Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
New 400l project
- Inza (philippe launois)
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So i decided to set up a discus tank ! Couple month ago i got a second hand clearseal 400l tank. It was used for about 8 month so i jumped on it for the price it was sold for !
It was equipped with a ehein 1000l/h external filter, 2x40w t8 aqua glo 18000k tubes and 2x300w heaters.
I decided to change, add a few thing such a a 4x54w t5 with 2x10000k tubes, 1 powerchrome midday, 1 aquaflora and 4 blue led for night effect. I also decided to switch the ehein filter for a jbl cristalprofi e1501, maybe I'll add the ehein to it as well...
As for substrate a went with Ada amazonia and jbl sansibar white.
But enough reading, here is the tank as it stand after putting on the hardscape !
I am waiting for seahorse to let me know if they can get the plants i want so i can proceed on ordering theme.
I want to thanks all the friendly members of the forum for helping me getting bit and pieces a lot cheaper than retail !
Ho want do you guys think about the light I have ? I never used any of those brand and I have no ideas how plants will react to it so any comments o0n that are welcome !
any comments what so ever in fact !
thank you all, Inza.
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- Aroshni (Lydia Olivera)
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Lydia
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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The Giesemann bulbs would be my favorite for planted tanks.
The powerchrome midday really lifts the green in plants.
While the aquaflora lifts the reds. I find the combination of both a perfect blend.
You will get a bit more pearling from the aquaflora if Co2 is added.
I don't know what the 10000k bulbs are. But they should be fine with that depth of a tank.
The blue LED's should be fine once they are not designed for coral growth (actinic). These would just give you algae.
Good luck with the new project.
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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Hope that moss works for you to and sticks to the wood we were talking about,
Pictures Pictures Pictures!!
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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The 2x10000k bulbs are the ones that came with the unit. It is a Odyssea 4x54w unit.
It is the same for the blue LED's. I believe they are made for coral growth as this unit is supposed to be for marine tank... But not sure...

would that give me an algae problem ?
As for the 2 t8 18000k bulbs, i am not too sure about that... Any ideas anyone ?
Still waiting on seahorse to confirm my order to proceed in planting ! Pictures will follow then !
Thx, Inza.
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- paulv (paul vickers)
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- pit (Piotr Urbanski)
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- LemonJelly (Johnny Cowley)
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I'm sure that if you put some microsorium, anubias, maybe bolbitis on this wood it will look good, but for now it looks like a bench in a park
a very expensive bespoke bench at least!
"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life; your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you.They're freeing your soul."
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- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
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The 18000k bulbs will give you algae.
Around 6500 kelvin is ideal for plants. I wouldn't go any higher than 10000 k for fear of algae.
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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So i am thinking of changing the 2x18000k bulbs for a day light and a colour one ( for back and front).
And here is a list of plants that i want to put in it:
Limnophila hippuridoides
Eleocharis sp.
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''
Echinodorus 'Aquartica'
Weepnig moss
Xmass moss
Marsilea hirsuta
Bacopa caroliniana
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow'
Ludwigia sp.
I also have some hygrophilia pinnatifida that will go in.
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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To be honest i am very sad and angry the way it turned out... I have spend 3 month looking at plants, layout, getting parts and all,and a all lot of sh... happens.
some of the wood started floating, my nice white sand is covered in substrate and some plants did not attached so had to put theme in my smaller tank... yep very sad...

any ideas on how to recover my nice sand, take off the substrate ?
thx, Inza.
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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- Lauris (Lauris)
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Now it looks more open and with some perspective. well done
I am planted!
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- jeff (Jeff Scully)
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For bits of wood on the bottom just use a net to pick it up, keep it very low and shake gently, hope this helps
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A life making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all.
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- paulv (paul vickers)
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- Aroshni (Lydia Olivera)
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Which leds are you using?
Lydia
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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As you guys mentioned, i believe that it looks more natural and give more space for the fishes to swim.
I was pissed off after spending so much time and effort into it, but after a second thought, i think it will be better for the habitants.
Aroshni, i do not know what type of led it is as they came with the unit. It is a odyssea 4x54w t5 unit.
Here is a picture with all plants added, i just need to stuff some moss into the different rocks...
Thank you again for for advices, comments !
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- Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire)
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- pit (Piotr Urbanski)
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Looks good, except stone on the right (over the wood). I would put it on the same place where now is flat white one but in vertical position (behind temometer) or just remove it.
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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That stone is used to keep the piece of from floating, and the sponges to avoid any scratches

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- anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
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It is always stressfull to start a tank but drawbacks are part of the game that s how we learn !
If we knew everything it will get boring.
My wife usually stays away from me when i start a new tank too much swearing and getting pissed off.
Your tank is beautifull at the end of the day and it will look amazing with the fishes in it.
Anthony
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- paulv (paul vickers)
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- anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
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could you tell me where you got the stones from they look ideal for my new shrimp tank, the sulawesi shrimps would love the nooks and crannies in them.
thanks
anthony
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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Sorry i had not much time the last few weeks but here is an update on my tank so far.
@Anthonyd, the stones are common dragon stone that you can find in any lfs i suppose. I hand picked mine in seahorse,as the one that were in display where not big enough

So after 2 1/2 week in water, Amonia start to decrease quite a lot, so i think an other 2 weeks just to be safe and i can start with a cleaning crew ! hopefully...
All my HC died but at least colours starts to pop out

A few plants started dying like the vallisneria spiralis and the bacopa caroliniana...but they seems to come back !
Co2 is set at 2bb/sec for about 7h.
Moss starting to attach !
I bought a Blau drop checker and the solution to go with it but i have no clue about how am i suppose to use it. I read the instruction but the solution stay white... Any help welcome !
So what do you guys think so far ?
Thx, Inza.
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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- Gonefishy (Brian oneill)
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Hi guy's
Sorry i had not much time the last few weeks but here is an update on my tank so far.
@Anthonyd, the stones are common dragon stone that you can find in any lfs i suppose. I hand picked mine in seahorse,as the one that were in display where not big enough
So after 2 1/2 week in water, Amonia start to decrease quite a lot, so i think an other 2 weeks just to be safe and i can start with a cleaning crew ! hopefully...
All my HC died but at least colours starts to pop out
A few plants started dying like the vallisneria spiralis and the bacopa caroliniana...but they seems to come back !
Co2 is set at 2bb/sec for about 7h.
Moss starting to attach !
I bought a Blau drop checker and the solution to go with it but i have no clue about how am i suppose to use it. I read the instruction but the solution stay white... Any help welcome !
So what do you guys think so far ?
Thx, Inza.
Hi Inza.
Should be straightforward enough. 1 drop of the bromine pH solution into the drop checker and fill the ball up to 1/2 or 3/4 with water...the liquid will automatically turn in colour...then carefully turn it ball side up....you want the drop checker solution to be green in colour which will indicate you've got a good amount of co2 in the tank. Too little and it will be blueish in colour and yellow colour will indicate too much co2. Ideally you should be adding water with a hardness of 4dkH which you can make or buy.....you don't really need it though as the difference without will only be in the shades of blue, yellow or green you get....hope this helps....attached a pic of the orientation of how it should be mounted in tank....
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- Inza (philippe launois)
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- Esoxluciouss (denis goulding)
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Very Very impressive..really love the colours in your tank, so peaceful.
The plants seem to be going from strnght to strenght.
Looking forward to future updates.
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- Stem12 (Stephen M)
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