeding time...

Search the forum for fishless cycle. Lots of info on getting it going.


----------



## nomanni

Here is the best place to buy led light, cheap price with best quality: http://www.phcheap.com/


----------



## Mxx

Razberry910 said:


> We might just end up bagging the ram idea I'll wait a few years until we are done moving around and get a bigger tank.
> 
> Can you think of any species that would mind being the only one of their kind in the tank? I know Bettas fit this description but it seems bettas are everywhere. How about a Dwarf Gourami?
> 
> Also I don't have access to an old filter media for the fish less cycle is there a product you would recommend? I thought I had read somewhere you could just put a pinch of fish food in and it would turn into ammonia and start the process?


If you put in a bit of food then bacteria will naturally develop there in time before long, somehow. If you add any plants then those will come with some beneficial aquatic bacteria as well, which will continue to grow and spread if you continue feeding your tank each day the same as if you had fish there. 

I tried Rams in my Edge twice, as a male and two females, and as a pair. They are WAY too aggressive to be kept together in a tank this small unfortunately, which would have definitely resulted in fatalities. Apistogramma borelli work fine though.


----------



## BrynnaCC

I don't mean to sidetrack this thread, but the secret to feeding rams with greedy tetras is to feed a sinking pellet like an earthworm pellet. The rams can fit the whole thing in their mouths while the tetras can't, and they blow the excess pellet dust out their gills, which the tetras gobble up.


----------



## kman

BrynnaCC said:


> I don't mean to sidetrack this thread, but the secret to feeding rams with greedy tetras is to feed a sinking pellet like an earthworm pellet. The rams can fit the whole thing in their mouths while the tetras can't, and they blow the excess pellet dust out their gills, which the tetras gobble up.


Your rams must have bigger mouths than mine, or you have smaller earthworm sticks than Ken's.


----------



## haralds

kman said:


> You might pull apart the motor to check your impeller and see if it needs cleaning, or if it's worn. Replacement impellers for the AC20 filters are fairly inexpensive, IIRC. That's the only real moving part that's serviceable, I believe.


I have checked everything, cleaned, and replaced the impeller. The darn things are still rattling.


----------



## BrynnaCC

kman said:


> Your rams must have bigger mouths than mine, or you have smaller earthworm sticks than Ken's.


I use Almost Naturals micro earthworm sticks. They seem just slightly too heavy for the tetras to steal but small enough for the rams.


----------



## haralds

haralds said:


> I have checked everything, cleaned, and replaced the impeller. The darn things are still rattling.


Bought a new filter for 25 bucks from amazon. After a couple of days running, it is very quiet.

Advice: if it rattles after several years of use, just replace the thing!

Bump: It looks like the Fluval 12G also uses the Aquaclear 20. Could somebody confirm the impeller size on this?


----------



## TLE041

haralds said:


> Bump: It looks like the Fluval 12G also uses the Aquaclear 20. Could somebody confirm the impeller size on this?


Same filter, with the same 4 blade impeller.


----------



## Wizard

I am tearing down and resetting up my 6G edge this weekend. Was hoping to just use black sand as substrate, will this be ok? 

I am only planning to keep low maintenance plants (anubias, java fern/moss) so thought this may be ok. I have slightly upgraded the lighting with the Fluval LED replacement bulbs but that's it.


----------



## Wizard

Well here is what I came up with. Dwarf anubias nana, dwarf rotala, crypts, and some java moss. I put some root tabs under the crypts and rotala, dosing seachem flourish. The white foam block will be replaced by a black fluval pre-filter sponge once it arrives. Hopefully things grow and fill in!


----------



## Vlad-miami

I found ecobright led bulbs to fit everything I need always. I use their 16W bulbs for both - my plants and my pet cuttlefish. I heard there are special grow led bulbs, but I always used white regular bulbs and they work just fine. They are sold on Amazon and on their website too (ecobright.us), the website is only doing wholesale though. I also saw some CFL lights on Amazon, but that light is horrible, so I stick with LED bulbs.


----------



## Winsloop

I've had a 6 gallon Edge set up and running continuously since February of 2011 and while it originally had a very strong flow, it now barely trickles. During my last mega-clean/re-scape (pull all the plants and yank the algae off) about three weeks ago, I removed the impeller and cleaned it for the first time since I've owned it. The flow increased for about a week, but now it's almost back to where it was before.
Has anyone else had this issue and how did you fix it?


----------



## EmDilla

This is what my edge turned into...












i had an algae problem so i decided to get two platys, and boy are they doing work! 
i've adjusted the lighting, so i'm just waiting till the platys eat up what's left.
after, i plan on removing the plants in front and replacing it with dwarf baby tears.


----------



## Wizard

EmDilla what are those plants in the back left corner? And are they attached to an object or planted in the substrate?


----------



## driftflax

Hey guys, decided to purchase the edge 6gal today--really fell in love with the design of it. I'm pretty new to the hobby so will have plenty of questions along the way. 

Need some help deciding what to plant it with/how to design it. 

I do not plan on using co2--do I need it though?

Modded the lighting a little by adding a 10w cfl from local fish store to the hood. Hoping this will give me more options when planting--will this do the trick?


