# Long Timer, First Timer - 2.5 Journal (Beware 56k'ers!)



## thief

Hey there,

A nice start you have. Your first tank pic reminds me of a river I rafted in a while ago!

For the 2.5g I would suggest a Hagen Mini filter. I LOVE it. Best filter I have in my opinion. Ive tried the red sea filter. Personally I hate the flow it gives to the tank. Anyways just throwing out ideas!


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## Cyriss

Looking forward to your mini! Your first tank looked amazing!


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## timme278

looks good so far, ill be awaiting the for the next post of how things go


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## rrrrramos

I've had the same setup you've got there, rimless 2.5 with the same light and also had a Red Sea Nano HOB but I'm gonna have to agree with thief on this, get a dark or black background for the tank and you can't even see the Hagen Mini Elite Internal Filter. Plus it makes hooking up DIY CO2 a breeze as right now I've got the tubing for my CO2 where the venturi valve was and in such a small tank it shoots it out and sticks around in the WC for a good while. I had my doubts before I got it and even while I was running it at first but now I think its here to stay. As far as other recommendations, I'm having good luck so far with Eco-Complete in mine, but from what I've read and seen on here, ADA Aquasoil is the better choice. Oh and I feel ya on the whole college making you type more and more, I've been trying my best to keep things short & sweet on here but boy is it tough! I'll have to keep checking to see how this one turns out!


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> I've had the same setup you've got there, rimless 2.5 with the same light and also had a Red Sea Nano HOB but I'm gonna have to agree with thief on this, get a dark or black background for the tank and you can't even see the Hagen Mini Elite Internal Filter. Plus it makes hooking up DIY CO2 a breeze as right now I've got the tubing for my CO2 where the venturi valve was and in such a small tank it shoots it out and sticks around in the WC for a good while. I had my doubts before I got it and even while I was running it at first but now I think its here to stay. As far as other recommendations, I'm having good luck so far with Eco-Complete in mine, but from what I've read and seen on here, ADA Aquasoil is the better choice. Oh and I feel ya on the whole college making you type more and more, I've been trying my best to keep things short & sweet on here but boy is it tough! I'll have to keep checking to see how this one turns out!


Your tank is looking quite nice. Haha nice to see someone that knows what I mean about the writing stuff.

Well today I've had some extra time, so I've been playing around with the hardscape...I may want to switch to some amazonia or something, but I'm really trying to resist spending the extra cash haha. So I got a few rocks from the lake, boiled em for a while and now I'm trying to decide on something I like, I'll throw some pics up of some various attempts. Still haven't come to a conclusion though. Gah, this is frustrating.
First pic has the rocks, and the little guy that takes up all my other time lol.


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## timme278

if you havent filled it up yet i would sujest going the 30 mins drive and getting some black sand or white sand, i like the rocks tho


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## lookin_around

timme278 said:


> if you havent filled it up yet i would sujest going the 30 mins drive and getting some black sand or white sand, i like the rocks tho


Haha, got some Amazonia on the way  It should be here the 27th or so


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## chicken

I think you'll be happy with the Amazonia. I have it in my two 2.5s, and have been very impressed with how things grow. I have about the same amount of lighting (a Catalina 26 watt PC fixture), and am running diy co2. I have sometimes also used Excel daily to help some plants really take off (Downoi and HC in particular seem to go crazy).

Remember that the Amazonia will give off ammonia for awhile, so you won't be able to add any livestock for a number of weeks. 

The red sea filter has worked fine for me, but after reading other posts, think I might try the Hagen mini. 

I like your choice of rocks.


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## lookin_around

Well guys, I got the Amazonia in a day early today so I went ahead and put it in. Been messing around with a hardscape and can't seem to make up my mind. I like this one the best so far but am open to suggestions. I think I may take out the smallest rock as it may just get overtaken by whatever flora I decide on.

What do you think?


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## luckydud13

It looks great! Keep up the work :thumbsup:


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## Camper

looking good!! keep us posted


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## luckydud13

Quick question, two actually

1. Can u use the fiter as a filter and a co2 reactor?
2. Do you put it low on the tank or near the top?


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## lookin_around

luckydud13 said:


> Quick question, two actually
> 
> 1. Can u use the fiter as a filter and a co2 reactor?
> 2. Do you put it low on the tank or near the top?


Hey, not sure what you mean with the second question, so you'll have to clarify a little on that.

But on the first one, yes that is possible. If you look at my 29 gallon in my first post, you can see an airline going down into the tank and out of sight. This line went directly to the filter intake so that any Co2 bubbles produced got sucked up and broken up by the impeller in the filter. People seem to get mixed results with this but it worked well for me, and I plan on trying it in this tank. This time though, I will be adding some sort of air stone or wood bubbler before the intake so the bubbles are even finer, therefore (in theory) giving me a better Co2 concentration. If this doesn't work I will be tempted to purchase a glass diffuser, but have had trouble getting those to work with a DIY system. If you do have a glass diffuser then you could try placing that underneath the filter intake if you like to see how that works.


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## lookin_around

Just a little update for everyone. Went to wally world a little while ago (really my only LFS, theres another small pet store but they're not really any better than wally world, just more expensive) and I ended up getting one of those PIA rolled up backgrounds, and because only the 20/29 gallon one had a black background I had to get that and cut it. That was a lot of fun, Psyche!.
Anyway, here it is









And I picked up some containers for my ferts. One for KNO3, KHPO4, and my CSM+B
[


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## joy613

Wally world a pet store, that is sad. 
Your tank is really starting to take shape, the change in the substrate made a world of difference. Any idea of plants yet?


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## lookin_around

joy613 said:


> Wally world a pet store, that is sad.
> Your tank is really starting to take shape, the change in the substrate made a world of difference. Any idea of plants yet?


Yes, hence the reason why I am forced to order most of my stuff online. Haha my roommate bought some harlequin Rasboras today from the LFS, and I've tried to share with him some info on tanks and stuff, but he ignores it. Since he set the tank up, he's had 2 cardinals and 1 rasbora die, then today he bought 4 more rasboras, and 2 have died already. I dont know when he'll learn.

Anywho, onto plants, I'm not sure exactly what I want in this tank, which is why I'm not exactly sure on my hardscape. I've been kinda compiling a little list (which I started last night at around 1 am half awake) that still needs to be modified, and changed a little. I also need to find out where those plants will be located in the tank. Any help with that stuff is GREATLY appreciated.
I'll go ahead and copy/paste it. If you guys have any suggestions on anything to add/take away from it I'd like to hear them.
This is by no means a finished or complete list...more like a "cool plant" list haha.

Ground Cover
1. Hemianthus Callitrichoides

Rock Cover
1. Mini Pellia

Floater
1. Phyllanthus fluitans

Unsure But Cool
Riccardia SP.
Anubias Nana 'Petite'
Blyxa Japonica Dwarf

Fish
1. Microrasbora Nana

Soo as you can see, not much of a list so far. I havn't thought of anything to go into the background either, or if I can use any of those as the background. I guess I'd like to get something that will get kinda tall, and then I may consider letting it grow emmersed(is this even a word? My spellchecker says its wrong, and I was unable to find it in the dictionary in my computer. Some aquatic language possibly?).

And lastly, I think I got my ferts figured out. Am I going old school by using these dry ferts? Haha, I see everyone using premixed pump stuff. Oh well, this way is cheap. 
So I made a KNO3 solution to dose 1.09 ppm of No3 (nitrates) and .69 ppm of K (potassium) for every ML of solution. 
In conspicuous bottle number 2 we have KH2PO4 in which we dose 1.06 ppm of PO4 (Phosphate) for every ML of solution.
And in bottle 3, I have my Plantex CSM + Boron. I was unsure on this one as there isn't a "calculator" just plug some numbers in for. So I took some info on a successful 125 gallon, divided the amount they were using on their tank to the equivalent amount for my 2.5 gallon and figured I should dose about 3/100 of a teaspoon every week. So I made up a solution, so that with every 5 ML I achieve that. But as I'm typing this I'm thinking I should have made it 6 ML so that I can go 3 times a week evenly. Oh well, I just dose a little extra. Heck thats what WC's are for right?

Well it looks like this is another semi long post so I'll stop now. Can't wait to hear from you guys!


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## chicken

I think HC makes a really nice ground cover in a tank that size. Anubias nana 'petite' is also one of my favorite nano plants. 

Have you considered Ludwigia arcuata as a background plant? Well, as long as I'm trying to make you grow all my favorite nano plants, how about downoi? Mayaca fluviatilis? Or my new favorite, Rotala hippuris! :hihi:

I've never grown Rotala sp. 'mini' but I think that would be a good nano plant.

As far as ferts go, I ended up using the Seachem line rather than mix up solutions with the dry ferts. Just seemed easier to me. At any rate, you will find that with the Amazonia, you will not need to dose for awhile.


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## lookin_around

Chicken, thanks for the suggestions, I really like that Downoi plant, and think I will try to incorporate that into my scape as well. I did a little more work today, and changed up my hardscape to something I like better. With this scape, it adds a little more height to the tank which I think will help with some of the relatively low growing plants.

















And here is a rough sketch of some planting ideas. I think I want a Big HC carpet, which is what that bright green is, seems like that will look cool and sorta signify a stream flowing into some sort of pond or something.









Up on the raised "hill" I was thinking of having a mix of the Blyx Japonica and Downoi, with some Anubias Nana "petite" directly behind the rock. With the rock thats sticking out, I was thinking about covering it in some Mini Pellia.

As for the other side of the tank, I am unsure of what to put behind the rock near the filter inlet.

What do you guys think of this setup. Suggestions/comments?


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## ZooTycoonMaster

I actually think the rock would look super cool if it was covered in Riccia. Just put a couple pieces of riccia onto the rock, then tie a net over it.


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## rrrrramos

That 'stream' you're talking about is exactly what I'm trying to do. 
I think the layout you've got there looks pretty promising, but I don't know about the Anubias nana 'petite' unless you're gonna attach it to some driftwood somewhere.


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## chicken

If you superglue the anubias nana "petite" to a pebble or small chip of rock, you can place it anywhere you want. It's easy to move it around and try it in different places. Don't be afraid to cut off the roots if they get in the way of positioning it where you want.


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## lookin_around

Hmm, well I think I'll just ditch the Anubias Nana Petite for this setup since I have no DW.
What do you guys think of this setup?


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## timme278

looks like a good layout.... how about Anubias barteri var. nana tied to the rock?

it would look awsome when it flowers then as well

id also put that little rock next to the tweezers like somewere in their, covered with moss and shrimp would love that

p.s. subscribed


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## lookin_around

timme278 said:


> looks like a good layout.... how about Anubias barteri var. nana tied to the rock?
> 
> it would look awsome when it flowers then as well
> 
> id also put that little rock next to the tweezers like somewere in their, covered with moss and shrimp would love that
> 
> p.s. subscribed


Hmm, tying the Anubias to one of the rocks seems like it would be pretty difficult. Plus I'm unsure of how it will look. I will definitely be keeping that suggestion in mind though.
Also, with the small rock, I was wanting to incorporate that into the tank, but I think that it will just be quickly overtaken by whatever plants I use. I figured if its going to disappear anyway, why put it in there?

If anyone has any of the plants I've listed that you are willing to part with, shoot me a PM so we can work something out. I'd rather buy from fellow members to support others in the hobby.


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## lookin_around

Just a little tank update. I've been cruising the Swap N' Shop forum and buying up plants. Got some Blyxa in today and went ahead and planted it. I am having trouble finding a Mini Java Fern, so It think I may just use Blyxa on both side and keep it simple. Plants look pretty good, and I hope they grow in well. Should be getting some Downoi, HC, and Riccia later next week.

Also I know snails are to be expected, but I have only found one, and he looks different than the normal "pesky" kind of snail...I'm not sure though. Tried to get a pic of him but he is tiny and my macro skills are still low lol.


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## ddtran46

Wow. Your blyxa looks super bushy:thumbsup:


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## lookin_around

Thanks ddtran. I added some Downoi today and hope those grow in well. I have some riccia as well but am unsure of what to do with it currently. I have way more than I need to just cover that rock and am wondering if I should just cover both rocks with it


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## BiscuitSlayer

lookin_around said:


> I have way more than I need to just cover that rock and am wondering if I should just cover both rocks with it


Don't do that! I like the rock on the left, and I think it would take away from the look if you covered it with ricca.

As far as the snail goes, it looks like some sp. of ramshorn.

Your tank is looking good. It should be ineresting to see fill in with the plants you have chosen.


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## lookin_around

BiscuitSlayer said:


> Don't do that! I like the rock on the left, and I think it would take away from the look if you covered it with ricca.
> 
> As far as the snail goes, it looks like some sp. of ramshorn.
> 
> Your tank is looking good. It should be ineresting to see fill in with the plants you have chosen.


Yea thats what I was thinking. For now the Riccia is just sitting in a cup by the tank. I've been trying desperately to get some DIY CO2 going with the Jello method, but it I can't get any CO2 production. Also, the tank seems to get a tannins kinda look to it over night, is that from the Amazonia? Anyway, here's a pic right after I refilled it


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## CL

The tannins are probably from the AS. The plants look great. I would suggest adding a third rock, but the scape seems to work the way it is :thumbsup:


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## Ugly Genius

The tank looks great! Now that you've got AS, once you get your CO2 in order, you're in like Flynn. (And don't worry, you'll get CO2 pumping. In the meantime, you could use Excel.)


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## lookin_around

Thanks guys...yea, I've been doing daily 50% WC's since I got the tank, and dosing 2 ML of Excel immediately afterwards. There seems to be some melt going on with the Blyxa, but I think its just the leaves that are in the AS.

Took off my check valve on my DIY and now the thing is cranking out a small cluster of bubbles every 2-3 seconds.

Tonight I attempted to net some of the Riccia to the rock. This was difficult, especially after I realized I had no zip ties. I had some old lead plant weights leftover from some stem plants I got a long time ago, so I just crimped down on one of those things around the netting. Hopefully that is okay to have in there.

