Barneys 160l Planted Tank Using Ada Substrate/ferts - Journal

[Nosnibor]

The CO2 diffuser that came with my kits wasnt working too great so I now have the CO" going into the outflow of my canister filter which is doing a much better job. I have made an external CO2 reactor but need to get some sealant for it so will have to leave that until tomorrow.

Hi Barney,

I too have an internal reactor diffusor and was wondering how you went about making your external reactor that fed off the outflow of your filter.

I find it a little too big considering I went for the option of having everything external (filter and heater) then had a big thing like that in there. It looks just like your one in your second photo and I find it a little too 'clicky' when the CO2 bubbles come out, or does it suppose to sound like that?

Cheers

Martin

 

[xxBarneyxx]

The CO2 diffuser that came with my kits wasnt working too great so I now have the CO" going into the outflow of my canister filter which is doing a much better job. I have made an external CO2 reactor but need to get some sealant for it so will have to leave that until tomorrow.

Hi Barney,

I too have an internal reactor diffusor and was wondering how you went about making your external reactor that fed off the outflow of your filter.

I find it a little too big considering I went for the option of having everything external (filter and heater) then had a big thing like that in there. It looks just like your one in your second photo and I find it a little too 'clicky' when the CO2 bubbles come out, or does it suppose to sound like that?

Cheers

Martin

Thanks for the comments everyone!

In the end I didnt got with the external CO2 reactor. I didnt have much confidence in the one I made not leaking I did come up with a very simple alternative which is working really well for me though and that was just to carry on feeding the CO2 into the outflow pipe and cut a piece of pipe into a spiral and put this in the outflow pipe as well. This seems to do a great job ofdisolving the CO2.

Take a look at http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=205088 for more info on that.

With regards to the light my bed is also about 5-6ft away and other then thin line of reflected light from the edge of where the acryclic cover slides in there is no light leaking. I do need to get a couple of lower wattage bulbs though. Link to the lights from the shop I bought them from http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...roducts_id=1065

Two things I would say about the lights are. 1) The stand bit is made form plastic, there is nothing wrong with it but I was expecting it to be metal. 2) despite what the pictures may seem to show you cant tilt the light unit back and leave it tilted back. if you try it will more then likely fall flat again and either break the stand or break your tank! When I'm doing maintaince I use two cardboard boxes on both sides to wedge it open.

Dave: Yeah I like the look of HC which is why I have left in in there so far. I think it is beyound saving though and it was always the plan to remove at least one of the carpeting plants (I just wanted to see what all 3 grow like ).

You have a very good eye and yes it is Ludwigia Arcuata on the right. it is growing in amongst a big bush of what I think is Ceratopteris Thalictroides and their leaf patterns (and colour when the Ludwigia changes) should compliment each other pretty well. I was worried that the Ceratopteris would outgrow everything on that side of the tank but everything seems healthy at the moment (and covers up the outflow pipe for the filter nicely ).

I was thinking of cutting the dwarf hairgrass back the other day so i cut one part down and it has grown back really quickly and looks a lot better so will do the rest today, thanks!

The Riccia on the slate is doing very well (has gone from flat to about 3inchs tall in about a week). If I want to spread this can I just trim some off the top and then attach it with a net to another piece of slate?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Small update:

I have been over run with thread algae for the last couple of weeks (the final part of cycling the tank) but I just cut the light back and left it alone (removed as much as I could by hand). It is now dying off and i think within a week it should be gone.

These photos arent great quality but I just drove 6 hours to get my new cherry shrimp so feeling a bit tired The shrimp where well worth it though and are great fun to watch. Tomorrow I will be added some oto's and maybe some silver tip tetras too.

The riccia is looking a little flat because I trimmed it up yesterday and spread over some more slate. My plan is eventually to cover most of the flat slate surfaces with riccia so you will just see the edges of the rock through the riccia.

Pictures:

Left side of the tank.

Right side of the tank.

Bit blurred but still cute

These guys where well worth the effort it took to go and get them.

Will update tomoz with new fish

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Few photos of the fish (yes it actually has fish now!!!)

Now has:
X2 BN Plecos
X12 Red Cherry Shrimp
X16 Silvertip Tetras.

I'm thinking of the final stocking list being something like:

X2 Bristlenose Pleco
X12 Cardinal Tetra
X16 Silver Tip Tetra
X12 Cherry Shrimp
X2 Sparkling Gourami (or 1 male two females, need to research this).
X8 Cory's

If you have any stocking suggestions please post as I keep changing my mind. I would like some loaches but dont think any will get on with the shrimp. I would also like a couple of bigger fish but not sure about the Gourami's. Would prefer a dwarf cichlid pair but again have to be careful not to get something that is going to eat shrimp.

The planting itself is still going ok. I'm letting it all get overgrown for the moment before trimming things into shape. Algae is dying off and it is all looking a lot better. Has a small nightmare with my timer on the CO2 being faulty so it came on in the middle of the night instead of the day! Luckily I heard it click on or it could have been very bad. Went and got a digital timer today for it.

 

[wei0204]

I quite like how it turns out, very natural feel to me. I like the choice of fish too and of course the shrimps...

Lovely...

 

[Ilya]

Oh please show us your plecos!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Oh please show us your plecos!

