phin
Aquarium Advice FINatic
But not new to tropical fish keeping. I currently have two tanks, a Mbuna cichlid tank and a planted tank.
TANK 1: 44 gallon corner pentagon Mbuna tank
Established 5 months
livestock:
10 saulosi ciclids
1 yellow lab
1 bumblebee cichlid
1EB johanni
1 red top zebra
I would like to add an acei, hongi, and another Melanochromatis species perhaps a female auratus and removing two or three of the saulosi.
filtration:
currently a C-220 canister filter. I've replaced the bioballs with Seachem Matrix. I also run seachem purigen, chemi-pure elite, and API ammo chips. I've added the ammo chips to remove any ammonia not immediately converted in the biological process in an attempt in my constant battle with nitrates.
I have a Marineland C-360 canister filter that is going to replace the 220 this weekend. I will be modifying it as well. The bioballs will be replaced with Seachem Matrix. The included carbon will be replaced with Seachem Matrix Carbon. I will continue to run Seachem Purigen, Chemi-pure Elite, API Ammo chips, and add another bag of Chemi-Pure & a phosphate removal pad to remove phosphates and help combat algae growth.
Substrate is a mixture of playsand and live sand. Rock formation is south florida limestone & texas holey rock. inside the rock structure is a large lava rock. Behind the rock structure is flat river rock from eastern Tennessee.
lighting is T8 flourescent lighting Actinic blue and 5000k daylight.
water parameters:
Nitrate 40-80ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
Phosphate 1-1.5ppm
alkalinity - 14dKh
hardness - 22dGh
ph - 8.6
water temp - 79 degrees F
I typically change 50% of the water once a week in order to keep nitrates around 40ppm. I add seachem cichlid lake buffer and baking soda as an alkalinity buffer to my tap water which is already naturally hard and has a high alkalinity.
TANK 2: 20 gallon extra tall planted tank
Established 3.5 years
livestock:
4 serpae tetras,
1 glowlight tetra,
1 headlight-taillight,
1 golden zebra loach,
1 electric blue jewel cichlid
I would like another golden zebra loach and few more peaceful tetras, perhaps replacing the serpaes.
flora:
Various cryptocoryne species, annubias, java fern, java moss. Will soon be adding additional species with upcoming substrate replacment. Thinking about some swords and hairgrass.
Lighting:
15w T8 - 5000K
12w CFL - 6500K
10w CFL - 6500K
Supplementation:
daily dose of seachem flourish excel for carbon supplementation, weekly dose of seachem flourish for trace nutrient supplementation, bi-weekly dose of API Leaf Zone for potassium & iron supplementation.
Substrate:
Substrate is currently black and red 'clown' gravel that was used when the tank was first set up. I have 17lbs of red seachem flourite that will be replacing the gravel very soon. I'm going to put a light dusting of peat on the bare glass before the flourite is laid down.
Filtration:
Filtration is currently two hob power filters with seachem matrix and filter floss. These will be replaced with the C-220 canister filter currently on the cichlid tank. The stages of filtration will include the marineland filter sponge and polishing pads that are included with the filter, a phosphate removing filter pad (like what hbh makes), a tray of peat in filter bags, a tray of crushed (not pulverized) lava rock, & a tray of ceramic rings. I will place a ball valve on the outflow to slow the flow into the tank from 220gph to about 110gph.
water parameters:
Nitrate 12ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
Phosphate 2ppm
Alkalinity - 9 dKh
Hardness - 14 dGh
pH - 7.8
Temperature - 81 degrees F
The alkalinity, hardness, & pH are my tap water parameters. I'm considering replacing 75% of the water with RO during my substrate replacement and adding seachem's acid buffer in order to convert some of the carbonate to CO2 and only top off evaporation with RO water. With the replacement of the hob filters evaporation should be dramatically diminished. Hopefully the lower alkalinity water, peat filtration and acid buffer will result in softer water with lower pH. I'm aiming for a pH of 6.5-6.7.
I virtually never do water changes, as the plants keep the nitrates at a constant 12ppm.
