# ColeMan's 90g - Journal (56K)?



## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Okay...I'm finally ready to begin. My cabinet and canopy were just finished this weekend (the stain's still soft it's so new) and I have my lights, controllers and co2 (tank only, still need regulator, reactor, etc), so I think tonight I'm going to go ahead and install the lights. Ive got 2 eheim 2217's on the way (they should be here wednesday or thursday), and after that all i need is for customs to release the aquasoil they've been holding!! 

So i'll be brief for now and just post a single picture - me by this big tank (by the way, I may not look as happy as I should, but the picture was a bit unexpected). Note that it's actually taller than I am (I'm maybe around 5'9", so...) - I'm obviously not trying to make things easy on myself! 

I thought I'd come back and add the tank specs, since I left them out yesterday. 











Tank: 90 g, AGA 
Lighting: 48" T5HO, 4x54w Giesemann 6000k Midday, Tek II Reflectors; Neptune Systems LunarSim, AC Jr. 
Filtration: 2 x Eheim 2217
Substrate: Aquasoil
CO2: 20lb pressurized tank, regulator tfrom Orlando, DIY reactor 
Heat: 2 x 200w Hydor ETH in-line
Stand/Canopy: Birch with oak substructure

Everything will be monitored and controlled by an Aquacontroller Jr. 

Flora and Fauna are still being considered and are very much open for debate. I'd like to keep things simple and limit my flora to only a few species. As far as the non-plant inhabitants are concerned, I'm leaning towards 2-3 med-large groups of shoaling fish with a 'specimen species' (yet undecided, which means numbers are also), as well as the normal algae crew...some oto's, a few cory's and some shrimp...I'm trying to go for something that's really tranquil, so the "specimen species" is key - I may forego it altogether. Suggestions in this area would be extremely helpful...


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Massive tank. Cant wait to see the thread build on this beast. Awesome


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Dude, you weren't kidding about killing yourself with a stand that tall! The rim of my 90gal only comes to my armpit LOL

It looks great, though, and I can't wait to see it all come together!! :thumbsup:


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## JustOneMore21 (May 23, 2006)

Beautiful tank stand and canopy! And its massive! Lookin' forward to seeing the progress.


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Nice tank, can't wait to see it as it progresses.


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## jelisoner (Mar 27, 2008)

i wish i hadn't already painted the back of my 75 i could take it back and get a 90 =/


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Today (and part of last night) I got the light fixtures installed in the canopy. I ran into a few problems, but nothing too serious. The mounting holes lined up perfectly with the very edge of my canopy's lid, way too close to the edge, so i had to drill new holes in the metal mounting brackets to avoid from damaging the lid (and possibly the lights). 

Next I had to figure out a way to mount the lunar lights in between the two fixtures, as they were meant to be hung directly above the aquarium and the only real room was in a small between the two lights. I didn't want to drastically modify my nice, newly stained and sealed canopy, so i tried to figure out a way of mounting them that would allow for minimum disturbance to the canopy. 

After a walk around the hardware store, I decided the best (or at least easiest) thing to do would be to cut 4 chunks of 1x3" balsa wood (the lights needed to come down about 3" to sit flush with the main fixtures), and take these little 'blocks' and put a male piece of velcro on the top (balsa = lightweight = easy on velcro) of the balsa block and a female piece on the canopy where I wanted the light to hang. 

I attached the lunar lights to the balsa with velcro also - they're tiny and don't weigh more than 20 grams or so...So, if for any reason i need to move (or god forbid replace) the lunar lights, they're easy to take on and off. Also if I want to use them on another tank in the future, all I'll have to do is get some female velcro pieces and I'm in luck! I wrapped the wiring that connected the LED lights with electrical tape to take up any slack and help insulate from any heat that may build up from the reflectors on those parts of the wire most prone to heat exposure (ie any wire close to the reflector). Can't see (or think of) any flaws or potential problems as of yet...

In the first picture you can see the lunar light attached to the balsa and wrapped in electrical tape - the pics a bit washed out because of the reflectors, but i wanted to include it so that anyone interested could see exactly what i had done, as well as the positioning of the velcro on the lid itself...


The second picture shows the 4 LED lights "mounted" between the two banks of T5's; and the third picture, well, if you can't figure it out, then please close this window now and enroll in school. 

i gotta thank blueridgereef, who gave me the idea of using a 1x1 mounted on the top of the hood on which to connect the lights; i kinda tweaked it. He mentioned an "upside down street lamp" which kinda made me think, "why not do each light individually?" which, well, I did. Any future shortcomings (which hopefully there are none) i take full responsibility for, however!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i really like it


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

Awesome stand man. You're gonna need a stepladder to plant and do maintenence! Don't fall! lmao


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

how much longer haha


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

OKay - I haven't updated for a while because there have been very few updates...I got the ABS plastic background siliconed in place, have the aquasoil ready to go, and have been working on the plumbing for the past few hours. If I can find some .5" ID vinyl tubing tomorrow, I should be able to finish everything up plumbing-wise. 

My CO2 cylinder should be out of the shop tomorrow (it's being tested and filled) and so I hope to have the cylinder and regulator included in the final plumbing schematic tomorrow...

Similarly, I placed an order with Aqua Forest for some 'old black' driftwood based very roughly on the design of this years AGA winner http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2007.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=5(note I don not tend to emulate this aquascape; but I think we can all agree that this tank's driftwood arrangement is quite striking). George hand-picked the pieces, so I'm confident they will fit together well compositionally. I ordered a total of 10 pieces: 2 XL, 4 L, 2 M, and 2 S. 

After the wood arrives, I'll set the hardscape and then fill. I'm planning on following the cycling methodology laid forth in the shrimpnow.com thread; essentially this is based around daily-double-total-water-changes, and on day 3 after the 2nd daily water change (4th full change total). mulm from the neighbors tank will be added. If all goes as planned, the tank should cycle in around 2 weeks.

If anyone has any other suggestions regarding cycling with aquasoil or tips for successful implementation of the aforementioned method, please feel free to let me know! This will be my first time to use AS, and want it to be as painless as possible (I'm not too worried, but...)

I'll put some new pics up ASAP, though I think I'll wait until the plumbing's all finished out tomorrow. 

Oh yes: people, get your stems ready!! I'm gonna need a ton!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i've been waiting for this forever haha can't wait to see the pics


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Well make it to the meeting Sunday and you should be able to get lots of plants
pretty cheap.


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## carlos05 (Aug 8, 2006)

Can't wait to see this thing develop...I like the size of the tank and stand. It really stands out


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Okay - so my order from Aqua Forest Aquarium came in today. I ordered 8 pieces of driftwood (2XL, 4L, 2M, and 2S) and am now in the process of trying to place them in the tank. I've been working on it for about 2 hours now, and so far have nothing; I've come up with a few good preliminary designs, but his will take some time. I'm sure once I get it how I like it I'll knock it all over anyway, but at least i'll have an idea of where the individual pieces go.

The wood itself looks great, and the pieces match well...it's just a matter of placing properly. I can't do a "dry mock up" since the wood really needs to be anchored in the substrate for the effect I'm after, so that makes it about 2000 times more difficult. Good thing my other order didn't come today or I think I'd feel rushed; since I can't finish plumbing the tank until Monday at least, Ill have the weekend to ponder driftwood (how exciting). I'll update with some pictures this evening, or maybe sooner than that depending on how ambitious I get. Perhaps I'll even post some pics of the preliminary designs. Be back soon...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

pics please i really want to see your wood (not in a gross way haha)


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Sounds exciting.

Maybe you can stuff towels under the wood to act like a fake substrate to help prop it up?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

And I'm back...
Two quick pictures, both, well, not too terribly exciting. It looks rather boring and one-dimensional, but its quite nice in the tank (it's the old black wood type). One is of the driftwood I ordered all laid out...on the RUG! The other is an under tank shot, just because I feel like i need to show some progress. The DC8 and LunarSim are mounted on the left, the AC Jr. will be mounted most likely on the inside of the cabinet door. My original plan involved having the AC Jr. on a gooseneck, mounted up under the tank (inside the cabinet) near the top so I could swing it out of the way as needed. I couldn't find an appropriate gooseneck fixture (I have some for mic stands and they're too stiff; this seemed to be a common issue), so I'll have to make due. My CO2 reactor is back to the right, out of the picture - I have it secured to the inside corner of my stand with velcro (I love velcro...it's non-permanent, which is good for me since I like to make mistakes).

I need to remember that there are going to be plants in the tank also...Whenever I start getting the wood in I think to myself, "this looks like a damn reptile cage or petrified forest or something," so I need to reassure myself that things will be okay...maybe...someday...:smile:


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

Looking good Coleman,very nice set up!

Very nice and interesting wood too,but it is the filters that are the most impressive.:icon_wink JK LOL


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

every things going to be just fine you have no plants in there and i bet it will make a ton of difference. that and water  sucks your hoses didn't come in. love the look of the wood and your equipment. can't wait to see a tank shot


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Looking top shelf Cole. Well done. I cant wait to see how you assemble your hard scape..


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## Freon (May 4, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> Okay - so my order from Aqua Forest Aquarium came in today. I ordered 8 pieces of driftwood (2XL, 4L, 2M, and 2S) and am now in the process of trying to place them in the tank. I've been working on it for about 2 hours now, and so far have nothing; I've come up with a few good preliminary designs, but his will take some time. I'm sure once I get it how I like it I'll knock it all over anyway, but at least i'll have an idea of where the individual pieces go.
> 
> The wood itself looks great, and the pieces match well...it's just a matter of placing properly. I can't do a "dry mock up" since the wood really needs to be anchored in the substrate for the effect I'm after, so that makes it about 2000 times more difficult. Good thing my other order didn't come today or I think I'd feel rushed; since I can't finish plumbing the tank until Monday at least, Ill have the weekend to ponder driftwood (how exciting). I'll update with some pictures this evening, or maybe sooner than that depending on how ambitious I get. Perhaps I'll even post some pics of the preliminary designs. Be back soon...


Once you get a feeling of where you want your driftwood you can always mount it on plexiglass to anchor it. Especially if configuring several small pieces together. Take a dremel and cut bottom of wood at an angle. Pre drill the holes then mount with stainless steel screws to various pieces of plexi glass you can get cut at Home depot. I will be doing this with Manzanita bundles I have coming. Good luck to you.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Last night I stayed up and got the driftwood positioned (at least for now) and finished all of the plumbing work. I need to get a few odds and ends (python, large bucket, media bag [I'm going to run a bit of zeolite in my filter for a little bit to help with NH4] some plastic tupperware containers for my fertilizers), and then in goes the water. I'm hoping to have water in shortly after noon, and I'll have some pics up both before I fill it and after I fill it (when it will no doubt be an opaque, muddy mess)! 

The plan after that is pretty simple (actually, maybe not): program the AC Jr., watch for any potential problems with equipment and check the swap and shop like a maniac for plants (and probably go ahead and place an order with aqua botanic)...I'm also going to try to keep my job, so I'll probably end up breaking down and doing some work here and there.

Oh yeah, I started a photobucket account so hopefully I'll figure out how to embed images within a post rather than posting them as attachments; I know I prefer the former, so hopefully this will enhance viewing pleasure.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So here's what I came up with for a *preliminary* driftwood arrangement. This is the first time I've been somewhat satisfied with the composition. Every once in a while I'll think it needs some rock-work, but the fact of the matter is that I want more area for planting - the driftwood takes up enough of the tanks footprint as it is (even more one ferns and mosses are added to the wood and shade the areas below), so I think I'm satisfied, at least temporarily. EVen though it looks kind of sparse, it's important to keep in mind that things will fill in (obviously) once the appropriate plants find their way to me. 

Comments much appreciated...water going in later this evening, more pics to come...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i told you the wood would turn out. it's lookin really good. i like the way the intakes and outflows are can barely tell there there


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

thanks nate! Hopefully after some stems go in those back corners they'll be even more difficult to see. The canopy design allows for the spray bars to be hidden as well - they're in there, believe it or not, but since the "reveal" on the canopy is ~3 inches or so, the spraybars can stay both submerged _and_ out of sight. The only downside is that it takes away from the viewing area, but i don't think it will bother me that much. 

