26g Bow Front - My First Dutch Inspired Scape Journal

[Rivercats]

Does Geisemann make T5NO bulbs or just the HO variety? Or did i just show how newb i am and T5 are all the same, its just the reflectors in the fixture that make it HO?

If i go the Geisemann route, what's the cheapest T5NO fixture that would work?

As long as I've been in this hobby I'm terrible with lighting... I just know what works for me.. lol! I know there is a difference in HO and NO but all I have and use are HO. I'm also not sure if Geisemann makes T5NO bulbs or if they are just HO's. Alot of help I am with this one... NOT! Hopefully someone else will chime in with some useful info.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

No worries Janis... I think if anything, I "might" just try the Aqueon T5NO as I'm already satisfied with the Ray 2. I just want to experiment with light mixture and intensity to see if the lighting is the culprit. Besides, I would get it from Petsmart anyways and they have a good return policy. I can just return the T5 if it's not what I imagined... LOL

 

[Rivercats]

Sometimes I wish I could change my 220 lighting as I'd like 4 more 39w T5HO bulbs but they don't even make fixtures for 72" that have less than 8 bulbs, which is too big for my tank with the current monster light fixture. That is why I've been trying different bulbs and for the first time can actually see the difference with these new ones. Plus removing the pink bulbs altogether is a plus in the right direction IMO.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Do you have a spectrum for the Finnex light?

Aqua... just got the spectrum graph from a representative from Finnex. They had to get it from their supplier, EPISTAR.

Thoughts?

 

[aqua_chem]

That actually pretty handily crushes my theory. Looks like it's' probably an intensity issue then. Has changing fertilization done any good?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Sorry to leave this thread stagnant for a while. No, I've been lazy in changing the fertilizer regimen. The problem is that this tank is at my parent's house and I just give instructions to my mother to dose ferts via the PPS-Pro method. It's been a couple weeks since my last visit and things have grown to a little jungle in here! LOL

I noticed that the Rotala that has reached the surface of the water does change color a bit...

OKAY... so I 'FINALLY' got a Phosphate test kit... now this is where I need help in understanding my results and how to correct for them. Looks like it's about .25ppm. I have a bottle of Seachem Phosphorous, should I have my mother start dosing it per instructions on the bottle to make things easier? Or will I come back in my next visit to an algae mess or something? LOL

And... a FTS in which I did some trimming and swapped from a pea gravel river back to sand -- resulting in a little cloudiness

I have a new addition, I got some free Subwassertang from a TPT member! Interesting plant, almost like seaweed or something..LOL

Anyway, if the change in ferts don't work out, I have the second Ray 2 I can use in tandem with the one on here already. I just need to buy a versa-top if that's the case. Comments, thoughts, and suggestions?

 

[tiger terror]

My shrimp in the fluval use the subwassertang for their own personal nursery...

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah I've read shrimp love the stuff. I saved a little for my other tank. Got some riccia too.. Both new plants to me

 

[tiger terror]

By the way for a tank that has been operating per instructions by another adult which belongs to you looks Great! Your parents are doing an excellent job....my subwassertang began as a cluster the size of a silver dollar&now after giving some away I still have several handfuls scattered throughout several tanks,does well when it is happy...

 

[aqua_chem]

I like the hairgrass-hydrocotyle dynamic going on the the lower right. Can you get a closeup of that corner?

 

[Billbug68]

I liked the jungle look! Haha, is it me or are those angels gettin big?!?! They're beautiful!

 

[Rivercats]

Brian do you have your nitrate/phosphate/potassium mix all in one bottle or did you split them up? I keep nitrates in one bottle and phosphate-potassium in another bottle. So if you have the three mixed together can you just make a bottle up of phosphate? If you could do that with what your levels are I'd dose your regular macro mix of all three and then also start dosing the just phosphate 1ml per 10g water along with the reg solution.

Then in a week see what your phosphate levels are. It might take a couple weeks to figure out how much extra phosphate you need but I'd shoot for a minimum of 1.0ppm and if that doesn't help go up to 1.5ppm. I am also double dosing my micro mix daily too. So I dose 2ml micro to every 10g water. And be sure your nitrate stays at a max of 10ppm.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I liked the jungle look! Haha, is it me or are those angels gettin big?!?! They're beautiful!

I don't think they're too big just yet. They still have plenty if swimming room. I think they look bigger due to the bow front magnifying effect...lol

I do like how the angels have developed their gold color.. They kinda look like koi instead of gold marbles.

 

[Billbug68]

I don't think they're too big just yet. They still have plenty if swimming room. I think they look bigger due to the bow front magnifying effect...lol

I do like how the angels have developed their gold color.. They kinda look like koi instead of gold marbles.

Oh yeah, I wasn't hinting at that yet, just sayin they looked bigger...and gorgeous. I've been wanting to keep angels. Next build, 75g rimless...? Haha

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I like the hairgrass-hydrocotyle dynamic going on the the lower right. Can you get a closeup of that corner?

Thanks... here's the close-up. I feel sorta embarrassed because I hacked away at the hydrocotyle pretty good and you can see some BBA and some other algae hiding in the lower levels of it. I think I could have done a better job with cleaning the glass on the bottom right and brushing the stones too..

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Oh yeah, I wasn't hinting at that yet, just sayin they looked bigger...and gorgeous. I've been wanting to keep angels. Next build, 75g rimless...? Haha

LOL.. now that's a thought!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Brian do you have your nitrate/phosphate/potassium mix all in one bottle or did you split them up?.

They're all mixed in 1 bottle. I just have the micros and macros mixed according the instructions.. I haven't deviated from that yet. I'll plan to implement your suggestions soon. It's a bit hard since I'm not at my parents' everyday. I'll have to learn and then teach my mom...haha

 

[aqua_chem]

No, what I was asking for was one either level with the substrate or angled up from below the substrate. Maybe with the camera in the center? I'm liking how the different leaf morphologies are working together, but it's kind of hard to see with the bowfront bending it like it was from the previous ones you posted.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Awww... and the conundrum of the bow front. My mom really wanted a bow front, I kept trying to suggest a regular rectangular aquarium! Sigh...

Well, I left my parents' house so that specific shot will have to wait Aqua. However, I did take a pic angled up a while back... see if this helps a bit. I think it will look much better once the DHG fills in though. The hydrocotyle grows FAST by comparison.

 

[Magicmarymac]

Awww... and the conundrum of the bow front. My mom really wanted a bow front, I kept trying to suggest a regular rectangular aquarium! Sigh...

Well, I left my parents' house so that specific shot will have to wait Aqua. However, I did take a pic angled up a while back... see if this helps a bit. I think it will look much better once the DHG fills in though. The hydrocotyle grows FAST by comparison.

I love this tank!

(Back to lurk mode)