Dave`s Pre Journal Journal

[Themuleous]

Is that the hydro external heater on the left? Its chuffing huge! I never realised it was quite that big!

Gonna be two quality tanks Dave, worth the effort

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

It is pretty bulky. There was no way that and the reactor was going to fit on the discharge line, I wouldn`t have had the room for any filter hose. I am desperate to get at least one of these tanks kicked off. My 120l has got a lot of stems and some Hydrocotyle Leucocephala floating, waiting to go in either of these two as algae busters. The HL is growing like mad and blocking out the light. I am throwing away tons of the stuff at the moment.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Nice looking setup with the hardware on tank one -- I like to see how others set up their filters, etc. Also -- I really like the rock setup in tank two.

-sondra

 

[Dave Spencer]

Thanks Sondra,

I have been admiring your pair of Eheims.

 

[Themuleous]

I have been admiring your pair of Eheims.

How rude! this is a family forum Dave!

 

[2pods]

Dave,

What's the small tube with a switch coming from the top of the co2 reactor ?
Is it an air bleed ?

Peter

 

[Dave Spencer]

Dave,

What's the small tube with a switch coming from the top of the co2 reactor ?
Is it an air bleed ?

Peter

That is a small air release for priming the reactor. It will also allow the CO2 to be vented off if it starts to build up during operation. The filter outlet connects to the top of the reactor and is discharged out of the bottom and in to the tank. The CO2 is injected at the bottom of the reactor and bubbles up against the flow of the water.

I actually got my 12mm connectors this morning, so all I am waiting on now is the luminaire.

Dave.

 

[2pods]

Dave,

What's the small tube with a switch coming from the top of the co2 reactor ?
Is it an air bleed ?

Peter

That is a small air release for priming the reactor. It will also allow the CO2 to be vented off if it starts to build up during operation. The filter outlet connects to the top of the reactor and is discharged out of the bottom and in to the tank. The CO2 is injected at the bottom of the reactor and bubbles up against the flow of the water.

I actually got my 12mm connectors this morning, so all I am waiting on now is the luminaire.

Dave.

I'm going to have to get someone to give me lessons in setting this up when it comes (hint, hint )
That is, if it ever comes

Peter

 

[Dave Spencer]

Well I have finally got it planted this evening. No pics I`m afraid,(not that you are missing much at the moment). I am on 12 hour shifts at the moment and I am shattered.

Two pots of Tropica HC have been split up and planted, and are now merrily making their way back to the surface. CO2 is on and I am basically just waiting for the CO2 dropper to turn yellow before I go for a good night`s kip. I want the CO2 levels high for now to help promote plant growth.

I have used some mature filter media from my AquaEl filter on my 120l tank, and I have floated some Rotala stems, Hydrocotyle leucocephala and some duckweed.

Dave.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Well, first, don't think the eheim comment went unnoticed! Glad to hear some planting has been done. Although you may think there's not much to see, I look forward to a few pics! Always helpful to see how others plant their tanks at the beginning. --Sondra

 

[Gankutsuou]

how about trying a little more of a scatered theme on the smaller tank, eh?

 

[Dave Spencer]

Here are two pictures to show the CO2 hose connection to the needle valve. The first picture shows the collar that you thread the hose through.

The next picture shows the threaded collar screwed on th the needle valve.

The next picture is everything shoe horned in to the cabinet.

Here is a picture that hopefully shows how the filter connects to the reactor. The top connection is from the outlet of the filter in to the inlet of the reactor. The CO2 is injected at the bottom, against the flow of the water. The CO2 bubbles get held up as they rise up through the green mesh and dissolve in to the water.

Hope this is of some help. Of course had I known everybody got instructions with there systems I might not have bothered with all the photos. I guess it just me getting all the bad luck at the moment.

Dave.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Nice!

 

[blue acara]

Hope this is of some help. Of course had I known everybody got instructions with there systems I might not have bothered with all the photos. I guess it just me getting all the bad luck at the moment.

Dave.

Always good to see nice clear pics of how to setup. Mine came with instructions but were in German so weren't that helpful.
Is Aquamas sending you a new regulator?

 

[Guest_Dave Spencer_*]

Here are a few of my thoughts and actions to keep algae at bay during the early stages of this tank.

HC is going to be the primary plant, so I need a lot of other temporary fast growers at the start. What I have done is take about 50 pruned stems of Rotala rotundifolia from my 120l jungle tank and weigh them down in bunches, without actually planting them. I also have a Micranthemum umbrosum still in its Tropica pot, waiting to go in to my 24l cliff scape (journal coming very soon), and some Hydrocotyle leucocephala floating at the surface. These can then all be removed with minimum disturbance to the substrate and HC.I have also taken some mature filter media from the 120l and put in the Eheim for this tank. CO2 levels are being run off scale with the dropper being yellow 24/7.



Fertiliser wise, I am relying heavily on the ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia powder for the HC, with a lean water column being dosed with Ferka K and Tropica PN. My tap water comes with 10ppm nitrates and 1ppm phosphates, so I am hoping this will be sufficient for the HC, plus any other plant I introduce later. This will have to be modified for the time being because I am finding the temporary fast growers are sucking up the N and P to virtually zero levels in the water column. I am thinking that I will have to start EI on this tank for the period that the fast growers are in there.

Hopefully, possibly early next week, I will be able to show you how to tap off the CO2 line to your tank and feed it in to a second tank. This means I will be running my 60l Iwagumi and 24l off the one CO2 system, saving loadsa money.

Any thoughts on modifying or improving my fertiliser regime are welcome. I am still abeginner at all this myself.

Dave.