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Re: Newbie Question(s)



> From: druid at basenet_net (Patrick McClintick)
> Date: Thu, 01 Jun 1995 22:13:28 -0500
> Subject: Newbie Question(s)
> 
> Ok, here's the deal - I started my first tank two months ago knowing
> absolutly nothing.  
>       * 10 Gal. Tank
You're still not hooked yet. Later on you'll become a 27 gal user, 49 and
then when the habit is insatiable, you'll be upto 100+ gallons. ;-)
>       * UGF/RUGF (1 plate has the standard uplift with a carbon filter, the
> other plate
Most plant people don't use carbon much. Perhaps occasionally. Tends to remove
iron and other expensive micro-nutrients.

>                   has a Penguin 550 Powerhead with the reverse undergravel kit)
>       * 1 Liter DIY suger/yeast CO2 generator hooked into the venturi intake
> of the 
>                  powerhead.
>       * 50 watt submerged heater (76 F) 
>       * 2 small air pumps (1 for the UGF and 1 for an airstone in the tank)
>       * About 1.5" - 2" (varies front to back) of gravel (Brown quartz pea
> gravel stuff)
not much room in a 10 gal for deeper substrate. Have you read the stuff
about laterite or the suggestions for vermiculite? A little of that would 
be good in the bottom layer of a larger tank.
>       * Fish :  3 Tiger Barbs
>                 1 Pearl Gourami
>                 1 Sunburst Platy
>                 1 Pleco (fast outgrowing tank..)
I'd loose this fellow; not good with plants. How about a coryadorus and
a couple of otocinclus? I think I'd be tempted to just have live bearers
with your harder water. I think the Pearl Gourami will outgrow a 10 gal.
tank too. It's so tempting to want a few different fish but wiser to
get a second tank or two.
>       * Plants :1 Lilaeopsis Novae-Zelandiae (Common name?)
>                 1 Hygrophilia Angustifolia
>                 1 Anacharis bundle
>                 1 rather large Green Fanwart bundle (Cabomba Caroliniana ??)
>                 2 Rooted Palm looking plants that I cannot Identify
> 
>         pH is about (guessing because the test kit uses Bromothyl blue) about 
>         7.6-8.0 and VERY resistant to lowering (2 7.0 Ph Right tablets had
> NO effect)
Let me guess; I think your water is coming from an underground source or
possibly being purified from a river so you have hard, alkaline water. What's
the pH out of the tap? I think you've got way too much aeration
happening for the CO2 to do much good. I'd suggest soaking some water in peat
overnight to reduce the hardness. With plants, enough light and some CO2
you don't need the heavy biological filtration and there is enough O2 drawn
into the water for a light fish load by a very small water trickle at the
surface from a power filter. A hood or preferably glass top will help reduce
CO2 losses to the air too. What kind of bubble rate do you see out of the
yeast bottle? How much did the pH drop after you started using it? With soft
water, a pH of 6.5 is pretty good. However, if things are working for you
at the higher alkalinity, don't argue with success.
>         Hard water (No test kit yet).  
> 
> The fish seem happy (barbs are REAL red lately.  Noses finaly colored!) 
>        
> Now, I am also using Tetra FloraPride (K2O 3%, Fe+++ 0.02%) as directed
> (inital 1 ml per 1 gallon, 1 ml per 2 gallons for water changes (2
> Liters/Week).  So, am I doing ok, or am I headed for on big compost pond?
I think you'll be ok; after all, you're here asking questions, right? :-)

> Are their any newbie net-resources? Oh, I also have a 2 48" Aqua-Glo bulbs
> (Fixture is mounted about 6" over the water surface (and I plan to add 2
> more tanks under it, BTW ;-).  Well?
Yes, more tanks are better. Try to go for 18" tanks that give you more
height and room. Two 27 gal tanks might just fit. (If you've got the room.)

Good luck and welcome to the list. Hope we get more people like this, asking
questions.

 - Steve