Recent content by docrak

Full tank pics here

Full tank pics here

I've noticed that my tank becomes very red in the morning and looses the reds thought the day and becomes green in the evening. This photo was taken this morning: This photo was taken last night: Regardless of any change in fert dosage or lighting I've been noticing this pattern for the...

I think I figured it out. It wasn't the ferts at all. For a couple of days this week I've been going to work early and I turned the tank lights on manually and forgot to turn them off before leaving for work. The plants were getting 14 hours of light for two days. Once the lights went back...

I started a new regiment of EI dosing using some if my new ferts this weekend. Not really EI, my version of it based on a what I believe to be a high iron requirement of my plant selection. One of the by products of resetting the tank was that my Bacopa turned red. I don't know how I did it...

There are a couple of styles of Brass Sink Adaptors. if you have this style: Throw it out and get this style: You can get these parts from your local pet shop but they will cost twice as much as getting them online. Big Al's...

You have to add a brass quick connector between your adapter and the plastic pump. That way you just screw on the adaptor and plug in the pump. You will never strip any of the plastic threads using this method. Add another quick connector to the pump to plug in the hose and it's all plug and...

how old is the unit?

I have analog timers. A power failure means resetting all your timers. I found them difficult to fine tune also. I switched to digital timers with a backup battery and have never looked back. I have several different styles of digital timers based on what was on sale when I needed it and...

That's interesting. One of my new corries has the same growth in the same spot. I havn't done anything to treat mine and it hasn't got any worse. I have no idea what it is though.

That's what I though. I wasn't sure if you were using an Aquaclear or not. Some of those other HOB filters with their stupid cartridge filters would be almost impossible to use to seed a new filter. You still don't have much volume of media unless you were using a 50 or a 70. I know the...

What kind of filter are you running on the 10 gallon that the media would be compatible with a canister filter? I would think that transferring a small amount of media to a canister filter would benefit the cycling process, but I think there would still see an ammonia and nitrate spike. Keep...

You know you're right. I have no supporting data and have not been able to find any research on this topic. I have found several web sites that state it is OK to change the water because as you mentioned the water it's self does not contain that much bacteria. I can however tell you from...

I did the same thing you did a while back going from a 29 to a 60 gallon. I ran my smaller HOB on the 60 as a helper to my canister filter. It was a short cycle of about 2 to 3 weeks if I recall correctly. I noticed some ammonia when the tank was about a week old. The level never got above...