# 5.5 gallon with local found hardscape



## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Was the root dead/dried/aged when you put it in the tank? Either way, the scape looks good IMO.

Just wondering, can you describe the modifications you did to the Fluval co2?


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

PinoyBoy said:


> Was the root dead/dried/aged when you put it in the tank? Either way, the scape looks good IMO.
> 
> Just wondering, can you describe the modifications you did to the Fluval co2?


I was wondering the same thing lol. If the solenoid works, It might be a modification worth doing to my DIY paintball system on my flora


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

yea just added the solenoid to make it more effecient, even tho it will take a couple months to pay for itself... right now I am juicing the tank pretty good....

the solenoid is an aquamedic ventil M, works great and doesn not get hot... this is my frist solenoid as my other tank has an electronic regulator and does not need one.. so I dont have much to compare it too, but def happy..

wood had been dead for a while before being thrown in and all pieces were pretty dry, the first two put in were kinda soft, so I worry how fast they will turn into mush... the first pieces have pretty much stopped putting out fungus and its clearing up, and the fungus looks like it stopped growing on third piece...


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## DanCottle (Apr 12, 2011)

Hey were there any bigger rocks like that down there?? Ive actually gone to bloom beach before(was a student at bloom) to use the rope swing but never paid attention to the rocks. small world huh


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

yea there were def a good amount of bigger ones...

lol def a small world, I am the lazyboy repair guy for the NE and am in Clarks Summit at least once a week, usually more...

let me know if you ever wanna swap some plants or anything, I have a decent variety in my tanks,,, lots of foreground and some stem, a few rare-ish....


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

I like the solenoid rig. Hope it works out! I will be trying out the fluval CO2 system as well.


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

here are some updates, the lights were overheating tank so I raised em up a good 4" hooked up zoomed 501 canister filter, took out heater as room does not get much below 75......

PICs.....



















this is before changing filter and raising lights...


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## HolyAngel (Oct 18, 2010)

Nice job so far! And yeah you shouldn't need a heater, I don't run one at all here in Midwest since my house doesn't get below 65 and never above 75 ^^


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Love the layout and the plants! Great job. I never use a heater in Hong Kong, it stays around 22(winter) to 27(summer) celcius year round. I've only had to use a heater once, trying to get rid of ich.


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## kokomon (May 23, 2011)

Wow lots of nice light!


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

I would be more than happy with the 2 lights on the sides, they are both mini coralight PC with 2 9w 7" bulbs giving me more than enough light, however, a couple things happened that made me do this, one the lights way overheated the tank, I did not have a thermometer on it and when I reached in to do some moving or planting or something, I thought it felt hot, it was 87.7 degrees F so I moved the lights up, but even with high co2 was not able to get pearling out of my riccia, so I added the light in the middle, I think I am going to have to stagger the lights a little maybe the middle one on for only 4 hours out of the 10 hour photoperiod or maybe an 8 hour photoperiod..

but its a new tank and prone to algea attacking it till it settles in... just some bright green hair algea might throw in an amano in a couple weeks.. see it that takes care of its as its not bad...


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

Might I ask how you like the fluval CO2 system? And how well does the diffuser work? Tank is looking good. Seems like you are getting some nice growth.


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

I love it, although a bit more pricey vs gettin a tank refilled, but I juice it pretty good with co2, I also added a aqua medic ventil m solenoid, which works great, the little difuser you get with it creates super tiny bubble and works very well..

I am cuttin light on it till I get rid of algae.. gonna put in a nerite and amano shrimp next week...


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

here she is a long time later not much has changed, just planted 2 little hydrocotyle sp japan in the little clearing in front


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## Newman (Jul 3, 2010)

looks pretty good! I like it


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## CHHB (Oct 22, 2011)

awesome tank. what did you soak the roots in? just water?


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## kineticcomfort (May 13, 2011)

yep just water, I prefer to soak in cold water for at least a week, or warm if Iam worried about tannins


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## CHHB (Oct 22, 2011)

tannins?

EDIT: whoops. I know what you mean now lol.


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