# Ultum 60cm High-Tech Tank Journal



## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I started my first planted tank 5-yrs ago after getting into reef tanks first about a year before. I am now starting my 5th planted tank, and wanted to go all out!

I am lucky enough to be located fairly close to Aquarium Design Group (ADG) in Houston, and stopping by their store always amazed me and I could spend hours looking at their displays. I originally decided to go with an ADA tank, but after looking around their store I was shown the Ultum Nature Systems (UNS) 60cm tank and really liked the dimensions better then the ADA. The 45deg beveled corners, glass clarity, and overall build quality were amazing so my choice was easily made. After a bit of decision making, I decided on the below equipment list:
* UNS 60cm Tank (60x36x36cm) 
* Custom built stand by ADG
* Eheim 2215
* Twinstar 600e LED Light
* Cal Aqua F2 Outflow
* Cal Aqua X2s Inflow
* Cal Aqua Inline Diffuser
* Cal Aqua Double Counter
* GLA Mini Stainless CO2 System

The Eheim was a simple choice, I have used their canister filters in all my FW tanks, and extensively use their products in my reef tanks as well without ever a problem. The Twinstar light gives great color, and the frosted diffusion cover over the LED's helps tone down the sometimes obnoxious shimmer that comes with LED lights. I've used Cal Aqua stuff in the past and both form and function were fantastic. The inline diffuser was chosen to minimize impact to in-tank real estate which is inherently limited in a ~20g tank. One cool trick I got from ADG was to use a frost coating on the rear glass to keep the outside-of-tank background out of view. I had painted the back of tanks white before for similar effect, but I really like the "cloud" look and depth created by the frost coating. 

This is actually the first tank that I will run CO2 on, so I decided to stick with Cal Aqua and GLA products as they have always been great in the past. I opted not to go with a pH controller for now, but may change that later. 

I plan to do an Iwagumi style scape with dragon rock and a mix of SeaChem and ADA substrate. Tissue culture plants have been ordered, with dwarf baby tears as foreground, dwarf hairgrass as mid, and have a few options for background which I am waiting to see before making a final decision. Candidates are crypt nurii, micro sword, or downoi. 

Livestock will include various small fish like tetras and rasboras, as well as the crowntail betta from a tank I am taking down and replacing with this tank. Also plan to have various color variants of rili shrimp and a few amano's. 

Initial setup to begin tomorrow, and plan to plant and get wet by Monday or Tuesday. 

Pics to follow!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Here are some pics of the equipment I have so far. Picking up the tank, stand, rock, and substrate tomorrow.













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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I picked up the tank and stand on Saturday. One of the owners of ADG, Jeff, was awesome enough to help me out with my hardscape and I am really pleased with how it turned out!!

Front:


Left:


Right:


Topdown:


Cabinet:


I don't have the Eheim hooked up yet because it's currently running on another tank to cycle it. Plants are delivered tomorrow, after which I will plant and fill the tank. Really excited about that!!

One cool trick that the guys at ADG told me about, is backlighting the tank since it has the translucent frosted coating on back. I saw one of their examples and it looked great!! Silhouettes the hardscape and plants for a very cool effect as a night light. I searched around and bought several different LED strips to try out, and ended up settling on an 18" Fluval Eco Bright LED bar. For $60 it came with a remote control, and will do either blue or white and is 100% dimmable. 

The camera doesn't quite want to capture the LED's right, so the below pics don't really do it justice. In person it looks incredible!





More pics to follow tomorrow after / during planting.


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## Mattb126 (Nov 13, 2016)

Hardscape looks great, can't wait to see it planted. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

My plants were delivered from Thailand today!! I ordered through ADG, however, they aren't open on Monday's so I decided to meet the owner at the Southwest Cargo terminal. While waiting for the shipment to come off the plane, hanging around in that cargo area I felt like my aquarium keeping reached a new height as several of Houston's more prominent LFS owners were also there waiting for their shipments...  It made for good conversation and picture sharing. 



The plane ended up delayed and Jeff had to run home, so I stayed around and picked up their whole shipment. Quite a bit of nice stuff!



I sorted through everything and pulled out my order (there was more in the shipment but I used below qty): 
* 8 Hemianthus callitrichoides
* 8 Staurogyne repen
* 4 Eleocharis parvulus mini
* 3 Eleocharis vivipara



I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted it to look, so went straight to work. After several hours, this is what I ended up with:





And so I filled the tank, hooked up the filter, and threw in the Eheim surface skimmer to help clear the tank. Still clearing so I will get some better pics tomorrow. 



The HC are actually already pearling, which I thought was kinda cool. And the Cal Aqua diffuser just looks so awesome!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I made a couple of minor plant tweaks and the tank cleared really well. 1.6bps is just a tad bit low for 30ppm CO2 so upped it to 2bps today and will see how it looks later. It should be somewhere in the 1.6-2.0bps range right now.


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

Tank looks gorgeous! What LFS do you prefer in Houston?


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## Tnalp (Mar 25, 2017)

Does the inline diffuser spew out a lot of micro bubbles? You'll love the light, I have one. Having great success with it! Beautiful tank btw!!! 


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

JJBTEXAS said:


> Tank looks gorgeous! What LFS do you prefer in Houston?


Thank you!! 

For marine my go-to is FJW, and for fresh my go-to is ADG. Both are the best at their specialty in my opinion and the owners are knowledgeable, helpful, and nice to do business with. They also have excellent dry goods selections, and the best livestock available. I tend to like the higher-end and rarer things in this hobby and both keep me satisfied in that respect 

Other honorable mentions also go to:
* City Pets for FW and SW, and especially dry goods
* Xtreme Fish and Pets for fantastic FW selection at cheap prices 
*TNT has a great selection of FW, SW, and dry goods, and some awesome display tanks

And while I don't often buy things at Fish Gallery, their store has a huge selection and tons of cool displays. Worth a visit. I don't often buy things from them because of their often absurd prices and often "snooty" staff. 


