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FW Planted 5.5g Custom OceanBox/Nano Box Build


NYfishies

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A lot of terms here that are not familiar to me!

 

 

May have scored a 212-3301 on eBay for $70. :D

Of course, that was a year and a half ago and I'm just now starting to put shit together :lol:

I'm using a Clipboard Mouse solenoid that is 12v and using an SCW controlled by my Bluefish Mini to turn it on and off. I am also looking at a 12v APT dosing pump head to dose an all in one liquid fertilizer, so completely automating the process through Bluefish. :)

 

I am very interested in making it automated and I have a bluefish mini controller on this tank already.

 

If i were to buy a 5 lb tank where can I have it filled? I live in Manhattan. I am looking at this one...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Zebra-Luxfer-Aluminum-CGA320-Brushed/dp/B0085282UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454021152&sr=8-1&keywords=5lb+aluminum+co2+tank

 

The needle valve you guys recommend is...

 

https://store.fabco-air.com/proddetail.php?prod=NV-55-18

 

I am having a hard time finding a Victor VTS regulator. Is this my best option?

 

As for the solenoid should I go with Clippard or Burkert?

 

I will need a diffuser and drop counter as well so need to research those.

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Don't spend money on that tank. Just look for the closest airgas or similar place and buy into a tank with food grade co2. You can then simply exchange them as often as you need. I'm pretty sure you want 10lb tanks anyways as thats the smallest size my local place will replace. (To be fair I use mine for beer but its roughly the same)

 

The tank swap I did today cost me $23.

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Don't spend money on that tank. Just look for the closest airgas or similar place and buy into a tank with food grade co2. You can then simply exchange them as often as you need. I'm pretty sure you want 10lb tanks anyways as thats the smallest size my local place will replace. (To be fair I use mine for beer but its roughly the same)

 

The tank swap I did today cost me $23.

 

The problem I will have is where I live. I live in a small apt in NYC so space is very limited, but I am also concerned with having the tank itself - is it in anyway unsafe/explosive? Also, 10 lbs would last my years wouldn't it?

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jedimasterben

The problem I will have is where I live. I live in a small apt in NYC so space is very limited, but I am also concerned with having the tank itself - is it in anyway unsafe/explosive? Also, 10 lbs would last my years wouldn't it?

Now that I think about it more, you might be better with a dual-stage regulator on a 24oz paintball canister. You'd probably still get almost a year out of it, and you should be able to get it swapped out at any store that deals with paintball stuff. You would buy two and have one on hand to switch out when it runs out, then you have a lot of time to make it and go and get it filled up.

 

I have a paintball to CGA-320 adapter that you can have :)

 

Here is a dual stage Concoa brass regulator for $75 plus $15 shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Concoa-412-Series-Gas-Regulator-Dual-Stage-Brass-6-Ports-/262226199188?hash=item3d0de64294:g:aE8AAOSwZG9WjDeZ

 

Add to that the Fabco NV-55-18 needle valve, Clippard mouse solenoid 12v, and then a bubble counter of some description. Also will need a good check valve - if liquid gets into the regulator, it will destroy it.

 

DIYco2regulator.com sells post-body kits that have a Clippard solenoid, fabco needle valve, and all the little bits to connect them up. I would email them and ask if they can make their Post body kit #1 but with a 12v solenoid like in the post body kit #2, as #1 uses a 24v solenoid and the Fabco needle valve and #2 uses a 12v one with a generic looking needle valve. http://www.diyco2regulator.com/co2-regulator-solenoid-needle-valve-kit-for-paintball

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Now that I think about it more, you might be better with a dual-stage regulator on a 24oz paintball canister. You'd probably still get almost a year out of it, and you should be able to get it swapped out at any store that deals with paintball stuff. You would buy two and have one on hand to switch out when it runs out, then you have a lot of time to make it and go and get it filled up.

 

I have a paintball to CGA-320 adapter that you can have :)

 

Here is a dual stage Concoa brass regulator for $75 plus $15 shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Concoa-412-Series-Gas-Regulator-Dual-Stage-Brass-6-Ports-/262226199188?hash=item3d0de64294:g:aE8AAOSwZG9WjDeZ

 

Add to that the Fabco NV-55-18 needle valve, Clippard mouse solenoid 12v, and then a bubble counter of some description. Also will need a good check valve - if liquid gets into the regulator, it will destroy it.

