Steve b's new begining diary.

[steve b]

Thought I would start this for my own records and for others to follow.
July 30th
I have in my cellar/basement 5 x 30 gal Tanks on a system with a 60gal sump, 3 x 60 gal Tanks, 3 x 90 gal Tanks, 2 x 20 gal Tanks.

The 3x30gal tanks and 1x 20gal tanks have 4 breeding pairs of Jewels, 2 full of 1/2" fry.
The 3x60gal tanks have grow outs at 2"-4" both full....
The rest are empty

In the process of moving on the young to my LFS ready to start a new chapter.

[brewmaster15]

Sounds like this will be a great return Steve. I am looking forward to following along. What kind of discus are you looking to keep and are you planning on breeding or just keeping?
Al

[steve b]

Will try breeding again and might also try L046? Will post some photos but a bit cramped.

[Iminit]

Sounds like a nice setup. Will be watching. Surprised the Jewels are easy to move. Not an easy sell. Beautiful fish but vicious. Don’t see them much anymore. Next been reading about the zebra pleco’s Lo46. I had them 30yrs back. Seems like there’s a conspiracy theory running that the breeders of these fish don’t sell the females. Seems they’re easy enough to breed from what’s written. But still not many on the market. When I see them they’re well over a hundred a peice. I’m on a few forums and havnt spoke to anyone who’s successfully bred them. Spoke to a few who’ve tried but no luck.

[LizStreithorst]

They really are beautiful. I had them once and loved looking at them. The problem is that they will breed like flies in even disgusting water so there is little demand and you have to sell them cheap or give them away to get them out. They're the only fish I have ever seen that will eat, and even fight over slugs!

[steve b]

Sounds like a nice setup. Will be watching. Surprised the Jewels are easy to move. Not an easy sell. Beautiful fish but vicious. Don’t see them much anymore. Next been reading about the zebra pleco’s Lo46. I had them 30yrs back. Seems like there’s a conspiracy theory running that the breeders of these fish don’t sell the females. Seems they’re easy enough to breed from what’s written. But still not many on the market. When I see them they’re well over a hundred a peice. I’m on a few forums and havnt spoke to anyone who’s successfully bred them. Spoke to a few who’ve tried but no luck.

Yes they (L046) are around £100 each for an 1" fish they do drop down to £80 if you buy 10!. The Jewels are slow to move but they are going, fantastic colour when breeding intense red/blues.

[brewmaster15]

I love jewels.. beautiful fish. I rarely see them any more around here.

The L046 ... I kick myself all the time I think on them. I had a chance to buy 3 cases of wild ones for dirt cheap..but at the time I was focused on buying and selling wilds.. fool I was...I passed the offer. Dumb dumb dumb.

Ah well..live and learn...good money there.People love the L046

Think about the Leopard frog plecos too. L134. Had a tank for years ..real nice plecos

Al

[Sandip]

Steve, I will be following your diary. Please post pictures regularly.

[steve b]

I love jewels.. beautiful fish. I rarely see them any more around here.

The L046 ... I kick myself all the time I think on them. I had a chance to buy 3 cases of wild ones for dirt cheap..but at the time I was focused on buying and selling wilds.. fool I was...I passed the offer. Dumb dumb dumb.

Ah well..live and learn...good money there.People love the L046

Think about the Leopard frog plecos too. L134. Had a tank for years ..real nice plecos

Al

Noooo.... hindsight is a killer. I've not had a planted mixed tank since I was a kid. I just love to try and breed and raise the fish, get a real kick even if they are common.

[steve b]

6th August

Well Christmas has come early for me, a box or two of replacement bits and bobs.
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.. and managed to move another dozen Jewels, they do seem to be on the rare side not seen many around... better get some more growing on.
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[Iminit]

Ok :) not sure what you’ve bought there? But it sure looks like a dc motor and servo for an rc car. You training fish to race :).

[steve b]

Ok :) not sure what you’ve bought there? But it sure looks like a dc motor and servo for an rc car. You training fish to race :).