Tnalp said:


> Does the inline diffuser spew out a lot of micro bubbles? You'll love the light, I have one. Having great success with it! Beautiful tank btw!!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks!!! 

There are some microbubbles, but to a much lesser extent then I have seen with in-tank diffusers. This is my first CO2 system so I don't have any other previous experience / reference outside of what I've seen in other people's tanks. 

And good to know about the light! Looks great so far! 

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## Tnalp (Mar 25, 2017)

I had an atomic inline diffuser from gla and it made my water look like sprite! 


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## Mike00726 (May 23, 2011)

How did I miss this one? Subscribed.


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

ange062 said:


> Thank you!!
> 
> For marine my go-to is FJW, and for fresh my go-to is ADG. Both are the best at their specialty in my opinion and the owners are knowledgeable, helpful, and nice to do business with. They also have excellent dry goods selections, and the best livestock available. I tend to like the higher-end and rarer things in this hobby and both keep me satisfied in that respect
> 
> ...


Never been to ADG, figured it was going to be too expensive for me. I'll have to give it a try this weekend. I used to go to City Pets when I was in highschool along with another store that's been gone for quite some time that was at Belaire and Gessner. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about Fish Gallery, but I always stop by if I'm in the area anyways.

Do you know what tetra species you're going to go with? Black neons would also be a good choice. Not sure how either species would be with a betta though.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Mike00726 said:


> How did I miss this one? Subscribed.


Thanks for the sub! :bounce:



JJBTEXAS said:


> Never been to ADG, figured it was going to be too expensive for me. I'll have to give it a try this weekend. I used to go to City Pets when I was in highschool along with another store that's been gone for quite some time that was at Belaire and Gessner. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about Fish Gallery, but I always stop by if I'm in the area anyways.
> 
> Do you know what tetra species you're going to go with? Black neons would also be a good choice. Not sure how either species would be with a betta though.


Definitely go check out ADG, but check their hours as they aren't your traditional LFS hours. And Xtreme is over at Bellaire and Boone right behind the Hong Kong Mall. 

I'm still working through the fish list but haven't made it very far. I have 2 cardinal tetras, 3 3-spot tetras, and 3 harlequin rasboras in another tank which is being torn down and replaced by the UNS. They are all several years old and full grown. Debating whether to keep or just replace all together. 

I also have a synodontis cat and betta in the tank which are younger and I am more partial to, so they will likely be transferred. I have some cherry shrimp and amanos as well that will be transferred.

Some fish that have caught my attention so far are celestial pearl danios, chili rasboras, and the "glass" fish (i.e. glass cat, x-ray tetra, etc). 

For shrimp, I plan to do various colors of rili including red, blue, orange, and carbon. I've had some crazy offspring in the past with mixed colors like this, so it's pretty fun long term. Will also have a few amanos.


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

ange062 said:


> Thanks for the sub! :bounce:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


CPDs are one of my favorites. It's always tough when you have 2 or 3 older fish of a schooling group.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Nice tank! I think that's your scape on ADG's facebook that Jeff is setting up.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Jeff5614 said:


> Nice tank! I think that's your scape on ADG's facebook that Jeff is setting up.


Haha, yup, that's it!! You can see the giant grin on my face in the last pic they posted!! 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I decided to move the fish from another tank into the UNS yesterday to help the cycle along. 7 happy fish so far. Plants are starting to root and show some growth, but nothing too exciting yet. 

Moonlight shot this morning:









And with the lights on:









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## Tnalp (Mar 25, 2017)

GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!

Wish I went with a 60cm rather than my 45cm


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## YoungClayB (Jun 2, 2012)

Beautiful tank. I like your glassware. 


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

ange062 said:


>


Stopped by ADG today and noticed one of there tanks has a Ehiem 350 skimmer in a stainless enclosure. We need to convince them to sell those to people. I think we both could use one.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Tnalp said:


> GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!
> 
> Wish I went with a 60cm rather than my 45cm
> 
> ...


Thank you!!!


YoungClayB said:


> Beautiful tank. I like your glassware.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks a bunch!! I also love the Cal Aqua stuff, it really is excellent. 


JJBTEXAS said:


> Stopped by ADG today and noticed one of there tanks has a Ehiem 350 skimmer in a stainless enclosure. We need to convince them to sell those to people. I think we both could use one.


No kidding right?!? Jeff said a friend of theirs fabbed it for them. Though I don't keep the skimmer in full time so it's not a huge issue for me. What'd you think of the shop? Pretty awesome eh?

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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

ange062 said:


> No kidding right?!? Jeff said a friend of theirs fabbed it for them. Though I don't keep the skimmer in full time so it's not a huge issue for me. What'd you think of the shop? Pretty awesome eh?


I had that same mentality, but i can never remove the thing without releasing some surface gunk back in so now I just leave it. Definitely an awesome shop. I was supper excited to see all the apisto varieties. I was thinking I'd have to order some but now I'll probably be able to get them there which is great.


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## Phokey (Oct 16, 2016)

Nice, clean setup!

-Scott


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

JJBTEXAS said:


> I had that same mentality, but i can never remove the thing without releasing some surface gunk back in so now I just leave it. Definitely an awesome shop. I was supper excited to see all the apisto varieties. I was thinking I'd have to order some but now I'll probably be able to get them there which is great.


Glad you liked it!! 


Phokey said:


> Nice, clean setup!
> 
> -Scott


Thanks!!!

Did the first water change today, 1-week since filling. Im fairly impressed with the plant growth. Going to let it go another week then do a mild pruning / shaping. 










