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where did my post go?

Yeah, I guess a few things were/are a little off today

Anyway, Melissa and I had a short discussion in Chat regarding if she would need CO2 or not. From my research, it seems that she has a strip that has 2x65W in line over 48", which brings her to somewhere around 2.35wpg. It appears that all lights are either on or off, having only one power cord. Even if it could be stagged, then half the tank would have no light while the other does, not a good solution.

I personally think the tank may be doing better with CO2, but it should be managable without. Maybe by adding bi-daily shots of Excel.

What does the rest of the gang think?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

here's a pic of my set-up with the lights up and running. Please excuse the crappy looking background....it's just a black sheet back there to cut reflection until I can decide what I want. Any comments so far??

Attached Image:

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I personally think the tank may be doing better with CO2, but it should be managable without. Maybe by adding bi-daily shots of Excel.

CO2 would help a ton! but if you don't use it I would go with daily shots of Excel. You can't go wrong with the stuff.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

My plan is to use the Excel only until I can save the bucks for the CO2 set-up. It should only be a couple of weeks. Man, all this is LOL

*off topic**
Here's a pic of that plant that doesn't want to start a new thread, can amyone confirm that this is Hygro?

Attached Image:

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

Yup, looks like a Giant Hygro to me, but I think Wings was the first to confirm in your original thread for it.

Hey, the light unit looks slick on the tank . What I like about this set-up is that you can move the unit backwards, remove the glass tops, and do some maintenance in the tank while seeing what is going on in there. If I am not mistaken then your tank is only 12" deep, right? That may make it a little narrow for full fledged planting in the back and such under light, but even on my 29G I apppreaciate the light while having my hand in the tank to remove a dead leaf and such.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ingo, i can't remember right off hand how deep it is....12" might be right. Dang me, I'll measure on my lunch break. Wait, on that so you mean front to back or top to bottom???

The light assembly worked out pretty darn well, if I do say so myself. I'm now plant shopping and I'm going to the LFS soon for some driftwood. This is a blank slate right now so any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks for the ID on the plant both Ingo and Wings....that's what I thought it was, but I wanted to make sure. I might put that in the 55 if it gets too big.

Anyway, as for the CO2...the point is moot right now because there is nada in there. I will only do Excel in the very short term and I will get a CO2 set up in the next month or two.....I will save money like there is no tomorrow. I promise.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

Tips on the driftwood:

- Should be pre-soaked, if possible, so it stays down by itself and leaches less tannins (you will have some tea for a few weeks though)
- I prefer skinnier pieces that you could arrange rather than one big chunk of wood that takes up a lot of real estate.
- I usually go to the LFS and play with the driftwood. I pull out a few pieces that seem nice, arrange them on the floor, check how they look from a different angle, and most of the time end up putting them back in the bin .
- If you get branches (or skinny main pieces), make sure to get some small rocks to arrange around them. This way they will stay in place.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Here is a link to my thread. I just posted some pictures of my tank and som pictures of the Giant Hygro I had to trim. Just to give you an idea of what this plant can turn into.

Wings Thread


Also with the CO2 stuff. I have only been running real CO2 for a couple of months now. Before I was doing DIY CO2 with Excel. You can get by with out the real CO2 but once you have it your plants are going to take off.

Here is a link to the page I keep my pictures on.
Sometime between part iv and v is when I got the real deal for the CO2.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Ingo, the LFS where I get my driftwood carries only a really heavy kind that needs no soaking. I bought two smaller chunks for my 29 and put them in a bucket to check and they sunk immediately...no worries there, also, I welcome the tannins. Since I'm setting up an Amazon type tank I want them, I'm more than likely going to be filtering over peat pellets to get more. I'm not hoping for a big pH shift or anything, just a nice, natural "blackwater" effect in my tank. Good tips about the sizes to look for and trying the arrangements out in store first...I wouldn't have thought of that...I probably would have just bought a huge chunk that took up a lot of real estate. I would, however, love to have a pic of you sitting in the floor of the LFS playing "Lincoln Logs" with the driftwood....I might even pay money for such a pic!!

