My reef-pi build freshwater style!

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Wow. Amazing progress! I like the diy co2 system.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Is your ato running? That’s next on my list and came here to steal your ideas.

 

[Bigtrout]

Is your ato running? That’s next on my list and came here to steal your ideas.

Ato is on hold for the moment. Til co2 is in operation

 

[Bigtrout]

The co2 is on a little bit of a hold at the moment...work, holidays, etc ate my free time.
I did however make a new addition to my sump.
K1 kaldness was on a big time sale on amazon over the 4th so I got 2 gallons to make a moving bed filter in the empty section of my sump.

Im using an airpump and stones to keep the k1 media moving. Yes I know ill use a little more co2 this way but the benefits are worth it. The idea is the beneficial bacteria colonise the k1 and because its moving and oxygenated the strong bacterial cling to the media and the older weaker bacteria sloughs off of it.

Took 3 days to fully submerge and start tumbling, but the result is no detectable ammonia and my water which was very clear, cleared up into crystal clear. I can read a newspaper held on the opposite side of a 4 foor tank. Fish look lile they are flying in air, not swimming in water!

 

[Bigtrout]

Got my co2 system up and running!
Changed a few things up from the last post due to some great ebay finds. 2 used Matheson flowmeters allowed me to build one awesome flowmeter for co2.

System is as follows:
Regulator---Victor VTS250c
Solenoid---Clippard EVO-3-6 6 volts DC
Flowmeter/needle valve---Matheson FM1050 with a 610a tube and a high accuracy HA2 valve on the outlet

Reactor is a cerges style reactor built with a whole house water filter housing.
Pump for reactor: vivosun 400gph.

The pump is in my return section of my sump. Water flows thru the reactor and back into tjw return section and the co2 rich water is pumped into the main tank.

With the Matheson flowmeter I can set my co2 pressure to 20psi and know exactly how much co2 im using. Much more accurate than using a bubble counter.

Now that its in operation, i use 26cc of co2 per minute to maintain the tank at a ph of 6.3. With my water testing at 2 degrees kh, that is roughly keeping my co2 level in the tank at 26ppm, any more than 30ppm and you risk gassing the fish.

I use timers in reef pi to turn on co2 and the reactor pump an hour before lights on and turn the co2 off an hour before lights off. I let the reactor pump run an additional hour to clear any co2 bubbles that may still be in the reactor.

Plants are pearling(giving off oxygen bubbles) at a good rate. Im adding ferts and trace minerals to keep up with the added growth rate that I should start to see.

Next project:
Figure out how the ph controller section of reef pi works. I could use the controller as a failsafe to shut off co2 if the ph gets too low.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Nice flow meter. I struggled with dialing in co2 with a bubble counter. I gave up counting bubbles and just tweak the flow dial a bit and see what happens a few hours later. It took a few days to get it right. The meter will make it really easy to keep it stable. I’m jealous.

 

[Bigtrout]

Well, I went on a buying spree buying up a few flowmeters with the correct specs if the price was right. I have an extra brooks that would dial right down for a small tank like yours. pm me if interested.

Yes the flowmeter makes it easy...im dialed in for about 26ppm and the dropchecker and ph/kh/co2 tables confirm it. Starts up and goes exactly where set on the flowmeter and been consistent for several days.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Update?

 

[Bigtrout]

Plants growing with vigor and added color. Everything steady as she goes.

I have decided to do a drip system to change water at a gallon per hour. I know thia can be done with pumps etc, but i want fail proof. So in the next couple months I am replacing floors in that room. At that time, I will drill the sump, and hard pipe a real pvc drain and supply to the tank.

At a gallon per hour, my reading indicated not to worry about the chlorine in my water, at that slow of a drip it will react with tank organics as soon as it hits the tank and be neutrallized.
Drip system will be a solenoid to control with reef pi. Water will go thru a matheson flow meter with a accurate needle valve. The sump will have a drain in the return section to keep the level where desired. I will also hardwire a level switch inline with the solenoid that will shut off the drip system if the sump drain clogs. At a gallon per hour, I will have approximately an 80 percent water change per week.

 

[Bigtrout]

Found some nice recently emersed Ludwigia palustris plants in/along the Allegheny River. Gave them a quick rinse in my house chlorinated water, then another with dechlorinated water now soaking overnight in a bucket to let any creepy crawlies escape.

They were submerged in high water that recently receded so should be fairly free of critters.
Will give a rinse tomorrow and plant.

Ludwigia has done ok for me without CO2, but with co2 injection I wanna see some nice brilliant green leaves with red undersides, possibly going to all red if I have enough iron, co2 and light.

