Your one is shrimp tank is it???

But do pose up your findings and result of using Fenbendazole with us, cause I'm having shrimp tank also and I'm very scared I will kena hydra also...

WTA how often you guys change your light bulbs??? And whats the indication for you to change them??? Based on the duration of use? or the effect on the plants? etc?

I'm using 2 units of T8 fluorescent tubs and I change them every 12 months. Is it too often? or can I use them longer???

Resun Cyclone Externel Filter CY-20

200L/h if I'm not mistaken, it is the smallest canister I've seen

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Added on August 28, 2010, 10:42 pmIMO, if you use HOB, you need to constantly top up water to maintain it at high enough levels so there would not be too much splashing at the outlet of the HOB causing you to loss all the precious CO2 your plants need.

So, IMO, if your planning to stick to a 1 footer and not expand into a 2 or 3 ft tank anytime soon. Its best you get a canister.

This post has been edited by radver: Aug 28 2010, 10:42 PM


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Can't help you there, cause I'm in Kuala Terengganu, the LFS here selling it at RM88...

http://www.my-mac.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=11283

It says you can find it in Jalan Pasar

Aww... man... Do you do postage??? Please tell me you do... , I'll pay for the post charges...

I want it but I'll only be back in KL in another 2 weeks...

I iz sad...

I try my best to answer you...
So, IMO...

First, you put too much fish in your 1 feet tank already, since you just started the number of fish should be less than half of what you have right now. Cause the ammonia or fish shit they produce will be too much and will be toxic to them. And your filter is what type and rated at how many liter/hour???

Second, what kind of lighting did you get??? Only light with spectrum of 6500K-10000K can be used in the planted tank, cause this is the only spectrum that plants use for photosynthesis, 8-12 hours a day. And how many watts is the lighting???

Third, IME co2 can wait, plants can grow without co2, just not as nice. Can start with DIY later, cheaper... But since your curious, here is a link
http://www.my-mac.net/forum/viewtopic.php?...it=co2+diffuser

Fourth, If you don't have soil then what are you using currently??? I'm curious??? You can get the soil in any LFS selling planted tank related stuff, or you can guide yourself to a LFS near you by referring yourself to the first few post of this thread where there is a directory of all the LFS which sells these stuff. And most planted tank if not all uses ADA amazonia soil...

Fifth, get a dechlorinator, even cheap RM1 will do and just use a pipe to siphon out the debris and usually change only 20-30% of the water each week.
What I mention here is what I have done, what I'm doing and it differs between different hobbyist. And you can change it to match your own tank...

And my advice to you if you want to improve the survival rate of your fish, get a bag of activated carbon, rinse it and put it in the tank ASAP. You can take it out after 1-2 weeks. It'll suck up all the ammonia and other chemicals and keep the water clean.
How to scape can wait until you get your soil and what fertilizer to use can wait a few more weeks after that... IMO...
I hope I answered all your questions...
Anyone want to add in or offer your opinion on my explanation, please do... I'm learning still

Lastly, welcome to the planted aquarium hobby

This post has been edited by radver: Aug 31 2010, 11:30 PM

The available spectrum depends on what type of light tubes your looking for, if your only looking at the T8 fluorescent tube that we normally use in the house then the best spectrum is 6500K only.
You need to look at other types of light bulbs and higher watts also, PLL seems to be very popular, but I'm using 2 unit T8, 18 watts each at 6500k cause its easier to find it here in Kuala Terengganu.

T5 tubes, which look like our normal fluorescent tubes but much more thiner is the improved version of T8 and its said to have better penetration, IME these T5 tubes can only be found in LFS selling planted tank related product

How big is your aquarium first??? How many gallons??? Try to get at least 2 watts per gallon....

I rather not use anything plants from the wild, cause they always got snails on them... Bad experience...

Can, hopefully it'll kill off all the snails and their eggs.

And be careful of dragonfly nymph hitching a ride, I accidentally brought one back the first time I took plants from the wild.

This post has been edited by radver: Sep 17 2010, 01:30 PM

I saw the stall before, but I think 2littlefishes is the name of the stall, not the brand of the stuff they are selling...

If possible provide picture...

But from my readings back when I kept bettas, you need a minimum of 5 gallon tank to keep the betta happy and healthy. But they will still survive in smaller ones, "survive" only, not happy and healthy... And for bettas you don't actually need filters, cause they live in very slow flowing waters in the wild. A bit too much flow will actually give them stress... IMO la...

I like the plants, very healthy...

But I think would look better if the background not blue, cause it don't seem natural...

I like... I like...

Err... How much is the flow rate of your HOB filter??? And how many liter is your tank??? Care to give the specification of your tank???
Cause it looks very small for the tank...

150L/h good enough la, for your tank its almost 4x turnover already. But if china brand filter then cannot say its enough cause they always overrate their filter. But you can keep using it see got any problem or not...

Ammonia must be maintained at 0, but since yours is new tank should give it some time to stabilize first.

How many watts is your lighting??? Whats the spectrum???

And I read somewhere that if you want to grow hairgrass you'll need CO2 injection...

Mine only 1.44 watts per gallon

I'm trying to grow hairgrass also, but in black gravel

My cherry shrimps also doing fine at 29 and below, IMO most probably its because of the new soil, keep doing large water change and it'll be fine in a week or so.

Give us the length x width x height and should be able to calculate for you

Amount of light depends on the type of plants your trying to grow, this one I not so pro, all I know is try to get 2 watts per gallon. But currently I can grow all my plants at 1.44 watts per gallon

If don't want buy can DIY, my lights are DIY ones

I'm running 2 unit of T8, each 18watts over my 25 gallon 2 feet tank. Currently thinking of adding another one...

I don't have a hood, don't want one, don't need one. Cause I'm using DIY fans to lower my tank temperature for my RCS. And also because I'm using normal T8 lightings with the frame one, so its actually a bit more longer then my tank, if got hood need to modify my lightings . I attached a picture...


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But T5 tubes are much more expensive as compared with T8 lightings, T8 18 watts is RM7.90 but for T5 its about RM20 for 20watts, last time I compared la... Now I not so sure, anyone got updated price???