Wings, your tank look really awesome. It's def. incentive to invest in the pressurized CO2 set-up. I could have already if all sorts of crap hadn't come up and took a bite outta my wallet! The Hygro looks like a monster! Good thing my 29 is 18" tall. I guess I'll still have to trim that thing when it get taller. How would one go about trimming Hygro?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

How would one go about trimming Hygro?

Two ways of going about it.
1. If you want tall thin stems just pull up and trim the bottems down and replant the tops.
2. If you want it to get bushy then trim the tops. When you do it this way you can replant the tops to start new stems.

The picture of the hygro pulled out shows the two different ways. On the far left is the bushy stuff, the right is the thin stuff. I have a tank full of the little tops that I have been trimming off.

Best of luck and thanks for you complement!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Thanks for the tips. It's not out of hand yet, but those are great options for if it gets too big.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Okay, here's a moderate plant list of stuff that I like, I'm getting ready to order shortly so let me know what y'all think:

A few different anubias, several types of Crypts (there are so many and I might order a couple of each) Wisteria, Giant Hygro, Red Ludwigia, Dwarf Sagittaria, Mayaca, Bacopa Carolina, a few banana plants.....I'm going to try some Water Sprite in here. My stupid water sprite is doing terrible in my 29, but I don't know if it's the fish or the light. I would also like to give Corkscrew Vallisneria ashot in this tank....it never worked out too well in my 29.

How's this list so far? Feedback? Gripes?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

My stupid water sprite is doing terrible in my 29, but I don't know if it's the fish or the light

I have the same problem with wisteria in all 3 of my tanks. I don't know if I've moved mine around too much or what. I'm about to rip it out and replace it with something else. It was growing great a few months ago in all the tanks. Now it looks bad.

Your plant list looks fine to me, but I'm no expert. Some of the others might say you have "plant salad" with so many different types, but thats the way I like mine. I have a bunch of different stem plants in my tanks, but I like it.

The Ludwigia actually didn't do very well in my 55g. It was growing extremely slow. I don't know if it wasn't getting enough light or what. It grows fine in my 29g. Just try to put it somewhere that is open, with nothing shading it. Maybe you will have better luck.

Corkscrew Vals didn't work in my 55g, but they worked in my 29g. Strange. I think maybe the 55g is too tall and light couldn't reach it good. Mine just died in the 55g.

I prefer E. tennellus instead of the dwarf sag because it grows wider. It seems to fill in space quicker. It depends on where you get it as to how it will do. I just got another batch a few weeks ago and it was grown emersed. I got it from AquariumPlants.com. It takes a little while for the emersed leaves to fall off and grow the new submerged leaves. Thats the only problem I have with that plant. I actually like the light green color of the tennellus better than dwarf sag.

I guess that's the only advice I have./:'

*Kristin*

Melissa,

Kristin gave you good advice

From the bottom up, and then in no particular order ():

I am with Kristin on the tenellus over the sags, but for an entire different reason. In my tank (the big one) sags mostly grew runners in the substrate, and my tenellus (in all tanks) above the substrate. When thinning out these plants you may make a small mess when pulling on an obviously "single" sag and a whole chain of hidden children are pulled out as well, connected via the runner. On Tenellus, I see the runners and can sever them before removing a plant.

Anubias and crypts: I would suggest to add the crypts a little later, maybe get one up-front for visual pleasings . These plants grow slow and tend to melt first after being moved. Your goal initially should be to get the tank settled asap. For that reason you should have plants that grow faster. This last point is also why I would say that you should limit the number of Anubias in the beginning (although they are very pretty).

"a few banana plants" - why?

Corkscrew Vals will be ok, but I grew tired of them in my big tank in no time. But that may be just me .

Water Sprite, I have only tried it in my big tank, and there it took off like mad, just check the first few pages of my log to see the growth progress over the first few weeks. Ok, I have way more light and CO2 and maybe that is why it grew so well.

Kristin - Yeah, Ludwigia does not like to be shaded. I have Narrow Leaf Ludwigia in my big tank and it grew to some big bush, but I almost lost it completely when my 30" long Crypt retrospiralis leaves where shading it.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Great tip on the Tenellus vs. the Sag. I never thought about it, but that's what my sag. looks like in my 29....I can see a bunch of young 'uns under the substrate (the part up against the glass). Yes, I will change that plan. I will a lso appreciate it filling in quicker like Kristin mentioned.