;) It's a booster pump/transformer/TDS twin meter/5 pod filter flow meter/resins/metal,Chloramine,pre filter/2 75gpd membranes/3 resin refillable pods.

[steve b]

13th August

Warts and all,
thought I would post what my cellar fish room looks like before any work to bring it up to date. The height is 6ft ish and I am 6.2ft so bendy back but I can work near the fridge as it's about 7ft where the stairs are. As they say a picture tells a thousand words.

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[steve b]

2nd Sept

Well 4 days ago I saw a female coloured up in the main tank and thought I would put her with a single male and now I have a good batch and good parents looking after their brood.

[steve b]

6th Sept

Well, done a 50% w/c on my breeder tanks and all 3 pairs have a large batch of eggs.

[Discus Fever]

Keep the pictures coming this will be a fun journey.

[steve b]

Well it's been a while but managed to run a leak test and did it leak!! Started to change the rubber seals but still leaked so was going to buy new fittings when (and this will save you money) I used the new RO tube I bought and not the 15 year old stuff I have loads of? It seems that the new tube is a fraction larger diameter than the old and it sealed all the leaks.
The twin RO's are in series and produce a combined TDS of 20 ppm and the 2 DI Resins knock it down to 0 ppm.
Next job is to put a splitter in the line after the Carbons to divert to my twin Nitrate resin to use on my Cichlid grow out tanks.
So does anyone know of a two way splitter (3 joints) with taps on each line instead of using a splitter and two taps (7 joints)138052 138053 138054 138055 138056

[brewmaster15]

Im having a hard time following here but could you not use a regular airline manifold? Just need a piece of thick walled airline tubing as a connector.


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[steve b]

What I want to do is to be able to divert the water to one or other filter pod, at the moment I can't find a 1/4"splitter with inbuilt taps to do the job.

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[brewmaster15]

Not sure you will find that Steve, you may just have to make it from a plain splitter and 2 shut offs...

al

[steve b]

True, just want to be spared the 7 points of possible leaks. Thanks.

[brewmaster15]

True, just want to be spared the 7 points of possible leaks. Thanks.

wonder if pvc cement would work?

al

[steve b]

Do you ever use these clips? never used them myself just wondered if they are worth it.138064

[steve b]

Well just run my 1st 25l batch of ro/di water. Started off at 20ppm and now settled at 9ppm before the di. next the nitrate run.

Was going to use powders to remin the ro/di but now thinking of using the Nitrate resin water. Need to do some tests and let you know.

[steve b]

Just a quick note, ran a Nitrate resin test and I can get 0ppm Nitrate while the tap water is 30ppm so that's worth while. Also noted the Ph went from 7.6Ph to 6.5ph great.
Just waiting for a tap for the regen resin system so may be a week till I can test that.
I have also put a waste line after the IN TDS probe as I have found that after running flush to waste to clear the RO membrane I still get a high ppm from the RO for a minute around 135ppm, I run this till it settles at 19ppm then turn the tap to the DI resin. Thought it may degrade the DI quicker.
Photos to follow when all sorted.

[brewmaster15]

Just a quick note, ran a Nitrate resin test and I can get 0ppm Nitrate while the tap water is 30ppm so that's worth while. Also noted the Ph went from 7.6Ph to 6.5ph great.
Just waiting for a tap for the regen resin system so may be a week till I can test that.
I have also put a waste line after the IN TDS probe as I have found that after running flush to waste to clear the RO membrane I still get a high ppm from the RO for a minute around 135ppm, I run this till it settles at 19ppm then turn the tap to the DI resin. Thought it may degrade the DI quicker.
Photos to follow when all sorted.


Your tap water is 30 ppm nitrate? Thats pretty bad by USA standards. Forget the fish.. use that water for yourself!


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What the guidelines for where you are?

Al

[steve b]

Your tap water is 30 ppm nitrate? Thats pretty bad by USA standards. Forget the fish.. use that water for yourself!


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What the guidelines for where you are?

