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I'm all for getting rid of algae spores. :good: Not sure about creating an excess of nutirents to then remove them... :/ (I am still working on getting my doses right -Nirates deplete quickly & my tap water has 2.5 phosphates in it, so not quite sorted there yet). But I suppose better to be...

Have been dosing EI for 2 weeks now. For the past week I have been following the EI routine in the pinned article. I am on day 7 and am wondering whether i really need to do a 50% water change or any water change. There are no fish in the tank. My plants are using up the ferts as fast as I...

I have heard that vinegar is good for cleaning tanks as it is an acid. But I used Milton (as in the stuff used for steralising babies bottles) as it washes away more easily than bleach.

Are you fishless cycling ie adding ammonia? What size tank?

Yeah Ive read somewhere not to use hot water taps as this can put traces of copper into your tank. I suppose this would build up to harmful levels if you made a habit of it. Anyway better to be safe than sorry - I boil the kettle, then boil it again, and agian.... it is a bit of a pain.

The thought had never crossed my mind... I'll have to try it. :good:

I give my tank the lights on for 5hr, 3 or 4 hr siesta, and on 5 hours. But when my lights are off, the room is very bright so the tank is still getting some light (tank not in sun at any time tho). I read that algae can thrive in lower levels of light where plants need good light, so...

Quoted from the link in Themulous' thread so how do people with high phosphates in their tapwater measure their co2?

Yep its the hot weather (thats a good excuse :D )- i worded that badly. I meant the pipes dont fit in my tank without lid sticking up. Just read post again - yes very bad - could've been the lovely chilled wine cooling me down that night. :fun:

Hi all, can anyone help with a few niggly problems? New external filter - eheim 2026 doesn't fit in my tank without the lid sticking up. the in/out? pipe has a sort of u bend that lets it bend out of the top of tank but this doesn't rest low enough as the bottom of the filter is resting on the...

Ive tended to cut mine just above a new 'branch' and it seems to carry on growing and sending out new ones. but you might want to wait for more experienced people to comment.

Its not harmful then? If it doesnt go away I dont need to worry about it?

I have had this piece of bogwood in my tank 2 days after soaking for over a week. It has this white stuff growing all over it. Does anyone know what it is and do i need to do something with it?

Thanks Zig, am on to it :) i have nitrate test kit, will need to get phosphate. i thought 12 bubbles per min was not much but i didnt want ph to get too low as it was showing about 6 at one point, but when i reread the co2 test kit instructions i realised i hadnt done it right the first time...

they were in the batch ive just got off ebay - knew i shouldve stuck with greenline. greenlines plants all came labelled, some with care advice but the postman missed me and i couldnt get them from the depot till the next day, so a few plants ended up worse for wear and i threw them out. will...

Hi all, just set up tank again. Total rehaul after TB in tank - Do not want to have to do that again for a looooooooooooong time! :X Everything binned but chance to get new stuff and try a proper planted tank. :D Also took out internal juwel filter & now using external (got Eheim 2026 for...

Have never kept platys before but was going to get some soon until I read: Are platys not a good idea in a planted tank? Or are these just particularly greedy platys?

Sorry to jump in on your thread Gazza but I dont often see other fishy people from my end of the country on here. Neal can i ask you which lfs you reccomend in Darlington. im in Mbro and havent found one Im totally happy with.

If its a green or browny colour Id say is most likely algae.

I'd like to know this too. Reflectors come with the clips so you can attach the light to them, BUT how do you then get the refector to attach to the hood? I guess drilling a few holes in your hood is one way but is there a neater way. Come on, all you practical minded people give us a clue...

Thanks for your reply Andrew. :good: Al have been jet washed & roasted in the oven, just waiting for information on what they were to decide if safe for aquarium.

Can anyone help with identifying these rocks? Ive put in a pic of the rock followed by a close up of each one, in case theres any geologists, or budding geologists out there. I apologise in advance if these pics are rubbish. 1. 2. 3. 4. Thanks for looking ;)

Read these threads, they may be of some help. New lights 4 juwel vision Jimboos Jungle journal 2 Jewel rio thread Planted juwel These helped me when I was (&still am) researching lighting.

this is flourite link Its sort of flat gravel.

Is flourite a suitable substrate for corys. Ive read they like sand and fine gravel. Flourite is fineish but sharpish. Is it ok or a no no?

*bump*

Im in the process of getting everything ready for when my planted tank is set up. Ive just read the Seachem Flourish suggested dosage regime. I have bought only 3 Seachem products: Flourish Nitrogen, F. Phosphorous & F. Potassium. Are the other ones needed ie "Flourish", F Excel, F. Iron?

Nope its all fine keep adding it and as soon at nitrite is 0 your done. Ok thanks, Ill keep on as I am then.

Using the Add & wait method. My ammonia readings are dropping from 3 back to 0 within 12 hours. Nitrites still at around 0.75. I've been adding more ammonia every time readings drop to 0, which is about every 12 hrs so im actually adding ammonia twice a day, and it occurred to me maybe this...

A couple of weeks ago I was at the lake district and I picked up odd pices of slate lying around lakes, fields (and car parks - always a bit of slate there). Since I got them Ive been told only some slate is safe. Can anyone tell if its likely to be the right sort, from the lakes? I have jet...

Yeah Chris keep us updated on the tank. Im starting my tank up again soon - when 2nd tank is cycled all fish go in their new home and then its action stations with the planted tank. So picking up tips and ideas from here during the wait is great. Would Wood put Woodyon his avatar? he wouln't...

So from scratch with a new tank, heavily planted, Co2, there is NO need to fishless cycle ie add ammonia? Would you still need to start off with hardy fish or wouldn't that matter if all the ammonia is being used by the plants? Im not convinced yet.

Thanks Chris Im going for one of each. Think Im also going to get 2 HO T5s and attach to my hood but the question is whether to buy a complete unit or the lights, controller and reflectors separately... decsisions... :)

In the description on the arcadia Freshwater light it says that it is recommended to put it with an Arcadia Original lamp. Is this combination better than having 2 Fw lights?

Just wondered whether anyone has done something simiar to above AND managed to get anywhere near 2.5 - 3WPG? Also could you still do your water changes and gravel cleaning etc with back light left in place?

yep using the add and wait method. Lots of waiting tho not so much adding :) Levels havent got any where near 0 yet so no point adding more ammonia yet then. Thought, no fishies in there, don't need to dechlorinate yet. :blush: One of my blonde moments lol. Never mind, we learn from our...

Should I top up the ammonia back to 5-6ppm again or just leave the bacteria to buil up again?

Im doing my first fishless cylce without the aid of bits from mature filter/tank. Started 3 weeks ago. Put enough ammonia in to read 5-6ppm. Readings dropped to about 3-4 after 2 weeks. No change since. Have no lid for tank yet so water does evaporate. When I've been topping up the tank...

How about these... 65 watt lights Anybody think theyd be any good? 2 x 65 w would provide just over 2 1/2WPG. Still not enough :/ Did RYO mean to have 4 tubes same size as one's I have already? would they fit over the tank?

thanks for the links. Could people put me right on a few things. The current lights are 25w x2 so thats 1 WPG in a 180l tank... does that sound right? So for a heavily planted tank, for 2 lights I should be looking at getting about 75watt lights to give me 3 WPG??? Can you get lights with...