epiphysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Looks good!
What are you using for filtration and CO2?
What are you using for filtration and CO2?
23L Planted Tank
- Thread starter Basefrog
- Start date
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Coleallensmom
Planted Tank Enthusiast
Love it! Very simplistic..will look great once everything fills in!
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
I am using the 'Fluval Edge' HOB filter that comes with it.. And for CO2 I have a homemade system that cost me like £5 ($7ish) to make, that i will be installing tomorrow.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
May I just add the HC is actually pearling without CO2 atm. Though that might be because I have just planted them. Thank Coleallensmom!
epiphysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
You say you just got the plants, so it might still be living of reserve that it got from the shop or distributer's tanks. They will soon require more.
To be really succesfull with a nano-tank you need CO2 and ferts. There is no way the plants will get enough from just 1 or 2 fish.
To be really succesfull with a nano-tank you need CO2 and ferts. There is no way the plants will get enough from just 1 or 2 fish.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yeah I gathered that which is why I shall be adding CO2 tomorrow. Thanks for the tip =D
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
What kind of substrate do you have going in there? Gravel on sand or some other layered setup?
Just an observation, but I think the HC bush over to the side is going to be wanting for light. It looks like it's outside the emanation from the new bulbs by quite a bit. Is that what it's actually like or does it just look like that in the picture?
Just an observation, but I think the HC bush over to the side is going to be wanting for light. It looks like it's outside the emanation from the new bulbs by quite a bit. Is that what it's actually like or does it just look like that in the picture?
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Sand on 'AquaBasisPlus' substrate.
And the new bulbs have not come in the post yet, though they have been dispatched. So hopefully they shall come in the next few days. Though you are right that corner is a little dark. When I have replaced the bulbs and if it is still dark I will have to have a move about.
And the new bulbs have not come in the post yet, though they have been dispatched. So hopefully they shall come in the next few days. Though you are right that corner is a little dark. When I have replaced the bulbs and if it is still dark I will have to have a move about.
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ah. I assumed you had the new lights because your older pictures looked much darker than some of the new ones.
Have you considered breaking the HC bunches up into little clusters? They might grow better like that
Have you considered breaking the HC bunches up into little clusters? They might grow better like that
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
To be honest the flash was on when I took this on and I had a desk light on.
I did try breaking the HC up more but it felt like i was damaging the roots because it was grown quite compact.
I did try breaking the HC up more but it felt like i was damaging the roots because it was grown quite compact.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Just installed the homemade CO2 system, with a wooden chopstick diffuser at the end. Will post some pictures up tomorrow after it has been running for a little while and is producing CO2.
Lights have not yet arrived, though i'm confident the should come on monday (Typical English post).
Also ordered some LED strip (tape) lights to put around the edge to provide ample lighting to the dark corners!
Link below:
LED strip lights - Cool white 6000k
Lights have not yet arrived, though i'm confident the should come on monday (Typical English post).
Also ordered some LED strip (tape) lights to put around the edge to provide ample lighting to the dark corners!
Link below:
LED strip lights - Cool white 6000k
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
So here are some pictures of the DIY CO2 system I have..
Bottle:
- 2L
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1/2 ts of baking power
- 1/2 ts of baking yeast ( Plus a little more for good luck
)
Bubble Counter:
- An old 'bath salt' tube thing my sister had >.<
- Half full of water
- One end of 'blue' tube submersed (to see bubbles)
Diffuser:
- About 2cm/1 inch of a wooden chopstick
- I whittled it down to the outside diameter of the tube (so it was still too big to fit in)
- Then I boiled the end of the tube for a few seconds so that it was more stretchy/flexible
- then I slowly managed to squeeze the chopstick into the end
- This enables a snug fit and makes sure no CO2 can leak
Bottle:
- 2L
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1/2 ts of baking power
- 1/2 ts of baking yeast ( Plus a little more for good luck
)Bubble Counter:
- An old 'bath salt' tube thing my sister had >.<
- Half full of water
- One end of 'blue' tube submersed (to see bubbles)
Diffuser:
- About 2cm/1 inch of a wooden chopstick
- I whittled it down to the outside diameter of the tube (so it was still too big to fit in)
- Then I boiled the end of the tube for a few seconds so that it was more stretchy/flexible
- then I slowly managed to squeeze the chopstick into the end
- This enables a snug fit and makes sure no CO2 can leak
Attachments
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Sadly no lights came today. However my heater did! So I have just installed that.
epiphysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Tank really looks good. Can't wait to get mine going now.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
You say that while the plants are still alive! Haha.
I don't know whether to use ferts or not? If so what ones that will not effect the shrimp when I get them?
I don't know whether to use ferts or not? If so what ones that will not effect the shrimp when I get them?
epiphysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
When it comes to macro nutrients I'm a firm believer in dry ferts. For my 30gal I used KNO3 (saltpeter), KCl (No-Salt) and lenolax (fleet-enema, sodium phosphate). All you get from your local pharmacy and my 500ml mixture I've been using for 3 months now and its not even halfway through the bottle. I've got a thread about how I use it. But that's more trial-and-error through EI methods.
As for micro ferts try Seachem Flourish. Only hear good things about it.
As for micro ferts try Seachem Flourish. Only hear good things about it.
epiphysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
And regarding the shrimp, unfortunately I can't give an opinion since shrimps are blacklisted over here. But the plants will use the ferts up so fast with lights and CO2 driving them, I don't see any problem with it.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ok that great thanks. I shall read into that some more.
OP
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Basefrog
Aquarium Advice Freak
LED strip lights have come today! Took a while for me to workout how to wire them up they they are here never the less.. I shall wire them up properly tomorrow as I have a Biology exam tomorrow morning and best to some last minute revision
Also ordered some 'Seachem Flourish' today so all is fitting into place!
Also ordered some 'Seachem Flourish' today so all is fitting into place!
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Funds permitting, it's also a good idea to have a bottle of excel around. You never know when you might have an issue with algae, and that stuff kicks it like nothing else can.