I'll try to get a shot tomorrow after the lights are on again.


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## rrrrramos

I like it, thats the look I was going for with my bylxa before it all melted on me. 
Did you by chance have the check valve on the wrong way? I'd check and if so put it on, as I've had my tank start to siphon when changing out bottles but luckily I caught it before it did any damage! 
Anyways, I like how the tanks looking! Are you sticking with the plants in your previous post or do you have anything new in mind?


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## kyle3

subscribed


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> I like it, thats the look I was going for with my bylxa before it all melted on me.
> Did you by chance have the check valve on the wrong way? I'd check and if so put it on, as I've had my tank start to siphon when changing out bottles but luckily I caught it before it did any damage!
> Anyways, I like how the tanks looking! Are you sticking with the plants in your previous post or do you have anything new in mind?


Uh oh, do you know why yours melted on you? With mine sorta doing the same, I'm getting a little worried about them. I definitely had the check valve on the right way (if I squeezed the bottle the bubbles would come out, but not on their own).

I'm probably sticking with those plants. I have some HC that will be here monday or tuesday so I will get that planted, and then depending on how things grow (and survive) I will just go from there.

Thanks Kyle, glad to see people find this thread interesting.

Since I don't have pics, here is a video of my other hobby. Just got a new camera so I was just testing out a few different mounting points.
Honda CBR600 In The Hills


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## rrrrramos

Well mine melted because they enjoyed a nice probably 5 hour stay in my mailbox when it had just hit above freezing here. But I was told that as long as the stem itself doesn't melt and get all mushy, the plant should bounce back. It's proving true so far as I have at least half still alive and growing new leaves. I'd just get rid of the melting leaves as soon as possible. 
Maybe you should pick up another check valve or something, I'm just using a cheap plastic one with both my DIY setups but it doesn't seem to be becoming brittle as I'm told happens. Or at the least make a gas seperator/buble counter to prevent the yeast mix from entering the tank (happened to me, was gross) or water going the other way and all. 
And gl w/ the HC, I'm currently undergoing "secret operations" with my 2.5, and the HC is a big part of it, I love the way it looks in such a small tank! I'm excited to see how yours comes together!


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Well mine melted because they enjoyed a nice probably 5 hour stay in my mailbox when it had just hit above freezing here. But I was told that as long as the stem itself doesn't melt and get all mushy, the plant should bounce back. It's proving true so far as I have at least half still alive and growing new leaves. I'd just get rid of the melting leaves as soon as possible.
> Maybe you should pick up another check valve or something, I'm just using a cheap plastic one with both my DIY setups but it doesn't seem to be becoming brittle as I'm told happens. Or at the least make a gas seperator/buble counter to prevent the yeast mix from entering the tank (happened to me, was gross) or water going the other way and all.
> And gl w/ the HC, I'm currently undergoing "secret operations" with my 2.5, and the HC is a big part of it, I love the way it looks in such a small tank! I'm excited to see how yours comes together!


Yea, I've been trying to pull off the melting leaves, but it seems like I uproot the whole plant every time I do it. Surely, those guys can't like getting violently pulled from their spot just as their starting to get comfy. I might have to do the gas separator thing, but so far I've been pretty happy with the production of Co2 I have. My 2 liter bottle is only about halfway full so I don't really worry about yeast going into the tank. Haha right now it looks like I have a bubble nest on top of the water.

Secret operations huh? Well in that case its gotta turn out great right? Geeze, I hate secrets, the anticipation is killer.

I will be fairly busy today with classes and tutoring, so I'm hoping that if the HC does come today, it won't mind sitting out for a while. After checking the weather, it'll be a nice 65 today, so I'm not too worried about the cold or anything.

Here are some pictures right after "lights on". Water is kinda cloudy now, I'm guessing from all that stirring up of the Amazonia I did last night.









Notice the multitude of bubbles present on the surface.​









Here you can actually see the Co2 getting sucked into the reactor, aka - Filter.​


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## kyle3

do you think you might spread the Co2 to the deeper parts of the tank if you angled the filter out flow down by shimming the the spot between the tank and the bottom of the filter.

by the way i can't tell from the pictures what angle the water enters the tank at. . .so if it's already angled down sorry

on the other hand, the less turmoil in the water, the less Co2 gasses off. . . so maybe the angle would be best at an angle that's more acute to the surface of the water

food for thought i guess. . .lol sorry for letting my mind wander on your thread

cheers-K


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## lookin_around

kyle3 said:


> do you think you might spread the Co2 to the deeper parts of the tank if you angled the filter out flow down by shimming the the spot between the tank and the bottom of the filter.
> 
> by the way i can't tell from the pictures what angle the water enters the tank at. . .so if it's already angled down sorry
> 
> on the other hand, the less turmoil in the water, the less Co2 gasses off. . . so maybe the angle would be best at an angle that's more acute to the surface of the water
> 
> food for thought i guess. . .lol sorry for letting my mind wander on your thread
> 
> cheers-K


I'm not sure if you happen to own a Red Sea Nano Filter, but they do have a little plastic piece on the bottom for doing exactly that. I have it so that it is as far off the back of the tank as possible so I get pretty good flow through the tank as it is. Right now, with the way the filter is tilted and how low it sits in the water, there is very little surface _movement_ and absolutely no surface _agitation_. Thanks for the suggestions though, I appreciate them.

I should be getting the HC in today or tomorrow so I will get that planted soon and see how it does.

Also, my DIY Co2 seems to be doing awesome. I'm getting a steady stream of bubbles now. It's probably in the range of like 5-10 bubbles per second, but I can't count them. It has been doing this consistently for the past 24 hours....lets see how long it lasts.

The Blyxa appears to be experiencing a lot of melt, but I'm hoping that it will come back. My water parameters should be fine as I have been doing daily water changes.


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## Ugly Genius

Tank's looking rad, man. 

For the record, when I ran a Red Sea Nano Filter + chopstick diffuser (and glass, for that matter) when the bubbles sat on the surface like that, I considered it a good thing. I saw that the CO2 bubbles would leave the chopstick, float up, go for what I termed the "redip" in the outflow, where they were then pushed out into the WC before floating to the surface. Many of the bubbles wouldn't make it passed the redip, so I know that quite a bit was absorbed into the WC. Also, I'd wager that a respectable percentage of those bubbles are O2 from your plants. I think this because when I did what you're doing, I'd have significantly more bubbles at lights out (after a day of photosynthesizing) than when lights came on after a night of the plants and fauna breathing the O2.

My Blyxa did the same. Eventually it bounced back, but by that time I was so pissed at it for various reasons, I took it out.


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## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> Tank's looking rad, man.
> 
> For the record, when I ran a Red Sea Nano Filter + chopstick diffuser (and glass, for that matter) when the bubbles sat on the surface like that, I considered it a good thing. I saw that the CO2 bubbles would leave the chopstick, float up, go for what I termed the "redip" in the outflow, where they were then pushed out into the WC before floating to the surface. Many of the bubbles wouldn't make it passed the redip, so I know that quite a bit was absorbed into the WC. Also, I'd wager that a respectable percentage of those bubbles are O2 from your plants. I think this because when I did what you're doing, I'd have significantly more bubbles at lights out (after a day of photosynthesizing) than when lights came on after a night of the plants and fauna breathing the O2.
> 
> My Blyxa did the same. Eventually it bounced back, but by that time I was so pissed at it for various reasons, I took it out.


Might I ask why you got rid of the Red Sea? I find that it is doing just what I need it to in a tank this small. Maybe it's because the ADA tanks are a little larger. This method seems to be working pretty well although I still don't like the sight of the disposable air stone. My plan was to have the filter inlet hidden by the blyxa, but I moved it over to the middle until they get settled in and healthy. I'm glad I did so with their apparent melting.

Pissed at your Blyxa? Oh man, thats not a good way to maintain a good relationship with your plants. I like to whisper sweet nothings to mine through a straw. I think it comforts them in times of low water, haha.

No HC yet, hopefully it will be in today, which sucks cause today I only have one class in the mid-morning, and then I tutor until 5pm, then I'll have a couple hours to get them planted and then its off to accounting at 7...WoOT! Talk about excitement!


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## Ugly Genius

I got rid of the Nano Filter*s* -- I had two on Riven -- because...actually, I don't remember. I think I wanted a canister of some sort simply for the sake of having a canister of some sort. I got the ZooMed 501 and I love it. I'd love a Eheim 2211 like Craig's got even more, but the ZooMed does just fine for a Mini-S.
The Blyxa started it. She'd float to the surface for any reason what-so-ever. I eventually tied her down with lead weights, but I'm convinced that this precipitated the eventual demise of all my shrimp in that tank. You see, lead is fine in 7.0+ ph water, but it's not so good in acidic water in that it slowly dissolved in my pH of 6.8 and below.
So in a way, Blyxa killed my shrimp and she and I no longer see each other.

Off topic but related to an earlier post, what year's your CBR?


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## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> I got rid of the Nano Filter*s* -- I had two on Riven -- because...actually, I don't remember. I think I wanted a canister of some sort simply for the sake of having a canister of some sort. I got the ZooMed 501 and I love it. I'd love a Eheim 2211 like Craig's got even more, but the ZooMed does just fine for a Mini-S.
> The Blyxa started it. She'd float to the surface for any reason what-so-ever. I eventually tied her down with lead weights, but I'm convinced that this precipitated the eventual demise of all my shrimp in that tank. You see, lead is fine in 7.0+ ph water, but it's not so good in acidic water in that it slowly dissolved in my pH of 6.8 and below.
> So in a way, Blyxa killed my shrimp and she and I no longer see each other.
> 
> Off topic but related to an earlier post, what year's your CBR?


Oh I see, I think I'll plan on sticking to the Red Sea for now. I am hoping that within the next few months I'll be able to invest in a 5 lb. pressurized Co2 system, but we'll see how finances go. Having the lead in my tank makes me nervous, so I will probably be changing that out for a zip-tie sometime soon.

I don't mind going off topic a bit, especially if it's about riding. It's an 07, pretty much all stock except for a fender eliminator and some rear turn signals. I'll try to get a better vid up in the near future. For that one I had the wrong batteries in my camera so, after some vibration they stopped working.
And to go even _further_ off topic, here is a picture after some new tires and rim stripes....since I don't have any of my tank ATM.


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## lookin_around

Time for a double-post. I just got the HC in today and spent about an hour planting it. Thanks to the member I purchased it from, I had plenty to fill in the tank. Took about an hour to plant, and now I know why everyone says that it is such a pain. So far, none of it has uprooted, and I'm hoping I can get lucky and not have to deal with any of it uprooting itself.

The Blyxa continues to melt, and I hope that it bounces back sometime soon because I am starting to get impatient, haha. The Downois seem to be doing pretty well, although the two in the back aren't looking as good as the ones up front, so I'm thinking they don't get quite the same amount of light as the other two, or at least thats all I can come up with. Because of that, I've now tilted the light ever so slightly so that it sits at about a 20 degree angle toward the rear of the tank, so not much, but maybe it'll help.

My Co2 has slowed considerably as expected, so I'm hoping the change won't cause any algae. I've been dosing 2 ml of excel daily so hopefully that will help, along with the almost daily 50% WC's.

And lastly, after taking out about half of the water in my tank, I noticed my Riccia pearling. Ahhh, that is what makes it worth the work. Pretty cool to see.

Time for a few pictures...








Angle 1, here you can see the lovely HC along with the not so lovely melting Blyxa









Angle 2, I think the tank is finally starting to get to where I can see what its going to look like filled in. Sucks that it takes this long for me to be able to visualize that, haha.









And the last picture is my Riccia. You can already see some slight growth, and if you look real closely, you can see the pearling!roud:​


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## rrrrramos

I've got faith in your blyxa, if it wasn't going to make it it would be all gone, or at least look much worse than that. I'm hoping this batch I got in today fares better than the one I got first, I made sure this stayed nice & warm though! haha
And boy did you get a lot of HC! Did you plant it plantlet by plantlet or in bunches? It's tough to tell from the pics you've got.


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> I've got faith in your blyxa, if it wasn't going to make it it would be all gone, or at least look much worse than that. I'm hoping this batch I got in today fares better than the one I got first, I made sure this stayed nice & warm though! haha
> And boy did you get a lot of HC! Did you plant it plantlet by plantlet or in bunches? It's tough to tell from the pics you've got.


Thanks for the positive reenforcement rrrrramos. Haha, so you've got Blyxa in the plans for the "secret" 2.5 operation. Awesome plant choice, even though mine is melting I like it very much and think it will be great once it grows in.

And about the HC, I started plantlet by plantlet, but then realized I had a lot leftover, so I went through and started doing small bunches. So therefore I kinda have a mix of both, hopfully that will cause it to fill in faster.


Annd on another subject, I aced my Asian history midterm so now back to my celebratory night of drink. That's right...just drink...when in actuality its way too many drinks, but oh well.


----------



## rrrrramos

Yes, it's always been a plan for this tank! I'm actually going to reveal the secret probably tonight or tomorrow so check that thread if you wanna be in the know haha.
With the HC planted the way you have it, if you keep it trimmed nicely you'll have it looking perfect, but the bunches will form a much denser carpet area while the plantlets will be a little more spread out. I've noticed this happening in my cube where its starting to spread nicely but hasn't filled in and I'm already having to trim a lot in there. If you've got it spread evenly throughout the tank though, you might have made just the right choice and have it spread nicely though!


----------



## lookin_around

Yea I'm hoping the HC won't take too long to fill in. Here's a little video I took a few days ago of the Co2 production I've been getting in my tank to kinda show my bubble rate. I don't know how many BPS it is but you can see.

​


----------



## rrrrramos

If you've got a gas separator in line with the co2 judge your BPS by the bubbles produced in that. I've got 7-8 bps in mine, if I was to judge by the amount that actually are dispersed into the water it'd be in the triple digits hahaha.


