rjfurbank

Your HC lawn looks awesome! I can't relate to the difficulty in trimming it though as I have never been successful getting it to grow that well. . . (haha!)

Great job! One of my favorite tanks!

theblondskeleton

Wow! Thanks, everybody! I really appreciate the good words! I hadn't thought of it being contest-worthy, but I suppose it'd be rude not to enter now, heehee...

Phil- I'll post some more detailed steps later this evening. I found the instructions on another forum, but the photos are no longer available. It was a surprisingly simple idea I wish I had thought of myself!

Don't worry yikesjason - I'll keep the HM

Thanks Dave, I love rasboras (so does my wife, fortunately). I was eyeing some espei a couple of months ago. They are great looking fish.

You too, mikslik. It was a ton of work, but so very worth it!

Hey Roy - don't worry. You're not missing much with all the trimming! By the way, my wife is from Pittsburgh - how far from Lansdale?

theblondskeleton

Here are the spraybar instructions!

Materials:

2 2-foot sections of 1/2-inch PVC pipe (or enough to span the tank)
1 1/2-inch PVC union
5 elbows
1 threaded elbow
1 end cap
1 1/2-inch - 5/8-inch brass barb
All-purpose cement (for PVC and ASB)

I measured the tank from the inner edges of the top frame to get the length for the spray bar. I then dry-fit the pipes into the union and placed the union on top of the cross-bar of the tank frame to center it. I measured the length of pipe I needed to cut from the ends of each 2-foot section to get it to fit. That left about 6 inches of leftover pipe in two 3-inch sections. I kept the scrap to connect the elbows for the "hanger" part of the spray bar.

After cutting the pipes to length, I dry-fit the spray bar to check the fit of the parts. I assembled the "hanger" part by cutting the scrap into 1-inch sections and attaching the end cap and an elbow to one end. I connected the rest of the parts as shown below:



Drilling the holes was the hardest part. I clamped the assembled spray bar to a table and figured out at what angle I wanted the water to spray. I used a straightedge to draw a line from one end to the other, and placed my holes about 3” apart on that line. I used a 1/8” bit for the holes.

One change I will make for next time is to take 500 grit sand paper and buff the PVC before painting it. It gives it something to grab on to, and will keep it from chipping and flaking so much. The paint I used was Rust-oleum Textured Paint for Plastic. Don’t let the name fool you - it does not really bond to the plastic. It just doesn’t roll off like most paint. Sanding would solve that by giving it something to hold on to. Also, withstand the excitement and wait 24 hours for it to dry or it will blister. It doesn’t harm the fish, but it looks crummy.

After a couple of coats and proper drying, it’s ready to go!

theblondskeleton

Figured I'd balance all my chatter with some pics.

jinsei888

I'm dreaming of the day when my HC can fill out like yours. Great work!

theblondskeleton

Big Trim!



The rotala usually takes a week or two to reestablish. the P. Stellatus broad leaf was topped and replanted this time. it was way more time consuming, and I am not really sure how I feel about using this method vs. just topping them. I wasn't happy with the fact that it took almost a month to re-grow, but when it did it looked phenomenal. I don't know. I'll toy with it a bit. I also moved one of my larger crypts to the other side of the big rock to fill in that space a bit more. It was hiding behind the rock anyhow, so now it can show off up front!

I have been eyeballing some German Blue Rams at The Wet Spot in Portland. They have always looked very healthy, as do most of their stock. After months of waiting and consideration, I finally picked up three little babies. They look to be about 3 months old or so. VERY tiny, and not much coloration yet. They have been in the tank for a week, and they have made themselves a part of the community. They pop out of the foliage and cruise over the carpet, hovering about and hanging with the rasboras. I also picked up 8 more rasboras to fill out the school a bit more.


Here is a shot of the two females together:


One of the females and the male (hiding just above and behind her and the P. stellatus leaf):


I'm so excited! I have wanted GBR's for a while now, and I can't wait to see them grow and color up!

I've been toying with my ferts a bit to boost the color of the stellatus. Also, my N levels have been fluctuating wildly due to a shift in the food I have been using. I will be shifting back ASAP. I hate pellets and all processed fishie foods. I usually feed the frozen SF Bay variety pack. I have been testing daily to balance the conditions a bit. As a result, I have had a small bloom of BBA, so that little battle resumes... I shot it with peroxide at my water change today.

The L. Aromatica needs a trim. Perhaps I'll get to it in a week or two.

jinsei888

That's HC heaven!

rjfurbank

Congrats on the new fish! The tank is looking great.

theblondskeleton

Thanks, guys! The rams are doing great. They are so much fun to watch, and they are coloring up very well. They poke in and out of the plants all day. It appears the male has already chosen a favorite lady, and they can be seen together all day long. The other female looks lonely, so I might just put another male in there for her, but even with such a large tank, I worry about territory disputes.

The food I was using was definitely causing the BBA and cyano. I rechecked my notes, and the period in which I had outbreaks of cyanobacteria and BBA were when I was using this food. As soon as I stopped using it, the BBA and cyano disappeared. I tried it again with this outbreak, and POOF! No nasties. So, into the trash it goes. For the record, it was HBH cichlid pellets. It was an interim food I used between paychecks, but I won't be using it anymore.

My plants need a trim in a major way, and given their health and the health of the tank in general, I think I might try selling some of the p. stellatus and l.aromatica. I might recoup enough in a few trimmings to fund my next rescape - which I am currently planning. My only concern is how to ship the plants so that they arrive in the best condition possible. If anyone has tips on this, please let me know. I don't want to sell anything that is not in top condition when it arrives.

Thanks all!

Bunbuku

Incredibly healthy tank and fabulous HC lawn. How often to you mow it and how short you cut it?