TANK 1: 44 gallon corner pentagon Mbuna tank
Established 5 months
livestock:
10 saulosi ciclids
1 yellow lab
1 bumblebee cichlid
1EB johanni
1 red top zebra
I would like to add an acei, hongi, and another Melanochromatis species perhaps a female auratus and removing two or three of the saulosi.
filtration:
currently a C-220 canister filter. I've replaced the bioballs with Seachem Matrix. I also run seachem purigen, chemi-pure elite, and API ammo chips. I've added the ammo chips to remove any ammonia not immediately converted in the biological process in an attempt in my constant battle with nitrates.
I have a Marineland C-360 canister filter that is going to replace the 220 this weekend. I will be modifying it as well. The bioballs will be replaced with Seachem Matrix. The included carbon will be replaced with Seachem Matrix Carbon. I will continue to run Seachem Purigen, Chemi-pure Elite, API Ammo chips, and add another bag of Chemi-Pure & a phosphate removal pad to remove phosphates and help combat algae growth.
Substrate is a mixture of playsand and live sand. Rock formation is south florida limestone & texas holey rock. inside the rock structure is a large lava rock. Behind the rock structure is flat river rock from eastern Tennessee.
lighting is T8 flourescent lighting Actinic blue and 5000k daylight.
water parameters:
Nitrate 40-80ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
Phosphate 1-1.5ppm
alkalinity - 14dKh
hardness - 22dGh
ph - 8.6
water temp - 79 degrees F
I typically change 50% of the water once a week in order to keep nitrates around 40ppm. I add seachem cichlid lake buffer and baking soda as an alkalinity buffer to my tap water which is already naturally hard and has a high alkalinity.
TANK 2: 20 gallon extra tall planted tank
Established 3.5 years
livestock:
4 serpae tetras,
1 glowlight tetra,
1 headlight-taillight,
1 golden zebra loach,
1 electric blue jewel cichlid
I would like another golden zebra loach and few more peaceful tetras, perhaps replacing the serpaes.
flora:
Various cryptocoryne species, annubias, java fern, java moss. Will soon be adding additional species with upcoming substrate replacment. Thinking about some swords and hairgrass.
Lighting:
15w T8 - 5000K
12w CFL - 6500K
10w CFL - 6500K
Supplementation:
daily dose of seachem flourish excel for carbon supplementation, weekly dose of seachem flourish for trace nutrient supplementation, bi-weekly dose of API Leaf Zone for potassium & iron supplementation.
Substrate:
Substrate is currently black and red 'clown' gravel that was used when the tank was first set up. I have 17lbs of red seachem flourite that will be replacing the gravel very soon. I'm going to put a light dusting of peat on the bare glass before the flourite is laid down.
Filtration:
Filtration is currently two hob power filters with seachem matrix and filter floss. These will be replaced with the C-220 canister filter currently on the cichlid tank. The stages of filtration will include the marineland filter sponge and polishing pads that are included with the filter, a phosphate removing filter pad (like what hbh makes), a tray of peat in filter bags, a tray of crushed (not pulverized) lava rock, & a tray of ceramic rings. I will place a ball valve on the outflow to slow the flow into the tank from 220gph to about 110gph.
water parameters:
Nitrate 12ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
Phosphate 2ppm
Alkalinity - 9 dKh
Hardness - 14 dGh
pH - 7.8
Temperature - 81 degrees F
The alkalinity, hardness, & pH are my tap water parameters. I'm considering replacing 75% of the water with RO during my substrate replacement and adding seachem's acid buffer in order to convert some of the carbonate to CO2 and only top off evaporation with RO water. With the replacement of the hob filters evaporation should be dramatically diminished. Hopefully the lower alkalinity water, peat filtration and acid buffer will result in softer water with lower pH. I'm aiming for a pH of 6.5-6.7.
I virtually never do water changes, as the plants keep the nitrates at a constant 12ppm.
do you have pictures to share? I would re home the Crabro if it was me. They get quite large for a 44 gallon
