Same here Patty. I was never much into solid reds, but after seeing those I obviously changed my mind. The Nhamunda are a particular favorite amongst the solid reds for me, I really like their shape.
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Also, went shopping yesterday, and by that I mean I sat at our Vet Clinic’s reception and ordered through their wholesale supplier. It’s quite amazing to see the markup on some of these items, but average about 50%.
Ordered my lights, 4x 150cm Juwel Helialux 54w LED with matching lid flaps (One of the best aquaristics company in Germany). There are quite a few lights in the US that caught my eye, but voltage is an issue (110v vs 220/240)
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And the matching control units, they are great and have them on 2 of my 3 tanks, countless options, can set a different profile for each day etc, and easy to use
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Then I found some interesting filter media by Maxspect (Bio Sphere). Apparently each sphere has a surface area of 580 sqft. So got 10 kilos of those to stick in my Eheim 2260.
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Also a UV sterilizer from TMC in the UK, 110 watts actually made for ponds.
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I’ll either couple this to the Eheim or an FX6. BTW I chickened out of getting a sump, I just don’t trust them. My fear is that something does go wrong, it goes wrong badly. So I figured I stick to what has worked for me in the past. Rest assured it will be over filtered, as the combined volume of all canisters comes close to that of an actual sump.
But I’ll make a separate post on filtration a bit later
Got some bad news from the exporter in Germany, one of my ordered blue moon heckels died today. Shame, it was a stunning fish.
However, silver lining is that I will be replacing it with these 2:
Iripixi Heckel Cross
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And Cuipeua
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Sorry to hear that. The replacement discus are very nice too.
Moved the 220 out of the room to it’s temporary location to make room for the aquarium builders, who now tell me they are delayed by a week. Anyway, everyone survived the move, few scratches here and there and a bit skittish, but everyone ate and looks healthy.
I always go heavy on the humin and fulvic after a move just to soothe their slime coat and low light.
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Hi Tobi, when you mention humin and fulvic what exactly are these?
Pat
Hi Pat,
sorry I meant humic and fulvic acids. The blackwater rivers in the Amazon and elsewhere contain a lot of both. It seems controversial wether it has an actual effect, people are arguing if humic acid is more effective and necessary than fulvic acid and vice versa. There are commercial products made for aquarium use, mainly in Europe as far as I can tell. However I make my own from powders I ordered from the US, fully organic.
Now this is anecdotal evidence, but since I’ve started using it I’ve noticed more activity and better colors, especially the halos on the blues and the general appearance of the heckels. The heckels also are more active and eat better. Even my wife commented on how they changed positively.
I have yet to find unbiased research on tank kept fish or discus, but in my (so far limited) experience it has a positive overall health effect. The same can be achieved with IAL and alder cones, but due to the fact that the humic/fulvic dosage I add is very low, it has less of an effect on actual water chemistry than AIL and alder cones. I do use those in moderation as well though.
And the dosage for this tank was 20ml of 5% humic acid concentrate, so extremely low dose. It does fade after a while, especially when using UV.
That’s a view I could get used to. If it wasn’t for the chaos the whole tank moving business always brings with it.
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Tobi, I've followed your previous threads as well and your tanks are simply Stunning ! Best looking wilds, wish they sell such quality ones here in the US. Sorry to hear about the Heckel, replacement fish are super nice too.
Can't wait to see your project in action !
As for the background, I have narrowed it down to these 2, as the guys from aquadecor told me these models are made specifically for larger aquariums.
Any input which of these you would choose and why will be very welcome.
E8
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E15
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Hi Tobi, I personally like the first one. The curves in the root structure is more pleasing to the eye. :)
Pat
E8 it reminds me of a mud bank with roots. Gives it a very natural feel.
Design wise I agree with both of you, I’m not 100% sure if the color would work.