Angel's Planted 40b Build

Well you buy refills. So first purchase is a fancy box with metal tube of about 24 strips IIRC plus the card. Download app on to phone, enter tank description and then you make a measurement. Basically this entails:

Tell app you are doing a test and the app starts a 60 sec timer
Place strip in tank for 3 secs
Remove strip and shake off excess water
Place strip on test card and find some where with a non reflective background . So not the marble work top.
At 0 sec the app opens the phones camera and you show it the test card and strip.
App looks at the colours and decides the various parameters.

You can store data in the app and it also backs up to their website. It is not perfect but I like it as I am red green colour blind so test strips are a right PITA otherwise.
 

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Well you buy refills. So first purchase is a fancy box with metal tube of about 24 strips IIRC plus the card. Download app on to phone, enter tank description and then you make a measurement. Basically this entails:

Tell app you are doing a test and the app starts a 60 sec timer
Place strip in tank for 3 secs
Remove strip and shake off excess water
Place strip on test card and find some where with a non reflective background . So not the marble work top.
At 0 sec the app opens the phones camera and you show it the test card and strip.
App looks at the colours and decides the various parameters.

You can store data in the app and it also backs up to their website. It is not perfect but I like it as I am red green colour blind so test strips are a right PITA otherwise.
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Oh ok. Got it . Thanks
 

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I know you gotta feed nirites veggies or something in a non algae covered tank
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I've had nerites in my 55 for about 8 months now. I have some algae in there, but it's definitely not "algae covered", and they do fine. Growing like mad. I think people get a little carried away with the need to supplement veggies for them. If your tank is pristine and algae free, maybe then. But as long as you have SOME, they'll find it.
 
I've had nerites in my 55 for about 8 months now. I have some algae in there, but it's definitely not "algae covered", and they do fine. Growing like mad. I think people get a little carried away with the need to supplement veggies for them. If your tank is pristine and algae free, maybe then. But as long as you have SOME, they'll find it.
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My betta tank has algae. I clean some every week water change but still behind heater and filter but I don't mind it. I'm more concerned about water hardness. I still have to test water at new house
 
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  • #255
I'm back! No signal in the wilderness! Lol. Had a great time and brought home a backpack full of rocks, much to the dismay of my husband. still an hour or so from home before I can check on my tanks!
 
I'm back! No signal in the wilderness! Lol. Had a great time and brought home a backpack full of rocks, much to the dismay of my husband. still an hour or so from home before I can check on my tanks!
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Welcome back! Can't wait to see photos of the rocks, free hardscape is always a plus. Hope you and everyone there had a great time!!
 

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Photos of rocks please? What type of test do you do to ensure they are inept?
 
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  • #258
It will be a while before I get photos and get them all cleaned up and tested. I use vinegar. All of the rocks came out of the river and were covered with slime. I saw some great looking moss but didn't bring any home. The water was really cold, about 40F, so I didn't figure it would do well in my 80F tanks.
Technically I'm still on the road. But got cell service back so I've been trying to catch-up on my community!
We did have a great time. My biceps have gotten larger from going kayaking for three days in a row, and we did some great hiking trails, so got in some lower body too. I hate working out unless it's something like that!
I also have bug-bite pox!!! I bathed in big repellent and they still got me! My husband has 0 bites!
But we had a great time. Kayaking, hiking, and watching lightning bugs (fire flies) in the evening!
 
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  • #260
Yes they did, when they got to partake. The family doesn't care for dogs, so they had to stay in most of the time, but they went with us hiking and we took them in plenty of walks when we weren't doing family stuff. Wednesday we did about a 3 mile hike, lots of up and down hill, the dogs and my kids had a blast; the city cousins, not so much.
 
It's sad when people do not get the outdoors. I and Blossom are out for a walk now and have put a heron carrying a fish.
 

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Welcome back AngelTheGypsy. I also love the hiking and I apparently kayak backwards only. Hope you had a blast and that tanks are good.
 