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> If you've got a gas separator in line with the co2 judge your BPS by the bubbles produced in that. I've got 7-8 bps in mine, if I was to judge by the amount that actually are dispersed into the water it'd be in the triple digits hahaha.


I have nothing between my mixture and the diffuser so the only bubbles I can count are the ones going into it. After I realized that I was counting the small bubbles instead of what are "normal" bubbles, I knew I was wrong in my bubble count....but I'm stickin' with it 'cause it sounds like I have the best DIY system ever!

Well, the little guy that was posted a few pages back that was checking out my rocks when I got them has passed away. When I went to let him out of his cage this morning, there was no response. It's been kind of a sad day but I expected it to happen soon because he was recently diagnosed with juvenile lymphoma and had only a few weeks left even with the help of prednisolone. Today after removing his cage I picked up a bookshelf and moved the nano to the top of that.

Despite the negative stuff that has happened today, I definitely feel like I got a lot done and my room is definitely less cluttered. I don't plan on getting another ferret anytime soon. That will have to wait until I am done with school and then I may think about it after that, but until then, the cage is in storage.

Anyway, here are a few pictures. I only took 2 quick shots so there are no close ups. The only thing that has changed really is some noticeable growth on the Riccia which seems to be doing well.


















I really like the way this looks, and it definitely frees up some space in my closet. The only thing that I haven't figured out is how to conceal the Co2 setup, so for now it is just behind the tank.​


----------



## rrrrramos

Sorry to hear about the little guy, those guys are a lot smarter than I thought! 

Your blyxa actually looks like its doing fairly well, granted the shots are a bit far away. I came back from work today to find one of mine with no leaves, 2 with only about 3 or 4 leaves still attached, and the other 2 very short but still green and not floating. 

I can't tell from the pic there, but if your blinds are facing downward, I would make a quick adjustment and point them upwards. I'm not sure of the effect it would have on a tank this size, but my brothers tank was about 4 feet away from the window, and the one he had open provided a line of sight to the tank which gave it wayyy too much light and caused him to have a horrendous green water outbreak.


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Sorry to hear about the little guy, those guys are a lot smarter than I thought!
> 
> Your blyxa actually looks like its doing fairly well, granted the shots are a bit far away. I came back from work today to find one of mine with no leaves, 2 with only about 3 or 4 leaves still attached, and the other 2 very short but still green and not floating.
> 
> I can't tell from the pic there, but if your blinds are facing downward, I would make a quick adjustment and point them upwards. I'm not sure of the effect it would have on a tank this size, but my brothers tank was about 4 feet away from the window, and the one he had open provided a line of sight to the tank which gave it wayyy too much light and caused him to have a horrendous green water outbreak.


Thanks, yea for the most part, the Blyxa doesn't look _too_ bad, but I just want it to be lush and green already! lol. There is one plant in the back left corner that looks like all the leaves have pretty much melted away on. Should I leave this one in, or is it a lost cause?

I fixed the blinds soon after the picture so that I don't get any extra direct sunlight. It's next to a northern facing window so it doesn't get much in terms of direct sunlight as of now.


----------



## lookin_around

Well its been a few days so here is a little update. I have been just really letting the tank do its own thing and cut back on the water changes a bit since I have been busy with school. Today I noticed some white slimy film type stuff on some of the HC and on the substrate. It didn't look like algae, so I took it to be some sort of mold or fungus from all the dead plant matter that the Blyxa has been donating to the tank.









Here is the best shot I could get. Kinda hard to see, but you get the idea.​
So after I saw that and all the dead plant matter in the tank, I decided it was time to start some trimming. But before that, I went ahead and added a smaller bottle to my DIY co2 setup for a bubble counter/co2 filter to help with that end in case the cause has been my co2 setup. I'm not quite seeing the Co2 production that I was having a few days ago, so I think I'm gonna pour off the water in my Co2 bottle and add some fresh stuff.

Here are a couple close up shots I took before the trim

















The Downois all look like they are doing well, except for one plant which looks like it isn't doing anything.

So then I started trimming up the Blyxa. I started on the right side of the tank, and uprooted all of the plants and plucked away any leaves that had melted or looked like they were going to melt soon. This took wwaaayyy longer than I thought and so I ended up only doing the right side for today. It took 2-3 hours to get done and I've trimmed them down a lot. I'm hoping that they don't melt any more because of my uprooting of them. I noticed some fuzz algae on the roots when I pulled them up so that has me a little concerned as well.

I will probably do the other side sometime later tonight after class or tomorrow. Anyway, here is a picture after the trimming. I also moved the filter to the side of the tank in hope of some better circulation.







Hopefully it won't take too long to grow in.


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys, just wanted to update as I finished thinning out the dead Blyxa, and am now down to a lot less. I was thinking, and it has been 2 weeks since I planted it and I have seen no growth from the Blyxa itself. I'm hoping it starts soon, or I may be looking for another plant to fill into those spots. Any suggestions?​
Before I throw up some pictures, just want to add that I took these with the cell phone because I didn't feel like getting out the DSLR. So, with that said, please excuse the reflections and lack of color.









The HC looks like it is doing well. It's nice and green, and I have had none of it uproot itself, the only problem is that white stuff that seems to be on it. I'm hoping that with the extraction of all the plant matter that it will take care of it self soon enough









Here is a close-up of the right hand side. You can see what the Blyxa is looking like and it's leaving me a little doubtful. What do you guys think? Just to remind you, I uprooted all the Blyxa when I pruned off the melting leaves and am wondering how much that will "upset" them.









Lastly, here is a whole tank shot as of this morning. You can see how much thinner things are now. I also moved the filter over to where I originally planned on having it, so we'll see how that works. Right now it looks like I'm getting pretty good flow through the tank. I think I'll move the co2 line to the other side of the filter inlet so that it is a little more concealed.​
Also, I'm increasing my Excel dosing from 2 ml to 2.5ml and am [STRIKE]thinking about extending my photoperiod to 11 hours instead of 10[/STRIKE]. Nvm, might drop it to 9


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## rrrrramos

Blyxa is a weird plant man, just gotta let it do its thing. I have had all but two of mine lose all their leaves and seemingly melt away. Out of all the ones that seemed like they were gone, two of them have leaves shooting from the stem, and new shoots on the 2 stems that have some of the original leaves. After reading up on them, it seems that its a common thing and happens if there is a change in water conditions, from PH to different CO2 concentrations, and even when the water is from a different source. If yours is staying green and is still alive at this point, I see a good chance in it shooting back, it just takes a lot of time to acclimate.


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Blyxa is a weird plant man, just gotta let it do its thing. I have had all but two of mine lose all their leaves and seemingly melt away. Out of all the ones that seemed like they were gone, two of them have leaves shooting from the stem, and new shoots on the 2 stems that have some of the original leaves. After reading up on them, it seems that its a common thing and happens if there is a change in water conditions, from PH to different CO2 concentrations, and even when the water is from a different source. If yours is staying green and is still alive at this point, I see a good chance in it shooting back, it just takes a lot of time to acclimate.


Thanks for that advice. I wonder if my frequent water changes affect things at all. With this tank it has been the complete opposite of what happened with my 29 gallon. Instead of not having enough time for maintenance, it seems as though I have TOO much time for this tank. Hence the reason for the water changes every couple of days. I haven't really been dosing because of my water changes, but I did a color chart test today for PO4 and it looked like it was pretty much at 0, so I'm going to start dosing 1 ppm of my KH2PO4 solution every other day. I dose my trace mix pretty much right after every water change.

This evening I found a few little white worm looking things on the glass which I removed with some tweasers. Not sure what they are, but they are out of the tank now.


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## ddtran46

wow is that the stand you bought for 45 dollars?


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## lookin_around

ddtran46 said:


> wow is that the stand you bought for 45 dollars?


Sure is, I believe this is the same one I got. I picked it up at the local target, but it looks like you can order them online. I like it, but there is no place to hide any equipment, unless you can go behind it somehow. In my case, its against the wall.


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## lookin_around

Just a quick update today. I'm seeing a few new leaves from my Blyxa so I think I may be back on track for recovery. I just added another 2 liter bottle to my Co2 setup to start cranking out Co2 for a while to speed things up and to make changing them out easier. I figure I'll do one every 2 weeks. I recently changed out the old bottle and went pretty much a whole day without Co2, which I did not like.

I also picked up a bag of Purigen and shoved it in my filter. It's pretty large for that filter and is the only thing that will fit in there now. Do you guys think this will be ok to use as my only filter media? before I just had a black coarse pad and the white filter floss stuff.









I was also thinking about getting a Tom's Mini canister filter, but I really don't have anymore room behind my tank. I'll have to figure out how I can squeeze that in before I pick something like that up​

Edit: The tank is already looking clearer. I guess this stuff really works, haha.


----------



## rrrrramos

Any updates on this? I'm sure there is some nice growth that you need to show us! That HC must be covering at _least_ half of what it was before. And what about the Bylxa, did it ever bounce back?
I've also go a question for you. Since we've got very similar setups, did you notice a change in growth/less pearling/die off on the Riccia after moving the filter? I've seen it pearl but not as much as it did in the other tank, and it doesn't seem to be growing as fast as it was in there. The HC however is pearling like crazy!


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Any updates on this? I'm sure there is some nice growth that you need to show us! That HC must be covering at _least_ half of what it was before. And what about the Bylxa, did it ever bounce back?
> I've also go a question for you. Since we've got very similar setups, did you notice a change in growth/less pearling/die off on the Riccia after moving the filter? I've seen it pearl but not as much as it did in the other tank, and it doesn't seem to be growing as fast as it was in there. The HC however is pearling like crazy!


I'll get some pictures up when I have time and lights are on. I have lights on from 2pm - 9pm right now. The reason for the reduced photoperiod is because I've been finding GSA on parts of the glass and even on one of my Blyxas that was melting. Although after moving the filter, I think the GSA is caused by areas of low flow because now there is a new spot that is getting it, while the old spot (now with much better flow) is not showing any new signs of it.

Then Blyxa is bouncing back, but it seems like I keep getting a smaller and smaller plant load with them. I am seeing new growth, and on a couple of the larger plants, they have sent out runners, but it seems after sending out the runners, the mother plant starts melting away, even at the base. So I removed a couple that were melting and replanted the baby plants, so hopefully those will take off soon.

The HC and Riccia are both growing great. I just trimmed back the Riccia and will have to see how well it grows with the filter outlet pretty much facing straight at it. The HC is also filling in well although I'm starting to see some upward growth, which I hope will not continue for too long.

I just noticed some new spot algae on a couple of my Downois which is really bugging me. Seems like no matter what, I just can't get good enough flow through this tank to keep the algae at bay. I have a feeling a canister filter may be in order soon.

I really don't see any pearling in this tank. Sometimes the HC will have a few plants that pearl a little but thats really about it. The Riccia only gets bubbles on it when I do a water change, but it continues to be the fastest grower in the tank. This makes me question my diffusion method for Co2 as I have two - 2 liter bottles hooked up to this tank. I may be looking at getting a nano ceramic diffuser soon as well to see if that helps. It seems like the bubbles that the filter spits out into the tank are just as small as those that come out of a ceramic diffuser though, so I am undecided.

I've been dosing religiously on this tank using EI, along with 2.5 mls of Excel daily. Water changes get done once a week, sometimes a few days less, and I have seen no algae other than the GSA.

Still no inhabitants, I've been looking for some sort of micro-sized schooling fish that may work in here but it just seems like too small of a tank. I think I might just go with shrimp in here. I really like how CRS look, but have heard they are not good for a shrimp beginner. I'm also unsure of whether or not my water parameters are okay for the shrimp.

Picture update to come soon!


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## B16CRXT

Great looking nano! I just picked up this exact 2.5 from pet smart this morning! Don't think I'm going to go fully planted though. I'll probably keep a slow grower in it, such as a java fern. I only have plain black gravel in mine with an area of white sand. Got a few cool looking rocks in it for the hard scape so far. i'm using an aqua-tech 5-15 filter on mine and a reptile clamp on light with a 6500K spiral bulb in it for lighting. Not sure what fauna to keep in here though? Maybe some dwarf corys?


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## rrrrramos

​ 
Boraras Brigatte, perfect size, AND currently available on InvertzFactory.com for only $2.00!

http://www.invertzfactory.com/stocklist.htm


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## lookin_around

Ok here are a couple of pictures so you guys can check things out. These were taken with the cell so they aren't the best quality (but still 5 megapixels)









Here's the FTS. Those little white lines you see are actually small Co2 bubbles. They reason they look like lines is because the shutter speed on the camera was not quick enough to capture them as the small dots that they really are.









Here is a close up of the right side. You can see how much greener and better the Blyxa is looking. If you look in the far back right, you can see the baby plant that I replanted the other day and removed the parent plant. I really liked the parent plant because the new growth on it was turning red, and I thought it was because of moderately high light, but it was the only plant really exhibiting that trait.​
I may be ordering a mini canister soon to get some better flow through the tank. If I do this, I will either leave the Red Sea on there for even more flow and diffusion of my Co2, or I will have to buy a ceramic disc diffusor as well.


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## rrrrramos

That looks good dude, the Blyxa looks like it's much happier. 
Are you going with the ZooMed or something else? I was considering using one of those but the Red Sea Nano seems to be doing its job, its giving me the clearest water I've ever had in any tank and doubles as a CO2 diffuser!
Are you thinking about adding any other plants to the tank?


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## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> That looks good dude, the Blyxa looks like it's much happier.
> Are you going with the ZooMed or something else? I was considering using one of those but the Red Sea Nano seems to be doing its job, its giving me the clearest water I've ever had in any tank and doubles as a CO2 diffuser!
> Are you thinking about adding any other plants to the tank?


I may stick with the Red Sea. I think I've got it now so that the low-flow area is a decently easy area to clean the glass. As of right now there are no other plans for other plants in this tank. I've just kinda put things on cruise control right now and am waiting for a luscious and green tank stuffed full of downoi, blyxa, HC, and Riccia. I'm afraid to really do anything in the tank. During a recent water change when I was thinning out the Blyxa, I accidently moved the rock on the left side o the tank, and it was a real pain getting the substrate back in its plant, and I uprooted a lot of HC in the proccess...not something that I want to go through anytime soon.