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## Joshism (Nov 26, 2015)

I see you have your early birthday gifts to yourself. I just purchased a UNS 90L about a month ago. Love the mitered edges and the low iron. You have all my fish too. I see a lot of people with aquariums full of plants, but no style. Like really loud music equipment, but no one with the skill to orchestrate. You have great taste and style.


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

This is setup is fantastic! That inline diffuser is way cool. Very jealous you have such easy access to ADG.
BTW are you taking photos with your phone? Because the quality is pretty good.
As for fish if you don't mind rehoming the stuff you got it might be best, as you will get the best impact if you stick to one or two groups of fish in large numbers. So you could just up the number on the fish you already have and rehome one of the species.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Joshism said:


> I see you have your early birthday gifts to yourself. I just purchased a UNS 90L about a month ago. Love the mitered edges and the low iron. You have all my fish too. I see a lot of people with aquariums full of plants, but no style. Like really loud music equipment, but no one with the skill to orchestrate. You have great taste and style.


Thanks for your kind words! I'll have to search around for your 90L thread, sounds awesome. I nearly came home with the 90cm version myself, along with an Eheim 2217 and dual 90cm Twinstar lights. But in the end decided it was just a little too big for the space the tank is set up in. 


Opare said:


> This is setup is fantastic! That inline diffuser is way cool. Very jealous you have such easy access to ADG.
> BTW are you taking photos with your phone? Because the quality is pretty good.
> As for fish if you don't mind rehoming the stuff you got it might be best, as you will get the best impact if you stick to one or two groups of fish in large numbers. So you could just up the number on the fish you already have and rehome one of the species.
> 
> ...


Thanks a bunch!! And agree on that Cal Aqua inline diffuser, fun to watch and admire... 

Yes, just my cell for right now. Will pull out the DLSR and macro lens soon, just been waiting for something interesting enough to shoot.

And yes, I am kind of all over the place with fish at this point. Trying to mix and match, and see what species work best in the tank. I'll likely narrow down over time as I have several other tanks that I can swap fish with. 

I did find some red pencilfish which I am totally infatuated with. Unfortunately, 2 out of 3 decided to go carpet surfing tonight...  

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Growth has really kicked off with the GLA PPS fert system, Twinstar 600e light, and the CO2 dialed in. 

HC River









Betta and Repens


















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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

And an FTS from today with skimmer and drop counter removed 











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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I'm not used to CO2 on a tank. Between CO2, the GLA ferts with daily dosing, and the high light provided by the Twinstar 600e, the growth is astounding! Two weeks growth comparison:









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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Woah you're almost completely filled in; nice!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

A little aquascaping pr0n I picked up at ADG today.










They had the full line of ADA stuff, but I just couldn't justify the 2-3x cost adder for the ADA logo and cool patterning on the steel. 


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Week 3 water change came with a big pruning of the vivipara and a trim of the HC. The GLA tools I bought are fantastic and make the job easier. I did get a slight algae bloom which is normal for a tank this age, but going to have to keep an eye on the fert dosing to make sure it doesn't become problematic. 

This week I will be working on removing all fish except the oto's and betta. I have 25 tucano tetras on order which I think should really harmonize well with the tank and pull everything together. The random small groups of fish I currently have is just too disjointed and not working. 

Will be pulling out the DSLR and macro lens soon to get some better quality pics, but here is a current FTS for now:










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## Tnalp (Mar 25, 2017)

Gorgeous!!! I had an algae bloom as well and I'm blaming it on the extra iron I was dosing.. ever since I stopped dosing it.. the problem has stopped! 


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Ooo good to hear you made your choice on which species you wanted, Tucano tetras are a great choice! Such beautiful and seldom seen fish, I could never get them where I live.
Tank is still looking good too, despite the rocks being a bit green.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Tnalp said:


> Gorgeous!!! I had an algae bloom as well and I'm blaming it on the extra iron I was dosing.. ever since I stopped dosing it.. the problem has stopped!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks!!! I'm going to give it a little time without changing anything and see what happens. I'm using the GLA PPS ferts package, so can't really adjust iron independently, so would just have to back off on overall dosing amount. 


Opare said:


> Ooo good to hear you made your choice on which species you wanted, Tucano tetras are a great choice! Such beautiful and seldom seen fish, I could never get them where I live.
> Tank is still looking good too, despite the rocks being a bit green.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks!!! The tucano's are cool and rare, which I like. Should have them in next week. I did also see some exclamation point rasboras, which are similar, pretty, and TINY and have my interest peaked, but I plan to stay with the tucano's. 

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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

ange062 said:


> Thanks!!! The tucano's are cool and rare, which I like. Should have them in next week. I did also see some exclamation point rasboras, which are similar, pretty, and TINY and have my interest peaked, but I plan to stay with the tucano's.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


Yeah thise Boraras have the same colour as the Tucanos with the black line through the centre, but I think the Tucanos are more striking colour wise. The Boraras are very nice and small though.




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## McCarthy (Mar 13, 2017)

ange062 said:


> A little aquascaping pr0n I picked up at ADG today.
> 
> 
> 
> ...







So you snitched the last curved GLA tweezers. :grin2:They are sold out at GLA.

I also thought about the ADA tools, but I gotta slow it down somewhere...

Your tank looks great.


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## DanPlanted (Jun 15, 2015)

Wow! Amazing tank.


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Damn that hardscape. Looking good with the plants filling in 

The stones are placed so well it creates a nice depth.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Opare said:


> Yeah thise Boraras have the same colour as the Tucanos with the black line through the centre, but I think the Tucanos are more striking colour wise. The Boraras are very nice and small though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I still like the tucano's better, and they are rare which makes em cooler!  But they are also 10x more expensive, lol!


McCarthy said:


> So you snitched the last curved GLA tweezers. :grin2:They are sold out at GLA.
> 
> I also thought about the ADA tools, but I gotta slow it down somewhere...
> 
> Your tank looks great.


