# HD Blazingwolf's 75G Rainbow. New pics page 8



## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

I finally got my 75 Gallon Tank. I am totally stoked. That being said this thing is starting with a DIY stand. I hate how small the store bought stands are, and how little room you have to customize them. You'll find later that I also built this stand a wee bit too tall!!

To start we chose 2x4's by hand and immediately went home to build before they warp and change shape.
The end result was a decently built frame by two white guys who definitely are NOT woodworkers. We are simply Weekend Warriors!!
This project was started Saturday 1/05/13


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

The second part of the build started with primer and painting the framework a medium base grey color. We wanted the stand to be resistant to water and this was the first step. 2 coats of zinser primer and 4 coats of grey later and it has a nice clean look. (the second 2 coats were done with covering on)

The next step was to cover with Wayne's coating. I also left out the little detail the stand was built around a 20 lb co2 tank. It was built tall for easy removal and installation. Door frames are 29 inches with a total inner height of 33 inches. Total stand height is 35-1/4 inches tall.


I chose a Red Chestnut stain to stain this piece of furniture after much deliberation. I LIKE BLACK. The ruling through to stain because you can stain and then paint, but you cannot paint then stain.

Included is a picture of first coat of stain after a good sanding!!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

The next and almost final part of the stand build was a total of 3 coats of stain and then polyurethane. After the second coat of stain, the stand was gently wiped with mineral spirits then stain applied again. This process was mimicked while doing the doors which will be added later.

Polyurethane was added lightly, cured for 24 hours, sanded gently, and the re-coated with a medium coat. I used Minwax oil base Satin Clear.

I forgot to add, we also installed 4 outlet boxes for timers and what not. Boxes are in the top left corner and will be the main power supply for the tank.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Sub'd!!

About time!! 

The stand looks like it came out nicely 

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Sunday Sunday Sunday!!!*

Today was a BUSY DAY!!!
(RIP tetra) I lost a neon tetra this morning which was of course sad and I thought was going to be the general mood for the day but I was way wrong!!

So tonight we put the last coat of Urethane on the doors, painted the corner moulding and sprayed the back of the tank Black with Krylon Fusion. (awesome stuff)

Everything was moved from parents garage to my house 2 blocks away in a very ******* fashion. 
We moved the 29 gallon into my bedroom, set it level, and filled it up with water.
Moved the 75 gallon tank and stand in. It is placed in the same place in my house as the 29 was. It's total height is 55 inches which is just shy of my arm pit. Here's the shot!!


Now i just gotta get all my stuff in so i can cycle the aqua soil and hang my new light!!!


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I really love the contrast between the stain and the paint - the color is great.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Why thank you! You won't really see it though. Tonight the stand will be getting doors and corner moulding, the tank should also be getting Aqua Soil Amazonia put in.. No water yet as i have an electrical outlet to put in behind it!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> Why thank you! You won't really see it though. Tonight the stand will be getting doors and corner moulding, the tank should also be getting Aqua Soil Amazonia put in.. No water yet as i have an electrical outlet to put in behind it!


Ddoooo iiittttt

I feel like i am in competition and your winning for now.... Haha jk

What kind of plant life you looking at?

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Ddoooo iiittttt
> 
> I feel like i am in competition and your winning for now.... Haha jk
> 
> ...


 
Technically im cheating, you are building our own tank!
My tank is prebuilt!

As far as plant life, i still love the look of blyxa and will use it avidly.
rotala colorate is a big on the list
persicaria kawa
persicaria sao paulo
hygro... somethign or other. stays low and creepy
ludwigia repens.. classic
ludwigia sp red
ludiwiga cuba
ludwigia glandulosa
notice a trend??
starogyne repens
cryptocorne wendtii brown
cryptocorne unidentified green/brown

i've been realllllllllllllllllyyy considering having an awesome pleco cave in this thing, but ima run bookooo's of light into this thing and co2 and pleco's plus co2 don't seem to be on the high list, they get all weird

i may actually add in some stones but i've never been a huge fan, tis may be because a 29 gallon has no real estate

i will be searching for an awesome piece of wood shorly


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> Technically im cheating, you are building our own tank!
> My tank is prebuilt!
> 
> As far as plant life, i still love the look of blyxa and will use it avidly.
> ...


Like your ludwigia huh???

Thats going to give some awesome color though!

Your going to need some stout fish, depending on the amount of co2 your injecting for sure, never noticed any issues with the plecos i had though.

At any rate i will be avidly watching this build :thumbup:

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

looks nice, i like it. nice job


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Like your ludwigia huh???
> 
> Thats going to give some awesome color though!
> 
> ...


 
Praecox are pretty tolerant it seems. they handle it better than my ottos

GOOGLE Image Search









beyond that botia striata loaches havedone well in the 29 gallon


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Welp. I'm sitting at work and a get a phone call that I recieved a big box full of rock. So of course I get all excited because my aquasoil has arrived ad everyone looks at me like im crazy


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

It's been too long!!! i've had the doors on and the corner moulding which is black. very exciting

aquasoil is leaching ammonia of course. i have a whole house filteri n the tank circulating water, it has a 10 micron filter to pick up dust from the aquasoil

so far i've done 1 60% water change to cut back ammonia. I'm dosing NiteOut II to speed up the cycle. im doing light dosages as im soon to put plants in the tank and i'll let them do the rest

20lb co2 tank was polished today.. that thing was a beast, it took about 4 hours to polish. it had dings and scuffs in it, and the aluminum is of poorer quality than my 5lb tank. the machining process also went deeper than the 5 lb.
it came out nice and shiny of course

sump will be here tomorrow, and light bulbs on tuesday!!!
Tek 6 bulb 48 inch fixture is already here!


