I bought 4 oz 99.3% KNO3 powered, to make liquid fertilizer for planted aquarium.
I use http://calc.petalphile.com/ for calculation.
4oz = 113.4 gram.
My goal is each 1ml fertilizer for each 5 gallon water to raise NO3 by 5 ppm. To get close to 113.4 gram, I got 734ml, which is 24.8oz. But I don't have that big size bottle. So I end up use 2oz the powered with 12.4 oz water solution.
The dose is 1ml for every 5 gallon water, which raise NO3 by 5ppm.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Mosses
Dear future me, I know you will again open this page MIX of MOSSes 5 Species Aquatic Moss on eBay, and wonder what each of those mosses are, how they look like, and what care condition they require, so here they are.
"JAVA MOSS" - Taxiphyllum Barbieri,
too common, pass.
"CRYSTALSTALWORT" - Riccia Fluitans, YES
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=106
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=106
Information
Liverwort "ROUND PELIA" - Susswassertang Freshwater Seaweed,
http://www.aquabotanic.com/?tag=Subwassertang
http://www.aquabotanic.com/?tag=Subwassertang
Name: Subwassertang
Lighting: All levels
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Placement: All over the tank but best in foreground of attached to objects in tank
Pros: Rhizomes grow in a nice stratified pattern, grows in low light, and is shrimp friendly
Cons: It can quickly react to water quality: poor=dead
Liverwort "MONOSOLENIUM TENERUM" Pellia
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=96&n=Pellia_Monosolenium_tenerum
Information
"CREEPING MOSS" - Vesicularia Sp.
http://www.freshwatershrimp.co.uk/product.php?id_product=171
Called creeping moss because it stays very low and creeps over anything. Creeping moss is very easy plant to grow and will thrive in all water conditions. The growth is quite slow. Great option for low maintenance aquariums. Low Light or High Light CO2 or no CO2 Cold or Tropical Fertilized or not This is not an import from Asia. Grown in EU.
"SPIKY MOSS" - Taxiphyllum Sp.
Grow into beautiful big triangle shape. Easily grow at temperature 26-28 C
"PHOENIX MOSS" - Fissidens Fontanus. YES
http://www.aquamoss.net/Fissidens-fontanus/Fissidens-fontanus.htm
http://www.aquamoss.net/Fissidens-fontanus/Fissidens-fontanus.htm
Information
"TAIWAN MOSS" - Taxiphyllum alternans.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=168&n=Taiwan_moss_Taxiphyllum_alternans
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=168&n=Taiwan_moss_Taxiphyllum_alternans
Information
* "STRINGY MOSS" - Leptodietyum Riparium. * YES
"WILLOW MOSS" - Frontinalis Antipyretia, YES
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myPlants.php?do=view&p=253&n=Willow_Moss_Fontinalis_antipyretica
Information
* "SINGAPORE MOSS" - Vesicularia dubyana. *
"PEACOCK MOSS" - Taxiphyllum sp.
*** The following are OUT OF STOCK in time of this writting. ***
"CHRISTMAS MOSS" - Vesicularia Montagnei, OUT OF STOCK
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/plantpedia/full_view_plant.php?item_id=114
Plant Profile
Scientific Name: Vesicularia montagnei
Common Name: Christmas Moss
Difficulty: Easy
CO2 Requirements: Low
Lighting Requirements: Low
Plant Arrangement: Variable
Growth Rate: Slow
Family: Hypnaceae
Genus: Vesicularia
Origin: Asia
Plant Type: Moss
Water Hardness: Medium (GH = 9-13 dH)
* "GIANT MOSS" - Taxiphyllum Sp. * NEW OUT OF STOCK
http://www.aquamoss.net/Giant-Moss/Giant-Moss.htm
"FLAME MOSS" - Taxiphyllum Sp. OUT OF STOCK
http://www.aquamoss.net/Flame-Moss/Flame-Moss.htm
* "FLAT MOSS" - Drepanocladus Sp. * OUT OF STOCK
"WEEPING MOSS" - Vesicularia ferreri. NEW OUT OF STOCK
http://www.aquamoss.net/Weeping-Moss/Weeping-Moss.htm
* "RICCIA RHENANA" * NEW OUT OF STOCK
Liverwort "LOMARIOPSIS LINEA" OUT OF STOCK
*"SOUTH AMERICA MOSS" - Vesicularia S.America. * NEW OUT OF STOCK
"ANCHOR MOSS" - Taxiphyllum sp. OUT OF STOCK
* "BRAZIL MOSS" - Vesicularia sp. * OUT OF STOCK
OUT OF STOCK * "MINI TAIWAN MOSS" * OUT OF STOCK
Update on my 29G tank, light, water, and HC
So obviously, my older post about HC melting because of temperature is just some BS. The reason they were fine in the first couple weeks was probably because it halted/hibernated at growing, because there was not enough light or CO2. As soon as it tried to start growing again, it melted. The actual reason is mostly lack of light, secondary was not enough CO2. That's why the ones near CO2 reactor melted first, because it the condition turned a bit better cause it to leave hibernate state earlier.
