Clarebabes

BTW, the BiOrb packaging and instructions said I could have 5 small fish before anyone says I've put too many of them in there. The 3 guppys lasted 4 months, and the Clown Loach 2 months, so I must have let the pH get too low by not doing enough water changes. I don't think I overstocked it.

Clarebabes

I don't know really, have to see what's out there. Don't want to go too big as we'd have nowhere to put it! A medium sized one would be best. Any ideas?

David Lock

Dozens to choose from but we ended up with Juwel, 260 I think, and it has a curved front which does look nice. Quite deep so you need long arms to get in to reach the gravel if you need to. Useful cupboard underneath. Expensive though but I don't suppose the fish would mind one that was pre-owned
We have less fish that we used to and they seem happy on a 3-4 week water change and spring clean. dl

Clarebabes

We were looking at getting another one at some point this year anyway, the BiOrb was supposed to be practice! Looks like I've killed 2 fish, but at least I've learnt now.

The Juwel ones in the dark wood look nice as that would go with our furniture. There are a few on Ebay, but they are too far away. I suppose I could keep an eye out and have a look in the local paper too.

D.K.1

Just keep an eye out until you're ready to buy one, Juwel are good tanks

We lost a few fish when we first set up, it's just one of those things I guess while you get the water right, then start stocking up with the more expensive, better / nicer fish You don't want to pay a lot for a nice fish if your tank isn't established or you could lose them too

I love the curved glass Juwels

Christ

Thats one awesome fish!

Chris

Christ

Id be very interested in knowing more about the adding of Po4 and Nitrate, Ive also a trigon 190 with increased lighting (103Watts - standard was 36) and a CO2 kit going in this week. Id like to know what worked for you as Im aiming towards successfull plant growth...

Chris

paul-s

where can i buy a blowfish??

The Snug Rhino

chris - its been sometime since i did anything around the planted stuff.....but if you google the topic there are tables out there that will tell you what to look for in your plants and what that means...i.e - yellow leaves = lack of PO4, etc, etc

you then add whatever is missing in powder form - the prob with uping the light and co2 without upping the nutrient in the water is you find the plants can do odd things - for example, they grow tall and fast towards the light but with little "bushiness" - basically you just need to add fertilizer like you wood a normal plant. I had almost 50 cardinal tetras in mine and the nitrates were still too LOW!

tbh...it was a lot of hassle and i gave up after 9 months - it worked very well and i had superb growth in plants rights at the bottom of the tank (as you can see from the pics) check out the AGA competion for ideas and suitable plants.

it was also a lot of money relative to what it was...a trop tank.

(seemed like a lot of money anyway.....until i went to marines, i just picked up 3 gem tangs a month ago for my reef from Germany...i dont think theres anyone in the UK with more than 1 and theres only a few with that - £500 each !!!.....get a few neons for that!)

Sonic'

Thats the site I used to go on, I just logged back onto the forums, dec 05 was my last login on there LOL

I had to make a few posts as I was losing a fair few fish, white spot mainly then I lost my paroon shark, although in many many ways im sort of glad I did, whilst he was still small

good forums there, and very helpful too, thats who tried to id my common plec, and also where i got the info for the blue cold cathode tubes

How did you get on on ebay, did you manage to get yourself some ?

Sonic'

Thanks Chris, he is after all your dads creation he is my favourite (and was also a birthday present ) along with my Ghost Knife Fish, I lost two smaller ones, think the suncat ate one, and the other just disappeared

which is why I went for the 12" one, as there really wasnt that much difference in price, just means I cant put neons etc in that tank anymore

Christ

Cheers for that, I'll see how things go when I get my CO2 installed... This is my usual problem though - any ideas what would cause this? po4?



Chris

Sonic'

What I have got is your bog standard variable voltage adapter, and got the PC connectors, and cut a few wires etc and soldered them back up

But I thought the guy on ebay sold the complete units, along with the adapter, or at least converted to save you the hassle

Mine are fitted to the rear lid, just so they dont foul the tube reflectors, what I originally did was use that heavy duty velcro from halfrauds, but water takes its toll and every so often they would fall into the tank

So I superglued the velcro onto the underside of the lid, and superglued the other velcro bit onto the tube ends, and now they stay there all the time , but can still be removed if i need to

Its better having a variable voltage adapter, so you can drop the voltage to a more subtle level, I power two tubes from the one transformer, which tbh is pushing it a bit

although they are on a timer, I have a pci slot backplane behind the tank with a little switch on it too sealing them is just a matter of silicon seal around the end caps, they will still work with water in them, just not advisable


Think I looked at Planet Catfish at the time, but struggled to id mine there

Sonic'

the switch came with my tubes, so that was already wired up, I just checked again, and I didnt actually do any soldering LOL

I cut the PC connector off, and pushed the wires (only two of them) into the two holes on the end of the wire

It was one of the universal adapters that has interchangeable ends, I think I got it the wrong way round first time

just remember to superglue the velcro, or eventually it will fall into the water

Sonic'

this is the one I got, Maplin> VN10L range. (VN10L search) variable voltage and 1.2mA

same thing really using connector blocks, or pushing the wires into the holes, i went with that option as i didnt have any connector blocks, and wanted my lights on

try before you fit them, I had them running in the office around my monitor before I went home (bought them at lunch time )

Sonic'

I know it is more expensive, and i was a bit gutted it was that dear, not sure how much the mA's will have on the tubes, mine is 1200mA, and the one who have shown is only 400mA, but that was what was originally recommended over on the fish forums, iirc

on the end that has all the interchangeable adapters, there will be two holes (each end adapter has 2 prongs) which the adapter plugs into, i just pushed the wires into these, and wrapped them in insulation tape, and secured it to the back of the tank

Sonic'

nice one, and good luck

edited to add, have you gone for two tubes then ?

The Snug Rhino

chris - thats just general lack of the basics, light and CO2. Healthy looking plants with odd bits are the problem - when they just look all round a bit poor its normally the simple stuff.

be carefull with the CO2 dosing, it will lower the PH of the water and at night (when the plants cease the add O2) you may find O2 levels in the water drop - keep an eye on fish gasping in the morning. (i ran an airstone at night - back in the days when i didnt know what i was doing! an airstone wont help much, bubbles sont disolve into H20 in the space of a 20" rise to the top of a tank - you need good surface movement to aid gas exchange at the surface - a little pump runing at night at the surface might help)

It depends how far you want to go - if i went back to it i would use my marine knowledge and monito things a lot better, my reef tank is computer controled so just about every level (salt, ph, temp, calcium, redox, etc, etc) is monitored by probes and the computer adds whatever is required....Co2 dosing uses a bubble counter on trop tanks which is a bit "stab in the dark" to say the lease.....bottom line, WATCH your stock - it will tell you whats going on. and most important if something dies FIND OUT WHY! Lot of people say "oh i lost some fish" as though thats part of the process, if something dies theres a reason...even your plants. If its dead YOU killed it....dont just bin it and ignore it.

Christ

Cheers for the advice, Ive plenty of light but no CO2, so that may well be it.. So should be sorted once I get it all installed...

Chris

2000 sport

iTrader: (1)

interested to see how you get on with these lights, pleae keep me updated !!