Discus BUCKET!

[Shawnts106]

Well, project Transform the Planted 29gallon tank into a better 29gallon tank with flourite and all kinds of different species of plants, or TPTBTPTFDSP29... or TPT29.. whatever!!!... is underway.. Sunday I took all the fish out, put them in a 5 gallon BLACK bucket with an airstone and a carbon filter on the end and a heater and a light atop' of the bucket, then I took all the plants out, and then all the gravel out, saving as much as the ecocomplete as I could... then I did a 100% waterchange on the tank leaving the filter running of course, didnt touch the filter just unplugged it, drained the tank and then plugged it back up, so that way I still have a good bacteria culture...anyway, today The FLOURITE came in so I went and got the flourite and rinsed it, and rinsed it, and rinsed it, and rinsed it and ... etc etc etc..... then I mixed up the pool filter sand up with it and the ecocomplete and a bit of mized natural color gravel and tada instant plant substrate... I also got a CO2 Indicator from REDSEA and some SeaChem Flourish Tabs (10pack) and then installed the CO2 indicator and I got the flourish tabs going in the substrate and put the driftwood and rock and plants and such BACK into the tank and now its filtering away getting the dust out... so I put some of the Ghost Shrimp BACK into the tank... I think there are ... maybe 8 or 10.. and my 3 clams are back in it.. and I put my 2 freshwater Gobys back in there and 1 neon tetra for now.. I am NOW acclimating the rest of the Neons and cardinals... 2 nights ago 3 of my cardinals decided they wanted to carpet surf.. and I woke up to find 3 little dead dried up bodys :(... but now I know to install a cover for the buckets! so I DID!!!...

I still need to put my 2 corys in there and the 2 otocinclus and... then my 2 discus... but they will be last!!!!

for now... its clearing up, but taking its sweat time!!!! ERRRRR!!!

so tomorow I have a HUGEEEEEE list of plants comming in... as well as some discus, but I dont know which ones Ill pick just yet.. if any!

I have some swords and Java moss, um.. some Windelovs fern ... um ... some Wallichi, some luds., hum... Ive got a TON of stuff comming in.. I think like 20 or 25 plants!!! so Im excited and Ill post pictures ASAP!! :)

I have rescaped the tank!.. it looks good IMO, but there is just such a limited area to work with.. so I have tried to "mini" everything I can!.. its worked, but I would be happier with a 75 gallon tank for my FW... but I just dont have room for it!!!

[lesxda]

would be great with a few pics as you go

les
keep up the good work the fish realy like a change
like going on a holiday

[Shawnts106]

LOL yeah! well.. NOT much but here it is NOW.. only with my exsisting plants and 7 neon/cardinal tetras and 2 freshwater gobys 10 ghost shrimp and 3 clams... :), TELL ME WHAT YOU GUYS THINK SOOO FAR!

[Shawnts106]

left to right view

[Shawnts106]

Left Rock formation with plants and the occational swim by of the Dashing mysterious Neon Tetras!

[Shawnts106]

the Wood formation with Java Fern... I dont know about this.. but you let me know what you think about it... its crazy.. but at the same time.. calm and interesting!

[Shawnts106]

YEAHHH my REDSEA CO2 INDICATOR!... notice the nice green color "INDICATING" that my CO2 level is perfect :)
LOVE THAT YEAST!

[Shawnts106]

And my very unhappy and confused baby discus in his 5 gallon bucket with his other friend and the 2 otos and 2 corys!

[Shawnts106]

Im doing 50% waterchanges (matching the exact pH) daily untill I can get them back into the tank! :( Their pH in the Bucket is 7.0 and the Tanks is 6.8.. I want to get it back down to 6.4.. but I think because of all the moving and such it caused it to become higher.. so Im going to add some pH ACID by Seachem to get it back to Amazonish water! :)

[goldenpigeon]

nice pics shawn :D keep em commin

[Merrilyn]

That driftwood is just beautiful. Love the way the tank is coming together. :P

[jwight]

What are you using to inject CO2 into your tank. I have the red sea turbo co2 thing but cant get it above blue with no surface iritation. It seems that the Co2 bubbles come out for a while then it clogged and dont work. If I could take back my purchase I would as it isn't working for me. But tell me how you did it. p.s. changing 100% of the water proberly wasn't the greatest thing to do as it would put the tank into a mini cycle.

[Shawnts106]

Yes I am aware of the MINI CYCLE.. thats why the fish DIDNT get all put back in there at once.. 2 here and then a few more.. today the discus are back in! :), and thats IMO really streching it!!!


