jewels

I have a couple questions; if I may. Does a 300 watt heater really draw 300 watts ? Given that amount with electricity delivered @ 12 cents a kilo-watt the price is 25 dollars a month. Two heaters (stuck on) is $ 50.00/month. Is there some serious evaporation going on here ? The flourescent lights on my tanks keep the water warmer than yours - a couple of degrees above ambient room temp. I realize your sump adds a great amount of surface area - but wow. Seems like a lotta juice. For some solid info you need to measure. A killa-watt metre http://www.electricity-usage.com/Power-Meter/ would reveal true power draw. Stick the heater in a tall glass of water - you should know right away.

This build by Ubr0ke immediately came to mind - slickest rig I ever did see http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=35242

I could tell you I have never seen it in a Medicine Hat Lfs - but that may imply less than nothing. It spreads painfully slow; if you find some - buy up the lot.

This does not need to be exspensive. The most critical componant is the reflector Like the one on this page http://www.freepaten...om/6698908.html The deeper the better. Over a nano tank ( less than 12 inches tall) , a 13 watt screwy bulb in this fixture will give you all the light you could need - and more. A 2L soda rig will give you all the CO2 you could need. ,,,although not absolutely necessary. Marsilea (my fave) and mini crypts are the least light hungry carpeting plants I know of. Pelia is a good substitute as well.

Most aquatic gardeners are aware of the benefits that come with CO2 supplementation; and most of us would associate this addition with immersed aquarium plants. I see many folks trying their hand at dry starts and emergent rip/vivariums, very rarely do I see them mention CO2. I often see tanks that are wrapped up air tight with saran. I think this may be a poor practice. Ambient CO2 outdoors is around 340 ppm. Indoors ( the average home) sits a little higher about 450-525 ppm. When plants wake up in the morning they have breakfast right away - it is a main course of CO2. If tightly sealed under saran, plants can diminish the concentration of CO2 in the aquarium rapidly, potentially within an hour - and when its gone (<200ppm) they stop. They cannot grow without CO2 ; and now there is none available. How can this be avoided? Add CO2 What is the most convient source of CO2 in my home ? I am . From what I have read there is no benefit @ levels above 1500 ppm and CO2 toxicityhappensabove 10'000 ppm. So, how to get the correct amount ? My first test was with a empty 5 gallon pail. I put the pail on the floor and put the meter http://www.co2meter....tor-data-logger in the bottom of the bucket. Using a hose, I let loose a deep double lunger exhale into the the pail and watched as the meter began to climb. It finally peaked @ 5870 ppm. Not high enough to be detremental; although more than necassary. Conclusion Unless your tank is above 30 gallons, one good breath of air should provide you with all the CO2 your plants need. Stay planty Alberta

See also Anostraca http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/Aquatic_Invertebrates/?Page=26

This is a plot for a 10K bulb . Not much red there. This graph shows the output of an actinic bulb. Red is absent. These spikes that appear here show us what plants would enjoy most readily. The previous replies make sense to me. I have never owned either of the bulbs you mention. As such I have never measured their output. Nor have I tried to grow plants with them. Given your situation I would play devils advocate and buy two lower K bulbs That will add some red to the mix; as would natural sunlight. Try them in different combinations until the appearance is pleasing to your eye. Then blame me if the plants dont grow. :shock:

I have recently come across this link to help convert LED measurements. http://www.apogeeinstruments.co.uk/light-intensity-measurements-for-light-emitting-diodes-leds/ Enjoy.

Good to see the "fish head rock" back in action. What is the plant that ended up on the extreme left side ?

Do you need us to start stockpiling our Slurpee cups ?

Kuhlii's are purportedly sensitive to salt. - welcome to the Forum :ml:

I have seen many a fry - never an egg. ,,,my two lazy bits. The adults will most likely consume any fry before you spot them. You may find it easier to net out the parents and wait out the incubation period. These guys survived incubating with CRedS

I use krill mostly as the body for homemade (fish) food. It is also excellent for tiny fry and is also now nearly % 100 of my red chery shrimp diet. When using it straight up - I just dash it in. The product has the appearance of seasoning salt - perhaps slightly finer. Like a true Albertan I keep mine in a Hy's salt shaker. Bouyant neutral. On calm water it will hold to the surface, once it breaks the tension it will circulate lazily down the column.

Here is a link to the krill fines I use. The photo shows acurately the coral colour of the product ; although I believe it to be golden. http://www.allnatura...or_recipes.html Almost all the photos I see on line of blue-eyes are yellow fish. Take a look through my photobucket account. My fish and their offspring show a beautiful gold/orange glow. Aside from occasional collected live food, all my wet friends have been on All natural pet care food of one variety or another for the last few years. As far as my own children know, all fish food is produced by Canada Post ; when we are running low the letter carrier brings more!! I could go on; but there is no need. As luck would have it the proprieter/master chef of that company is a registered member here on this site. Drop http://albertaaquati...bers][sortDir]= Melody a line. Great folk. Not often you get to chat with the person building your fish food ! I thought I recalled more recent activity ; but one could always find her here. http://www.canadiana...ction/?a=6&b=59 Not sure how long the link will hold - but it does work today.

Ole blue eyes http://tinyurl.com/buo57v9

Have had them - lovely BUT; if its not bread or butter my local "grocer " won't have it.

? is P. Furcatus

80 Gallon Hexagon Planted Tank - hey why not ? The biggest challange may perhaps be the inherent husbandry involved. The dimensions present a few obvious hurdles. Can you reach the bottom of the tank ? Most folks will be hanging their pits on the rim before they touch bottom; this will only become more difficult once the lighting hood is on. There will be sufficient light intensity to grow plants with the bulbs you have. Long term success will be achieved only through diligent canopy management. Given the compact footprint the tallest plants will quickly subdue anything beneath. Many rosette or stem plants will outcompete their neighbors; leaving them to languish in the dark. Worst case scenario will give you a thick umbrella of growth up top with nothing but chlorosis down below. Carve out a pronounced slope front to back and/or keep the overall height around 20 inches. This style of 'scapeing should provide enough coverage to keep eveybody happy. Best of Luck !

How many inches are the lights away from the substrate ?

These future contingents do not apply categorically to the OP's current situation.

Gas 'em. Saturate the aquarium with C02 Plants grow, snails die - win/win

Plants dig sunlight. Natural sunlight will bring improved plant growth. You should do well. In a artificially lit tank, the lighting intensity drops way off toward the bottom portion. A sunlit tank is illuminated with equal intensity from top to bottom. Keep the CO2 in the green. Because the spectrum is warmer- sunlight is deceptively bright.

These shrimp- (red cherry) do just fine above 600ppm TDS. That would put the PH well into eight.

Yah,, I was tagging along; but you lost me. So - water changes, you for or against them ? Furthermore these "everything elses" are not mysteries, there are natural products/byproducts that occur through logical or physiological functions. Water evaporates - leaves behind its hardness. I am not a Doctor ( or an arrogant ignorant idiot) but I do enjoy the odd alliteration; and I certainly know what water scale looks like.