When the sleeper wakes...

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Look up 'Marimo moss balls'

EDIT: Plants and animals in bold text.

 

[FishHobby99]

No to the styrofoam. If that was there, the balls would float!
They're actually balls of an algae, not moss.
'More for decoration' shows that the pet shop owner doesn't understand the benefits if plants in a tank...
They produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
They consume tank waste products and assist in the cycling process.
They provide surfaces for beneficial bacteria to grow on.
Shrimp and some fish like to nibble on them.

He was actually the owner’s grandson. Nice kid. Maybe someday he will be the owner.

Just added Seachem’s Flourish to my dedicated plant tank; will transplant later in fish tanks. Occurred to me poor things in there with no fish poop etc. Do have LED light

 

[alistairw]

Hi Bruce,
I have just come back to this forum after a long hiatus. I have still been running my tank, but my kids have renewed my enthusiasm and I have some big changes planned.
reading your journal has been very inspirational and I am reading with great interest!
I am a fellow Cumbrian, albeit living “darn sarf” in Hemel Hempstead now. I grew up in Wetheral near Carlisle in the 90’s and used to work in the old Forte Posthouse (now Holiday Inn) to the north of Carlisle by the M6.
I can’t believe there aren’t more LFS nearby. I seemed spoilt down here with the flagship Maidenhead Aquatics at St Albans (I wonder why it’s not in Maidenhead), Burnaston Fisheries and a Wod of Water all within 5 miles, as well as various Pets at Home.

I will continue to read with interest and may even make a journal of my own for the changes I make (installing a 3D background once I have thought about the logistics of locating the inlet/outlet of my external pump, new substrate and more plants).
Al.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Hi Bruce,
I have just come back to this forum after a long hiatus. I have still been running my tank, but my kids have renewed my enthusiasm and I have some big changes planned.
reading your journal has been very inspirational and I am reading with great interest!
I am a fellow Cumbrian, albeit living “darn sarf” in Hemel Hempstead now. I grew up in Wetheral near Carlisle in the 90’s and used to work in the old Forte Posthouse (now Holiday Inn) to the north of Carlisle by the M6.
I can’t believe there aren’t more LFS nearby. I seemed spoilt down here with the flagship Maidenhead Aquatics at St Albans (I wonder why it’s not in Maidenhead), Burnaston Fisheries and a Wod of Water all within 5 miles, as well as various Pets at Home.

I will continue to read with interest and may even make a journal of my own for the changes I make (installing a 3D background once I have thought about the logistics of locating the inlet/outlet of my external pump, new substrate and more plants).
Al.

Thank you.
Since returning to the hobby, I was quite dismayed by the large number of closed fish shops. I moved to Cumbria back in '96 and had access to 7 shops, with the furthest being up the motorway, just under an hour's drive away, but most within less than half an hour. At the time I moved, I felt really hard done by, having moved from Baildon, West Yorks., where there were a couple of dozen excellent shops. I suspect strongly that, back in the day, equipment was the big earner for those shops and, with the advent of Thinternet shopping, that source of monies dried up.

Back to Tank No.2
Only one of the snails, a Zebra, is visible this morning, although in one part of the tank, there's a distinct trail of small droppings. (One of the 'benefits' of a sandy bottom, I'd led to believe!)
I was aware that my tank is relatively algae free at the moment, so left a couple of algae wagers in, overnight. There'll also be some bacteria they'll be munching on, plus the wood.
Time to get the chemistry set out...

 

[FishHobby99]

I've been away from the hobby for 13 years and am now able to begin again with a tropical freshwater community tank.
This will be my 'blog', with special mention to things changed for me within this hobby of ours.

When I closed down my last tank, my fish, (bless their little socks), were donated to a good fish shop, to live in a display tank.
The plants went to a compost heap.
Everything else, including rocks, gravel, tank and equipment, went into storage.
Whilst the gravel was rinsed, it wasn't sterilised, although everything else was.

My tank is 30" x 12" x 15.
Just prior to storing everything, a lot of my equipment had been upgraded, so starting anew meant that I didn't need to spend loads on a new pump, aerator of heator. I did, however, need new lighting.

I filled the tank up outside, just to check it hadn't acquired any leaks. It hadn't. It got emptied and located in its new home.
Setting the tank up, the gravel was only rinsed and I suspected that, having been left in aerobic conditions and un-frozen, there may well be an existing bacterial culture amongst the rounded gravel stones. Likewise, my filter sponges were not new.

My larger stones were added and the gravel used to create different layers.
I then filled two thirds of the tank with water, having treated this with Interpet Bioactive tapsafe plus.
The equipment was tested and worked and was switched on.
Juwel EcoFlow 1000 pump.
Eheim 400 Air Pump.
12" Interpet heater.

Heat set to 27 degrees C.

I then realised that all of my medications and test kits were all probably out of date, so off I pootled to stock up on Test Kits and bought some plants. Not a huge range to choose from, unfortunately, but sufficient for now.

Amazons Swords.
Alternanthera rosaefolia
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Java Moss
Java Fern.

Some of these were attached to pieces of my old bogwood, others were seperated from their respective bunches, into single plants and distributed around the tank.

