Ada 120p First Large Tank

[csantucci]

I have had a 10 gallon tank for a little over a year and I just upgraded to an ADA 120P. I'm gong to miss my 10gal high tech but on to bigger things.

Substrate: ADA Amazonian (4x9l bags)
Light: sun blaze 4 bulb t5 ho suspended from electrical conduit
Bulbs: (front to back)
- 1x 660 hortilux
- 1x 3000k spectralux
- 1x 420 hortilux
- 1x zoo med flora
Filtration: hydor 600 w/ ss lilly pipes with surface skimmer
Heater: cobalt 200w
CO2: Rex Griggs (29" x 3") with dual stage regulator.
Degassed tank water- 6.2Ph
Ph before co2 turn on- 5.6
drop to 5.1 (1.1) at lights on. Co2 turns on 2 hours before lights. Turns off one hour before lights off
Ferts: standard EI
Plants: undecided (leftovers from 10gal atm)
Stand is a diy with inside cut to fit a 20lb co2 cylinder inside.

 

[csantucci]

Rex griggs

 

[csantucci]

Pulled some plants from the 10 gallon for now. Waiting to make a plant order. Surprised at how many plants I got without completely stripping it.

 

[csantucci]

1 week growth. Some algae is starting to form. Doing 1 w/c per week using mulm and water from established 10 gallon. I'm undecided on plant species, but I think that I am going with a dutch style tank and ember teras for fauna.

 

[Slin]

Gonna look epic soon

 

[csantucci]

I hope lol. Algae is starting to form now. Diatomes and green algae. Plants are still growing though.

 

[csantucci]

Dealing with some green dust algae and a little bit of Diatomes. Still trying to adjust co2. Ordered a ph pen and will check ph drop as soon as I can. Hopefully the green dust algae will work it's self out as the tank matures. The plants seem to be growing fine despite the dust algae developing on older leaves.

 

[csantucci]

Going to clean all of this gda off tomorrow and see if it comes back. Raised light, increased co2, started to dose excel, and increased surface agitation. Ph drop is 1.1 by lights on. Algae doesn't appear to be getting any thicker and the really thick parts are starting to flake off.

 

[Peter Attanasio]

looks good.
I’d love a big tank but my floors wouldn’t support it.

 

[csantucci]

I was worried about mine so I just reinforced it with 2x4's. Do you have a crawl space you could get in to support it?

 

[Peter Attanasio]

I was worried about mine so I just reinforced it with 2x4's. Do you have a crawl space you could get in to support it?

Yeah I do.
I’ll have to check out the possibilities.

 

[csantucci]

Cleaned and added a nano power head. Dropped 5 emerald tetras in and they instantly gasped for air. I don't want to adjust co2 because I know it's good from ph drop. Figured I could increase o2 by increasing surface agitation and flow before I tamper with a good co2 saturation.

 

[csantucci]

Green dust algae and a little blue green algae are clear. I think the blue green algae was from low nitrates. Increased dosing and used green slime stain remover and I haven't had a problem since. Green dust algae has been greatly reduced and 3 baby bristle nose pleco's eat any residual build up. I can go all week with almost no GDA on the glass. It's almost time to replace some stems that have just been place holders and figure out what to do with the giant blyxa bush... Overall, pants are grow well.

 

[csantucci]

I increase total dosages instead of just nitrates
Macro.3x per week
Kno3- 13ppm
Kh2po4- 4ppm
K2so4- 3ppm

Micro
Csmb- .3 fe

Going to run higher ferts for a while to see what responses I get from the plants. I put a few new plants in so it's a waiting game for a while. The only species that seems to be doing poor is the p. Erectus and maybe the Rotala vietnam. P. Erectus is Not growing up but developing large root systems and side shoots are starting to form. Vietnam just looks like a blah plant to me. It's growing but just not very full.

 

[csantucci]

Few more pics

 

[Phishless]

P. Erectus is Not growing up but developing large root systems and side shoots are starting to form.

If you have the patience let these take there time.
For me they seem to not like change very much.
Change in water parameters produces more side shoots etc... other pogostemon species are similar.

 

[csantucci]

If you have the patience let these take there time.
For me they seem to not like change very much.
Change in water parameters produces more side shoots etc... other pogostemon species are similar.

I am going to give it a shot. Would love for it to fill the back right corner. I'm hopeful. Seems to want to grow.

 

[csantucci]

Just some pics and new plants. Cuphea may stunt the tips and p. Erectus is still trying to make up its mind.... Grow or stunt. Didlipis and Rotala vietnam are starting to look good.

 

[Greggz]

Tank looks better and better every time I see it.

Plants look very healthy and beautifully presented.

Very, very nice work.

 

[csantucci]

Tank looks better and better every time I see it.

Plants look very healthy and beautifully presented.

Very, very nice work.

Thanks Greggz. I have learned a ton from you, burr, pikez, and others. Keep up the good work. Y'all have made this forum a plethora of knowledge!