58g Planted w/overflow and sump
- Thread starter myswtsins
- Start date
Yes, both lights running the demo mode at the same time, well maybe a couple seconds apart cause it's tricky with 2 sensors.
I did a little research and math to get a VERY rough idea of what the par is for one light through out the cycle. I get about 7 hours of usable light (above 15 par) and 5 hours of my target light (above 30). Now that is a single light, this is 2 lights but spread out and so I might have a high light band through the middle of the tank..... I think I will just run them both in 24/7 simultaneously and see how it goes. Not yet though, still breaking in the crypts.
I have some hornwort and ancharis coming this week to get some fast growers in there. Wish I had more though, like floaters but with the over flow that's hard. Might make a floating ring though so I can have some floaters to start. Sorry just kinda thinking it through here.
I did a little research and math to get a VERY rough idea of what the par is for one light through out the cycle. I get about 7 hours of usable light (above 15 par) and 5 hours of my target light (above 30). Now that is a single light, this is 2 lights but spread out and so I might have a high light band through the middle of the tank..... I think I will just run them both in 24/7 simultaneously and see how it goes. Not yet though, still breaking in the crypts.
I have some hornwort and ancharis coming this week to get some fast growers in there. Wish I had more though, like floaters but with the over flow that's hard. Might make a floating ring though so I can have some floaters to start. Sorry just kinda thinking it through here.
Most of the crypts that I planted the 1st and 2nd day are looking really perky and happy. The ones I planted the 3rd day and yesterday are much less happy. lol Almost every leaf of the hudoroi has some degree of melt though but it was the roughest to begin with. I threw a piece of wood in there that I knew would sink just for you Nancy! 
-Metricide, needle valves and CO2 check valves arrived today (and my new cell phone case lol)
-Doser is down to $65, might pull the trigger!
-Pretty sure I have everything but some fittings to build a closed loop cerges reactor
-Currently still only adding 5ml excel (bottle is almost empty though!!) and no ferts. Figured I will wait till the stems get here to start adding them
-Running the lights for about 5 hours of varying intensities.
pH - 8.2
TDS - 150
KH - 9.5
GH - 7
Phosphates - 0.25 Maybe
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 10 (must be coming from the used substrate, not enough plant die off or snails)
I just liked the color so I took a picture (everything is still out of place, yes. )
Melting hudoroi
A little blurry but I love this Nurii!
A few pieces of boiled wood! After 30 minutes the water was this brown. I've never seen it so brown! Tempted to add some to my 72g as a little blackwater extract.
-Metricide, needle valves and CO2 check valves arrived today (and my new cell phone case lol)
-Doser is down to $65, might pull the trigger!
-Pretty sure I have everything but some fittings to build a closed loop cerges reactor
-Currently still only adding 5ml excel (bottle is almost empty though!!) and no ferts. Figured I will wait till the stems get here to start adding them
-Running the lights for about 5 hours of varying intensities.
pH - 8.2
TDS - 150
KH - 9.5
GH - 7
Phosphates - 0.25 Maybe
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 10 (must be coming from the used substrate, not enough plant die off or snails)
I just liked the color so I took a picture (everything is still out of place, yes. )
Melting hudoroi
A little blurry but I love this Nurii!
A few pieces of boiled wood! After 30 minutes the water was this brown. I've never seen it so brown! Tempted to add some to my 72g as a little blackwater extract.
Thank you for adding the wood! 
I love the nurii too, a nice sized patch & bucephalandras look good too (what kind?). Like I said hudorii is pretty easy for me, I'm sure it'll be fine & you have lots.
I wonder about the "blackwater extract" idea, I like it. It'd be cool if you did a measured dosing experiment & see what it does to pH & TDS (just the facts, maam) ...& general tank happiness (subjective
)...& how long it might last with &/or without water changes. That needs a new thread
I love the nurii too, a nice sized patch & bucephalandras look good too (what kind?). Like I said hudorii is pretty easy for me, I'm sure it'll be fine & you have lots.
