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Gang,

If you know my tanks (20, 29, 40, 125) then you pretty much have an idea about my equipment. If you don't then you may want to take a look at my logs to find out about them if you wish to make a suggestion here.

Anyway, I am wondering what kind of an easy to install/replace gadget I could get as a treat to myself for Xmas.

Thanks,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

plant tools , I know I've thought of ditching my dinky scissors.

External CO2 reactor for the 40?

Handheld pH tester for easy readings for CO2 in all tanks?

moon lights?

Books or magazine subscriptions?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks or the input Matty,

So, let's see:

Plant tools? - I have about 6 tweezers, straight and curved, in various sizes, and I always use only one of them, the smallest (like 5 inches total length). I am pretty happy with my small scissors as I don't have huge plains of trimmable flatlands yet.

External CO2 reactor for the 40? Sounds in general like a good idea, but it would be too massive hanging on the all-around open tank. Maybe some CO2 thing that sits lower and blows the bubbles into the return hose.

Handheld pH tester for easy readings for CO2 in all tanks? Nah, ever since I bought the first CO2 set I have this fancy unit from Milwaukee sitting in the box. I am way too lazy to calibrate the probe and the prospect of having to have one more thing to maintain doesn't appeal to me.

Moon lights? Got them on my 125G and that is good enough. As it doesn't do anything for the tank and is purely for the human pleasure, one tank will do (6 lights).

Books or magazine subscriptions? Hm, sounds good. I already have a subscriptions to two magazines and the Amano mag doesn't sound so appealing (nice pics, but all in Japanese). I could see what nice books are out there that I don't have yet.

Thanks for all the thoughts, Matty, keep them coming

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

External CO2 reactor for the 40? Sounds in general like a good idea, but it would be too massive hanging on the all-around open tank. Maybe some CO2 thing that sits lower and blows the bubbles into the return hose.

I'm sure that can go underneath the tank inline with your cannister filter.

Handheld pH tester for easy readings for CO2 in all tanks? Nah, ever since I bought the first CO2 set I have this fancy unit from Milwaukee sitting in the box. I am way too lazy to calibrate the probe and the prospect of having to have one more thing to maintain doesn't appeal to me.

The handheld units are nice because they usually come calibrated, and aren't used full time, just whenever you want to test. I have one for tds to test the quality of water coming out of my RO unit. It doesn't require maintenence. I wouldn't have RO without.

I also keep telling you that I'll buy that thing offa you if you give me a good deal.


I have to say I'm out of ideas for cool stuff. Maybe you could order some nice new hardscape...DW or something....new plants, something nice or rare? Boring stuff like replacement bulbs or other generally needed stuff like that.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I also keep telling you that I'll buy that thing offa you if you give me a good deal.

I don't even know how much it would be worth, but it is not cheap. See, I have no use for it as my ph is usually one of my least concerns. Maybe I should look into one of these super expensive tests kits for all kinds of traces and stuff, what are they called again - Lamotte?

An under-the-tank reactor may be part of a larger scheme and needs more planning on my end, like going all out with inline heater, lily pipes for water intake and return, and what not . Or maybe it is just a dream.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I wouldn't bother with a lamotte if you aren't even worried about the pH.

An under-the-tank reactor may be part of a larger scheme and needs more planning on my end, like going all out with inline heater, lily pipes for water intake and return, and what not . Or maybe it is just a dream.

Gotta start somewheres my friend.

About your pH jobbie....is it a controller or a monitor? It should say on the box. If you just don't want the hassle of selling it then don't worry about it, I'll be understanding .

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Matty,

without digging it out, I believe it is This One.

I cannot start with an external CO2 reactor if I don't know where I am going with the system. Will need some time to decide.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Duh...another tank.

seems to me like you have everything you need Do what I do and take you and your wife on a nice little trip somewhere to relax. (if you have kids, have them spent some time with relatives )

Mike - A new tank is not an option, at this time. Not even a small one. BTW, did you hear that Tom quit at AF?