----------



## EmDilla

Wizard said:


> EmDilla what are those plants in the back left corner? And are they attached to an object or planted in the substrate?


those are baby tears that i haven't trimmed yet... lol 
i realized how ridiculous it is to keep plants trimmed in the edge, especially when i have a piece of driftwood that barely even fits in it which blocks some of the opening! but it all works somehow. Or... it can just be because i'm lazy (which is most likely it)

they are attached to the substrate, though some are starting to get attached to other roots... it's cool though, i was going for a jungle feel


----------



## vilenarios

EmDilla said:


> i realized how ridiculous it is to keep plants trimmed in the edge, especially when i have a piece of driftwood that barely even fits in it which blocks some of the opening!


Its truly a lesson in patience and dexterity! I ended up taking some driftwood out for the exact reason of bumping into it so often and having to contort my wrist/arm in circus-side-show-like bends to trim the plants behind it.

Anyway, just rescaped my 12g to a more nature-aquarium style layout and changed my chunky gravel to ADA Aquasoil. The plants almost immediately reacted to the aquasoil in term sof sending out runners and perking up. Just need it to fill in some more.

Yes, that is a reflection of the tv show "Naked and Afraid".


----------



## surfer3232

*Fluval Edge 12g LED help*

I'm new here. Does anyone know of a good LED strip light I can purchase somewhere like [Ebay Link Removed] I'm making a DIY project and want to make a u-shaped led hood with some strip lights. There are so many on ebay it's confusing. I have a heavily planted tank that needs more light. Thanks!


----------



## surfer3232

Nice job! I'm doing something similar. Where did you buy your LED lights?


----------



## driftflax

Update on tank, added rocks and initial plants.


----------



## paul68

Hi guys i'm new here, I am just about to set up a 12 gallon Edge, a question please? I see here people have taken the top off the 6 gallon version, I am thinking about removing the top on my tank then fitting a couple of brace bars using perspex. Has anyone done this on the 12g?
thanks


----------



## pantherspawn

paul68 said:


> Hi guys i'm new here, I am just about to set up a 12 gallon Edge, a question please? I see here people have taken the top off the 6 gallon version, I am thinking about removing the top on my tank then fitting a couple of brace bars using perspex. Has anyone done this on the 12g?
> thanks


I've done it on both. Just takes a steady hand and a sharp razor. Cleaning up every bit of silicon can be a pain, but it does work. There's usually a light haze left over at the top around the rim. Make sure you wear gloves, because there are lots of tiny little shards that can pop up. A wet sand with very very fine grit paper might help clean up any little uneven spots. 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


----------



## paul68

pantherspawn said:


> I've done it on both. Just takes a steady hand and a sharp razor. Cleaning up every bit of silicon can be a pain, but it does work. There's usually a light haze left over at the top around the rim. Make sure you wear gloves, because there are lots of tiny little shards that can pop up. A wet sand with very very fine grit paper might help clean up any little uneven spots.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


thanks dude, did you fit any brace bars or do you think it's ok without?


----------



## pantherspawn

I did not use any braces on mine. Don't feel there is need. They are small enough that the pressure is not too high. Just be sure not to remove any silicone from the corners other than the lid.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


----------



## paul68

pantherspawn said:


> I did not use any braces on mine. Don't feel there is need. They are small enough that the pressure is not too high. Just be sure not to remove any silicone from the corners other than the lid.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


sure, thanks again.


----------



## Mxx

surfer3232 said:


> I'm new here. Does anyone know of a good LED strip light I can purchase somewhere like [Ebay Link Removed] I'm making a DIY project and want to make a u-shaped led hood with some strip lights. There are so many on ebay it's confusing. I have a heavily planted tank that needs more light. Thanks!


I've gone down that route myself previously of buying strip lights, but wouldn't necessarily advise doing it as those generally aren't very powerful. I'd suggest buying solderless chips from Rapid LED and gluing those to the inside of an aluminum channel instead. The channel then acts as the shield, heatsink, and mount for the lights. You can spraypaint it black with Krylon paint, and I'd just put a few dabs of silicone around the bottom of the channel to lift it off the glass so there isn't heat being transferred into the water. I've done that before myself.

Bump:


paul68 said:


> sure, thanks again.


If you were worried about the stability of it then I'd rather just run an additional bead of silicone over the top of the existing corner beads to create a larger bonded surface, rather than adding braces. But a lot of people seem to have taken off the top without having done that and there don't seem to be any tales of the tanks bursting.


----------



## FlyingHellFish

Had an unfortunate accident to the right side... *sigh








Artist picture...


----------



## end3r.P

Potential edge buyer here. Is it possible to replace the intake pipe of the edge stock filter with a glass lily pipe? And is that intake pipe the only thing in the stock tank that is in the tank? (Where is the outflow?)


----------



## bereninga

end3r.P said:


> Potential edge buyer here. Is it possible to replace the intake pipe of the edge stock filter with a glass lily pipe? And is that intake pipe the only thing in the stock tank that is in the tank? (Where is the outflow?)


The stock tank comes w/ a hang-on-back filter. I don't think there's a way to use a glass lily pipe for those kinds of filters.

Yes, the filter intake is the only part in the tank, but you'll need a heater and thermometer (if you feel the need to monitor the heat levels) as well.