I use the old Yeast and Sugar water method.. two 2 litter bottles on my 29, I just took them, empty of course, drilled a small.. 1cm or less whole in the top of the cap, put some Aquarium Airline tubing in there, AQUARIUM SAFE siliconed them top and under neath so that there is NO air excaping... then I just tied the two bottoms together with a "T" connector and ran one peice of tubeing into the tank... I took the filter intake tube out.. took the little grit thing off and on one side of it drilled a 1cm whole right on the corner between the tubeing that connects to the intake tube and the actual grit itself and then slide the airline tubing into the grit... and plugged the whole thing back into the filter... but I turned the grit sideways so that you can see it.. the bubbles travel up the intake tube and get smashed into a BILLION micro bubble by the impeller.. then dispersed via the filter outake area into the tank!:).. there is almost no surface irritation! :)

My pH ussually stays about 6.4 and the Indicator is still green, which it is on the opposite side of the tank from the filter... which is best... and the plants I HAVE NOTICED are really starting to grow! ALREADY!

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES FOR YOU :)

[Shawnts106]

:)

[Shawnts106]

the Airline going to the intake tube

[Shawnts106]

look closely and you can see where it is attached... see it?

[Shawnts106]

OK now some GOODIE shots :)

[Shawnts106]

the side view again!

[Shawnts106]

Another sidey

[Shawnts106]

My PB... who is the HARDEST fish in the WORLD to try and get a decent picture of!! spunky energetic thing!

[jim from sydney]

Shawn.....i am glad to see this work for you too.....i have done exactly what you have for a long time and my plants LOVE it, and it is so nice and cheap....how long do your bottles last???? mine about 3/4 weeks before re-newals.......Jim

[Shawnts106]

Mr. CRAZYYY PANTS!

[Shawnts106]

The Cardinals and Neons seem to be gathering.. HMMMM.. this could get interesting! :shock:

[Shawnts106]

A CONFERENCE!.. hum, wonder what they are discussing?.. the new tank issue perhaps, or maybe just that nagging discus that keeps hanging around here?.. no one will ever no!!!

[Shawnts106]

My Rubin Sword.. looks nice, came in looking awfull.. the leaves are like GLASS!!! they are immpossible to touch.. if you do its too late!

[jim from sydney]

looks TOPS Pal........keep the pics coming....Jim

[Shawnts106]

Coffeefolia.. LOVE IT, the neatest looking plant there is IMO.. looks FAKE, but its real.. these came in in pots that had soil in it.. confussed me.. I tought that this was an aquatic plant... seems to like low light?.. this has to be an aquatic plant!, but why was it sent in in dirt?... and also, I have been told to put these on driftwood or something they seem to do better, so thats what I did, what do you guys think???

[Shawnts106]

Ludwiga.. I like it, very red!!! When my bulbs come in.. soon I HOPE they should really brighten things up and make this plant and the others go crazy!!!

[Shawnts106]

ABOVE: the one green one in the photo is one I collected from around here.. close by there is a vernal pool, these plants crowd the pool everytime it rains.. so I took advantage of it and got a spring of it to see what it would do, doesnt color up red, but thats because of my very bad lighting... two 20watt bulbs on a 29 gallon, My compacts are comming in, 50/50 half 10K half 6.5K, they are 65watts a peice so that should REALLY brighten things up!!! 4.48WPG.. thats good!!!

esspecially for this (below) plant.. Wallichi.. red Variety.. LOVE LOVE LOVE this plant... I always have.. and plan on getting more if this does good in the tank!!!... I love the look feel and color... just one of my personal favorites!!!

[Shawnts106]

There was also a Apong. Ulvaceous but it is quite small.. only maybe 5 inches tall... so I want it to get some size on it before I go and take shots of it... very nice, and Apong seem to LOVE my tanks... so it should be HUGE in NO TIME! :)

[Shawnts106]

My bottles have seemed only to last about... 7 days or so, but I think its because of my mixture.. I get a bubble turn over of 1 to 2 bubbles per second.. but I think its makes the yeast die off quicker...

I two 2 litter bottles, but 5 cups of warm declorinated (prime) tap water in it and mix 3/4 cup sugar in... the other cup I take and make it a bit warmer of course primeded haha, and take 1 teaspoon of yeast and mix it up in the warm water to activate it... then I pour it into the rest of the mixture give it a good shake or two! haha, and then put it back onto the tank.. I get bubble production within 20 mins or so... very fast!