I've ordered a few plants, mostly ferns (actually all ferns). I bought a massive thin-leaf java fern and bobitis (both from lynny), as well as some other narrow leaf java (one big plant and a handful of plantlets). So, the ferns will obviously be the first new additions; the first batch should be in on Thursday. Still looking for stems; at this point I won't be too particular, as most of them will probably end up floating for a few weeks to help cycle the AS and allow me more time to concentrate on plans for the aquascape. 

I should get some water in the tank here in the next few hours; right now I'm finishing up the under-tank cleanup, trying to take care of all sorts of loose wires and whatnot - will post pics of the 'finished' under-cabinet fiasco before too long.

Oh yes, on a slightly sour note, I think someone bumped the knob on my CO2 tank (it couldn't have possibly been me, I don't think) that allowed for a very slow leak over the course of the past week; not quite sure yet, but I have a feeling that my PSI will be a bit low, but it's okay for now seeing as it's a 20# tank...No worries though, my CO2 guy only charges $14 for a 20# refill! He has a 2 550 gallon ponds, so he likes me a bit more than his other customers (i think)...I'm pretty sure he doesn't have any other aquarist customers, though I could be wrong.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I just finished filling the tank a little bit ago, and I'm really impressed with the _lack_ of cloudiness (ie clarity). I had absolutely no issue with any murky water, which I really kind of expected in light of some of the stories I've heard from others. I did fill my tank very slow, which no doubt attributed to it's clarity, and I also had my driftwood essentially set before filling as well. 

So here's a pic; it looks a bit sparse, but I've got plans...and slowly and surely this thing will come together. I'm going to plant the what I would consider the "skeleton" plants first; that is those plants that will fill in the large voids in the driftwood arrangements (especially the one on the center right group, where the large bolbitis or narrow leaf java fern will go, though we'll see; these things are always subject to change). So far everything is working out very well, no major problems to report as of yet (my fingers are crossed here - I know I'll find something). 

And, of course, I'm truly impressed with my eheims - they're soooo quiet. And though I have no real measure, the flow seems excellent. Easy to prime, about 10 seconds before the air was out...really pleasant experience. 

So that's that for now. Lights off until Thursday; large water change tomorrow evening. I've got floss, sponges and ehfimech in one canister (and a bag of purigen) and ehfimech, sponges, efhisubstrat and bag of zeolite in the other (might as well for now - I'm interested to test NH4 tomorrow; I want to see just how high it will go).

OH...and I HATE powersand; I didn't disturb the substrate that much when I was arranging the driftwood (and I didn't move a grain other than those that floated when filling the tank), and it seems that a great deal has already worked its way to the surface -it looks like little gold nuggets, like I'm trying to create a california gold rush biotope or something!...good thing I'm gonna plant the hell out of it so that someday in the future you won't be able to see it... 

seriously, the water only got this cloudy - this is right after filling...


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## DiscusIt'sWhats4DinneR (Apr 25, 2008)

the stand/canopy are... very very nice


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## MikeS (Apr 27, 2008)

Looks good so far! Can't wait to see how this turns out.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

thats a nice lookin tank happy to see water is holdin and no leaks


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

You and me both, Nate! And thanks for the kind words...not much to report, though I am doing some final tooling with the driftwood arrangement...

I think that the hardscape seems rather weak at this point, but I'm confident that once I get some plants in I'll be able to begin "layering" textures, etc. to make everything come together. Like I said, I consider some of the big plants I'm getting - the narrow leaf java and bolbitis - to be (almost) part of the hardscape; once their in place, I'll have a much better idea of what needs to be done. 

Anyone have any suggestions? Be nice...


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

ColeMan -

I don't know how I missed your thread until now, but I did. The stand looks fantastic. Very ornate. I can't wait to see how this one fills in!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks, Biscuit; really much more excited to see your stand all finished. 

I just calibrated my pH probe and did some initial programming on the AC Jr. I've got to say that I'm really impressed with how easy it is to program; very basic commands that are super easy to change and understand. 

So when I first started planning my tank about 3 months ago, I tested my tapwater and got a report from the city. At the time, my pH (or that of my water, rather) was somewhere in the vicinity of 8 - 8.2. The tapwater is no reading about 7.66 out of the tap. My tank? It's at 5.54. I'm sure this can be attributed to the AS, as there's no CO2 injection as of yet (nor is their any photoperiod; essentially I've been running the tank dark so I can test all the plumbing and get things situated). This afternoon I plan on doing a massive water change, and later this evening the plant should see its first inhabitants, depending on the diligence (or lackthereof) of the USPS. 

Any comments about the pH? Is a 2 point+ drop normal with AS, or is it the fact that I haven't done a massive water change yet (my guess)?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

It seems I've answered my own question: the aquasoil was responsible for the low pH. After a 50% water change, the pH is steady at 6.66, though should fall off as the AS does its business. 

And got the java narrow leaf today; looks great, though haven't placed it permanently yet as I have that other, larger order coming in I don't want to have to do things twice. 

And I finished programming the AC jr. It's the bees knees! It's a wonderful device, and I know that it's going to save me time (or at least energy) in the future. Now I just need to find that thread on making it wireless...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

what do you mean wireless what would be wireless


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Scolley has his big kahuna hooked up wireless. He has a wireless router plugged directly into it, and the wireless router is inside his cabinet.

Its probably similar to the way I have my wife's computer hooked up to my network. I have my wired network on a class C network (254 usable addresses), and I have a wireless router on my wife's desk. The router has a subnet of the class C (16 addresses , with 14 being usable). So I can use my PSP, laptop from work, etc on the wireless network.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I've been meaning to update my progress for some time, but the tank is in the throes of cycling itself, finding a happy medium...NO major issues to report, just the typical: a bit of GSA on the glass, which is easily taken care of with a swift scrub with the mag float...I've posted a few times about the planaria/cyclops; well, I don't see the planaria anymore, and the cyclops seem to be less prevalent. 

I ordered some plants from aquabotanic - anubias, rotala nanjenshan, and some d. diandra (I can't resist - i love this plant). After I get these guys planted I'll try to get some pics up, as things seem to be progressing rather nicely. Some of my willow moss looks a bit under the weather, which at this point I'm attributing to high temperature. Nate_Mcnasty was kind enough to send me 4 fans to help cool the tank; I should get them in the mail today or tomorrow Hopefully these guys will allow me to drop the temp down below 83 degrees...I can most certainly say, however, that taiwan moss does much better at higher temps than willow moss, at least in my tank...not a revelation I know, but interesting nonetheless - my taiwan moss is doing really well, the willow moss...

I also added some more flow via a koralia 3 positioned in the lower, right hand side of the aquarium. In hindsight, I probably should have purchased 2 smaller koralias, but...too late now. No complaints about the flow, etc. with this guy, as it seems to be plenty! I have it controlled on a random schedule, 1-10 minutes off, 1-10 minutes on. If I were to have been smart and purchased, for instance , 2 koralia nano-size powerheads (or something appropriately small), I could have set them to oscillate on opposite ends of the tank; this is probably what I'll end up doing, so watch the swap n shop for a gently used koralia 3 powerhead...I'm still deciding what I want to do. 

As far as water parameters are concerned, well...ammonia is still hovering between .25 and .5, which is, really all I'm monitoring at this point...My dosing seems on par, although I upped the phosphate a touch to try and battle the GSA - my CO2 levels have been very consistent, and so I believe the culprit to be phosphate deficiency (I was dosing light on the phosphates at first, and it seems to have not worsened since I upped the dose). I'm not dosing Nitrates (KNO3) at all, as I'm sure the AS is taking care of that with all that lovely ammonia it's leaching into the water. 

So...all in all, no major problems, things are just as I'd expected them to be at this point, though I was hopeful that the tank would have cycled by now - soon enough, I'm sure. I feel pretty lucky I haven't had any worse problems with algae, as my tank is not as heavily planted as it should be...I've controlled the algae (I think) through maintaing consistent CO2 levels and limiting m photoperiod to ~7 hours, 108 watts. And dosing consistently, which I started 1 week after adding plants. So far, plants include narrow leaf java, blyxa (really doing very,very well), some eleocharis acicularis (note I'll be selling the blyxa soon, as I had planned on doing an HC foreground with blyxa as midground plant - i don't think it's to contrast well against the tall eleocharis in front), also doing exceptional, if I do say so myself. I've also got some bolbitis, which I really trimmed down to encourage denser growth, and some cryptocoryne spiralis, which melted like ice cream on a hot summer day after being introduced to my tank. It seems to be already perking up, however, so hopefully within the next few weeks it will start to really perk up and put on some growth. So as of now, the scape is a bit pedestrian...But time should make things better. The plan's in place, it's just a matter of time and execution now...I'll get some pics up after the plants come from aquabotanic.

Sorry for the boring post - I know, too many words, not enough pictures. I'll work on getting some good pics.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i liked the post pictures can't tell you what the water is doing
i know tunze makes a great power head they use less watts but they will cost you a buck you might want to look into them many people use them for reefs not so much for planted tanks


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

here's a question (maybe someone will answer it...): 
The new koralia powerhead in the tank, it's on a random on cycle. When it kicks on, it makes that "rock stuck in an impeller" noise that pumps and the like make on certain occasions. Any ideas? Anyone experience similar noisy start with hydor koralias, or should i inspect the impeller, etc?

Edit - Okay, an hour later I 've found the culprit - a tiny air bubble trapped in the impeller shaft. Pretty quiet now...yay.


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

ColeMan said:


> ...Sorry for the boring post - I know, too many words, not enough pictures. I'll work on getting some good pics.


Hells yeah, work on getting some good pics!!! I 've been waiting to see this thing planted for a while!! I'll even settle for some not-so-good pics:icon_eek:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

roybot73 said:


> Hells yeah, work on getting some good pics!!! I 've been waiting to see this thing planted for a while!! I'll even settle for some not-so-good pics:icon_eek:


Ditto!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Oh they're coming - my rotala nanjenshan should be here today - if it comes, I'll plant them and get some pics....I'm considering buying a new camera - like a digital/SLR style - anyone have any suggestions?


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## klumsyninja (Apr 16, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> Oh they're coming - my rotala nanjenshan should be here today - if it comes, I'll plant them and get some pics....I'm considering buying a new camera - like a digital/SLR style - anyone have any suggestions?


I bought a cannon G9 and am very happy with it. way more value than the entry level dslr's as far as I'm concerned but I'm no pro photographer or anything. I'm going to have to get a macro lens for it soon too.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So I've been having an issue with my Koralia 3 powerhead. It's controlled by my AC Jr., which I have set to turn the pump on for 1-10 minutes and off for 1-10 minutes at random. Well, every time the powerhead turns on, the impeller jumps out of the housing a bit and makes a loud noise for about 1/2 a second. It doesn't last long (thank god) but is very, very annoying). I've sent Hydor an e-mail inquiring about this problem, and have yet to get a response. I found this on another forum :

So still no word from Hydor, but I did find a post on another random forum that discussed the issue: 

*Originally Posted by some random person*:
I thought the same thing about the voltage, I haven't seen a wave maker from hydor so I assume it hasnt happened yet. *I wasn't sure if thier was a way to put some kind of spacer in the pump to keep it from slapping when it came on.*

On another note i remember visiting hydors site about 4 months ago when i bought the pumps and it was in english. now i believe its in italian, did they get bought out recently or something?
*The slapping is caused by the opposing forces of the magnetic coupler. We all have taken a magnet and reversed ends. The Koralia's magnetic coupling is one tube inside another. When the power is switched on, the magnet "jumps" and because of the resistance of the water on the impeller, it doesn't "catch" and that causes the motor to speed up and the magnet skips several more times before it "catches" the other magnet*. Does that make any sense??? It does in my mind but, may not come across correctly. 
*
A few posts later someone mentioned this*: 
I tried using a wave maker with my 2 Koralia 3's and the rattle noise got to me. Is there a mode for these to keep them from rattling?
I put up with the rattle for several months and realized one day they didn't rattle anymore. I noticed the impeller is covered with a thin coat of algae. I wonder if that is the difference? It may have slowed them down a bit. Not sure though because they still move a lot of water.