With the rock on the right, I'm wondering if I'd like it better layed down flat on the substrate because right now I can see the netting on the underside of the rock where there is no Riccia growing.


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## B16CRXT

Why not cut the netting off on the bottom and super glue the net edges to the rock? Maybe glue the areas you want on there first then cut it?


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## lookin_around

Chris. said:


> Why not cut the netting off on the bottom and super glue the net edges to the rock? Maybe glue the areas you want on there first then cut it?


Thanks for the suggestion. Right now that seems like more trouble than I'm willing to go through, but I will keep it in mind.

On another note, I still continue to struggle with DIY CO2...I made up a couple of bottles of 1.5 cups of sugar and water. The bottles were at room temperature and I added about 1/4 teaspoon of yeast to the bottles, and a day later, I was getting very little to no Co2. Probably about a bubble every 20 seconds. So today I finally opened them up and dumped about another 1/4 teaspoon on in the bottles, and didn't shake the bottles at all this time so the yeast was floating at the top. Within 30 minutes I noticed an increase in production and I am now back to a bubble every 3 seconds or so.

Now I don't think that my co2 issue caused my HC to die off a little because I've had Co2 trouble in the past and didn't experience any problems.

I think it might be from my recent Purigen recharge. I did all the steps for longer than 24 hours. The only thing is I didn't do the acid buffer step at the end because there are no inhabitants in the tank, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to just skip that step. Could I be wrong in not doing the acid buffer step on the purigen? If thats not the problem, then I guess there was some residual bleach on the purigen still.


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## rrrrramos

lookin_around said:


> On another note, I still continue to struggle with DIY CO2..


There is only one solution to this; go pressurized! Haha just kidding I don't think a tank this size needs pressurized especially if it is your only tank. Now if you get another tank and go bigger, then yes, get pressurized and split it to this tank too. 
But in all seriousness, what are you using to make the CO2? I've got two 'systems' set up at the moment, one using Jello and the other using sugar and I've found the Jello setup to be much more consistent. I've had this one batch going for close to 1 1/2 months now I think, and if it starts to die down a bit I just add a pinch more yeast and we're good to go again! 

I'm also having an HC issue lately too, not in the 2.5 but the cube. I'm chalking it up to the fact that I let some plants grow too high to cover the light and they got deprived :icon_roll gl with getting it to be happy again!


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## B16CRXT

The DIY mixture I used to do was 3 cups sugar in hot water-Shake it up in the bottle until mixed well, stir 1/4 tsp yeast into 2 cups warm water, then mix them. Within an hour or two you will have great co2 production.


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## lookin_around

Chris. said:


> The DIY mixture I used to do was 3 cups sugar in hot water-Shake it up in the bottle until mixed well, stir 1/4 tsp yeast into 2 cups warm water, then mix them. Within an hour or two you will have great co2 production.


I've been wondering why people don't add more sugar to their mixtures. I know the yeast can only take so much alcohol content, but I wonder if the mixtures would last longer with more sugar in them.

Well, guess its time for a little update. As I said earlier, I experienced a little die off with the HC for some reason. Not sure why, but it doesn't look like its progressing any further. I think the culprit may have been the Purigen after I recharged it, but I can't be certain.

This tank has been growing a whole lot slower than I was hoping it would (they Blyxa in particular). So I'm pretty much just waiting on things to fill in. If I could get my Blyxa as thick as it was when I first planted it, then I would be happy. You may want to look at some older pics when I first planted it to get an idea. How long this will take, I do not know. But, the Blyxa does look better and is slowly growing.

The Riccia is the fastest grower in here, and is a b*tch to trim. I just don't like netting up all the little pieces afterwards. I am thinking about switching that out for Mini Pellia. The main reason I got the Riccia was to watch it pearl, and I am either not getting enough Co2 production (1 bubble every 4-6 seconds) or my method for diffusion is not efficient enough. I am inclined to go pressurized, but am hesitant to drop the $200-300 when this 2.5 gallon tank is my only one right now.

Do you guys think that buying a ceramic diffuser would help?

Anyway, before I post pics, I have to say that I have been experiencing small amounts of GSA. It is definitely noticeable on the rock, which I don't mind. But when it gets on the glass is when it starts to bug me. You can see some on the glass on the right hand side near the substrate.

As far as critters, there still aren't any in here. I would like to get some CRS, but I'm not sure if my water parameters are compatible with them.

Well time for some quick shots








It looks like there is a lot of light coming in through the window, but there really isn't. Most of the light on the wall is from the tank light.









And a FTS...You can see some of the die off I had in the HC if you compare this to an earlier FTS.​


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## rrrrramos

I think our tanks are distant twins. Whenever something good happens (new more effective filter placement, pesky plants actually surviving etc) to one of us, it is usually the same for the other. Inversely that also applied to bad stuff. Like how your HC was dying off. I have HC dying in my 12g right now :/ And algae growing on my rock near the filter


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## nkambae

*yeast and alcohol*

You are correct about bread yeast only being able to withstand a low alcohol content. It's upper limit is 6-7%, if I remember correctly. If you use more sugar and/or more yeast you will have a higher CO2 production for a shorter period of time until you hit the lethal alcohol content. Conversely, lower sugar and lower yeast will give you lower production for a longer time frame. 

You can go to your local brew and grow store and pick up a few packages of champagne yeast which can withstand a higher alcohol content (15-17%, I think). Or you can order it online. I run two or three bottles and change one per week (always changing left to right so my befuddled brain can remember) and I get pretty consistent production. For your small set up you could use 1/2 liter bottles so you could hide them better(2-3 for yeast and 1 for a gas separator/bubble counter). 

If you activate your yeast first (Ala Chris) you will get faster production than brewing up at room temperature. Good luck.

stu


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## B16CRXT

lol, I just bought that exact filter for my 2.5 gallon. You might want to elevate the tank to get it closer to your light. That may be why your plants aren't doing as well as you would hope. For diffusion, I would either run it into the filter intake or a ladder type. DIY co2 doesn't easily make enough pressure to make a glass diffuser worth while. I tried it. I do have a Hydor Ario Aerator that I love and used with my DIY setup before, but it's kinda bulky.


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## lookin_around

Well I have some more possibilities for the HC die off. I came home from class, and found that the my diffuser stone had clogged up on the side next to the filter intake and was just spitting bubbles into the tank. So this is one possibility, because of the inconsistent Co2 levels...so off goes the stone and I'm running the bubbles straight into the intake now.

I also noticed, as I was removing the stone, that a film had developed on the water surface due to very little water movement. I took out the Purigen as it is already brown again and it changed the filter flow. So I won't be using purigen for a while....at least not with this filter, or until I get a smaller "pouch".

With that film, I also noticed that the water was very warm. It was just below the point where water feels neither hot nor cold, so I'm thinking it was at least 80 degrees. This may be the other culprit for the HC die off, so I now have my little desk fan sitting on the window seal blowing on the tank. This creates a little surface movement, and will hopefully keep the water cooler. I know it will increase evaporation but thats ok, I top the tank off every morning when I dose.

Now that I have the purigen out, I have eliminated the possibility for more bleach to leach out and cause die off, so I am expecting my HC to bounce back in the next week or two.

If that doesn't happen, then the investigation will have to go further.


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## waterfaller1

lookin_around said:


> I also noticed that the water was very warm. It was just below the point where water feels neither hot nor cold, so I'm thinking it was at least 80 degrees. This may be the other culprit for the HC die off, so I now have my little desk fan sitting on the window seal blowing on the tank. This creates a little surface movement, and will hopefully keep the water cooler.


 How about dropping one of these in there..they are fairly accurate, and cheap.

http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_015561112000-HAGEN-MARINA-AQUARIUM-FLOATING-THERMOMETER


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## lookin_around

waterfaller1 said:


> How about dropping one of these in there..they are fairly accurate, and cheap.
> 
> http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_015561112000-HAGEN-MARINA-AQUARIUM-FLOATING-THERMOMETER


I actually have something like that already that I dropped in there right after the post. It read about 82 about 10 minutes after I put it in there. It is now at 78 so either I didn't wait long enough for it to adjust, or the fan is in fact helping out with the temperature. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## lookin_around

Just an update, we now have some pearling going on in this tank. I noticed it for the first time today, and it has been going on all day. When I first put the Co2 line into the intake, I didn't have the check valve in line, and so I would get a cluster of bubbles into the filter every 3-5 seconds. I didn't like this, as it made the filter struggle. So I decided to put the check valve back on to help regulate the flow a little. Now I am getting a consistent bubble count and things are looking better.

Since I removed the Purigen, I've already noticed the water looking a little less "clear". So tonight I ordered "The Bag" in hopes of being able to use a smaller amount of Purigen than what is in the package I purchased. I also ordered some more Flourish Excel as I am starting to get low, and some Acid Buffer for recharging the Purigen.

I'll do a water change probably on friday sometime and then I'll update the thread with some pictures of how things are set up right now.


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## B16CRXT

"the bag" is very large(I have that overpriced product). better to just use some pantyhose I think.


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## BMueller777

update!! I wanna do the same thing plant wise just with a 90 gallon :thumbsup:


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## lookin_around

B16CRXT said:


> "the bag" is very large(I have that overpriced product). better to just use some pantyhose I think.


Yea, I cleaned the filter out today and crammed the Purigen Bag back in there. If the bag I ordered is too big, then I will have wasted 8 bucks...but oh well, I guess its all part of the hobby. Now that I've used Purigen, I just can't live without it. Within a day after removing it, my tank developed a tannins look to it.

The amount of film I was getting on the surface was ridiculous this week. I don't know what caused it since I haven't had any film on the surface of the water since I got this tank. I think taking out the Purigen bag may have changed the flow from the filter somehow and caused the film to start. I've been monitoring the temperature in this tank all week, and now that we're running the AC here, things seem to be cooler.

I did a water change today. Technically, the one week limit was up until tomorrow, but I had extra time and went ahead and did it today.









Here is a picture of how I'm doing Co2 now. It seems to be working great so far, and I will continue using this method until I see some negative effects. It's weird, if the output of the Co2 is out of the intake of the filter, the system just doesn't build up enough pressure to get past the check valve, but with it in the filter intake, I get a nice bubble rate. A possible problem with this is that I have to make sure it doesn't somehow com out of the intake at all, which would stop Co2 diffusion. I've been thinking about cramming a discard-a-stone on the end in the filter there to get some finer bubbles, but I've been getting consistant pearling from the HC, Riccia, and even Blyxa since I switched over to this method, so I havn't been to motivated to change much.









Here is an angled shot of the tank. Things are looking better. Blyxa is definitely showing growth with runners, and I even have a runner on one of my Downois









And here is a shot of the right hand side of the tank. I havn't trimmed the Riccia because:
1. I'm dreading how much time it will take to clean up.
2. I'm not quite sure what I want to do with it.
It is definitely the fastest grower in the tank, and I'm not sure if its working. I think I'll wait for the HC to grow in more to see if it covers up the part of the rock where you can see the netting and decide if its worth the trouble. What do you guys think I should do?​
Well thats it for now. Tomorrow I'll be changing out one of the Co2 bottles to keep my Co2 production rate up. Thanks for looking!


----------



## Ugly Genius

Remember these photos.
This is the day that the plants reached their critical mass and will soon explode. I've seen this look before in peoples' tanks and this is the moment of beautiful silence where it all goes POP and it's green from glass pane to glass pane.
Good job.


----------



## rrrrramos

Alright I'm trying this method out for my CO2. I bumped up the flow a little and it seems to like that too!


----------



## B16CRXT

I think I've read here that amazonia is bad for inverts. Is this right? I think they said amazonia II is better for them. I'm thinking about putting this stuff in my 2.5 also.


----------



## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> Remember these photos.
> This is the day that the plants reached their critical mass and will soon explode. I've seen this look before in peoples' tanks and this is the moment of beautiful silence where it all goes POP and it's green from glass pane to glass pane.
> Good job.


I hope you're right UG. The "calm before the storm" so-to-speak. If thats the case, I say bring on the rain, haha.



rrrrramos said:


> Alright I'm trying this method out for my CO2. I bumped up the flow a little and it seems to like that too!


It's definitely worth a shot. I think both our tanks can benifit from these small changes. You had your flow turned down? Haha, I've had my red sea at full throttle since I put it on this tank. I've decided to just keep it for now as I couldn't figure out where to put a canister so that it wasn't too unsightly.



B16CRXT said:


> I think I've read here that amazonia is bad for inverts. Is this right? I think they said amazonia II is better for them. I'm thinking about putting this stuff in my 2.5 also.


Hmm, I'm not sure I've heard that. I guess I could see how it may be bad if you add them in while the tank is cycling, but after that I see no problem with it. Amazonia tends to cause hight Ammonia levels when you first put it in there because of what it leaches out, so adding any fauna during that period could be deadly.


----------



## waterfaller1

B16CRXT said:


> I think I've read here that amazonia is bad for inverts. Is this right? I think they said amazonia II is better for them. I'm thinking about putting this stuff in my 2.5 also.


Quite the opposite.


----------



## rrrrramos

So far so good. I upped the flow and it seems like it's doing a better job than I expected making somewhat of a vortex at the top of the inflow, which if I'm right is exposing the CO2 to the water for longer which can't be bad. It's only been running like this for a couple minutes so far though, so we'll have to see. I don't have near the amount of bubbles you appear to have though, did you say you were getting a constant flow from the CO2? Mine seems to be a short shot every 10 seconds or so. Maybe I've gotta move the tubing around and find that 'sweet spot' haha


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> So far so good. I upped the flow and it seems like it's doing a better job than I expected making somewhat of a vortex at the top of the inflow, which if I'm right is exposing the CO2 to the water for longer which can't be bad. It's only been running like this for a couple minutes so far though, so we'll have to see. I don't have near the amount of bubbles you appear to have though, did you say you were getting a constant flow from the CO2? Mine seems to be a short shot every 10 seconds or so. Maybe I've gotta move the tubing around and find that 'sweet spot' haha


Well before I had the check valve in line, I was getting a cluster of bubbles every 3-5 seconds, and then once I added it back in, it seemed to regulate things so that instead of a cluster I'm getting a nice constant flow.

