Record 70 Mid-teck Planted Tank...

[Castellop123]

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[RadaR]

Plan sounds good. You know what you are doing.
Look forward to it's development.

 

[mlawson]

Sounds good, looks like you have it all planned out. All the plants you listed don't need high light or CO2 so it should be fine (I know you know that!), your tank is quite a lot like what my 70 litre is going to be plant wise, but it will be low-level Brackish. If you get any plantlets from the narrow leaf Java fern then give them to me!

Have you thought about Hygro Corymbosa? They're quite nice too, and could provide some contrast.

Thought about fish yet? Knowing you it would probably be South American Cichlids. You could have dither fish in too.

If you upgrade filters, what are you thinking about getting? Tetratec, Ehiem?

I think thats about it... I think I will dose with Seachem flourish Excel and I will, around 2 - 3 times per week, dose with MonoPotassium Phosphate... I will use mostly rainwater and a small amount of hard tap water so that the water chemistry is Ph 6.8, Nitrite and Ammonia 0, nitrate 0.8 and Phosphate low (can't remember precise amount...)

You have pretty low nitrates and phosphates so perhaps you should use EI, Tom Barr said if you are using Excel as a source of carbon then you add the Pottasium nitrate, Mono potassium phosphate and trace elements mix at approximately 1/2 or 1/3 dosage, if I were you I would use EI, since you have everything needed.

I'm just wondering how did you get a nitrate reading of 0.8?, I've never seen a test kit so accurate, infact most good test kits are normally a fe ppms out, but 0.8 is so precise, what test kit do you have?

So far it sounds great, can't wait to see it setup, and maybe see it for real if I go round your house.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Castellop123]

Cheers...

 

[mlawson]

Hey Corin, you can still use EI with high nitrates and phosphates, thats what the 50% weekly water changes are for

Mike

 

[Dave Spencer]

Corin,

With a thriving and heavily planted tank (which I assume to be your aim), you may find nitrates at 8ppm to not be particularly high. I was hoping that 10ppm from my tap water in my new Iwagumi would support the temporary weeds I have in there, but once they settled in and started pearling the nitrates were being stripped out to near zero levels, causing deficiencies from which the tank is suffering and and now starting to recover from.

Keep an eye on things, bearing in mind that you might need to start adding nitrates. As Mike says, the weekly 50% water change will reset your tank.

Dave.

 

[Castellop123]

/.

 

[mlawson]

Hey Corin, any updates with this tank? New ideas, equipment etc?

Mike

 

[Castellop123]

I/.,

 

[mlawson]

What about the one I'll be getting that I told you off E-bay? It's £60, I don't have enough money at the moment for ti, but I should be getting it soon.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Castellop123]

...

 

[mlawson]

This is going to be great when it's setup, £130 isn't too bad for what is surely to be a great tank. I got my Nutrafin CO2 kit from Wharf, it seemed to be the cheapest place online. Wow 50 stems of Hygro, should be brill. What mosses are you getting? I could give you a few cuttings of X-mas moss, willow moss, flame moss and Java moss, although I haven't got much Java and flame moss to spare.

Looking forward to this setup

Mike

 

[cheesy feet]

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nutrafin-CO2-Natural...1QQcmdZViewItem
9 mins quick!
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/NUTRAFIN-CO2-AQUATIC...1QQcmdZViewItem
Good old ebay

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nutrafin-CO2-Carbon-...VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[Castellop123]

iyo

 

[Castellop123]

Tiny Update:

Light unit has come and so has the CO2 - Now I only have to get plants and decor, which should be soon (maybe tonight!)

Cheers...