Clare's Immersed Wild Aqua Forest

After much fiddling around for a few weeks, I think it's time for me to create my own thread on my aquatic plant tank. Most of the plants come from the river and even the snails come from there too. I have managed to get my CO2 system working. I also had a brainwave to dry up and use the algae to feed the snails - worked pretty well and must admit I surprise myself at times too. It's thanks to all those who posted DIY CO2 and many cheaper alternatives that I was able to set this tank up and keep running for about 6 weeks now (I don't think that's accurate as I have lost count of how many weeks I"ve managed to keep the tank balanced).



Still clueless to what this plant is.


I was in the process of getting my CO2 DIY system sorted


Sunset in Waterland


This was created using a 2L coke bottle so that I can keep my floating plants in a bit of still water so that it can grow. I made several small holes at the bottom for water flow exchange




Tiny bubbles coming out of the pipe - left it as it is instead of fixing the pipe. Was my intention anyway.


These river snails

 

How are you diffusing your CO2? And what lighting you using?
You should do away with undergravel filter, I didn't understand it myself at first either but glad I did.

Your setup is very different to what most people strive for. Are you dosing?

 

Yeah that's my aim - something different.

Liquid fertiliser - either packet or small bucket of powdered plant food from Gromor National Plant food. Plants seem to thrive on it. I mix the power with water and just add to the flowing water to circulate and distribute it evenly.

The properties of the plant food is:

For every 5L of water, I use 5ml plant food.

Not sure what you mean - do away with it? As in remove it? Maybe elaborate more on that - I'm curious. I could learn something from it.

I am kind of figuring out a system for it - following DIY diffusers that you can make. I was thinking of using an old pill bottle, stuff it with gravel and cotton/gauze. Then add some small holes to the sides. Pretty much same design as the glass CO2 diffuser in a way. It could work - just gotta tweak around and find something that works for me.

My budget is very limited as I don't work, it's not easy to find a job and I rely on a disability grant to get by. By the way, if you are curious about the disability part, I am deaf. The tank and all the stuff that came with it was free as the one side of the glass fell off and I fixed it all up, surprised that it all still works.

 

I love your passion for the hobby. and just again proof that you can have fun with it, on a limeted budget.

 

With regards to the UGF you don't need it, rather have a filter pull from pipe in a corner, Let the nitrates settle in substrate and feed your plants. cool thing also is you don't have fish so don't have that worry about killing them.

Far from it I think actually, but use a chopstick, Works pretty well. If you really want a decent CO2 diffuser work on a reactor design. I used to have one that was in the tank, using a bottle and pump. Should work well.

something like this, I made mine much smaller though.



sorry to hear about you being deaf, I've got about 50% hearing in my left ear, Had a xmas beetle crawl in my ear when I was young.. My fiance thinks I'm 100% deaf though lol.

Might find going EI route cheaper than buying plant food, have a look into that. initial cost is high but lasts for months.

 

Man, I hate Christmas Beetles. When we went camping they would always go for my eyes. And the small ones would go for my ears

 

yeah I don't really kill insects, well besides Mozzies and flies cause they an exeption.. And anything that 8 legs or more. But Xmas beetles due to my past don't survive longer than a few seconds around them. I passed out due to the pain, woke up in hospital never forget that.

 

I spend the day figuring out how to make a small CO2 reactor and this is what I came up with:

1) butt (cigarette) filters (I have plenty lying around from when I used to roll tobacco, never knew the box of filters would come in handy)
2) old vitamin bottle - lid sealed shut, filled up with stones. 4 holes - 2 for the CO2 feed into the vitamin bottle and add the filters to the other holes to create tiny bubbles.

I yet got to test this as I have only put silicon sealant on the lid and have to wait for it to set first. Otherwise it will leak through the lid and not through the butt filters.

This morning, I decided to use a old spray nozzle that was left lying around in the workshop. I asked for permission to take it as I thought I might just need it. Took the cap off the one end (nozzle part), added a cut-to-size filter inside) and then put the nozzle back on. Voila! It works. I was impressed.



Christmas beetles are a pain in the backside... Specially around Christmas time where you find them flying in all sort of drunken directions and waking up in the morning to sweep several beetles off the floor. Ugh. I don't mind dem beetles, only if they weren't that stupid to fly around aimlessly and crash into everything - maybe take away their brandewyne? Hehehe

 

Indeed, I've actually really enjoyed getting all this stuff experimented and worked on to be honest. I'm not one who likes to lie in bed all day and watch TV stuff - stuff that, I rather be doing something useful.

 

Your snails are nerite snails http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neritina_natalensis

 

Now that makes sense to why I keep on seeing my snails come out to the surface now and then. Last night the water was rather warm, when it is usually cold...

 

NEXT!!!



Decided to take the advice about getting rid of the undergravel filter and etc... Going to do a major overhaul this weekend, remove the bigger stones as I think they're a bit of an hindrance - not really liking them at all, compared to using river sand.

 

Update: Plants seem to be doing well - already got new root growth after adding the CO2 DIY system and getting it right.

 

Oh by the way, the silicon seal I created was a hit - no more leaks. Tiny bubbles rising into the water flow and being distributed evenly.

 

Love the DIY idea.. Those bubbles seem a bit big still though, maybe try to use some chopsticks break into some smaller sizes and fit them in the container holes. The chopsticks should break the CO2 down in smaller bubble sizes.

 

The bubbles are as tiny as it is. They are just about a tad smaller than a pinhead... How much smaller must I go?

 

The smaller the better, sounds weird. But you want the bubble to stay as long as possible in contact with the water. So if its reaching the surface its not being used. That's why most guys go for reactors. It increases the time the bubble spent in contact with the water. The smaller the bubbles the easier they are to push down by a current and through the tank.

 

can you maybe get a clear focused pic of this please?

 

@Ivan: thats exactly what happens. I placed the tub under the waterflow and gets carried underwater for a while, floating around.

 

With the Blackberry devices I have, I can't seem to get a better photo.