Intro And My Fishy Project - Cora

Is your spray bar clean and the holes all clear?

Oh, I forgot to add: I have an inline heater. I don't know if this would restrict flow, but it wouldn't surprise me.

It probably will as the water has to spend time in contact with the heating element for it to heat up. If it's anything like electric showers then the warmer you want the water then the slower the flow has to be. You could tun it down to minimum temp. for a while to see if the flow increases.

FYI, I'm going to use Potassium Bicarbonate to up the KH instead of bicarb of soda. From my research the buffering effect will be the same, but whereas sodium is useless to all aquatic life, potassium isn't. Of course for the cycling stage it doesn't matter since the water will get changed anyway; I'm talking about future boosts to the KH if necessary, when the tank is established (e.g. during water changes.)

Any opinions on this are welcome!

Seems I had a dumb moment and forgot about Calcium Carbonate! Yes, this would of course be best.

I suppose the preference would be: CaCo₃ > K₂CO₃ > NaHCO₃

I'll obtain CaCo₃ for solution (water changes) but I prefer a rock in the filter to permanently boost the KH. My KH has gone up a degree last time I checked (from <=1 to at least 2!) but this is still dangerously low, especially if I add CO₂ for the plants, which I intend to (in the day).

Edited to add: I'm probably really overthinking all this! If I use CO₂ only when the lights are on and do water changes I shouldn't be in danger of a pH crash.

Hated PE, hated RE, but couldn't wait for Chemistry and Physics to come around.

Sounds like me only my favourite subjects were chemistry biology and maths 

I'd suggest getting your tank up and running for a while and monitor things before you start adding this and that. I've never added anything to any of my tanks except water conditioner (apart from ammonia for the cycling). There are lots of people who like fiddling and diddling with their tanks, but it is rarely really necessary.

If you have a good stock of fish then your plants shouldn't need any added carbon dioxide. Fish produce plenty. Most aquarium plants can also use bicarbonate. Why add something and complicate matters until you are sure you need to?

Remember an aquarium is a living system and like many it doesn't always respond to things the way chemistry says it should. Sometimes in the opposite way "the counterintuitive behaviour of complex systems". Many mathematicians, physicists and chemists have tried to explain and control biological systems with equations and precise measurements but they always fail.

I cycled all of my 9 tanks quickly just by squirting in some ammonia every day or so, never measured anything until I thought the cycle was finished (which it always was). They key wasn't in the exact measurements and monitoring but in making sure there was enough "gunk" present initially to have a decent starter of bacteria.

I'm also a scientist by nature I think, but working in ecology (mainly entomology) I also understand that you can't always be precise with ecosystems. I also have a fascination for logic, which does annoy people at times, they hate being told that their cherished belief is in fact based on fallacious reasoning.  That's proper logic, not the Mr Spock "logic versus emotion" idea!

Update:

I removed the spray bar and it's made a world of difference to the flow: the single outlet is submerged about 10cm below the waterline and slightly angled toward the back of the tank. This is creating quite a strong flow in a clockwise direction around the aquarium. The floating plants are getting bunched up in pockets of flow though, which is unsightly.  I may remove the hornwort (it keeps sinking) but leave the frogbit.

Maybe it's a psychological thing but seeing a flow in the tank makes it look healthier. It's not strong enough to blow plants sideways but many of them are swaying pleasantly. I don't know how strong the current would be for all those small fishies though! I'll have to wait and see. I could point the flow upward but then I'd have greater surface agitation, which I'm trying to avoid.

I installed my Fluval CO₂ 88 (which I got for a good price). It's so easy to setup and looks great. As it happens, the new flow from my outlet catches the CO₂ micro bubbles and spreads them out and across the tank. I noticed another algae bloom yesterday so I concluded that the tank is just getting too much light! So in this delicate settling-in period I've covered the thing in thick black towels. I will then allow 5-6 hours of light + CO₂ when I come home. (If I decide to stick with the Fluval system I think it would cost me ~£10/month, which is far less than I spend on wine  But, this is only an experiment and I'm sure there are much cheaper solutions.)

