Cthulukelele's hodgepodge softy and anemone 120g

[Cthulukelele]

No clue. I'll be using the pH checker and a bubble counter. The only reason I plan on CO2 is the light bioload and no fertilizer.

Keep me posted!

 

[Petcrazyson]

@tbrown3589 you don’t have to run Co2 to have a large and healthy plants in a planted tank. Not even a large one. So there isn’t a need to worry to dose it for the light bio-load and having no fertilizer. How do you plan to dosing it?

 

[tbrown3589]

@tbrown3589 you don’t have to run Co2 to have a large and healthy plants in a planted tank. Not even a large one. So there isn’t a need to worry to dose it for the light bio-load and having no fertilizer. How do you plan to dosing it?

DIY CO2 injector with the old paintball style CO2 for the 12 gram cartridges.

 

[Mschmidt]

I'm prepping to buy the stuff for a DIY CO2 for mine. I'ma use those 12g cartridges since it's only a 5 gallon and won't need much.

I heard complaints that the small ones lose pressure and co2 levels drop as the can empties. But a 5# tank on a 5-gallon would last years.

How big a difference does monitoring with a drop detector and co2 adding make?

My understanding is that they sense ph changes and use that as an indication of co2 levels. I used one and looked at it as much as anything else. That is to say daily in the beginning then found at some point the suction cup gave out and it was on the ground. not sure when that happened.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Shipping label was created on Friday. Hasn't shipped yet still. I'm super excited and anticipation is growing. This is my first non-secondhand system. In the past I've always worked with what I got. The freedom on this has been really really freeing.

 

[tbrown3589]

My understanding is that they sense ph changes and use that as an indication of co2 levels. I used one and looked at it as much as anything else. That is to say daily in the beginning then found at some point the suction cup gave out and it was on the ground. not sure when that happened.

Yeah. They use a known pH and as the CO2 off gasses the pH in the drop checker changes to indicate the level of dissolved CO2 in the water.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Ahhhhhhhh tank shipped early it arrives on Friday I'm so excited!!!

 

[Cthulukelele]

I went through the available plants at my lfs for tropica varieties, and I put together a "final" list of plants. Will start by grabbing these on startup:
Background:
Bacopa carolinia

Midground:
Anubia bartieri nana
Rotala rotundifolia (creeping variety)

Foreground:
Litorella uniflora
Bucephalandra kedang

Moss:
Taxiphylum barbieri

Floating:
Pistia statiotes (gonna try to get from another hobbyist)

Will fill the rest of the list in over time. These were all listed as easy plants other than the Rotala as medium which I plan to use as a bellwether for adding the harder plants on the list (all on list are still considered no harder than medium)

 

[Cthulukelele]

Lol since I can't leave anything alone I switched it up to remove fast growers and make it lower maintenance also to make the list of purchases more manageable. Going to purchase 10 plants (all minus the floaters) this weekend.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Lol since I can't leave anything alone I switched it up to remove fast growers and make it lower maintenance also to make the list of purchases more manageable. Going to purchase 10 plants (all minus the floaters) this weekend.

Lol well I was going to suggest Hygrophila polysperma as a fast grower but nvm lol

 

[tbrown3589]

Lol since I can't leave anything alone I switched it up to remove fast growers and make it lower maintenance also to make the list of purchases more manageable. Going to purchase 10 plants (all minus the floaters) this weekend.

Similar list!

Hygro on the left, Anubias Nana "petite" tucked just below it, Velvet 3 Color Buce bottom front left, AR Mini middle, Crypto Wendtii bottom right, Java Fern back right. Added 5 more shrimp today as well!

 

[Cthulukelele]

Similar list!
View attachment 3033158
Hygro on the left, Anubias Nana "petite" tucked just below it, Velvet 3 Color Buce bottom front left, AR Mini middle, Crypto Wendtii bottom right, Java Fern back right. Added 5 more shrimp today as well!

Oh wow yeah similar taste! My plan is to add all the plants and monitor for a week or so then grab 10 or so ghost shrimp to test the waters. From there the plan is more shrimp -> if lots of ground space with all the plants add the corys -> add some snails -> add group of chilli rasbora -> add a small group of otos -> contemplate betta

 

[tbrown3589]

Oh wow yeah similar taste! My plan is to add all the plants and monitor for a week or so then grab 10 or so ghost shrimp to test the waters. From there the plan is more shrimp -> if lots of ground space with all the plants add the corys -> add some snails -> add group of chilli rasbora -> add a small group of otos -> contemplate betta

I did Cherry Shrimp and Endlers. I used seeded gravel from the 20 gallon and about 2 gallons of water from the 110 to start it off so it had bacteria already.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Lol well I was going to suggest Hygrophila polysperma as a fast grower but nvm lol

The only fast grower on my list is the Limnophila aquatica, and that is interchangeable for me with most of the other Limnophila or Cabomba aquatica based on availability just because I love the wispyness

 

[Mschmidt]

The one time I tried it, I didn't have luck with the A.R. mini but that could have been on me.


Why Tropica exclusively?

 

[Cthulukelele]

The one time I tried it, I didn't have luck with the A.R. mini but that could have been on me.


Why Tropica exclusively?

Exclusively because it's easily available to me. My lfs has a rolling stock of 1-2 grow pots with a grow setup

 

[Mschmidt]

Exclusively because it's easily available to me. My lfs has a rolling stock of 1-2 grow pots with a grow setup

makes sense.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Sorting my favorite central NC pond and river rock from the largest size bag. Our rock around here is primarily quartz and granite.

 

[tbrown3589]

Sorting my favorite central NC pond and river rock from the largest size bag. Our rock around here is primarily quartz and granite.View attachment 3033639

I think I see some ruby/sapphires!

 

[Cthulukelele]

I think I see some ruby/sapphires!

You may also unironically see an emerald at some point. We have one of the only emerald mines in North America