Those are the curved spring scissors, and yes GLA was out so I bought them at ADG.  The GLA tools are amazing quality, I just couldn't justify the price adder for ADA stuff. I held them both and they are equivalent build quality, the ADA just has some fancy etching and the ADA logo. 



DanPlanted said:


> Wow! Amazing tank.


Thank you!!!  

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Nigel95 said:


> Damn that hardscape. Looking good with the plants filling in
> 
> The stones are placed so well it creates a nice depth.


Thanks!! I have to give credit to Jeff, one of the owners of Aquarium Design Group in Houston for lending his expert eye on the hardscape. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well I had to leave the tank alone for a few days, first time since I set it up. Doesn't look pretty but I added a Tunze Osmolator Nano, an Eheim feeder, and an Innovative Marine feeding ring. Made it 4 days without any attention no problem. 

The "away" setup is obviously meant to be used on an as-needed basis, which is why I didn't spend any time making it look pretty. 










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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Wow hahaha you went quite intense for being away. When I'm away I just don't feed or fertilise, may drop light a little and then I just resume everything as normal when I get back.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

Can I ask how you like your aromatic fish feeder, I have the same one but I haven't even opened it up yet.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Opare said:


> Wow hahaha you went quite intense for being away. When I'm away I just don't feed or fertilise, may drop light a little and then I just resume everything as normal when I get back.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah man, my other tanks already have some automation so just had to bring this one up to par... . The Tunze Nano is cool, been running the big version on my reef tank for over 5-yrs without ever a hitch. 

I didn't dose while gone, but I do plan to measure average evaporation over the course of a few days, then dose my topoff water to "automate" dosing when out of town.


SKYE.__.HIGH said:


> Can I ask how you like your aromatic fish feeder, I have the same one but I haven't even opened it up yet.


The Eheim is great, it's my 3rd one. Simple to program and adjust, and comes with easy mounting options. I do like the magnetic feeding rings from IM as they keep floating food from getting sucked into skimmers and overflows (which all 3 of my tanks have). 

And added a couple pieces to my GLA aquascaping tool collection. The glass scraper is downright intimidating. The razors are super thin and sharp, and with one false move could easily lead to stitches or maybe a lost toe, haha!! 










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## mattenx (Nov 28, 2016)

Excellent.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

It's crazy how fast the vivipara is growing, over 4" in a week. I feel like I'm now qualified to cut hair after all the pruning I've been having to do 

With the tank being just over a month old, today I cleaned all the glassware for the first time, which included the diffuser, bubble counter, inflow, outflow, as well as the clear filter tubing. I also cleaned out the Eheim 2215 and replaced the carbon and white filter pads. The tank got it's usual water change, glass cleaning, and pruning while I was at it. 

The algae bloom on the rocks doesn't seem to be subsiding yet, so I may decrease my fert dosing to see if that helps, but going to give it one more week before changing anything. 

Right after the maintenance, still a bit cloudy.









And a Topdown view to change it up a little:









And my old Fluval Spec V (running for about 4yrs) has been getting a lot more attention since the new tank was added, recently did a complete overhaul on the fish and really liking the result. I am debating whether to replace this tank with another UNS system, or just rescape the Fluval with driftwood.










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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

Looks good, the light must be very effective to get that much growth so quickly, looking at the algae on the rock perhaps dimming the light now you have the tank pretty much grown out may be the way to go?


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## aubie98 (Apr 22, 2017)

Beautiful tank! And I know it's a matter of preference, but I think the algae looks pretty cool how it's growing on the rocks. Gives the whole tank an aged, very natural appearance


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

doylecolmdoyle said:


> Looks good, the light must be very effective to get that much growth so quickly, looking at the algae on the rock perhaps dimming the light now you have the tank pretty much grown out may be the way to go?


Thanks!! The light isn't dimmable, but I probably do need to shorten my photoperiod. Currently running at 9-hrs. 


aubie98 said:


> Beautiful tank! And I know it's a matter of preference, but I think the algae looks pretty cool how it's growing on the rocks. Gives the whole tank an aged, very natural appearance


Thanks!! I guess that's one way to look at it, lol, but it's still annoying me... 

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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Sometimes with algae on hardscape it will keep on growing depite the tank being in a good state. Toothbrushes are very handy cleaning tools for it though.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Opare said:


> Sometimes with algae on hardscape it will keep on growing depite the tank being in a good state. Toothbrushes are very handy cleaning tools for it though.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Oh yeah, I'm all too familiar with fighting algae problems, mostly in my reef tanks. I have the toothbrush collection to prove it! 

I did try brushing the rock but it's a little fragile and some rock dust was coming off without doing much to the algae so I decided just to leave it alone for now. 

I still think it's mostly the new tank bloom and that it should subside with time. Adjusting the photoperiod and fert dosing are next steps, but I don't want to rush into making changes. 

Plus the oto's, amano shrimp, and neocaridina shrimp are loving it 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well I finally ordered the tucano tetras today. ADG had 8 in stock, but I paid for all 23 of them at once to get a bulk discount. The remaining 15 should be in sometime in the coming week. 

They really are beautiful fish and suit the tank well. My one remaining red pencilfish seems to think it's one of them and has been schooling. 

The furcata rainbows were getting aggressive so were removed right after the picture and placed in a friend's tank. The remaining non-tucano fish will also be transplanted to other tanks, with the exception of the pencilfish, 3 oto's, and the betta. 










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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

I agree I like the look of the algae on the rocks. Gives it that true natural look.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I wanted something to store my GLA tools in, so I ordered a waxed canvas tool roll from Amazon. I wasn't sure if things were going to fit correctly, and I ended up having to remove some stitching to create a larger pocket for the scraper, but I'm pretty stoked about the end result!