There was also some talk that the wave-making function that is most appropriate would be one that simply increased and decreased impeller speed - I wish my AC could do that - but I'm almost certain it cannot.

So, does anyone have any suggestions or comments about this problem? Should i simply increase the time in which it's on, so it's not having to start as often? Should I sell the damn thing and get another powerhead? Should I wait for some algae growth around the impeller to see if it smoothes things out a bit?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

tunze thats what you should get so your happy forever and save money on the power bill


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

yeah yeah yeah...you're probably right. I *think* I may have solved the problem...but we'll see.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

nope. I just heard it. damn - it was working fine (silently) there for a while. now what...should I just raok the thing and hope for some good karma? Is there a better powerhead to use with a controller? This is really bothering me..It's like a noisy bicycle chain - I hate noisy tanks...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

maxi jets are reliable and cheap and you can by a mod so they have the propeller like the one you have and they work great on ac jrs


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Dude, we need some pics here...


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Here's a side pic - I can't get any good front shots becasue of the glare, so this will have to suffice. I'm still trying to gather stems to fill in some big holes, but things are progressing, and I suppose that's all you can ask for. And considering I haven't had any maddening algae outbreaks (knock on wood), I feel pretty good about the progress. Please note that the water appears a bit cloudier than normal as all of my purigen bags are currently being recharged - note to self, do not use all purigen bags at the same time (this should be a no-brainer).

Umm...also...well, I guess that's it. It's still a work in progress and needs many, many more plants before it can be considered fully planted - I've just been dragging my feet. And, to be quite honest, I can't plant in a tank that deep for more than 2 hours at a time...I get cranky and cramped. 

And, another wonderful update - my NH4 was 0 today, finally. We'll see if it holds. I haven't done a WC since Wednesday, so I feel fairly confident things have finally started to level out. I think I'll start dosing KNO3 tomorrow after the WC, as I have yet to dose it but haven't really noticed any deficiencies. I suppose I should invest in a nitrate/phosphate test kit, but I've done okay without it so far. I noticed some GSA on the glass and upped my phosphates a bit and, well, no more GSA. At first glance it seems counter-intuitive to dose to control algae, but here again is testament against the myth that nutrients induce algae.










I might add that there are c. spiralis planted along the back (which you can't really see since they're recovering form their move into my tank), a group of d. diandra (i need more of this - pm me if you've got some) and a bunch of r. nanjenshan (also need a ton more, pleas pm me if you've got some). The stems are so short you cant yet see them very well...but soon enough. 

I'm still trying to decide on what to plant in the big empty area in the foreground (of this particular picture - actually the tank's midground)...

There's a touch of willow moss that breathed it's last breath last night sometime that you can see sort of waving in the current ont he end of a piece of driftwood - it just couldn't take the temps in the lower 80's. The taiwan moss is doing well. I'll get better pics up later.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

wow it looks awesome better than i thought it would. cuz i didn't know you were gettin that many plants not that it looked bad to begin with.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Ha!! Thanks, nate...Hopefully I'll be able to fill in the rest of the scape in the next week or so. I just got some more r. nanjenshan and a bit more taiwan moss...but I definitely need some more plants...some dense plants...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i love red plants! i think it would look awesome to have one or two groups of red plands


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Yeah...I agree, I'm open for any suggestions. I've been looking around and can;t really decide on what I want.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Wow! Cole, the tank looks great. A job well done. Im the same way with my camera skills, I cant seem to get good shot's for the life of me.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

Eustralis stellata "red" i think this is a cool looking plant


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Finally!

Looks good from the end, can't wait to see the full shot!

I can see some Crypts in the empty space - 'Tropica', or 'Mi Oya' perhaps?


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Coleman -

C'mon man. What kind of an update picture is that? Thats like a teaser. 

If glare from light behind you is the problem, then try taking the picture at night after the sun goes down. I think the better pictures are taken at night anyway.

Post some real pictures this time .


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

BiscuitSlayer said:


> Coleman -
> 
> C'mon man. What kind of an update picture is that? Thats like a teaser.
> 
> ...


lol, youre killin' us man:icon_bigg


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

here's one - please mind the GSA on the back pane of glass - I forgot to clean it earlier today and is leftover from when I was under-dosing phosphates - It really shows up at night! It's really amazing how quickly it cleared up (besides that spot in the back - d'oh) - well, actually I removed it via the mag-float and it hasn't grown back...I'm posting it so you guys can get a general idea as per the design of the tank - also not the anubias have not yet been secured and consequently have been moved "off course" so to speak, by the koralia, which I'm happy to report is only making the loud noise at startup about 50% of the time now! 

As you can tell, I need a TON more plants, but they're coming slowly but surely...You can't really see the r. nanjenshan on the left (they're not tall enough yet) or the c. spiralis (still recovering from the melt). The d. diandra is doing well and enjoying it's new conditions; it's coloration suffered a bit during shipping, but it's already looking better. 











I'll get some better pics after the I clean the residual GSA and add some purigen to clear things up a bit...here's a pic "under the hood" so to speak, now that everything is up and running. I'm keeping my pH pretty low - around 5.6 - and have yet to see any deviation. I haven't yet tracked it via the AC Jr. as I need one more cable to get to my laptop PC.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Outstanding Cole! This is going to be looking very nice. Your selection of plants and substrate layout is superb. Well done Cole!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm so glad i have a desktop comp less than 9 feet away from my ac jr

any ideas on other plants you want in there/ fish/inverts


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks Orlando! 

lucky you nate! I have to get another cord to go from the serial cable to USB so I can hook it up to my laptop - it's the only PC that's still alive in the house, otherwise I'm an apple guy, which is good and bad in these situations. I could run a windows platform on my mac, but why bother? I'll just use the dell! No firm plans on fish yet; as far as inverts, I think I'll keep it pretty simple with just amano's. Plants...well, I'm in the process of deciding. I need more d. diandra and r. nanjenshan both; I'll be geting the rotala on wednesday but I
ll have to find the diandra. I'd like to maybe add some c. balansae or something similar to the background, maybe some Eleocharis montevidensis...

I can't wait for my bolbitis to grow in nice and healthy - they're showing good signs of new growth so I'll be able to cut off the last of the remaining nasty large leaves this week...


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Which AS are you using, Cole- I or II?

Looks fantastic- and will only keep looking better once those stems fill in. roud: 

I also can't wait till you decide on fish and start your stocking- that really makes it all just come "alive" :icon_smil I'm voting for a nice school of Congo tetras... just so I can live through you :hihi:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I'm using AS Amazonia II - no problem's with clouding or anything else. I just got my first 0 NH4 reading yesterday, and it read the same today so I think I've surmounted the hill! The other day I pointed (accidentally) my koralia 3 straight down into the substrate and it blew up a pretty decent sized cloud of dust, but it was settled within 20 minutes as clear as you see it now. When the purigen's in the canisters (it's being recharged - I'm on the dechlor stage now) it looks nice and clear...

hey - living vicariously thorough others is what this game's all about - since we all can't have 347 tanks in our homes (the exact number of tanks I would need to satisfy all of my wildest dreams), we have to get involved with everyone elses! I love congo's and I think they'd look really nice in there, especially since the overall look I'm going for is one with mostly darker shades of green...I think I'm going to switch out one of the geismann middays...it's just a bit to "midday" for me!

All I can seem to see in the pic is the GSA so I'm going to have to go take care of that and replace the pic on the previous post! It's bugging me to death! I can't believed I missed such a large (and obvious) spot!!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i like the c. balansae but i'm not much a fan of hairgrass. i'm going to be trying some dark red cherry's if i'm successful at breeding would you want some??


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

nate_mcnasty said:


> i like the c. balansae but i'm not much a fan of hairgrass. i'm going to be trying some dark red cherry's if i'm successful at breeding would you want some??


you'd better believe it! I know what you mean about the e. acicularis (there was a very brief mention of it on CmLaracy's thread recently, I believe), but I'm enjoying it at this point. I think once it grows in full and thick I'll get bored with it - my girlfriend really wanted it and, well, I just couldn't say no! It's really taken off and is doing quite well, and the extra-wide flow from the koralia means debris doesn't get stuck in it. I'll be honest with you - I'm not looking forward to trimming it! At this point it's growing really well, has sent out tons of runners and is as green as can be, so I'll be just fine with it. I like the fine texture, and I think it will be complemented well by the r. nanjenshan.

I thought that mimicking the texture of the E. acicularis in front with a bit of E. montevidensis might be an effective way to unite the foreground and background...but I could be wrong - I'm up for experimenting at this point, though. I'm not averse to buying plants, putting them in my tank and saying, "no, I don't think so" and selling them on the swap and shop; it's all about patience and making things work. This is my first aquascape in 5 years, and it's undoubtedly the most patient I've been with a tank. Although at this point it leaves much to be desired, I think that with some fine-tuning (and luck), over the next few months I can really have it in good shape.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Cole- if you can't find the pink Geisemann bulb, I'd encourage you to look at the 18k Hagen Power-Glo bulbs... again pink in color. I can't seem to find a pic of the spectrum online (it's printed on the box) but the strongest peak is red- which is great for bringing out the reds in your plants. It looks great combined with other spectrums. Here's Hagen's combination suggestions http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/gloreminder/facts10.html


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks for the link! I'm definitely going to have to change some bulbs around...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

awesome i might just trade you for plants and i'll send you cherrys. i'm getting some Sulawesi Snails too! i'm getting them for dads day haha
i don't think the hairgrass will look bad it's just not my first pick but if the girl likes it you have to get it haha


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

ColeMan said:


> here's one - please mind the GSA on the back pane of glass - I forgot to clean it earlier today and is leftover from when I was under-dosing phosphates...


Ah, much better. Things really look like they are starting to fill in. I like it!


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## MARIMOBALL (Mar 18, 2007)

Cole, the tank looks great. I prefer an all green tank with no reds but different shades of green. Thats just my preference. BTW Current makes pink bulbs. I have them on my Current T5HO.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

This was my original intent, though I simply couldn't pass on d. diandra - it's been a plant I've enjoyed for quite some time. I'm hoping some new bulbs in addition to the midday's will make the diandra (and other plants for that matter) look less yellow and more deep green.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

lauraleellbp said:


> Cole- if you can't find the pink Geisemann bulb, I'd encourage you to look at the 18k Hagen Power-Glo bulbs... again pink in color. I can't seem to find a pic of the spectrum online (it's printed on the box) but the strongest peak is red- which is great for bringing out the reds in your plants. It looks great combined with other spectrums. Here's Hagen's combination suggestions http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/gloreminder/facts10.html


I thought it wasn't a good idea to match spectrum colors between bulbs and plant colors. I seem to remember in a college biology class that green leafed plants don't utilize green light at all. Wouldn't the same hold true for red leafed plants and a bulb that produces light mainly in the red spectrum?

I could be completely off base here, just thought I would bring it up.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

^ I think what you learned in Biology class is true-- but the purpose of using these types of bulbs wouldn't necessarily be for the _plants_ as much as it would be for the _viewer of the plants_.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Church said:


> ^ I think what you learned in Biology class is true-- but the purpose of using these types of bulbs wouldn't necessarily be for the _plants_ as much as it would be for the _viewer of the plants_.


Exactly  Red plants won't look red unless there's red being directed at them for the plants to reflect. Red plants absorb green light.

