75 gallon Planted Office Tank Journal

Best to ask around for vendors who folks think is best and then also from classified from local hobbyists or on line, folks give nicer, healither stuff than most vendors.

Here's the how to mod for the needle wheel:

resizedDIYneedlewheel2.jpg


needlewheelDIY1.jpg


Feed CO2 into suction side, done.



Regards,
Tom Barr
 
What a fantastic thread! A few things I would have done differently, mostly because I am a DIYer, but I have learned SO much (especially from all the links provided). You are doing a great job so far & I hope it continues that way!

Have you checked out the PAR thread by Hoppy? It is one of the most helpful things I have ever seen! I would definitely recommend not using all 3 lights, at least not in the beginning for sure. 2 would be more than enough to grow nearly anything you want & less is more after all, I learned that the hard way. :D

Still have film on the surface? It is normal in planted tanks from what I have seen/read. Good flow helps, my snails seem to like to much on it too.

I am also curious of others opinion of flourite (black sand in particular).

I just want to say I am also a newbie plant keeper & my main planted tank has been a big failure, so far but not for long! The minimal success I have had is directly because of advice from Tom Barr so just keep listening to him. :D I have done a lot more research and plan to implement everything I have learned as soon as I get back from vacation!

:popcorn:
 
myswtsins said:
Still have film on the surface? It is normal in planted tanks from what I have seen/read. Good flow helps, my snails seem to like to much on it too.
Click to expand...

I also had surface film. Increasing surface agitation helps to reduce/remove it, but that also causes you to gas off CO2 faster so you may have to increase CO2.

Mollies like to munch on it too, ever since I got a pair of platinum sailfin mollies I have never had any more surface film. :thm:
 
plantbrain said:
Here's the how to mod for the needle wheel:

resizedDIYneedlewheel2.jpg



Feed CO2 into suction side, done.

Regards,
Tom Barr
Click to expand...

I guess I am going to have to try this, I dont like to disappoint. I never really understood what you meant by cutting the blades, but those photos are perfect! I finally "get" it. Are these pics new for my thread, or part of a DIY step-by-step you made up? I think alot of people could benefit from those simple photos.

Regarding the plants, I did ask around, and I like my vendor. The first shipping delay was because I asked for a delay, and this current delay should be short, and I think I will get better plants because of it. It will be better in the long run, I am only complaining because it is the next big step and I am like a little kid waiting to "see" what the tank looks like planted. There are few things us old guys (29) get excited about, and for me (this week), it's the thought of 65 plants showing up.

Also, I need an excuse to add another few pages of pictures to my little thread here. Expect ALOT of pics of me planting. :thm:
 
myswtsins said:
What a fantastic thread! A few things I would have done differently, mostly because I am a DIYer, but I have learned SO much (especially from all the links provided). You are doing a great job so far & I hope it continues that way!
Click to expand...

I think that is my best comment yet (for stroking my ego)! :D Thanks!

myswtsins said:
Have you checked out the PAR thread by Hoppy? It is one of the most helpful things I have ever seen! I would definitely recommend not using all 3 lights, at least not in the beginning for sure. 2 would be more than enough to grow nearly anything you want & less is more after all, I learned that the hard way. :D
Click to expand...

I have not read it in detail yet. I plan on doing this before the plants come in, so I am ready. That means probably I will dive into this tomorrow. Today, I reviewed (again), many threads and posts and links about fertilizer. I want to be sure I "get" it, so I can keep it simple and safe. I think I am good here. :thumbsup:

myswtsins said:
Still have film on the surface? It is normal in planted tanks from what I have seen/read. Good flow helps, my snails seem to like to much on it too.:popcorn:
Click to expand...

I honestly think the film I am seeing is extremely fine particals left over from adding eco-complete. If you remember from my first posts in this thread, I did NOT use the clarifier packets that some with EC, because I had ZERO cloudiness and virutally crystal clear water after filling the tank. After a day, however, there was this film I am talking about, and I think had I added the clarifier, it might have binded (bound?) to this ultra fine haze, allowing it to sink and/or be sucked into the canister filter. This is just a theory. It is not from plants, since at the time, there were no plants in the tank. When I do my first really big water change (soon), I think I can cut the film down by 50%, but as you know, sucking the very top layer of water is hard without breaking the suction. I would need some sort of overflow box for that I think.

Again, thank you for the kind words. I was hoping from the start that this thread could benefit other people, and not just end up a short-lived vanity project.
 
The film in planted tanks comment was not inferring that the plants cause the film but because planted tanks (co2 injected) have very little surface agitation & that causes the film. :)

Be care with agitating the surface at night, it causes great fluctuations in the CO2 and that makes algae. Try it if you like, some people do this and have success but I've read a lot of responses from highly revered people that this is not a good idea.
 
Silicone tubing pulled off the bubble counter for the second morning in a row. There is just NOT a good way to get silicone tubing on these glass beetle counters easily and safely. It is not that they are too delicate, actually, I smacked mine off the top of the light hood this morning, and it was fine. These things are built pretty thick. But at the same time, they do no taper the glass where tubing needs to slide on. I again heated up the tubing with my heat gun, jammed a pen down inside it to stretch it out (this works pretty well), and then jammed it onto the glass. This seems to work well in day, but I am pretty sure I will find it has slipped off again tomorrow morning. At least I am not running co2 at night, so there is no co2 loss.

Even though this bubble counter works well at counting bubbles, is pretty to look at, and is fairly sturdy for a piece of glass, I dont think I can recommend it to anyone for the sheer PITA of installing it. Sorry Green Leaf Aquariums...
 
geekpryde said:
Silicone tubing pulled off the bubble counter for the second morning in a row. There is just NOT a good way to get silicone tubing on these glass beetle counters easily and safely. It is not that they are too delicate, actually, I smacked mine off the top of the light hood this morning, and it was fine. These things are built pretty thick. But at the same time, they do no taper the glass where tubing needs to slide on. I again heated up the tubing with my heat gun, jammed a pen down inside it to stretch it out (this works pretty well), and then jammed it onto the glass. This seems to work well in day, but I am pretty sure I will find it has slipped off again tomorrow morning. At least I am not running co2 at night, so there is no co2 loss.

Even though this bubble counter works well at counting bubbles, is pretty to look at, and is fairly sturdy for a piece of glass, I dont think I can recommend it to anyone for the sheer PITA of installing it. Sorry Green Leaf Aquariums...
Click to expand...

Where did u get the tubing from? Also did you contact Orlando at GLA about your problem? He is very helpful.
 
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