30 and ten gallon aquarium journals

[Greentoads41]

Hi. I always have a lot of questions about my 2 tanks, so I shall start this journal to keep track of my success and failures of the tanks. I don't really have anything to say right now, so....here are my tanks, more or less. Not much has changed since I took these pictures, just a little trimming and stuff. IMGP4252.JPGIMG_8456.jpgIMGP4253.JPG

Subscribe If you wish lol

[talldutchie]

Is that bamboo in the tank? Does that last?

[Greentoads41]

It is bamboo. I bought 2 pieces awhile ago, probably a year, and eventually took one out because it seemed to be turning black. But when I took it out, it had a really good root system. The one piece I have now hasn't really grown much, but it has stayed green, which is good enough for me.

[talldutchie]

Funny. Apparently it's not even bamboo but a dracena variety. According to what I found these can do quite well if you get the leaves out of the water. I've got a reverse problem, an anubias that tends to stick it's leaves out of the water an dthen suffers from dried out leaves.

Anyway, good luck with it, hope your second one lasts longer than the first

[Greentoads41]

That's really cool to know, Interesting information. I actually put that first bamboo in one of my HOB filters for the thirty gallon, because I heard it would help keep nitrate low. It didn't. My nitrate only declined when I bought my aquaclear 50 lol. But anyway, the so called "bamboo" has turned a little more black and a little more yellow since the move to the HOB. I had heard that they grow better if their leaves are out of the water. The bamboo hasn't actually grown though, but I attribute that to the fact that there is no substrate in my aqueon quietflow 30. If there was, it would probably grow. But it has kept its root system, so it's not totally dead. The 3 HOB's I have in my 30 gallon are an aqueon quietflow 30, an aquaclear 50, and something that I've decided is a Tetra Whisper PF 10.

In other news, I am in the midst of 2 projects. The first one is improving the cave in the 30 gal. I will make it a bit wider and taller. The second is a DIY CO2 system for the 10 gallon. In 4 days since I have attempted the project, I have failed. I used the yeast method in a 2 liter bottle, with 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast. I didn't get any bubbles in the tank from the airhose, so I added more yeast. This resulted in much activity in the 2 liter bottle, but nothing through the air hose. So I decided the problem must be the seal attaching the hose to the bottle lid. I am now redoing the seal. Will post pics soon, hopefully of each. And maybe a better pic of the 10 gallon, eh?

[talldutchie]

Better pics are always good.

Some plants can do wonders on nitrates. I added amazon frogbit and a month later I thought my test was wrong. I was down to 0 nitrates. I now have to manage it to leave some over fo rth erest.

DIY CO2 can be tricky. A good seal is important. 2 cups of sugar on half a teaspoon is far too much. YOu're enterign the territory where it acts as a preservative and kills the yeast. With a proper mix you see activity in 15 minutes at least.

[Greentoads41]

Better pics are always good.

Some plants can do wonders on nitrates. I guess bamboo isn't that great lolI added amazon frogbit and a month later I thought my test was wrong. I was down to 0 nitrates. I now have to manage it to leave some over fo rth erest.

DIY CO2 can be tricky. A good seal is important. 2 cups of sugar on half a teaspoon is far too much. YOu're enterign the territory where it acts as a preservative and kills the yeast. With a proper mix you see activity in 15 minutes at least.

That may be it. With my first mixture with the .5 tspn, there was activity at first, but very very little after that. Right now, the mixture with more yeast and less sugar is bubbling away. It was just recommended to use .5 tspn and 2 cups of sugar. But i think you're right.

[Greentoads41]

Better pics of ten gallon, the dwarf four leaf I am trying to get to carpet, and the CO2 mixture. If you look closely, it's reacting.
IMGP4283.jpgIMGP4284.jpgIMGP4285.jpgIMGP4286.jpg

[Greentoads41]

So pumped right now! I improved the seal with apoxy, and now the CO2 injector is working perfectly! a bubble is dispersed every 2 seconds, and sucked into the intake tube. I also have assembled the cave, which looks slightly out of place, but it fulfilled my needs in the most natural looking way i could have hoped. Pics to come!

[Greentoads41]

The cave! And CO2 is working! and My brothers 10 gallon cave because I thought it looked smokin' too. His stock: 3 black Kuhli's and 2 cherry barbs.

My cave doesn't look too out of place, does it?
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