I will order the anubias and the crypts leter as fill ins depending on where I need fill ins later. I might even be able to save some cash a take some from 29 because some of them in there need some serious thinning.

I just like the banana plant!! I got one free with a plant order I made for my 29 a while back and I think it's cute. It's doing really well in my 29.

I 've never has a chance to get tired of Corkscrew Vals....they did okay for a while in my 29 and then, they would just dissappear. Not sure what the problem was, but I may give them a try here....it's going to be a different world with the kind of light I have on my 55 vs. my 29. I can't wait. /:'

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I got one free with a plant order I made for my 29 a while back

Did it come with a monkey



No seriously, of course you can add whatever you want and it doesn't look too bad either, just not a plant I would add to my tank.

One interesting thing that may or may not apply to you. From all the plants that I initially ordered for my 125G, and these were a lot, I only have a few left. Most were replaced either because they died, became full of algae, did their job and could retire (like the Water Sprite), or because I grew tired of them. To sum it up, initially all my plants where the ones that everybody adds, not I am a little more selective.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

i will say that if you do co2 and have crypt wendtii that they will grow pretty quick once they establish themselves. my old setup in my 50g was *covered* in crypts all over the place. you'll go from a nice little bundle of crypts to a gargantuan jungle of crypts in about a month, especially with co2 pumped in.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Crypts + CO2 + good light + good sub = lots of growth.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

My crypts are doing awesome in my 29....even the red ones. I'm def. going to get some for this tank. I have 2.5 inches of Eco complete and I'm just going to throw some plain gravel on top of it to bring the depth up to 3 inches.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Crypts + CO2 + good light + good sub = lots of growth

Nice equation, but one item is missing:

Crypts + CO2 + good light + good sub + Don't move them! = lots of growth

Somehow, in none of my tanks, crypts have ever done too well. High light - low light - anything in between - CO2 - no CO2 - it never worked for me like moondog and Wings described it. Even if I don't move them for months. One reason may be that I used to have only small plants to begin with. Just recently did I purchase a red and a green mother plant. These seem to establish themselves ok, even after the initial melt-down. The green one even has a baby .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

LF,

I knew I forgot something! I would try adding some fert tabs around your cryps LF. They just might need a boost. In my tank with the Flourite I got mine at about 4 inches and it turned into a basketball with in a few months.


55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Okay, I'm doing some plant shopping today and I need major advice!! I'm looking at the E. tennelus that we were talking about and I see that it comes like one little plant at a whack....how many would I need to get a decent foreground cover going in this 55 gallon tank? It's like $2.49 per plant, but I just don't know how many I should start with.

Frankly, I know what plants I want, and basically where I want to put them....I'm just a little stumped as to how many of each plant species it is that I want to purchase. HELP!!!!

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

I assume you do online shopping, right? Throw us the website you go to and tell us the plants that you want to get. Also, list all plants that you will get somewhere else, if that applies.

About the tenellus: they often come potted and consist of maybe 4 to 6 plants, bunched rather closely together. When I got mine (all my tenellus in my 3 tanks are derived from this order) I purchased 3 of these pots, separated the plantlets and placed themin the tank with some gaps in between. Show us the picture (link) to the ones you saw.

Ingo

EDIT: You got all your hardscape (wood/rocks)?

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ingo, yes I'm online shopping....here's the link to my favorite plant site: http://aquariumgarden.com/index.php

I have had the best luck with their plants so far. My list is narrowing a little here's the bulk of it:

~Hygro
~Moneywort and Bacopa carolinnia
~Wistera
~E. tenellus
~Mayaca
~water sprite
~Foxtail

I will get the crypts and annubias later to fill in

I am going to my LFs today to get the wood....haven't planned on rocks. What rocks can I get that won't add to my water hardness or up the pH?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

~Hygro - which one? Giant Hygro? My new favorite Hygro is angustifolia
~Wistera - OK
~E. tenellus - OK
~Mayaca - I think I mentioned this before, you mean Mayaca fluviatilis, right? And I think to have mentioned that this one may need more light to be pretty.
~Foxtail - is Myriophyllum, right? Eh, not my type. It's dense structure causes all kinds of gunk to be collected in the leaves.