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  • #263
So great to come home to!
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I don't care how high the nitrates are atm, I'm gonna dose to 1 and see where I am tomorrow. I'm just not doing water change tonight! It will probably get one tomorrow evening, or something...
But after unpacking, and then moving bedrooms (Reno of the master was completed while we were away! Yay!), I'm just beat! And hubby is having a meeting at the house in the morning so can't do it till that's over...so, sometime soon...
 
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  • #264
It's sad when people do not get the outdoors. I and Blossom are out for a walk now and have put a heron carrying a fish.
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They enjoyed it, it's just that they don't spend so much time running and playing. My kids stay outside all the time. We live in the sticks, on a little private lake, and they have grandparents and friends that live 1-2 miles down the road. They are always riding their bikes somewhere or swimming in the lake, just being kids. The cousins just don't have that luxury, so the hiking winded them a bit (and me too but I really loved it. And I really enjoy taking the dogs out like that! My lab, Deets, was trying to kill himself running everywhere)
 
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  • #265
I dosed 1 ppm Friday night, processed in less than 24 hrs.
So I dosed 2 ppm around 11 pm last night, when I got home from date night, this morning I'm at ammonia 0, nitrite .5! Yay! If I'm at 0 by noon, I'll do a water change and dose to 3.
 
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  • #267
So it's official...dosed to 3!

I also ordered my fish.... I figure with the holiday it'll be a week or so, but technically I'm pretty sure I'm ready. 2ppm should be enough, but when I get to 3 should be fine.
 
So it's official...dosed to 3!

I also ordered my fish.... I figure with the holiday it'll be a week or so, but technically I'm pretty sure I'm ready. 2ppm should be enough, but when I get to 3 should be fine.
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So exciting!
 
So it's official...dosed to 3!

I also ordered my fish.... I figure with the holiday it'll be a week or so, but technically I'm pretty sure I'm ready. 2ppm should be enough, but when I get to 3 should be fine.
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Woo hoo!!! Yeah fish will probably be shipped Wednesday. Can't wait!
 
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  • #271
So I finished the water change sometime yesterday afternoon and dosed to three. This morning was double zeros! Yay!!! so I dosed to 4!
Emailed aquaticarts right after my order about delaying the delivery until the following week due to the holiday. Got an email this am that they will ship on Monday the 10th for safety so I will receive the 11th! Awesome customer service! Of course now that I know my cycle is good, I'm feeling anxious to get them!!!
I also moved all my extra lettuce to the 40 to save for someone, since I had too much everywhere else. I wasn't going to keep any in here permanently, but of course I love how it looks! Trimmed the ludwigia (about 8 stems!) and the mystery hygrophila yesterday as well. About 4 of the ludwigia was emerging!
Can't really see the val yet, but I'm getting new leaves so hopefully it will grow in for me. At least now I think it's val.

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Woo hoo!! Just think, fish in a little over a week!

What does the water lettuce look like again? Have you ever gotten in stuck in your filters?

The tank is looking good!!!
 
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  • #274
Never had it stuck in the filters. That's the roots you see above, the tops look like this:
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Stunning! Your future fish are very lucky to have such a beautiful home.
 
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  • #281
Stunning! Your future fish are very lucky to have such a beautiful home.
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Thank you! Saw your new Shellie's tank! I can't wait for more photos! Wow that came together fast! Lol

So as of last night I am cycled to 4 ppm. At this point I don't think there's a reason to up the dose, except out of curiosity of how high it can go...
 

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  • #283
Yep. I went ahead and dosed to 5 ppm, just for grins and giggles . On Monday I'll do a 95% WC in prep for the fish. Then Tuesday spend hours getting them all acclimated and settled in!
 
Yep. I went ahead and dosed to 5 ppm, just for grins and giggles . On Monday I'll do a 95% WC in prep for the fish. Then Tuesday spend hours getting them all acclimated and settled in!
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Hopefully the tank can process that! Hehehehe. I'm sure it can! Oh wow. Thank goodness for water changers!
 
