Milan

I was wondering if its ok to trim vals back when they get too long. I've always done it but I'm not sure if its damaging the plants or not.

I've never had problems trimming them like that. They just keep growing.

Doesn't really matter which type you use, as long as you have sufficient flow and proper filtering media. For planted tanks, filters are sized according to it's flow, which needs to be about 4-5 times (gal/hr) of the tank volume (gal). As far as filter media goes, you need mechanical (foam), and biological (BioMax or similar). Occasionally (ie. after medications), you may need a chemical (active carbon).

Personally, on smaller tanks (<80g), I prefer HOB type, because of easier maintenance (fewer media chambers, no hoses ...). On the other hand, if you wish to use a spray bar, for whatever reason (ie. water circulation), you don't have a choice, but to use a canister.

I have never used Flourite myself, but I remembered, once I came across a thread on APC about it. Here it is. Hope it helps.

You can just split the horizontal rhizome by cutting it into desired pieces.

So tank (duh)...regulator....and what on earth is a solenoid? Basically what all do I need and a very rough estimate on where I should buy/pay.

Jay,

Regulator, solenoid, needle valve and bubble counter are usually "all-in-one" piece. Here is an example of a typical unit. All you need to do is to attach it to the CO2 cylinder on one side, and run a hose to your tank from the other. Milwaukee Instruments regulator can be found often on E-bay, or Best Lab Deals, when it's on sale. Everything under $100 cad (incl. shipping) is a reasonable price.

Hello Jay,

Carbo-Plus is indeed based on water electrolysis method. Supposingly, H2O is broken down into H2 and O2, where H2 reacts with C and O2 from carbon sticks (Carbo-Plus inserts), creating H2CO3. How well it actually works, I have never had a chance to verify, perhaps because this method of CO2 enrichment is not very popular among aquarists. Is it because of it's (in)efficiency, or maintenance cost, I can only speculate.

Most aquarists first try with DIY, sugar+yeast fermentation method, mostly because of it's low initial cost. You can read more in this article. However, a pressurized system is by far superior, comparing to any other method, efficiency and maintenance wise. There are no "odd" parts which you can not find easily, but the initial cost of this system is significantly higher.

Peat will definitely help, specially root feeders. How much, I can't tell. Make sure you add it sparingly. Just sprinkle in the lower layer, and top it with 1-3mm gravel. Too much of this stuff will put you in a misery.

Your assumption about Nitrogen source may be correct, or may not be ... Test will tell.

I thought lack of nutrients might be the problem so I added some fertilizer this morning. I'll be sure to go buy both those test kits, I guess I should own those anyway.

Windeindoiel, bear in mind that most of the commercial ferts are based on K+TE formula, which means they have no Nitrogen and Phosphorus components. The only commercial ones that that I know of, are Nutrafin PlantGro NPK (green), and Seachem "Nitrogen" and "Phosphorus". Another, cheaper option would be using the KNO3 and KH2PO4, from a hydroponic store.

However, I would not jump to conclusions before you test the actual NO3 and PO4 levels in your tank.

cool, thanks guys. ill see if i notice any of them at the auction this weekend and ill try and grab some. Or if you see em and i dont, point em out me, the pregnant lady, lol.

Can't tell you about Edmonton LFSs, but if you come to Calgary, Pisces usually has fresh supplies of Hygrophila difformis. They go for about $3 for a 2-3 stems bunch. You may also post your wish list in the Plants Give-away/Swap section (pinned).

Cheers and good luck!

There are some pieces of information missing here ...

1. What is your wpg (lights watt/gal)? If it's under 1.5 (on a medium size tank -> less than 80g), CO2 is very unlikely the culprit.
   
2. Have you tested NO3 and PO4? You should keep them in 10-20 ppm and around 0.5 ppm range respectively. NO3 test can be done at most LFS free of charge, but not the PO4. Test before a water change. It most likely that that the lack of these (one or both) is causing algae to take advantage over plants, as Jvision suggested.
   

I agree with Pat .. No need to shut off your DIY CO2 over night. If you used pressurized system at high bubble rates, if you have next to no plant bio-mass, if surface agitation is next to none .... Then perhaps ...

Hello Raven,

Beside already mentioned, I would suggest Higrophila difformis (water wisteria). It grows fast, bushy and it's relatively tall. It is one of the least demanding plants. It's inexpensive too ...

Fatpuffer, I'm leaning toward Jvision's diagnose of your problem. It is known that yeast/sugar mixtures provide a very good breading ground for bacteria and fungus stuff. I experienced it too, when I was on DIY. It appears like a whitish, jelly-like substance which obstructs the gas flow. However, if you are not using silicone tubing for your CO2 line, you may blaim the H2CO3, but such a tube meltdown would occur after a long period of time.

Hello Dave,

Algae blooms are more related to nutrient deficiencies than light intensity. However, indirectly the light plays a significant role by driving the plants metabolism. More light results in higher nutrient uptake, hence deficiencies occur faster, if not followed by proper supplementation. The only nutrient which is known to cause algae if in excess is the ammonia, but this should not be present in an established tank, if your fish load is not too high and the filtration is sufficient. 90% of algae problems in high light tanks are related to the lack of CO2. Lack of NO3 and PO4 are common too.