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I don't do co2 myself, but I love those gleaming tanks! lol


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Shiny.... O.O

Lol, that stand looks like it came out very nice!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

On Tuesday, I ran through the setup of the sump, overflow, and return line plumbing. I also hung the light but have no run the cables through wall moulding yet.
Hopefully within the next few days I'll have the cords neat and tidy, and my plumbing the way I want it. As of right now I'm having extreme difficulty getting the overflow quite. On my 29 gallon I have tons of connectors and adapters, but that thing is super quite. This is a noisy son of a gun!! I used as few connections as possible to cut down turbulence and for ease of maintenance. Something isn't jiving though.
Plants should be moved over within the next day or two as well. Fish are soon to follow!!!

Bulb choices are:
3 geisemann midday
ATI Purple Plus
ATI AquaBlue
UVL Red


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

That is a interesting choice of bulbs the overall color it puts out is nice though!!

What kind of over flow are you using?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

the output is beyond awesome... im getting a sun tan working on my tank
color is phenominal. everything looks VIVID

im using a CPR overflow, same setup as the 29 gallon, just a bigger version. the 29 has a cs 50 (300 gph rate)
this tank has a cs90 (600 gph) it actually gets quite around the 800 gph range but has lots of splashing


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> the output is beyond awesome... im getting a sun tan working on my tank
> color is phenominal. everything looks VIVID
> 
> im using a CPR overflow, same setup as the 29 gallon, just a bigger version. the 29 has a cs 50 (300 gph rate)
> this tank has a cs90 (600 gph) it actually gets quite around the 800 gph range but has lots of splashing


Have you modified the piping at all in the overflow? Full siphon and a gate/ball valve is the way to go!!!

When will plants be arriving?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Have you modified the piping at all in the overflow? Full siphon and a gate/ball valve is the way to go!!!
> 
> When will plants be arriving?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


 
NO SIR. i will not be running full siphon.. i like the drain agitation. helps with oxygenation, and of course degassing some co2 so i can keep fish safe.. it also prevents problems if something bad happens...

plants will be comming from the 29 gallon hat i've been letting grow in.. it'll be skimpy for a few weeks. but that's okay


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Looking good.... I'm still battling diatoms in mine.... Been set up for over 4 weeks...that's what I get for being cheap and using good ole safety sorb... Love the stand by the way


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

> Looking good.... I'm still battling diatoms in mine.... Been set up for over 4 weeks...that's what I get for being cheap and using good ole safety sorb... Love the stand by the way


thanks!! it was a lot of fun building and staining. the color is amazing in person. it fits very well with the decor of the house.

i started moving plants and straightening out wiring and plumbing.
i started co2 up as well. i tried running it trough a smaller pump first but the rio HF17 actually does a better job chopping things up on its own

here's a few plants i go moved last night. with co2 blasting.
picture is also shot with 2 bulbs only on. the other 4 were left off


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Mostly planted!!!!*

got 90% of my plants moved out of the 29 gallon into this thing, and 80% of the plants out of the 10 gallon into the 29. 
This was cool, i pull 3 feet worth of crypto wendtii red out of the ten gallon. 1.5 feet of plant, and 1.5 feet of root... there were probably 3 crpts like that. the rest were still pretty big

I also took a shot of my 114 inch wide window from 40+ feet away at night so you can see what my neighbors see and what passerby's see when they drive by my house!!


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

Great progress and love the stand.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

THANKS!!!
i like hearing the stand is nice. a lot of work went into it. a lot of fun went into it as well.

and u know what.. its tall enough on the inside i can sit inside of it hunched over and work on the drain and return line behind the tank


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Are you going to DIY a durso stand pipe in your overflow box... I got a couple fittings today so I'm gonna put it together and try it out


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i believe sir that i am!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Its coming along nicely!! Any plans on hardscae??

Oh and even the wife said your stand is very nice looking!!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Its coming along nicely!! Any plans on hardscae??
> 
> Oh and even the wife said your stand is very nice looking!!


Tell her I said THANKS!

i do actually have major hardscape plans. there was never enough room in the 29 gallon to fit my taste
so AS soon as Mr. Barr responds, saying he has the wood im looking for.
I shall probably be loading up some branches into this thing and ill be trying for the very first time to add some rocks

we shall see!!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Exciting!!!!!

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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

when you go to buy your parts for the durso make sure you dont get schedule 40... its diameter is just slightly to large for the bulkhead cpr sends you... also get the 90 that one side slips into the T... some people call them street Ls... theres not quite enough room for using a regular 90 and connecting it to the T


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Actually.. schedule 40 does fit.. u just sand it with 400 grit sandpaper for a minute.. and believe me.. there isnt anything but sched 40 or 80 here

And we dont have street 90s


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Nice setup! Great looking stand. Great choice on the lights. You should have no problem bringing out the best in your plants. I really dig your polished co2 cylinder. It's so SHINY!


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

How's the tank comin along


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Tank is growing wicked fast!
I've got bookoo's of light, Blyxa is turning red, and some leaves that are more horizontal are turning a bright red.. very pretty
My rotala is a bubble factory

And here is a shot of the durso. I went against advice and built it out of straight 1 in dia. pvc. i may up it to 1-1/4.. i can see to get the height in the overflow box where i want it without surging, or a gurgle noise. It's quite in the picture but i do worry about protein film with such a short drop


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Now you talk about plants and no photos!!! Killing me haha thats awesome though!!! Those bulbs probably cover about every spectrum 

Glad the dorso worked out!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Now you talk about plants and no photos!!! Killing me haha thats awesome though!!! Those bulbs probably cover about every spectrum
> 
> Glad the dorso worked out!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


after doing much reading
the durso is a *savv* a *balm* for a much larger issue.. it actually comes down to drain pipe sizing according to a lot of research alst night. the reefers are for sure experts on sumps and quiteness since they deal with much amounts of flow and almost every one of them has one

drain piping needs to be much larger so it would seem. a 1 inch drain line apparently can only handle 300 gph gravity siphon SAFELY.. what happens is surging where the siphon is constantly pulling air and will sometimes as you may have experienced, surge as a stronger siphon is started. so either a full siphon is needed. OR a larger drain line. the general recommendation is a 1.5 inch drain line which should handle 750 gph. and shooting for about 500-550 i think.. its a lot harder to measure on this tank