Another thing to remember is I'm running two 2-liter bottles on this setup, giving me a bubble every 3 seconds from my bubble counter.


----------



## Francis Xavier

Here's my take on this. Your problems all stem from the Red Sea Nano Filter, and in part temperature. The fact that you're getting surface film lends credence to this, and is also the reason why your tank looks "murky" probably. Plants don't typically like stagnant water - most of the time in stagnant areas you tend to see a lot of duckweeds, water hyacinth, etc or algae. 

Take this as an example: there's a river near where I live called the San Marcos river. This is a fast flowing river, crystal clear, and the water is 72 degrees year round, and receives a lot of direct sunlight (texas sun). Now just about every small bit of tiny little plant matter that's ever saw it's way into this river grows there in humongous proportion. The h. polysperma there is the reddest I've ever seen of any aquatic plant just about anywhere, and riccia abounds there (as well as a myriad of illegal / invasive weeds). This actually works really really well as a model for establishing a basic principle in approaching highly successful planted tanks I think, it's almost like an aquarium, just in nature...nature emulating nature aquariums, so to speak!

Higher filtration power will solve your water clarity without the need for purigen.
More surface tension will combat algae and aerate the water, and act as almost a way of cleaning the plants so to speak. You could almost say that a lot of aquatic plants like playing in the jet of water. I use an eheim 2213 - which is a totally affordable canister filter, and I recommend it for this tank size. This is really the ingenuity behind the lily pipe - not because it's glass and isn't seen as easily, but because it creates a mini whirlpool and spins the water flow around without aerating it too much when it's below the water level as to lose CO2, and then at night works as a good aerator by placing it so the output is halfway above the water level or so. Water changes are great, but they don't seem to be what the plants really need as far as the why people tend to do them. A water change mostly just refreshes the water / helps keep algae away from my observation.

This is an experimental method of mine that I used and it seemed to hyper-accelerate the HC growth. First I had it submerged for about a week or so, then I drained the water and kept it emmersed for another week-week and a half, then refilled the tank. The growth rate exploded. 

I need to do more experiments to figure out why or if it's even reliable and not just luck, but my hypothesis right now is that in nature, water levels vary, and they vary from season to season. Like the Amazon has a wet/dry season. And it's fact that you can trick terrestrial plants into blooming by simulating fall/spring photo periods, etc etc. So my theory is that basically having the water level diminish drastically (dry) triggers an explosive growth session when the water is refilled (wet). Now like I said, could probably be a load of crock, and it could just be purely the effects of the lighting and would've happened anyway. But it seemed to hyper-accelerate my HC from a small portion to nearly covering the tank now.

Oh, and Riccia for me seems to pearls in areas of the tank that receive less flow (due to hardscape, filter placement, whatever). It won't pearl under the filter flow but will behind my main rock. The biggest section of riccia I have that pearls - is actually in completely still/stagnant water.


----------



## rrrrramos

Francis Xavier said:


> Here's my take on this. Your problems all stem from the Red Sea Nano Filter, and in part temperature. The fact that you're getting surface film lends credence to this, and is also the reason why your tank looks "murky" probably. Plants don't typically like stagnant water - most of the time in stagnant areas you tend to see a lot of duckweeds, water hyacinth, etc or algae.
> 
> Take this as an example: there's a river near where I live called the San Marcos river. This is a fast flowing river, crystal clear, and the water is 72 degrees year round, and receives a lot of direct sunlight (texas sun). Now just about every small bit of tiny little plant matter that's ever saw it's way into this river grows there in humongous proportion. The h. polysperma there is the reddest I've ever seen of any aquatic plant just about anywhere, and riccia abounds there (as well as a myriad of illegal / invasive weeds). This actually works really really well as a model for establishing a basic principle in approaching highly successful planted tanks I think, it's almost like an aquarium, just in nature...nature emulating nature aquariums, so to speak!
> 
> Higher filtration power will solve your water clarity without the need for purigen.
> More surface tension will combat algae and aerate the water, and act as almost a way of cleaning the plants so to speak. You could almost say that a lot of aquatic plants like playing in the jet of water. I use an eheim 2213 - which is a totally affordable canister filter, and I recommend it for this tank size. This is really the ingenuity behind the lily pipe - not because it's glass and isn't seen as easily, but because it creates a mini whirlpool and spins the water flow around without aerating it too much when it's below the water level as to lose CO2, and then at night works as a good aerator by placing it so the output is halfway above the water level or so. Water changes are great, but they don't seem to be what the plants really need as far as the why people tend to do them. A water change mostly just refreshes the water / helps keep algae away from my observation.
> 
> This is an experimental method of mine that I used and it seemed to hyper-accelerate the HC growth. First I had it submerged for about a week or so, then I drained the water and kept it emmersed for another week-week and a half, then refilled the tank. The growth rate exploded.
> 
> I need to do more experiments to figure out why or if it's even reliable and not just luck, but my hypothesis right now is that in nature, water levels vary, and they vary from season to season. Like the Amazon has a wet/dry season. And it's fact that you can trick terrestrial plants into blooming by simulating fall/spring photo periods, etc etc. So my theory is that basically having the water level diminish drastically (dry) triggers an explosive growth session when the water is refilled (wet). Now like I said, could probably be a load of crock, and it could just be purely the effects of the lighting and would've happened anyway. But it seemed to hyper-accelerate my HC from a small portion to nearly covering the tank now.
> 
> Oh, and Riccia for me seems to pearls in areas of the tank that receive less flow (due to hardscape, filter placement, whatever). It won't pearl under the filter flow but will behind my main rock. The biggest section of riccia I have that pearls - is actually in completely still/stagnant water.


I have to agree AND disagree with parts of this. I'm using the Red Sea Nano filter as well and have had no problems with water clarity at all. In fact this is probably the cleanest tank I've ever kept. And I have the exact same setup as he does. I won't disagree with the surface agitation being low, its one of the reasons that I wanted a canister on mine but was convinced that any available were too high flow for this. 
I do however have to chime in and say that your theory about getting fast growth, specifically with HC, does ring true IME. I had mine submerged for about two weeks. I then drained the tank, and let mine grow emmersed for about 3 weeks to a month. It got _ok _growth in that time, but nothing to write home about. I filled it up with water on the 1st of the month. There is about a total of maybe two inches that hasn't filled in yet, after only planting about 8 or 10 plantlets. I've also read of others having the same fortune.


----------



## B16CRXT

waterfaller1 said:


> Quite the opposite.


okay, so Amazonia II is bad for inverts then? I knew I read it somewhere that one was bad for them, but I couldn't remember which. Thanks!


----------



## Seiryoku

B16CRXT said:


> okay, so Amazonia II is bad for inverts then? I knew I read it somewhere that one was bad for them, but I couldn't remember which. Thanks!


It isn't bad for inverts at all, a lot of shrimp people recommend it actually. Amazonia I and II do have differences, but none that have ill effects on inverts.


----------



## B16CRXT

ahhhh, alright! thanks for clearing that up! From the site it seems that the amazonia II is the better choice for less cloudiness and such though...Do you have any personal experiences with either or both?

lookin_around: Sorry to threadjack. Just seems like a good place to bring it up and get answers for all of us.


----------



## Seiryoku

I recently setup two 20L tanks to use as shrimp breeders. After hours of reading various forums/posts about I vs II, and talking to shrimp people here, I decided to go with I.

I = More ammonia, lots of cloudiness when disturbed, tons of nutrients
II = Less ammonia, virtually no cloudiness, far less nutrients

^ Short version of what I learned. Never could find out if II had less buffering capabilities than I (one of the main reason aqua soil is used for shrimp tanks).


----------



## lookin_around

Francis Xavier said:


> Here's my take on this. Your problems all stem from the Red Sea Nano Filter, and in part temperature. The fact that you're getting surface film lends credence to this, and is also the reason why your tank looks "murky" probably. Plants don't typically like stagnant water - most of the time in stagnant areas you tend to see a lot of duckweeds, water hyacinth, etc or algae.
> 
> Take this as an example: there's a river near where I live called the San Marcos river. This is a fast flowing river, crystal clear, and the water is 72 degrees year round, and receives a lot of direct sunlight (texas sun). Now just about every small bit of tiny little plant matter that's ever saw it's way into this river grows there in humongous proportion. The h. polysperma there is the reddest I've ever seen of any aquatic plant just about anywhere, and riccia abounds there (as well as a myriad of illegal / invasive weeds). This actually works really really well as a model for establishing a basic principle in approaching highly successful planted tanks I think, it's almost like an aquarium, just in nature...nature emulating nature aquariums, so to speak!
> 
> Higher filtration power will solve your water clarity without the need for purigen.
> More surface tension will combat algae and aerate the water, and act as almost a way of cleaning the plants so to speak. You could almost say that a lot of aquatic plants like playing in the jet of water. I use an eheim 2213 - which is a totally affordable canister filter, and I recommend it for this tank size. This is really the ingenuity behind the lily pipe - not because it's glass and isn't seen as easily, but because it creates a mini whirlpool and spins the water flow around without aerating it too much when it's below the water level as to lose CO2, and then at night works as a good aerator by placing it so the output is halfway above the water level or so. Water changes are great, but they don't seem to be what the plants really need as far as the why people tend to do them. A water change mostly just refreshes the water / helps keep algae away from my observation.
> 
> This is an experimental method of mine that I used and it seemed to hyper-accelerate the HC growth. First I had it submerged for about a week or so, then I drained the water and kept it emmersed for another week-week and a half, then refilled the tank. The growth rate exploded.
> 
> I need to do more experiments to figure out why or if it's even reliable and not just luck, but my hypothesis right now is that in nature, water levels vary, and they vary from season to season. Like the Amazon has a wet/dry season. And it's fact that you can trick terrestrial plants into blooming by simulating fall/spring photo periods, etc etc. So my theory is that basically having the water level diminish drastically (dry) triggers an explosive growth session when the water is refilled (wet). Now like I said, could probably be a load of crock, and it could just be purely the effects of the lighting and would've happened anyway. But it seemed to hyper-accelerate my HC from a small portion to nearly covering the tank now.
> 
> Oh, and Riccia for me seems to pearls in areas of the tank that receive less flow (due to hardscape, filter placement, whatever). It won't pearl under the filter flow but will behind my main rock. The biggest section of riccia I have that pearls - is actually in completely still/stagnant water.


There is no doubt in my mind that a canister would be beneficial to the tank, but right now, its just not in my budget, and I think the Red Sea is doing alright. I think that by using the red sea on this tank, it is right at the limit of being too big of a tank for this filter.

There is no doubt that the surface film was from temperature/filter problems, but now that I have the temperature under control, I havn't had any surface film develop. Its true that the Red Sea creates very little surface movement, but when I add the Purigen bag into the filter, it either gets rid of this film itself, or it changes the flow to help create enough movement to keep the film from forming.

As of right now, there are no "stagnant" areas in the tank. There are definitely some "low-flow" areas, but I can still see movement in those areas.

I think that my problems were mainly caused by my very inconsistent and low levels of Co2. Before I changed my diffusion method in this tank, I never once saw pearling, except during a WC (which doesn't really count). Now that I have changed things a little bit, I'm seeing the Blyxa, HC, and Riccia pearling everyday.

Its weird that your riccia pearls in low flow areas, while mine is almost directly in front of the flow from the filter outlet. I have been getting consistent pearling from it, and there is a decent amount of flow there. Hmmm I wonder what could be different. Possibly because my filter outflow is where all the Co2 is coming from where in your case you may be using a ceramic diffusor? Just something to ponder I guess.

Thanks for all the input. I'm curious to see more results like your with the HC. Could be a good way to start a new tank.


----------



## Francis Xavier

I don't know about my Riccia man, it's so weird. In my Mini S, the riccia rarely pearls, and usually only after Co2 is cranked up (to fauna killing over-saturation levels), it's also a pale green color. Now, the HC is lush, green, pearls often, and is constantly growing, so clearly it's not a problem with lights, Co2, etc etc. Where you could point to as a problem with the Riccia in my Mini S is that it was straggler pieces of Riccia from when I removed it (when it acted as a nutrient absorber temporarily), and that riccia in general just doesn't do well as single strands (although they've grown into clusters). And yeah, the I diffuse through ceramics, and the diffuser is under the filter outflow. It only pearls on the part that's behind the rock, and those are small bubbles that I think are more just o2 bubbles from the diffuser being pushed by the outflow and caught by the riccia.

Now, my 45-F/p (whatever the model 45 letter is that's the short tank), is shallow water with no movement, no filter or anything, has most of my big clumps of riccia on it. Some tied down to a rock, some free floating, some in a plastic bag with water in it. This tank has two 13w ott lites over it at I think 6700k's. No injected Co2. This Riccia pearls so hard that the floating chunks will have pearling underneath it, on top of it right until it reaches the exposed to surface parts. In the bag it pearls like crazy. tied to the rock it pearls over it's entire surface area. AND most of that is covered by the 4 color lotus that just took over the water area of the tank completely. That Riccia is also a very lush green color and much more fine in general.

Strange.


----------



## lookin_around

I just thought I would share an observation with everyone. I went to change out one of my Co2 bottles today (first time since I started diffusing differently) and after unscrewing the bottles, I _still_ had bubbles getting into the filter. So it seems that by having the line crammed into the filter intake is actually creating enough suction to pull air in. This means that it must be pulling air in through a leak somewhere in my system as I have seen no slowdown in bubble rate since I set it up.

