Hydrogen Sulfide, and Ferts with Shrimp...

20 posts • Page 2 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


Tmercier834747
 
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Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

so a1, did you go 100% diy or get a glass diffuser or something and go from there..? I'm looking into ADA stuff. It looks spendy but precise..


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I don't know if these red lotus plants are bulb or not. The 2 small plants I got didn't have bulbs but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't grow them because I think it's similar to a lilly and that has bulbs.


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

well i went all diy i think eventually when i have the money for a nice automatic setup i will go for that but it seems to be working.....


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I want to get my co2 going again but I've been too lazy to make a new cap for the co2 container.

I just bought some Mondo Grass from Petco and it looks pretty nice. I've got hair grass, microsword, red lotus, bannana plant, anubias nana, anubias bartari, some kind of sword with red highlights, amazon sword, cambota, java moss, and java fern as well as a couple other unknown plants.


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

so do you literally ''count'' your bubbles PK that go through a glass diffuser or just kind've get things as optimal as possible using well...your best guess, with a valve? I think I heard you mention something about letting your bubbles out by your filter intake so they'd be shot back into the tank as micro bubbles. That seems like a good idea..would it harm bene bacteria in my filter though? I guess it'd be taking in o2 as well so maybe not..


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I actually have a Rena Filstar XP3 and I put a hole in the top of the priming cap, near the filter intake, and glues air tubing into there. The co2 goes through the whole filter and ends up very fine bubbles. I can see sort of how fast co2's flowing because I just have the co2 line form a U shape with some water in it. It's real simple.


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

What you need to do is check your pH before hooking up the co2, and then check it after the co2 runs for a while. The pH went down in my tank from 8.0 to 6.3. If you don't add any pH buffers you can use the kH and pH and use a formula to get the co2 in PPM. I got mine pretty close to the ideal of 30ppm last time. I haven't checked this time.


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

by zambize

This is probably not helpful with your planted tank, but I have lots of fairly stationary items in my 37 gallon so I just prod the soil periodically with my fingers. This way nothing builds up under there. For the few rooted plants I have, I just gently press/push the soil around them. Obviously, very gently and not such that it packs the soil.... For dense plantings I wonder if you could use something very long and small in diameter, like a coat hanger wire, to aerate the soil around, and below, your plants, periodically.

Z


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

Depends. I would probably try using the coat hanger, actually remove all the big things and do a super gravel clean once in a while. If you have well rooted-in roots you can just avoid disturbing the gravel around the roots and stir up all the rest. Then replace the big rocks and plastic foliage.

I like to move some of my plants around, so my plants in the 100 gallon low light tank get uprooted and even pull some of the plants growing on wood off the wood sometimes.

I stir up all my gravel in my low light 100 gallon tank that has my gars. There is an undergravel filter and 2 huge powerheads that pull water through about 4 inches of med/small rounded gravel.

I will stir up all the gravel till the water is filthy. Then let the gunk all settle and then suck it off the surface with a siphon.

I remove all the plants about once a year and prune the old, algae covered, and torn leaves before replanting.


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

I'm not really looking forward to a vigorous stir of my gravel. lol I never washed it (black flourite sand) so its really chalky and full of charcoal-ish grey sediment. Other than MTS's, the initial planting (all the plants are live btw), and removing excess runners and plants, the sand hasn't been stirred at all. Had I gravel I wouldn't have to worry about these sulfur pockets.

The sand is just getting too compact I guess. Maybe if I give it a really good stir as you suggest it'll give the MTS's a bit more freedom of movement, it's probably too compact for them to get around easily in alll 2.5'' deep. The corys do a great job of keeping the surface clean, but they only dig their noses in about 1/4", max - which is probably the only reason they're still alive. lol

The coat hanger is a nice idea Z, maybe with something that low impact I won't have to worry about my tank being cloudy for 3 days. Even with overfiltration that sediment really hangs around..

Hydrogen Sulfide, and Ferts with Shrimp...

20 posts • Page 2 of 2

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