In contrast, green plants absorb the red light, so it's good all around to have a red bulb over a planted tank :thumbsup:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So I just went in and tested my water - let's hear some water talk...

pH: 5.60
NH3/4: .25
NO2: 0 
NO3: ooops...looks like I forgot to stock up on this guy...
GH: 3
KH: 1


my low KH is slightly concerning, and has me a bit confused...my drop checker is indicating CO2 levels are optimal, but the CO2 chart would suggest that they were in fact too high (~75 ppm)! - with a KH of around 1 and a pH around 5.5, it would seem like i would have slightly under 30 ppm of CO2...should i raise the pH to around 6.0 via reducing CO2 injection? I know that low KH means that less total carbon is available when compared to water with the same CO2 ppm with a higher KH....my pH has been stable (like a rock), and my plants are pearling 0 would raising my pH make more carbon available, and is this actually done by decreasing CO2? Am I way over-thinking this? since I'm dosing phosphates, does this throw the whole thing off (the chart/reagent testing)? the plants are pearling like crazy (even the anubias), but at what point would the high CO2 levels begin to be detrimental to snails?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

If you set up the DC correctly, then I would trust that more than the chart, epecially in the initial cycling with the AS. The kH is wacky though. I think this is also a AS thing.

If plants ar pealring, let it go.

BTW, I have some diandra for you. Shoot me your address, will try and get in the mail tomorrow if you want. Not alot, but enough for you to play with.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

okay - because I don't trust myself counting to 5 I re-tested both my KH and GH, both out of the tap and in the tank:

In tank: 
KH: 1
GH: 3

Tap water: 
KH: 3
GH: 5

I feel a bit more comfortable with these numbers...so that would mean...75.357 ppm of CO2? hmm...a bit high...


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

I may be wrong here, but I think the further down on the chart you go, the less accurate it gets.

BTW...we need some tank pics here. You are going to have a mutiny on your hands. Your getting as bad as CMLaracy. (sorry chris, but you haven't posted pics lately either.lol)


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

gmccreedy said:


> I may be wrong here, but I think the further down on the chart you go, the less accurate it gets.
> 
> BTW...we need some tank pics here. You are going to have a mutiny on your hands. Your getting as bad as CMLaracy. (sorry chris, but you haven't posted pics lately either.lol)


school finals + algae troubles = no fotos LOL.... All problems resolved though, everything is back on track, you'll have your pics soon enough 

nice tank cole, sry for thread jackin'


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

you thread jack away...i do it all the time and to be honest usually enjoy the digressions....the calcualtions I was using were based on this calculator at Chuck Gadd's (bottom of page), since most charts _don't_ go that low...http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm.

I suppose that since my pH has been stable, that's a good sign.

And good luck on your finals! Shouldn't school be out by now?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Just reposting for you Coleman from a few posts up if you missed it. I have some diandra for you. Shoot me your address, will try and get in the mail tomorrow if you want. Not alot, but enough for you to play with.

Chris, all out of good fun my man!  Can't let you slide that easy. I have fish and plants all over my dining room right now, its quite a sight. My wife is just thrilled to death.

Cole, love the AC jr. Only thing I don't like, you can't program by day of the week, but aparently they are working that into an upgrade later (and I know this because I am a nosey annoying person and bug the hell out of tech support...lol)


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I think the guys at neptune think I'm pretty annoying too! I totally agree about the days of the week programming - I was just thinking about that earlier today...seriously! Thought I could program in a random cloudy day here or there, and was thinking either individual day timers or making a random feature available within certain values (I wanted to do this to vary the length of time of the noon burst on a random day to day basis, somewhere between 1-4 hours, between the hours of 11 and 3 pm, for instance)  

Let me ask you this: I'm trying to find a cable to go from the DB9 (female) at the end of the serial cable to USB, since the only PC I have is a laptop: know where I can find one? I need to re-program the values for the seasonal lighting and temperature variations...

I'm really impressed with the AC Jr's user-friendliness and multiplicity of functions. I seem to get a slight interference with my pH probe when the lights are on/off, but I'm working on minimizing it through probe placement...How quickly the outlets in the DC8 get filled up! If I ever use auto-dosing I'll have to get a DC4 probably. The LunarSim is awesome, by the way - I really like how it changes not only duration but intensity; really, really fun to watch, although sometimes it freaks me out a bit! I can't recommend the AC Jr. highly enough, and I think they're on sale at Marine Depot right now...

Thanks for the offer on the d. diandra! I'll send you my address and whatnot!


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

gmccreedy said:


> Chris, all out of good fun my man!  Can't let you slide that easy. I have fish and plants all over my dining room right now, its quite a sight. My wife is just thrilled to death.


Indeed! Just messin with ya Glenn  

el oh el @ your wife & dining room, got a good laugh out of that one


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

ColeMan said:


> I think the guys at neptune think I'm pretty annoying too! I totally agree about the days of the week programming - I was just thinking about that earlier today...seriously! Thought I could program in a random cloudy day here or there, and was thinking either individual day timers or making a random feature available within certain values (I wanted to do this to vary the length of time of the noon burst on a random day to day basis, somewhere between 1-4 hours, between the hours of 11 and 3 pm, for instance)
> 
> Let me ask you this: I'm trying to find a cable to go from the DB9 (female) at the end of the serial cable to USB, since the only PC I have is a laptop: know where I can find one? I need to re-program the values for the seasonal lighting and temperature variations...
> 
> ...


No whatnot, just send me the address.

For the cable, try here. www.cablestogo.com/ I got a 50' extension cable for the serial cable to reach my PC. They may have the right adaptor for you though.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Found the cable! Got it locally actually, and have it hooked up right now. I'm going to be entering a new latitude and longitude to simulate, and am thinking somewhere along the orinoco river in venezuela? Anyone have any suggestions for specific latitude/longitude to simulate the photoperiod for? What about seasonal temperature variations? I Was going to enter the values by hand, and was thinking that the upper levels should be around 80.5 F (for august), all the way down to 77.0 in January. Anyone have thoughts? 

Here are some daytime pics, so by default they suck! However, things are just pearling away so I just couldn't resist...even my moss is pearling (we'll see if it shows up in the picture I took or not). Still looking for a good deal on a good-quality digital SLR camera, if anyone has any suggestions...


















I have no idea what that white line is in the bottom pic near the end of the piece of driftwood...it's not in the tank, I can assure you that! Uh-oh-forgot to dose the tank today...got to go do it now...I prefer to do it earlier in the plants' photoperiod, but it probably doesn't matter too much...or does it?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Dosing is really a matter of what works for you, but plants do take up nutrients in the dark FWIW.

I dose in the morning.

Ahh...so your using the variable seasonal control feature. This should be interesting.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

sure, but i wonder if nutrient uptake is at all dependent on the time of day; I would suppose that it is to a certain extent, but I would imagine dosing in general (EI in particular) would keep sufficient levels of nutrients to allow for plants to still photosynthesize regardless...

I think for me part of it is the fact that with submerged plants I can actually see one products of al that work that the plants do: 02. Intense pearling always reminds me of how hard my plants are working, and it makes sense (at least in my head - like i said, this is probably a false assumption - or at least i'm missing something) that dosing before or early on in the photosynthetic period would allow ensure maximum plant growth potential during that period...for instance it would make sense to dose before a "noon burst" to me, though _I'm sure_ that it is unnecessary, especially for those of us that dose with any sort of frequency...

I indeed will be using the seasonal temp variation - why not, right? It won't have any noticeable effect on my end....but the fish, well...maybe they'll feel a bit more at 'home'...or at least in touch...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

oh man i can't wait to set my ac jr up. i get a big smile thinking about what i could do. i'm getting the shrimp in tomorrow i hope i do well with them


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

i just used the data log feature and I think it may have helped me determine, at least in part, some of the confusion I'm having with my CO2/pH issues. I noticed that the pH spiked after the light went off...:icon_idea hello? Electrical interference in the pH probe! I turn off one bank of lights the pH goes from 5.61 to 5.82, maximum 8.6; but I'm confident the reading I had all day (at 5.61) is accurate, as it is the pH when the lights are off and there would be no electrical interference. Is it possible for the interference to only affect the probe for a short amount of time...that is, can the probe compensate at some point? Still really confused as to how to compensate for this myself, so rather than compensate, how can I fix the problem? PLEASE don't tell me I'm going to have to go over to reefcentral again...I don't know if I can handle that! 

Oh yes: good luck with your shrimp nate. make sure you get some pics up whenever you get them. Are these going in your little nano tank? Is it done cycling already?

Let me add this: if the pH reading was around ~.2 off (high) with the lights on, wouldn't the controller dropped pH to 5.4 (~.2 below where it is set) during the day? and if so...that would mean that the pH reading right after the lights were off (and there was no longer the "interference") be 5.4 instead of the 5.6 that it reads (which is, like i said, right where I have it set)?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

yup for the nano the amonia reads 0(a new aip) and i have zolite running just in case it was wrong. i'll get some pics when they settle in so they don't look to bad. i got some sawulei snails on the way to


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

ColeMan said:


> And I finished programming the AC jr. It's the bees knees! It's a wonderful device, and I know that it's going to save me time (or at least energy) in the future. Now I just need to find that thread on making it wireless...


BiscuitSlayer had it perfect in his post - assuming it was an AC III . It's not hard on those. I have an AC Jr, and one of the principal reasons that I upgraded was that it's TOUGH to network an AC Jr. Beyond my skills...

But don't let that stop you from enjoying that controller. The AC jr. is a SWEET little piece of hardware that you should be proud of an enjoy! And if you DO figure out how to network it, PLEASE do post a thread... and please send me a PM - in case I miss it. I would love to know!


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

Sweet, Sweet... roud: ...not sure how I've missed this thread!


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Coleman, 

What kind of lights do you have? There is a temp compensation for pH in the controller interface. So if you lights are adding heat to the water (or its directly near the pH probe), that may be interfering with the readings. Its on the config -> Configuration Tab. See if this helps.

Also, check your programming! I copy and pasted mine into wordpad for easy viewing then copied it back in. Made it a bit easier to read.

I have to say, the Alarm feature is the coolest. I have it set up to send me a text message on my phone. Totally sweet. You can know right away if you run out of CO2 or there is a temp problem.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

The programming seems to be fine....good idea about copying and pasting it on a word-processing program. I have to admit that I thought the programming would be more difficult - I was really intimidated at first, but now I don't mine changing the programming on a whim! Especially since I've been able to use the laptop (and not have to punch those buttons on the AC Jr. control interface)! I've sent neptune systems an e-mail (their customer support is awesome - they've never not solved my problem), and will undoubtedly hear back from them this afternoon. I asked about the temp compensation for pH function you mentioned, and hopefully can get this thing figured out...I don't understand one simple thing: If the reading is .2 higher than it should be with the lights on, wouldn't the pH (with the lights on) be maintained .2 higher than it should? And if so, when the lights go off, wouldn't the controller read .2 _below_ my set point, since it was reading accurately without any interference? uggh! can't wait to get to the bottom of this one...


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Yea, that is weird.

Just out of curiosity, you don't have the CO2 set to go at night do you? Don't forget, at midnight, the controller resets the daily function unless you have it on manual control. So if its on an Auto Run, you need to tell it to be on after midnight in the programming.

But even then, when the pH gets to a certain level, it should trip your solenoid. So you got me stumped.

How about posting your code so we can have a look see? (copy and paste here)

Do you have a water changer on this?


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

O yea, FWIW, I set up an account at LOGMEIN Dot Com to I can access my home PC from work to be able to play with the program.

Its worked well so far when the alarm has gone off.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

okay...you got me on this one...It is on auto (the CO2 control that is) - I'm working on my Mac but I can give you the code anyway...

If pH > 5.61 then CO21 ON
If pH < 5.59 then CO2 OFF 

pretty simple...you think I should add a timed program to kick it off at night and then back on before lights on? What about the potential for pH swings? 

FYI: neptune has already responded to my question - in the interim I was able to reconnoiter the wiring and further separate the pH cable from the ballast cables, which greatly reduced the amount of interference showing up in the reading...now, instead of jumping from 5.62 to 5.87 when the lights come on, it only goes from 5.62 to 5.67...

