Ziggy's 40b Planted Journey

[Ziggy953]

http://i.imgur.com/QI9MbKH.jpg

sit in silence...

Exactly!

 

[Ziggy953]

So not really much to update on the 40 today. This is only day 1 of the corrected dosing solution. I can say that my most recent cleaning has help as the algae is not making the comeback that it was. I am hopeful that things are on the right track. I now have 3 shrimp heavily berried. One was loaded when she went in the tank and had her babies a few days later. I have seen a couple of the babies but not for a day or two. There is a ton of places to hide in this tank so who knows.

After posting the pic of the 54 corner I can't stop thinking about doing something in that tank. I started dosing it with ferts again, still not running CO2 but I have noticed in the last 24 hours the java moss has new growth so that is a good sign. I am sure there is a major nutrient deficiency in the tank. Dose dose dose...gonna see how things go.

The 54 is so tall I could really do an interesting scape with a very high section. I need to draw something out and see what I can come up with.

The eyes have it!

 

[tiger terror]

Call it "Le Mountain"...

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[Ziggy953]

Ugh...

I got home last night after lights out...moonlights were on...I paused at the tank glanced and let out a rather disheartened sigh....

Freaking algae is going to make me crazy.

I have an exciting date tonight....cuddles, a movie, maybe some lovely wine...

Oh yeah...no I don't...I'm dealing with a water change and tank cleaning....

Grrrrrrrr

So everyone has heard of a 'pool boy' do "they" (they in quotes because you know 'they' have and do everything/cause everything) have a 'tank boy'? I need one :-/

 

[bcarl_10gal]

Check your Co2 brother!


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[Ziggy953]

Check your Co2 brother!


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According to my drop checker I'm good. Greenish/yellow and the fish are in good shape. Comes on 2 hours before lights and goes off 2 hours before lights out. If I crank it up much more I will probably kill the fish.

I guess I should do the official PH test method. I'll try and do that this weekend when I will be home.

:-/

 

[Ziggy953]

Pictures....

 

[Brookster123]

Too much light! Maybe too much food?? Seeing many pond snails?

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[Ziggy953]

There are pond snails in there and yes they are breeding.

I discovered my issue...It isn't light or low CO2 (25-30ppm) based on PH testing.

Perhaps when I haven't had such a crappy week and when I haven't exhausted myself I will share my very embarrassing cause of algae issues in my tank.

All who have offered advice and tips...Thank you! I need more tips on how to combat stupidity!!!

Issue has been solved and I expect to see a drastic reduction in algae....

I feel like a complete idiot!

 

[Nils]

Dude....get some of these guys

Blue neon cobalt gobies, they eat algae like crazy. You got ottos in this tank?

 

[tiger terror]

There are pond snails in there and yes they are breeding.

I discovered my issue...It isn't light or low CO2 (25-30ppm) based on PH testing.

Perhaps when I haven't had such a crappy week and when I haven't exhausted myself I will share my very embarrassing cause of algae issues in my tank.

All who have offered advice and tips...Thank you! I need more tips on how to combat stupidity!!!

Issue has been solved and I expect to see a drastic reduction in algae....

I feel like a complete idiot!

A moment of stupidity could serve to enlighten others...perhaps

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[tiger terror]

Dude....get some of these guys

Blue neon cobalt gobies, they eat algae like crazy. You got ottos in this tank?

They are striking as well as expensive to boot...

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[Ziggy953]

A moment of stupidity could serve to enlighten others...perhaps

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UGH!

Ok fine...You make a good point and if someone can learn from my stupid mistake then that is a good thing.

So...

As it turns out the wonderful job I did with my auto-doser was not so wonderful afterall.

As it turns out, because my tank is managed by a RKE (reef keeper elite) the auto doser is set to come on at 9:05am and run for exactly 1 minute. Properly dosing 50ml of one solution and 40ml of the other. Yeah well there is this little glitch with the way the controller turns on and off power supply. If a piece of equipment isn't drawing enough amps to trigger the 'off' of the current then it will continue to draw power and run. Long and short..aqualifters do not draw much power and as a result they continue to run for an amount of time (I don't know how long) eventually they shut off. How do I know this you ask? Well let me tell you....

As it turns out they will run to the point that my tank is completely full and the drip lines are below the water surface (trust me I know) and when the pumps finally shut off.....guess what happens...yeah that's right a frigging siphon is created and they draw tank water back into them until the siphon is broken.

Well because I have been in the middle of an audit all week long I haven't been home early enough in the day to really see what's going on in the tank. Yeah...I know! I haven't noticed the fact that the water level in the dose solution tanks hasn't changed really since I filled them, well, that is until today when I looked and they had more liquid in them than I originally put. How do I know this...because I mark the vessels with a working level of exactly 2.8L, that's how!