I latter updated the lights of the tank.
First, I put in 3 10W LED flood light in the front hood (the one can open). I just drilled the holes and screw them on the hood. It is slightly tilted, makes the light pointed a bit towards the back, which is prefect. The light may not have the prefect spectrum for plant grow, but they are super bright, and the watt don't lie. Given the wattage and the lighting efficiency of LED in general, it should be pretty helpful for the plant. But after that, I feel the light is still not strong/bright enough. So I continued to replace the 17W T8 as well.
Second, I replaced the 17W T8 with 55W duo T5 light from a DIY kit. I picked the 6400K daylight bulb because I was not enjoying the kind of red color the 2700K T8 was giving out. It is decided for plants, so it should have better spectrum than the LEDs. But for brightness, it is a bit lower than the 3 LEDs.
This is how they look like:
Altogether, there seems to be enough light for the plants to thrive, and they are giving out a lot more new grow, including HC!
Another important factor I learned for lighting is the water clarity. Before, probably because of the driftwood and the almond leaves I put in for the discus, the water was always yellowish. Also I was not changing the water often because the parameter was just fine (always 0 nitrite, probably because all used up by plants). At the time all the new lights were installed, I bought a new pack of HC to give it the last try. After a week or so, it is not doing well and some of them seem start dying. That mean the light was still not enough. However, the top of my tank had already ran out of space for another light. Also, algae started to grow like everywhere. First is the green algae that cover the front glass of the tank that I can barely see the fish, and those on the top part of the glass were pearling! That mean the light is strong, but can't efficiently reach the bottom of the tank. As a desperate attempt, I tried to increase the clarity of the water. I got a product Seachem Purigen, and did a 50% water change. The result came out to be amazing. The water stay clear for weeks and never turn yellow again (before it always get back to yellow after couple days), and the HC started to giving out new leaves, slowly but surely. After I wiped out the green algae from the glass, they did not come back. So the plants were competing with it for light and nutrition and win.
However, the black brush algae, which started out break in the same time as the green algae, did not die out, but instead getting bigger. After some searching, I found that CO2 is the most likely solution to BBA, and Flourish Excel would be the easiest way as treatment. So I started to dose Flourish Excel. Initially, I doubled the dose for both initial dose and the daily doses after. The results are quick. Couple days after the initial dose, the BBA started to turn green, which mean it was dying. After a week, it is almost all gone. The Flourish Excel not only cleaned out the algae, but also made other plants thrive better. HC is now growing out big bright green leaves, looks nice and healthy (I also added some microswords, to see which can grow better carpet given my tank's condition):
As Flourish Excel is just mean for temporary treatment because of its price, I added the second bottle to the DIY CO2 to bring up the CO2 level constantly. Hopefully the plants will live happily ever after.
I latter updated the lights of the tank.