I've noticed in my data logs that I haven't had any pH swings throughout the night - the only anomalies are when the lights come on or go off...


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I just sent Curt at Neptune an update about my problem, to which he responded:

"It looks better. You might want to make sure that the ballasts and hood are electrically grounded as well."

so...before anyone asks: yes, I'm relatively incompetent...can anyone tell me how to ground my ballasts/hood? 

Note: My electrician has NOT been able to come and upgrade the outlet I'm using to a GFCI...I have an appointment, but he won't make it out until next week. I'm considering having him just put my tank outlet on there own circuit, since I might have to get a chiller someday and currently my washer and dryer are on the same circuit. I wonder if this would be expensive...


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> so...before anyone asks: yes, I'm relatively incompetent...can anyone tell me how to ground my ballasts/hood?


They should already be grounded if you have a 3 prong plug..



ColeMan said:


> Note: My electrician has NOT been able to come and upgrade the outlet I'm using to a GFCI...I have an appointment, but he won't make it out until next week.


You can just buy one and put it in,but make sure that you turn the circuit off first.I hate getting shocked...



ColeMan said:


> currently my washer and dryer are on the same circuit. I wonder if this would be expensive...


If your dryer is gas then it may be on the same circuit,but if it is electric it will be 220v and on a separate circuit.

Adding a circuit can become quite expensive because someone will have to fish new wires in the wall,and run this new wire to your breaker box. Sometimes,(usually) cutting holes in the sheet rock is necessary too.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

gmccreedy said:


> Don't forget, at midnight, the controller resets the daily function unless you have it on manual control. So if its on an Auto Run, you need to tell it to be on after midnight in the programming.


What in the world are you talking about? I've been trying to think this one through and just don't follow. And here I thought I had this thing pretty well figured out!



lescarpentier said:


> You can just buy one and put it in,but make sure that you turn the circuit off first.I hate getting shocked...


Is this really not that difficult? I always thought I needed an electrician to do stuff like this!


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

ColeMan said:


> Is this really not that difficult? I always thought I needed an electrician to do stuff like this!


No, man. Electrical is actually pretty simple. People just don't understand things they can't see and fear the unknown. I just ran 4x 20amp circuits last week and this week. Here is a thread about it:

Needing some Residential Electrical Help..... 

Understand 2 things: 

1) if you don't know what you are doing--then don't mess with it.

2) Its not complicated and its pretty easy to understand/learn.

Black (power), white (neutral), green or bare (ground).....


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

Naja002 said:


> Black, white, ground (green or bare).....


Black = hot
White = neutral
Bare = ground

On the outlet

Black to brass screw
White to silver screw
Ground (bare) to green lug.

Remember that when you look at the installed outlet the ground will be on the bottom,and the hot will be on your right when installed correctly.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Naja002 said:


> No, man. Electrical is actually pretty simple. People just don't understand things they can't see and fear the unknown. I just ran 4x 20amp circuits last week and this week. Here is a thread about it:
> 
> Needing some Residential Electrical Help.....
> 
> ...


That thread is insane...I'm impressed! I don;t know if I could trust myself to do something like that...you remember that I deem myself incompetent when it comes to things like electricity...it's not so much that I fear the unknown (ie death, in this case), i'm just certain that I would, quite literally, kill myself some how. It'd make a hell of a noise story, though: "Young man electrocutes self in backyard, should have hired licensed electrician" 



lescarpentier said:


> Black = hot
> White = neutral
> Bare = ground
> 
> ...


Nice...I think I can handle this one...there's a hardware store down the street that is great with DIY electrical things (lamps, outlets, lights...). I'm sure I can get everything I need there, including more detailed advice and precautions...I wonder if I could have a living will notarized there too...


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

Naaaa, you just need some experience at it and then you'll get more secure with it. Both times I actually made the connection to the meter box, I called a friend and put them on standby--if you don't hear from me in 30mins--*Call 9-1-1 !!!!* Seriously. I didn't expect any problems, but that's a 200amp breaker! In 30 mins I'd have probably been history anyway! :tongue: 

Being the genius that I am though, the first time around I had the cordless phone with me thinking I could call 911 myself. Then when it came time I had my friend on the phone. Set the phone down on the ground and was talking to it while I was working. What I didn't realize (until afterwards) was that as soon as I turned that 200amp breaker off--the cordless goes dead at the base unit! DUH!









Just make sure that the power is *OFF* to whatever you are going to work on. Trip the breaker and make sure you have the correct circuit/breaker tripped (OFF). :thumbsup:


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

Oh, yeah--a GFI is a bit different then a normal outlet. You have a "Line" and a "Load". The "Line" is from the breaker/power source. The "Load" is anything (Other outlets, switches, etc) that are after the GFI.

Have the folks down the road show/explain it to you. Its not difficult.....:thumbsup: 

Most GFIs will also protect 5 other outlets. "Line">GFI>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

ColeMan said:


> What in the world are you talking about? I've been trying to think this one through and just don't follow. And here I thought I had this thing pretty well figured out!


The controller runs through the daily cycle by reading the "If Time" commands. So, if for some reason, it gets hung up on a control feature, its good to reset all the functions at midnight with a simple command line.

See my code:



```
If Time > 00:00       Then DRA OFF 
If Time > 00:00       Then PMP ON 
If Time > 00:00       Then PWD ON 
If Time > 00:00       Then ALM OFF 
If Time > 00:00       Then BLT OFF 
If Time > 00:00       Then FLT OFF 
If Time > 00:00       Then FIL OFF 
If Time > 19:00       Then FLT ON 
If Time > 20:00       Then FLT OFF 
If Time > 14:30       Then BLT ON 
If Time > 22:30       Then BLT OFF 
If Temp  < 78.0      Then HET ON 
If Temp  > 78.2      Then HET OFF 
If pH    > 06.10       Then CO2 ON 
If pH    < 06.00       Then CO2 OFF 
If pH    > 07.50       Then ALM ON 
If pH    < 05.80       Then ALM ON 
If Temp  < 72.0      Then ALM ON 
If Temp  > 82.0      Then ALM ON 
If Time > 22:00       Then DRA ON 
If Time > 22:10       Then DRA OFF 
If Time > 22:10       Then FIL ON 
If Time > 22:40       Then FIL OFF 
If Time > 22:00       Then PWD OFF 
If Time > 22:30       Then PWD ON 
If Timer DRA = ON       Then CO2 OFF 
If Timer DRA = ON       Then PMP OFF 
If Timer DRA = ON       Then FIL OFF 
If Timer FIL = ON       Then HET ON 
If FeedD 000         Then DRA ON 
If FeedD 030         Then FIL ON 
If FeedA 005         Then PMP OFF 
If FeedA 005         Then PWD OFF
```
However, like I said, the CO2 would probably not be affected by this since its not time based, but condition based on the pH.

So ignore what I am saying with regards to the issue at hand, which I think you have resolved with the lighting interference. however, its good to know this tip anyway.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

This is great to know...I never really thought about reseting things at the end of the day in case, like you said, something gets hung up for some reason. I'm obviously going to have to go and do some modifications to my timer programs and actually add some new ones. Awesome...I love messing around with that thing. Thanks for the help!



Naja002 said:


> Oh, yeah--a GFI is a bit different then a normal outlet. You have a "Line" and a "Load". The "Line" is from the breaker/power source. The "Load" is anything (Other outlets, switches, etc) that are after the GFI...Most GFIs will also protect 5 other outlets. "Line">GFI>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet>Outlet


I did not know any of this...Great info. Hopefully it will help keep me alive (and my house from burning down)


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Coleman -

I used a GFCI setup on my stand. It is wired up the way Naja002 described. If you don't have an actual GFCI outlet, you can buy inline GFCIs that plug into the wall and then your cord would plug into that.

I had a conversation with Intermediate_noob a while back about the subject, and the way to go would be to run two different GFCI circuits utilizing seprate power inputs. The idea is to create redundancy in the event one circuit looses power. You would run a filter and heater off of each circuit. Just thought I would mention it.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

So ColeMan, where's the update? It has been a couple of weeks, and I was just thinking to myself, "I'll bet ColeMan's tank is exploding by now."

Any updates?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I'll post a pic later this evening - things really have exploded; my d. diandra is essentially at the tank's surface (time for a trim!), and the e. acicularis has all but totally filled in. I have some stems I need to plant this afternoon before WC time; m. fluviatilis and a few others I have had in another (friend's) tank since I haven't had time to plant them. I've decided that I should have made my tank's stand builder listen to me, as working in my tank has become, well, difficult. The added height from the canopy makes it all but impossible to plant with the thing on, and although I can get it off by myself no problem I need another pair of hands to get it back up (I learned this the hard way one night while doing some planting; I got 'stuck" holding the canopy partially on the tank - the power cord prevented me from sliding it on - for about 45 minutes...I thought my arms were going to fall off, but if I would have let go the tank would've fallen over, the canopy would've broken and my lights would have shattered). So, that's really prevented me from being able to wrok on the tank as often as I'd like, but at the same time I guess it's kind of a nice way to keep your hands out of the tank and just 'let it grow.' 

This week is fish time - I called my LFS and they were really nice for some reason. The guy told me he'd order me oto's and amano's tomorrow, and because of the rather large number he said he'd put them in a QT tank for me (I told him I just got through cycling my tank and was going to add the oto's 5 at a time rather than all at once, so he said no problem, we'll leave them at the store in a QT tank [that has independent filtration] with your shrimp and you can come get them as you wish). So I'm thinking about maybe 10 oto's, maybe a few more, have no idea how many shrimp...it's been so long since I've stocked a tank, I'm getting excited. Other than the oto's and amano's, I'm undecided as to what kind of fish to get...One big school of little fish...I'm thinking...cardinals seem so cliche, rummies are great but in this tank I want more identical coloration (you know how rummies all have that 'even though I kind of look like everyone else I'm an individual fish with individual characteristics' - quality, so I need fish that are more like a flock of sheep...all the same, following each other around.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i like celestial pearl danios but there kinda spendy to get a lot. i still think you should get them though


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Columbians are really pretty, and I absolutely love CPS...hmm...I considered at one point putting a bunch of 'nano' fish in the tank, like ember tetras or something, but I thought better of it. I've also played around with the idea of some congo's in there. So many choices...I'd say too many, but options are good. 

I'm in the middle of a water change right now, I did a bit more planting (a few stems of m. fluviatilis) and realized that because of my wood, I've got some blank space that can't be planted - so I need to consider some anubias or bolbitis perhaps, to attach to some of the wood, and hope that the bit of m. fluviatilis i planted in the corner fills in enough to relieve some of the empty space. Another week or two and I should know. I'll take some pics later. Damn - I meant to order some GH booster from orlando last week - will somebody remind me to do this!?! I only remember on Sunday's when I actually do the water change....hello, self...anybody in there?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i don't like tetras that much most of them look fat


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

they probably think you look fat there, nate! Ha! 

So, I'm going to try and snap some pics later, but for the time being i thought I might ask about stocking numbers...I'll be placing an order with the LFS tomorrow for some oto's and amano shrimp - how many should I order? I don't know much about stocking numbers for shrimp; I would imagine their bioload is pretty minimal, but still, suggestions would be good. I was thinking maybe 10 otos and ~25 shrimp...


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## kittytango (May 7, 2008)

I love the carpeting plant!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

you could do 10-12 otos great and for shrimp 50 would be a good group but so would 25 if the breed


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## Renegade545 (Oct 28, 2007)

Very Nice tank


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

kittytango said:


> I love the carpeting plant!


Thanks - eleocharis acicularis; I've become quite fond of it myself....let's hope it doesn't completely take over....it's essentially completely filled in now, and here in a week or two it will be time for a trim! 



nate_mcnasty said:


> you could do 10-12 otos great and for shrimp 50 would be a good group but so would 25 if the breed


Thanks, nate. Anyone have any good resources for reading up on shrimp? I've never kept them before and know little about the specifics. I read some articles on planetinverts.com that were useful, and have perused Bill's site, but I still feel like I need to know more before I get them....Bill, you out there? You have any beginner shrimp keeping advice for me?  



