Journal A New Beginning: 90 P High Energy Tank

[TRyan]

Is it on an Inkbird?

Question of the Day Post in thread 'Hobby Hacks - your best tips, tricks and time-savers!'

Nov 8, 2024

By request:

Rule of aquariums, is all heaters fail.


Inkbird has you covered:





Probe goes in the tank, heater plug goes in the controller socket:


when water temperature goes high, controller shuts the heater off

Cheap insurance! Even has dual probes for bigger tanks + sumps where you want to split the load across two heaters.

• Koan

• 

Yes, it is.

 

[TRyan]

Is it condensation, or is water getting in somehow? If water is getting in, I would replace for sure.

I'm appears to be a substantial amount of condensation. Water isn't collecting at the bottom, but it looks like it has the potential to drip down into the electrical parts.

 

[Koan]

has the potential to drip down into the electrical parts.

I worry about broken glass cheap peace of mind to replace it.

 

[TRyan]

I worry about broken glass cheap peace of mind to replace it.

I agree. I'm going to replace it. My power strip isn't on a GFCI outlet, either. Shorted out heater might be a shock hazard as well.

 

[Kwyet]

Yeah, I just did a quick search. Some say if it doesn’t increase then it’s safe, but others say that after they noticed condensation their glass heater exploded.

 

[TRyan]

@Kwyet Thank you for that info. That wouldn't be good at all! I'm going to order one.

 

[BigWave]

Tanks looking great. How's your water parameters down there in the emerald city?
I should make a trip down that way one of these days. Its only 1.5 hrs from me.

 

[TRyan]

Thanks @BigWave! You're from Seattle? We're practically neighbors, lol. My name is Tim. Nice to meet you.

Water parameters out of the tap are 4GH and 3KH with PH around 7.3. What are yours parameters?

 

[TRyan]

I've been reading about CO2 from @Naturescapes_Rocco post about Hanna CO2 checker. I ordered a kit and found I've been running more than 50 ppm CO2. I adjusted down some and added a drop checker. Will shoot for 40 ppm at full saturation. Thanks Rocco!

Also added a chihiros dosing pump for micros.



Just waiting for plants to fill in. Here's a side shot.

 

[TRyan]

I also wanted to thank @techman81 for sending me these!

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Looks great. I hope we at Scape Crunch single-handedly increase the popularity of Penthorum sedoides. What a killer plant!!

 

[TRyan]

Looks great. I hope we at Scape Crunch single-handedly increase the popularity of Penthorum sedoides. What a killer plant!!

Penthorum sedoides is a new one for me, but I agree that it's an awesome plant! Easy and versatile. Im a newB and very much still learning how to trim plants and make a nice layout.


Post trim... Things are very lopsided with some gaping holes here and there.

There's some stunting, pinholes and slow growth happening, likely due to low macros. With some excellent advice from Joe, Gregg and Rocco, i think I'm headed in the right direction. I've changed my dosing schedule to 2/3 macros at water change and 1/3 mid week. I've upped PO4 to 12 ppm weekly total. Even with 10 ppm P04, I was seeing some pinholes in L. Super red so I took a reading at week's end. I was less than .5 PPM.

I'm dosing .45 Fe weekly doing equal daily doses via Chihiros dosing pump. Burr Aqua micro mix.

I went back the ICP tap water report I had from a while back and copper and lead levels were in the red. I've cut my tap water with 50% RO water this week and next week will be 2/3 RO water 1/3 tap. This will give me 2 dKH and 7 GH after adding 21 Ca and 7Mg.


Some stunting in Bacopa Colorata and L. Super red and rotala.

All in all, things are looking ok. I hope the change to RO won't cause too much stress on the plants and inhabitants, or trigger an algae outbreak. Time will tell.