----------



## end3r.P

Is the stock HOB integrated into the block thing on the top/back of the tank? Hard to tell from the product photos. 

Right, I'll have a heater and thermometer.


----------



## bereninga

end3r.P said:


> Is the stock HOB integrated into the block thing on the top/back of the tank? Hard to tell from the product photos.
> 
> Right, I'll have a heater and thermometer.



Yep, the HOB filter is hidden inside the top piece. It fits pretty well and the design is great. However, keep in mind that maintenance will be more of a challenge than a normal aquarium since the top opening is 6.7" x 4.7".


----------



## sockfish

So, you took the top off, yes?


----------



## bereninga

sockfish said:


> So, you took the top off, yes?



I did not. Some ppl have though with no issues.


----------



## PsymonPsays

Fluval Edge 6 gallon I surprised my fiancee with a few weeks ago, who has never had her own tank before. Gave her a few small plants from my tank along with some stems for the background that we are still trying to fill in. 

Plant list:
Blyxa Japonica (behind rocks on left)
A small buce...can't remember the actual type. (far left mid in middle of rocks)
Pilo moss (on lava stone middle left)
Taiwan moss (random tied off spots on the branches on the right)
Fissidens fontanus (the big messy blob in the branches...just holding it here until I get my new tank)
dwarf sag (foreground)
wisteria (background right)
myrio filigree (background middle right)
bacopa australis (background middle) 
anubias nana (foreground right in rocks)
Also a random anubias petite floating around somewhere lol

Nothing special with the scape....just used some river rocks and leftover manzanita driftwood trimmings from my other tank. Gave all that plus the plant trimmings to my fiancee and let her run with it. Been set up for about 3 weeks now, everything acclimated and starting to show some good growth for a low tech setup (no lighting mods yet). Just using O+ for roots, and EI dosing dry ferts. Pretty awesome setup for her first tank ever. 

No fish yet as it's still cycling (controlled ammonia dosing for fishless cycle), but almost done. She's taking some CPD's from me, along with some blue rilli shrimp to stock it with. Have about 5 small nerite snail hitchhikers in there right now.


----------



## [email protected]

Finally got an edge! 12g just started planting.


----------



## superserial

New 12g Edge owner signing in.

Bought my tank used and found quite a few of the leds in the lead bar being dead when I got home and started it up. Considering how expensive the replacement led bar is, and also reading that the lighting condition from the bar is not that great anyway has made me thinking of a DIY solution.

I have ordered some leds and stuff from ebay and will probably try and make a thread here and share my progress, and hopefully also get some help as I progress. I'm pretty sure how I want to handle the pure physical design of the light bar etc, what i'm worried about is the led configuration and how i'm supposed to drive it. Hopefully i'll sort it along the way.


----------



## swazae

Hello everyone, I am new to the group and excited that I have setup my Edge 6 gallon tank last night. I have added Eco complete, with some small plants and a piece of drift wood to the tank. Everything seems to appear okay after 24 hours. I also added an HT10 heater to the setup and my 1 Beta fish who appears to be very happy with the new home. This is my first experience with a planted tank and was wondering if anyone could provide me with a suggestion for plant food to use with the tank? Thx in advance!


----------



## AJPT

Hi swazae, I think would sensible to use an immediate cycle additive. Something similar to "Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer" that allows you put fish in a new tank without intense stress developing over the initial period the tank needs to settle. As for the plants, a quality aquarium plant fertilizer should work well over time. Good luck and nice piece of wood there.


----------



## swazae

Hey AJPT I completed the three day treatment supplied with the kit from Fluval and the tank has cleared up very well. I have added some new tenants to the tank and everyone seems to be doing well. Tried to get a nice pic of it but unfortunately the phone camera does not do it justice. I went to the local pet shop to get something to add to the water for the live plants and they suggested API Leaf Zone. I'll try it out and see how it works.


----------



## AJPT

Looking good, seems to be a suitable number of fish for 23L. As far as I know, easy on the fertilizer and 50% total water change over the course of a week is a good approach for healthy tanks, helps to keeps algae and wastes down. I haven't found a suitable algae eating fish for a 23L, they are all too large, big snails are probably a good choice. Try not to fiddle with anything in the tank let the whole thing work itself out and hopefully growth over the coming weeks. I'm sure others here have much more experience than me to crack problems you will have.

Is that larger plant with broad leaves on the right a rhizome type?


----------



## swazae

I will be honest I really do not know. I went into the pet store and saw it in a tank and it was not tagged. The price was right and I really liked it so I took it home. I also picked up a Algae eater (Not the Spiny type) and a Corey Cat with two Ghost shrimps. My hope is they will keep the place neat. Thx!


----------



## SurfsUP

Started in March of 2013 to mainly keep shrimps but they would just slowly disappear after couple months.









Got tired of buying more shrimps and losing them so I switched to keeping a school of gold longfinned white cloud minnows.
After over a year they are doing great and only loss one and have 6 left and over time I added a few plants. Over the past year, the plants have to started to really fill in and I really love how its starting to look. I was hoping they would breed and have babies but none I've seen so far. The babies probably eaten since the tank is so small.


----------



## SeaQuest

First post! I've been a long time lurker here and I wanted to share my first attempt at a planted tank! 