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*



HD Blazingwolf said:


> after doing much reading
> the durso is a *savv* a *balm* for a much larger issue.. it actually comes down to drain pipe sizing according to a lot of research alst night. the reefers are for sure experts on sumps and quiteness since they deal with much amounts of flow and almost every one of them has one
> 
> drain piping needs to be much larger so it would seem. a 1 inch drain line apparently can only handle 300 gph gravity siphon SAFELY.. what happens is surging where the siphon is constantly pulling air and will sometimes as you may have experienced, surge as a stronger siphon is started. so either a full siphon is needed. OR a larger drain line. the general recommendation is a 1.5 inch drain line which should handle 750 gph. and shooting for about 500-550 i think.. its a lot harder to measure on this tank


Should just go my route add a second bulkhead as the overflow / emergency and the bottom drain full siphon dialed back enough to have some water drain into the secondary 

Very quick crude drawing









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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

GBound and determined to get my to have a herbie arent ya?


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Noooooo...... Haha

Trust me... You will love it 

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Now you talk about plants and no photos!!! Killing me haha thats awesome though!!! Those bulbs probably cover about every spectrum
> 
> Glad the dorso worked out!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Picture as requested!!
it isn't the bulbs, just lots of light


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

Update pics please. I want to see these monster Crypts!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

dogfish said:


> update pics please. I want to see these monster crypts!


just for you! this mother plant and plantlets, came out of a 10 gallon shrimp tank
for size reference, each tile is 12 inches


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Those were in a 10 gallon!!??

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Those were in a 10 gallon!!??
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


YES
--- mad growing skills right here man

to be specific. they had about a 6 month grow time at low light, and they folded over at the water surface, so a lot of times they were able to absorb co2 from the atmosphere.. i started with 5 small ones and now have 30 total plantlets
about 8 of which are mother plants


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

Well done on the Crypts!!!


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> Bulb choices are:
> 3 geisemann midday
> ATI Purple Plus
> ATI AquaBlue
> UVL Red


You might try the Zoomed Flora sun, they are better/cheaper than the Giesemann IME, redder, will offer more color, a little less par, but perhaps a bit more PUR. the Giesemann aquafloras are nice though and a different color than the red wave or the Flora sun. 

Wood was shipped too.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

plantbrain said:


> You might try the Zoomed Flora sun, they are better/cheaper than the Giesemann IME, redder, will offer more color, a little less par, but perhaps a bit more PUR. the Giesemann aquafloras are nice though and a different color than the red wave or the Flora sun.
> 
> Wood was shipped too.


They are white enought to fill in the midday section? Giesemann aren't my first choice for bulbs either, I personally like ge starcoats for the white.. But marinedepot had a good sale, and buying 6 at a time saves moolah

That being said, the mighty plantbrain commented in my journal muwahahahaha
My life is complete! 

Awesome on the wood!




I will post a picture tonight of one week of growth, I'm impressed except for the ammonia burn.. I let it get a little too high before a water change. Plants are kinda brown  . New growth is still happening though so things will work out, just take more time


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Picture of 1 week of growth. some of the reds look a little brown, the blyxa is more brown than it appears in this picture. coloring is due to ammoia burn

overall im impressed with my week's worth of growth considering the complications.. co2 is still being dialed in.
Picture was taken on saturday which would have been 7 days at the time


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Can't argue with the success!! Ammonia burn? Aquasoil?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Can't argue with the success!! Ammonia burn? Aquasoil?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Indeed. It is from the aquasoil.
If uve ever over fertilized terrestrial plants ull see some of them drop lots of leaves and turn yellowy for a while. This is due to too much ammonia. Im assuming this is whats happening because there are no other signs of deficiency. No co2 deficiency as leaves are comming in strong and healthy. Old leaves just look like poop. And, i did let ammonia creep up into the 4.0 ppm range without a water change.. silly me, ive been keeping it around 1.0 but life likes to throw u curveballs sometimes jah?


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

I don't get curve balls, i get fast pitches to the face 

Hopefully it gets cycled quickly!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> I don't get curve balls, i get fast pitches to the face
> 
> Hopefully it gets cycled quickly!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2



Its done cycling actually. I thought it was last night but i had done a huge water change the day before. But i verified this morning. Ammonia is zero.. doesnt mean aquasoil is still leaching but the bacterial colony is big enough to handle. 

I did move my fish this morning. Ill be adding more next week when things have settled in. I imagine ill still have to worry about ammonia because some of the burned leaves are starting to fall off.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> Picture of 1 week of growth. some of the reds look a little brown, the blyxa is more brown than it appears in this picture. coloring is due to ammoia burn
> 
> overall im impressed with my week's worth of growth considering the complications.. co2 is still being dialed in.
> Picture was taken on saturday which would have been 7 days at the time



2ND week of growth


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

The growth is outstanding!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Thanks, im still ramping up lights and co2. All 6 bulbs are still only on for 3 hours but thats about to jump to 4. Picture was also taken after trimming off all the old leaves, blyxa is everywhere.. the picture doesnt show it, but its thhhiiiccckkk
Starogyne repens is done transitioning, its exploding with new shoots

Also my new overflow will be in tomorrow. 1.5 inch drain line. It will save lots of co2 and be ultra quiet if what ive read is true. Ive been doing a lot of research on fluid dynamics, and drain sizing for plumbing..
Instead of forcing air out of my sealed wet/dry section. Pressure will leave through the drain line, and because its a bigger line, it wont suck as much air in, so the end result will be a quiet, safe overflow, that doesnt waste co2, and still brings maximum oxygenation.


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Makes since... So what overflow did you go with? Also what size koralia are you using? Does it seem to be the right amount of flow for you.... I'm having to cut back on my flow so much because the overflow isn't able to handle the pump.... I should have just bought the bigger overflow from the beginning


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Im getting the cs 150

The koralia is on a wavemaker

What size pipe do u have on ur overflow?