I would love to but like the shrimp they have vanished into the undergrowth. I catch brief glimpses of them but by the time I grab my camera they are normally gone again

They are really tiny (less then 1 inch). As soon as I manage to snap some pics of them I will put them up

 

[lljdma06]

Few photos of the fish (yes it actually has fish now!!!)

Now has:
X2 BN Plecos
X12 Red Cherry Shrimp
X16 Silvertip Tetras.

I'm thinking of the final stocking list being something like:

X2 Bristlenose Pleco
X12 Cardinal Tetra
X16 Silver Tip Tetra
X12 Cherry Shrimp
X2 Sparkling Gourami (or 1 male two females, need to research this).
X8 Cory's

If you have any stocking suggestions please post as I keep changing my mind. I would like some loaches but dont think any will get on with the shrimp. I would also like a couple of bigger fish but not sure about the Gourami's. Would prefer a dwarf cichlid pair but again have to be careful not to get something that is going to eat shrimp.

The planting itself is still going ok. I'm letting it all get overgrown for the moment before trimming things into shape. Algae is dying off and it is all looking a lot better. Has a small nightmare with my timer on the CO2 being faulty so it came on in the middle of the night instead of the day! Luckily I heard it click on or it could have been very bad. Went and got a digital timer today for it.

The tank looks very nice so far. I think you are wise to let things grow for a while. As to your fish dilemma, I think sparklers (Trichopsis pumillus, though they have had a name change), though lovely, maybe overwhelmed in this tank. Not saying that they wouldn't thrive, but they are a mid-dwelling, very reclusive gouramis, and you'll have a time trying to find them in all that growth. I had trouble finding them in my 10g planted tank that featured them. A good ratio for these fish is 2 females to 1 male, but they are pretty difficult to sex. The female has a right-triangle-shaped sac in her abdomen that is only visible under an intense light, or if you're looking in the right direction. Otherwise it is difficult to tell. A great little fish, though. Mine bred for me under the anubia leaves. Sparklers also are fond of shrimp, at least mine were! I kept cherry shrimp for about three whole days in that 10g. I even have a charming picture of a sparkler eyeing a cherry shrimp. Finding a centerpiece fish may be difficult.

llj

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Thanks for the comments and info on the Sparklers. I'm really having a hard time finding a "center piece fish" that is going to be compatible with the shrimp and small tetras and not tear everything up. I was thinking of Krib's but I always seem to have problems with getting a pair (I always seem to get the most picky females who just don't like anyone...).

Might just end up getting half a few more silvertips and a large group group of cardinals and leave it at that (with some Cory's for the bottom most likely, having a similar problem finding other shrimp safe bottom dwelling fish too).

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I've had to change my Plans about the Cardinal tetras. These Silvertips are worse then tiger barbs They are constantly fighting and chasing each other and putting a peaceful fish like cardinal tetras in there isnt going to be a good move

I'm going to get some Cory's tomorrow but think I might go for some other mental fish like zebra danios or something that is going to be active enough not to be stressed out by these guys (they are still very pretty though and certainly add a lot of movement to the tank ).

 

[reggieschuey]

wow barney all i can say is , it one good looking tank. :! I like how you hid the pipes using your slate rocks. It's very clever. DID i just READ you drove 6 hours to get shrimps! ... now thats dedication

 

[blue acara]

Lovely tank Barney.
The dimentions of the tank makes it look bigger-from the first pic I thought it was mabie 5-6 foot long. I really like what you have done with the pipes/slate looks very natural and im sure the fish will love it. when the riccia has fully grown over it should look very cool, like a grassy rocky hill-or something?

The silver tip tetras look lovely. I think some Apistos or rams would be ok with the shrimp, depends on the size of the two animals though. As for a center piece fish-my mind has gone blank, im tempted to say angel fish but 160 litres and shrimp are a no no. Big schools of smaller fish can work really well as center piece fish mabie thats the way to go? rummy nose tetras are lovely.

 

[bubblesburst80]

your tank looks great, you really have come a long way since you started. Great pics too

xXx

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Thanks a lot for the responses so far.

I decided in the end just to go for two shoals of tetra's. I was at the start going for cardinal tetras and rummy nose tetras. They I feel in love with the Silvertips which I felt where much to active for cardinals. When I went into my LFS they had some Flame Tetra's which are very pretty so i got 12 of them (+1 extra that got into the bag) . They aren't quite as active as the silvertips but they don't get freaked out by them either

I have never kept either tetra species before either which is a bonus (I have kept quite a lot of caridinal and rummy nose tetras before so a change is nice).

I'm going to get 6 pepper cory's next weekend and in a month or two will get a whiptail then that will be it.

So stocking list:
16 Silvertip Tetra's
13 Flame tetra's
12 Cherry Shrimp
X6 pepper Cory's (coming next week)
X1 Whiptail (once the tank has matured for a couple of months)

I might add a few more flame tetra's to balance them out but the tank looks ok at the moment, its got a good balance of being active with enough space for everyone.

I took a short video of the tank to try and give a bit of a better "real" look at it (see link below). Not brilliant quality because it was done with my phone. The two red blurs in the middle of it are Cherry shrimp I will tank some pictures later on when its dark.

Video - Lotsa Red Tetra's

 

[WayneVT08]

What size tank is it in US gallons?