The tank has been running about two and a half months. I'm pretty happy with it so far. The pogostemon helferi has exploded in the last few weeks and the monte carlo is starting to grow well after a failed first attempted. I have some cryptocoryne undulata I just planted behind the anubias that I'm hoping will shade them a little bit but if that doesn't work out no biggie.


----------



## crow1414

I figured its time to post up my Edge that I got a year ago and I've been lurking on here since. Currently its home to 4 guppies and 5 Amano's. The anubias has been in there since the tank was cycled. The banana plant is only a week old. My daughter picked it out. Sorry for the poor picture. Will have to get a better one when I have time to get the camera out.


----------



## moonwasaloon

Good afternoon everyone

How will crypt wendtii grow with the stock led in the 12 gallon edge?


----------



## crashnstick

Spent a week reading through this thread and picking up loads of tips, great thread. My tanks only just finished cycling, it's a work in progress.


----------



## Rosieonfire

crashnstick said:


> Spent a week reading through this thread and picking up loads of tips, great thread. My tanks only just finished cycling, it's a work in progress.


This tank looks great! Do you have any supplemental lighting in there or is it the leds the tank came with? I just got an edge and am trying to figure out what the best supplemental lighting option will be since I have a feeling the built in light won't be sufficient.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk


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## crashnstick

Rosieonfire said:


> This tank looks great! Do you have any supplemental lighting in there or is it the leds the tank came with? I just got an edge and am trying to figure out what the best supplemental lighting option will be since I have a feeling the built in light won't be sufficient.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk


Hi Rosie, sorry for the slow reply, not been on here for a week or so. 

I've got 192 5050 leds in there, 1/2 white, 1/2 RGB ..........RGBW waterproof 5050 strip if you want to look into it. Its totally OTT but I'd bought 5m of the strip and had room so didn't want to wish I'd put more in. You could probably get away with about 1/2 that amount depending on your requirements but I've got them on a WiFi controller which let's me program times and control dimming etc so I just don't turn them right up. It's 3 banks of 4 strips (12 LED's each strip) made into a C-shape and mounted into a cut up Edge base which sits neatly around the original hood and gives much better light spread around the tank. Still tinkering with it, think I may add a couple of fans as the LED's sit about 20mm over the glass and I'm a little concerned about heat, but so far so good and like I said it's a work in progress.

Hope this helps, don't have any pics, but if you want any let me know and I'll take some and post on here.


----------



## crow1414

Recently did a rescape. Haven't added any fish or shrimp back yet. Still deciding on what to go with this time.


----------



## Pattern8

Been using this forum for a while...don't know why it has taken me this long to find this thread. Purchased my first Fluval Edge over 5 years ago and have loved them ever since. Anxiously awaiting the release of Fluval's 19g version...


----------



## Scott_R

Hi there. New to this thread and Fluval Edges. Just bought a 6 gallon and started setting it up last week, to eventually house a pea puffer.

I have to admit I'm going more by seat-of-the-pants than by any real planning. 

The tank: 

I upgraded the lighting with the 42 LED strip for the 12 gallon. Caribsea Eco-Complete on the bottom. 

Plants: from the left for the pic below here's what I have (from what I remember):
baby tears (I know, a risk without good lighting, but the room is well-lit, too), dwarf hair grass, java fern, Hygrophila polysperma, amazon sword (snipped from a crazy-growing plant in my display tank), anubias nana petite (tied to the spiderwood with black string), water wisteria, and another dwarf hair grass.

Rocks were just ones I had lying about, scrubbed down with wire brushes, and I poured boiling water over them several times. I guess I should test their carbonate content by putting some vinegar on them, but the GH and KH from the tap are super-low so I'm not so worried about raising them.

Heat is from a 50 watt Aqueon I had lying around. 

I have the Biomax Bio Rings seeding in my display tank's HOB and I have the biological booster that came with the Fluval still unused; it won't be until at least Thursday-Friday until I add the puffer so I'll add the rings and the BB then.

Any thoughts? Suggestions?


----------



## bereninga

My fish are camera-shy.


----------



## Scott_R

Wow! Is that baby tears? Stock lighting?


----------



## bereninga

Scott_R said:


> Wow! Is that baby tears? Stock lighting?


Nope, it's Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'. I upgraded the light to the 12 gallon version since the 6 gallon version is mainly good for plants that don't need too much light. I also have a Finnex 16" that sits on top of the tank.


----------



## Scott_R

By a very strange near-coincidence, I almost bought that (Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo') today; the ones in your tank look *much* better than the ones in the LFS. 

I was also put off a bit by this: I Googled it while in the store, and found this page that said "The plant can grow in light shadow, but requires good light conditions, *as well as CO2 additive*, in order to develop optimally and become really compact" (emphasis mine). I was put off by that CO2 remark.


----------



## crashnstick

Scott_R said:


> By a very strange near-coincidence, I almost bought that (Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo') today; the ones in your tank look *much* better than the ones in the LFS.
> 
> I was also put off a bit by this: I Googled it while in the store, and found this page that said "The plant can grow in light shadow, but requires good light conditions, *as well as CO2 additive*, in order to develop optimally and become really compact" (emphasis mine). I was put off by that CO2 remark.