First, I put in 3 10W LED flood light in the front hood (the one can open). I just drilled the holes and screw them on the hood. It is slightly tilted, makes the light pointed a bit towards the back, which is prefect. The light may not have the prefect spectrum for plant grow, but they are super bright, and the watt don't lie. Given the wattage and the lighting efficiency of LED in general, it should be pretty helpful for the plant. But after that, I feel the light is still not strong/bright enough. So I continued to replace the 17W T8 as well.
Second, I replaced the 17W T8 with 55W duo T5 light from a DIY kit. I picked the 6400K daylight bulb because I was not enjoying the kind of red color the 2700K T8 was giving out. It is decided for plants, so it should have better spectrum than the LEDs. But for brightness, it is a bit lower than the 3 LEDs.
This is how they look like:
Altogether, there seems to be enough light for the plants to thrive, and they are giving out a lot more new grow, including HC!
Another important factor I learned for lighting is the water clarity. Before, probably because of the driftwood and the almond leaves I put in for the discus, the water was always yellowish. Also I was not changing the water often because the parameter was just fine (always 0 nitrite, probably because all used up by plants). At the time all the new lights were installed, I bought a new pack of HC to give it the last try. After a week or so, it is not doing well and some of them seem start dying. That mean the light was still not enough. However, the top of my tank had already ran out of space for another light. Also, algae started to grow like everywhere. First is the green algae that cover the front glass of the tank that I can barely see the fish, and those on the top part of the glass were pearling! That mean the light is strong, but can't efficiently reach the bottom of the tank. As a desperate attempt, I tried to increase the clarity of the water. I got a product Seachem Purigen, and did a 50% water change. The result came out to be amazing. The water stay clear for weeks and never turn yellow again (before it always get back to yellow after couple days), and the HC started to giving out new leaves, slowly but surely. After I wiped out the green algae from the glass, they did not come back. So the plants were competing with it for light and nutrition and win.
However, the black brush algae, which started out break in the same time as the green algae, did not die out, but instead getting bigger. After some searching, I found that CO2 is the most likely solution to BBA, and Flourish Excel would be the easiest way as treatment. So I started to dose Flourish Excel. Initially, I doubled the dose for both initial dose and the daily doses after. The results are quick. Couple days after the initial dose, the BBA started to turn green, which mean it was dying. After a week, it is almost all gone. The Flourish Excel not only cleaned out the algae, but also made other plants thrive better. HC is now growing out big bright green leaves, looks nice and healthy (I also added some microswords, to see which can grow better carpet given my tank's condition):
As Flourish Excel is just mean for temporary treatment because of its price, I added the second bottle to the DIY CO2 to bring up the CO2 level constantly. Hopefully the plants will live happily ever after.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
CO2 recipe #3
05/21/2013, a new CO2 recipe started, almost identical with the last one, but this time I have 2 bottles:
- 1/4 teaspoon of EC-1118 Wine yeast
- 3 cups of sugar
- some milk, did not measure, just pour some in
- 1ml of baby multi-vitamin
The first bottle is started on 05/21, a new one added to the previous exhausted bottle. Then the old bottle is renewed on 05/22, same recipe.
The difference I did this time is to better start the yeast. I measure the yeast into a cup, then add some warm water, and SOME SUGAR. Let them sit for like 10 minutes while I mixing everything else into the bottle, then pour the yeast into the bottle and let it sit for like 5 minutes before connect it back to the CO2 pipe. This way the bottle seems start faster stronger.
05/22 pm, it is producing 1.5 bps. It is day 1 for the first bottle, and it is counted after the second bottle is renewed. A fast start.
05/23 pm, it is producing 2.7 bps. Now the water is PH 6.6, KH 5, so CO2 = 38ppm. Just went over safe level. Maybe need to run air stone during the night.
05/23 pm, it is producing 2.7 bps. Now the water is PH 6.6, KH 5, so CO2 = 38ppm. Just went over safe level. Maybe need to run air stone during the night.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
HC grow log
My third attempt on growing HC carpet. This time it is in a 10 gallon tank, and start dry. So initially I grow them emersed because they grow faster that way, and no need to worry about co2 or floating. After they spread out to form the carpet, i will then submerge them in water and start fill it habitats.
