125 gallon build log - Page 21 - Aquarium Advice

**Purrbox** · 05-02-2008, 08:58 PM

Wonderful! Now I want both your camera and your aquarium!! LOL

Paty · 05-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Great pictures and amazing looking aquarium! I love it : )

marchmaxima · 05-03-2008, 07:01 PM

what joy said.

Glenc · 05-06-2008, 10:31 PM

Very, very nice. You are growing plants beautifully that I have tried many, many times that just won't grow for me. Great work!

pitt420dude · 05-09-2008, 12:33 PM

How many wpg are you at again, and how do you run them (hours? noon burst?)

neilanh · 05-09-2008, 02:03 PM

Interesting question.

I've got a total of 312 watts. But half of it is 50/50 bulbs. Some believe the actinic isn't beneficial, some think it is slightly - so depends on how you want to measure it. At 312 watts, that puts me at 2.5WPG. If you disclude the actinic, I'm at 234W which is 1.8WPG.

I run my lighting from 2-11PM. The first and last hour are at half power, so 2-3pm is half power, 3-10pm is full power, then 1/2 power again from 10-11pm.

This is why I'm so big on recommending the TEK T5HO fixtures. At the lighting level I'm at, I haven't found any plant I can't grow in this tank yet. Others I know with the TEK fixtures say the same thing.

pitt420dude · 05-09-2008, 11:40 PM

Ah ha! So it's not just CO2 that is "plant crack" but TEK HOT5's as well?

I have Catalina HOT5's. I bet TEK just has better reflectors eh?

neilanh · 05-09-2008, 11:42 PM

You saw the review Ingg did between the TEKs and the catalinas. I don't have any experience with the catalina's, but trust Dave with what he says. But yeah, I think it has a lot to do with the reflectors.

neilanh · 05-10-2008, 07:44 PM

Not much of an update. I've got some brush or stag algae coming back, not sure why. Trying to up the CO2 level a bit, but I think I've maxed out capacity on the diffuser I'm using, so I ordered a 2d one today.

In an attempt to move forward towards breaking down the 46 gallon community tank I have upstairs, I transferred a few more fish today - 5 rummynose tetras, 2 peppered cories, a regular oto and a rubberlip pleco. Everyone seems happy, especially the rummies. Their colors are much brighter after an hour in the tank than I've seen in months in the other tank. They're much more active too.

Also, I think I mentioned earlier that I had found fry in the 125 before I put any fish in the tank. We assumed eggs had come in from plants I got from Dave (Ingg). I got a quick pic of them. Crappy pic, but they're fast and don't stop. They're in my shrimp tank, and one of them is starting to get the blue shimmer praecox rainbows get high up on their back. There's 3 of them total.

mom2reds · 05-10-2008, 09:55 PM

nice pics I could not see the algea but the plants and tank look good

05-02-2008, 08:58 PM	#201
Purrbox Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Iowa USA Posts: 5,245	Wonderful! Now I want both your camera and your aquarium!! LOL __________________ ~Joy 10 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 5.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - 2.5 Gallon Planted Photo Log - Pico Planted Photo Log

05-03-2008, 07:01 PM	#203
marchmaxima Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 651	what joy said. __________________ Sharon : Melbourne, Australia 15G Freshwater Tank 4 x 2 x 2 FW Showpiece on the way

05-06-2008, 10:31 PM	#204
Glenc Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,068	Very, very nice. You are growing plants beautifully that I have tried many, many times that just won't grow for me. Great work! __________________ 125 gallon, Crypt green gecko, Crypt undulata "broad leaf" Lobelia cardinalis small and large form. H.corymbosa "compact" Crypt parva, Downoi, Bacopa. 2x 150 Wt 10000k HQI Metal Halide, 2x 65 Wt 6700k-Colourmax

05-09-2008, 12:33 PM	#205
pitt420dude Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pittsburgh! Home of the 5 Time Superbowl Champs! Posts: 949 Images: 11	How many wpg are you at again, and how do you run them (hours? noon burst?) __________________ Thank you so much for all your help. I'm now going green. LOOK! A NEW LEAF!!!!!

05-09-2008, 02:03 PM	#206
neilanh MTS Advocate Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 3,261 Images: 15	Interesting question. I've got a total of 312 watts. But half of it is 50/50 bulbs. Some believe the actinic isn't beneficial, some think it is slightly - so depends on how you want to measure it. At 312 watts, that puts me at 2.5WPG. If you disclude the actinic, I'm at 234W which is 1.8WPG. I run my lighting from 2-11PM. The first and last hour are at half power, so 2-3pm is half power, 3-10pm is full power, then 1/2 power again from 10-11pm. This is why I'm so big on recommending the TEK T5HO fixtures. At the lighting level I'm at, I haven't found any plant I can't grow in this tank yet. Others I know with the TEK fixtures say the same thing. __________________ ~Neilan In the DC Metro Area? Check out GWAPA and WAMAS Look, I have a My Info Page! Where's yours? Useful Links: Vote for AA, Nitrogen Cycle, Fishless Cycling, Articles, Acronym List

05-03-2008, 03:45 PM	#202
Paty Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 78	Great pictures and amazing looking aquarium! I love it : )

05-09-2008, 11:40 PM	#207
pitt420dude Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pittsburgh! Home of the 5 Time Superbowl Champs! Posts: 949 Images: 11	Ah ha! So it's not just CO2 that is "plant crack" but TEK HOT5's as well? I have Catalina HOT5's. I bet TEK just has better reflectors eh? __________________ Thank you so much for all your help. I'm now going green. LOOK! A NEW LEAF!!!!!

05-09-2008, 11:42 PM	#208
neilanh MTS Advocate Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 3,261 Images: 15	You saw the review Ingg did between the TEKs and the catalinas. I don't have any experience with the catalina's, but trust Dave with what he says. But yeah, I think it has a lot to do with the reflectors. __________________ ~Neilan In the DC Metro Area? Check out GWAPA and WAMAS Look, I have a My Info Page! Where's yours? Useful Links: Vote for AA, Nitrogen Cycle, Fishless Cycling, Articles, Acronym List

05-10-2008, 07:44 PM	#209
neilanh MTS Advocate Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 3,261 Images: 15	Not much of an update. I've got some brush or stag algae coming back, not sure why. Trying to up the CO2 level a bit, but I think I've maxed out capacity on the diffuser I'm using, so I ordered a 2d one today. In an attempt to move forward towards breaking down the 46 gallon community tank I have upstairs, I transferred a few more fish today - 5 rummynose tetras, 2 peppered cories, a regular oto and a rubberlip pleco. Everyone seems happy, especially the rummies. Their colors are much brighter after an hour in the tank than I've seen in months in the other tank. They're much more active too. Also, I think I mentioned earlier that I had found fry in the 125 before I put any fish in the tank. We assumed eggs had come in from plants I got from Dave (Ingg). I got a quick pic of them. Crappy pic, but they're fast and don't stop. They're in my shrimp tank, and one of them is starting to get the blue shimmer praecox rainbows get high up on their back. There's 3 of them total. __________________ ~Neilan In the DC Metro Area? Check out GWAPA and WAMAS Look, I have a My Info Page! Where's yours? Useful Links: Vote for AA, Nitrogen Cycle, Fishless Cycling, Articles, Acronym List

05-10-2008, 09:55 PM	#210
mom2reds Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lubbock texas Posts: 759 Images: 14	nice pics I could not see the algea but the plants and tank look good __________________ Tess 100 gal. freshwater planted community tank VOTE FOR AA TODAY

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