I duno, today I renewed the bottles because I was only getting 1 bubble per 2 to 3 seconds.. I like at least 1 bubble per second... and thats not too much... yes I leave the CO2 in the tank at night.. I just have never thought about taking it out.. dont see why... the next moring the fish are fine.. and the indicator is still showing green so I know there is NOT tooooo much CO2 in the water!..

I LOVE THIS CHEAPO CO2 reactor method and IM SOOO GLAD that I did this over the compressed method.. acctually the compressed method is better, but why pay 200$+ on a CO2 reactor when you can make your own for under 50$US... I love it, works for me, and mixing up isnt that much of a chore.. heck it only takes about 5 to 10 mins to do!!! thats NO problem for me when I KNOW IM SAVING like 150$ US dollars LOL!!!!

really you average out the same price when you take about refills or so.. I THINK.. ok so you dont.. the yeast is cheaper.. but still You dont get a good steady flow.. but you get the same results with the compressed as you do with the yeast method IMO.. so why pay so much more!!! I WONT!

well... its 12:30am here.. and everyone has settled in very nicely... even the corry cats are scurrying about .. and the shrimps are lurking under the driftwood.. I suppose they think they are realllly somthing doing that!!!.. whatever, silly shrimps! haha

LOL, I just noticed that EVERYTIME I LOOK at the tank the discus come flying through the water to the front left corner to be fed!!! HAHA!!! they have balloon tummys as it is!!! they dont need to be fed, they are just beggers!! ERR

I plan on putting 2 more discus.. a Turq/Red and either a Snakeskin or a gold... If I get my red/turq/turq/red then I wont get a snakeskin.. Ill just that and a gold!.. but I HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAN MILLENIUM GOLD! HAHA


well, what do you guys think so far of the tank, come on, tell me exactly what you think aquascaping and all!!!.. remember Im a newby to the LIVE PLANTS thing, so dont be too critical! LOL!!!

[Shawnts106]

OH AND DONT YOU LOVE THAT DRIFT WOOD... IT REALLY "GROWS" ON YOU! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!.. ok that was lame... anyway!

[lesxda]

photos look great love the co2 set up
plantshave grown and water so clear
you must be doing things right and the fish look happy.

les
PS: "are you happy"

[sammigold]

I think your tank looks absolutely wonderful!!! That driftwood is amazing! I am very jealous :mrgreen: You've got a really nice selection of plants and of course your fish are lovely too.. Great Job!!!

[Shawnts106]

Thanks so much for the very kind words... you should see it now since I have added the PC lights and bettered the tank overall... I am going to take more pictures as soon as my second and last PC bulb comes in... should be the begining of next week... but since the hurrican here in the gulf I duno when I will be able to get back online.. its supposed sunday and monday... and we are expecting very strong 80mph winds and serious rain and such!!! So its not going to be very nice around here.. I worry about the lights being out and the CO2 building up from the plants.. I will remove the CO2 generator but I still worry about the amount of CO2 buildup by the plants themselves!!!

my Saltwater tank is going to be ok.. they basically maintain themselves even when power is out... but I still worry about everything around here... may not even have tanks anymore!!!

[DR.V]

cool tank Shawn !!! Love all the plants and the DIY CO2.

You got different variety of plants there.

Keep the pic coming.

[Bad Inferno]

Great look'n tank...what temperature do you keep it at ?

When I had other fish (non-discus) and had my temp at 26 the plants did better than my tank at 29-30 degrees

cheers

[Shawnts106]

Hello again everyone... The tank is doing WONDERFULLY, plants are just growing mad!!! since the upgrade of lighting im having a bit of a green algae problem.. but soon that should go away hopefully.. any ideas on how to get rid of it???

I keep the tank at 82to 84*F or around 28*F... the plants seem fine... loveing the CO2 and lighting... so im not so worryed.. so far the trates have stabalized at 10ppm I think.. so the fast growing plants should help get rid of this little problem!


One little problem that im having are these little white squiggly worms swimming around .. there are a good many in the tank and the fish seem to be eatting them... I dont know if they are bad or not? any ideas?

[jim from sydney]

One little problem that im having are these little white squiggly worms swimming around .. there are a good many in the tank and the fish seem to be eatting them... I dont know if they are bad or not? any ideas?

check the poo from the fishes...watch it coming out...if they are the little white wrigglers than your fish have worms.....if it is you need to de-worm your tank...you should de-worm your tank every 3 months anyway especially if you keep buying from a LFS......check it now...Jim

[Shawnts106]

I havent noticed any worms in their poo, but I havent really payed that much attention either.... they dont seem as though they have worms... they dont look skinny, just normal to me.... although when they eat their little tummys are like balloons! LOL!