 

DIYco2regulator.com sells post-body kits that have a Clippard solenoid, fabco needle valve, and all the little bits to connect them up. I would email them and ask if they can make their Post body kit #1 but with a 12v solenoid like in the post body kit #2, as #1 uses a 24v solenoid and the Fabco needle valve and #2 uses a 12v one with a generic looking needle valve. http://www.diyco2regulator.com/co2-regulator-solenoid-needle-valve-kit-for-paintball

 

What is the difference between the 12v and 24v? Why does it matter (this is just my curiosity before I contact them)?

 

Would you say that is a good price for the regulator on ebay?

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jedimasterben

What is the difference between the 12v and 24v? Why does it matter (this is just my curiosity before I contact them)?

 

Would you say that is a good price for the regulator on ebay?

If you are interested in controlling the solenoid with your Bluefish controller it will need to be the 12v model :)

 

And yes, it is a good price for the regulator. Concoa are great quality regulators.

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If you are interested in controlling the solenoid with your Bluefish controller it will need to be the 12v model :)

 

And yes, it is a good price for the regulator. Concoa are great quality regulators.

 

Ok gotcha. I contact them to see if they can do the 12v on the Kit #1. From there I think I should order that if they agree together with the regulator you mention which will cost together about $180. A 24oz tank is about $30. Besides the diffuser and counter i think that is it right?

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No response yet on the 12v.

 

Took a trip yesterday to one of our LFS for some advice and to look around at the plants and FW fish. The dozens of times we have gone before we seem to always stay in the SW section lol.

 

We were told that Killifish have short life spans (~9 months). I think that depends on the type (annual vs non) which in nature only live short lives, but others can live a few years. My biggest concern now is they love to jump and we have no intentions of having a lid.

 

So, now we are looking at getting a school of 6 Neon Tetras which should do well since we will have both rock and driftwood with plenty of plant growth. I hope that this tank is not too small?

 

I also ordered a bag of Aqua Soil Powder which will be layered on top of the normal. I bought it mainly for the area which the dwarf baby tears will grow. Trying to give the HC the best chance for survival as I understand they melt all the time.

 

We picked up a piece of spider wood from the LFS. It is the perfect size as is for the tank. At this point we are playing around with different options for the hardscape. The front corner will be where we have a bit of sand sort of wrap the corner. The dirt will slope up towards the back so we can grow some taller plants along the back wall and out of the water.

 

Option #1

 

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Option #2
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As you can see there is not much room for plants. We will make it work with the 4-5 we plan to add. My question is how can we grow moss or something on the rocks?
The Powder will not arrive until Friday and we will be out of town so the tank will not be filled until the following weekend. So a few weeks to determine how to scape this bad boy. Let me have your thoughts please!
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all,

 

After receiving the final piece to the puzzle (Aquasoil Amazonia Powder) and returning home from a brief trip we decided it was time to fill the tank. So on Monday, 2/15, we took a trip to one of our LFS and picked up a few plants to start the cycle with:

 

We got Micro Sword Narrow Leafs, Micranthemum Monte Carlo and Java Moss.

 

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We started by laying down a layer of Power Sand.

 

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Then, the dirt, rock and driftwood (which we boiled for 1 hour beforehand).
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We then added a bit of sand to the front corner to add some contrast to the substrate.
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From there we added enough water to soak the dirt.
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We took the front rock out and wrapped the Java Moss around it.
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Then, we separated the other 2 plants.
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And after carefully placing each the scape is coming along.
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So we added the rest of the water which we conditioned with Prime. Our apartment purifies the water and the TDS is rather low straight from the faucet. We did not use our RODI water.
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After 24 hours it already is pretty clear.
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After 48 hours.
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Today.
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This tank is just awesome. Dave has worked with me on the best setting for the Flare and it looks fantastic. I am very happy we went the extra mile and went fully custom on this build..

 

Thanks for any feedback or criticism!

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  • 1 month later...

hows it comin?

 

Well the tank is cycling along nicely. It has been about 45 days since wet. We have 3 little snail friends that found their way into the tank (likely through the java moss) and have survived the cycle which is cool. The Java moss is growing nicely and it appears the baby tears are spreading.

 

I am having a heck of a time finding a place to fill the CO2 tank to get the CO2 system going so that we can start dosing ferts. Everything is ready to go, but Manhattan does not appear to allow filling of CO2 on the island. I will venture to Brooklyne this weekend and hopefully by Sunday night have the system up and running.