I wonder about the "blackwater extract" idea, I like it. It'd be cool if you did a measured dosing experiment & see what it does to pH & TDS (just the facts, maam) ...& general tank happiness (subjective
)...& how long it might last with &/or without water changes. That needs a new thread
I got better wood coming too. I found that boiling it a couple hours then letting it just sit in the hot water overnight sinks it right away! Unfortunately I can't completely submerge any piece of wood in my turkey roaster. lol
No idea on buce species'.
Shame I don't have any blackwater species anymore. I wonder if I added some sort of bacterial inhibitor (excel maybe?) how long I could store the black water??
No idea on buce species'.
Shame I don't have any blackwater species anymore. I wonder if I added some sort of bacterial inhibitor (excel maybe?) how long I could store the black water??
SO sleepy but wanted to give a quick non-photo update. (just for my own records even)
- Melting increasing but mostly just the hudoroi
- Doser arrived today (haven't even looked at it though)
- Small box of free, besides shipping, hornwort and anacharis also arrived today. Came from a pond so I did a quick bleach dip. There is definitely hair algae but it seemed to mostly fall off after the dip. hopfully dead. Did not get the plants into the tank tonight.
- Did my first dose of Metricide today at 2.25ml
- Was planning to add ferts now but tested the water first...
ammonia - 0.25 to .50
nitrates - 10
phosphates - .25 to .50
Most likely coming from the dying crypts, so I decided not to dose anything but metricide today.
- I love these lights!
- Melting increasing but mostly just the hudoroi
- Doser arrived today (haven't even looked at it though)
- Small box of free, besides shipping, hornwort and anacharis also arrived today. Came from a pond so I did a quick bleach dip. There is definitely hair algae but it seemed to mostly fall off after the dip. hopfully dead. Did not get the plants into the tank tonight.
- Did my first dose of Metricide today at 2.25ml
- Was planning to add ferts now but tested the water first...
ammonia - 0.25 to .50
nitrates - 10
phosphates - .25 to .50
Most likely coming from the dying crypts, so I decided not to dose anything but metricide today.
- I love these lights!
Well.... I guess the hornwort and anacharis hated the bleach dip? Cause they are almost completely disintegrated! I did a very light bleach solution for only 5 seconds and a double rinse afterwards but that's the only thing I can think of that would have destroyed them SO fast. I've never had luck with anacharis actually and hornwort is a known shedder but this is not what happened. So there is a few pieces left from what was a PACKED small rate box. 
So, trying to get my hands on some more cheap/free plants asap. Fingers crossed!
-Did not dose Metricide yesterday
but did today at 2.25ml again.
-Only about a 1/3 of the hudoroi leaves are left and only a handful of them are completely intact untouched leaves. Other crypts doing pretty well though still just a leaf or two melted sp far, surprisingly.
-Water is a bit cloudy, I assume from the dying leaves though.
-Started looking into what fish I might get, found some interesting choices that I don't normally hear about but that means I probably won't be able to find them either. :/
I took a couple pictures today just don't have them with me to upload atm.
So, trying to get my hands on some more cheap/free plants asap. Fingers crossed!
-Did not dose Metricide yesterday
but did today at 2.25ml again.-Only about a 1/3 of the hudoroi leaves are left and only a handful of them are completely intact untouched leaves. Other crypts doing pretty well though still just a leaf or two melted sp far, surprisingly.
-Water is a bit cloudy, I assume from the dying leaves though.
-Started looking into what fish I might get, found some interesting choices that I don't normally hear about but that means I probably won't be able to find them either. :/
I took a couple pictures today just don't have them with me to upload atm.
Oh, I've read anacharis is 1 of the Excel haters, along w/vallisneria (but there may be more!). Both it & hornworts are often happier at lower temps too...especially if pond grown. They may recover, good luck!
(you do know "Metricide" is a bit stronger than "Excel"?...that might be adding to the effect)
(you do know "Metricide" is a bit stronger than "Excel"?...that might be adding to the effect)