I have some growing well in a tank with really low lighting, even lower than a standard Edge, and no CO2. As your quoted section suggests, good light and C02 are necessary for really compact growth, and bereninjas beautiful tank has both. But don't be put off trying some, mine is slowly filling in and looks pretty good. Make sure you're buying Monte Carlo though and not Cuba as this is not as tolerant.


----------



## Scott_R

The idea of the compact growth appealed to me as I have the 6 gallon Edge with limited vertical space, and already have taller plants.


----------



## louisc

Here's my 12g @ 80 days. Glued a long glass inflow that passes through the hole for the stock pump and drilled for a bulkhead to the stock filter box so I could add large external filtration with in line co2 & heater in a cabinet I built. Also has auto dosing pump set up for pps and 36w Cree LED system. I may start a thread about it. It's been a big project!


----------



## Varmint

Here's the latest shot of my 12 gallon. It has been running since 8/2013.  It's one of my favorite tanks. Low tech and it practically takes care of itself now.


----------



## DrYK

*Where to buy???*

Long-time lurker here. This is my first post!

I'm finally ready to take the plunge and get a 6 gallon Edge in black. The problem is that everywhere I look they either don't carry them or the prices are insane! I've seen previous posts where some people have scored these for $50-$100 at Petsmart or Petco, but $130 is the best I could find (valuepetsupplies.com). Here's what I found:

Amazon: $144

Petco: 6 gallon is only available in white or silver ($110). I called them, and they don't carry the 6 gallon in black, only the 12 gallon!

Petsmart: They don't seem to carry Fluval aquariums at all anymore!

So most of the big box stores (which I feel are more likely to have better prices than LFSs) either don't sell them or they are crazy expensive.

Any tips? I want to get my hands on one without breaking the bank!


----------



## DrYK

*Where to buy???*

Long-time lurker here. This is my first post!

I'm finally ready to take the plunge and get a 6 gallon Edge in black. The problem is that everywhere I look they either don't carry them or the prices are insane! I've seen previous posts where some people have scored these for $50-$100 at Petsmart or Petco, but $130 is the best I could find (valuepetsupplies.com). Here's what I found:

Amazon: $144

Petco: 6 gallon is only available in white or silver ($110). I called them, and they don't carry the 6 gallon in black, only the 12 gallon!

Petsmart: They don't seem to carry Fluval aquariums at all anymore!

So most of the big box stores (which I feel are more likely to have better prices than LFSs) either don't sell them or they are crazy expensive.

Any tips? I want to get my hands on one without breaking the bank!


----------



## Brahma04

I wanna join the Edge party! (new to PT) here is my 6g work in progress. This Edge is at work so i am away from the tank for 2-3 days at a time but right next to it for the other 4-5. I have someone feed one of those days for me so no care can be provided for 2 days ;(

I was hit really hard with BBA and some stag, getting over it now, i had to remove a bunch of HC and DHG =(
Tank:
Fluval Edge 6Gallon

*Lighting:*
I built this extra light out of a edge bottom i ordered and these parts:
Hagen.com:
Fluval Replacement Edge 23L Base 

Rapidled.com: 
1 x Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive
2 x Bulk Wire (Black)
2 x Bulk Wire (White)
2 x CREE XT-E Royal Blue LED
1 x 0-10V Dimmable Nano Driver with Potentiometer
5 x CREE XP-G2 Cool White LED (~6,000K)
Amazon:
Aluminum Heatsink Cooling for 4 x 3W / 12 x 1W LED 

I BELIEVE the 5x white LED are 2.3watts each and the Royal blue are 1watt each, if this is true, max wattage is 13.5 (i know its not the best to go off of watts, i don't know the par value soo )

Co2: 
(will be up and running in 5 days)
Amazon.com
AQUATEK CO2 Regulator Mini 
Empire Paintball 24oz CO2 Tank 

Rockwork:
Ebay.com 
7lbs seiryu stone
Quartz (until I can stop the HOB from tearing up my substrate or find a better way to divert flow)

Substrate:
Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum (back and bottom of tank)
Seachem Laboratories Flourite Black Sand on top (cap)

Flora:
Dwarf hair grass - More will be added when it grows out from home aquarium
anubias nana petite - More will be added when it grows out from home aquarium
Temple compacta - Will be removed when I add more of the others.
Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' - More will be added when it grows out from home aquarium
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' - More will be added when it grows out from home aquarium

Fauna:
7x Neon Tetra
1x Otocinclus
1x Corydoras julii
2x horned nerite snail
1x small mystery snail
9x RCS and they wont stop breeding!!!!! 
Yes i know its over crowded.. Once the Oto is no longer needed, and the Cory and apple grow up a bit, they will all be moved back to my home aquarium!

Additives:
Seachem Flourish
Seachem Flourish Excel
Seachem Potassium
Seachem Nitrogen (will be added when more plants are in and the Fauna cannot provide enough Nitrate)
Seachem Prime

Filtration:
Stock HOB
Stock Bio media
Stock sponge
Carbon bag
Fluval Clearmax
Filter floss



Tell me what you think? Good bad and ugly works, constructive criticism is best =)


----------



## superboy604

Updated


----------



## Spike Cover

Some improved lighting here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/2...1062113-6-gallon-edge-reboot.html#post9446753

Spike


----------



## Madison Hanks

*6 gal edge - lighting question*

new to the forum. i know normally i should use the search but the page only comes up with a blank page; so i'll ask my question here. i'm sure it is a repeat

i have the 6gal edge, with the 21 led light that came with it. (eBay buy)

Iim just trying to confirm check if these 21 led lights are good enough

I am hoping to plant
cladophora algae
Marsilea Minuta
Micro Sword
(maybe) Eleocharis grass


Will the stock 21 led light grow these?