I was thinking about rocks that a) help you with holding the wood in place and b) serve as bases for the Anubias (in the future). Also, a base of rock under branchy driftwood looks very nice. All rocks that don't sizzle when sprinkled with vinegar should be fine, I think. Although I don't have it, granite would be my favorite .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The foxtail would mainly serve to absorb ammonia and nitrite in cycling the tank as per the no cycle planted tank article....it would probably be removed later. I love my Giant Hygro in my 29, but I might check into the Hygro you mentioned. Did you go to that link and see the E. tenellus? How many should I order?

I'll check around for rocks....I doubt if they will let me sprinkle vinegar on them in the LFS.

Check out this piece of driftwood and tell me what you think...I put a ruler next to it for perspective...if you can't see the numbers in the pic it is 22 inches long. I put it into a 55 at the store (same dimensions as mine) and it looked pretty darn good centered. I'm envisioning some tall plants behind it and coming around to either side of it and med. to low plants in the front. Here's the wood:

Attached Image:

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

Last things first: The Wood - nah, doesn't rock my boat .
Seriously, having this thing flat in your tank would mean that it would be soon consumed by the plants. Also, it doesn't create the impression of height and three-dimensionality (if that is a word ). Have you looks into my 125G log in a while? Now there is what I mean. Check it out!

The Tenellus looks odd. The only way that this is tenellus is if it is an emersed grown plant. In this case, it will lose all its leaves. Somehow the whole picture seems to be wrong. The plant usually has a center from which all leaves sprout - the picture seems like to show some odd collection of leaves that grow from various spots. Here is a picture of the tenellus in my 29G. It is the bright green colored plant filling the right side. Also, check the wood, not flat but producing height. I know it is not the prettiest tank, but you get the point:

Attached Image:

Tenellus and Driftwood

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Okay, the pic of the DW was misleading, let me take another one level...that pic was from the top down to convey lenght. He's a level pic. From the table that it's sitting on to the highest point it is 10", so it's pretty tall the way I will be setting it in my tank.

Thet E. Tenellus looks no good eh? I guess I'll get it at your site...aquariumplants.com right? I'm checking there too.

Level pic of DW:

Attached Image:

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Well let me warn you right now that LF probably isn't going to like it but I think its pretty nice. I am a fan of thicker wilder pieces. LF, Well he like sticks...

Edit: I was too slow!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

LOL...Wings. Hehehe I couldn't find any sticks at the LFS....I hav esome in my yard though.

The pics are really tough to judge this particular piece...'course, it would probably help if I had something more sophisticated than my cell phone camera with me...oh well.

This is gettting complicated. I've never order from aquarium plants.com, but if y'all plant gurus do and get good plants...then so I can I.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

My Tenellus was from the LFS, I bought it over a year ago when I didn't even know about online plant orders.

10" heh ? I don't like it (just like Wings guessed it). Too much volume for too little impact. I don't know if you know that, but it took me months to find the right one, and without NowherMan6 I still wouldn't have it.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

...Okay, now I get it. I really think a twig would get lost in my tank. You should see the chunks in my 29 I really think this is the piece for me, I'm going to pop it into the tank when I get home and snap a pic with the bigger camera, of course, I won't be able to post it until tomorrow.

There is no way I'm going to find E. tennelus at any LFS around here....they barely even have aquarium plants. I need to find some decent stuff online or give up.

This is a PITA....heck give me some crushed coral and some rocks and I'll do a Malawi tank.....

No.....I'm still hanging in there....barely.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

i have to say that although i enjoy having a big chunk of wood in my tank ( ) that it very much limits what you can plant in there. what you have is perfect for plants, imho, because you can still work around it. what i have is terrible for plants because there's no way to place it that will not block some large section of tank

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Agreed, I checked it in a 55 before I left the LFS with it and it leaves plenty of room for plants all around. I just need to figure if I'm going to put it in the middle and plant around it or put it towrd one end or the other and plant assymetrically.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

Too small, too small
Too few, too few



Look at early pictures in my 125G log. There you see loads of Rock hardscape. Then follow throught the thread and you will see that within weeks all became invisible and consumed by the plants.

