Finally up and planted! Algae here we come! - Journals

Travis.808 · 06-05-2009, 12:51 AM

Well, I guess it took me long enough to get this thing up

. In the time it took me to get my first tank set up I've become a "senior member" this just means I have far too much time on my hands and shows my skills in no way

. Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped along the way, you can rest assured I will still be bugging the crap out of you with questions

. Please forgive the dirtiness of the whole project it was late when I finished. The floating "debris" is Anacharis I'm using to help fend off algae hopefully. Also excuse the horrible photography/ Lighting not sure how to get it to look how I see it (no photog skills).

So far setup hardware is as follows:
55g on stand I built,
AH 4x55w,
Magnum 350,
5lb co2 tank,
Sumo Premier line regulator,
Rhinox 5000 diffuser and bubble counter,
ebay drop checker.

Plants are:
eleocharis acicularis,
blxa japonica, hygrophila,
some rotala,
and floating some anacharis as well.

No fish yet as I just planted this late last night. Visit my gallery for some other views. This post was long enough didn't know if it was even worth more pics in this state. Thanks for looking!
Full tank

Philosophos · 06-05-2009, 01:23 AM

Looking good.

So what's the plan for when things fill in? Some sort of iwugami hybrid? Varied fine grass is a nice break from seeing the usual carpets of glosso or HC with nothing else in the tank.

Anyhow, I look forward to seeing how this one progresses. You've spent some time reading before jumping in, and that's a welcome change from the usual.

If you find the light hard to keep up with long-term, scaling down the tank and using half the light in starting up a 2nd is always a nice way of doing things. It's not uncommon to do a high light push for the first while, then a lower maintaining light level.

-Philosophos

rich815 · 06-05-2009, 05:48 AM

Yup, algae in a big way soon. I use 25% less light than that on a tank almost 40% bigger and my plants, even high light ones, grow fine. To start with you might best cut the light 50% and keep your photoperiod to 8 hours max. Otherwise mark your calendar for about three weeks from now for the algae fest.

Travis.808 · 06-05-2009, 01:01 PM

Thanks For looking guys! As for what "category" I'm putting this in Iwagumi or otherwise not really sure. I just hope it doesn't look too bad. Not everything that is in there now will be staying. Just in there for the anti algae type plants. As far as lighting I'm doing a 4 hour photo period with just 1 bank overlapping with a 1 hr in the middle for now I'll add lighting as needed. Either way I'll keep this updated as best as possible hopefully the pictures get better.

surpera1 · 06-05-2009, 06:19 PM

substrate ? ferts ? add a couple plecos for the algae - snails are cool too - good lighting you have going

Travis.808 · 06-05-2009, 10:30 PM

surpera1 I am using Amazonia AS as far as ferts none as of late I'm weeding through all the schools of thought over ferts while using ADA substrates. I was gifted some Rex Griggs ferts including KNO3 KH2PO4 K2SO4 and CSM+B. I have read that using just green brighty and brighty k is better on here, is this true or are people buying into the ADA name? These ferts I have would cost about $50-60 a year shipped here the ADA stuff around 30 a month. Can anyone shed some light? Have a week till first 50% should I take the dive and go the ADA way or use the ferts I have? Thanks again for all the lookers, and for any help in advance.

Philosophos · 06-06-2009, 08:15 AM

I'd advise DIY unless you've got enough money that the difference between $50 and $360 a year means nothing to you.

You won't learn anything using ADA's cocktail. You will consume their product, and if it changes or disappears, be left at their mercy or back where you started.

Yes, it grows plants. But why would it magically do better than anything already known about plant nutrient requirements?

Here's a very nice DIY fert EI tank:

Would you complain about that sort of growth?

-Philosophos

orlando · 06-06-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philosophos

I'd advise DIY unless you've got enough money that the difference between $50 and $360 a year means nothing to you.

You won't learn anything using ADA's cocktail. You will consume their product, and if it changes or disappears, be left at their mercy or back where you started.

Yes, it grows plants. But why would it magically do better than anything already known about plant nutrient requirements?

Here's a very nice DIY fert EI tank:

Would you complain about that sort of growth?

-Philosophos

Nice

Is that KyleT's tank photo from PTF?

Philosophos · 06-06-2009, 10:53 AM

Not sure who's it is. Tom Barr posted it for me on a thread where I was asking about driving up levels of red. I've been having great growth, but everything is green

odds are I'll just drop PO4 dosing down to 1.5ppm (from 2.85ppm) and NO3 down to 15ppm (from about 20ppm).

-Philosophos

nokturnalkid · 06-06-2009, 06:04 PM

It's about time you get some water in there.

Sorry, I finally found a use for this icon. Lol.