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Not sure... Its the one that came with the kit...it's the rigid tubing..maybe 1.25"


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

sjb1987 said:


> Not sure... Its the one that came with the kit...it's the rigid tubing..maybe 1.25"


Ahh yes, thats better than using 1 inch, take pictures of how its plumbed we might be able to make it more efficient
What size tank is this on? Or what gph are you shooting for?


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Quick update at 1 in the morning. I just got done dremelling the drip tray to accept a 1.5 inch bulkhead, now overflow box installed with 1.5 in vinyl tubing as the drain.

Without even so much as a strainer, its just as loud as the cs900 overflow box with silencing tube, durso is halfway built and will be finished tomorrow, its stuffed with a towel right now on top.

Sump doesnt get too pressutized any more like i was hoping so im going to be saving on co2 there, major plus as it has been going quick.

Tank is quiet enough that im about to pass out on the couch next to it! 

Pictures to come tomorrow


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Go big or go home*

DRAIN LINES.​
Put simply, you need a bigger drain line. If you think you don't, you are fooling yourself. I fell under the retail fantasy that a 1 inch drain line can flow 600 gph and supposedly more.

* This is false*

I read somewhere, which the link will be provided later, that a 1 inch drain line can safely handle 330 gph with NO bends or attachments. and that a 1.5 inch drain line cna handle 750 gph.
EDIT: link www.wetwebmedia.com/SystemPIX/.../Oneinchart.htm

I've found this statement is true. There is surging at any rate of 300 gph on my tanks with just a strainer and one 90 degree at the end before the drip tray, this was made worse at rates over 450 gph where there was a horrible sucking noise even with a silencing /vent tube. 
Durso's helped but surging was still problematic and there was still a sucking noise that I could hear.
Wet/Dry section was completely sealed and with air constantly being forced into that section, duck tape was forced loose to allow venting. This wasted co2 with the added benefit of AWESOME oxygen levels.
With a 1.5 inch drain line the Wet/Dry section is sealed but no longer builds pressure and vents out through the drain line. Fresh air is still being sucked down with the water but at a much slower rate and when pressure does build slightly its forced back up through the drain tube and out the drain vent.

To ensure that it is indeed safer, I tested by dumping five gallons of water in rapidly. there was almost no difference in noise, and the overflow box was barely taxed. the drain line did not even fill up. Just smooth draining.

To also support my theory, a herbie method is quite by having a full siphon, AND a trickle of water down a larger drain pipe. (by larger i mean less flow for that dia. pipe is rated for) this produces no gurgles or air noises, and is relatively quite, the same thing is happening here just with larger pipes and larger flow rates.

picture of drip pan with that has been bored to accept 1.5 inch bulkhead. and new overflow box fitted with durso standpipe.
Durso was chosen to adjust height of water in overflow box, especially since the front weir has a 1 inch drop, and to make the drain as quiet as possible since there was no vent tube for this model

* The drain line is not dirty, its actually that color. the return line is dirty  *


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

So could say the cpr90 kit be drilled for a larger bulkhead

Edit.. I know the sump could but could the overflow box be drilled as well


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

No as i had that size. The bulkhead will not fit.... uuunnnllleeesss

U cut out the last baffle at the bottom. Ull need about a 1.5 inch wide section in the middle about 4 mm tall to allow room for the bulkhead. So its technically possible but i went the easy route there, i may look into doing that now that ive got a spare overflow doing nothing


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Guess I'm stuck with this one for now...oh well its not loud at all just wished it handled the amount of flow it says it does


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Well they do handle those flows at full siphon... So really it's just not advertising rates at which they would normally use.

Kind of like canister filter ratings 

Glad you got that straightened out though!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

600 gph on a one inch drain isnt full siphon its closer to 900.. so my tank woulda been typhooning
I actually got it around 800 and plants were getting ripped out, blown completely sideways.. there was no good way to do that... so for gravity siphoning. Bigger is better


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*



HD Blazingwolf said:


> 600 gph on a one inch drain isnt full siphon its closer to 900.. so my tank woulda been typhooning
> I actually got it around 800 and plants were getting ripped out, blown completely sideways.. there was no good way to do that... so for gravity siphoning. Bigger is better


Ok ok so a little off.... Thats why you use ball valves... More importantly to the last part...

Thats what she said.... O h Yea!!!! Haha

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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

So I have a 700 gph pump and I have a durso stand pipe installed and when I open my ball valve wide open on my pump then my water rises over my weir instead of goin through the little slits on the box...how do I fix this problem... At first I thought it was the filter/strainer in the back chamber restricting it but that was not the case... Any ideas? Sorry to hijack your thread HD


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

sjb1987 said:


> So I have a 700 gph pump and I have a durso stand pipe installed and when I open my ball valve wide open on my pump then my water rises over my weir instead of goin through the little slits on the box...how do I fix this problem... At first I thought it was the filter/strainer in the back chamber restricting it but that was not the case... Any ideas? Sorry to hijack your thread HD


how high does it go on the last baffle? that's a major factor in how high it goes up on the front weir as the water is being pulled through the overflow, its a basic siphon affect, water is cohesive so it will try to pull more through. if the last baffle does not have any kind of water fall and the back chamber is really, this effect isnt as strong

so we need to start there. mine was handling around 700-800 with a one inch return wide open but there was no drop
on the back baffle at that point the drain line was able to take no more

another thing u can try is reduce the size of the vent holes,
this will cause it to pull more water for a stronger siphon, the downside is more noise and surging, the back and forth effect



> *NWA-Planted*
> Ok ok so a little off.... Thats why you use ball valves... More importantly to the last part...
> 
> Thats what she said.... O h Yea!!!! Haha
> ...


how did i not see that comming???

what happens if that lines stops up??
the emergency line really isnt that big either, so u run into the same problem, that makes noise, okay its the emergency bi deal, what if its stopped up and can't handle the flow. which is a possibility. bigger drain line. vent pressure appropriately. no surging effect, no gurgle, co2 savings are wicked good. oxygenation is still good, i've found the win win. and there's no modification needed really. buy it right the first time. or make it right the first time


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*



HD Blazingwolf said:


> how high does it go on the last baffle? that's a major factor in how high it goes up on the front weir as the water is being pulled through the overflow, its a basic siphon affect, water is cohesive so it will try to pull more through. if the last baffle does not have any kind of water fall and the back chamber is really, this effect isnt as strong
> 
> so we need to start there. mine was handling around 700-800 with a one inch return wide open but there was no drop
> on the back baffle at that point the drain line was able to take no more
> ...