Renegade545 said:


> Very Nice tank


Thanks. I meant to post some pics last night but got wrapped up. I'll get some up today, though, no problem. Appreciate the kind words.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Some pics (like I promised) - I figured I'd post an old pic next to a new pic to gauge progress....

Old Pic: 









New Pic: 










Here's a pic of some c. spiralis that choked out one of my r. nanjenshan, literally spiraling a leaf around the r. nanjenshan until the top if the stem actually broke off...You can see by the arrow the top of the nanjenshan sticking out from the grasp of the spiralis (a bit hard to see, sorry about the bad pic). I didn't realize c. spiralis was so mean to its neighbors, though I suppose I could have guessed. 










the r. nanjenshan is a bit leggy (look at the large space between the nods on the stem) due to a large mass of floating plants that hung out right above it for a week; I'll let them grow out and then give them a trim, they'll perk up I'm sure. 

Also notice the gaps in the background stems. I realized while doing some planting yesterday that I really didn't have much surface area lef tin the substrate to plant - it's essentially all planted. So, I'm going to need to do some creative thinking here to get things right, but that should keep me busy. Growth is good, no algae, and things seem to be pretty happy (at least the snails do - I think I might have had a dream about an MTS last night that I'm just now remembering bits and pieces of - weird)...Do MTS reproduce sexually? (By the way, that question has nothing to do with my dream - I swear).


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Coleman -

Your tank looks FANTASTIC! I knew it would look awesome by now. I can't wait to see this tank after about a year or so. 

I wouldn't mind being re-incarnated as a fish in your tank. I think I would be pretty happy.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Hey thanks, biscuit - I think I'd be a pretty happy fish too. We'll see how the oto's do - they should be here sometime this week...I think I need a bristlenose pleco too; with all the wood I have I think it's a no-brainer!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Out of curiousity, how many Otos you planning on adding? I got 15 but think I'm down to 12, and I wish I'd gotten 20 (so that by now I would still have 15... LOL)

Your plant growth is really fantastic! :thumbsup:


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Looks awesome. Very nice growth.


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

Wow!!roud:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

That looks great  The hairgrass gives the tank a nice texture :thumbsup: keep it up.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks everyone, for the nice comments. A work in progress...but aren't they all.  

Anyone know why my D. diandra is so green? Everything I've come across in reference to this plant tells me they blush when the lighting is adequate, but I've got 216w of geisemann t5 bulbs with great tek II reflectors and can't imagine any more light. Could it be that I need to dose Fe or something? 



lauraleellbp said:


> Out of curiousity, how many Otos you planning on adding? I got 15 but think I'm down to 12, and I wish I'd gotten 20 (so that by now I would still have 15... LOL)
> 
> Your plant growth is really fantastic! :thumbsup:


I want about a dozen total...my LFS is being rather cooperative and is happy to special order fish for me in one of there tri-weekily livestock orders. The only problem is he's just an interesting character to do business with. I called him last week about placing an order, he said to call him and remind him today. I called him today, he asked me to call back. I called back again, he told me he didn't have a list of available shrimp species handy so he would either call me back later or I need to call him back in the morning.

The oto's won't be a problem, but he's not sure if they'll have the amano's available. The guy does mainly SW, and I was a bit less than enthused when he asked, "are those the cherries or whatever?" I said no, they're caridina japonica, like I've been saying all along. So...another LFS expert to contend with, I guess...:icon_roll 

The good thing about all this is not having to worry about DOA's and multiple orders/shipping (especially since it's summer). Since it seems oto's like to die, I'll let them sit in his store for a couple of days to make sure I get the hardiest ones...seems like a good deal to me, and his tanks are clean, so I guess I really can't complain...yet.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

looking good. I like the scape, but my only critique would be that it looks a bit smaller than a 90g. 

I see you're getting great growth, very nice and lush. Can't wait to see this tank in a couple months!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

CmLaracy said:


> looking good. I like the scape, but my only critique would be that it looks a bit smaller than a 90g.


You're right about that - this tank has some issues, as does life, but we'll see what happens. My plan is to let things kind of go wild for a while, and then when plants get dense trim them all down and shape everything up. I think it will be off balance until that happens. I've got some bolbitis that I'm growing out in there too, although I've trimmed it down so much that you can't really see it. It came from a really low light tank and looked, well, not good. But, one day they'll come back and be a nice dark green contrast for all the light greens. 
My java fern, too, is just now beginning to get nice new growth - when I got it it appeared that it had been deprived some CO2 for a while, as the leaves were thin and some were browning and had holes. As it has put on new growth, I've removed the older leaves, which allows me to keep things still looking okay by keeping its original shape, but it's far from perfect. I'm just getting back into the hobby after a 5 year (or so) hiatus, so I'm trying to just kind of let things happen. I've been enjoying it. Thanks for all the help, everybody, and keep the comments coming - they're extremely helpful. And don't be afraid to be point out any problems, as it will just make me want to resolve them faster.


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## roybot73 (Dec 15, 2007)

Very nice indeed! I'd recommend trimming the hairgrass now. You'd be surprised to see how much a good trim will thicken it up!

Maybe add a li'l something to cut through all the green in there... Ludwigia arcuata goes well with Didiplis -- I'm trimming some tonight, LMK if you want some

Cheers!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Wow your tank looks great!

How long it took to the hair grass to spread? My haven't spread out and it's been about a month. Any tips? 

Thanks!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

roybot73 said:


> Very nice indeed! I'd recommend trimming the hairgrass now. You'd be surprised to see how much a good trim will thicken it up!
> 
> Maybe add a li'l something to cut through all the green in there... Ludwigia arcuata goes well with Didiplis -- I'm trimming some tonight, LMK if you want some
> 
> Cheers!


I was looking at some red plants and the arcuata caught my eye...watch your PM's. You know IU just can't wait to trim the eleocharis :icon_roll ....



lopez_316us said:


> Wow your tank looks great!
> 
> How long it took to the hair grass to spread? My haven't spread out and it's been about a month. Any tips?
> 
> Thanks!


I planted the hairgrass about 4 weeks ago - I spent quite a while separating it into small plugs, and it seemed to send out runners pretty regularly. 



I think I'm going to start dosing Fe in hopes of bringing out some of the more autumnal colors in the d. diandra and blyxa. Hopefully it will work.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i'm getting more color now that i'm dosing Fe. man yor tank is really taking off i can't wait to see the first big trim


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Hey Nate!! I was wondering where you were....so you think I should definitely dose Fe, eh?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So I've been trying to order some otocinclus and some caridina japonica from my LFS - I've spoken with them multiple times and they keep putting me off. The latest news: they guy said he had to pay his rent both at home and business as well as take his pregnant wife to the minor emergency room for fluids. These events drained his pocketbook so he is unable to place orders this week...again. He told me to call back next week. 

I called my other LFS (this one is a much nicer store, but geared almost exclusively to SW - it's much more expensive, and much less a "ma and pa" type of business) and they told me that they had some juvenile gold zebra otocinclus (I assume they're talking about O. cocama) and would be happy to order whatever I needed, though they couldn't assure availability (he told me that in the summertime wholesalers have less livestock on hand - I never knew this, and can't figure out why). So my question is this: should I wait on the 'nice guy' ma-and-pa LFS (even though they may just blow me off again), or do I go to the pretty SW store and special order my fish through them? The only foreseeable problem with the latter is that they have no way to house shrimps in their system - they get eaten! They simply don't have any spare room to house them...I guess it would just mean that I had to be on call to pick them up whenever they come in...ugh...:icon_roll Another LFS debacle!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

If you can get O. cocama for less than $10 each then I'd go through that LFS in a heartbeat!

Sounds like your other LFS is about to go out of business and has exhausted their store credit with their vendors. I wouldn't go through them.

Otherwise I'd get Amanos through the S&S (there are several ppl who sell them all the time for $2 or less each on here), and see about some of the box chain stores for Otos (I see them there pretty often), just QT those bad boys for at least a month!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Here's a question (I'll undoubtedly have plenty of fish questions): Since the oto's will be the first to go into the tank (and be the only occupants for a while), do I still need to quarantine them in a different tank? 

And the O. cocama are priced at 8.99 (that's what he told me at least - watch me go in there and there 28.99 or something); they just came in today so I'm going to give them a week or two to die...I wonder if he'd let me "prepay" for some now so they're not all gone....

Oh yeah...good call on the exhausting credit with vendors idea - I never even thought about it...that guy just really wants my business and I'm such a sucker...


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

ColeMan said:


> Oh yeah...good call on the exhausting credit with vendors idea - I never even thought about it...that guy just really wants my business and I'm such a sucker...


It sounds to me like he might not even have a line of credit to exhaust. When I used to go pick up livestock, we didn't have to pay a dime. We just got a bill from the wholesalers later on in the week. There was no real credit needed to place orders and take the fish to the store. We just paid the wholesalers when the sent us the bill.

It would be cool to get back into fish sales. We had a place down close to the Atlanta airport called Fins that we bought all of our freshwater fish from. Pretty much anything you could possibly immagine. I really miss those days.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You would run the risk of them bringing ich or internal parasites into your main tank... that being said, I still took the risk and put Amanos, Otos and Cories in my 90gal w/out QT.

Cole- if those are really Zebra Otos I can't get any more jealous ATM and I'd be all over them- I'd buy as many as I could afford and throw them all in my 90gal as soon as their 2 weeks is up!!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

buy the zebra oto's! that would be so awesome to have


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> You would run the risk of them bringing ich or internal parasites into your main tank... that being said, I still took the risk and put Amanos, Otos and Cories in my 90gal w/out QT.
> 
> Cole- if those are really Zebra Otos I can't get any more jealous ATM and I'd be all over them- I'd buy as many as I could afford and throw them all in my 90gal as soon as their 2 weeks is up!!


Thanks for the advice. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if I can't put some on "reserve!" And I think I'll probably end up getting the amanos on the swap n shop...I'm still looking for some good resources for shrimp keeping, as I've never kept FW shrimp before. 



nate_mcnasty said:


> buy the zebra oto's! that would be so awesome to have


It's weird that you sent me that picture these guys last week and here they are showing up in a fairly random, mostly saltwater LFS. Go figure. I'm pretty stoked to get these guys...I've just got to wait for the weak ones to die off at the LFS, then I'll bring the remainder home and expect to lose half of those, too, in true otocinclus style. The best part about these guys is that they're still young, about 1/4"-1/2" in size, so I'm hoping they'll be hungry and active...


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

www.otocinclus.com :thumbsup: Drip acclimate them; the slower, the better. I took 3 1/2 hours acclimating mine and IMO that was on the fast side (though I only lost 2 within the next 48 hours...)

There's not much you need to know about Amano shrimp, honestly- they'll eat anything and everything but are excellent algae eaters all the time. They can't reproduce successfully in FW, so what you buy is what you get. IME they're pretty hardy, too. Mine love hanging out in my large sword and in the driftwood.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

I tend to agree with Laura, however ich is a bad example. Ich needs a host to survive, if they got ich, you would need to remove them from the main tank to treat them anyway since any meds for ich would undoubtedly reek havoc in a planted tank. So, by removing the otos, you would be removing the host that ich needs to survive on over its life span.

However, why go through that mess when you can just QT them for a few days and get yourself in the habit of doing it, just to do it.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

yes i would drip them very slowly that should bring the death rate down. man i wish i HAD a LFS


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

coleman... your tank looks great. I hope my UG ends up looking as nice as your hairgrass.


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## Adhlc (May 4, 2008)

BiscuitSlayer said:


> Coleman -
> 
> Your tank looks FANTASTIC! I knew it would look awesome by now. I can't wait to see this tank after about a year or so.
> 
> I wouldn't mind being re-incarnated as a fish in your tank. I think I would be pretty happy.