Although this seems like a bad thing I am hesitant to change it because my plants are looking better than ever. I'm seeing pearling daily, and everything is looking much greener and healthier. The HC is bouncing back, and algae is at bay in this tank. The only algae I've had to deal with in this tank to date has been GSA, and even that has stopped showing up as much. I think I've been doing _something_ right to have had as little algae in here as I have, but all this Co2 stuff is puzzling.

What do you guys think about this situation? It just seems strange that plant health has increased from this flaw in my system.


----------



## Francis Xavier

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth I say. If things start going wrong then start looking into fixing it, otherwise, whatever!


----------



## rrrrramos

When I was adding a second bottle to my setup, I noticed the exact same thing. Only thing is, I was no longer getting pearling, and it seemed as though it was just sucking in air the whole time, no co2. When I took the line out from the intake and put an airstone on the end, it didn't create any pressure and I had no bubbles. I attribute that to a faulty t-valve, I've since gone back to my old setup, but the plants did take a hit. The Blyxa wasn't happy and the HC went to a standstill. Things seem to be getting back to good again though, plus it can't hurt that there are now 2 diffusers under the intake!


----------



## lookin_around

Well I went ahead and did a WC today and snapped some pics. Things have gone really well this week. I have had ZERO new GSA show up since the last WC, and the plants are all looking nice and green. I'm just hoping I can keep up on consistency and can get some nice upward growth soon. I am beginning to hate this light fixture. It doesn't have the normal on/off switch like others I have seen, instead there is a little piece where the switch would normally be, and its one of those stupid touch things, where you just touch it to turn it on. What bugs me about it is that sometimes it doesn't turn on when my timer turns on, so I have to check everyday to make sure the light came on.

I trimmed the Riccia as it was getting pretty long. I also laid the rock down flat because I was tired of seeing the netting. I need to get a smaller rock because the back part of the rock doesn't have any Riccia growing on it, and I can't plant the Blyxa there, so there is a space between the Riccia and Blyxa that kinda bugs me now.

Once the Riccia grows in a bit I'll decide how I like it. Just a reminder before I throw up pics: These are from the Cell phone cam as I didn't feel like setting up my tripod and getting out the DSLR. So the quality may not be up to par, but you get the basic idea.









Blurry FTS. Main reason I kept it is because I'm lazy and didn't feel like going and taking another. This picture does provide a fairly accurate display of color, at least on my non-calibrated screen.









Close up on the tank. There is some nice growth here.​


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys, new post, better pictures. I'm really tempted to take out the Riccia, as I keep finding bits of it growing in the other plants. Overall growth in the tank is good, and everything is looking green. Haven't added any critters yet, but I'm hoping to find some CRS to try out.

I finally broke out my DSLR and took some quick shots with the tripod. Not my best shots, but definitely better than the cell phone pics.








First up, here is a comparison shot with a 6 week time period. I find that you don't really notice how much growth you've had until you do something like this









Profile Shot of how it looks on the stand. I hate not being able to hide the Co2 bottles, but it makes for a nice conversation when people walk into the trap of asking what they are for, haha.









Here I just wanted a closeup of some pearling









Closeup of the Blyxa. Its looking much better now than it did 6 weeks ago. You can even see a runner on one of the Downoi.









And lastly is the close up FTS shot​
Let me know what you guys think. Suggestions/Comments are welcomed.


----------



## ddtran46

Wow. Your blyxas grew nicely!!


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## rrrrramos

Those pics make me wanna take some pics w/ my dads camera. Dunno what kind it is but he's a professional photographer so I'm sure it's really good and way too expensive haha. 
I think UG was right on his comments before. You're tank is already in "explosion" mode and is really damn green!


----------



## Francis Xavier

Riccia can and will find any little nook or cranny it can worm it's way into by accident or otherwise to grow in...I had three or so strands I was too lazy to remove that were just blowing around in the filter stream, one settled into the intake and grew a bunch in the intake til I finally got around to removing, another in the HM which grew into a thick ball and binded together like 5 strands of HM, and the other got in the HC and formed a carpet with the HC.

Looks like it might be a good time to trim some of that HC that's going up vertically. In my experience HC has responded well to trimmings and grows in thickly after trimming and replanting. Otherwise, growth's looking good mate.


----------



## Ugly Genius

The tank looks amazing!
What's cool about seeing it grown in like this is that it in indicates that your skills with planted tanks are now honed quite tightly due to the fact that you've created a beautiful tank with DIY CO2, a Home Depot Robocop lamp, and one tiny Red Sea Nano Filter. 
Were someone to just show me the tank sans any equipment, I would have assumed it was built on pressurized CO2, lighting that at the very least was not intended as a desk lamp, and was a lot bigger than two point five gallons.
It looks really, really good.


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## B16CRXT

I agree. It's looking really good! I wonder if there are some darker nano sized plants to put in there? It looks like all the greens are the same color. I have found that small amazon swords tend to stay stunted with DIY co2 and low light...Keep up the good work!


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## bill|408

to be honest, i wasnt sure if your blxyas were going to make it ... but you proved me wrong .. everythings so nice. Love how bushy it got ..especially on diy and your hcs starting to get there .. i was wondering , but is growing downois hard?


----------



## lookin_around

Thanks for the nice responses guys.

The Riccia definitely grows like a weed, and it seems as though I need to trim it weekly. This tank has really been a low cost tank, as you all can see. Mainly because I'm a full time student working part time, and for some reason all my money gets sucked into my bike, haha.

I started this tank with the intentions of really learning the planted side of things, since my last tank was pretty much a constant struggle with algae while it was up and running. Surprisingly, this tank has seen very little algae (so far).

UG, thanks for the compliments, and you're predictions seem to have been spot on, the tank has definitely grown a lot recently. I know I've got all the basic knowledge to run a planted tank, now I just need the experience that will come with time. I have definitely struggled with all of the lower-priced equipment on this tank, between the light not turning on when its supposed to, Co2 inconsistencies, and low flow from the Red Sea, but I think that overall I've figured out how to make these things work decently in my setup.

B16, I was also wondering what I should do to break up the green a bit. This is the reason I've been wanting to get some CRS for the tank. If the green didn't contrast so well with the black background, I would have already had to make some changes.

Bill, I definitely had doubt in the Blyxa, and was already considering what plant to put in those spots next after it died. But with some patience and a little advice from members, I waited it out and they are bouncing back. I'm hoping that they will get to the size and thickness that they were when I first put them in here. Seems like all they need now is consistency in what I've been doing, and time.

As far as the Downoi go, they have been the easiest plant in this tank. They have never uprooted since the initial planting, and I haven't had to touch them since. They're growth has been slower than the other plants, but is still noticeable. I'll have to really decide how much I like them once I have to thin them out, haha.

I'm hoping to be able to add a few things to this tank such as Pressurized Co2 and a filter upgrade over the next few months. Finals are next week, and then during summer I'll go from working part time to full time for my father, so I should have some extra dough to spend. If I can keep at least some of that from getting sucked into my bike, then it will probably go to the tank (I may even consider upgrading to a larger tank, a desire that is slowly growing in me).

If you guys think this hobby is expensive, addicting, and time consuming, don't get a motorcycle, haha. Realities have been shattered when one discovers the expenses that go into the sport.


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## B16CRXT

haha, yea I'm into Hondas, Cigars, and Photography. I'm sure we can both tell each other about the tons of money that goes into each hobby! LOL


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## rrrrramos

Out of curiosity are you dosing this with anything? I'm not sure if you posted if you were or not.


----------



## lookin_around

B16CRXT said:


> haha, yea I'm into Hondas, Cigars, and Photography. I'm sure we can both tell each other about the tons of money that goes into each hobby! LOL


Haha, those all can be quite expensive. I've got the Honda and Photography part that I can speak of personally, but not the cigars. But in the end it is totally worth the expense.



> Out of curiosity are you dosing this with anything? I'm not sure if you posted if you were or not.


Yup, if you look back to page 1, I believe, there should be a picture of the containers I bought for dosing this tank.

I had a bunch of bulk ferts leftover from my 29 gallon so I made up some solutions of that for this tank.

Dosing has been per the EI method and has been done religiously since plants were first introduced into the tank.

Here is my current dosing schedule -- these are approximations and are rounded (I.E - With my KNO3, I'm actually dosing closer to 5.45 PPM of Nitrates):

Day 1: 
50% WC 
5 ML of solution = 5.5 PPM of No3 via KNo3
1 ML of solution =1.06 PPM of Po4 via KH2Po4
2 ML Flourish Excel​Day 2:
5 Ml of solution = About 3/100 teaspoon of Plantex CSM+B
2 ML Flourish Excel​Day 3:
5 ML of solution = 5.5 PPM of No3 via KNo3
1 ML of solution =1.06 PPM of Po4 via KH2Po4
2 ML Flourish Excel​Day 4:
5 Ml of solution = About 3/100 teaspoon of Plantex CSM+B
2 ML Flourish Excel​Day 5:
5 ML of solution = 5.5 PPM of No3 via KNo3
1 ML of solution =1.06 PPM of Po4 via KH2Po4
2 ML Flourish Excel​Day 6:
Rest (Sometimes I will supplement more Excel)​Day 7:
Rest (Sometimes I will supplement more Excel)​
This is what I have been doing for quite some time. As you can see from the ferts, I am also dosing K (potassium) but I didn't care to calculate that out because I'm really basing my dosing schedule on the Nitrates and Phosphates. 

Currently I am in the process of reducing Excel dosing to about 1 ML daily.


----------



## rrrrramos

Yeah I remembered the containers but didn't know if you'd been dosing or not. I've gotta get some real ferts I don't think this Seachem line is cutting it...


----------



## lookin_around

ramos, I don't know anything about the seachem line of ferts so I can't help you there. The only product of theirs I use is Excel.

Well its been a little over a week since the last update so I'll update it today. Now that all my finals are over, and I'm done for the semester (only taking 1 online class this summer so I can work) I was finally able to get some work done on the tank.

I went to trim the Riccia today, and took it out of the tank to do so, while trimming it in the bucket of water from the tank, chunks of it started to fall out into the bucket, so I said "OOooh Hell Nahh!" and I ripped off the netting and rinsed the rock off....Problem solved.

Anyway, I took some pictures a few minutes ago with my DSLR, albeit a fairly quick photoshoot. I actually had to bump the colors down a bit as they were kinda blown out in the original pics. Well here they are...









Last Week









This Week. Did someone say explosion mode? UG, you da man! He called that one.









And an angled shot just to change things up. I need to get some animals in here soon.​
I just got done checking out the S&S and saw that I missed a superb deal for a GLA Co2 setup for $200 all inclusive. Gah...finals...they get in the way of everything! Lol, oh well, I'm sure there will be more.


----------



## rrrrramos

WOW.
That looks AMAZING now. That Blyxa really took off! Good call on the rock too. 
K ordering the ferts now


----------



## Ugly Genius

You nailed this tank!

I usually don't even _like_ Blyxa, but yours is simply stunning.


----------



## lookin_around

Thanks guys, now if the Blyxa on the left side will start growing at the same rate that the other stuff is, then we'll be in business.

I've tried to think of other plants to put in here, or ways I could make the scape better, but nothing comes to mind, so I've just been letting this grow in.

I actually had a friend of mine over here for the first time last week, and I showed him the tank and all he had to say is "That is the weirdest hobby I have ever seen." It made for a good laugh, lol.


----------



## Ugly Genius

I think when he said "weirdest" he meant "raddest". People misspeak to me like that all the time. I know what they mean, though. Rad. Definitely rad.


----------



## lookin_around

Definitley, I'm sure in his head he was thinking _"That is the most bad-ass looking fishless fish tank I have ever seen!"_

Now, if I had some CRS in there, he wouldn't have been able to keep that comment to himself.

I do think that as people see the tank more and more they start to enjoy it, I catch both my roommate and a friend that is often over here standing in the corner of my room bent over and peering into the tank. All I can do is


----------



## lookin_around

Time for a little update.

Not much has changed for the tank. The plants are continuing to grow despite the trials I have put them through this week. I have been working like crazy and so my time at home has been minimal. Leaving by 4 am and not getting back until 7 or 8 pm has drastically reduced the amount of attention my tank gets. I even switched the timer so the lights go off at 8 instead of 9 because it was keeping me up a few nights ago.

This week I have managed to keep up with dosing (for the most part). I kinda lost track what day it was and when, so I imagine I dosed micros or macros a couple days in a row.

Since I hadn't been home much, I wasn't able to check and make sure the lights came on, so there have even been a couple of days that my tank went without light.

Was due for a WC on thursday but that didn't happen.

Then came friday, and I had to go out of town overnight. So that morning I dosed extra ferts (about 6ppm of No3, 2ppm of Po4, and 2 ML of Excel) and hoped for the best. I don't know how well the light worked in this time, but I guess I'll see over the next few days. I did see a little bit of browning on a couple Blyxa stems, but am hoping that it doesn't continue.

Today I finally have a day off and did a big WC. Because the Blyxa seemed to be growing much better on the right-hand side of the tank rather than the left-hand side, I removed quite a few stems, and moved some of the larger ones to the left side to try and even things up a bit.

I even threw away about 5 plants because there just wasn't enough room, and I was trying to thin it out just a bit so the Downoi up front can get more light. They seem to be suffering, and my guess is because they were being covered by the Blyxa.

Now I know there are probably people on the forum that would love a few stems, but I don't have the time right now to ship them out or anything. I'm sure I'll thin things out again in a few weeks, so PM if you would like some, and I'll be sure to keep you in mind when I have time to ship some out.

Next on my agenda was to trim the HC a bit. I attempted to cut it with some scissors like trimming a lawn and ended up with bits of it everywhere. Anyone have recommendations on trimming HC so that it isn't so frustrating?

And finally, I noticed that all of the Ramshorns that were in the tank are GONE. I cannot find a SINGLE snail in there. I looked everywhere and don't see any. What do you guys think could have caused this? Not that I'm complaining, but it just seems kind of odd.

Pictures to come later when lights come on


----------



## lookin_around

Quick cell phone pic. You get the picture...









