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So since this is freshwater figure maybe it should be here? (1 Viewer)

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Carrie Jo

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This is my attempt at trying to get some things going in the meantime....

First of all a big "Thank you" to Ben for telling me to change my bulbs. The burn I did to the plants showed up later but I don't think I lost anyone! So this is with the correct bulbs before the burnt look showed up.

2%20new%20bulbs%20with%20%206.500K%20each_zpsqoc8w1pr.jpg


Found an interesting piece of driftwood at the store, took advantage of them having a tank the same size I am trying to start off plants in to see if it would fit and different shots.






Thought maybe I could get some slow growing stuff on it to get things ready. Not what plants to grow on it.
 
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Carrie Jo

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Z
How can I delete the whole thread? I can't seem to post any pictures.
 
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Carrie Jo

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Photobucket changed their rules about using their services. Many people are switching.

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I tell you I am so mad at myself for not figuring things out. Seems as soon as I learn something it changes and I am lost again!
 
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Carrie Jo

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I bought the wood from a fish shop they told me it would be not raise the pH. I would feel better knowing what it is instead of a store telling me it is Texas Driftwood?

Does anyone know what kind of wood it is?

I have no idea how long it will take to sink. I am hoping it will be good for freshwater shrimp, cardinal tetras, and maybe some other peaceful fish.

I figure it would be good to cycle it with everything else. Maybe just maybe I can get things going before Christmas?

I am trying to research companion mates. I am wanting to go small and colorful on the fish and shrimp.

I have to redo the substrate yet again. I goofed it up as well, but figured I would go ahead and start cycling the wood while waiting.

I am trying to figure out the best moss that would be very benifical to the shrimp and yet slow growing for low maintenance.

Any suggestions?
 

Diesel

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That driftwood never will raise your PH, although most driftwood you find in the LFS are from TX, they are just root stalks that been submerged or laying at large river banks baking in the sun.
Yes you need to cycle as it could have absorbed some stuff that you don't want to expose your fish too in a later time.
Sinking your wood can take time and sometimes up to 6 months, weighting down with a rock will help and later you can remove the rock.
Since I stopped breeding the exotic shrimp in the Houston area there's really not a direct source for these and sometimes you see them at the LFS but not the quality I had.
Makes me think to setup a shrimp rack again, problem is that it is a lot more work than a reef tank and I already starting to dislike making the Diesel Brew and my water changes.
This early morning I cleaned my skimmer and OH Boy I swore that the fish poop in there turned into tar.
Need to change the T5 bulbs as they are overdue as I need to clean my glass now three times a day and changing these things is a LOOOOOOT of work and it takes time way from me doing other more valuable fun things.
Any way CJ as I mentioned before let your tank age for a few months and do more research, maybe a trip out to ADG over the weekend will teach you how to scape a fresh bowl of water, oh take the whole family as it's breathtaking.
 
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Carrie Jo

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That driftwood never will raise your PH, although most driftwood you find in the LFS are from TX, they are just root stalks that been submerged or laying at large river banks baking in the sun.
Yes you need to cycle as it could have absorbed some stuff that you don't want to expose your fish too in a later time.
Sinking your wood can take time and sometimes up to 6 months, weighting down with a rock will help and later you can remove the rock.
Since I stopped breeding the exotic shrimp in the Houston area there's really not a direct source for these and sometimes you see them at the LFS but not the quality I had.
Makes me think to setup a shrimp rack again, problem is that it is a lot more work than a reef tank and I already starting to dislike making the Diesel Brew and my water changes.
This early morning I cleaned my skimmer and OH Boy I swore that the fish poop in there turned into tar.
Need to change the T5 bulbs as they are overdue as I need to clean my glass now three times a day and changing these things is a LOOOOOOT of work and it takes time way from me doing other more valuable fun things.
Any way CJ as I mentioned before let your tank age for a few months and do more research, maybe a trip out to ADG over the weekend will teach you how to scape a fresh bowl of water, oh take the whole family as it's breathtaking.
Oh no what the heck is that? Looks like I already have problems and haven't even changed out the substrate yet! It is only on this one plant. Going to take the plant out and try to get it all off. Anyone know what it is?
fb77535d31c04ff6af2294c9a06c3d55.jpg
 
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Carrie Jo

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Okay took the plant out separated it all cleaned off each leaf. I think I should put my air rope back in there maybe I don't have enough co2?

Then again maybe it is just the cycling junk of everything going up and down. Will try to take in a water sample to have it tested and see what comes up.
 

Diesel

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Good ole Hair Algae, yes freshwater will have HA as well.
Part of the cycling process, just manual removal by hands but not all as it helps with your cycling process.
Not sure how long you have your light schedule set but not more than 4 hours is enough for the first two weeks.
 
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Carrie Jo

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Not sure if I have too much light but why is it only the one plant I bought from a certain store?

So is this just part of cycling? or should I freak out and do a complete water change filter change etc?

I didn't bother putting charcoal in my tank since there are no fish or animals (unless there are snails I haven't seen yet.) I did put the sponge sleeve on it though.

I did take a scrub brush best I could to the wood and washed it thoroughly with tap water.

When I do change out the substrate should I buy RO water from the LFS? Though I could have sworn I read somewhere on the internet not to use RO water with shrimp?
 

Diesel

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No water change yet just top off with aged faucet water.
That one plant might had some algae spores on it and with the right condition it can grow pretty fast as you noticed.
Charcoal doesn't do much in the beginning as you need to go through that aging process of your tank, bacteria need to fill and get settled on everything that is submerged.
When changing out the substrate you save the water from your tank in a clean empty trash can, put wood and plants in there till you removed and installed your new substrate.
Than siphon the water back in there and top off.
 