It may take 4 weeks to grow into carpet. The planting was done last Sunday. today is the 4th day. It looks there are new leaves coming. So far it is just growing by sun light only. I oreder a new light and it should come by this week.
 |
| 05/16: The start |
 |
| 05/20: Updated 2nd picture. Giving out new leaves, not yet spreading out. |
 |
| 05/29: all packs are getting bigger, also added more from main tank that floated up. |
Sunday, April 28, 2013
CO2 Recipe #2
My last DIY CO2 recipe was started on 04/12/2013, and stopped on or before 04/28/2013. So it worked for about 16 days.
Today, 04/28/2013, a new CO2 recipe started:
Day 1 morning, about 14 hours after it was setup, it is giving 1 bubble every 6 seconds.
Day 3, about 1 bubble every 3 seconds.
After I change the DIY bubble counter to a glass one, it reads 1 bubble per second. The rate is consistent in last two weeks.
Day 21, now produce rate dropped to less than 0.5 bps. Maybe should replace now.
05/21/2013, the bottle only producing 1 bubble every 3 second, so I decided to replace it. The liquid is still somehow sweet, and acid, so the sugar is not used up.
Today, 04/28/2013, a new CO2 recipe started:
- 1/4 teaspoon of EC-1118 Wine yeast
- 3 cups of sugar
- 2 spoon of milk
- 1ml of baby multi-vitamin
I chose that yeast because it is for wine and has higher alcohol tolerant (18%). So it should last longer. I also added one more cup of sugar to make sure the yeast don't run out of food before die out.
Day 1 morning, about 14 hours after it was setup, it is giving 1 bubble every 6 seconds.
Day 3, about 1 bubble every 3 seconds.
After I change the DIY bubble counter to a glass one, it reads 1 bubble per second. The rate is consistent in last two weeks.
Day 21, now produce rate dropped to less than 0.5 bps. Maybe should replace now.
05/21/2013, the bottle only producing 1 bubble every 3 second, so I decided to replace it. The liquid is still somehow sweet, and acid, so the sugar is not used up.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Cabomba and Dwarf baby tears
Cabomba and Dwarf baby tears don't really have different relationship other than both being aquarium plants. But the just happen to be my most hated and most loved plants.
Cabomba became my most hated plant for couple reasons. The kind of Cabomba I am talking about is the dark green one, with a bit brown to red on the top. I have another kind of Cabomba (or other plant that looks every similar) that is light green, and that one is OK to me. The first reason I don't like that dark green Cabomba is the color. It make the whole tank look darker. The light green one is a lot more attractive in comparison. The second reason is, it grow way too fast in my setup. In just a week it grow from middle of the tank to the top of water (18 inch in height, 29 gallon tank). Meanwhile, the light green one only grow an inch or two. They were planted on the back of the tank, but when it reach the top, to lean towards the middle where the light fixture is. So it end up took up half the tank's depth on upper water. The third, and the major reason is that, its leaves fall so much. Every inch of the substrate, there is a fragment of its leaves lying. Every time I washed the pre-filter sponge, it got full of its leaves again in less than a day. It just made the whole tank look so messy. While other plants drop leaves too, they drop a lot less, including the light green cabomba. There are only a few of the fallen cabomba leaves are light green. So after 2 weeks, I finally decided to pull all of them out today. The tank looks a lot cleaner now. I may buy couple more plants to fill the background, but currently the lack of plant in the back just give the tank a new fresh look. So I maybe not buying any plants to fill there after all.