Al

Yeah I know.... this is a new API test kit, between 20 and 40ppm used a Tetra one in the pass and always been 12.5ppm? Think the EU standard is around below 50ppm, Will check with the water company data.

[steve b]

So now my water works is set up and running, done 80l of DI water and 20 of Nitrate free water to test mix to get what I want. Getting a Eheim heater filter to mature. Added 5 dops of Ammonia and got 4ppm and at 26c. As the water was to be 26c I thought I would test my BBS hatcher. The eggs have been in the fridge and are a quality brand so hope I get a hatching... 5 years old. Got a 5' tank to clean with HCL to get rid of the hard water residue. Also got some black neutral sand, soon the fish room will be back the way it was.
Anyone have the Eheim Thermo Filters with the external probe? I have 5 and only one stll works on the probe as it splits and a replacement is over £100. What I have done on the others is to take out the workings and replace it with external temperature probe. (Ink Bird)

[brewmaster15]

I thought I would test my BBS hatcher. The eggs have been in the fridge and are a quality brand so hope I get a hatching... 5 years old. is the can open or sealed? In a sealed can I was told by a reputable source here in the USA to expect 5 % decrease per hatchrate per year if stored in the freezer.. in the refrigerator the degradation would be greater. I store all my unopenned cans in the freezer and have gotten good hatchrates after years.

If the can is open and refrigerated moisture creeps in and the hatch rate can go down dramtically. Longest I have gone is 2 years with an open can in the refrigerator.. Usually I go through a can in several months.

[steve b]

I will see in a couple of days..... wow a whole can.

[brewmaster15]

I have a habit..bad one. I tend to have alot of projects going. :)

[steve b]

How do you do BBS? I have 2l bottle with air line tap water 7.6Ph hard. Salt solution 35ppt @ 26c. after the first hatching do you add more eggs to the same water or start a fresh bottle?

[Charlyc11]

I would add some baking soda to a ph of 8 and you can reuse once the water if you want to but I don't. I hatch at 25 ppt 80 - 81 F and these are the recommended parameters.

[brewmaster15]

How do you do BBS? I have 2l bottle with air line tap water 7.6Ph hard. Salt solution 35ppt @ 26c. after the first hatching do you add more eggs to the same water or start a fresh bottle?

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The above is from brineshrimpdirect.com

What I do is use 2 litter soda bottle.. 1 tablespoon table salt. 1/4 teaspoon sodium bicarb... fill bottle 3/4 with water.I am not high tech. I have a light over the bottles and a small 25 watt heater in a water bath the bottles sit in.

I make 1 hatch in the am and 1 in the pm.

I should add my starting water is pH 7.2- 7.4 before adding bicarb

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[steve b]

Brilliant, just what I needed thanks. All my questions answered. Looks like my salt concentration too high and Ph too low and add a top light, maybe raise temp a bit. Thanks. At the moment 24hrs and can see very few but what I can see just hatching so hope in another 12/24hr should have some or have to get new. Like your unit going to make something similar.

[Charlyc11]

Usually with the correct parameters 18 to 24 should be fine.

[steve b]

Well bad news on my first test not a single BBS. Made a new solution to see if this works, set up as these new instructions. Really hate to throw these eggs away as I have about 400g of them! but if they are no good then have too.

[steve b]

Good and bad news... bad news is that I bought some (20kg) JBL Dark Sansibar sand and it said pre washed just rinse? so I did 750l later still cement like sludge coming off it! Good news is water changes will be a doddle not like years ago when keeping my fist Discus. 4:1 ro/di-no3 filtered water. Now just waiting for my Brine shrimp eggs to arrive.

[steve b]

Okay update on the JBL Sansibar sand. @@ @@@ @@! It took me 120l to wash 1kg and still it was cloudy. Iv'e been talking to JBL re this and showed a lot of photos how dirty this product is. This nice young lady said she would pass it on to their tech department and this is what I got.
"Thank you for your message.

Our technical department has given me feedback.

The product should really only be rinsed, not "washed".
Washing always results in more abrasion."

