Cadd’s First Community Tank

[cadd]

So the cycling isn’t really moving along. Still ghost feeding. No signs of nitrites or nitrates. 0.25ppm of ammonia.

So a few more goodies arrived.
Aqueon Pro heater 200W ($25 Amazon)
Seachem Matrix 1 liter ($12 Amazon)
Fluval Biomax 500g/17.63oz ($8 Amazon)
HDE 2 pack LCD digital fish tank aquarium thermometer ($9 Amazon)
Aqueon 06171 Algae Cleaning Magnet medium ($8 Amazon)
Marina Floating Thermometer ($2 Amazon)
Tetra 77840 Whisper softnet nylon net 3 inches ($1 Amazon)
PENN PLAX Standard Airline Tubing Air Pump Accessories, 25-Feet ($3 Amazon)
Tetra 77851 Whisper Air Pump, 10-Gallon ($6 Amazon)
API GH and KH Test Kit ($8 Amazon)

I decided to use both Seachem Matrix and Fluval Biomax as bio media.

I organized the canister so water flows as follows:

From tank ---> Course sponge ---> Floss pad ---> Fluval Biomax ---> Floss pad ---> Sechem Matrix ---> Floss pad ---> To tank.

Please let me know if my filter set up is horribly wrong.

And finally, how do you say??? A man with a watch knows the time. A man with two watches is never sure?

Yay….all 4 are showing all different temps =)

Running Total: $358
Remaining Budget: $142

 

[Autumnsky]

Save some money for fish!!!

 

[cadd]

Save some money for fish!!!

Lol. At the rate my cycle is going, I probably won't have fish until Halloween.

 

[toolman]

Save some money for fish!!!

+1 I don't want to know how much I spent on my tanks. Lol

 

[nirbhao]

I do mental calculations on how much I've spent so far... For the past few months I've been tracking without keeping a total.

A lot of people like pool filter sand, but I had major problems with anaerobic pockets. My current substrates are Eco Complete and aragonite, both of which I'm happy with. My favorite sand was CaribSea moon sand, which is available in black.

I have aragonite specifically to raise the pH, and the Eco Complete might be a tad pricey if you're not planting.

The substrates that didn't work for me were lava rock, pea gravel, colorful pet store gravel, and jelly glass. All of those trapped detritus.

By the way, I use the Python as well. I like it a lot. The mistakes most people make are adding water conditioner after refilling and failing to temperature match. If you would like any pointers, I will gladly share all of the things I've learned the hard way.

Did I miss why you aren't using ammonia to cycle?

 

[cadd]

Unfortunately, I don't think I can use aragonite since the pH from my tap is already pretty high (7.8). Eco Complete is pretty darn pricey! Maybe I'll grab a bag of it to supplement whatever substrate I decide to use.

The mistakes most people make are adding water conditioner after refilling and failing to temperature match.

Are we supposed to add water conditioner (like Prime) BEFORE we refill the tank with temp matched tap water? And dosage wise, I'm assuming just dose the entire tank?

If you would like any pointers, I will gladly share all of the things I've learned the hard way.

Yes, PLEASE DO!!!!

Did I miss why you aren't using ammonia to cycle?

I'm actually not sure why. I guess I wanted to do it all natural? I'm actually not in a huge rush since I still need to find an inexpensive stand (or build and paint one), find an inexpensive LED light and cut some glass/plexiglass for a DIY cover.

 

[cadd]

The sponge filter was delivered today.

XY-2831 Air Pump Sponge Filter for Aquarium, Tank Size 10-gallon ($5 Amazon)

I was reading the directions and couldn’t find #7

Running Total: $363
Remaining Budget: $137

 

[cadd]

Spent some time cleaning the black diamond blasting sand.

To get rid of any dusty and airborne particles

Lots and lots and lots of rinsing and gravel vacuuming

I’ll just leave it like this for a few weeks and allow the mechanical filters to do their thing.

 

[Fresh2o]

I would use a jet of water from a hose to rinse the sand and allow it to overflow. Dust, lighter particles, and any oils present should be lifted out.
Sand is abrasive. Without using sponge prefilters, sand can destroy the impellers on those filters. They will continue to work, however, they will most likely develop a grinding noise.