Dwarf baby tears is the plant I love the most, because I love to grow carpet in the front ground of the tank, and it is the best looking front ground carpet plants. Ironically, it is the most miserable plant in my tank. I planted them with small brunch, like of the size of my finger nail each. I clean out most of the mineral fiber that it came with, pinch its root and push them down the substrate till the leaves were a bit above the substrate, then push the substrate around it a bit to make it hold better. The first week they looked good. Occasionally couple get loose and float to the top, and I mostly will just push them down again. But since last week, most of them start melting. At first it was only the one near the CO2 reactor. I was not pay too much attention. But as of now, all of them are melting. Some brunches of them are almost all gone. So I had to start looking for the reason. I searched a bit, then found out that it is possibly because of the high water temperature. Then I remembered, the heater for the tank did not arrive until last week. So before, the water was just running on room temperature, which is about 76. After the heater arrive, I generally increased the water temperature to 80. Last weekend, I finally bought a pair of discus, and also increased the temperature to 82 for them. Now the time line all match up. When the water was 76, it looks good. When it increased to 80, some of them start melting. When it reaches 82, most of them are melting. Therefore, I am reducing the temperature to 78, which was said in many reference within the lower end of discus's temperature range. Hopefully, both the fish and the plants will be happy at that temperature.
Cabomba became my most hated plant for couple reasons. The kind of Cabomba I am talking about is the dark green one, with a bit brown to red on the top. I have another kind of Cabomba (or other plant that looks every similar) that is light green, and that one is OK to me. The first reason I don't like that dark green Cabomba is the color. It make the whole tank look darker. The light green one is a lot more attractive in comparison. The second reason is, it grow way too fast in my setup. In just a week it grow from middle of the tank to the top of water (18 inch in height, 29 gallon tank). Meanwhile, the light green one only grow an inch or two. They were planted on the back of the tank, but when it reach the top, to lean towards the middle where the light fixture is. So it end up took up half the tank's depth on upper water. The third, and the major reason is that, its leaves fall so much. Every inch of the substrate, there is a fragment of its leaves lying. Every time I washed the pre-filter sponge, it got full of its leaves again in less than a day. It just made the whole tank look so messy. While other plants drop leaves too, they drop a lot less, including the light green cabomba. There are only a few of the fallen cabomba leaves are light green. So after 2 weeks, I finally decided to pull all of them out today. The tank looks a lot cleaner now. I may buy couple more plants to fill the background, but currently the lack of plant in the back just give the tank a new fresh look. So I maybe not buying any plants to fill there after all.
Dwarf baby tears is the plant I love the most, because I love to grow carpet in the front ground of the tank, and it is the best looking front ground carpet plants. Ironically, it is the most miserable plant in my tank. I planted them with small brunch, like of the size of my finger nail each. I clean out most of the mineral fiber that it came with, pinch its root and push them down the substrate till the leaves were a bit above the substrate, then push the substrate around it a bit to make it hold better. The first week they looked good. Occasionally couple get loose and float to the top, and I mostly will just push them down again. But since last week, most of them start melting. At first it was only the one near the CO2 reactor. I was not pay too much attention. But as of now, all of them are melting. Some brunches of them are almost all gone. So I had to start looking for the reason. I searched a bit, then found out that it is possibly because of the high water temperature. Then I remembered, the heater for the tank did not arrive until last week. So before, the water was just running on room temperature, which is about 76. After the heater arrive, I generally increased the water temperature to 80. Last weekend, I finally bought a pair of discus, and also increased the temperature to 82 for them. Now the time line all match up. When the water was 76, it looks good. When it increased to 80, some of them start melting. When it reaches 82, most of them are melting. Therefore, I am reducing the temperature to 78, which was said in many reference within the lower end of discus's temperature range. Hopefully, both the fish and the plants will be happy at that temperature.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
CO2 formula - first try - 2013-04-12
So I setup a DIY CO2 system, and started the system on 2013-04-12. The system is mainly followed http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html, so as the formula:
- 1/4 tea spoon of baking dry yeast
- 2 cups of cane sugar
- 2 spoons of milk
- water filled to the curve of the bottle
It was setup after dinner. The next morning, CO2 was coming out, and in the yeast bottle there was half inch of white stuff floating on top of the liquid, not sure what they were. Those floating stuff was almost reduced a lot one day later, only some scattered on top of the liquid.
CO2's production is consistent so far. At the day the system started, the CO2 indicator said it was from insufficient to normal. After 2 days running, the CO2 indicator now said sufficient.
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