Re: [GSAS-Member] Thoughts on tank clarification?

[Shamus Young <machismo@eskimo.com>]

Thanks for the input, Tom.

I had read two articles that used a sand/peat mix as a lower layer, then
fluorite, and one of them used sand on top of that, as macker mentioned.
I can't find the links, and apparently didn't bookmark them.

IIRC, the sand mixed in and gave the peat more weight and a better texture
for the roots to go through.

I was just trying to do a low tech source of organics below the flourite
to help the plants grow. The best success I've had with plants has been
with a tank where I was giving blackwater extract.

I'm limited in that it's an eclipse, with a 13w light, so I was just going
anubius, javas, and some crypts, all of which are floating in my home tank
now.

Man, starting over's going to be a pain in the ass, since I've been
bussing this stuff into work bit by bit for weeks.

I may just try to ride it out for a couple of weeks, but not put anything
non-anubius in there until I see if it will stabalize/ clear up. But I
will keep a tear down in mind.

Shamus

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008, Tom Watson wrote:

> Shamus,
>
> I would start over. I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish with a
> mix of peat and sand but if peat is necessary to create the environment you
> need I would not mix it with sand.  I would dampen it as much as necessary
> to wet it and make it malleable and then cover it with paper towels and then
> cover it in a mix of 50/50 sand and fluorite 4 inches deep.  The paper
> towels will decompose over time and slow the release of nutrients into the
> water so that the system will slowly self adjust.
>
> Here's a link to a description of one of my native fish tanks.  Since I made
> the page I have added fish to the tank.  Presently there are 40 fish from
> 1.5 to 3.5 inches in the 20 gallon tank.  This is like 4 or 5 times the
> volume of fish that should be able to survive in this size tank:
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~onefish2fish/fishweb/
>
> I do a 10% water change once a week and make my own filter cartridges that I
> change at water change time.
>
> If you are just wanting to make a successful planted tank, do it with good
> soil and you are only limited by the watts per gallon you are willing to pay
> for.
>
> Tom
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com
> [mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com] On Behalf Of Shamus Young
> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 4:20 PM
> To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat
> Subject: [GSAS-Member] Thoughts on tank clarification?
>
> so I read a bunch of stuff on substrates online, and decided to try a
> layer of peat mixed with sand covered by a layer of flourite, for a 12 g
> that I was going to plant with low-light plants.
>
> I think I screwed up the application of the substrate.  I rinsed the sand,
> then mixed with the peat, and I think there was a little too much water
> left in the sand, and it was kind of a slurry.  I put that in the tank,
> let is settle a few hours, and added the flourite over it, a couple of
> inches thick.  But there was a good kind of muddy layer that got mixed
> into the flourite.
>
> When I topped off the tank, carefully and slowly, with a dish on the
> gravel, it looked like a mud puddle.
>
> Like the light would shine down in it a half an inch.
>
> I left it to settle over the weekend. It didn't settle.
>
> I brought in the magnum HOT and set up the polishing cartridge, and ran it
> overnight. It really didn't suck up much at all. I think the color was a
> little lighter.  I replaced the cartridge and the filter floss, and ran
> the filter over night again.  Same color.  Filter is flowing pretty
> strong, which would indicate that it's not catching the soil particles.
>
> I'd say the light penetrates a couple of inches now, but it's reached a
> sort of stasis.
>
> Three water changes, and it's still the same color & cloudiness.
>
> I've had tanks with a bag of peat in the filter, and way back in the day,
> I've had tanks with a baterial bloom for new tank syndrome.  There's
> clearly the tinge of blackwater going there, and I'm pretty sure it's not
> a bacterial haze.
>
> I think it's some sort of thing dissolving out of the peat that's trapped
> in the upper part of the gravel that's water accessible, so that it's
> replenished when I do water changes.  If it was a bacterial cloud, those 3
> x 90% water changes should have diluted it pretty well, and no dilution.
>
> It looks like a collodial suspension.  Obviously, I haven't put fish or
> plants in here yet.
>
> I searched the kirb, and there was an archived post that said don't use
> the water conditioners, but it was full of bad advice.
>
> I know it's supposed to work on bacteria pretty well, though it's a
> syjmptom fix, nt a long term balance solution.  It looks like most of them
> just use Ammonium Sulfate.
>
> Anyone have any idea what might be gunking up the water, and if the
> clarifiers might work, and/or how to filter it?  I do not want to bring a
> diatom filter in for a 10 gallon work tank.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Shamus
>
>
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