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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

ange062 said:


> Thanks!! I guess that's one way to look at it, lol, but it's still annoying me...
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



Tapatalk showed the algae rock thumbnail, its what brought me in! Looks super cool and your algae eaters are probably thrilled! 



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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

forrestcook said:


> Tapatalk showed the algae rock thumbnail, its what brought me in! Looks super cool and your algae eaters are probably thrilled!
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Haha, thanks!!! A lot of people seem to like it, but it still bothers me just knowing that it's algae... Maybe in the future I can use some Moss sparingly to accent the rock. 



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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well I went to ADG yesterday with the intent to pick up the rest of the tucano tetras I ordered, a bag of salt for my reef tank, and possibly rescape my Fluval 5g. Unfortunately, they were only able to get 14 tucano so I am still one short, but hopefully should be in within a week or so. 

A "rescape" of the Spec V somehow turned into an Ultum 5N, ADA Aquasky 361, Eheim 2213, CalAqua F1 and X1s, and ADA nano diffuser complete with a driftwood scape.... 

It's still a work in progress. The 2213 is way too much flow for the tank, so I am hoping that some 90° elbows I need for plumbing will slow it down enough. And the sugar sand is not cooperating with the flow, of course. 

Has anyone ever tried using the quick disconnect valves to adjust flow rate? I know it will "work" to slow the flow, my concerns are pump / impeller wear and / or back pressure causing leaks. Granted I do this all the time with Eheim pumps on my reef tank for reactors, chillers, etc with no problems. 

Right now CO2 is via a Fluval system I was using on the Spec V, but I will be ordering a GLA PRO-1-SS reg for the big tank and moving the existing MINI-SS over to the 5N with a paintball pin valve adaptor and a 12oz tank. At 0.8bps the tank hit about 35ppm in 5-hrs so a 12oz tank should last months once I back off bubble rate for 30ppm in a 9-hr photoperiod. 










As far as the Ultum 60U, I backed off on fert dosing yesterday as the algae has also spread to the plants in some areas. Going to give it a week or two to observe change before doing anything else, I like to take it slow and only introduce one variable at a time. If this doesn't work out I'll reduce photoperiod from 9 to 8 hours. 

Pics of the tank and 22 tucano tetras later today after I have done a prune and water change! 

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

They have different sizes of these. They are awesome. Use for my water change pump to slow the flow for my smaller 20 gallon tank. Works perfect. Super cheap also. Two Little Fishies ATL5445W Ball Valve for Regulating Water Flow, 1/2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00025675K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_T20rzbWJ4251T



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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

the eheim valves work just fine for restricting flow, just make sure your restriction is on the outlet side.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

clownplanted said:


> They have different sizes of these. They are awesome. Use for my water change pump to slow the flow for my smaller 20 gallon tank. Works perfect. Super cheap also. Two Little Fishies ATL5445W Ball Valve for Regulating Water Flow, 1/2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00025675K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_T20rzbWJ4251T
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I've got a handful of those in my parts bin from the various TLF reactors I've bought for reef tanks over the years, thanks!! The Eheim comes with quick disconnects that have shutoff valves and will perform the same function without added clutter, I was more worried about this harming the filter or causing leaks. 



JJBTEXAS said:


> the eheim valves work just fine for restricting flow, just make sure your restriction is on the outlet side.


Thanks! Fortunately, the 5 90° elbows I added inline on inflow and outflow seem to have reduced the flow enough to not disturb the sand. I topped off the empty corner using a turkey baster and funnel and all looks good now. 














































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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I'm pretty sure this is one of the best betta's I've ever seen in person!!! 










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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

Very pretty.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

Don't you hate it when the fluval just magically turns into an UNS 5N. It happens in the blink of an eye and you have no control over it, it's just not fair. What has the aquarium industry come to, definitely not powered by impulsive buying, wink wink.


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## Ben Belton (Dec 12, 2008)

OK I'm not normally a Betta person, but this one and one Karen Randall posted on the AGA Facebook page recently tempt me to become a Betta person. Really nice.


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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

Ben Belton said:


> OK I'm not normally a Betta person, but this one and one Karen Randall posted on the AGA Facebook page recently tempt me to become a Betta person. Really nice.




I know right, I saved the picture on my phone so I can tell everyone it's mine. It's on my camera roll so it must be right....jk but I did save it on my phone. Very beautiful fish.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Thanks y'all!! I'm pretty impressed with it. 

Here are some updated tank pics.

Ultum 5N









Ultum 60U









And yes, that is one weeks growth of vivipara since the last pic. It's gotta be averaging 4-5" per week, eeek!! The HC looks good, but I think I'm going to "mow" down the repens to give it some more shape (shorter in front, sloping taller towards back) to blend with the elocharis parvula then finally the vivipara. 

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## jellopuddinpop (Dec 12, 2016)

Be careful with the S. Repens getting too tall. If the lower leaves become shaded, they can drop off or grow some algae. Better keeping it either shorter or more spread out to allow the lower leaves some light.

Nice tanks BTW! It's amazing how a simple trip to the LFS can be so damned expensive!


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## lisals (Jun 21, 2017)

GAH! So nice!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

jellopuddinpop said:


> Be careful with the S. Repens getting too tall. If the lower leaves become shaded, they can drop off or grow some algae. Better keeping it either shorter or more spread out to allow the lower leaves some light.
> 
> Nice tanks BTW! It's amazing how a simple trip to the LFS can be so damned expensive!


Yep, like I said in the last post it's on my to-do list for the next pruning session. 


lisals said:


> GAH! So nice!


Thanks so much!!!

Well, placed another order from the great folks over at GLA today! Got a second MINI-SS regulator with the paintball pin valve adaptor, had them custom add their manifold integrated bubble counter, and also picked up a Cal Aqua Clip Nano drop checker and some of their GH booster. I already picked up a 12oz paintball cylinder at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day. 