So I was really annoyed at myself for being so stupid and not providing enough power draw to trigger the shutoff of my lovely computer controlled tank. BARF GAG YUCK.....

Anyway, what I did was put a surge protector on that circuit and plug the aqualifters into that drawing enough amps to trigger the shutoff when the computer says STOP!!!!!!

Yes I tested this several times and if I was a smarter guy I would have remembered this from my reef days and dosing KALK, but I'm an idiot and I didn't so yeah...

As a result of this mess...my tank has been OVERLOADED with nutrients.

My lights are tuned way down and the CO2 is cranking. I have all ideas that after the major water change I did tonight and cleaning things will settle down pretty quickly.

Or maybe I'm still an idiot and should go back to SW.....that crap is so much easier than this planted mess!

So there's the story of a guy who just wanted to come home tonight pour a drink and relax....

Don't make the same mistake I did..........

 

[Ziggy953]

Dude....get some of these guys

Blue neon cobalt gobies, they eat algae like crazy. You got ottos in this tank?

I dig!

Dude...buy them for me for Christmas!

I do not have otos in the tank right now. I have 2 fish.... 2 siamese algae eaters and that's it for fish. A lot of shrimp but only 2 fish.

 

[Nils]

Hahaha any day Zig, the moment I actually have enough money for myself and then some leftover for you

Glad you figured the whole algae thing out, lets see it get better!

 

[tiger terror]

UGH!

Ok fine...You make a good point and if someone can learn from my stupid mistake then that is a good thing.

So...

As it turns out the wonderful job I did with my auto-doser was not so wonderful afterall.

As it turns out, because my tank is managed by a RKE (reef keeper elite) the auto doser is set to come on at 9:05am and run for exactly 1 minute. Properly dosing 50ml of one solution and 40ml of the other. Yeah well there is this little glitch with the way the controller turns on and off power supply. If a piece of equipment isn't drawing enough amps to trigger the 'off' of the current then it will continue to draw power and run. Long and short..aqualifters do not draw much power and as a result they continue to run for an amount of time (I don't know how long) eventually they shut off. How do I know this you ask? Well let me tell you....

As it turns out they will run to the point that my tank is completely full and the drip lines are below the water surface (trust me I know) and when the pumps finally shut off.....guess what happens...yeah that's right a frigging siphon is created and they draw tank water back into them until the siphon is broken.

Well because I have been in the middle of an audit all week long I haven't been home early enough in the day to really see what's going on in the tank. Yeah...I know! I haven't noticed the fact that the water level in the dose solution tanks hasn't changed really since I filled them, well, that is until today when I looked and they had more liquid in them than I originally put. How do I know this...because I mark the vessels with a working level of exactly 2.8L, that's how!

So I was really annoyed at myself for being so stupid and not providing enough power draw to trigger the shutoff of my lovely computer controlled tank. BARF GAG YUCK.....

Anyway, what I did was put a surge protector on that circuit and plug the aqualifters into that drawing enough amps to trigger the shutoff when the computer says STOP!!!!!!

Yes I tested this several times and if I was a smarter guy I would have remembered this from my reef days and dosing KALK, but I'm an idiot and I didn't so yeah...

As a result of this mess...my tank has been OVERLOADED with nutrients.

My lights are tuned way down and the CO2 is cranking. I have all ideas that after the major water change I did tonight and cleaning things will settle down pretty quickly.

Or maybe I'm still an idiot and should go back to SW.....that crap is so much easier than this planted mess!

So there's the story of a guy who just wanted to come home tonight pour a drink and relax....

Don't make the same mistake I did..........

Man....too hard on yoursel! I've considered setting up an auto doser & with your slight mishap, the details you've shared could definitely serve to be useful..
You'll have this tank dialed in no time at all!


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[bcarl_10gal]

Too many nutrients does not cause algae. Also a green drop checker is not always a fail safe method of Co2. Unless you are deficient in macros then i doubt the algae is related to the overdose from the auto pumps. Why don't you just manually dose the tank for awhile?


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[DaleV87]

They are striking as well as expensive to boot...

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Yes they are.
Yep, I'm still following I just don't have anything smart to input yet.....lol


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[Ziggy953]

Hahaha any day Zig, the moment I actually have enough money for myself and then some leftover for you

Glad you figured the whole algae thing out, lets see it get better!

I hope it gets better quickly

 

[Ziggy953]

Man....too hard on yoursel! I've considered setting up an auto doser & with your slight mishap, the details you've shared could definitely serve to be useful..
You'll have this tank dialed in no time at all!


Sent from my HTC Desire 610 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Hoping so.