My tank looks like heck at the moment. My cryptocoryne wendtii plants exploded with the added co2, took over 1/3 of the left side 75 and grew to the top of the water. The roots are a dense mat. I had to rip/tear and cut to get rid of the front half of that side of the aquarium. These are gaining color as well. Before they have always been bright kelly green, with the co2 going for a month now, they are getting bronze with red leaf undersides.

My angelfish are were mad at the intrusion until they saw all the extra swimmimg room! They will get glad again tomorrow when I plant the Ludwigia and they pick at and eat all the little critters that may remain after the rinses.

 

[Bigtrout]

Aquired a few new fish, 5 more glow tetras(yes i know but the wife likes them and happy wife=not complaining about getting aquarium stuff), a few cory cats, 4 Blue Rams and a school of 7 Congo Tetras.
Also planted Ludwigia, some Potamogeton species that were collected, some dwarf Sagittaria and collected Myriophylum species.

Heres a pic:

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Wow looks nice!

 

[Bigtrout]

Wow looks nice!

I do have to admit the glowfish are kinda neat under the blue moonlights!

 

[Bigtrout]

Holy cow! The ludwigia and myriophylum i planted on saturday is growing INCHES per day with the co2!!!

8/8

8/11

 

[bishoptf]

Holy cow! The ludwigia and myriophylum i planted on saturday is growing INCHES per day with the co2!!!

8/8

8/11

Great looking tank!

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Holy cow! The ludwigia and myriophylum i planted on saturday is growing INCHES per day with the co2!!!

8/8

8/11

I’ve measured 4 inches in growth in my orange juice rotundifolia One day mid tank. Next day floating on top. It’s crazy how fast these things grow.

 

[Bigtrout]

Cruising ebay, and found such a killer deal on a new in the box regulator, that I had to get it...brand new in the box high purity medical grade dual stage regulator, Concoa model 315, set up with co2 inlet fitting, I bought it for peanuts, gotta love when ebay auctions end on a weekday morning!
Stainless diaphrams, chrome plated and shiny!

Men and their toys!

But i do like to have backups on important equipment!

 

[Bigtrout]

Had to cut ALL the stemplants at half aquarium height and replant...every stem was at the water surface. My vallisneria that I collected and have had for years has cranked up as well.

Plants pearling like mad when lights are above 50 percent brightness. The wild collected ludwigia palustrus is getting red, orange and gold tones at the new growth tips. My amazon swords getting new scarlett leaves. Love the co2 so far!

 

[Bigtrout]

Planted tank observations so far:
Ive had some plants for a few years, bought a few and collected some natives. Now that im injecting co2 here are a few observations:

Myriophylum spicatum(collected): grows too fast in co2 must trim every day or gets weedy, i removed this.

Potamogeton species( collected): another too fast of a grower requiring constant trimming: removed from tank

Vallisneria americana(collected) grows fast spreads well, looks nice in the aquarium.

Ludwigia palustris( collected): good growth rate, in changing from emersed to submerged growth leaves are turning a nice copper with red tones!

Lysimmachia(creeping jenny collected) nice bright green/yellow nice slow but steady growth rate.

Lindernia dubia(collected) : this was a suprise find collected by mistake with ludwigia. Looked it up and its used with success in europe but imported from here. I decided to experiment but has nice moderate growth rate and looks great with bright mint green leaves. Stays smaller so a great foreground accent plant. I need to find more of this!

Saurus cernuus(collected): too early to tell but this plant is used in Dutch planted layouts. Supposedly a slow grower.

Lobelia cardinalis(collected): in transition to submerged growth, too early to tell but this is another Dutch layout favorite. I used plantlets split off the side of established wild cardinal flower. Will be curious to see if this works and it stays small submerged like commercially available lobelia does.

Amazon swords: growth rate increased, new leaves a bright scarlet color.

Ambulia: moderate growth rate, nice fine leaved stem plant and its growing nicely.

Sagittaria subulata(dwarf sag): growing great, some leaves turning red!

Cryptocoryne wendtii: slow but stready grower, in co2 it is turning a nice copper/bronze and red! This made a forest and got huge in the non co2 setup, but stayed mostly green except at the very top of the tank.

Alternathera reinniki: too early to tell but is supposed to get a.nice red color easily in co2.

Co2 definitely grows great plants! Works too well in some cases. The one thing that is striking is the coloration it allows plants to develop. Ive used ludwigia before, it stayed boring green except at the very top of the tank. With co2 its coloring up great and has a better growth pattern.

My goal is to see what works in my setup. I am aiming for nice looking slow and moderate growers. Fast growers just require too much trimming. Myriophylum was growing at a rate of 6 inches a day. I like a lush tank but that was crazy.

That being said, hornwort or myrio in a sump section with a good light would be a great nitrate removal tool! Kinda like a freshwater algae scrubber.

 

[Bigtrout]

Weekly tank pic!

Everything going smoothly with the excpetion of a broken heater which reef-pi helped me catch right away.