First pressurized tank

[orangeguardguy]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum. I've been happily gawking at all the beautiful tanks here for a couple of days and now I'm ready to start my tank thread.

The tank is a standard 29g. 30 x 12 x 18
Substrate is a mix of stuff I had lying around. First layer was some fertilizer tabs and capsules and laterite. Second layer was a bit of eco-complete, third layer was organic potting soil, and then topped with flourite black sand.
Lights are coralife t5ho 24" with two 6700k 24w bulbs over a glass top
CO2 is a 10 lb cannister with regulator/solonoid/bubble counter/needle valve/co2 proof tubing
Filtration is an eheim ECCO 2232

Plants I have/would like to use are:
Sagittaria subulata
Echinodorus amazonicus
Cryptocoryne Parva
Anubias barteri var. nana
Fissidens fontanus
Hygrophila species 'Araguaia'
Cryptocoryne wendtii Tropica
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Staurogyne repens
Rotala species 'Singapore'
Elatine triandra

I don't currently have fish plans although my lfs has some nice steel blue apistos that check me out every time I visit.

Here's a shot of the tank after I initially set it up with a few plants. I used small river stone to anchor the manzanita until I could get the substrate in. I'm thinking of removing the small stones and putting more black sand in that area to create a sort of hill for the staurogyne to grow.

Things will be shuffled around this weekend after the new plants have arrived.

 

[Redseareefer]

Looking good. I like how the tank has a lot of open space right now! How many times did you have to rinse the fluorite before adding it?

 

[orangeguardguy]

I didn't rinse it at all actually.

 

[orangeguardguy]

I just installed my co2 system. I'm at ~50 psi on the first gauge and 5 on the second. My bubble counter is at 1 bubble per second. I have a cheap red sea drop checker but I read its instructions and used tank water before I found that is incorrect to do so. I'll make a proper solution this weekend.

While installing the system I struggled with the pressure and it was pretty intense at one point. I noticed a tiny pond snail racing to the top of the tank and I pulled him out. Hoping there's not eggs on any of the new plants floating in the tank. Otherwise I see assassin snails in my future.

I hope I'm doing all this correctly. It's really challenging since I'm no good at math or science but I'm trying to learn.

 

[dutchy]

Hi,

I like the setup but I shouldn't use that much different plants as you're planning, it will look messy. 1 plant species per 4 inch length of the tank is a good average.
Good plan creating a hill for the Stauro.

 

[orangeguardguy]

Thanks dutchy. I will edit some out this weekend when I get it all planted.

 

[orangeguardguy]

Re-do

I spent most of the day working on this tank and I think I will be pleased when it fills in.

Plants are:
Sagittaria subulata
Echinodorus amazonicus
Cryptocoryne Parva
Anubias barteri var. nana
Hygrophila species 'Araguaia'
Cryptocoryne wendtii Tropica
Cryptocoryne walkeri
Staurogyne repens
Rotala species 'Singapore'
Elatine triandra
Hygrophila pinnatifida

I also added MTS to aerate the deep substrate and 6 RCS.

 

[orangeguardguy]

This week I removed some of the dwarf sag in the back and replaced it with some vallisneria. I also added some moss that was given to me as flame moss but it looks more like christmas moss.

Still following EI dosing while I figure out my CO2. I'm doing a 6 hour photo period for now.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I like the look and will look better once the plants have some time to grow in...

That said, the rock color on the right is totally distracting. Can you get a rock like that but the same color as the others to the left?

Sorry, looks like an egg of some type....

 

[dutchy]

Sorry, looks like an egg of some type....

A dino egg You could also just remove it.

Rocks should always be of the same kind, structure and colour. (wood too)

 

[orangeguardguy]

Haha! It's a raptor egg!

That rock is going to get covered in riccia or fissidens so you won't see the color. I don't really mind it as it is and I'd have to dig through my stuff and find another one of the same shape since it's holding up the wood. I'll see what I can find in the garage. I've acquired so much over the years its hard to remember exactly whats there.

 

[orangeguardguy]

Tank Update

I had some diatoms and a fuzzy algae I couldn't identify. I think this happened because I lowered CO2 to adjust after adding my first fish. He was gasping after a full day of light and CO2 on so I added an airstone and he recovered overnight.

To help get rid of the algae I couldn't remove I added amano shrimp, more RCS, and otos. I also added Oryzias woworae. After two days in the tank all of the fish except the ricefish were gasping and not doing well so I turned CO2 off completely. This morning all the fish have recovered.

I still haven't made my solution for my drop checker but I will do that tomorrow.

How else can I add oxygen for the fish other than converting to a wet dry filter? I'm currently running a cannister which provides adequate flow but obviously not enough oxygen. I'm thinking of turning the output more vertical to create more surface ripple. I'm just not sure what else to do at this point. I don't want to go without CO2 but I don't want to have a tank without any fish either.

Also every bit of elotine melted away. This happened to me before in a previous tank but it came back and made a very thick carpet. I don't have any more to replant and I don't see any on aquabid for sale. My LFS is out as well.

 

[Left C]

... How else can I add oxygen for the fish other than converting to a wet dry filter? I'm currently running a canister which provides adequate flow but obviously not enough oxygen. I'm thinking of turning the output more vertical to create more surface ripple. I'm just not sure what else to do at this point. I don't want to go without CO2 but I don't want to have a tank without any fish either. ...

You need to get your drop checker with a correct solution going ASAP. This way you will have a good approximation of your CO[SUB]2[/SUB] level.

You can run the CO[SUB]2[/SUB] when the lights are on and the airstone when the lights are off or something similar. Coralife has some timer/power strips that when one piece of equipment is on, the other is off and vice versa.
Coralife timers
single timer: http://www.bigalspets.com/fish/lighting/power-center-day-night-timer.html
twin timer: http://www.bigalspets.com/fish/lighting/power-center-dual-day-night-timer.html

 

[orangeguardguy]

You need to get your drop checker with a correct solution going ASAP. This way you will have a good approximation of your CO[SUB]2[/SUB] level.

You can run the CO[SUB]2[/SUB] when the lights are on and the airstone when the lights are off or something similar. Coralife has some timer/power strips that when one piece of equipment is on, the other is off and vice versa.
Coralife timers
single timer: http://www.bigalspets.com/fish/lighting/power-center-day-night-timer.html
twin timer: http://www.bigalspets.com/fish/lighting/power-center-dual-day-night-timer.html

Yes I'm working on the solution today.

I'm already running the airstone all the time and the co2 cuts off at lights out.

 

[Left C]

Yes I'm working on the solution today.

What are you using to insure that your dKH solution is fairly accurate? I used LaMotte's KH/Alkalinity test kit to check mine instead of one by API, etc (budget KH test kits) that measures in degrees. The LaMotte kit measures in ppm instead of degrees plus it is somewhat accurate. As we know there are roughly 17.86 ppm per degree.

I'm already running the airstone all the time and the co2 cuts off at lights out.

That will work.

Some fish "freak out" when they are first exposed to higher CO[SUB]2[/SUB] levels than they are used to. This can be a false indicator of the CO[SUB]2[/SUB] level. In other words, they are telling a "white lie." So, a good CO[SUB]2[/SUB] level measuring device sure comes in handy in circumstances like you have.