KevinVA's 75gal Journey in Planted Tanks

**steeler1** · 02-04-2013, 08:48 PM

I've realy enjoyed following your journal. Keep up the good work and don't lose your Enthusiasm.

**KevinVA** · 02-05-2013, 12:42 AM

Thanks steeler. =]

Well, I added my new hose clamp tonight. Glad I did, too, because any bit of movement would allow water to escape the hose (a couple of drops at a time). Now it's nice and tight.

I also noticed that my water changes hadn't cleared up the hazy eyes/pop eye on my 3 Serpaes... SO, after having found success with Fungus Guard in my 10gal (the Betta is perfectly healthy and it had no ill-effect on my bio filter, plants, Otocinclus cats or two species of snails), I decided to dose my 75gal. I only used about 50-75% (can't remember how many tabs I used, but it wasn't enough for a full dose) of the recommended dosage (I did half last time and it worked). I would have removed them to one of my unused 10gal tanks, but I'm sure there are other Serpaes in the tank who are probably infected (as I mentioned before, I think this was caused by stress due to the rise in pH from when I added my rocks). Another 4 days and hopefully things will clear up.

Of course, now it's pretty hazy in there with the particulate matter and blue tint, along with the algae. lol I'll save the pics for another day. When the treatment is over, that should have given my new filter floss media time to work. Then I'll do a big water change of probably 75% to get the majority of the medicine out and add carbon for 24/48hrs (though my 10gal is clear as day after 24hrs - 48 is just a "just-in-case" time frame).

I'm hoping things will return to normalcy after this.

**KevinVA** · 02-05-2013, 07:33 PM

I've been doing some thinking today... Pondering and thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that I'd like to put another canister filter on the tank. So, I did some looking around and actually found a lightly used Rena 721 Filstar XP2 on eBay for $50 (free shipping). Usually these go for $100+, so I felt this was an awesome deal, especially with free shipping. I have adequate filtration right now, but the sponge filters don't really do much for water clarity (at least from what I've witnessed).

The only thing I have to figure out, now, is the best method of having two canister filter outflows. I have one spray bar and I suppose I could overlap one with another, but I'm thinking of using the outflow tube. Decisions, decisions.

Any thoughts out there?

**talldutchie** · 02-05-2013, 08:43 PM

With your stock you don't need a frothy mess, quite the contrary in fact. So I'd say just let it flow in again in the general area of the spraybar.

Don't know what you're loading your filters with but I'd say get some good quality ceramics or glass sinters. We got some stuff here on the market from jbl which is 1500 square meters per liter, three times of what most other brands deliver. Works like a dream!

**KevinVA** · 02-05-2013, 11:18 PM

Ok, sounds good. I'll just aim the outtake toward the center so that it gets mixed in with the other outtake. It should produce a little more flow toward the other intake, so that might aid in creating a cleaner environment.

I was planning on a lot of bio media and a layer of sponge/floss. I Just looked up two types of bio media: the JBL MicroMec (that's what you're talking about @ 1500sqm), which sounds like an awesome product, and EHEIM Substrat Pro, which is Sintered glass @ 548sqm (1800sqft). Obviously, I would love to get my hands on some of that JBL media, but I don't know about availability. I'll have to check around.

**KevinVA** · 02-06-2013, 12:26 AM

JBL MicroMec apparently can't be found in the states, though I did a little more research on what is available. It came down to EHEIM Substrat Pro (548sqm/L) or Seachem Matrix (700sqm/L). I'm glad you mentioned something, because I probably would have filled up my basket with more Fluval BioMax (which has been fine for what I need, so far, but if you can go bigger/better... why not?). Anyway, I'm going to order some Matrix, since it boasts the greatest surface area per Liter. Both are shaped/sized in a way that makes filling the basket quite full (more than I can say for the BioMax, which is really quite limited).

In other news: I found a little surprise tonight in my 10gal Betta tank (which also houses an Orange Rabbit Snail). My Rabbit had a baby!@$ "WTH" you're asking? "I thought they were sexual creatures and not asexual," you're exclaiming?! Yeah, that's what I've read. One of two things has happened... 1. Either Rabbit snails are asexual, or 2. she was pregnant before I got her 4 months ago and just gave birth.

According to the sources I've read, Rabbit Snails (Tylomelania zemis Poso snails) only give birth to one baby snail every 5 weeks. That being the case... it's been 4 months (16 weeks). I'm not sure it's possible for the gestation period for a snail to be that long... but who knows. The mysterious rabbit snail strikes again!

Here's the babe in all his/her glory:

And here's baby's mamma:

I think this throws a stick into the spokes of what hobbyists think about the mating/breeding habbits of Tylomelania zemis Poso snails.

**KevinVA** · 02-07-2013, 12:02 AM

Well, it's been two full days since I dosed my 75gal with Fungus Guard. I came home to a tank full of healthy looking Serpaes, except I was missing one. I found him sitting in one of my Sword plants, between the stems, seemingly resting (because he was still breathing). I honestly thought he was done for and was going to put him down, but after I ate dinner and came down to feed the fish, he was up and about. His eyes still look pretty bad, but not nearly as bad as yesterday and especially the day before. The others are doing flawlessly. You wouldn't even know the others had been sick, but I've got until Friday to see if everything clears up and all is well. If he's still alive and showing some recovery at that time, I'll probably dose another 50%, after doing a 25-30% water change (that's per directions on the box of the medication - I usually do 50% per week).

Oddly, the last Black Phantom Tetra is doing well. Haven't seen any signs of disease. Everyone else in the tank is doing fine, even the newly added SAEs, who are eating like champs. It looks live they've already gotten bigger, which seems impossible...

**Sandz** · 02-07-2013, 03:19 PM

Glad to hear thats all going better. Bringing back fish from near death is tricky but it sounds like you are doing a great job.

**Gogi** · 02-07-2013, 06:33 PM

That snail has some brillant color!! Do they eat your plants? What do you feed them?

Im tempted to get some.

**KevinVA** · 02-07-2013, 06:54 PM

They're omnivorous. They'll eat algae, plants, cucumbers, peas and tropical fish pellets. However, if you keep them with fully grown plants, they should leave them alone. I had an issue with one of my Dwarf lillies, when it was just a bulb with a few sprouts. Every time there was a sprout, the rabbit snail would eat it. Meanwhile, the other one fully grew. I have since moved that Lilly into my 75gal and it's growing nicely. =] The rabbits have not eaten any other plants in there.

I'm convinced that if you keep them well fed (with pretty much anything), they'll leave your plants alone. You won't regret having one. They're one of the most interesting snails I've ever seen, and their behavior can be quite humorous. They lunk around that big shell like it's the biggest burden in the world (and it probably is), they'll climb on the side of the tank only to fall (which is why you should use sand), they'll get stuck on plants or driftwood and throw themselves any which way that'll get them moving again. Plus, they have awesome colors and an elephant-like trunk. What's not to love?!