10G with custom lighting - Photo Log

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Water Test

I did a water test and this is interesting, PH went up from 7.5 to 8.0

PH 8.0
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 0.0

Additionally, I found a website that replaces the WPG rule for updated higher intensity lights.
The new calculations are based on lumens/Sq inch. (depth is assumed under 24")
It calculated that a 10 gallon tank with CFL's requires the following:

Compact Fluorescent 56WVeryHigh 43WHigh 28WModerate 14WLow
Here is the link to the site http://woo.gotdns.com/Aquarium/Lighting.htm
 
I did a water test and this is interesting, PH went up from 7.5 to 8.0

It calculated that a 10 gallon tank with CFL's requires the following:

Compact Fluorescent 56WVeryHigh 43WHigh 28WModerate 14WLow
Here is the link to the site New Lights?

The PH is the same as mine, have you tried letting a cup of tap water sit out for 24hrs, then testing the PH? It will likely read 8.0 as that is your normalized PH, you just get a "false" reading straight from the tap b/c of co2 in the water.

Also keep in mind that those wattages are for tube lights, spiral/pigtail screw in bulbs are less efficient at getting light into the tank/plants due to losing much light to restrike. But i have been having OK success with 2x13w spirals. With 2x20w my nitrates dropped to 0 and caused algae. Now that I have ferts I may go back to the 2x20w bulbs.
 
I think I will try some ferts and excel. What should I look for in ferts?
Those Wattage's were for CFL's (which are 135% the light intensity of T12's)
 
The wattage that they talk about"135%" better is for PC not screw in bulbs.
This is a PC bulb, its like a T5bulb:
Aquarium Lighting: Current Compact Fluorescent Square Pin Bulbs

Thats what I was trying to tell you. Screw in bulbs are only like 800 lumens for 13w. So you have ~1600 lumens its low light. I have the same in my 10G, IMO its basically the same as the stock 15w T8 due to the restrick and lack of a reflector.

For ferts you need N,P,K and micros. you need them all but if your fully stocked you wont have to dose much at all.
 
i re did the lighting in my tank, and yeah, the 14w ones i got were only 900ish lumens...its still decent light, but its not in the super bright range by any means. i used polished aluminum for a shroud/baffle/whatever you want to call it on my lights, works quite well. i am also using the pool filter sand in my ten gallon, takes a long time to get clear...took several days. there is some sort of poly fiber filter material i picked up at a petco in a huge bag a year or so ago...that stuff works awsome for cleaning the small particles out of the water.
 
I trimmed the plants. they were growing really fast.
I have what appears to be a Diatom outbreak. The Guppies are eating the diatoms (although not nearly as fast as they reproduce).
I had some really high ammonia readings throughout last week. they have dropped significantly to below .25
PH 7.2
Ammonia <0.25
Nitrites 1.0
Nitrates 5.0

Here's a photo.

091508%20%28Small%29.JPG
 
Here is an updated photo.
I just added the FLC and it still has some large leaves from when it was grown emerged.

100308%20%28Small%29.JPG
 
Some more photos. - Sorry that my camera is so bad under the new ligting I have in the aquarium. (2x 23W Spiral CFL)
Over the past weeks I have added 10 Celestial Pearl Danios (AKA Galaxy rasboras).
one interesting point is that the CPDs would not school until I added the last 4.
I have 4 Pygmy Corydoras and 1 Otocinclus.

The newest plants are FLC, Baby Tears, and Riccia

They are all too small and skittish to appear on camera at this time though.

FTS
100408FTS%20%28Small%29.JPG

Left
100408Left%20%28Small%29.JPG

Right
100408Right%20%28Small%29.JPG

Closeup
100408center%20%28Small%29.JPG
 
Thank you, I think it will look great when it fills in.
I hope the tannin clears up now that I boiled the wood.
 
Here is a new shot of the tank at a slight angle.
I hope to get a new camera soon so just one shot today since the bad quality is really starting to bug me.

110608FTS.JPG
 
OK. So I lied, here are some more.
I have really cool photo of my 4 Corys sitting on top of an Anubia leaf. This is their favorite hang out spot. I have grown to really love these little guys, and last week I noticed there was a baby in the tank which hatched and grew without my intervention.
Late last week he got big enough to see a stripe along his side. Now he definitely looks like a small Cory.
Anyway, here are the photos

110608FTS2%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Left%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Right%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Pygmys_on_Anubia%20%28Small%29.JPG
 
OK. So I lied, here are some more.
I have really cool photo of my 4 Corys sitting on top of an Anubia leaf. This is their favorite hang out spot. I have grown to really love these little guys, and last week I noticed there was a baby in the tank which hatched and grew without my intervention.
Late last week he got big enough to see a stripe along his side. Now he definitely looks like a small Cory.
Anyway, here are the photos

110608FTS2%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Left%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Right%20%28Small%29.JPG


110608Pygmys_on_Anubia%20%28Small%29.JPG
i love that reddish purply plant. what is it?
 
The Red foreground plant is a Rubra Water Lily - Nymphaea sp. 'rubra'
It's a bulb plant that grows pretty fast in my tank.
The red does not show very well in the picture.
 
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