Bump: new to the forum. i know normally i should use the search but the page only comes up with a blank page; so i'll ask my question here. i'm sure it is a repeat

i have the 6gal edge, with the 21 led light that came with it. (eBay buy)

Iim just trying to confirm check if these 21 led lights are good enough

I am hoping to plant
cladophora algae
Marsilea Minuta
Micro Sword
(maybe) Eleocharis grass


Will the stock 21 led light grow these?


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## shawa

Here is my Edge


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## Holst01

*Fluval edge 46L, DIY LED Hood*

Hi Y'all inhere

I want to show my Fluval Edge 46L (high) DIY LED.

I (me and my brother) build a LED top for my Fluval edge tank, in order to get the right amount of light to grow HC and Hairgrass carpet in a Iwagumi scape. 
So the plan for now is to start over in the tank. 

New layer of soil, nutrients and whats good for plants
New stone Iwagumi style
Hermianthus callitrichoides "CUBA" carpet forground and middleground plant.
Hemianthus micranthemoides as a plant beside a rock.
Eleocharis parvula as background plant.
In with my Paintet red shrimps, Amano shrimps and my Neon.

Now to the LED top plate.
The top plate to hide the LED is made out of the rest of a FiberCement kitchen plate. It is easy to cut and grind with the right tools. And all glued together with the right glue. Sand it down to get smooth edges and a nice looking surface.


*My tank before the new Light*








*My DIY LED Top*








































I love the look of the Top hood, but i'm not sure if i like the light LED colour. 
The LED is bought on [Ebay Link Removed] It should be 5630 LED's and if I read the sellers datasheet, the LEDs produce approx 50 Lumen pr. LED. The top hood has 102 LED. So 5100 Lumens all in all. I'm pretty sure that is not the case. So lets say the half. Approx 2500 Lumen + the Stock Fluval Edge LED Lamp. lets say 3000 Lumens all in all. That would give 65 Lumens/Litre. Should be enough to grow a nice carpet og HC and Harigrass. 
But what do you guys think of the output of the LEDS ? Im not completely confident that the numbers is true.

So when starting Year 2017 I will update this thread with my Iwugami aquascape  I'm not doing it now, because my shrimps are breeding and new baby shrimps just popped  So when they got some size and can manage a move and new start, then I want to start over again. 

Thank you for watching


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## cstmg8

shawa said:


> Here is my Edge


What are your specs?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## Pattern8

Madison Hanks said:


> new to the forum. i know normally i should use the search but the page only comes up with a blank page; so i'll ask my question here. i'm sure it is a repeat
> 
> i have the 6gal edge, with the 21 led light that came with it. (eBay buy)
> 
> Iim just trying to confirm check if these 21 led lights are good enough
> 
> I am hoping to plant
> cladophora algae
> Marsilea Minuta
> Micro Sword
> (maybe) Eleocharis grass
> 
> 
> Will the stock 21 led light grow these?
> 
> Bump: new to the forum. i know normally i should use the search but the page only comes up with a blank page; so i'll ask my question here. i'm sure it is a repeat
> 
> i have the 6gal edge, with the 21 led light that came with it. (eBay buy)
> 
> Iim just trying to confirm check if these 21 led lights are good enough
> 
> I am hoping to plant
> cladophora algae
> Marsilea Minuta
> Micro Sword
> (maybe) Eleocharis grass
> 
> 
> Will the stock 21 led light grow these?


The stock light is sufficient to sustain most low light plants. However you most likely will not see a lot of growth. One suggestion, and something I've done, is replace the stock 6 gallon light with the 12 gallon stock unit. The units are both identical, except there are more diodes in the 12 gallon unit, so swapping them out is very easy. I've found that it has been a great upgrade in that it allows me with this particular tank to have more growth and a fuller aquascape while still remaining low tech.


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## rgr555

hey i'm looking to revive my fluval 6gallon after 4 years.

my old light is falling apart so I'm buying the 12g LED light on Amazon, it has 42 LED

as for my filter, my question is - what is the best filter 'things' i need? 

Should i just replace the original contents: carbon package, sponge, and biocubes? 

Or is there a better alternative now?


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## Icarus5

After 4 years of procrastination, I finally flooded the tank, provided new lights, and injected CO2. I'm considering just having CRS to minimize upkeep. Realistic?


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## Sarlindescent

Has anyone modded this light for the edge? I have one on the tank atm, but just have the bare tank dry starting atm. Looks like the wide lense may provide a decent spread.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07236CXBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Sarlindescent

Boss requested I bring in an office tank. Waiting for the wood to sink and plants to root before taking it in. Think this should impress. Going to add a glosso carpet since the mesh I was using floats...