 
Biscuit definitely hit the nail on the head there, stunning tank. Also good to see I'm not the only one using a Koralia in a planted tank.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

And the battle begins! I just found some bladderwort that I'm going to have to start fighting...damn. After working on it for 20 minutes or so, I noticed my arm started to sting a bit...I'm assuming it's the aquasoil. Anyone else experience this when working with aquasoil? I've never noticed it before when I've been planting or otherwise screwing around in the tank. 

I think someone should devise a better method to rid their tanks of bladderwort. Here's my far-fetched idea that I want someone to run with and actually make plausible: implant a food source (like cyclops or seed shrimp or something) with some type of toxin that will kill the bladderwort yet is non-toxic to fish...This way it won't affect the other plants or your fish, only the bladderwort...I know it is a crude and rudimentary idea, but still, one can dream, can't they? 



MedRed said:


> coleman... your tank looks great. I hope my UG ends up looking as nice as your hairgrass.


Thanks - it's really starting to fill in. Hopefully I can stay on top of the bladderwort so that it doesn't decide the hairgrass would make a nice place to camouflage itself!



Adhlc said:


> Biscuit definitely hit the nail on the head there, stunning tank. Also good to see I'm not the only one using a Koralia in a planted tank.


I appreciate the kind words...The koralia provides some great, well-dispersed flow, though I'm bummed I can't use it with my controller.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My arm stings every now and again after I've done tank maintenance, and I've always chalked it up to the plants. (Sap and such- and I have very sensitive skin :icon_roll ) I don't have aquasoil in my tanks (yet) so that's definitely not the cause on my end.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i think the arm stinging would be from the ferts in the water. we need some updates please


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Updates, schmupdates. Just kidding - I'll get some pics up later...I waited to trim the didiplis until today so it wouldn't have to be out of the water any longer than it had to...

I did some trimming yesterday. Took about 2" off the hairgrass, cut back the h. polysperma and did a search and destroy for stray bladderwort. It's prevalence has been greatly reduced, and I think I'm close to being completely rid of it. Things are looking great...

I think it's time to get another tank (or two). I need a QT tank, so there's one, and then I need a tank for my office...like a little cube garden or something. Damn - I was certain I wouldn't get MTS until I was older...or at least could afford it! 

and how weird is this: I set up a snail trap last night to catch some snails for natty's puffer - a jar with some algae wafers in it. I look in it this morning, and the snails are avoiding it like the plague! The glass is completely clean (ie no weirdo chemicals or anything on it), so I can't figure out what's going on. It seems like my snails are smarter than me....and they're actually pretty fast (I bet my snails could beat yours in a race). I've got a ton (I don't call myself a snail farmer for nothing), and though I wouldn't call it an overpopulation, it's definitely a thriving culture. I'm sure they've got artists, writers, musicians, doctors and lawyers amongst their midst. Let's hope I don't steal the emperor snail or something; I might have a revolution on my hands...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

haha might want to get a snail eater or one of those snails that kills other snails


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

I was thinking about that after reading Bill's post - I thought that was pretty cool. I think it might be my only option, since I'm not planning on getting any snail eating fish.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

copper OD will do it too but i don't think plants like that too much


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Copper would kill all inverts though- especially shrimp.

I always use sinking wafers inside a fish net, then just lift the net up.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

you're smart. :thumbsup:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> you're smart. :thumbsup:


 LOL no- more like "laziness is the mother of all invetion!" :hihi:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

well I just did it - algae wafers in the net - so we'll see if they like it better than the glass jar. They're too fast for me to catch by hand!!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

where are them pics???


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Here ya go, nate...as per your request! 

I've added some fish - 3 panda cories; I plan on getting 3 more, for a total of 6. These guys have the most personality of any fish I've ever owned; I've owned cories in the past, and none have been quite as exciting as the three I have currently. Since they're the only inhabitants, they think they're invincible - they love swimming in the stronger current near the top of the tank, constantly swimming up and down the glass (which is pretty normal) until they "catch the current" and fly to the other side of the tank to do it over again - no shy bottom-dwellers here. I wonder if, since there are only 3, I have 2 males and 1 female, since 2 seem to be constantly chasing each other and the other 1 is usually just hanging out, relaxing. Could it be the 2 males are being territorial? 

Here's a pair - the other one is usually left out of the fun, though not always; a great shop sans reflection. :icon_roll 









Here they are chasing each other around...









and some more chasing...excuse the pH probe, i just calibrated it and didn't want it to dry out while I was trying to find it's "holder," so I just floated it...The white dots you're seeing, by the way, are oxygen bubbles rising to the surface - ahh, the power of photosynthesis...


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

roud: roud: roud: roud:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks, Les. I just went and sat in the other room for a while and watched the fish and they're pretty insane. They're doing this far out synchronized swimming routine, with all three of them darting up and down, left and right, in near perfect synchronicity. It's really, really odd. I haven't had anything move faster than a snail in my tank for so long that this is over-stimulating me, I think.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

They're beauties!  Look at those fantastic plants! Where's the FTS, though?  

Didn't you start off with more than 3?  Did the one with the slime coat issue not make it after all?

BTW, how did the snail trap work out for you?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Luckily I started (and ended) with 3, all of which are happy and healthy. Since 2 of them seem to hang out together more, I figured that the one that had the slime coat issue while in QT was perhaps still sick, and so the other fish were avoiding it. I have determined that this is in fact not the case, as the 3rd loner fish (I can't really tell them apart) seems to be included more and more often. 

As for the FTS, well, I'll get one up soon. I'm trying to shape my stems and so things are in flux at the moment. 

My snails are too smart for the snail trap; I see them in there and think, okay, I'll get em out when just a few more go in, but then I come back and there's like 2 in there...so I guess they're not too smart for the trap, just too smart for me.


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## TheCryptKeeper (Mar 9, 2008)

that tank looks great.. I am jealous of the dwarf hairgrass! I tried it.. but couldn't keep it down


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

your tank looks crazy awesome! i can't wait till you get more fish in there!!!!

your plantes look like there doing good


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

your in box is full


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Torpedobarb said:


> that tank looks great.. I am jealous of the dwarf hairgrass! I tried it.. but couldn't keep it down


Thanks, Ken. I've been watching your jornal and love the new scape - I need to dig up your thread and see if I'm missing any updated pics...I really like the hairgrass but it's good at getting things stuck in it - I found a big wad of bladderwort in it last week, which was a real pleasure getting out! But, I can always cut it way down and it will sprout right back up; it
s a quick grower (for me, at least...it's like my lawn - mow every week or else)!



nate_mcnasty said:


> your tank looks crazy awesome! i can't wait till you get more fish in there!!!!
> 
> your plantes look like there doing good


Thanks, Nate. My blyxa is in desperate need of a trim, which I'll do on Sunday. I need to mix up some Iron to dose...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

have you been doseing the iron yet?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

not yet - I haven't had time to get it mixed up....I need to though...I think I'm gonna trim the hairgrass super short when I trim everything else up this weekend.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

did you mix it yet? whats up with the tank? lets see some FTS


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

lets gt an update


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

nate_mcnasty said:


> lets gt an update


Cole interprets "soon" the same way as Ken does... weeks... LOL


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Hey now....well, I actually guess that's true! The reason I haven't posted anything lately: a foul-up. I noticed a spot of green, filamentous algae on a piece of driftwood, and upon further inspection, noticed that the moss had brought with it a hitchhiker: the dreaded clado. Note: I will most likely never buy moss again, as it has brought with it nothing good - one had some bladderwort, the other, clado. :angryfire My own fault for not inspecting more carefully before putting it in. 

I immediately pulled up the moss and scrubbed the piece of wood...which happened to be right next to my eleocharis acicularis - can you guess what happened next? That's right...a little strand of clado made it into the hairgrass...okay - no problem I thought. So - I got the old toothbrush out and started manicuring the lawn, and next thing you know I have a 3x3" section of hairgrass at the end of my toothbrush, with a penny sized wad of clado. So, I had to remove the bunch of hairgrass I pulled up, make sure there was no clado left, and replant it (or I plan to replant it on Sunday). But only a small portion, that happens to be right in the front of the tank. 

No more signs of clado - I think the little mini-outbreak was the result of a fluctuation in CO2 - I raised my spraybar one night (remember the new cories live there now), for no real reason, actually, I thought they might like a bit more O2....anyway, I forgot to put it down for a few days and didn't remember until I noticed my plants weren't pearling. Hopefully the abundant CO2 levels will help stave off re-infestation, though I'm worried since it found its way to the most impossible place to deal with this type of algae in the aquarium - the hairgrass. I'm 99% certain it's clado, as its a rough, mangy mess of green filament, so lucky for me nothing will eat it....With all this in mind, though, I'm just happy it isn't bad and is local to the one specific area of the tank...

I'm going to keep the lawn mowed pretty short for a while, until I can be assured there are no traces of clado - or anything else, for that matter - left. I'm insane about algae, and I love my toothbrush...it can find algae even when it can't be seen...

The tank is in great shape otherwise, no other algae problems or water parameter issues. I just hope I don't have to pull my whole hairgrass lawn up and start over again, but it may be in my future...luckily I think I could get away with only taking out one 6x6" section (just to be safe, even though the "infected" area is only around 1x1"), as I haven't let it spread too far. 

so what's the consensus? Am I fighting a losing battle - should I just pull the lawn up and re-plant, or is there a chance I could beat this? Maybe spot treatment with excel, also? I'll get some pics up later so you can see the big gap in the carpet - though the cories seem to love it....


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i would try to beat it if it keeps growing than take it out try some excel too


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

hows the clado ? better? worse? pics?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

The clado is better, but not gone...I'm pretty angry with it at the moment. Luckily, it has yet to manifest itself in multiple locations, but I don't feel to good about it. I think I may pull up a large portion of my hairgrass; the "infected" site is about 1" x1", but to make sure there's not some rogue clado I think I'll remove most of the hairgrass surrounding the area as well, maybe 5"x5" square, right in the front...oh well, we'll see. 

ON a brighter note, 30 amano's arrived safe and sound, active and alive today on my doorstep. I was so excited after I opened up the package I locked myself out of the house getting the rest of the mail...The shrimp were on the counter - out of the box - with my malamute and cat roaming around. My dog's been known to eat entire Turkeys before (bone and all), and I've caught her stealing some pretty expensive wheels of cheese off of the counter. Her favorite of course is fish, so as I lay outside in the hammock waiting for my girlfriend to come home from work, all I can worry about is my dog and cat eating my shrimp...but they did not, lucky for me. 

I did a super-long drip acclimation using a DIY "acclimator" I made using a $0.99 c-clamp, a pitcher, and some leftover CO2 tubing I had.








I was really impressed with the degree to which I could regulate the flow using this method...I left my house for an hour and a half and was able to adjust the rate to compensate with absolutely no problem. 









The shrimp had absolutely no issue when entering the tank, and have been very active - even my corys seem to be more active with their new tank mates.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

So a whole month later, and still no FTS?

Geeeezzzzz :frown:


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

> I was really impressed with the degree to which I could regulate the flow using this method...I left my house for an hour and a half and was able to adjust the rate to compensate with absolutely no problem


I love that kind of ingenuity.roud:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

So coleman, if you do decide to get rid of a chunk of HG, be sure to get rid of it my way


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> So a whole month later, and still no FTS?
> 
> Geeeezzzzz :frown:


I would've taken one earlier but the glare was just too bad - and it's too late to disturb everyone now....



lescarpentier said:


> I love that kind of ingenuity.roud:


Thanks, Les. I wasn't sure how well it would actually work, but I think the rigidity of the CO2 tubing was key to the dramatic variability in flow I could achieve. I thought about posting it in the DIY section, but it's just seems like simple common sense...


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So....here's a recent FTS, by demand. 








The hygro needs to be trimmed (along with everything else - anyone need some blyxa)?! The pic looks so monotone - I need to learn to use my camera better...Maybe later I'll be able to get a shot representative of the actual colors...


