Delapool's 150 gallon tank

[Delapool]

I think I had seen it way back around the time I mentioned it on here, and it was around half price around $100-115 (maybe a sale probably over - don't know). Hmmmm?! Good to know!

I should mention that was Australian dollars. You could probably halve that at least.

I thought about it as a club buy perhaps but it's not quite as simple as the apogee mq200 par meter.

Into winter here. After today's water change on had both heaters click on for a bit. Good to know they still work.

 

[Delapool]

I think the tetras have more colour to them but not sure if the photos agree? They are way more active - stealing food from the angelfish and getting around the tank quite a bit.

A meeting of minds -

 

[shellyx]

Great pictures, love the color of the tetras that's the first time I've seen them look so good, usually at the lfs they look seriously washed out. And love the bristlenose ?

55 gallon elephant nose tank.
30 gallon borara merah and brigittae, shrimp and snails

 

[Delapool]

Thanks! I think I'm lucky that I got them through a local member here. Good size to them which I think helps. I thought I might as well try full-grown large tetras.

 

[Autumnsky]

As a fyi, the Seneye on a popular website is 199. web server and wifi are 250.!!! American $. (I thought the tag in the store said 50% off!)

Wowsie.

Anyway. Yes agree with shellyX. That is a gorgeous pic and group of Tetras. Makes me happy to see the fish which normally never see with color, looking so beautiful.

 

[Delapool]

Yikes, that is a bit. Thought it would be much less

A test slide for the ammonia and ph meter lasts a month so an ongoing cost as well but I got it for the par meter so not too worried.

I'll have to pass the compliments back to the previous owner too.

In other news I managed to get a bit of BBA that had to be hit with peroxide. And more green algae on the glass than normal.

Red alt looks to be growing, val is taking over centre so fingers crossed on the pogo on the left.

 

[Delapool]

The new bulbs went into the quad-t5ho and wow, are they making a difference. The old bulbs were 8 months old. Swapped to the same set of bubs (2 x grolux & 2 x 12000K).

The Seneye light meter needs an algae clean but both readings of the old and new bulbs were taken tonight with everything else the same. New lights have a much higher PAR output. Also my impression is that yes, there is a spectrum shift but it looks to me like the largest loss in PAR output is in the reds and blues, while the greens don't seem to show as much shift.

Old lights (For reference, the grey/white line is the lights; thick coloured line is I assume plant preference and I also assume the thin, coloured dashed line is what the human eye can see)

New Lights

Last thought is I'm going to need to find a source of cheap, good quality bulbs

 

[Caliban07]

This is interesting but also worrying. I read that old bulbs can encourage cyano (which I'm still dealing with) there was no evidence to bring any truth to the claim but still.

At the moment, more par is probably not what my tank needs.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Delapool]

This is interesting but also worrying. I read that old bulbs can encourage cyano (which I'm still dealing with) there was no evidence to bring any truth to the claim but still.

At the moment, more par is probably not what my tank needs.

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

I thought that was really amazing. I know people have looked at this before but the change in light intensity was very 'visible'.

Also I had assumed spectrum shift was blues becoming more like reds which I thought would be great but it's more like a decay of reds/blues spectrum perhaps.

I see what you mean in the BGA. It's possible I guess. The guy at the lfs did say to only change half the bulbs at a time so I guess this is quite a problem.

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2006/07/blue-green-algae-in-aquariums.html?m=1

Wish I had tested if the blues or red bulbs were fading more but clean forgot and old bulbs in bin now.

 

[Delapool]

Before I forget.

I'm going back to looking at LEDs but I will confess there is so little algae in this tank it is just about worth the cost of buying bulbs. Just doing it every 6 months is a little painful...

 

[Delapool]

Minor problem. The val is starting to take over the tank and I'm not quite sure how to prune it? Will probably just cut off the leaves very close to the gravel where I want to discourage it.


It started off behind the plane ornament, grew through the centre and is now on a straight line for the ferts cupboard...

 

[Fresh2o]

Can you just trim/remove the runners?
I've trimmed Crystal River Vals when they got to the surface.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Autumnsky]

The other option is to use a shorter /dwarf Val in that spot and move the long one to the rear. Just a thought to help minimize extra work of trimming all the time, as it is just growing as it should.

 

[Delapool]

Thanks for the replies. I think I cut out one runner today. Bit hard to tell. I didn't want to mess up the nearby plants. Dwarf val would be a nice option. I'll check out the fish shop again soon as the pogo is getting eaten out I think.

 

[Autumnsky]

Dwarf Saggitaria is great too. The Difference is the Sag is more round shaped coming off the nodule similar to the shape of an onion above the bulb, and the Val is more strappy or coming strait out flatter. Kinda hard to describe. But both are similar height 4-6 inches. Depends on variety and lighting.

 

[Delapool]

Thanks, I'll hunt around for that. Next weekend I'll try deeper pruning as another runner has popped up further along. Got me worried. Bah, plants - I can give them up any day. I'm either trying to make them grow faster or pruning them back as growing too much...

In other news I thought the second CO2 bottle would never get used, (was a bit expensive), but missed getting to the shops yesterday for exchange and they aren't open today. So it will be a week at least. Under high light the plants really suffered. I don't think this will be such an issue with present lighting but I think all up I'm glad I have the second bottle now.

 

[Delapool]

Val is still going strong. Pogo not so well. Will have to prune the val this weekend again. The runner I cut out has resurfaced and sent out another one which has an inch of growth ?

 

[Delapool]

Somewhat busy day. The perspex cover had a bow in it so I thought I'd straighten it out. Result was I snapped it, (old I guess), and had to cut another to size from the hardware store. Also replaced the larger CO2 bottle so stocked up there again. Will leave the smaller one on for a bit.

Pretty rainy day to go to stores.

All the relatives thought the tank looked good so I didn't mention the mid-week clean

Got rid of some val, re-planted some other plants that escaped and generally tidied up tank. Ran out of time to make it to the fish store for filter sponge so maybe next week.

Cleaned out the small tank as well which had some weird sort of algae on it. Sadly the snail wouldn't touch it or couldn't get to it as it was on the filter pump. Cleaned rest of filter pump and working much better now. (The filter pump is part of the hob filter but sits submerged as part of the inlet pipe.)

 

[shellyx]

Really like your set up! And your fish look so healthy, I'm really liking your congos ☺

55 gallon elephant nose tank.
30 gallon borara merah and brigittae, shrimp and snails

 

[Delapool]

Thanks! They still have great colour to them. My sister and I agreed the tank is over-stocked now so might have to clean a little more often. It's mainly chewed on plant debris I think. Oh well, at least they are getting their 'greens'.