If you go full siphon, you have to have two drain lines. So say the full siphon line clogs, water backs up the secondary which will go to full siphon, there will be surging so there's your immediate red flag to check it.

My old setup the full siphon bulkhead was flush and the emergency drain compartment was raised with a piece of pvc, i had the ball valve closed down enough that just a trickle was always going down the secondary for oxygenation. I just really liked the full siphon, dead quite tons of flow and reduced co2 costs.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> If you go full siphon, you have to have two drain lines. So say the full siphon line clogs, water backs up the secondary which will go to full siphon, there will be surging so there's your immediate red flag to check it.
> 
> My old setup the full siphon bulkhead was flush and the emergency drain compartment was raised with a piece of pvc, i had the ball valve closed down enough that just a trickle was always going down the secondary for oxygenation. I just really liked the full siphon, dead quite tons of flow and reduced co2 costs.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


 the issue still lies, what if the second drain is clogged? that's what im saying.. sizing still comes down as a factor
what if a nerite went down the emergency drain and was stuck at a fiting??? not likely, but 
murphy's law is prominant for a reason


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*



HD Blazingwolf said:


> the issue still lies, what if the second drain is clogged? that's what im saying.. sizing still comes down as a factor
> what if a nerite went down the emergency drain and was stuck at a fiting??? not likely, but
> murphy's law is prominant for a reason


In that case why don't you have 4 drains back there!!! Lol

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> In that case why don't you have 4 drains back there!!! Lol
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


 bwaahahaha you'll never convert me
and apparently i wont convert you either!!!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

OHHHH I forgot to mention
I added some new rainbow fish this past tuesday
3 female kabutu rainbows
1 male
2 more female praecox
1 male praecox
and my children wanted feeder minnows so 1 ruby red and one plain minnow of unknown origin\

:*Stocking*
4 kabutu rainbows
10 praecox rainbows
2 minnows
10 neon tetras that need a new home 
9 otocinclus
1 black veil angelfish
5 botia striata (zebra loache) i will be picking a few more up
and some odds and ends culled RCS that have magically not been eaten

AND comming soon 4-6 irian red rainbowfish


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Hey two stubborn people can build one hell of a brick wall 

Ooh get some photos of them up, sounds like a colorful tank for sure!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> how high does it go on the last baffle? that's a major factor in how high it goes up on the front weir as the water is being pulled through the overflow, its a basic siphon affect, water is cohesive so it will try to pull more through. if the last baffle does not have any kind of water fall and the back chamber is really, this effect isnt as strong
> 
> so we need to start there. mine was handling around 700-800 with a one inch return wide open but there was no drop
> on the back baffle at that point the drain line was able to take no more
> ...


The water only has about a 3/4 inch drop on the last baffle where it spills over into the back chamber


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

and that's at 700 gph?

on the adjustment screw in the back let it rock back just a little this might help pull more water
but i think the issue is he overflow isn't wide enough, or ur geting more than 700 GPH


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

No I'm sorry I should have specified.... That's with my pump turned down some....probably about half way


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

sjb1987 said:


> No I'm sorry I should have specified.... That's with my pump turned down some....probably about half way


so where is the water level with the pump turned up

also remove the standpipe when u do that and see how full the box gets


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok valves are wide open for the pump... The back chamber is pretty fully...actually I like where it's at less degassing...but it'll run fine for a little bit then it release a bunch of air...so should I drill my hole bigger or will that make it louder..

This is with the durso in place


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

sjb1987 said:


> Ok valves are wide open for the pump... The back chamber is pretty fully...actually I like where it's at less degassing...but it'll run fine for a little bit then it release a bunch of air...so should I drill my hole bigger or will that make it louder..
> 
> This is with the durso in place


is it releasing air around the sealed wet/dry section?
if so what's happening is a partial full siphon taking place where water displaces more volume in the drain than air. the overflow box will slightl drain and equilibirum is reached.
this is the inherent flaw in one inch drains handeling more than 300 gph. now you just see it on a larger scale.
this is unsafe !! and the main reason i went to a bigger line
also with no water drop. you will have a protein film buildup on the surface of the water

your co2 loss is commin from the air being sucked down into the drain, and displacing air in the wet/dry section out from under the duck tape

water flowing over a baffle or weir has relatively little co2 loss without splashing


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok...thanks for the help...I'm just gonna throttle my pump down and try to find a smaller wave maker than a Maxijet to help with my flow..


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NO PROBLEM!!!
you know how to contact me, don't be afraid to!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Few shots of fish and tank with wood*

so just for NWA-Planted i took a few shots of my fish
female and male lacustris rainbows. the male was very shy
HOWEVER, a male pracox kept showing up riht past the driftwood to block the male so of course i assumed he just wanted his picture taken as well

Also included is a full tank shot driftwood got thrown in, just waiting for it all to stop floating before i completely arrange it. i really like the two pieces on the right side


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Haha thank you! They look happy and healthy.

The tank is looking outstanding!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

HERE is another shot before my trim with no co2 on
u can see the color of a lot of the rainbows in the bottom right corner
praecox are a iridescent color


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Love it!!! They almost kinda look like Congo tetras, their color looks absolutely amazing in natural sunlight.... Which i think you have a small section hanging above the tank lol

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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Yeah, that's really cool man! Those rainbows look incredible, and I'm really impressed with the cleanliness and neatness of the tank. It's the perfect setup for rainbows!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

crazydaz said:


> Yeah, that's really cool man! Those rainbows look incredible, and I'm really impressed with the cleanliness and neatness of the tank. It's the perfect setup for rainbows!


