Help 90g, Dutch style, first try

[riioKen]

i've found a site that make co2 reactor, seems reliable. What you think about this one?

Reactor met ontluchtingsventiel, basis uitvoering 63 mm | CO2reactor.nl

De reactor heeft 2 slangaansluitingen en een aansluiting voor de CO2 slang. Dit is een 4/6 mm opsteekkoppeling met knelring. Met een diameter van 63 mm en een hoogte 35 cm is dit het basis model. Deze reactor kent diverse uitbreidings- en aanpassingsmogelijkheden. De getoonde foto is inclusief...

www.co2reactor.nl

84€ filled with sera siphorax

 

[riioKen]

How do you understand when its time (or right time) to increase photoperiod time(or intensity or both)?

This is my 3 weeks at 4h (+ 30m sunrise + 30m sunset. 5h total) of photoperiod at 50% intensity.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I usually start with 6 hours, then graduate to 8 hours if things are doing well. Start first week at 50%, up 10% each week as long as things look good. I run my Twinstar at 80% and an hour of the day at 100%

 

[riioKen]

I usually start with 6 hours, then graduate to 8 hours if things are doing well. Start first week at 50%, up 10% each week as long as things look good. I run my Twinstar at 80% and an hour of the day at 100%

Ok thanks. Tomorrow I'll increase 1h the photoperiod (in the 6h, you consider the 30m sunrise and 30m sunset? Or you add it to the total photoperiod?).

Next 1 or 2 week, I'll increase intensity, maybe I aim to 70% then before increasing again photoperiod?

Probably its still a debate, but photoperiod vs intensity, which one matters more?

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Ok thanks. Tomorrow I'll increase 1h the photoperiod (in the 6h, you consider the 30m sunrise and 30m sunset? Or you add it to the total photoperiod?).

Next 1 or 2 week, I'll increase intensity, maybe I aim to 70% then before increasing again photoperiod?

Probably its still a debate, but photoperiod vs intensity, which one matters more?

Yeah include it but some don’t. I think the question of photoperiod and intensity isn’t a simple answer and really depends on the plants you’re growing. But the greater the intensity, the margin for error is certainly higher, and too long a photoperiod can amplify those issues

 

[BigWave]

i've found a site that make co2 reactor, seems reliable. What you think about this one?

This looks like a great professional build. Id buy one in a heartbeat. Wish that site were over here

 

[Burr740]

Meh, Id have serious concerns about that reactor. Ive built a few with almost the identical structure and twice as big. They didnt work very well. This is just one of many

If where the co2 enters is just a wide open hole on the back side, thats a problem. Probably not for 2-3 bps but once you start pumping a steady stream theres going to be a big bubble at the top. They are too short and too narrow to be effective vertical like that, with co2 entering like that.

Those ceramic rings are good eye candy but they actually dont help much. Ive made a few with and without them back in the day. Plus they quickly get dirty as S**t. Might as well plan on cleaning the reactor every time you clean the canister or you'll be flowing your water through a nasty gunk tunnel. Did somebody say dissolved organics? Oh that was algae on plant 7 calling for another dish

It looks like they tried to make a quality product so Im not trying to hate on them. But its a poor design for handling large amounts of co2. But most folks over there dont inject near the co2 we(I) do. And if you look at the tanks that are running them in the foto gallery, they might as well be low tech.

Youre better off with the Sera with a diffuser behind it, or even the Sera by itself...trust me

 

[riioKen]

Ok, guys plants arrived and planted. Very healthy and very thick (insanely thick imo)

Question about CO2 and pens.

I have 2 phmeter, 1 Chinese from Amazon with 3 point calibration (4.01, 6.86, 9.18) and the other ph600 from Milwaukee. Testing both with a liquid stabilized at pH 7.00, the Chinese one (pancellent water quality meter) gives me 7.04 as reading, the Milwaukee gives me 7.1 (not a big deal, 0.1 is "acceptable").

Testing tank water (the CO2 will be on for another 30m, so I expect this is highest amount of CO2 during the day).
This morning I've tested pH level before CO2 turned on:
Chinese, before CO2 on: 8.0
Milwaukee before CO2 on: 7.5
Chinese now: 6.5
Milwaukee now: 6.2

The difference are quite big, the drop checker is very light green, probably into yellow.

I'll do a video with fish behavior, I don't think that they are gasping imo, but I'm not much expert

 

[BigWave]

Try to always calibrate with all 3 solutions if you have them. If not buy them, they're cheep off ebay and amazon.

 

[Count Krunk]

Keep in mind the ph pens could fail at one point. I would keep a non digital solution on hand to verify.

I had a digital salinity fail i relied on and due to that, made the tank way way too salty.

 

[GreggZ]

Ok, guys plants arrived and planted. Very healthy and very thick (insanely thick imo)

Question about CO2 and pens.

I have 2 phmeter, 1 Chinese from Amazon with 3 point calibration (4.01, 6.86, 9.18) and the other ph600 from Milwaukee. Testing both with a liquid stabilized at pH 7.00, the Chinese one (pancellent water quality meter) gives me 7.04 as reading, the Milwaukee gives me 7.1 (not a big deal, 0.1 is "acceptable").

Testing tank water (the CO2 will be on for another 30m, so I expect this is highest amount of CO2 during the day).
This morning I've tested pH level before CO2 turned on:
Chinese, before CO2 on: 8.0
Milwaukee before CO2 on: 7.5
Chinese now: 6.5
Milwaukee now: 6.2

The difference are quite big, the drop checker is very light green, probably into yellow.