In your case, two 4' fluorescent tubes would give you about 80 watts (or less), which on 70 gallons tank is not considered to be a "high light" condition. Perhaps, 4-6 of such tubes would get you there.

Harold,

1.44 wpg is already low light tank. No PPS or EI teritory, neither CO2 (although it does not hurt). With moderate fish load, this tank runs well on K+TE formula (most commercial ferts).

Windeindoiel,

Bear in mind, there is no algae free tank. It's only the owner's level of tolerance that matters. Specifically, hair algae is a sign that you are not much far from the nutrient balance. You may also introduce some algae eating fish, such as Siamese Algae Eaters.

Do you have NO3 and PO4 tests?

This is an interesting setup from the latest APC contest. It did not fare very well, but it's still interesting ...

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/contest...howentry&id=156

Hello everybody,

Our March "Tank of the Month" contest is coming to a closure in a few days. However, there have not been any updates nor any new participants since last month, so I'm thinking about suspending the contest, until we have sufficient participation. Obviously, monthly turnover does not cut it. On the other hand, planted tanks can go through significant changes in few weeks, so in my mind it would not be appropriate to have a "winner tank" sitting there for a long time, as it does not reflect reality.

Tell me what you think ... I'm open for suggestions. :well:

Ok so my tank is a 25 gallon. I haven't tested the pH in awhile but last time I did it was around 7.9. I plan on lowering the pH by the use of RO water though. I have the Coralife T-5 double linear strip full spectrum and 6700k plant lamps, 1.44 wpg, which sit about 5" above the waterline. After CO2 injection I hope there will be enough carbon dioxide that I can lower the lights without hair algae taking over again. If any other info would be helpful let me know.

Ok what I want to do is make a CO2 injector. I don't know how, or how big to make it, or how much yeast to put into it, and when I make it I'd like to make it so that if something crazy happens it won't dump a bunch of CO2 into the tank and kill all the fish. I know there's a way and stuff, and I've found all the information I just would like some guidance on the more specific stuff.

Hello Windeindoiel,

With 1.44 wpg you are in non-CO2 (low light) environment. However, in your case, adding CO2 won't hurt, but you won't see any spectacular benefits either. Correation between CO2 and light intensity is different from what your perception is (ref: italic). Normally, to increase the light, you need more CO2, not the other way around. If hair algae is an issue, I would suggest you try Seachem Excel, instead of CO2 injection.

There are numerous articles about DIY CO2 on the net, one of the best ones being in our articles section:

http://AlbertaAquatica.com/index.php?s=&sh...dpost&p=1910838

You are correct, the bubble counter screws onto the needle valve ... You may want to take it apart and inspect for any cracks, or any other thread damage ... I've never looked at it closely, but there also may be a sort of a seal (ie O-ring, washer ...) .. If the thread is cracked, the only fix that comes to my mind is a bit of teflon tape wrapped around the thread with a cable-tie tightened around the bubble counter base. The other option would be a warranty claim.

Once again, due to evaporation, the water level in the bubble counter, where the water is bubble-agitated, drops much faster then it would in still water. This is normal. Usually I fill mine up to about 2/3 of the volume, and refill when it drops to about 1/5. This happens in about a week.

It is normal that some water from the bubble counter disappear (evaporate) over time ... However, if you are suspicious about the rate of this, check if there are any wet spots (ie needle valve, bubble counter lid ...).

I would assume, the gas is going into your tank ...right?

It would probably be easier to keep an alien from another galaxy in a tank than a deep water creature ...

Incidently, I'm talking about 5gal changes in a 30gal tank.

What is the downside(s) to doing changes at this frequency?

No, there is no downside in frequent water changes. The only reason why I mentioned that is because it brings another variable in efforts to capture nutrients level trend, but it's possible to incorporate this into fertilization strategy as well ... It's just little more complex, ... that's all what it is.

Yup, I'll keep it on the current schedule of water changes (2x per week) ...

That's too often ... It takes about a week to capture the trend with some degree of reliability ... Is there a particular reason why you are doing WC's twice a week?

Vic, I would do another test after a week of the last water change. Maintain regular feeding routine, and don't add any N and P based fertilizers. Your NO3 and PO4 levels seem to be fairly constant over the past 3 days, but let's not jump to conclusions ...

Second option is to increase the CO2 level to at least 20 ppm, and then add the remaining light power you took out previously. In this scenario you will need to bump the NO3 level up to about 20 ppm (KNO3) to be on the safe side. Test again NO3 and PO4 after a week ...

I'm assuming you verified your tests ...?

...

Because the owners would rather scrape up as many last dollars as they can, at the risk of losing all the innocent animals.

...

Let me guess ... Those last $'s go toward staff's severances ... A due respect from beloved owners.

Am I right Nate?

12x30" tank footprint is normally of a 29-30g tank (18" tall).