I've been using the Seachem Equilibrium GH booster for a while, and although it has been working great it is slightly annoying that it hardens in the bottle then has to be chipped out using a knife or something, and you almost have to use a mortar and pestle to grind it back down to a powder. It also doesn't like to dissolve. So, decided to try the GLA stuff and see how that works out. 

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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

ange062 said:


> Well, placed another order from the great folks over at GLA today! Got a second MINI-SS regulator with the paintball pin valve adaptor, had them custom add their manifold integrated bubble counter, and also picked up a Cal Aqua Clip Nano drop checker and some of their GH booster. I already picked up a 12oz paintball cylinder at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk



How long do those paintball canisters last?



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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I've seen 9, 12, 20, 24, and 40oz paintball cylinders so you can pretty much tailor to the application. For the 5g I'm running 0.5bps so I'd imagine a 12oz tank would last 6-mo+. 

Only costs $2.50 to refill and have a handful of places close by that I can fill it at. 

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## Kramflowz (Aug 6, 2014)

Loving the scape and plant choice! I just ordered some Ohko stone from AFA today, keeping my fingers crossed I get some beautiful stones like the ones in your tank. I have been trying to get back into the hobby heavily, this tank amongst many others really help spark creativity with the inspiration they provide.


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## Korilakkuma (Jun 6, 2017)

Wow! your tank looks gorgeous ~ and the spec of your tank looks similar to mine: My First High Tech Planted Tank <3 - Album on Imgur

Subbed! and + points for owning a Nexus 6p! I've owned one in the past. :3 ( along with the older nexus phones too )


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Kramflowz said:


> Loving the scape and plant choice! I just ordered some Ohko stone from AFA today, keeping my fingers crossed I get some beautiful stones like the ones in your tank. I have been trying to get back into the hobby heavily, this tank amongst many others really help spark creativity with the inspiration they provide.


Thanks!!! Look forward to seeing your build out. From the WYSIWYG hardscapes I've seen at AFA I am sure you will be good to go 


Korilakkuma said:


> Wow! your tank looks gorgeous ~ and the spec of your tank looks similar to mine: My First High Tech Planted Tank <3 - Album on Imgur
> 
> Subbed! and + points for owning a Nexus 6p! I've owned one in the past. :3 ( along with the older nexus phones too )


Thank you!!! And yes, very similar setup!!

Well, I was out of town for a week, and while the ATO's and auto feeders held down the fort with a little assistance from a friend, I did make one mistake. I had the 5N light hooked up to the same timer as my Fluval Spec V, which I run for 11-hrs due to the weaker light. Works great on the Fluval, but after a week away I came back to a green mess in the 5N!!!

I had to do a thorough scraping and cleaning, a giant water change (~90%) to get things looking halfway normal again. The sand is still green, and there is some green cyano on parts of the driftwood. The maintenance expert Luis at ADG recommended using some erithromycin to clean things out, so I'll be running that for a few days along with water changes every other day until things are back in order. 

The 60U also had a diatom bloom in the vivipara, possibly because the feeder was overfeeding. So I did a major trim of vivipara and also the s. repens, along with a large water change again. Also cleaned out the glassware and replaced the filter tubing with fresh clear Lee's. 

Hopefully some extra TLC over the next few weeks will get things back in line on both tanks. 

Hoping that the custom ordered reg from GLA ships this week to get some automation going on the 5N. Manually turning on/off everyday is a nuisance and it didn't run at all while I was gone. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I've been doing a lot of water changes, and running some erythromycin per recommendation of ADG maintenance expert Luis. Looks like things are coming around, but still not looking great. 

60U









5N









Added some ember tetras, an o cat, some amano, and some crystal black shrimp to the 5N also.

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## SKYE.__.HIGH (Mar 18, 2017)

Looking good as always , love how the moss is filling in.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I found a red buce at ADG and thought it would be a good addition to the 5N because I want to fill in that back left corner. Going to add another red and a green wrapping around the base of the driftwood this week.

5N










I really like how the vivipara is growing back after a shorter-then-normal trimming last time. Since I am still getting some algae in it I think I will likely take it down to about 3" next time to help it fill in at substrate level and grow back clean. 

In unfortunate news, I found my betta dead in the skimmer the other day. Tank looks lonely without it so I am currently searching around for another rockstar like the one I found for the 5N.

60U


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I've been struggling to keep my number of ember tetras where I want it in the 5N. l keep having 1 die leaving me with an even number (I like odd numbers). So I added 3 more from ADG today, to bring me to 9 where it hopefully stays. Also threw in a couple more amanos, and red and green buce's to fill in the corner. 










I also managed to find a new betta for the 60U today. He isn't quite as cool as the one in the 5N, but he is pretty awesome none the less.










And an FTS of the 60cm:











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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I've also been very tempted to do a wabi kusa, and finally got a good mixture of substrate to make the ball with. It's simply Dennerle substrate with peat moss and ferts added to it. I wrapped in java moss and did a simple scape in an Ultum 3N (yes, that makes 3 Ultum's now....). 

I wanted the wabi kusa raised in the tank so that I can partially fill for, of course, another betta. So the seiryu stone and black sand substrate was perfect for accomplishing this. Threw on an ATLEDTiS light to make sure there was enough growing power. 

I may add some driftwood tomorrow when I go to pick up my plants from ADG. All plants are coming from a wabi kusa grow out system so they should be easily trainable to partially immersed growth. Will post the final results tomorrow. 









And managed to find a betta that I feel will be perfect for this setup!










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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Gorgeous Betta! Looks like a mustard gas! I wanted a copper and black orchid crowntail for so long... but now I need to use that tank for possible fry grow out.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

The Dude1 said:


> Gorgeous Betta! Looks like a mustard gas! I wanted a copper and black orchid crowntail for so long... but now I need to use that tank for possible fry grow out.