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  • #285
Oh yes! I would not have these bigger tanks without a python!
 
Oh yes! I would not have these bigger tanks without a python!
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I'm glad I decided to get a Python! Specially with the large water change before adding fish
 
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  • #287
When I added my fish to the 38, I didn't have a way to hook up my python yet, used buckets. I used 2 5gal buckets. Syphoned into them, made my kid dump it and bring it back, since I didn't fill them all the way took about 15 buckets. Same thing for filling...I had parts for my python in less than a week.
 
When I added my fish to the 38, I didn't have a way to hook up my python yet, used buckets. I used 2 5gal buckets. Syphoned into them, made my kid dump it and bring it back, since I didn't fill them all the way took about 15 buckets. Same thing for filling...I had parts for my python in less than a week.
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Oh wow!! . Yeah I had to fill my 55 with 2 5 gallon buckets. Took forever! Emptied half of it with the gravel vac I have for my 10 gallon tank. So very happy I have Python
 
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  • #289
Fish day! I'll update soon!

So got them in acclimation. They got a 30 min meth blue bath. Had 1 tetra DOA, but 19 left so far. Ordered 18 so I'm still ahead. A couple were looking peakish on arrival, but the meth blue bath seems to have perked them up.
Now just going through the long process of adjusting them from their 6.4 ph to my 8.4. Gonna take a while. Here's a few photos. The pleco looks good bizaliz3
In the meth blue bath. Took for a headcount. I see 19.
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Now he's hiding under the heater, and the tetras don't look blue yet. But hopefully they will settle in soon once in the big tank.
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These guys all came from aquatic arts. They were packaged very well. Insulated, with a letter of thanks and instructions. They only disappointment I have is the nerite I ordered. They actually sent an extra, so that's pleasing, but they don't really look that great, and they don't look like the picture I ordered. I didn't need any nerites but the photo looked very different from any I've seen. But we will see how they do.
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I have not contacted the seller yet, as I'm a little busy, but in all I'm satisfied with my purchase and would order from them again. The only thing I would see to improve would be to put fewer fish in more bags. There were 2 bags of tetras with 10 in each bag. They also had some loose purigen in the bags with them. I don't know if that helped, as the water tested .5 ammonia. They were sent UPS next day.
 
Looking good! Excited for you!

I've never ordered fish online. Is there a reason for having such low pH for shipping or is that just what their tank water is? Was thinking for ammonium but I believe it needs to be lower than 6 for that.
 
Glad you got your fish and the majority survived shipping! . I'm sure once they settle in that they will be looking good

How long will you acclimate for with such a wide gap between pH? Did you test the bag water to find it out?

Sorry the nerites don't look the way they did in the pictures they had. Hopefully they will be very hard working nerites!
 

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  • #292
Looking good! Excited for you!

I've never ordered fish online. Is there a reason for having such low pH for shipping or is that just what their tank water is? Was thinking for ammonium but I believe it needs to be lower than 6 for that.
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I think it's just how they run their tanks. Knowing I have a high pH, I'm always aware of it. If I want anything other than petco fish, I have to order online

Glad you got your fish and the majority survived shipping! . I'm sure once they settle in that they will be looking good

How long will you acclimate for with such a wide gap between pH? Did you test the bag water to find it out?

Sorry the nerites don't look the way they did in the pictures they had. Hopefully they will be very hard working nerites!
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I'm sure they will.
I did test the bag water to find out. I meant to ask the seller, but just never did. I start with bottled spring water, and raise it with tank water. I keep them in the tub, adding a scoop of tank water every 15 minutes. Every hour I test the ph of the tub. When it matches the main tank, I move them.
One of the nerites has already started cruising, so good sign.

And I keep thinking of the pleco as "Stucky"! . He/she will get his/her own name in time though! Planning to get a few from Liz and end up with a non-related breeding pair.
 
