Journal Low and Slow

[Phish Tank]

CO2 bell wasn't working too well. It delivered co2 great, but I was struggling to get it situated well, and it would belch too loudly.

So back to my tried and true aquaclear powerhead chopping up co2. Massive improvement this time by adding a chopstick diffuser at the powerhead inlet. This pre-chops the bubbles, so now they are so much smaller exiting the powerhead and also makes the powerhead totally silent. One tank was 15ppm at the end of the day, other was 20. Will be able to test at lights on tomorrow.

Since I now have two tanks on CO2, I retired my trusty old 10 year old CO2Art regulator, and got a GLA Pro with two outputs.


Plants are mostly in, but I just ordered more (scapecrunch is really a support group for plant buying addicts, am I right?). Fish from my leaking 55 have been patiently waiting in a 10 gallon since July, and they are finally enjoying their new 90p. Wow they look great under the Week Aqua light.
Would have preferred to wait to order shrimp, but winter is getting closer, and Buce Plant put bloody mary shrimp on sale, so I ordered now. Planning on quarentine for them for a bit.

Plants still looking rough but heres a photo. Some plants have been beaten and abused in a plastic bin since the tank leak last summer, some are transitioning from emersed, and some are shocked and dismayed to be in my tank after their luxurious upbringing being raised by @Burr740 .

 

[Burr740]

That aquaclear powerhead + chopstick prediffuser will get the job done for sure. I ran a 75 gal set up for sensitive plants over a year with just that. AQ HOB make a pretty good reactor too. Ive lately switched to Seachem Tidal, its a big improvement in a couple areas. These are the only two hob that will work due to how the water flows through them. Digressing.. for sure if you dont mind a little mist that phead+chopstick is a solid way to diffuse co2

 

[Phish Tank]

That aquaclear powerhead + chopstick prediffuser will get the job done for sure.

I think I got the chopstick+impeller idea from an old post of yours, so thanks for that! I was stunned at the improvement the chopstick added. Mist is so much finer, and i no longer have to listen to full sized bubbles hitting the impeller.

Seachem Tidal, its a big improvement in a couple areas. These are the only two hob that will work due to how the water flows through them.

I did try feeding it into my Tidal, but since the Tidal is filled with foam and beneficial bacteria, I was worried that the CO2 would choke out my BB, so I went back to the powerhead, which also seems quieter than Tidal.

 

[Koan]

chopstick+impeller idea

For folks reading this who are confused this refers to a DIY CO2 diffuser, literally made from a piece of disposable chopstick jammed into the end of the CO2 tubing

 

[Burr740]

Mist is so much finer, and i no longer have to listen to full sized bubbles hitting the impeller.

Riiiight, it turns that annoying "chirp chirp chirp..." into a low-key fizzle you can barely hear, plus a 10x finer mist

 

[Phish Tank]

@Burr740 exactly! I used a pencil sharpener to create a half dozen of them. The sharpened tip really improves flow

 

[Phish Tank]

Got my "bloody mary" shrimp from Buce Plant. A little disappointed, one or two might pass for deeeeeep dark maroon, but the rest look chocolate/black. Not the pop of red I wanted. I wonder if it is shipping shock, or if they sent the wrong variety? Anyone know if shrimp go dark under stress? Photo from quarentine tank



Also didn't like that Buce included no insulation despite the hefty shipping charge. The website says styrofoam box, mine were in a cardboard box, not even bubble wrapped. A few shrimp didn't make it. 🫩

Lastly, the GH and KH were really high in the shipping water. GH above 20 and KH of 10. I wonder if that was intentional for shipping?

 

[gnatster]

Also didn't like that Buce included no insulation despite the hefty shipping charge.

Bought some plants and paid for a 40-hr heat pack. They were shipped yesterday with a 2-day delivery from CA to OH in a FedEx envelope, according to FedEx shipping data. I'm not feeling confident.

 

[Phish Tank]

Bought some plants and paid for a 40-hr heat pack. They were shipped yesterday with a 2-day delivery from CA to OH in a FedEx envelope, according to FedEx shipping data. I'm not feeling confident.

Your lack of confidence is justified. I paid for one day shipping, and FedEx took 2. I guess FedEx hub is in Indianapolis, because thats where my shrimp got weather delayed the extra day

 

[JayP]

I just got a TC plant order from Buce with the insulated box and heatpak. If you paid for it but didn't get it, let them know immediately with a photo of the packaging. I've done this before and they gave me a store credit worth double the cost of the packaging.

 

[gnatster]

Update on plant shipment from Buce. All is well. They packed the plants with with a heat pack in a box in an envelope. 64F internal box temperature.

 

[Koan]

disappointed, one or two might pass for deeeeeep dark maroon, but the rest look chocolate/black.

For sure send pictures and complain

 

[Phish Tank]

For sure send pictures and complain

I did contact them, they said the shrimp color was due to shipping stress, and if the shrimp weren't looking red in two weeks to contact them again.

 

[Koan]

Anyone know if shrimp go dark under stress?

Another thing could be your light substrate If these shrimp were housed on dark substrate they may be changing their color in response. If that's the case they should adjust over time.

 

[Phish Tank]

I think the cheapest way to get a lotta plant mass in a tank would be to throw in a red tiger lotus or two. This one is huge.


Patiently waiting for other plants to decide they like the tank.

 

[Koan]

Patiently waiting

How are the shrimp doing?

 

[Phish Tank]

How are the shrimp doing?

Thanks for asking. Still in quarentine. Still look pretty dark. I've lost a few more as well.

 

[Phish Tank]

Since it's still a new-ish tank (2 months) , yeah, algae happens. Several types, diatoms for sure, and this one.

Is it Staghorn? Thought so, but it doesn't change color (pink or red) under isopropyl alcohol. It attaches to hardscape, glass, and anubia leaf edges.

Not a huge amount of it, but pesky to remove. Thinking i might pipette dose peroxide on the weeks water change.

 

[Phish Tank]

Shrimp have been moved out of quarantine to the 50C, and after a big water change the quarantine tank is ready for the new fish! Just brought home 6 Sterbai cories and 6 porkchop rasboras.

Happy New Year!

 

[Phish Tank]

Cranked up the lights early this morning at 6am, since we haven't lost power due to the storm yet.

Algea has pretty much vanished in the 90p, and plants settling in a bit. Will be adding sterbai cories, and porkchop rasbora from quarentine once we get past this storm.

50C shrimp cube is still struggling with some staghorn in places. Spot treating with peroxide weekly. Shrimp are doing OK, no baby shrimp yet.