Thanks!! The blue / orange one in the UNS 5N is a mustard gas, so I assume you are talking about that. I've got 4 betta's all together in my 4 planted tanks...  

I got most of the plants for the wabi kusa UNS 3N this weekend from one of the ADG guys that has a wabi kusa grow-out system at home. I figure this is a good way to start since the plants are already trained to partial immersion. Still waiting for some monte carlo, a buce, and an anubias to fill in the "bald spot" on top. I will likely move the riccadia moss to the driftwood or stone and replace with the MC. Will keep it covered for 2-wks after I add the final plants to allow everything to root then slowly start decreasing humidity. The rock on the driftwood is just to keep it from floating until it waterlogs. 

Since I live in Houston and have arguably "too many" tanks in my house, my humidity stays around 60% in the house so it shouldn't be a huge challenge for the plants. The betta looks happy so far, and eventually I think a couple CBS would like insanely awesome in it!!


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 8, 2013)

Where in Houston are you buying your Bettas?


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

JJBTEXAS said:


> Where in Houston are you buying your Bettas?


Mostly from Houston Aquarium Warehouse, but I also have found a few at Houston Aquatics and from time to time find a good one at PetSmart or Petco. 

Got my final plants for the wabi kusa today!! Species list ended up being hydrocotyle tripartita, Monte Carlo, riccardia moss, bucephelandra, anubias nana, Eriocaulon malayattoor, Pogestemon pinnatifida, and Staurogyne portovehlo. 

I love how it looks like a lush jungle already! Going to let everything root and keep it covered for 2-wks, then I will work on trimming down to shape. 




























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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Nothing super exciting going on other than chopping the vivipara down to about 3" tall because of the continued algae problems in it. So just some FTS updates for today.

Ultum 60U:









Ultum 5N:









Ultum 3N:











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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

Your 60U tank must be out of balance, with that initial explosion of growth I would say to much light for the amount of ferts and co2, so either try dim the light or up your co2 and ferts. The carpet is not looking the best either. What is your routine for ferts in this tank?

Your other tanks are looking very nice and vibrant!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

doylecolmdoyle said:


> Your 60U tank must be out of balance, with that initial explosion of growth I would say to much light for the amount of ferts and co2, so either try dim the light or up your co2 and ferts. The carpet is not looking the best either. What is your routine for ferts in this tank?
> 
> Your other tanks are looking very nice and vibrant!


The light isn't dimmable but I can reduce photoperiod from 8-hr to 7. Currently I am using the GLA PPS fert system, dosing 4mL of macros and 0.4mL of micros daily. CO2 is about 3bps to maintain 30ppm on the drop checker. 

The carpet is a little brown than normal because I just trimmed it. 

But I agree with you, something is out of whack. I reduced the photoperiod from 9 to 8 hrs already, didn't see a whole lot of difference from that so it's time to try something else. 

And thanks for the compliments! 

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## torque6 (Jun 7, 2008)

Been following this tank journal since May. The issue isn't just the photo period but the intensity of the light. Twinstar E series is considered very high light. It was one of the brands I wanted to try previously but was hesitant because there was no dimmer, so in this situations, you are pretty much stuck with the light. They market the lights with very densely planted tanks if you had noticed, but do note that cleanliness of their tanks. They look less than a month old. 

A good photo period would be 7-8 hours. 9-10 hours is really stretching it. Especially with high light.

A 60x30x36 cm tank (65L) tank is still considered a nano tank, so in terms of things getting out of wack is much higher. Things can go wrong faster as compared to a 40 breeder.

Density of the plants is good, but seems like you will need more plants in the tank, really fast growing ones. Also understand the risk of removing the stones now to clean off the algae as disturbing the substrate will cause more problems. By the way, those algae look like BGA instead of normal green algae.


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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

ange062 said:


> The light isn't dimmable but I can reduce photoperiod from 8-hr to 7. Currently I am using the GLA PPS fert system, dosing 4mL of macros and 0.4mL of micros daily. CO2 is about 3bps to maintain 30ppm on the drop checker.
> 
> The carpet is a little brown than normal because I just trimmed it.
> 
> ...


I would drop the lighting period to 6 hours, personally all my tanks are only on for 5 hours, perhaps you could look at raising the light up with a hanging stand or something like that if you want to keep the light on for a long period.

Also I think the PPS system is a pretty light regime and with high light you should really look into EI method, which would raise your NPK levels a fair bit


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

torque6 said:


> Been following this tank journal since May. The issue isn't just the photo period but the intensity of the light. Twinstar E series is considered very high light. It was one of the brands I wanted to try previously but was hesitant because there was no dimmer, so in this situations, you are pretty much stuck with the light. They market the lights with very densely planted tanks if you had noticed, but do note that cleanliness of their tanks. They look less than a month old.
> 
> A good photo period would be 7-8 hours. 9-10 hours is really stretching it. Especially with high light.
> 
> ...


Well I wouldn't say I am stuck with the light, I can always get an Aquasky 601G or Moon. The 5N does seem to be doing better with the Aquasky 361 G. Thanks for the tips, I think next step will be to try the 7-hr photoperiod and see what happens, though may try boosting fert dosage for a week to see if there is any change. My first instinct was thinking "too much dosing" because of the algae perhaps being driven by excess nutrients. 

The tank is 60x36x36, but definitely still a nano. The biggest tank I've ever had is a 30g so I am well accustomed to the world of small tanks.  Adding more plants will be a struggle in this tank without completely starting over on the scape, so just going to try working through this for a while. And agree on the BGA, it doesn't smell but surely does look like BGA and the erithromycin I ran for a week definitely helped reduce the amount in the tank.


doylecolmdoyle said:


> I would drop the lighting period to 6 hours, personally all my tanks are only on for 5 hours, perhaps you could look at raising the light up with a hanging stand or something like that if you want to keep the light on for a long period.
> 
> Also I think the PPS system is a pretty light regime and with high light you should really look into EI method, which would raise your NPK levels a fair bit


Thanks again for the advice. I may try switching to EI method, but will try boosting PPS dosage first. I hate the thought of a reduced photoperiod (less time to enjoy the tank) but I'm going to try it as a DOE to prove out if the helps / is the problem. 