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## Sarlindescent

Sarlindescent said:


> Has anyone modded this light for the edge? I have one on the tank atm, but just have the bare tank dry starting atm. Looks like the wide lense may provide a decent spread.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07236CXBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Ignore this question. I figured out how to do it with a heavy duty coat hanger by cutting the cord to remove the gooseneck. Fortunately however, I didn't try this before setting the light. While the spread is good, it would need to sit an inch above the hood to distribute properly. I ordered the 12 gallon LED upgrade and am going to put these lights on the right an left side. I am going to make a base out of a 1x3 that these can be mounted to.


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## Sarlindescent

Final plants came in today and driftwood sank. Taking it into the office late next week.


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## Sarlindescent

Need to fit to the hood, which I left at work, but killifish safe lid cut out of spare greenhouse paneling. May still cut a light hole. Thoughts?

Note: last picture is the 12 gallon edge light only.


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## Wendy1B

Hi, I’m thinking of setting up an Edge 12 gallon in my office, and have found a stand which I think will work, but I am having a hard time finding the dimensions of the pedestal on these tanks. Can any of you with a 12 gallon measure your pedestal for me please?


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## sammy1989

Set up my edge, pretty happy with the scape can't wait for the narrow java fern to fill in, may add some valisneria but I want to dose excel and I've read that it melts! Need to add fish soon now it's cycled, a nice school of ember tetras will be nice! ?


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## Heifzilla

Wanted to add my Edge here, it’s just a little 6 gallon, and not be as gorgeous as some I’ve seen here. But it’s mine


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## ChuckM

I like it! It looks neat, clean and well lit. And loved!
I just acquired one free with a larger tank I'm building, and looking for interesting ideas for it.
What are you using for your substrates?


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## roel.noten

Some pictures of my Edge 6g home to 4 adult multi's and some babies and a nerite snail.
I'm using the foam trick to reduce/spread the outflow current. Just stock lighting, it's plenty for the Anubius Nano Pangolino and Bucephalandra broad wavy. JBL sansibar river sand and holey rock. Black poster background.


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## Fisherking

Greetings,

I had to take down all my tanks a year and a half ago for a cross country move. I only kept my 6 and 12 Gal Fluval Edge tanks and am now finally getting things set up again. Last night I modified the 12 gallon and started it running. I live in a remote area now and have to get almost everything online so am awaiting a few plants and some Almond leaves for the Betta I intend to house.

The tank has a brand new 42 LED light and I modified the Aquaclear filter by adding 8 inches to the intake pipe and changing the impeller that came with it to a 50 gal size impeller (thank you, Amazon). That allows the pump to pull water up that long intake in seconds and the water seems to have a better circulation. If the flow proves too much for the Betta, I keep Fluval intake sponges handy and can slow the flow to suit him. I've never actually run this tank before so we'll see.

I added two nice pieces of driftwood which are turning the water golden brown and am awaiting some Eco-complete from Amazon to add as substrate. I'm sticking to low tech and ordered the usual Java fern, Marimo balls, and hornwort and duckweed to start with. I kept hearing the wood tannins would lower the pH, but testing before and after adding the wood doesn't show a drop from my pH 8.2 tap water. Maybe the Almond leaves will help.

(The duckweed is mostly for starting a grow tank for it for use in feeding the goldfish in my other tank project.) No pics yet, just too boring at this point!


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## Proteus01

roel.noten said:


> Some pictures of my Edge 6g home to 4 adult multi's and some babies and a nerite snail.
> I'm using the foam trick to reduce/spread the outflow current. Just stock lighting, it's plenty for the Anubius Nano Pangolino and Bucephalandra broad wavy. JBL sansibar river sand and holey rock. Black poster background.


That one is inspirational. I’m soo wanting a shellie tank, and want to have some rhizome plants - as you have. Thanks for the share.


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## Fisherking

I had moved some mature ceramic media to this tank when I set it up 2 days ago and then "challenged" it with a dose of Ace hardware 10% Ammonia to a low level of 0.5 ppm. This morning, the ammonia is back down to zero. Nitrites are zero. I re-dosed it this morning to 1 ppm to keep the bacteria alive until the fish and plants get here. The water is much darker today but the pH remains high.

Very happy with the output from the Aqua Clear using the impeller rated for a 50 gal tank. It has no problem pulling water up my extra long intake tube and little floaties nearly hit the bottom of the tank from the outflow.


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## Fisherking

Well dang. Now I have enough pictures and adventures to start a Tank Journal and now there's php errors all over...


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## ShepherdOfShrimp

Ikr! I can't even post a post or quote people. Only quick reply or multi quote


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## Cyano

I could use some advice on what kind of fertilizer regime I should use in my 6 gal Edge. I have the 21-LED light fixture A13924 and the tank is lightly planted with an anubias and a little dwarf hairgrass. My goals are to just keep the plants relatively happy without turning into an algae farm. I don't need to grow anything exotic or win awards... I just don't want to murder the plants. 

I am willing to add ferts, but I am not willing to add CO2 yet. (that is a project for another tank, maybe once I have success there I'll be up for adding co2 to the Edge.) I have the usual macros, CSM+B, and Flourish Complete on hand. I just don't know what I should do with them in this little tank. 

There are no animals in the tank right now but I will cycle it with a couple of rummynose tetras starting tomorrow. In a month or so I'll move the fish back to their regular home and make it into a shrimp-only tank.

Thanks in advance.