Bigfishy

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That driftwood never will raise your PH, although most driftwood you find in the LFS are from TX, they are just root stalks that been submerged or laying at large river banks baking in the sun.
Yes you need to cycle as it could have absorbed some stuff that you don't want to expose your fish too in a later time.
Sinking your wood can take time and sometimes up to 6 months, weighting down with a rock will help and later you can remove the rock.
Since I stopped breeding the exotic shrimp in the Houston area there's really not a direct source for these and sometimes you see them at the LFS but not the quality I had.
Makes me think to setup a shrimp rack again, problem is that it is a lot more work than a reef tank and I already starting to dislike making the Diesel Brew and my water changes.
This early morning I cleaned my skimmer and OH Boy I swore that the fish poop in there turned into tar.
Need to change the T5 bulbs as they are overdue as I need to clean my glass now three times a day and changing these things is a LOOOOOOT of work and it takes time way from me doing other more valuable fun things.
Any way CJ as I mentioned before let your tank age for a few months and do more research, maybe a trip out to ADG over the weekend will teach you how to scape a fresh bowl of water, oh take the whole family as it's breathtaking.

Yes ADG has some beautiful planted tanks.


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Carrie Jo

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No water change yet just top off with aged faucet water.
That one plant might had some algae spores on it and with the right condition it can grow pretty fast as you noticed.
Charcoal doesn't do much in the beginning as you need to go through that aging process of your tank, bacteria need to fill and get settled on everything that is submerged.
When changing out the substrate you save the water from your tank in a clean empty trash can, put wood and plants in there till you removed and installed your new substrate.
Than siphon the water back in there and top off.

Took a sufficient water sample in this time to see where things are. Last time I only had enough water to run ph.

results are as follows (yea I know it hasn't cycled but I figure it is good to know where I was to where I am going....
PH 8.0
Am-TR
Ni-0
Na-TR
AlK-144

So there is the horrible tap water that is well mixed with lovely city of Houston water now in our neighborhood. I miss the old well water only.

Glad you told me to keep using the water. I was about to toss it all and start over when the new substrate came it! Is there anything to be alarmed about?

I got the 6 gallon jug cleaned out just need to fill it with tap water so it can age. How long do I allow it to age? and at what point it is "bad to keep it around?"

Need to see about snatching my son's other brand new 6 gallon as soon as we can get rid of the contents! LOL! Going to hide them under the tank stand on the 29 gallon.
 

Diesel

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Prime ain't a good thing if you want to keep shrimp later on.
I never used any of that stuff and my shrimp were breeding in no time.
 
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Carrie Jo

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Yea I really wanted to have some pretty different colored shrimp in there eventually when the tank finally is ready. Still trying to figure out which ones. Apparently just because you have a certain color only doesn't mean you will get all blue if you have only blue. Fun I went crazy with the white face cockatiel genetics! Figure I have time to research it if it is going to take 3 months to get things nice solid and stable.

Why in the world did they stop making the 92 gallon corner. Frustrating. Reading on someones thread about the plastic rim holding the tank on top and bottom breaking if you try to redo it makes me even more frustrated and nervous.

opps so is it bad that when I set the tank up I used start right? I don't know how that compares to Prime?

Do I need I need to dump the water and start over? or will it be okay since it was at the start? Is start right bad to use? I also had put some plant fertilizer in but one of the dogs must have found the bottle and ran off with it somewhere I have yet to find it.

By the way I put a bunch of peat moss in a media filter (4"x12" hanging inside the tank) and rinsed it a little because there was dust on the outside from me making a mess. Then I keep seeing black coming out so I rinsed a while longer. Finally went ahead and put it in there but I see dark colors coming out of the filter. Bad good or don't worry about it? I did read somewhere where people would hang it in a bucket with an air pump to let it age for 2 weeks. (I would have to buy another pump to try it, not that my pump is necessarily that great Used to have one that had 2 outlets but this one is a single)

Should I just give it a day or two and have the water retested? I still have to look up what all those numbers mean and what they mean to shrimp, cardinal tetras, and anything else.

Also keep thinking the leaking could go 2 different ways (good compost tea for plants etc, bad water clarity.)
 

Diesel

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Coming back to the beginning that ppl mentioned that having fresh water biotope as for plants is easy...........
I knew better and my good friend Miguel who has a lot of experience as well in this planted fresh water thingie said the same thing.
Yes with salt water you need more equipment to keep it rolling but the chemistry is nothing different.
You want to keep curtain fish or shrimp it's a whole different ball game.

If you already put that chemical in no biggie, I have given you the three months to cycle out all the bad stuff and that will be gone by that time.
Just wonder why you use that stuff to speed up the cycle........... correct for not stressing or for that matter killing your fish or other livestock members that hobbyist put in after rushing to the LFS after a week, yes that counts for salt water as well.
Of course the fish can survive but ever thought about nerve damage or brain damage............ we possibility can't know and that's a good thing but just stop there for a minute what these poor fish going through in a short period of time.

So no dumping water out, keep hands out the water an let it do it's thing.
Test only for a PH drop as you want to go in the direction of 7ppm and lower when we talking delicate shrimp here.
But there are ways to do so and stay there, but not necessary to bring this up as you are not ready for it.

Moss is a good thing to do but it needs to be done right.
Soaking it in a body of water that most of the tannins are out of there and after a week or so sticking it in a HOB filter will help you big time on the PH.
The leaching out from the peat moss has many different positive reactions on your habitat.
The bad part is that your water looks kind of yellowish but and blocks some of the light.
IME it won't be a bad thing.


Here you will find a lot of info and if you have more questions shoot them a email, Ron McGee is a good friend of me and we have done great things for this hobby.

Planet Inverts Home .:. Freshwater Aquarium Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp, Crayfish and more.

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