Also, let's talk about the scape itself. Centering a focus point in a tank can work, but usually it is prefered to offset the center by a rule somewhat like this:
Divide the tank length by 2.6 and place the focus center where 1 (or 1.6 - is the same, just from the other side) is. Example: tank lenght is 26", divided by 2.6 = 10" - that is the focus, meaning 10" in from the left or right.
Usually, this makes a tank appear more harmonic than a middle focus.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ingo, I won't let my plants drown out my DW. I'll keep it clear around it. Okay, my tank is 48" long so 48/2.6 = 18.46, so I'll measure roughly 18 1/2 inches from either end and park it there. I might even add another piece later, the LFS was low on their DW...they said that they have trouble keeping it....folks come in and snatch it up.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Okay, check this out and tell me if this CO2 scheme will work, I have just purchased the Red Sea Turbo CO2 Bio System Link:
[link]http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14711&inm=1&N=2004+113779+2035 [/link]

rated for a 40 gallon tank to be added to my Nutrafin CO2 system rated for tanks up to 20 gallons. I figure with 2 DIY CO2 systems rated for a total of 60 gallons I should be good to go on CO2 am I correct??? Give me some tips on where to place each of the do-dads that diffuse the CO2. The Red Sea system says to place just above the substrate, but the Nutrafin just says to keep away from major surface turbulence, but wouldn't that little ladder thing be better off closer to the bottom? How far away from the filter input/outflow do I need to put them.....or should I worry about this? Any and all help and advice appreciated.

I was also thinking that maybe I could bypass that little ladder deal on the Nutrafin system and use a "t" splitter and hook both CO2 cannister to the Venturi diffuser. What so y'all think?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Melissa,

I did never have either one of the 2 products that you have in house now, but here are some general things that I believe to remember having heard about them (see how vague I am? ):

- The Red Sea Turbo CO2 Bio System is supposed to be a glorified DIY system, with the exception that the venturi is pretty good
- The Nutrafin CO2 system is also supposed to be a glorified DIY system, with the exception that the ladder is pretty good.

How to hook up these two into one is beyond me, including if you would gain anything.

In general, what the community is most of the time saying is that tanks over 40G are better off using a pressurized CO2 system as all others seem to be not sufficient. Except if you want to hange 6 2l bottles of DIY on the tank (or something like that).

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ingo, thanks for your input. I'm just thinking that I would give these two systems a shot along with supplemented Excel whilst I'm saving money to invest in a pressurized system.

I figure it's probably better than nothing right? After I do get the pressurized system, I can move one of these over to my 29 and upgrade the light there...no money wasted.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I figure it's probably better than nothing right?

I don't know

have you ever used the Hagen ladder or is that one new as well? You are familiar with the fluctuation of the desired CO2 output on these systems, meaning lower CO2 on startup and during the burnout phases of the load. Plus (I think) a max full throttle duration of 1 to 2 weeks.

So, if this would be true, and only then, I actually would think that a tank with fluctuating CO2 values would be off worse than a stable one with lower CO2. But maybe you could balance this out with dynamic Excel addition, more when output is lower and less when output is optimal.

Again, I never used either or, so better advice may be given by actual users of these systems.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Never used either system. This is all brand new. Good thing my LFS carries refill for the Nutrafin. I'll have to get them to order refills for the other. I will keep the Excel addition regular and constant. It won't be long before I can get the pressurized system...I've just had a couple of unexpected bills pop up on me in the last couple of months. How much do the typical bottles run for the pressurized and how big of a bottle should I get? I know that you just refill them once the CO2 is gone right?

I'm ordering some plant on Friday (payday!!)

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

How much do the typical bottles run for the pressurized and how big of a bottle should I get?

The cost of the bottle heavily depends on your area. tetratech, who lives only about 40 miles from me, gets it for $20 less and his refills are $10. I payed for my full bottle (his is nice and shiny silver, mine is gray) $100 and $20 for each refill. This would be for the 5 liter bottle, which would also be the one I would recommend to you. BUT - make sure you can store it upright in the stand - remember, you wanted to measure its height.

