Question...

[sb1227]

Hey Roger, I noticed you have planted freshwater tanks. I also have a couple and was wondering if you used Tunze powerheads on those? Or is it just way too much flow? Just curious actually, one of my tanks has a small powerhead for better circulation (just a 30 gal.). Thought those powerheads might be a bit much for a plant tank, depending on what style. I'm eventually going to move both of my tanks into a 75 and am starting to think about it.
And I just want you to know every time I see your tagline that song goes thru my head for the rest of the day......it's getting a bit ridiculous....
Sue

 

[rvitko]

I include a pic of my home aquarium. It is a 180gallon Oceanic Cherry Set up. I do use a Tunze filtration set as well as CO2 set up. The filter relies on a Turbelle 3000/2 which pumps 792gph. I do attribute a portion of my success to this filter, the filter consists of drip denitrators and two micron cartridges that I clean weekly. But I think it is the full system which I set up that makes it work so well, including the plant selection and water chemistry. I use a Dupla Therm heating cable set 750,my transformer is home made because they were unavailable at the time in US voltage. I use a Giesemann System 260 Moonlight with 2 150w HQI 6K lamps and 2 5K T-5 Flourescents. My substrate is from a Belgian company called Aquatic Nature and I used 60kilos of Inca Red with 10 kilos of Fertiplant- potting soil sort of stuff and 10 kilos of Fertiplant plus which is a blend of coal and laterite. I inject 4 bubbles of C02 a second and the pH is electronically controlled at 6.75. My KH and GH are both set at 6 and I mix RO and tap water to get these values. I change 25% of the water every week and I use Miravit and Ferrovit fertilizers at half strength weekly to maintain .20 ppm of iron. I am a big believer in the heating cables. This is the second incarnation of my aquarium and the last one failed when the transformer wiring burned up. I keep the tank at 82F. There are definitely other methods that work very well and I have also been pleased with the results I have had using an oversized Eheim, this tank is however my pinnacle of success but I think the labor end of it is largely responsible, I have been religious with dosing and changing water and this was always a weak link for me. The fish eat very well, with three altums and a very rare pair of wild Royal Blue Discus and several dwarf pikes and Tetras they eat about a
1/2oz of bloodworms a day and sometimes I alternate in live blackworms or brine shrimp. With this amount of feeding heavy duty filters and regular waterchanges are critical.

 

[rvitko]

BTW- changed the signature line for you.

 

[sb1227]

*chuckling* Thanks. That tank is a dream! I agree with you on the labor part, I've always been diligent about water changes especially, but have never really found it to be a chore. I like what I can see of the substrate, I used flourite with bits of walnut in one of my tanks, had a great long piece of driftwood to seperate the substrate for a bit of a layered look. I've thought about heating cables, but have always been wary of electrical problems. I do wonder if keeping the tank that warm keeps algae at bay, seems like most algae don't like warm water. Mine is about 78 degrees, with a big pleco and congo tetras. I have to say, in a big tank like yours Discus is a great choice, in my first plant tank a school of Cardinals and Robinae Corydoras was pretty impressive. I didn't see any, do you have some of that giant Vallisneria? I understood it to grow 24" tall when I got it, it's now at least 4' tall, a little much for my poor 24" tall tank, but the fish really like the hiding spot and a little shade.
Interesting, the mixing of tap and r/o...getting the benefits of both, have often wondered about that. I'm going to have to check out the filtration set...I'm still looking for ideas with the bigger tank.
One more thing, I am thinking about getting a Turbelle electronic for my 75 Reef, I have mainly sps with a couple of lps. I have three 300 gph powerheads now with 800 gph return flow, but am concerned about the possible heat problems this summer. Can I safely assume the low voltage electronic powerheads put off very little heat? I would like to eventually have two turbelles alone, and I think with my finer sand a stream 6000 may not be the best idea. Just trying to control any heat issues without buying a chiller. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Thanks so much! Sue

 

[rvitko]

Corydoras robinae is a great fish, Every time I talk to Adolfo Schwartz he has to tell me about how it was named after his mother, of course the Adolfo cory was named after him and the Willischwartzi cory was named after his father. Our tapw ater here is just a little harder than I would like at 8 GH and KH. The heating cables from Europe are all low voltage so they are safe but I learned in the past they don't work with Flourite, the basic concept is the substrate has to retain heat and act as a sort of heatsink so quartz or granite gravels are the best choices, plus the flourite can cut it. I got kinda burned on Flourite when I had a tank with Flourite Red and found it continuously increased the KH and several customers with the same experience. I have corkscrew val and it is about 3' tall. Giant Val is a nice plant but I find when you first get it it is bouyant and I just didn't have the patience for that.

Wattage vs pump capacity is what will determine heat production. I figure on a 7400/2 raising the temperature of 100gallons 1 degree which is about as good as it gets. I think you could start with one 7400/2 and see what you think. Then when you decide if you want a second one or not get the controller.

 

[sb1227]

I've been looking at the webpage, would you recommend one of the comline filters for a 75 gal freshwater? Those bioreactors look pretty interesting, but to be honest It's a little bit of a pain trying to read that adobe catalog..guess I need to order a real paper one so I can sit down and study it....I'm a real aquarium stuff catalog junkie...

 

[rvitko]

Unfortunately I am out of cataloggguues and still waiting for some to come in. If you PM me an address I'll send you one. I like the Comline sets but acknowledge they aren't for everybody, they do occupy room in the aquarium and are not the easiest to mount but I like the bio reactors and I like the osmolator and I am very pleased with the filter cartridge results. They filter very fine particles that most filters miss.