10 gallon redo

Blaxicanlatino · 03-14-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Byron

You have algae problems because the light is too intense to balance the nutrients for what the plants can use, in a nutshell.

Now to specifics. Reducing the light intensity will help a lot, so that is the first step which you've already decided.

There is also a problem with your additives; you do not need Excel, what it is doing is throwing the nutrients/light out of balance even more. Plus, when you use it sporadically it harms the plants. Excel is a carbon supplement, and plants need a steady supply of carbon every day or they cannot photosynthesize. As Tom Barr has expertly pointed out elsewhere, variations in CO2/carbon impedes the plant's ability to photosynthesize. Just as you can grow healthy plants without CO2 diffusion, so you can do it without Excel which is the same basic thing, carbon, only in a different form. Stop adding Excel and it will also help the algae problem.

As for the other nutrients, in Flourish, once a week should be sufficient to balance your light (when it is reduced) and fish load (nitrogen and CO2 come from the fish and biological processes). But dose it the day after a water change; chances are you are using a water conditioner that detoxifies heavy metals, and some heavy metals are required plant micro-nutrients: iron, copper, zinc, manganese and nickel. I contacted Seachem on this, and was advised that Prime (and other conditioners that detoxify metals) would make the nutrients in Flourish ineffective. But using Flourish 24 hours later is fine, since Prime only detoxifies for about 24 hours.

Follow this and your balance will be established between light and nutrients, and algae will not be a problem.

Byron.

wow thats amazing!!! brilliant research! i never knew excel was part of the damage of my tank! i was always told that you cant go wrong with excel. i will make changes immediately! soon as i get bulbs of course. I will go with two 7 watt soft white bulb X2. what should be the kelvin? should it be full spectrum?

thats very interesting about the the ferts a day after cleaning! wow it almsot seems like info changed when i first started fish keeping 0_0. i guess its true that one never stops learning.

ps in yall opinion, should i change the gravel to sand? my tank looks so ugly right now X(

Angel079 · 03-14-2010, 04:50 PM

I'd def add full spectrum; ideally you'd want 6500K.

Post a pic of your tank let's see

About he excel/ ferts in general look at my aquarium log here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/p...hp?userid=1029 these are my set ups no one there receives any added co2 nor ferts. Due to algae issues in the start of my new 55g I had added a comprehensive fert there but also stoped that over 2 weeks ago in the hops it would slow down growth (which it didn't). I agree in some cases of source water (tap) you need to add a liquid ferts. But most important in a tank set up is BALANCE and done well you'll have results like my set ups w/out use of ferts

Blaxicanlatino · 03-14-2010, 04:52 PM

i posted some pics on the first page of this thread ^_^. i will check at the link. i gotta head out for about an hour so i will check it when i get back

Byron · 03-14-2010, 05:05 PM

I would use full spectrum or enhanced daylight bulbs. The kelvin around 6500K indicates the colour (full spectrum, daylight) and is a good balance of red and blue with green for a natural colour rendition.

I am not a fan of sand because of the issues it can have, but that does not mean it won't work, it obviously will. It just takes a bit more understanding and possibly maintenance to ensure it remains healthy, and not every aquarist is so inclined so I generally recommend small gravel. I actually have a bag of dark grey "play sand" that I intend to use for my empty 20g to set up a realistic Rio Negro biotope, just haven't got around to it. Main obstacle is the light, I don't have any fixture, so this I must buy and they are not inexpensive.

We never stop learning, I know I don't. But that is a big part of the enjoyment, learning more and more.

Byron.

redchigh · 03-14-2010, 05:21 PM

just to reiterate, DO NOT BUY WARM WHITE.
look for "cool white" or "daylight"
Plants like 6500K cool white/daylight.

Algae like warm white. (I used to have incandescents over a tank, and they're similiar to warm white in that they're heavy in the red. Trust me, I could grow algae like nothing you've ever seen! Plants would die after a week in my tank.)