Just look at these photos.... and make your own mind up.139430139431139432


Not a happy bunny, would you rinse this and put it in your tank and get this result?

[illumnae]

Wow that's really bad with the JBL sand. I have been using JBL Sansibar river sand for years, including 14 bags of it in my 600 gallon tank and I've never even rinsed it before putting it into my tank - it goes straight from bag to tank. The tank gets a slight haze when filled but I just put some filter wool in the sump and leave it overnight to run. It's always crystal clear by morning.

[steve b]

Oh my word.... if I had done that I would never get the tank clean. That's what I was trying to explain to them, told them to do a product test. So had to hold my tongue. May I quote you to them? might get them thinking.

[illumnae]

Oh my word.... if I had done that I would never get the tank clean. That's what I was trying to explain to them, told them to do a product test. So had to hold my tongue. May I quote you to them? might get them thinking.

Sure not a problem. I'm based in Singapore though, so almost definitely I wouldn't have gotten the same manufacturing batch as you did.

[steve b]

Thanks, it like talking to a brick wall don't wash, rinse.....don't they think I know when the sand is clean. Must be a rogue batch but will they accept that? I doubt it. It's in my 5' tank now a bit cloudy but the floss filter will sort that out in a few days. 2500l of water to rinse 20kg.

[steve b]

Been a bad weekend got nothing done except flood the floor. trying to clear the cloud from my 5' tank with a Ehim 2017 filter ...could I get it to prime, no way. After an hour or so got my Ehim 2324 out, floods of water around the gasket..... ok use the small 2224.. no O rings on the intakes. Ordered all the bits wait another 4 days.

Can't start the regen resin yet as the pressure gauge is going nuts and can't get an answer why.....

Can't use the filter that I am cycling as no fish in the 5' tank and don't want to add Ammonia to it and have to replace the water, keep it in my 15x12x8, 10 drops of Ammonia a day gone in less than 24hrs so ready and waiting.

[steve b]

Well got the new gasket and works perfectly, the rubber had shrunk at least 10%!! Need a new gasket for the small 2324 as that leaked too, no a good day.

Got a large Eheim filtering the 5' cloudy tank, see how long that take too clear. And not a sound from JBL ....

[Second Hand Pat]

Wow Steve, hope things start going better for you. :(
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Ive used this..

https://www.amazon.com/F50-Millimeter-Clarifier-Aquarium-Gallons/dp/B001F9CVRK

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It makes tiny particles stick together for improved filter removal.

[steve b]

Looks good, would be better if the cloud was a bit more solid, does it effect the TDS?. I think some stuff over here does the same thing Purgen? Just need to find out why my pressure gauge is bouncing then i'm off and running.

Oh by the way another batch of giggles from my Jewels, they are the beat parents i've had. Going to have to stop them soon as I am running out of tank space.

[brewmaster15]

It shouldnt affect anything you really dont use all that much also.

[steve b]

Just a quick shot of what's happening...
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[steve b]

The tanks clearing... but the Sansibar sand seems to be pushing the Ph up. From 6.9 to 7.6.... That's a bummer as they say it won't effect the Ph. What do you use as a natural Ph downer? Good news on the pressure gauge bounce, seem like if I put a needle valve on it I will be able to restrict the bounce to a quiver, tried it with a flow restrictor and reduced the bounce by half.

[steve b]

Great news I have got the gauge to work. I took the insides of a flow restrictor and put it in the ro tube leading to the gauge and then uses a tap to reduce the flow even more. Reads correct tap pressure 2 Bar and reads with a steady 6 Bar on the exit of the pump, no need for a needle valve. Needed to add a support as the gauge would rotate down, think I made a decent job of it. All is good in the world.
The tank is almost clear.
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[brewmaster15]

Thats great news! Glad the gauge is working and the tank is clearing.

I wouldnt worry about that pH.. this is your ram tank? My waters that pH and my Rams are all fine. Also keep.in mind your pH will drift down most likely from the nitrogen cycle.

Al