The HC is starting to take over....​


----------



## rrrrramos

Looks good man. Trimming HC is done just the way you did it, its a mess, and a PITA but its just one of the many sacrifices you have to put up with in this hobby. Just get one of those mini nets and dig it out with that. 
I like the look of the tank though, especially with bot sides all nice and green and thick. That's like, exactally what I was going for with the first incarnation of mine. In fact, I might be going back to it depending on how I feel when my new blyxa comes in! Lol.


----------



## B16CRXT

Lookin good! If you need to trim any of that HC out, I'll take the scraps 

EDIT: rrrramos, Blyxa gets on my nerves! It looks soo good when it's healthy, but getting it healthy after a move, is a real pita. I've got some in my high tech 20g, medium light 10g and in my 2.5 g. It's doing best in the 2.5 so far. :icon_roll


----------



## rrrrramos

It's a temperamental plant, I'll give it that. It took me 3 times to get some from a batch that would survive in my tank. I've got it in both of my tanks, and to be honest, since the addition of ferts its the plant I see the most improvement on. I thought it depended on water hardness, stuff like that, but I found out that the source I got my most recent batch from has soft water as opposed to my hard water!


----------



## Ugly Genius

Way back when I swore off HC. Hated trimming it. It's so darned pretty, though.


----------



## rrrrramos

I saw your post in Orlando's FS thread. Is somebody taking the plunge?


----------



## lookin_around

SSHHhhhh!!

Hehe, I was wondering if anyone would see that. I'm actually in a hotel room right now. I've been away from home so much that I am trying to automate things as much as possible.

Nothing is set in stone yet. Just doing some research....


----------



## lookin_around

Bad News...

Well I've been out of town for the past couple of days, so the tank received no dosing over that time. The Blyxa started to melt a little after I moved it all around, which was ok and somewhat expected.

Now they are melting even more. I came home yesterday to find the light not on during the photoperiod and decided "ok, done with this thing, time to either fix it or destroy it", So I went to radioshack, picked up a couple rocker switches and some solder and started taking it apart. While looking around at the circuit board I found two leads that seemed to turn the light off when I touched the switch wires to them. Well after touching them to that a few times I heard a little pop and she died.

To be honest I wasn't all that sad. But, with that said I didn't have time to go to home depot or any store to look for another light because by then it was already 10 pm and as you can tell by the time I'm posting this, I had to be up early (3 am).

I am now, as I'm posting this, on the road getting ready to run up and down the state. My dad is driving and I'm getting a little time in on my laptop before I start working on some excel spreadsheets for him.

I'll be out of town tonight, so I opened the blinds on the window just above the tank so they are angled down.

Looks like the 2.5 will be all natural for the next couple of days. Hopefully she doesn't suffer too much. I loaded her up with No3, PO4, and Plantex so there should be no nutrient deficiencies when I get back.


----------



## rrrrramos

If I've learned anything in this hobby its that you can mistreat these tanks and they'll always forgive you. You've got no livestock to worry about Co2 will be in good standing and ferts should last too. The natural sunlight for an extended photoperiod will probably give you a nice set of green walls to take care of when you get back but the plants will likely still be fine.


----------



## lookin_around

Yea I'm hoping things won't be too bad. I'll see how it looks when I get home, quickly followed by a quick trip to home depot because I need a lighting solution FAST.

This tank just got a lot more expensive.....


----------



## B16CRXT

Do you only run the red sea nano filter on yours? I am, and it doesn't seem to move the water enough. I get brown buildup on most of the plants and on my heater. I'm thinking about getting one of those tiny heaters that look like a small mat for it. I think it's made by Hydor.


----------



## rrrrramos

B16CRXT said:


> Do you only run the red sea nano filter on yours? I am, and it doesn't seem to move the water enough. I get brown buildup on most of the plants and on my heater. I'm thinking about getting one of those tiny heaters that look like a small mat for it. I think it's made by Hydor.


Are you getting diatoms? Ferts, Co2 & water movement. It'll disappear in a few days.


----------



## B16CRXT

This is mine. I just removed my heater and had to do a lot of replanting and stuff, so most of the brown gunk has moved around and off of the plants. It looks pretty bad right now since nothing has filled in and I need a good foreground plant. I'm going to try to get this moss to be a foreground. Gotta get a way to spread it out. There's still a little bit of the brown stuff on my L. Cuba on the left. Removing the heater really improved water flow in the tank. Now the plants are swaying a bit. 
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b359/B16CRXT/Fish tank/25_6-5-09001.jpg

I posted it as a link so I don't thread jack. I also don't supplement co2 or ferts. Every now and then I'll give it some excel and csm+b, but that might only be twice a week.


----------



## lookin_around

B16CRXT said:


> This is mine. I just removed my heater and had to do a lot of replanting and stuff, so most of the brown gunk has moved around and off of the plants. It looks pretty bad right now since nothing has filled in and I need a good foreground plant. I'm going to try to get this moss to be a foreground. Gotta get a way to spread it out. There's still a little bit of the brown stuff on my L. Cuba on the left. Removing the heater really improved water flow in the tank. Now the plants are swaying a bit.
> http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b359/B16CRXT/Fish tank/25_6-5-09001.jpg
> 
> I posted it as a link so I don't thread jack. I also don't supplement co2 or ferts. Every now and then I'll give it some excel and csm+b, but that might only be twice a week.


I'd say that with those plants some Co2 and a regular fert routine would be beneficial. Just look at what it has done to both ramos tank and mine.


Little update. I went to Home depot to see if they had those "robo-cop" lights as UG would call it. The touch one that I had I purchased at wal-mart, and I think that is why it was different. Well they ended up having tons of them so I picked up one, and I now have a light that will be reliable and turn on when its supposed to.

Doesn't seem like the sunlight did _too_ much damage. I continue to see some melt on the Blyxa, and today I was looking at the very thick HC I have. It is pearling now that the light is on, but I noticed a very fine thread algae of some sort coming off the top. I'm not too worried about this as long as I can keep everything going.



> Thank you again for your recent purchase at our online store. We have shipped your product via USPS and you should be receiving it shortly.


:hihi: Tee-hee Tee-hee


----------



## FrostyNYC

So pretty. Props.


----------



## lookin_around

Thanks frosty. Well no pics of the tank today. I am still seeing a little algae in there but I hope things will get better soon.

New additions








This has actually been waiting for me at the post office since monday, but because I have not been in town between the hours of 4 am and 7 pm I have been unable to pick it up. So today I had my brother go pick it up while I was gone.

Now I just need to find a place that can fill it that will be open on a sunday since that will be my only day off. Grr....any ideas?


----------



## Ugly Genius

Right on!


----------



## rrrrramos

Ooooo sexy! What kind is it?
Has the tank survived your recent schedule changes?


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Ooooo sexy! What kind is it?
> Has the tank survived your recent schedule changes?


Its the GLA Primo System (I believe).

Yes the tank is surviving and growing, the HC is ready to be trimmed again which I do not have time for right now.

Today I got back in town from work around 5 pm and so I went hunting for a place on a saturday that could fill my Co2 tank. Since the Welding place in town was closed, I drove 30 minutes to a sports store that does scuba equipment. On the phone she said that they could fill the tank for me, but when I got there I was immediately confronted with denial due to the fact that many "use them for kegerators and party kegs, and their Co2 is not safe for consumption". Well I told them what it was for, and was denied, then after talking to the guys for a bit they got their manager, who was really cool, and he pretty much told them to just do it, and they were only going to charge me 3.50 to do it. Well after the guy started to take it, he looked at the fitting on top and said he did not have a connection that would fit that, and he couldn't do it.

So looks like I'm out of luck today and tomorrow. Guess I'll have to just try to get a little extra time this week and find a place. The odds as of right now are slim to none. Things are super busy with tomato season quickly approaching. Gotta get these tomato plants ready to run so you guys have your ketchup and spaghetti sauce.


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## speedie408

Very nice little tank you got there man. Good progress and I think with your new CO2 setup, things will take off. Good stuff!


----------



## Reginald2

Don't think of it as loosing a conversation piece, but rather gaining a sweet pressurized co2 system.


----------



## lookin_around

Thanks for the compliments guys. Reginald2, now that I have this sweet pressurized co2 system I will have even more of a conversational piece that may even include some reminiscing back to the days of the DIY Co2 system I once had...Sigh.

Well I was finally able to get the tank filled yesterday after talking my dad's fiance into doing it for me. After getting spanked $25 to fill it at the only local place that will do it, I now have the system up and running.

Due to my neglect of the DIY system after I got the new one in, I came home yesterday to a nice GDA bloom on all the glass walls, so after a WC and the Co2 setup, I'm hoping that will go away and never come back. I have a feeling the next step in my endeavor will be a tank upgrade to something larger, but just like the Co2 system, that will have to wait.


On another note, has anyone thought about doing a dual output manifold on their pressurized system, say one line to the tank and the other to some sort of beer keg cooling device, sometimes known as a kegerator?

The gears are definitely turning.

This week I start an online sociology class. So now I have to try to find time to cram about 27 hours per week into that class on top of 4 am - 6 pm workdays, 6 days a week. Gah, talk about having no free time.

On top of all this, I am still trying to get my bike back together after dumping nearly 2 grand into mods and upgrades for it. I think that's a topic reserved for special folk like UG and I, lol.

Well, back to work!


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys, well I went to update last night, and then when I hit the submit reply button I got an error and couldn't get back to my post, so in my frustration I went to bed. Lets try this again.









This was the tank last week on the day I added pressurized. Notice the GDA that was starting, and how much the HC was taking over!​
Well yesterday I had some extra time so decided to do a water change. Once I started I couldn't stop, and so it ended up being a major trimming.









Here she is "mid-trim"









One of the Blyxa I pulled out...That's right, those roots are 9 inches long! I couldn't believe it​
I'll get pics of the tank where it sits now when I get a chance.

Happy father's day everyone!


----------



## namy77

lookin_around said:


> Quick cell phone pic. You get the picture...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The HC is starting to take over....​


Nice HC bed - a pretty damn good pic for a cell phone shot.


----------



## rrrrramos

I"m glad this got bumped to the top. It reminded me that you owe us pictures. 
Pics! Pics! Pics! Pics!


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much to update this thread. I'll get some pics of the tank soon. Just got back from Laguna Seca MotoGP races this weekend which were AWESOME!


A life-changing experience.


----------



## Ugly Genius

lookin_around said:


> Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much to update this thread. I'll get some pics of the tank soon. Just got back from Laguna Seca MotoGP races this weekend which were AWESOME!
> 
> 
> A life-changing experience.


Meaning, he's pumped beyond belief and since planted tanks do not involve scraping a knee to pavement in a turn or feeling your heart being pushed into your liver while accelerating in a straight away, the two point fiver has taken a back seat -- so to speak -- to the sexiness that is motorcycles.


----------



## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> Meaning, he's pumped beyond belief and since planted tanks do not involve scraping a knee to pavement in a turn or feeling your heart being pushed into your liver while accelerating in a straight away, the two point fiver has taken a back seat -- so to speak -- to the sexiness that is motorcycles.


UG knows exactly what I'm going through. That and I'm still left with the jitters from seeing all of those Umbrella girls. :bounce:

So I think I was gone for about 4 days. The day I left, I did a WC and loaded up NPK, Traces, and Excel. When I came back I had some good looking plants, but saw GDA/GSA and some sorta brown algae on the HC and Blyxa.

Did a WC today and here are some pics

















The plants are making a comeback after the mass-murder I performed on the tank. It's been nice not having to trim anything for a while. Sorry for the haze, there must have been something on my phone lens.









The whole setup. I leave the Co2 tank out so that I can check on these every once in a while. It also sets people up for any questions they might feel the need to ask...hehe.​
Now I know this is off-topic, but its my thread, so I'm posting pictures of my other addiction. :icon_bigg









This is my wall which is now dedicated to MotoGP memorabilia. I plan on being there again next year.









Pedrosa gettin' it. These guys were hard to photograph because of how fast they were going. He later won the race.









A shot I managed to get of four popular riders. Probably my favorite one all weekend.


----------



## speedie408

Those are some sick shots from MotoGP man. You got some skill with panning dude. Great Job! What do you shoot with, what lens, and settings?


----------



## lookin_around

Thanks speedie. It was actually my first time shooting any sort of "action" type shots. Most of my photography has been landscape type stuff.

I guess your bound to get a few right when you take like a thousand, haha.

My gear is getting outdated / underpowerd but it gets the basics done.

Currently I have a Nikon D70 Body (only 6.1 MP) and I was shooting with a cheapo Sigma 70-300 mm lens with an f/4-5.6. I was shooting with an ISO of 200. I shoot pretty much exclusively in Aperature priority mode and had that set as low as possible to obtain faster shutter speeds.


----------



## Ugly Genius

Those are some awesome shots, man. Seriously. I thought they were professionally taken before reading your post.

Tank's looking great, too.

Keep it up.

(Any more photos of the umbrella girls?)


----------



## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> Those are some awesome shots, man. Seriously. I thought they were professionally taken before reading your post.
> 
> Tank's looking great, too.
> 
> Keep it up.
> 
> (Any more photos of the umbrella girls?)


Just for you UG.




































































Again....Best trip EVER!


----------



## lookin_around

Man, no responses to the umbrella girls? hmmmmm, makes me wonder about you guys :confused1:


Well maybe you guys will like this better









Quick pic of the tank. Things are growing well and I took a big chunk of HC out again. Now this tank will be relatively "trim-free" for quite a while.​


----------



## ddtran46

lookin_around said:


> Just for you UG.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Again....Best trip EVER!


I personally like this picture the best.:thumbsup:


----------



## Craigthor

I liek all the girls psoted. Just remember its OK to look if your married just not stare and drool that gets ya in trouble.

Craig


----------



## lookin_around

Well, 6 days of vacation and I came back to this.​
I don't think that was too bad. Just some GDA and GSA on the walls that had to be scrubbed off and I am good to go again.