I think it's just how they run their tanks. Knowing I have a high pH, I'm always aware of it. If I want anything other than petco fish, I have to order online



I'm sure they will.
I did test the bag water to find out. I meant to ask the seller, but just never did. I start with bottled spring water, and raise it with tank water. I keep them in the tub, adding a scoop of tank water every 15 minutes. Every hour I test the ph of the tub. When it matches the main tank, I move them.
One of the nerites has already started cruising, so good sign.

And I keep thinking of the pleco as "Stucky"! . He/she will get his/her own name in time though! Planning to get a few from Liz and end up with a non-related breeding pair.
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Give it a week they will be bright and shiny! At least Frazier was but then he lived in a jar/cup/bag before he ended up with me.

Oh wow! Spring water would be a good place to start I would think. So it is better to use the tub than keep them in the bag?

Hehe. That's cuz I have infected you with my Pleco name. Hehehe. Oh yeah you'll figure out a name. Mine came to me with a giggle about it. If however my Pleco decides differently I will rename. Oh good luck with getting a breeding pair!!
 
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  • #294
The spring water idea came from the prehistoric days when I knew nothing. Petco freaked me out about my ph and said I needed to use bottled spring water. Even though my fish had been in my ph for a month (they were dying from ammonia/nitrite poisoning from being in uncycled tanks). So I know it has a lower ph, usually between 7-7.5. My usual brand (Walmart great value) was out so I bought ozarka, which actually had a 6.0 ph.
I always move them to a tub, even when I buy local, for a meth blue bath. But when I have them shipped I want them out of the bag water asap. Pop and plop! But not into my granite-water!

I also freaked out a bit ago when he was upside down, but he's just nom noming on the heater.

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The spring water idea came from the prehistoric days when I knew nothing. Petco freaked me out about my ph and said I needed to use bottled spring water. Even though my fish had been in my ph for a month (they were dying from ammonia/nitrite poisoning from being in uncycled tanks). So I know it has a lower ph, usually between 7-7.5. My usual brand (Walmart great value) was out so I bought ozarka, which actually had a 6.0 ph.
I always move them to a tub, even when I buy local, for a meth blue bath. But when I have them shipped I want them out of the bag water asap. Pop and plop! But not into my granite-water!
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Oh ok. Oh boy! Glad you found a good way of acclimating them. Yeah slowly raising better than plopping overall. Hehe. Would you say it's a good idea to medicate fish before putting them in a tank?

Awww, your Pleco is already hard at work!
 
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  • #296
I got the advice of a methylene blue bath from CindiL (haven't seen her in forever it seems!) and I think it's a good idea for new fish, especially when shipped. It helps with stress and ammonia poisoning, from being in the bag. Other than that I do prazipro treatment for anyone in qt, but these guys went straight into the display tank (first inhabitants) so I haven't done that, haven't decided either. Will probably just observe, since I don't have to worry about infecting established fish.

So everyone is in the tank, and have been for about an hour. I'm pretty sure I had 19 tetra, but can only count 18 at any given time. Ugh, counting schoolers!

Pleco has settled pretty well and has found a cave. I may have to make him a better one that is more secure though, as these are pretty open (they're just caves made from stacking rocks). His colors look good to me, would love bizaliz3 to take a look though!
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I'll get some better pics of the tetras. They are starting to swim and explore more, and their blue is definitely coming out!

Oh! Look who came right out front!
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Took the pic from my chair, as I didn't want to spook him. About 1/4 of the way from the left
 
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  • #299
Blue king tetra, or cochu's blue tetra.

I've lost another, discovered one has something wrong with an eye, and a couple more are swimming wobbly...
The one with the eye issue I moved to qt to observe, but I have all my baby mysteries in there, so I don't know if I can/should medicate.
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The one I lost was small, probably succumbed to stress.
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I'll watch the ones swimming wobbly. I assume it was a touch of shock. I took almost 3 hours to acclimate, but almost 2 ph points. Maybe I should have gone even slower .
If anyone has any suggestions on how I should do it better in the future please weigh in.
 
Ah noo sorry, just been looking at them on google there well nice, I like the different things your the first person I seen with them too.
 

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