THanks!
hoepfully driftwood will be done sinking by sunday, and i'll drop the lights to 9 inches above water or increase the 6 bulb duration to 6 hours
not sure which way i'll go yet, im thinking the drop to be less intense of a change

if driftwood is done it'll be due for a nice rearranging! i'll have 2-3 pieces on the left and 1-2 on the right to break up the plants


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> so just for NWA-Planted i took a few shots of my fish
> female and male lacustris rainbows. the male was very shy
> HOWEVER, a male pracox kept showing up riht past the driftwood to block the male so of course i assumed he just wanted his picture taken as well
> 
> Also included is a full tank shot driftwood got thrown in, just waiting for it all to stop floating before i completely arrange it. i really like the two pieces on the right side


Are you sure those are not Melanotania Kamaka? Lacustris have a very distinctive bright turquoise color to them. It could be the way the camera is capturing the color though. 
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Kamaka.htm
http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Lacust.htm

Beautiful tank!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

sorry they are kamaka!!! especially since lacustris display yellow on their heads when mating
kamaka display blue which my one male displayed blue tuesday
i thought they were lacustris from looking online. but u are indeed correct.
they were sold a kabutu's at my lfs which i def didn't think was corrrect


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> so just for NWA-Planted i took a few shots of my fish
> female and male lacustris rainbows. the male was very shy
> HOWEVER, a male pracox kept showing up riht past the driftwood to block the male so of course i assumed he just wanted his picture taken as well
> 
> Also included is a full tank shot driftwood got thrown in, just waiting for it all to stop floating before i completely arrange it. i really like the two pieces on the right side





HD Blazingwolf said:


> sorry they are kamaka!!! especially since lacustris display yellow on their heads when mating
> kamaka display blue which my one male displayed blue tuesday
> i thought they were lacustris from looking online. but u are indeed correct.
> they were sold a kabutu's at my lfs which i def didn't think was corrrect


hehe, thought so. LFS's for some reason have a very hard time with rainbow id's. it could be due to the huge amount of hybrids that come from the fish farms. There are a couple of really good rainbowfish forums out there too, the US based one has some members (including Gary Lange) that has some very very rare rainbows. I am trying to get ahold of a group of M.Nigrans. they are addicting!!! 

Kamaka's are one of my favorite species as well. they stay pretty small and get very deep backs.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Who said ludwigia repens was boring?*

Many here have tried to get ludiwiga repens to have color. it can turn a nice red with the right lighting and co2.
I however prefer the color it is now 
check this out

also for those of you naysayers
my yellow drop checker


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

well its about time for a plant trimming again. the ludwigia cuba got a little co2 deficiency in its new spot. its comming back but the leaves are fat and short and not looking too sexy, but the color is awesome i guess??
the stand of ludwigia sp. red is comming in nicely after chopping it way way down. it had a lot of old leaves burned by ammonia that needed to come off. its about 6 inches tall now and growth has really picked up on it. i expect trimmings frm it two weks frm now.
rotala colorata had the same issue, and is very close to a huge trim, i give it maybe 4-5 more days before it overtakes my overflow and i have to trim it back. should have plenty of clippings there to get rid of

as for the hardscape. it keeps sinking a little more every day, im waiting for one last piece to roll over and i'll rearrange the tank to be more scapish rather than just a plant holding tank
This tank will be my first real attempt and anything scape worthwhile. previous endeavors ended up getting cancelled due to poor growth results.. im also enjoying the fact that my nutrients being dosed are actually being used. TDS from the tap is approx 100 as an average. TDS is staying around the 120-140 range which is ver surprising. my last tank saw around 240.

all in all, im thrilled. I installed my LED moonlights which are awesome looking. they realyl are my favorite lighting period, everything just looks so nice when its dimmly lit


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

EH, quick update here, this past tuesday the last piece of wood finally sank enough to roll over and be situated on the substrate the way i wanted.

I removed some Blyxa and have made it more of a centerpiece. I'm not too sure how i feel about it yet, but things may go more to my liking after things fill in.
Ludwigia got wacked and looks pretty haggard right now. It needs a good prunning and shaping which I have not had the time for.
Cuba got trimmed back hard. It had lots of side shoots so in the next few weeks i'll have a huge stand of it beside the rotala colorata. Persicaria Kawa also got trimmed and moved into a better lighted area so it should come out nicely.
I've had a little trouble with hygrophilia araguaia. I believe its just not in the right spot, too much light and not enough flow. i've set it inbetween the 3 small pieces of wood on the left side. It'll get a little shade and is more directly in the path of water movement. it should bounce back quickly there.

Ludwigia senegalensis is a nice plant. im starting to like it more as it bends away from the light and sends out new shoots. odd for sure since its probbaly 14 inches frm the light..

my star repens has been picked at by my loaches so i trmmed it down and replanted in a brighter area which thye generally stay away frm. 
i started a small strand of DHG in the front. we will see how it does, very high flow area but i don't want it to get entangled with blyxa roots, which at this point is very likely.
over all i'm pleased as long as thigns go the way i plan, i also did a slight overflow box mod which is pretty cool. i'll show that one later!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Ooih baby that plant growth is looking gorgeous, that red stem in the back, wow lol thing is vibrant!!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Ooih baby that plant growth is looking gorgeous, that red stem in the back, wow lol thing is vibrant!!!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


i should have taken a picture of it before i whacked out a lot.
i have a 5 gallon bucket full of plants. and the rotala and repens still needs a good trim.....


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

2ND UPDATE. first picture was taken ON tuesday
this picture was taken today at lunch.
so 1.5 days of growth and with co2 set properly
look at the difference in how plants are responding to light, they are much more open and less folded.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

So much plants!!