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## Fisherking

@Cyano: I have been experimenting with using something called "Thrive". I have the 12 gallon Edge and use one squirt of Thrive after each week's water change. The tank has only been up for about 6 weeks [Tank Journal here: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/1276023-foo-box.html, and there is Java Fern Anubias sp., a moss ball, and a Red Tiger Lotus. So far, so good.

I used to use a Seachem Pack of two fertilizers plus Excel for "CO2" on a 6 gal EDGE which I ran for over 4 years. It worked fine also, I just wanted to try this simpler application.


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## Cyano

Fisherking said:


> @Cyano: I have been experimenting with using something called "Thrive"....


I have heard good things about Thrive. I'm hoping to get away with using stuff I already have on hand: Flourish Comprehensive, dry macros, dry CSM+B. I guess I will start dosing Flourish because it's so cheap to use in small tanks, but I am not sure how I will know if I need to supplement macros. NO3 testing, I guess? 

Right now the tank has an anubias, some dwarf hairgrass and juncus repens... Not all the best plants for the 6 gal LED light but they were what I had on hand. If they poop out I will get some better low-light plants.


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## zeldar

Gotta revive the ol Edge thread! This is my 6g CRS/CBS tank that's been running for 6+ months. Plants are a couple species of Crypts, Peacock moss, and little bits of marimo that's carpeted some lava rocks.


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## haralds

I need to replace my Aquaclear. The impeller has failed several times despite cleaning. Last time the resulting mess wiped out several fish.

I am looking at a Fluval C. It looks like it might fit. Has anybody tried it? I have the early Edge 6G version for Halogen par lights, which I replaced with par LED lights.


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## tommyjg

https://i.imgur.com/QhOL2ij.jpg

Simple Edge light upgrade mod thanks to a post deep in this thread.

SMD3650 LED Cool White 12v strip - $20 per meter

Aluminium rail, wire and even a dimmer for less than $50

Was going to leave across the front of the tank and make it a twin.

What do you folks reckon ?


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## ChuckM

tommyjg said:


> https://i.imgur.com/QhOL2ij.jpg
> 
> Simple Edge light upgrade mod thanks to a post deep in this thread.
> 
> SMD3650 LED Cool White 12v strip - $20 per meter
> 
> Aluminium rail, wire and even a dimmer for less than $50
> 
> Was going to leave across the front of the tank and make it a twin.
> 
> What do you folks reckon ?



I was gifted an older Edge 6 gallon about 10 months ago and went about replacing the filter and the halogen lights with the 42 LED fixture. While that upgrade helps a bunch (as long as I keep the duckweed and hornwort thinned out), I can see a real need for better light distribution, so I'm interested in seeing how yours comes out.


But personally, I like the clean, scuptural form of the Edge and wouldn't want to have what you show as the final product.


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## tbone28

edge by Quest4Six, on Flickr


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## Janci

tbone28 said:


> edge by Quest4Six, on Flickr


that is sexy


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## moonwasaloon

Has anyone seen they updated the light bar?


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## Reacher

Hi! I'm new here, I actually run my own forum/podcast on silly sh!t.
Am buying an Edge, and without reading through 145 pages, am torn on the co2 vs not.
also, I am going to just plant for a few months before I add some ghost shrimp and a Betta.
I plan on placing moss on the wood I choose, and would like a full cover on the gravel/substrate.

I have learned from one of my friends that the plantings some stores sell that is imbedded in mesh is a giant pain in the ass to work with, so I will most likely just do the more expensive "pots"
any help with coverage plants would be great.

thanks 
and happy to be here!


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## brunsman48

tuonor said:


> Would you mind posting a pic of how you fit the Zoo Med 501 into the back housing? I am setting up my son's Edge and picked up the Zoo Med but can't quite fit it in the back...do you insert it from the bottom?
> 
> Thanks in advance...and here are pre-setup pics of our tank...figure people may be interested in seeing the orange color (which is alot nice than you'd think).










nu


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## Cokeman

I can’t see a difference. What is it?


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## louisc

Well its been about 5 years since I last posted about my edge. Heres an update. I swapped out my ultrabrite cree led system for an ai prime freshwater that i built a minimalist fixture for and I built a 4g overflow/sump system as well. Im well pleased with the results and highly recommend this light for your edge if you are willing to make a structure to hold it. The sump system is cool but would only suggest that if customization is a big part of why you run your tanks. I put all the gear in there- ph probe, heater, chiller, dosing lines, co2; and when i do water changes i syphon from the tank but just casually dump the new RO water into the sump. Makes water changes super convenient.
Heres a video of the guts in my cabinet if you are interested. This was taken Summer 2020 and ive done a more dutchish rescape since then…. Heres what that old nature style scape looked like fully grown in.

I hope everyones good out there. I sure miss the heyday of internet forums!


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## louisc

I almost forgot- for anyone still running the 12g version of this tank: I got sick of having to do water changes just to reach my arm into it, and also of how hard it was to reach the bottom through the little hole while seeing what I was doing. I got these surgical tools on ebay and they really made scaping this tank a lot easier and more fun for me. Replanting stems is really precise. I may go back to a big open top tank again soon, since I’ve moved to a bigger house and my kids are a little older, and I think I’ll still use these most of the time in a big tank.


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