Dr., - "... and take you and your wife on a nice little trip somewhere to relax." No, you don't understand, it is supposed to be a present for me. Me, me, me

I am toying with the idea of a canister filter for the 29G, maybe that could be something to think about. What would be the right size (Eheim, please!)?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yeah Tom quit a few months ago. I won't get into details, but it was a long time in the making. He was a great coworker and an even better friend.

About the pH probe thing. I have kept quiet about having one, as I read you guys don't like them. But that's what I have.

It will be no point telling me now they are no good - I like it way too much. Mine is a solenoid & ph probe combined - so I can't use my solenoid without the probe. Therefore, my C02 is controlled in two ways - when pH hits a pre-set target, it turns off. It also turns off with the lights.

BTW, calibration is a breeze & required no more than monthly.

I also like the hand held pH probes. I had one, but broke it by sticking the wrong end in the water.

You could always ask to be given gift vouchers from your favourite LFS.

Apart from that, I think you already have all the good stuff, so hard to know what else you could possibly need - other than a complete C02 system for your 29.

Have fun

Cheers
TW

"I have kept quiet about having one, as I read you guys don't like them." - Who said that? I do not not like them, I simply find them useless on a freshwater tank. What does it tell you about your tank?

"other than a complete C02 system for your 29" - Now you are talking

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

other than a complete C02 system for your 29" - Now you are talking

I forgot you had a non-co2 tank. You should do that up. Now you'll definitely want to go external on that small tank. I've got an idea. I'll trade you custom built external CO2 reactors for all your tanks(2 for the 125?) for the pH controller. Just plug them into the canisters and you're done. You might be able to convince me to make you an external heater housing. That's been on my list to try too.

Too bad you don't want external reactors. PM me if you're even willing to go through the shipping hassle to sell the controller if you don't want it, either that or tell me to go away and quit bugging you about it. I'm always up for a new gadget.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hi,
I guess I'm a little confused...

"I have kept quiet about having one, as I read you guys don't like them." - Who said that? I do not not like them, I simply find them useless on a freshwater tank. What does it tell you about your tank?"

How do you decide what your CO2 saturation is in tanks
that have injected CO2? Most check their pH vs their
KH on the charts. Rising pH will give a hint that the
tank is turning acidic from accumulations of organic acids
and lack of maintenance and without a Nitrate test, tell
you when it is entering the OTS problem.

I assume that you actually used something to measure the
pH to set the amount of CO2 you inject to arrive at the
desired saturation levels.

pH meters are not a necessity as strips (ugh) will work
or chemical tests, but it is a luxury to simply dip the
probe and have a reading. Or, as I do, leave the probe
on 24/7 and watch it a couple of times a day ( I know
what the meter should be reading compaired to how
long the lights have been on) to catch problems
before they happen.

What to get for Christmas... If you don't have one, it
would be a "nice" gift.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Well Frank,

If you followed the discussion between me and Matty so far in this thread then you know that I even have a ph controller, and it is still in the box

Why do you look at your ph a few times a day? Are you expecting a crash any time? Why? How fast can your tank get old and suffer from OTD? By the minute ?

How much CO2 would I have to inject to get a ph crash? Isn't the ph only part of the equation to measure CO2 in the tank and isn't KH a much weaker test kit (in correctness of the result)?

If your fish are fine and your plants are growing, what is there to measure?

Matty - yeah, your trade sounds pretty seductive, although I would have to wait ages until you are done with all the DIY systems you offer me here . And why are you so wild to get the controller? I didn't know you are into checking your ph all the time.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I don't intentionally look at it daily (no need to), but the control panel is in the cupboard where all the other fish stuff is, so I probably glance at it by accident whenever I get out the fish food etc. But for me, you're missing the point. The probe means I don't have to be concerned about pH.

What does it tell you about your tank?