 

We went with a CarbonDoser Electronic C02 Regulator (http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDoser-Electronic-Co2-Regulator-p/co2.htm) with an Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor and a 20oz Paintball tank.

 

Once the CO2 is up and running we will start dosing EI Liquid Ferts (http://nilocg.com/diy-ei-liquid-fertilizer/). At that point I will run the lights a bit longer (currently 5-6 hours a day).

 

Within the month once all the ammonia leaches from the Amazonia we will add a school of Neon Tertras and some little shrimpies. :P

I will take some pictures tomorrow of the tank - need to clean the acrylic for the first time!

 

Thanks for following along. :D

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Well the tank is cycling along nicely. It has been about 45 days since wet. We have 3 little snail friends that found their way into the tank (likely through the java moss) and have survived the cycle which is cool. The Java moss is growing nicely and it appears the baby tears are spreading.

 

I am having a heck of a time finding a place to fill the CO2 tank to get the CO2 system going so that we can start dosing ferts. Everything is ready to go, but Manhattan does not appear to allow filling of CO2 on the island. I will venture to Brooklyne this weekend and hopefully by Sunday night have the system up and running.

 

We went with a CarbonDoser Electronic C02 Regulator (http://www.aquariumplants.com/CarbonDoser-Electronic-Co2-Regulator-p/co2.htm) with an Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor and a 20oz Paintball tank.

 

Once the CO2 is up and running we will start dosing EI Liquid Ferts (http://nilocg.com/diy-ei-liquid-fertilizer/). At that point I will run the lights a bit longer (currently 5-6 hours a day).

 

Within the month once all the ammonia leaches from the Amazonia we will add a school of Neon Tertras and some little shrimpies. :P

I will take some pictures tomorrow of the tank - need to clean the acrylic for the first time!

 

Thanks for following along. :D

Lookin good!

Have you checked a welding company? McKinney Welding Supply & Compressed Gases 600 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019 one of the reviews "...to refill my 5 lb CO2 tanks for serving homebrew beer out of my keggerator." ehem. *BOOM* :happydance:

My first tank(Fluval spec V), started about 9 months ago. no extra fert, just home brewed co2 (citric acid and baking soda). 7 neons, 2 corys,1 lyre tail, 3 snails and like 60+ red cherry shrimp lol... (started with 5RCS, have sold a bunch back to LFS .50-.75cent each) Yeah its packed but everyone is happy/healthy!

 

I'm looking for this fuzzy moss that hitchhiked in with the java moss I believe, do you have any idea what it is?(first pic on wood) Java moss grows to fast for me. Sucks to clean up/trim all the time and it sticks to everything and grows everywhere. The fuzzy moss would look so good as the "tree top" instead of the java not to mention maintenance would be a breeze.

 

What ground cover you have growing?

 

809B7510-6296-45B1-803D-1BE53E511A18_zps

Please excuse feeding time >_<

DA711175-4E00-417D-8331-7E7F9963FE3E_zps

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:o How did I miss these updates? The tank is coming out great!! Love your aqua-scaping and the effort you put into it. It's a great feeling seeing the tank again in NY, it was our last summer family trip.

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  • 1 month later...

I will write an update today or tomorrow! I just last night installed the CO2 setup.

 

Going to have to remove the Java Moss as it is growing like weeds. Baby tears are starting to cover the dirt!

 

The tank should be ready for fish/shrimp/ferts now after cycling for well over 2 months.

 

Will post an update with pics soon!

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Hey all,

 

So we were finally able to get out of Manhattan for the weekend and made our way to a Dick's Sporting Goods to fill up the CO2 tank.

 

It is now hooked up and the CO2 is pumping!