Angel079 · 03-14-2010, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blaxicanlatino

i posted some pics on the first page of this thread ^_^. i will check at the link. i gotta head out for about an hour so i will check it when i get back

Of cause 'beauty' is always a matter of who looks at a tank - But was this my tank I'd exchange it for either a dark fine river rock mix (the various dark brown colors mixed) or black fine gravel or alternatively black sand. I'm honestly just not a big fan of unnatural colors in fish tanks may that be the "mardi gras" pebbles mix with the hot pink/yellow plastic flowers or any color along these lines.

Angel079 · 03-14-2010, 06:49 PM

Not to hijack the thread but @Byron

Interesting dark gray playsand hadn't seen that before where do you find that? If/ When you set it up I can really only recommend to add some MTS to your set up I always go for at least 5MTS per 10g sand tank - Does wonders believe me (or don't lol) Byron.
Are you on the look out for just a new light strip or a whole new hood? Was I you and did I have a empty 20g here's what I'd buy and that's fairly decent priced IMO (thou I do NOT know the Canadian/ US $ exchange rate)

Either glass top and this light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Single-...26212+C33.aspx
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...33160+C33.aspx
Or this hood incl light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...20120+C33.aspx

Well if it was as simple as Plan A how to set up a tank do it, let sit don't touch - That would not be too much fun would it now - The great part of this hobby's excitement IMO is the forever going change of things I still remember where using lots t5 and UGF was the kicker and look where we are now.

Blaxicanlatino · 03-14-2010, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angel079

Not to hijack the thread but @Byron

Interesting dark gray playsand hadn't seen that before where do you find that? If/ When you set it up I can really only recommend to add some MTS to your set up I always go for at least 5MTS per 10g sand tank - Does wonders believe me (or don't lol) Byron.
Are you on the look out for just a new light strip or a whole new hood? Was I you and did I have a empty 20g here's what I'd buy and that's fairly decent priced IMO (thou I do NOT know the Canadian/ US $ exchange rate)

Either glass top and this light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Single-...26212+C33.aspx
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...33160+C33.aspx
Or this hood incl light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...20120+C33.aspx

Well if it was as simple as Plan A how to set up a tank do it, let sit don't touch - That would not be too much fun would it now - The great part of this hobby's excitement IMO is the forever going change of things I still remember where using lots t5 and UGF was the kicker and look where we are now.

i already have a tank with black sand already. and other recommendations?

Byron · 03-14-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blaxicanlatino

i already have a tank with black sand already. and other recommendations?

Dark brown is OK, or a dark gray [thinking of the fish, but these also look nice, though I think black and gray are better (less distracting) for me than brown]. I have the common natural gravel in my 115g and 70g, and the black/gray mix in the 90g. The same fish with both substrates have more colour and are out more with the black/gray, proving that substrate colour does make a difference. I had these fish (wild-caught characins) in the former 70g, now the present 90g, and noticed the difference within a day of moving them. You can see photos of both tanks to compare.

Byron · 03-14-2010, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angel079

Not to hijack the thread but @Byron

Interesting dark gray playsand hadn't seen that before where do you find that? If/ When you set it up I can really only recommend to add some MTS to your set up I always go for at least 5MTS per 10g sand tank - Does wonders believe me (or don't lol) Byron.
Are you on the look out for just a new light strip or a whole new hood? Was I you and did I have a empty 20g here's what I'd buy and that's fairly decent priced IMO (thou I do NOT know the Canadian/ US $ exchange rate)

Either glass top and this light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Single-...26212+C33.aspx
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...33160+C33.aspx
Or this hood incl light
https://www.petsolutions.com/Perfect...20120+C33.aspx

Well if it was as simple as Plan A how to set up a tank do it, let sit don't touch - That would not be too much fun would it now - The great part of this hobby's excitement IMO is the forever going change of things I still remember where using lots t5 and UGF was the kicker and look where we are now.

Home Depot in Canada had the grey play sand, and I gather from elsewhere that is is very close to the Rio Negro sand. Haven't set it up yet. Light I must explore more, just did a cursory look in a couple stores, the hood and single tube fixture is $85 here. For this small a tank, and wanting minimal light as in the Rio Nego, I'm going to look at CFL too. There will be no filter. Tons of plants, sand, heater, minimal light, chunks of wood. Exact replica of the Rio Negro; might even try dried oak leaves from my oak tree.

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