Like Frank says, it's a luxury. Part of the calculation of how we work out our C02 saturation involves knowledge of your pH & KH. My KH is constant - I rarely, if ever, check that. So I calculated what my target pH needs to be to give me the correct C02 saturation, then it's just a case of "set & forget". So, that's what it tells me about my tank - that I don't have to check the pH, and I don't worry if I'm getting too much or not enough C02. I know the C02 level is where I set it to be & all I have to do is a very simple calibration of the probe every now & again. Should I think my plants or fish need more (or less) C02 from my observations of the tank, I press a touch button on the control panel in the fish cupboard and again I can "set & forget" all about it.

Why do I think the planted tank guys don't like them? Forgive me if I've got this wrong, but..... my old & faded memory recalls the guys talked you out of using yours and I also recall someone in the gang (or forum) saying that if not properly calibrated, they could cause fish deaths by causing too much C02 to be pumped into the tank, as the target pH was not being measured accurately. If you calibrate monthly, that shouldn't be a problem.

The probe also would have stopped a little CO2 accident like another in the gang had recently, with a newly filled bottle almost emptying in the tank in 30mins. The probe would have shut off the C02 quite quickly when pH reached the set target.

So, LF, not saying you should use yours and they certainly are a luxury not a necessity - but for me, it means one less thing for me to be concerned about. Put simply, it has made me more relaxed with the C02. I barely give it a thought & certainly don't worry or check my pH by the minute, day or week. Don't have to, don't need to, the controller does it for me.

Anyhow, I'm sure you already know all of the above (as you have one) so it's just really a personal preference.

So, you could get the C02 for the 29 - I'm glad you liked that one. When you say a canister filter for the 29G, do you mean an additional filter for the tank, or is the filter you currently have a different style?

If I do end up converting my 23G & 43G to a cannister, I've been thinking of the eheim 2213 or ecco - but I don't know a lot about cannisters, as I've never owned one.

Interested to hear what you do about this cannister on the 29.


Cheers
TW

Matty - yeah, your trade sounds pretty seductive, although I would have to wait ages until you are done with all the DIY systems you offer me here . And why are you so wild to get the controller? I didn't know you are into checking your ph all the time.

I could do all that over break, no problem. The most time consuming aspect is the trip to HD and finding the proper fittings. I guess it wouldn't be by xmas, but maybe shortly thereafter. I wouldn't call it ages...maybe weeks.

I'd like to get one because it takes out every single bit of guesswork with the CO2, you'll know between which values your pH will be at all times. Plus I'm into nifty gadgets. If you decide you want to use it go for it, I wouldn't blame you, but it'll only work on one of your tanks anyhow.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Robyn - I will keep you posted on any idea that I may have with regards to the canister for the 29

Matty - for the same reason I will have to hold off with your trade proposition. I have to make my mind up first. For example, what would an external diffuser do for the 125 if it is injecting into one spraybar that does spray on the surface and where the expelled water does not reach the other side of the tank where the other spray bar is located? Almost sounds like I would have to split the CO2 line then as well and use two diffusers.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

If you could get permission from your management, a nice BREEDING TANK FOR YOUR VIEJITA would be heaps of fun. I have found that a 20G is plenty big enough & read of others who do it with a 10G.

Also, sorry to steal your thread - but it is still fish & Christmas related & I'm very excited. Asked my 26 year old son, who moved out of home in Feb of this year, what he would like for Christmas. I convinced him earlier this year to mind my 7G hospital tank - when I was told to shut it down. Nearly fell off my chair - he'd like a bigger tank with a stand. Works out well, as hubby just bought a much larger tank for his marine (about 330 litres) & soon his existing 3ft tank will be sold, when the transfer of fish, rocks & coral is complete. I will buy the old tank/stand from hubby & a new light & that will be my son's. Hmmmm, I think it will be an African Chichlid tank - as I know it will be my chore to maintain it & I haven't tried one of those.

So, I now only have one immediate family member that hasn't been converted to keeping fish - but as her boyfriend recently set up an African tank, she still hasn't quite escaped the hobby. (She is also my weekly shopper to bring home the adult live brine shrimp)

Cheers
TW