Remember that I dosed a tiny volume of ammonia yesterday midday - remember that! I had a final batch of plants (crpyts) to plug into my tank followed with fert sticks. I also repositioned a java fern (I think it is!) from the substrate (noob) to a bit of wood (pro). I've taken a few pics which I'll post in a bit (keep checking back!)

I also trimmed any bad leaves and did a tidy up. So I had my hands in the water quite a bit. I stood back and admired my handiwork - pleased.

Then it was onto the existing 70L tank for maintenance. I emptied 50% of the water this time and gave the gravel a good hoover. I've treated the fishies recently to daphnia and tubifex (which was a wonderful experience! I've never seen them all congregate together and feast so hungrily!) - but the results have been egregiously manifest on the gravel! I will say no more  Actually I will say one more thing: how can something so small poo something so big?! Extrapolating to human terms, I would be on the toilet for 3 weeks... (Too uncouth for this time in the morning? Apologies!  )

I gave the filters a good squeeze and replaced the filter, with one major exception: because this 70L is overstocked and underplanted, I purchased a small amount of Seachem Purigen which sits in a micron-hole bag in the middle in the filter. This is the stuff which adsorbs nitrogenous compounds; it's also supposed to be a water polisher and clarifier. In this tank I don't care if it competes with the bacteria because these fishies will be moving house soon anyway. I had some surplus live plants which I decided to put into this tank too. All finished, tank water replenished. Fishies were massively spooked by all the commotion so I left the lights off so they could relax for the evening.

I should add that between tanks I always wash my hands. But when I sat down to relax I noticed my fingers were burning, especially on my right-hand - the hand which had predominantly been in the 185 tank. Lots of washings didn't ease the pain. It wasn't excruciating or anything, just unpleasant. My figures looked cracked and dried. There's a few possibilities: the carbon solution (which isn't carbon at all but a formaldehyde variant!) or ammonia in the water. Now, this hasn't happened to me before and the ammonia dose was tiny - but clearly there was something caustic in the tank water. Either that, or it was caused by something else (I made a hot curry that evening with three green chillis...) and the tank was a coincidence? I don't know. But I offer it here in case anyone has experienced the same. Really, with such a tiny concentration of ammonia in 185 litres it seems unlikely but it's the most plausible explanation.

At least now I know: don't play with the tank unless ammonia is zero!

My hands are fine this morning, but the skin under my fingernails is still quite sensitive. I'll survive.

And there we are: the longest fishy update in human (and fish) history. Probably no one cares, and is only here for the readings!   Well, I haven't made any this morning! Perhaps at lunch-time.

Pics to follow.

Great update, Cara. I enjoy reading about how others aproach their fish keeping.

What was the 'carbon solution' you used? I can only find reference in your missive to the Fluval CO2 88 which googling says is a cannister of CO2....

It's EASYLIFE EasyCarbo. The SeaChem liquid carbon is the only proprietary one that's different but from my research all this liquid CO2 treatments aren't actually carbon. I believe they strip the KH from the water to generate carbon. Which is probably not a good idea for my soft water tank!

I enjoy reading about how others aproach their fish keeping.

Cheers Colin 

As for the fish, try (or maybe not!) feeding them a piece of papaya fruit

I'll try that, cheers! Anything that excites them and is more interesting than flakes!

Update after testing:

Ammonia: ~0 the solution wasn't a perfect yellow but it was barely green at all.
Nitrites: didn't test
Nitrates: didn't test

I dosed again with a few ml of ammonia solution. 2ml at most. By my calculations estimating 180L in tank this is 11.1ppm. This would seem to be a massive overdose! Yet it's being eaten in 24 hours. Somewhat embarrassing after admitting to my love of science and chemistry, but have I got this right?

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And now for something entirely different: when I fed the other fish in the 70L at lunch, I couldn't help but notice how crystal clear the water was...

Now, I know correlation doesn't equal causality, and many things could be in play: the 50% water change, the filter clean - but let's remember I also used Purigen in the filter. It looks like a brand new tank and the water looks immaculate. Could be all of these factors, and we know Purigen is expensive, but for smaller tanks where it will last 6 months and is reusable...something I am definitely keeping in mind...

Of course, I'm being dumb.

Don't put yourself down...... I'll phone the vet!