Certainly, the general knowlwedge base about cycling seems to have finally reached the mainstream and potentially useful products are certainly more accessible than they used to be.
Happy days.

Lighting.
Prior to closing my last tank down, I'd acquired some LED tubes, to replace my fluorescent tube starter unit, which had finally bitten the dust after 7 years hard labour. Each of these tubes were bright enough, but each had its own plug and switch and I envisaged having to use a timer and a multisocket arrangement.
However, LEDs have certainly and significantly advanced over the last decade and so I did my research and treated myself to a Fluval Aquasky 2.0, with Bluetooth. This was set to the 'Plant Boost' pre-setting.

The tank was then left to run for 3 days, before I took my first chemistry class, using both liquid testing and test strips.

Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0.5
pH 7.5
KH 40
GH 120
Ammonia 1.0

Looking like the organic matter in the gravel might be doing something useful.
I'd also discovered the 'friendly' bottled bacteria and thought I'd try the Microbe-Lift 'Special Blend' and Nite-Out II now adding these to the water, happy that they'd have some ammonia to munch on.

I'll now leave it a week...

I’m enjoying York your Jounal/posts. Thanks, Bruce! You make this forum a better place.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Water readings are currently) exactly the same as my other tank.
Does this mean that it's cycled? Don't be silly!

Last time I measured the water;
Ammonia at 0.
GH 60mg/L
KH 40mg/L
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 0mg/L
NO3 Nitrate <2.5mg/L
Temperature 26°C

NOTE that some would've had me add fish!

Today;
Ammonia at 0.25.
GH 60mg/L
KH 40mg/L
pH 7.0
NO2 Nitrite 1.0mg/L
NO3 Nitrate 10.0mg/L
Temperature 26°C

So where did that ammonia, nitrite and nitrate come from? The snails?
Some of it, may be.
I found three wriggling insect larvae at the bottom of the tank, probably 'midge', 'cos there were also dead midge in the water.
Remember, my wood had been soaking outside for a while.
Decaying organic matter makes its 'contribution'.

I'll leave the added Microbe-Lift bacteria to do it's stuff, alongside that included to my filter, having added a piece of filter media from my established tank, especially added to that tank awhile back.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I note that two of the algae wafers I dumped into the tank are still there.
Some fishkeepers add fish food to their new tanks, whilst others add ammonias.
Did a three bucket/24l water change.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

When servicing it, getting the top off is flamin' hard work. Pulling the powerhead off is easy peasy...but its like breaking into Fort Knox trying to get into the container without breaking your fingers. They are NOT filters for those with long fingernails

I took some advice and noted this.
So when I added some media from my established tank, I used those handy opposable thumbs;

That was that snail poop I mentioned earlier, (that other muck on the moss balls is sand dust, kicked up from some planting work);

There's life, Jim ...

 

[Deleted member 149562]

On one of my Hex aquariums I am trying out a version of a moving bed inside one of the Turbo's to see how it goes.

Instead of using generic media, I have got phosphate, ammonia and carbon treatment mats that I have cut into 1cm squares and placed 8 of each inside the can ontop of the ceramic layer and underneath some floss. Just enough of each mat to be effective but not too much that would drop the flow or get clogged quickly. Been watching its performance and testing the water periodically and its actually better than with normal tight fitting media bags or sponges, the small pieces of media move around in the flow nicely so aren't being bunged up with the fish poo etc and can be rinsed out easily when maintaining as well. I may well change the other 4 filters to the same set up.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

On one of my Hex aquariums I am trying out a version of a moving bed inside one of the Turbo's to see how it goes.

Instead of using generic media, I have got phosphate, ammonia and carbon treatment mats that I have cut into 1cm squares and placed 8 of each inside the can ontop of the ceramic layer and underneath some floss. Just enough of each mat to be effective but not too much that would drop the flow or get clogged quickly. Been watching its performance and testing the water periodically and its actually better than with normal tight fitting media bags or sponges, the small pieces of media move around in the flow nicely so aren't being bunged up with the fish poo etc and can be rinsed out easily when maintaining as well. I may well change the other 4 filters to the same set up.

I believe @AbbeysDad has added a good article on his own filter approach.

 

[FishHobby99]

I note that two of the algae wafers I dumped into the tank are still there.
Some fishkeepers add fish food to their new tanks, whilst others add ammonias.
Did a three bucket/24l water change.

Of all the foods I’ve tried, my fish seem to dislike these wafers the most. inadvertently ordered 2 large bags. Vacuumed deteriorated ones from tank bottoms today. Considering walking to creek & tossing to the critters.

 

[FishHobby99]

I believe @AbbeysDad has added a good article on his own filter approach.

He has a terrific blog.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

View attachment 142785

Just discovered that those threads looking very much like spider webs are down to this;

 

[FishHobby99]

think i can ID the guy who spun it
🕷🕸🕷

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

think i can ID the guy who spun it
🕷🕸🕷

I'm wondering at what point it'll realise that the air is more than just a little 'thick'! I don't think that this is a true aquatic spider, as it hasn't been accumulating a bubble of air. What was amazing was that it had managed to lay webs between plants.