Steven_Chong

Wow! That filter is so cool!! BTW-- just my opinion, but I liked that hunk of wood . . .

bpimm

I still have it... maybe in the next incarnation.

bpimm

From the beginning this tank was supposed to have pressure CO2, but with all the distractions of life I never got around to it, until now. Tonight I finished the reactor to go in the sump. I glued a 1" PVC cap to a 1" PVC coupling for the body of the reactor, then drilled and taped it for the brass air valves I'm using for the water inlet and the CO2 inlet. I cut two notches in the bottom to allow the water to run out the bottom. Sorry I didn't take any pics before I had it in the sump.

I built a stand to hold up the tank so I can work in the sump.



I T'd into the return line to the tank and ran it to one side of the reactor and the CO2 line goes to the other side, the reactor has a piece of filter foam in it for the water to trickle over in the CO2 bubble.




Well that's it for tonight, Next I will expand my CO2 manifold for another needle valve and hook up the CO2.

Jimbo205

Wow!!! ..................

In another 20 years, I'll be able to do something like this. (yeah, right.)

Way to go Brian!

bpimm

Fired up the CO2 today and the pH is down to 6.8 in an hour, I'd say the reactor works.

Here is the CO2 manifold before and after, added one more needle valve.



I'll monitor the pH for the rest of the day to make sure it's stable. Then I'll see if the Blyxa japonica will grow better.

bpimm

Well the little hex was looking pretty ratty so something had to be done. I tore it down and replanted this morning. Plus we needed a home for the new guppy's.

I also finished up the halogen light for it that I started 6 Mos. ago. it's a 5000K 35 watt flood.

What do you think?



HC foreground with Anubias nana petite tied to the wood and a piece of narrow leaf java fern top right on the wood.

Brian

andrew__

that looks really cool great job. I'm amazed there's so much hardware in that stand!

maybe something a little taller to go around the back of the driftwood on the right there? maybe some b.japonica depending of course on how it was growing before. possibly some sort of stem plant or maybe move the java fern down so it looks like it's rooted? Just throwing some ideas out there.

... I'm going to have to start thinking about actually scaping my little 2.5 gal now, it just looks sad compared to tanks like this

Jessie

Well I think you have managed to create the best, IMO, impression of a tank being larger than it actually is. With the new scape (LOVE the wood), the tank looks around 40-50 gallons, vs. just one.

I love it!

kiwik

dude...that's crazy.

i have that tank....actually, had that tank. gave it to someone who added a rock and put some water and put a crab in there. it came with a light too that fit on top, but looked rather ugly. i would do that if i had the right equipments.

bpimm

Thanks guys,

Andrew, yes b.japonica would look good in there but I can't grow it. and I don't want any fast growing stems, maintenance nightmare, I have a chunk of the anubias in there now but was thinking of replacing it with some Crypt. parva behind the wood. I don't want to get anything very large in there, I like the illusion of space it has now.

Interesting, Crypt. parva as a background plant...