Everything is growing nicely, and I'm just kinda waiting until I can decide what I'm gonna do with this tank. Currently I'm no longer satisfied with this layout.


----------



## B16CRXT

I got a large patch of HC from rrrramos a few weeks ago. Man that stuff LOVES to pearl!


----------



## rrrrramos

I just found a rogue bit of Riccia growing in my HC carpet. I think the fate of the carpet is going to be the same as whats going on in your pic...


----------



## SearunSimpson

Craigthor said:


> I liek all the girls psoted. Just remember its OK to look if your married just not stare and drool that gets ya in trouble.
> 
> Craig


Hey, just because you're on a diet doesnt mean you can't look at the menu.


----------



## c_sking

Could have done w/o the "Brella Girls" my bike was jacked in april and have been avoiding everything two wheel related. I hate driving and miss my Limited Edition (32 of 500) 08 CBR 1000RR a lot whine bitch moan. 
ON a happier note I do like the tank, subtle changes but they all look good. Nice work


----------



## lookin_around

c_sking said:


> Could have done w/o the "Brella Girls" my bike was jacked in april and have been avoiding everything two wheel related. I hate driving and miss my Limited Edition (32 of 500) 08 CBR 1000RR a lot whine bitch moan.
> ON a happier note I do like the tank, subtle changes but they all look good. Nice work


Sorry to hear that bro, I hate hearing about fellow riders getting screwed over by some low-lifes. They'll get what's coming to them, karma's a bitch.

Also did a water change today. I came home to find ALL of the HC uprooted, so I just pulled it all out, and put a few stems back in, and hopefully that will get rid of the Riccia thats left.









Blyxa will need some thinning by the next WC.​


----------



## oldpunk78

holly crap! how did i miss the umbrella girls? where was that? 

(oh ya, the tank looks good too.)


----------



## lookin_around

oldpunk78 said:


> holly crap! how did i miss the umbrella girls? where was that?
> 
> (oh ya, the tank looks good too.)


Hmm, maybe I should make a separate thread in off topic, haha.


----------



## Kolkri

There is a time and a place for pictures of people.
The tank looks great.


----------



## ZooTycoonMaster

Those pictures remind me of Megan Fox in Transformers:hihi:

Great tank!


----------



## lookin_around

Quick update...I've got a bit of a Blyxa forest going on, haha.


















Things are still growing nicely. I think I've got this planted tank thing down haha, at least the nano side of things. Hmmmm, getting close to time to upgrade? I still need some livestock...my friends make fun of me for having a fish tank with no fish, lol.​


----------



## B16CRXT

Looking good! So far I can't keep blyxa in the same setup as yours(tank and light). I'm using Eco complete substrate. I think I waited too long to add co2. I'll take a trimming from one of my other tanks and try again soon. It's just so hard to keep these plants rooted in this tank!


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys...Sorry for the Hiatus but I have been BUSY! I really just let the tank go for a while, and ended up with soooooo much Blyxa.

Yesterday I finally got around to cleaning out the tank and did a little rescape.

























Here is what I pulled out. I have no doubt now that I can grow me some Blyxa.​
I ended up rescaping the tank. I'll get some pics when I get a chance.


----------



## rrrrramos

Rescape? Must've been easy, seeing as the whole tank would have been covered with Blyxa! Whatcha doin with all the leftover? I might need some small ones to refresh the 2.5


----------



## lookin_around

rrrrramos said:


> Rescape? Must've been easy, seeing as the whole tank would have been covered with Blyxa! Whatcha doin with all the leftover? I might need some small ones to refresh the 2.5


I already tossed the leftovers. You didn't want those anyway. I had gotten super lazy with dosing so everything was starting to get some little bits of fuzz algae. I'll let you know once this stuff grows in a bit and I'll be sure to send some out to anyone that is interested.

Also, like I already said in ramos' other thread, I'm gonna be moving to a bigger house soon and may upgrade once I'm in a larger place. Hopefully this tank survives the move alright.


----------



## lookin_around

Man I wish I would have taken a pic of this thing when I first filled it after changing everything. The HC has grown a ridiculous amount for only being in there 2 weeks.

I'll be moving on Friday, so hopefully everything survives alright.









I only planted about 10-12 single strands of HC when I re-did this tank. Now its everywhere!​


----------



## lookin_around

Quick update from my phone. It survived the move!









The HC is growing so fast this time around. I kinda like the way the rocks are now.​


----------



## B16CRXT

I yanked a ton of blyxa out of my 20g last weekend. It's amazing how fast that stuff grows! I can't keep it goin right in my 2.5 though. It turns kind of redish and some of the leaves melt away. It doesn't look as good as the bright green I get from it in my other tanks. I removed it and just have a ton of ludwigia in my background now.


----------



## lookin_around

Hey guys!

I know its been quite a while since I've updated, but things have been very busy for me. Between moving, finishing up school at the community college and having to apply to universities as well as working I have had little time for fun and games.

Anyone remember my ferret I used to have? Well apparently back in the day he chewed up the cord to my filter a bit right at the base where the plug is. I didn't notice it until recently, and when I went to move my surge protecter there was quite a bright zap that occurred when the wires touched I guess...It got hot enough to melt the rubber and flipped a breaker.

Anyway since that happened, I had to order a new filter. In a hurry, I went ahead and just ordered the Tom's Rapids mini canister filter. This thing was quite the pain to set up. The hoses are the worst, and I had to cut all the pieces to fit my 2.5. Right now the flow is much more than what my HOB filter was and I hope my plants like it.

I had to wait over a week for it to ship here because of the holidays so I left the lights off on the tank, and after 3 days, I turned the light on for 1 day and then back off. Even though there was zero water movement, I think this method helped the plants survive and I didn't have any algae outbreaks.

I was struggling with some sort of slime algae for a while, and I'm not sure if it was my nano diffuser for my pressurized co2 getting clocked or my somewhat sporadic dosing schedule. I was also wondering if it could have attributed to different water parameters here at the new house. Anyway I slapped on the good ol' cheap disposable diffuser and started dosing regularly again, and it all pretty much went away.

Now that I have the new filter on here and set up, I went ahead and put the nano diffuser back on, and will continue to dose regularly. Hopefully with some persistence the tank will stay algae free 

The reason I know the nano diffuser gets clogged up is I see a decrease in my bubble rate, and even if I open up my needle valve all the way it doesn't increase too much because I have the regulator set to about 10 psi. I guess I will just have to start cleaning it regularly. I think I'll get a second diffuser so that I can switch them out each week.

Anyway, I have a few pics of the setup as it is now. Right now I have the bookshelf in a corner so I can fit the whole co2 setup on the floor behind it which works out perfectly. When I was trying to setup the canister filter, the hoses just would not bend correctly if I had the filter at the same level as the tank so I had to improvise. I placed a box behind the bookshelf so that the filter sits just a few inches lower than the top of the book shelf. Couple that with the rubber band I have on one of the hoses and it actually turned out looking pretty decent.

On to a few pics!









Here is how it sits in the corner. Sorry for the blurry iPhone pic, but I didn't have time to bust out the DSLR. I really like how clean it looks right now, and hope to get some lilly pipes or something in the future to clean it up even more. I know I keep talking about upgrading, but now that I'm thinking about moving to the bay area for school, I may end up in a smaller place, therefore eliminating the possibility for me to have a larger aquarium. Since I plan on moving to the Berkeley area (if I get in *fingers crossed*) I will just hit up AFA in the San Fran area if I can get a larger tank after I move.









Tank layout hasn't changed much. I would actually like to grow out some Blyxa on both sides of the tank but am waiting for the ones I have to recover first. Ideas?









Here is the mess behind my stand/bookshelf. The Co2 tank is on the floor in the lower left of the pic. This enables me to make adjustments from the side of the stand since it is too tall to reach over and behind. I have a box next to it, and on top of the box is a poker chip set for a little added height. I have my surge protector on that with 2 timers; one for lights and one for co2. Lastly is the new addition which is the reason for all this mess; the canister filter. You can kinda see the yellow rubber band on one of the hoses. I had to do this to keep the spray bar straight.​

Whew, this is turning out to be quite the post. I guess this is what happens after I spend 2 weeks doing nothing but writing personal statements as well as not updating for a while . Anyway I hope you all enjoy, I'll be sure to check up on some other threads to see how everyone is doing.


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## B16CRXT

I've got two of those toms filters. I love them. I did, however, mod mine to give better flow for my 10 gallon and 20 gallon tanks. It looks like you cut the intake tube almost in half! LOL

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/89095-toms-rapids-mini-canister-filter-fix.html


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## lookin_around

B16CRXT said:


> I've got two of those toms filters. I love them. I did, however, mod mine to give better flow for my 10 gallon and 20 gallon tanks. It looks like you cut the intake tube almost in half! LOL
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/89095-toms-rapids-mini-canister-filter-fix.html


Haha right now the flow looks plenty for my 2.5. I also cut about 3.5 inches off of the intake tube haha, and about 2 inches off the spray bar so now it only has 4 holes.

So far it looks like the best flow I've ever had in the tank. If I can keep my diffuser from clogging, then I expect to have healthier, stronger growth.


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## B16CRXT

sweet! I always thought the toms would have too much flow for my 2.5. I may have to look into buying another one, or buying an ehiem to replace the one on the 10 gallon.


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## lookin_around

B16 it is quite a bit of flow for this tank. I don't know what kind of fauna you have in yours but it may be too much for them. For just the plants I think it is ok. Here is a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHx4ia6wbsI&feature=player_embedded


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## Cichlid Junkie

lookin_around said:


> For just the plants I think it is ok. Here is a video
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHx4ia6wbsI&feature=player_embedded


The way the blyxa is moving in the tank, it kinda had that reef tank feel...I like it. roud:


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## B16CRXT

There is no fauna in mine except for snails and some kinda water bug. When I tried to have pygmy corys in there, they kept dieing because the water parameters were always fluctuating.


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## Ugly Genius

To think that back in the day, you had trouble growing Blyxa.
Today, I'd say you'd have more trouble growing algae than Blyxa.
Tank's looking good, lookin. Especially considering that you just moved the thing!
I'm going to be bold here and make a suggestion. Try driftwood now. A piece sloping in from the rear-right corner and through the space in your rocks would look rad.


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## lookin_around

Ugly Genius said:


> To think that back in the day, you had trouble growing Blyxa.
> Today, I'd say you'd have more trouble growing algae than Blyxa.
> Tank's looking good, lookin. Especially considering that you just moved the thing!
> I'm going to be bold here and make a suggestion. Try driftwood now. A piece sloping in from the rear-right corner and through the space in your rocks would look rad.


B16, part of the reason I've held off on fauna has been partly due to laziness. I have not the slightest clue what my parameters are and don't feel like starting--so I must wait on any fauna until I'm ready to protect such an investment :tongue:

Thanks for the compliments UG. Man could I have used some of your input when I was writing out personal statements, haha. And I've already been thinking about driftwood for this tank. The problem being that I refuse to buy any. I figure if I was able to find some decent looking rocks then I can do it with driftwood. Being a stone's-throw away from the sequoias I've noticed tons of Manzanita bushes not too far from here. After I check and make sure I can't get in trouble for taking any, I've been considering a dedicated weekend morning to go driftwood hunting up in the mountains.

Hmmm...If only I could hunt for driftwood in my leather suit and strap it down to the back of the bike. I think I'd be a bit more motivated if that seemed plausible and worth the effort :tongue:


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## Ugly Genius

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
And you don't have to ask for forgiveness if they never find out.
Think of this as a ninja assignment. A small piece. Four inches long. In and out. Like the wind.


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## oldpunk78

Ugly Genius said:


> It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
> And you don't have to ask for forgiveness if they never find out.
> Think of this as a ninja assignment. A small piece. Four inches long. In and out. Like the wind.


^ he's right. i just shipped some for a 2.5 and i fit enough for 2-3 2.5's in a 12x12x5 box. just go get you some.


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## lisa_v

looking good! I really like the clean look of it and your dwarf baby tears look great!


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## lookin_around

Lol thanks for the advice guys. I guess thats what I'll end up doing.

Lisa_V, thanks for the compliment, I'll be sure to check out your journal!

Nothing new on the tank. I was supposed to do a WC yesterday but haven't done it yet.


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## lookin_around

Well I haven't gotten any drift wood yet but I did get a shot of the tank today to show you guys what its looking like.









Here is a quick shot with my DSLR before it died. I didn't edit the pic at all so please excuse anything that might be off a bit.
Sorry for the glare, my windows were open due to the nice weather today​


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## Ugly Genius

Lookin' good, lookin. 

If you can't get driftwood, go Oliver Knott and put the crystal boat inside.


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## BMueller777

sweet tank, I've got a mini toms sitting waiting to get used.. I'll deff be doing that mod to it to get more flow..

Any updates?


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## lookin_around

Lol, UG - I've thought about getting a rubber duckey just to throw in there and let float around on top of the water since I don't have any livestock, haha.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately guys. I've been stupid busy working and have had no free time. I actually got this weekend off, so I decided to do some much needed tank maintenance. I basically ripped everything out, and put a few plants back in. The goal now will be to at least maintain my dosing schedule consistent so that I can keep algae at bay. Every time I do this I wish I would have taken a before picture, but when it looks horrible, taking a picture is the last thing I'm thinking about, lol.

With all the admissions essays I've been writing lately I've figured out that I'm a comma freak. I need to fix that.

Anyway, here's a quick iPhone pic. Hopefully everything will fill in nicely. Remember how I was thinking about some CRS in here? Do you guys think I have too much current now? It seems too intense for any animals in here, but I've never had shrimp before. I'd also have to get some poly fill or something over the intake I'd assume.


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## B16CRXT

Make the holes on the output a little larger. That will reduce the flow a little. I keep RCS without anything over the filter. I see shrimp crawling on it all the time finding food. I would feel better with something over it even though I've never seen one get stuck before.


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## lookin_around

Thanks for all the support guys. I hope to stick around.









In its place–something a little easier to care for, lol.​


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