I'll do a video with fish behavior, I don't think that they are gasping imo, but I'm not much expert

I'd have a LOT more faith in the Milwaukee. Those cheap Chinese meters are more of a guess than a true reading.

But really as long as they stay calibrated and consistent either one can work. It's the relative value that is important. The problem is the cheap ones tend to drift very quickly so you have to calibrate them almost every time.

 

[Burr740]

Did you get the tc Rotala sunset? Whats that looking like?

 

[riioKen]

Did you get the tc Rotala sunset? Whats that looking like?

Nope, I bought only Florida, I plan to get rotala sunset next month.

Just new photo update

I have just filled some empty spaces with same species of plant that melted (bought from a local guy)

I've added 2-3 more species because he gave me for free.

Bacopa Salzmanni purple (he sold me a 15cm stem with 3-4 lateral shoots for 10€)

Myriophyllum golden, ludwigia verticellata Pantanal.

I'll give you some close up photo

 

[riioKen]

Here are the photos.

Ludwigia white seems recovering, polycarpa dropped all the leaves but the stems (and roots) are alive

 

[riioKen]

Question:
Ammannia capitellata was the healthiest plant in the tank, but leaves are turning black and dissolving, this could be a light problem, lacking mobile nutrients (NPK) or still adaptation?

2 days ago I've increase light to 60 from 50%, and increased photoperiod (now 6h) but I've changed a bit CO2 because it was too high (amano going up and down, Cory swim to surface to breath and otos fast breathing).
Today the DC is still yellowish, but livestock seems ok

 

[Burr740]

It appears to simply be converting from emmersed to submerged growth. The emmersed leaves are naturally going to die off

 

[riioKen]

The emmersed leaves are naturally going to die off

Yes, but to me this look an healthy, grown in tank, top

Thing that concern me is that the plant often lose internode

 

[Burr740]

Thats just a part of the conversion process and some plants are going to do better than others. There's always a lot of degradation and die off with both tc and emmersed. When you put emmersed growth underwater it dies, while at the same time new submerged growth <hopefully> comes in. Thats why I told you to start with as many already submerged plants as you could

Your tank and plants are too new and still transitioning to think any of these things has to do with nutrients or light or even co2. Just be patient, keep removing whatever is melting or degrading or gets algae and see what you wind up with

 

[riioKen]

Thats why I told you to start with as many already submerged plants as you could

Yeah I remember when you gave me this tip. I've contacted a local guy, he gave me 1 or 2 stem of each in vitro plant that I've purchased. For around 12€ he gave me a 15cm stem of Bacopa salzmanni purple (deeeep purple), it arrived with 3 lateral shoots, after 3 day in my tank it already developed a new top (still purple) and another side branch, it's beautiful.


I have even contacted aquasabi, I've explained to them what happened (they have a policy "guaranteed alive delivery") but they gave me a fully refund for entire melted cup even after 3 weeks. Very good site.


Tomorrow I'll post new photos, from what I share seems that the tank is a mess but honestly its going pretty good.

I have reduced a bit more CO2 due yellow DC and a bit stressed livestock.

 

[riioKen]

As promised, new photos with general growth condition.

Growth from already established plants:
- Limnophila aromatica: started to grow from day 0, healthy and going strong
- rotala h'ra: In the old tank, with apt 3 triple dose, was orange, while in this tank is growing green, but still growing healthy which is the most important thing, its growing a bit lateral instead of straight
- myriophyllum roraima: it's growing like a weed and orange
- myriophyllum golden: slower compared to roraima but healthy
- proserpinaca palustris Cuba: seems healthy, I can't see new growth, but maybe it's there, I'm just blind
- rotala macrnadra: new growth is reddish and healthy, old leaves are a bit weird but probably due to difference in water parameters.
- Rotala Wallichi: IT'S GROWING!!!! I always struggled with this plant but here is growing a lot, every stem has lateral shoots and I see new growth coming from substrate which is strange, the new top are green.
- ludwigia Pantanal: bottom leaves are becoming less healthy with pinholes, new growth healthy and red
- Bacopa salzmanni: side Branch growing, Branch spouting from top at the cut
- ludwigia palustris super red: lateral branch growing and healthy top

Potted plants:
- althernathera Reineckii "kleiens Papageienblatt" (from now on AR KP): it transitioned form pot to tank immediately, with new growth after 2-3 days, now every now and then lose some old green leaves (probably because emersed, but new growth is strong and red)
- hygrophila polysperma Rosanervig: it's a fuckin weed, it tripled its size in 3 weeks BUT I need to trim and remove the stems that aren't giving me the Rosanervig "virus", for now I leaves all as it this for tank balance purpose.

Tissue culture:
- Ludwigia polycarpa: from 10+ stems, now I have 3-4 fully converted stems, sill lacking leaves but I can see little "dots" alongside the stems probably new underwater leaves.
- ludwigia brevipens: 70% melted but the last 30% seems growing
- rotala Florida: from 10+ stems, there is only 2 left, 1 seems healthy the other a bit meh(I've bought 1 new stem from a local that has 2 side branch and top growth)
- Rotala Singapore, ammannia capitellata and hygrophila polysperma Tiger: all this three plants didn't suffered a single casualty, all the stems are alive and healthy.
- ludwigia verticellata white: less than half cup survived but the new growth looks promising.
- AR mini: it's going, I expect next week gives me more info
- rotala indica: funny story here, the entire cup melted, but a week ago I saw a little, black stem, raising from the soil, after few days I could see little leaves. Today, a healthy branch sprouts from the blackened stem with 4-6 healthy leaves.