Echinodorus Tank (The End)

[mishmash]

Looking fantastic. Drooling over your tank. Set mine up last week and already i'm swamped in algae, definately havn't got the knack for getting the balance right in larger tanks.

Ian, are you using a solenoid + regulator on this tank, or just a regulator? I'm getting REALLY inconsistent CO2 in my tank atm. I turn it on in the morning (yet to buy another timer) and it can be running at 1bps roughly, then just before i turn it off about 7pm it is running the same. Then the next morning i turn it on again and it may be about 1 bubble every 3 seconds. Infuriating.

Hi mate. Just a thought. I used to get water coming back up the CO2 tube towards my bubble counter. I consequently found that it took a while for the CO2 to push the water back before it started flowing at full rate. Are you having the same problem because if you are, you can rectify it by putting a check valve (non return valve) close to your diffuser. For a couple of quid it is worth a try. You can buy solenoids for about 20 quid and they are well worth having.

(sorry to butt in on your thread Ian)

 

[ian]

heres a couple of pics of the new leaves on the main Echinodorus (tricolour), the colours are quite stunning, the are really pink when you catch them at certain angles. There is only a couple of old leaves left now. This is a really nice looking plant.


tric3 by Ian Holdich, on Flickr


tric4 by Ian Holdich, on Flickr

 

[Biulu]

Very nice pictures Ian! What is the animal on the underside of the leaf in the 2nd picture? It looks like a cockroach but cannot imagine it is one...

 

[ian]

lol cheers Lu, it's a pregnant amano, she's massive!

 

[Verminator89]

Looking fantastic. Drooling over your tank. Set mine up last week and already i'm swamped in algae, definately havn't got the knack for getting the balance right in larger tanks.

Ian, are you using a solenoid + regulator on this tank, or just a regulator? I'm getting REALLY inconsistent CO2 in my tank atm. I turn it on in the morning (yet to buy another timer) and it can be running at 1bps roughly, then just before i turn it off about 7pm it is running the same. Then the next morning i turn it on again and it may be about 1 bubble every 3 seconds. Infuriating.

Hi mate. Just a thought. I used to get water coming back up the CO2 tube towards my bubble counter. I consequently found that it took a while for the CO2 to push the water back before it started flowing at full rate. Are you having the same problem because if you are, you can rectify it by putting a check valve (non return valve) close to your diffuser. For a couple of quid it is worth a try. You can buy solenoids for about 20 quid and they are well worth having.

(sorry to butt in on your thread Ian)

I'll try this mishmash. I do have a check valve in, but its the first thing after the FE cannister, so it might be worthwhile putting it closer to the diffuser.

And Ian, its a crappy reg and solenoid from Singapore, well its good, but its cheaper than buying one from UK and Europe for what is basically the same equipment. The diffuser is off of AquaEssentials, some large fandangled corkscrew design. Looks amazing when its working as you see the beads of CO2 spiraling up it toward the diffusion pad. The algae is thread algae, and slime algae. I've cut down on the level of ferts i'm adding as i think it may have been OTT for current level of growth. The growth is good, Egeria Densa is growing so darn quick, and its huge. New leaves are twice the size of the ones on the plant when it came from TheGreenMachine. The tank doesnt get direct sunlight, but i really think the conservatory in the next room is directing alot of sunlight straight to the centre of the tank as this is where tyhe sunlight is on the tank, and where the algae is growing in it.

BTW ian, yours this tank of yours is lookin plush, goes without saying really

 

[ian]

thanks James!

well, look what i came home to find today.

 

[Biulu]

Congratulations Ian! I can't remember you having a cave of some sort in there.... Do you actually know where the eggs were laid?

 

[ian]

she laid them on a rock right at the back i presume, she spent a lot of time around there. Lets see if she can raise them properly.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Thats really great.

 

[Biulu]

Yeah, that would be nice! You don't have many predator fish in there, so it should be a relatively easy job...

 

[ian]

@ Fishfanatic, thank you for the comment.

@ Lu, The tetras keep taking a look down where the fry are, but they soon get chased off.

 

[Biulu]

That is a very good sign!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Congrats dude, love that sword to, and good camera work there

 

[ian]

thanks Steve!!

heres a quick pic of the White Skirt Tetras, they are a hard fish to get a decent pic of so you can appreciate them in the tank.


whiteskirt1 by Ian Holdich, on Flickr

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Nice, bet that took a few shots to get a decent one, I have that trouble with my badis, never sits still.