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## Tnalp (Mar 25, 2017)

Really love the 5n! 


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## doylecolmdoyle (Sep 22, 2015)

ange062 said:


> Well I wouldn't say I am stuck with the light, I can always get an Aquasky 601G or Moon. The 5N does seem to be doing better with the Aquasky 361 G. Thanks for the tips, I think next step will be to try the 7-hr photoperiod and see what happens, though may try boosting fert dosage for a week to see if there is any change. My first instinct was thinking "too much dosing" because of the algae perhaps being driven by excess nutrients.
> 
> The tank is 60x36x36, but definitely still a nano. The biggest tank I've ever had is a 30g so I am well accustomed to the world of small tanks.  Adding more plants will be a struggle in this tank without completely starting over on the scape, so just going to try working through this for a while. And agree on the BGA, it doesn't smell but surely does look like BGA and the erithromycin I ran for a week definitely helped reduce the amount in the tank. Thanks again for the advice. I may try switching to EI method, but will try boosting PPS dosage first. I hate the thought of a reduced photoperiod (less time to enjoy the tank) but I'm going to try it as a DOE to prove out if the helps / is the problem.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


Sounds like a decent plant, tho stick with the reduced light for a month, a week isnt long enough to see any real change. Generally Algae isnt caused by excess nutrients, excess light is the usual cause.


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## torque6 (Jun 7, 2008)

ange062 said:


> Well I wouldn't say I am stuck with the light, I can always get an Aquasky 601G or Moon. The 5N does seem to be doing better with the Aquasky 361 G. Thanks for the tips, I think next step will be to try the 7-hr photoperiod and see what happens, though may try boosting fert dosage for a week to see if there is any change. My first instinct was thinking "too much dosing" because of the algae perhaps being driven by excess nutrients.
> 
> The tank is 60x36x36, but definitely still a nano. The biggest tank I've ever had is a 30g so I am well accustomed to the world of small tanks.  Adding more plants will be a struggle in this tank without completely starting over on the scape, so just going to try working through this for a while. And agree on the BGA, it doesn't smell but surely does look like BGA and the erithromycin I ran for a week definitely helped reduce the amount in the tank. Thanks again for the advice. I may try switching to EI method, but will try boosting PPS dosage first. I hate the thought of a reduced photoperiod (less time to enjoy the tank) but I'm going to try it as a DOE to prove out if the helps / is the problem.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


If you had used erythromycin, then you are pretty much starting over the cycling process, because all your bio bacteria will have been dead. I usually move my biohome to the quarantine tank when I dose anti biotic.

I however no longer use that to combat BGA and am using this now. I have this currently stored in my cabinets, Works wonder, but do test your water for nitrate spikes daily when treating the tank.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultralife-Green-Slime-Stain-Remover/dp/B000QSK31M/ref=pd_ys_c_rfy_rp_2619533011_0?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000QSK31M&pd_rd_r=CQNFQPMBNCVJ72XGEPN8&pd_rd_w=7s1Bg&pd_rd_wg=AtTQH&psc=1&refRID=Z58FW7E0DQZFJNCHP1RV


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## guitardude9187 (Aug 22, 2006)

I just moved from Chicago to Dallas a month ago and finally decided to start off the hobby again, after 9 year, with my ADA 60p. I'm so out of the loop, I don't even know what light to use any more. I'll be subscribing to your journal for pointers. Keep up the good work!


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

I can't believe it's been over a month since an update!! Too much going on. Happy to say that everything survived Hurricane Harvey despite the destruction to the city around me.

Oddly enough, the hurricane led to me being stuck out of town for over a week, and rather than being detrimental it actually seems to have helped the 60U and cyano battle I was fighting with it. 

The 7-hr photoperiod seems to be working well, and after 1.5-wks of no dosing and only feeding every 3rd day things actually seem to be improving. Now I just need to spend some time water changing frequently and pruning everything back into shape. 

Will post some updated pics of all 3 Ultums in the next couple of days. 

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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

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## Kenneth A. Perez (Feb 10, 2017)

Looks great


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## torque6 (Jun 7, 2008)

Good to see that the recommended reduced photo period is working out for you.


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## ange062 (May 9, 2011)

Well I never got back into the groove with the tanks after the hurricane. I bought a new house shortly after and have been completely consumed with that effort, and the tanks suffered for it. Finally got around to moving over the small tanks, the 5N and 3N, but never moved the 60U. I just couldn't make it work the way I wanted in the new house, so I decided instead to sell off all of these tanks and start a new one!

I did learn that s. repens grow MUCH taller then I ever knew! They grew all the way to the surface, and then several inches above that. If you haven't seen repens grow emersed, it's pretty crazy how they start to change form in the air. They grow a crystalline structure and just look completely different. The below picture is only the beginning of the changes, it gets much more apparent if given more time. 










And to show the state of the tank before it was torn down yesterday. While overgrown, it was still healthy and all of the fish and shrimp were still alive and have been moved over to the new system. 










The 5N was also completely overgrown by the java moss, and I wasn't sure if any of the anubias or buce's had survived. 










But, while moving I pulled out literally pounds of moss to reveal healthy buce's and anubias petite underneath, that had grown substantially! Some new substrate, no moss, and the tank is back together, for now.











And, a teaser pic of the new systems. I had custom built tanks with a goal of being externally matching but one planted and one reef. More to come in a separate Tank Journal shortly including the full build out.


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