I know that you just refill them once the CO2 is gone right?

Right, but make sure your provider (usually a welding supply store) does that for you.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Oh yeah, I forgot to measure!!

We have a welding supply store just down the street where a guy I know that does planted tanks gets his CO2 bottle refilled. I'll ask him how much his set-up cost. Okay, I'll provide mesurements after lunch.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

i have a 5lb bottle you can have for free if you can make the trip up to austin

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Now that sounds like a deal that I can't refuse! I love Austin.....now to get some time off from work.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

from what you've said it sounds like they won't miss you for a day or two

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Now moondog,

You got Melissa so excited about your offer that she probably forgot to measure the cabinet height yet again

Well, getting a free 5l bottle is always a good thing. But before you drive up there (how long is that trip? ) make sure that your "Refiller" takes bottles from a different place. My provider does not take my bottle and refills it, he replaces it with a full bottle (and that is where you may have a problem with giving him one that he didn't sell you). This process has the distinct advantage that I am in and out of the store in no time and I can hook up the bottle again quickly.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

that seems strange to me. the place i used to go would replace the bottle, no questions asked. and if you paid cash, they gave you the same price no matter what size bottle you brought in. but you couldn't get a 20lb bottle in exchange for 5lb of course

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Better save than sorry, right?

I mean, that's nothing that a call couldn't fix.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Dang, busted. Yes, I forgot to measure the stupid cabinet....again. That will be the FIRST thing I do when I walk in the door from work tonight.

I just got off the phone with the local CO2 tank refiller and they said no problem...they will refill that 5 lb. tank that Moodog said he would give me, so, I'm all set there. They said that they might have to test it if it's out of test date, but the refill, with tax and all, will run around $15. Not too bad.

Ingo, Austin is about a 5 hour drive from here. Considering it's Texas we're talking about 5 hours is nada. I need a vaction anyway.

Moondog, I'm making my plans for this summer after school is out...gotta wait until the young-un isn't going to school you know.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

$15 sounds like a lot to me, but i know i was probably spoiled i got my 20lb replaced like that for $5 cash in wisconsin, but considering i got the original for free i can't complain about it too much

well, i'll be gone that week i told you about in june, but my summer is pretty wide open besides that. so come on up any time

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Hi,
$15 each, is what I paid here in the Denver area to have
my bottles hydrostatically tested. They are then rated
as safe for five years when they must be tested again.
My refills cost $9 and some change (tax).

Frank


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

Sounds good! Okay I have those measurements. I have 18.5 inches to play with under my tank will that bottle and all the do-dads fit in that space?

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Hi,
Depending upon the manufacturer and model of the regulator,
you should be able to fit it in. Mine takes 19 inches but
then I have the gages set slightly askew so I can see them
from a different angle.

Frank


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

Melissa,

My setup (as seen on page two of your thread) is about 18" tall, with the highest point being the top of the bubble counter.

So, 18 1/2 may be tight but seems feasible as a bubble counter does not have to be perfectly straight and could lean a little. In the worst case, aquariumplants.com makes a new and improved regulator that is much lower in profile, but $$$.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Well, the 18.5 is from the floor of the cabinet to the top edge of the cabinet. I have some space to play with since my tank stand is away from the wall about 6 or 7 inches to fit my HOB. I can lean the CO2 tank up against the wall...still have it out of sight and let the regulator stick out, I think it will work.

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

ummm...will it work?

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Hi,
"leaning" the tank frankly scares the heck out of me.
I've see tanks fall over, snap off a fitting, and become
rockets that punched through military aircraft hanger
walls.

You have to handle these things with care. They contain
compressed gas and are dangerous. That is why the
government requires periodic testing for safety. Always
handle these things carefully and be sure that they cannot
be tipped over by some accident or a pet exploring.

Frank


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

Yikes... That's no bueno!!!

What is the diameter of a 5 lb bottle? I could put it on the floor behind my tank if it's not too big around. That would net me several more inches of height. Anyone konw tha diameter?

---

~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Hi Red,
The diameter of my bottle is roughly 5 inches.
Frank


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