 

IMG_5379.jpg

 

I was able to fit the Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor in the middle back chamber so it is not visible in the display. I will likely move the Drop Checker

 

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Here is the current state of the tank after just 1 day of dosing CO2 and 1 water change about 2 months ago. I simply add RODI each day to refill.
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I bought the Tunze Nano ATO, but it is just too bug to fit in the back chamber. I am going to look into the AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro with hopes that it will fit.
I am very glad we decided to go with the soil combo that we did. The Monte Carlo is growing very well.
We are going to get rid of the Java Moss as it simply grows too fast. Without CO2 or Ferts it grows like crazy. Now that with have CO2 and will soon begin dosing the liquid ferts (this weekend) I have a feeling we will be trimming daily.
This weekend we plan to add some fish! Any suggestions? Thinking 6-7 Neon Tetras and some Cherry Shrimps.
Thanks for following along!
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jedimasterben

The tetras will eat the shrimp. They also die very easily to a disease that so far has only been seen on them IIRC. I lost all of mine to it about a year after getting them, all of a sudden one day one of them was super lumpy and had a white fungus growth on it, the next day i lost a couple tetras, a few days later lost another, etc etc. Funnily enough, the one that actually had the disease didn't die until second to last. The last one I had survived another few months and then decided to commit fishy seppuku and jump out of the new tank. derpfish.

 

 

My guppies don't seem to eat shrimp, I've never even seen the adults chase juvie shrimp. I would go with two species of shrimp, one Caridina and one Neocaridina since the two can't interbreed, so it would be easy to mix, say, the white and red crystal red shrimp (CRS) with orange pumpkin neos, or yellow/blue/green/etc, but you can only have one color of each, otherwise they'll breed and the baby shrimp will be brown. :/

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I've got ten neon tetras existing with about 30 red cherry shrimp at the moment in a standard 10. The population of shrimp definitely isn't rising as quickly as it could be, but it's a slow and steady increase! :) Granted, I have random 'shelters' and cholla wood pieces sitting in the tank for the shrimp to hide in.

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jedimasterben

I've got ten neon tetras existing with about 30 red cherry shrimp at the moment in a standard 10. The population of shrimp definitely isn't rising as quickly as it could be, but it's a slow and steady increase! :) Granted, I have random 'shelters' and cholla wood pieces sitting in the tank for the shrimp to hide in.

Even in a tank literally filled with moss, the little shrimpies couldn't hide, and I never saw their population grow any more after adding the tetras - then when I got my first betta, it really hit the fan! The betta went from all white to having a blue shade he ate so many of my blue pearls! Still kinda bitter about that :lol:

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Even in a tank literally filled with moss, the little shrimpies couldn't hide, and I never saw their population grow any more after adding the tetras - then when I got my first betta, it really hit the fan! The betta went from all white to having a blue shade he ate so many of my blue pearls! Still kinda bitter about that :lol:

 

What a well fed betta! :P Mine passed away after about the three year mark, so I took the opportunity to go for tetras instead. I wanted to have more water movement, and I may have over done it. There's an AC70 (prefilter sponge over the intake) in there..

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jedimasterben

What a well fed betta! :P Mine passed away after about the three year mark, so I took the opportunity to go for tetras instead. I wanted to have more water movement, and I may have over done it. There's an AC70 (prefilter sponge over the intake) in there..

Why did you increase the flow after the betta? My 13g tank had at least 200GPH from the canister and I put another Koralia 425 in there because it wasn't flowy enough. My betta loved it, and all the females did, too. :)

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Hey all,

 

So we were finally able to get out of Manhattan for the weekend and made our way to a Dick's Sporting Goods to fill up the CO2 tank.

 

It is now hooked up and the CO2 is pumping!

 

IMG_5379.jpg

 

I was able to fit the Aqua Medic CO2 Reactor in the middle back chamber so it is not visible in the display. I will likely move the Drop Checker

 

IMG_5376.jpg
IMG_5377.jpg
IMG_5378.jpg
IMG_5380.jpg
Here is the current state of the tank after just 1 day of dosing CO2 and 1 water change about 2 months ago. I simply add RODI each day to refill.
IMG_5382.jpg
IMG_5383.jpg
IMG_5387.jpg
I bought the Tunze Nano ATO, but it is just too bug to fit in the back chamber. I am going to look into the AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro with hopes that it will fit.
I am very glad we decided to go with the soil combo that we did. The Monte Carlo is growing very well.
We are going to get rid of the Java Moss as it simply grows too fast. Without CO2 or Ferts it grows like crazy. Now that with have CO2 and will soon begin dosing the liquid ferts (this weekend) I have a feeling we will be trimming daily.
This weekend we plan to add some fish! Any suggestions? Thinking 6-7 Neon Tetras and some Cherry Shrimps.
Thanks for following along!

 

Nice tank. Really nice setup and I like your scape. I would do glowlight tetras, they have a subtle look that would fit the look of your tank really well along with some Otto's.

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