 

[cadd]

I would use a jet of water from a hose to rinse the sand and allow it to overflow. Dust, lighter particles, and any oils present should be lifted out.
Sand is abrasive. Without using sponge prefilters, sand can destroy the impellers on those filters. They will continue to work, however, they will most likely develop a grinding noise.

I agree. I spent about an hour rinsing with a strong jet from the hose, allowing it to overflow.

I'm not worried about the HOB filters. They aren't strong enough to pick up any of the sand. I specifically cleared out the intake area of sand just to be safe.

 

[cadd]

For my setup, do you think this eBay light will cut it? It’ll be mainly for the fish, but I do eventually plan on having a plant or two here and there in the tank.

 

[brendenscott]

For my setup, do you think this eBay light will cut it? It’ll be mainly for the fish, but I do eventually plan on having a plant or two here and there in the tank.

Yes. I had one of those. I did some par data for it here. Would be fine for some low light low tech plants. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...eat-plant-light-finnex-24-7-par-readings.html

 

[Jasonrusso]

I will use this thread to document my journey of my first tank set up. I decided to start with a 50+ gallon lightly planted tank and I’m open to stocking options. I'll try to be as financially responsible as possible, searching for deals on pre-owned equipment on Craigslist if possible. I set an initial budget of $500 and hope to stick with it. I'll document the cost of everything I purchased in case there are other new hobbyists looking for an idea of what to expect budget wise.

I invite you to join me along for the ride. Your advice, ideas, guidance, suggestions and constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated!!

Over the past week, I've been slowly procuring equipment.

Rummaging through my parent's basement, I found the following items from the 80s & 90s. Not sure if any of these still work though.
20 gal tank (free):

HOB filter (free):

Pumps/powerheads (sponge filter???) (free):

Holy fish poop! NOT made in China

Heaters – two 200W and one 100W (free):

20 gal tank with equipment above:

I also purchased newer equipment as well.

Penn Plax Cascade 1000 Canister filter ($79 Amazon):

API Freshwater Aquarium Master Test Kit ($23 PetSmart):

Running Total: $102
Remaining Budget: $398

In remember having the same penguin filter on my freshwater chiclid tank in the 90s when I was a teenager. I now have a marineland 350 (still a penguin) on my saltwater QT tank. It has 2 biowheels but the design hasn't changed. If it was a gimmick then it wouldn't still be around after all these years.

 

[cadd]

Thanks for the quick reply @brendenscott. There are just so many inexpensive lights on eBay and Amazon to choose from, it just gets so confusing. From the same seller, I see 48" lights ranging from $25 to $55. I'm just not sure what to choose. But your Amazon link seems to be the exact model of the eBay link. So I guess I'll just go with it! Thanks again for putting the time and effort for measuring the PAR readings!

@Jasonrusso, the old and beat up Penguin w/the bio wheel is still stronger than the newer HOB that was given to me when I purchased the 29 gal tank!

 

[brendenscott]

Thanks for the quick reply @brendenscott. There are just so many inexpensive lights on eBay and Amazon to choose from, it just gets so confusing. From the same seller, I see 48" lights ranging from $25 to $55. I'm just not sure what to choose. But your Amazon link seems to be the exact model of the eBay link. So I guess I'll just go with it! Thanks again for putting the time and effort for measuring the PAR readings!

@Jasonrusso, the old and beat up Penguin w/the bio wheel is still stronger than the newer HOB that was given to me when I purchased the 29 gal tank!

If you wanted a light that could be more powerful down the road should you choose to say want higher light plants or even co2 you should get the beamswork dhl 1W 6500k and a dimmer to lighten the intensity. I also did par readings for the dhl. And I'll also share a link for the light and dimmer.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...-fspec-dhl-6500k-par-lux-kelvin-pur-data.html
They seem to be out of stock of the 48" but many times if they are out of stock on Amazon eBay may have some. Beamswork LED 1W 6500K HI Lumen Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant (DHL 36 6500K) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FVNPZLY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XeInzb7MBYNSQ

Dimmer that works for the beamswork. With the dimmer you could run it at say half power or whatever intensity you want. I would go this route instead of the aquaneat to be honest.
Current USA Truelumen Inline Dimmer for 12 and 24-Volt LED Strip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FC04I8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EgInzbN67R62J

 

[cadd]

Brendenscott, I think I'm liking the idea of the Beamswork DHL 1W 6500k light & dimmer combo! It looks like a setup that I won't outgrow if I decide to get a tad more serious in a low-tech planted tank.