And some amano's on some wood....









I'm going to try to get some better shots after the sun goes down, but it seems I always forget to interrupt the timer and let the lights go off on there own. ONce there off I don't like to turn them back on - I think it's rather rude.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

HOLY CRAP!  nice!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks clwatkins! Kind of unruly, eh? 

I thought I would add that I've greatly adjusted my EI dosing routine and am running my tank super-lean, which seems to have really had positive benefits for my tank. The clado that appeared is totally under control now, my shrimp are really active and things are growing and coloration is nice. I might mention also that I cut my noon burst down to an hour a day and have still seen noticeable growth with my eleocharis acicularis carpet..a surprisingly large amount of growth...


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Cole, what's your dosing routine like now?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Wow what a jungle!

Nice job, Cole. :icon_smil

When do you start stocking, and what did you end up deciding on?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Jeff5614 said:


> Cole, what's your dosing routine like now?


MWF I dose trace (CSM+B); on 2 of those days I dose ~3/16 tsp, and one day I dose 1/8 tsp. 

On Sun., Tues. and Thurs. I dose 1/2 tsp KNO3 and 1/4 tsp of K2PO4, and on Sundays I will also dose 1 full tsp of GH Booster. 



lauraleellbp said:


> Wow what a jungle!
> 
> Nice job, Cole. :icon_smil
> 
> When do you start stocking, and what did you end up deciding on?


A jungle for certain. When I have some time the first thing on the agenda is to trim back and replant the blyxa, since the lower stems are really starting to stretch and offer a rather unappealing view from the side, though it's quite an interesting view since a lot of shrimp like to congregate there during the hot noontime hours. 

Well, I suppose technically I have started stocking :flick: 

The only holdup is me trying to figure out what kind of fish I want...I just cant seem to decide. Quite problematic, eh? I think the few inhabitants I do have enjoy the ample space and attribute my part BN's gregarious behavior to the fact that he is nice and comfortable in the tank and enjoys the company of his tank mates. 

What do you think? Any suggestions? I want a hardy, tight schooler. My power outage last night reminded me of the AEP's lack of ability to provide uninterrupted power to my home, which is not a good thing for aquariums, hence the recent addition of the "hardy" criteria.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My vote is still for Congo Tetras. :icon_smil


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

Very impressive Coleman!
The picture of glowing health.Keep up the great work.:wink:


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Wow! That's OD jungly!


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Coleman - 

Your tank looks great! That is a fantastic update if ever I saw one! When I get my big tank going, thats the type of growth I will be shooting for.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

i love harlequin rasboras there an awesome fish


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

nate_mcnasty said:


> i love harlequin rasboras there an awesome fish


Or a group of esepi's... or a mixture of harlequins and esepis. They would LOVE the cover that the plants in Cole's tank provides.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> My vote is still for Congo Tetras. :icon_smil


I love congo's, but I can't ever seem to find them locally. And, here's something else...since I'm sometimes lazy when it comes to trimming and rather enjoy an overgrown tank, I'm going to try to stick to smaller fish so things don't become too crowded...



lescarpentier said:


> Very impressive Coleman!
> The picture of glowing health.Keep up the great work.:wink:


Thanks Les! Everything seems pretty happy! 



Chrisinator said:


> Wow! That's OD jungly!


Jungly for sure...I've decided the tank is more for the enjoyment of those living inside rather than my own...It happened accidentally somewhere along the line - a mutiny! 



nate_mcnasty said:


> i love harlequin rasboras there an awesome fish


I like harlequins a lot as well...I keep leaning towards a big bunch of harlequins, but can't seem to make a commitment...



BiscuitSlayer said:


> Or a group of esepi's... or a mixture of harlequins and esepis. They would LOVE the cover that the plants in Cole's tank provides.


Espi's would probably really feel at home....and that's totally in line with what's evolving with the tank, inasmuch as it's a tank made for the enjoyment of the fishes and inverts rather than myself....for some reason...These are great suggestions...any more?


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

I've always loved rummies as you can have less of them because the active schooling effect makes it look like more than there really is. Also, when you're further away and they feel safer and the school breaks up a little, they like to forage in the plants so your tank would be great for that.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

dwarf corys would be cool 10 of them would look sweet 

if your going to do small fish i would do a borara rasbora school with harlequin rasboras, and CPD and some hatchets i didn't like hatchets at first but they grow on ya

ps i could send you a very nice school of 5 harlequin rasboras 2 males 3 female's. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

so whats new? can't keep this thread covered up


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

alls i ever wanted in life was a up date


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

He's ditched us, Nate. :icon_cry:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

hey there guys.....it's weird that I just now noticed these posts...so you want some updates, huh? Sure thing - I'll try to get some pics up today as a matter of fact. Not much has changed though (I suppose the plants have grown, which is always good). Still need to get some more fishes, they just haven't been a priority lately. My cories and BN and amano's are all so active (and I enjoy watching them so much) I worry that a big group of tetras or something is going to really make them unhappy with me, so I'm trying to procrastinate...


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Wow the progress of the tank has been great. Nice lush jungle!

How about adding some german blue rams or something similar as well? 

Nice job.

-Andrew


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

every one and there mother has GBR and by pics today you mean next week right?


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## Renegade545 (Oct 28, 2007)

Your tank is just full of lush green plants. stunning, simply stunning.


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

pics NOW ha


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

ColeMan said:


> ...so you want some updates, huh? Sure thing - I'll try to get some pics up today as a matter of fact.


Somehow "today" turned into 2 weeks...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

cole alwase dose this


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## StereoKills (Mar 1, 2008)

Wow, fantastic tank! Really very lush. I quite enjoyed reading though this thread for the first time today and seeing it's evolution. I tip my hat to you sir!


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

bump


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh*


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

one day cole will see it and maybe just maybe he'll post a pic


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Somehow "today" turned into 2 weeks...


 and "today" turned to 2 weeks and 2 weeks turned to 4 weeks:hihi:. Updates please!!!!!!!!!!!:fish:


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i agree with fishboy.
GIVE US PICS


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

dose cole still live?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

bump bump bump it up


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

bump to the top


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

What happened to cole?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

IDK, somehow 2 weeks turned into 2 months...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

You dead cole?


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## mizu-chan (May 13, 2008)

Update! This tank is so nice.
Can't leave us hanging forever Cole!


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## PROLINKer (Sep 30, 2008)

Last picture was awesome but we need more!


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

So it really has been too long since I've updated this journal - so I'll do it. No pics quite yet, as I'm in the midst of doing some rescaping...we'll see what happens. 

As some of you may remember, I went back to school last semester to get some pre-requisites so that I can attempt to get into med school, so I was pressed for time and didn't visit often. Furthermore, I had some clado that had embedded itself in my hairgrass, so I had to deal with that. I got rid of it by reducing the light period and, well, I stopped dosing my tank. Of course this had detrimental impacts on some of the plants (luckily I have a ton of needle leaf fern, bolbitis, and now c. spiralis, so they could withstand the lack of nutrients in the water column and did really quite well - the c. spiralis attempted to completely overtake my tank, but I've since gotten it under control), and I all but lost my hairgrass. 

Things are back up and running at full speed; I got my CO2 tank refilled (I love Airgas - they swapped out my 20# coca-cola tank no questions asked), have been slowly adding plants and rescaping the tank, and things are starting to take shape again. And, the hairgrass that was left after the clado war is filling in again, not quite as fast as it did the first time, but its making progress. 

There are some other new developments, including some new inhabitants. ~25 T. heteromorpha were added, as were a half-dozen cardinals. Sadly, I lost a few cardinals and haven't yet been able to find more, so now there are only 2. Surprisingly they remain active and like to school (and even feed) with the rasboras; it's kind of pathetic. 

The amano's are alive and well, and I'm considering adding another big bunch to the tank. 

I like the idea of juxtaposing a mild-mannered, subdued spp. like cardinals with the rasboras, though I wasn't certain at first. 

Oh yes - part of the rescape involves me pulling out a bunch of c. spiralis, so if anyone's interested shoot me a PM. 

On a down note - my lunar lights quit working after a velcro failure let one of them hang down into the tank for a day or two. I'm pissed, as it will be nearly $100 to replace them (I've considered getting a cheaper light, but really enjoy the simulated moon phase - I think my fish and shrimp did too). So now I have to recreate a sunset effect by futzing with the rheostat, gradually dimming the lights until nighttime; sudden and drastic changes in light make my fish in particular absolutely freak out and try to kill themselves by projecting themselves out of the tank and into the lid...looks like a mesh-lattice cover is going to be a necessity come this summer when the glass hoods come off. 

Sorry for the big bunch of words - I'll get some pics up soon...really.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

cant wait for pics coleman, i have high hopes...


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A f*ckin post


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

yeah well, I'm not holding my breath waiting for pics this time...

:fish:


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

great choice in fish my friend


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Update - with some pictures. As the thread alludes to I'm sort of in the middle of a gradual restructuring (aka rescape), so don't mind the messiness. I've been meaning to post some pics for a while. I just got my camera fixed, so I got a little overzealous with the picture taking. 

The hairgrass is starting to fill back in with an extended photoperiod and some extra nitrates, though I'm wondering if it will ever reach its former glory. I think I'll give it 10 days and see what kind of growth I have; if it's too slow or otherwise inadequate for my liking I'll rip it on out and try something else. 









Some T. heteromorpha:









And some more:









And an otocinclus makes an appearance:









I like this picture for some reason:









This one too:


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Wow....It's been a long time since I've updated this thread! I've got my camera batteries charging right now, so hopefully I can get some pics up tonight. I've been extremely ill recently (ie in the hospital), and when I got feeling better and was ready to come home I was worried about the shape my tank would be in. I wasn't able to fertilize my tank since last wednesday, and my fish didn't eat the whole time either. I came back, and besides things being overgrown, everything looks great! No algae, no deaths, no nothing - it's as if I never missed a beat - I was certain that a 10 hour photoperiod with no ferts would result in tank choked with algae, but I suppose it would take longer than 6 days to manifest. SO, for those of you planning on a little weekend getaway or whatever, fear not...I must say I'm pretty impressed with my tank's resilience...Pics to come later.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Cole -

I can't wait man! I hope that you are feeling better and whatever made you ill is no longer around. I am glad to hear that your tank survived your absence as well.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Hey thanks! I forgot to take pics last night, but I promise to get some up tonight. I'm feeling much better luckily - I had my large intestine removed back in 1998 at the Cleveland Clinic, and consequently about once a year I get ill enough that I need to be hospitalized. Hopefully I got my hospitalization for '09 out of the way! I must tell you, it made me really nervous that I wasn't able to watch the tank...I've been running the tank on a lean EI regime (lean in my opinion), which I think helped mitigate a major change in water chemistry that would've set things in a downhill spiral. Plus, I think it's a good reminder that maybe our tanks aren't quite as sensitive as we like to think, that maybe they can survive without us futzing around with them every 20 minutes....

It's so nice to be back. There's nothing like a little absence from TPT to make the next visit remind you of just how wonderful this place really is. I think it's just about time for me to renew my subscription!


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

Cole, whats up with this tank? need more plants?


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## StaleyDaBear (Apr 15, 2010)

K. Now its been a year. been following this thread for a while and found it when I was auditing my favorites. Cole. Pics. Please? Now?


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Working on a total tank re-scape...took out about 3 buckets full of needle leaf java fern, and cleared out every other stem in the tank so that I have a blank canvas to work with. I even removed a big bunch of driftwood from ADG (which may turn up in the swap and shop mat a deeply, deeply discounted rate) in order to facilitate a nice new scape. Hopefully I'll have some pics up soon, but I need to find some good stuff in the swap and shop first. Looking for mosses and a few other plants; still taking suggestions for a nice carpet...hopefully I'll have a wish list up on the SnS soon. If anyone has any nice, CLEAN plants that they're looking for a home for, send me a PM!


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

Good to see you Cole!


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