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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

Bushs blyxa, rediculous rotala and lovely ludwigia haha nice plants!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

plecostomouse said:


> Bushs blyxa, rediculous rotala and lovely ludwigia haha nice plants!


thanks!
need any rotala. there are probably 30 stems in that one small spot LOL (if not more)


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

just did some calculations. my tank goes through 0.48 pounds of co2 per day


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

so...much....blyxa.....
epic job man


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

*Chainsaw*

MUWAHAAHAHAH
insert evil laugh 

tank got DEMOLISHED, except for the rotala and ludwigia cuba. yesterday was a fun trimming day
and im really likeing ludiwigia atlantis so its been called. It's a lovely varigated orange color even at the bottom. in the picture its bottom right

my gladulosa has for the first time in a year sent out side shoots!! i whacked it down and put a few of the side shoots in front of the log on the right


starogyne repens has been absolutely killed. its my loaches' favorite snack. they eat it over snails???? im trying to save a few strands and look for an alternative for a foreground plant
maybe DHG will be an option there is a small patch in the front that may spread. but for grassy looks. i've got blyxa so they may not work. im looking for a little more contrast


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

I am still thoroughly impressed with the colors and how vibrant they are!

Tank is looking beautiful man

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> I am still thoroughly impressed with the colors and how vibrant they are!
> 
> Tank is looking beautiful man
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


thank you as always for you kind words good sir!!
i'm still waiting on that cube ur gonna make


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Heh... Yea... Me to... *sigh* got the 2x4s for the stand so hopefully I can get that done this weekend, need to figure a way to hang the light, not sure if you saw the par testing I did on it, but it's bright!!!

Just waiting on freaking glass cages to ship my glass, hopefully next week!!!

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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Looks grand, my friend!! Quite a change, and the rainbows look a little freaked out!  

Really nice!


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## Chaos_Being (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful tank and Rainbows. Looks like they have a lot of space in there to move around, great for such active fish.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

crazydaz said:


> Looks grand, my friend!! Quite a change, and the rainbows look a little freaked out!
> 
> Really nice!


they were freaked out! the kamaka's play hide and seek and the male was looking for his favorite hiding spot!!

oddly my loaches were very active after the change, i dont normally see them much, but they were out and playing


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Hey, you got a picture of your regulator set up? Too lazy to look through 8 pages.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

nope, but i'll take one for ya when i get home tonight


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

ahhaha thanks!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

requested regulator!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

picture taken 3 days after water change and huge trim


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## Idrankwhat (Mar 20, 2013)

yep, that's awesome. You're the man.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

*Re: HD Blazingwolf's 75G build-DIY stand.. Way Too Tall!!*

Going to have to hit you up fortrimmings... Soon I hope lol

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

water change day.. and i tried to grab some shots of the rainbows. didnt happen
they were to fidgety 
one week of growth since trim
plants also looked like GARBAGE. i kept the lights off too long. i normal finish the water change 1 hour before lights on. i didnt finish until 2 horus afterl ights were supposed to turn on. they look pitiful

my dog also wanted to help last night so i took a shot of her!
oh and a floating blyxa flower


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Idrankwhat said:


> yep, that's awesome. You're the man.


MUCH APPRECIATED. i started with very um humble/ pathetic beginnings



NWA-Planted said:


> Going to have to hit you up fortrimmings... Soon I hope lol


not a problem. just let me know!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Any changes or updates?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Any changes or updates?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


just the last few pics on page 8

however the pantanal has reached the surface, the senegalensis its a nice 4-5 inch tall stand now, the cuba has become a tangling mass of plant
and my rotala is pitiful. its grown over itself sooo much its gonna need a massive reworking in the worst kinda way

my Persicaria Sao Paulo has side shoots!!! which im extremely exicted about. i've had it for 6 months and this is the first propagation i'll have that hasn't been just trimming and replant to keep going. also looks like it might have some sort of flower as its got a side shoot that does not look like a plantlet


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Well it's looking great for sure awesome job!

:thumbup:

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Added 3 otocinclus today, 21 ghost shrimp and a rainbow shark which was a kid favorite


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

The ghost shrimp feeders?? Lol

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

Actually, no. I have them there just to pick at things.. more of an algae prevention crew. They don't clean anything but their constant picking will help keep detritus, and bio film off the leaves of plants. I lost 3 to food already and one to co2
one tried to be eaten whole by a kamaka rainbow, whicI had to save since it was stuck in his mouth


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Any updates? 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Any updates?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


sadly, i added some ottocinclus and didn't quarantine, ich outbreak, which resulted in
a dead red finned shark, and an otto.
lights were turned down and co2 off for a week for treatment and plants look all BLEH

so hopefully this weekend or comming tuesday i can shape things up a bit. nothing is picture worthy at this point, everythign took a hard hit
my pantanal looks PITIFUL


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Yikes!! Thats no good, here's to a speedy recovery

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## BHolmes (Aug 23, 2012)

> Yikes!! Thats no good, here's to a speedy recovery


Agree! That is an amazing tank! Hope to see everything bounce back soon


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> picture taken 3 days after water change and huge trim


S. repens, pearl weed trimmed. Downoi, gloss, HC etc. Or moss rocks etc.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

plantbrain said:


> S. repens, pearl weed trimmed. Downoi, gloss, HC etc. Or moss rocks etc.


eh???


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## sjb1987 (Feb 23, 2012)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> eh???


I think they are suggestions for your foreground...referring to post 117


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

ahh that makes sense!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

BHolmes said:


> Agree! That is an amazing tank! Hope to see everything bounce back soon


Thanks Brandon! i appreciate that!