Question though, I see there aren't red LEDs for this light. I also see there are only 3 rows of LEDs instead of 5 rows of their other lights. Would this light be too "cool"? I think prefer a warmer (more natural) tone. The really white lights remind me of a laboratory. It also reminds me of all those HID aftermarket kits cars have that put out a blueish or purple-ish light and I really don't like that.

In your opinion, how does the DHL 1W 6500K light you linked compare to this light in terms of brightness and color (cooler? warmer?) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019YXYNSI/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w

 

[brendenscott]

Brendenscott, I think I'm liking the idea of the Beamswork DHL 1W 6500k light & dimmer combo! It looks like a setup that I won't outgrow if I decide to get more serious in a planted tank.

Question though, I see there aren't red LEDs for this light. I also see there are only 3 rows of LEDs instead of 5 rows of their other lights. Would this light be too "cool"? I think prefer a warmer (more natural) tone. The really white lights remind me of a laboratory. It also reminds me of all those HID aftermarket kits cars have that put out a blueish or purple-ish light and I really don't like that.

In your opinion, how does the DHL 1W 6500K light you linked compare to this light in terms of brightness and color (cooler? warmer?) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019YXYNSI/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w

I would not get the ea fspec but would get the better da Fspec. That is the one I did the par data for in the thread I linked. The dhl is more of an overall yellowish and the fspec is more a whitish but more natural look imo. If I had to lean towards one over the other as far as look I would say the fspec. Did you see the pictures I showed of each light over the tank and how it looked? Both would get you great plant growth. The fspec is a little brighter. And the fspec has 5 rows of lights as each one is .5 watts. The dhl had three rows which each one is 1W. The dhl runs a bit warmer than the fspec.

So to answer your question the da Fspec I have is similar to that one you linked. The dhl is a bit warmer. But overall I like the dhl better. The fspec would probably be too bright for your liking since it is 10,000k compared to the dhl 6500k.

 

[cadd]

Yes, I just read that entire thread. Thanks so much for really putting in the time and hard work to compile all this data. It has helped me immensely.

10000k vs 6500k. Can you please explain that? At first I thought it was the cool/warm scale. I think I remember it being called the color temperature scale or Kelvin scale? I remember from light bulbs, 4000k and below is considered soft white, while 5000k or 6000k and above is considered day light.

Now, when you say the DA Fspec may be too bright for my situation, if I decide on the Fspec, would I be able to use that dimmer you linked above to dim it? I know you said the dimmer was compatible with the DHL. Is it compatible with the Fspec as well?

I think I'll need to sleep on it for a few more nights before I pull the trigger on one of these guys. Thanks again for your assistance!

 

[cadd]

Sold the 20 gal (brown) tank for $20 bux on CL. Some kid picked it up for his garden snakes.

I also decided to attempt to DIY the stand for the 55 gal tank. Was able to spend some time on it.

Measure once, cut twice? Or is it the other way around?

Test fitting

After 1 coat. Will allow the paint to cure for 24 hours. But who am I kidding? I’ll probably be too lazy to work on it until next weekend.

Sold 20 gal tank (-$20 Craigslist)
2x4s and screws ($17 Home Depot)
1 quart of BEHR Premium Plus Ultra Paint & Primer in One. Black. Semi gloss ($18 Home Depot)

Running Total: $378
Remaining Budget: $122

 

[cadd]

So I have a little confession….because it’s one of the first 90 degree days this year, I decided to skip work and go driftwood hunting with a good friend. Although she told me she’s not too familiar with driftwood, she did say she has been around tree branches all her life. So, I thought it would be a good idea to have her along.

First, we can’t limit our search to only where the lake meets the shore. If we’re doing to do this, we’re going to go big. I want 100% water access. No limitations!

As you can see, my good friend is patiently awaiting as I prep our high tech watercraft.

We decided to go right in the middle of the lake just because we wanted to relax a bit before we start working the shorelines. But I asked her to keep an eye out for any wood or branches in the water that we can reach with our pole and cut with our miniature hacksaw. Look how diligently she’s taking this task.

Next we decided to row by the lily pads to see how they were doing.

After a few hours in the middle of the lake, we finally rowed towards the shoreline. Unfortunately, we didn’t find anything we liked.

Five hours wasted. If I had known we’d come back empty handed, I would’ve just went to work instead….