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## chevyguy8893 (Nov 5, 2012)

Your whole tank setup is just beautiful, nice work! I hope the recovery on the tank is coming along well. That lighting is insane, but has to cover the spectrum well. Too bad that UVL red sun isn't made as an HO bulb that could work with my fixture.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

it is made as an high output if im not mistaken. the light fixture i use is HO.. ill let you know if it burns out early

and thank you!!!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

the overflow box modification i've been failing to share!!
this 1/2 inch pvc pipe was cut down the middle to raise the front weir water level. it cut down on a lot of noise from splashing 

tada


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> the overflow box modification i've been failing to share!!
> this 1/2 inch pvc pipe was cut down the middle to raise the front weir water level. it cut down on a lot of noise from splashing
> 
> tada


Easy and effective, where did the idea come to you?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

well it came frOm modifying the overflow box for the shrimp tank. i cut off the front weir so i could inprove the flow rate since i was adding sponge to prevent shrimp frm going into the overflow box.. and the water level got higher and didnt work well with the sponge. it lost all skimmign effects
so in my infinite wisdom i sawed off some of the rear weir.. well the water level dropped again. so i assumed the process was reversible
and i just needed somethign to raise the rear weir, i dont have acrylic to weld so i was considering what i do have, and this little piece of scrap pvc was like glowing.i didn't even have to cut it down. I just sliced a line down the middle and it fit like a charm. ITS also adjustable. BWAHAHA i can slide it up or down to change the water level in the front weir for noise or co2 degassing


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Kinda reminds me of a toilet ball valve. Neat-O, man!!  Well done!

Hey, I passed through C-Nooga today on the way to Atlanta for business. I waved.


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## chevyguy8893 (Nov 5, 2012)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> it is made as an high output if im not mistaken. the light fixture i use is HO.. ill let you know if it burns out early
> 
> and thank you!!!


I'll have to search a bit and see if I can find one, thanks! I may have to try out the ATI purple plus too.

Oh, a bit off topic (sorry), but thanks for posting the pictures of the herbie overflow and making me think. I modified my overflow box this past weekend and the silence is great compared to the standpipe I had.


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## sarazorz (Feb 11, 2013)

ermagerd i love this tank!


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

chevyguy8893 said:


> I'll have to search a bit and see if I can find one, thanks! I may have to try out the ATI purple plus too.
> 
> Oh, a bit off topic (sorry), but thanks for posting the pictures of the herbie overflow and making me think. I modified my overflow box this past weekend and the silence is great compared to the standpipe I had.


no herbie. single 1.5 inch drain.. same principle as herbie. bigger drain, less flow= less noise. the secret to herbie is not the full siphon. its the overflow drain that just has a trickle of water which makes almost no noise. bigger drain per volume of water = less noise.
i can take the durso off and have a single standpipe and its almost dead silent. matter of fact i may just go cut me a piece to raise the water level and not use a durso now that u got me talking about it


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

crazydaz said:


> Kinda reminds me of a toilet ball valve. Neat-O, man!!  Well done!
> 
> Hey, I passed through C-Nooga today on the way to Atlanta for business. I waved.


actually if u passed through you could have probably waved at my work 
where do u get the toilet from??? bwahahaha
we need to learn you on sump ettiquet ASAP



sarazorz said:


> ermagerd i love this tank!


why thank you! i appreciate the ermagerd the most


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## chevyguy8893 (Nov 5, 2012)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> no herbie. single 1.5 inch drain.. same principle as herbie. bigger drain, less flow= less noise. the secret to herbie is not the full siphon. its the overflow drain that just has a trickle of water which makes almost no noise. bigger drain per volume of water = less noise.
> i can take the durso off and have a single standpipe and its almost dead silent. matter of fact i may just go cut me a piece to raise the water level and not use a durso now that u got me talking about it


Sorry, I don't know why I left part of the post out, I was following pictures on your 29 gallon. I know what you mean though, I think, then again I am always picking up a lot of things along the way. I was running 3/4" PVC and could not run my return completely open without problems. The 1" that I switched to is able to flow properly. I'll stop derailing this now .


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

chevyguy8893 said:


> Sorry, I don't know why I left part of the post out, I was following pictures on your 29 gallon. I know what you mean though, I think, then again I am always picking up a lot of things along the way. I was running 3/4" PVC and could not run my return completely open without problems. The 1" that I switched to is able to flow properly. I'll stop derailing this now .


ur fine!
i'll eventually get around to writing a proper thread detailing overflow setup so i can stop telling everyone bigger is better for drains, post by post


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> ur fine!
> i'll eventually get around to writing a proper thread detailing overflow setup so i can stop telling everyone bigger is better for drains, post by post


Meh... I still like full siphon with a trickle down the secondary... You will never convert me!!!!! Haha

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Meh... I still like full siphon with a trickle down the secondary... You will never convert me!!!!! Haha
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


unbeknownst to you, i already have!!! muwahahaha
your internal sump is incapable of full siphon without a drain line to siphon into
you have open gravity fed drains.
insert the most evil laugh ever


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> unbeknownst to you, i already have!!! muwahahaha
> your internal sump is incapable of full siphon without a drain line to siphon into
> you have open gravity fed drains.
> insert the most evil laugh ever


But.. I.... CUUURRSSEEE. YYOOOUUUU *SHAKES FIST* lol 

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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

How long did it take your aquasoil to stop leaching ammonia?

From what I can see with my test kit it hasn't gone beyond 4ppm... Just ready to add fish!!

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

i stopped testing ammonia after 2 weeks. i did add nite out II.. it helped.. but i added in small doses


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Nite out?

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

its made by microb lift

good product!


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Any updates? 

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Any updates?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


no but i realyl should

ludwigia senegalensis is my favorite plant so far
i dropped down to 100 par at the substrate and i have more algae now than i did when it was at 130 at the substrate so i may increase intensity and just let everything grow like crazy and trim every 3-4 days


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Yes you do!

Wonder how the heck does that happen??

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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Yes you do!
> 
> Wonder how the heck does that happen??
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


faster plants growth i would imagine.. things get pretty thick fast so flow gets cutout between plant groups fast.
if they grow fast, less time for algae to propagate, and that means more trims to allows fresh water through


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## newbieplanter (Jan 13, 2013)

HD Blazingwolf said:


> so just for NWA-Planted i took a few shots of my fish
> female and male lacustris rainbows. the male was very shy
> HOWEVER, a male pracox kept showing up riht past the driftwood to block the male so of course i assumed he just wanted his picture taken as well
> 
> Also included is a full tank shot driftwood got thrown in, just waiting for it all to stop floating before i completely arrange it. i really like the two pieces on the right side


Wow this is a great set up. Saweeeeeeeeeet


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