CO2 injector recommendations?

FWIW, pecans are a type of hickory. Butternut is a walnut, though. I avoid using wood or leaves from any trees in the hickory/pecan family in my terraria, just to be on the safe side. Most hickory leaves are strongly fragrant, and that worries me (probably needlessly).

Other trees to avoid: eucalyptus, ailanthus (tree-of-heaven), any citrus, and creosote bush.

Pecan does have a little bit of juglone. I have used it quite sucessfully, however. This was in GA when we had a pecan tree in the yard. I was experimenting with using only leaves as a substrate (in this case, it was only pecan leaves). Worked quite well, but I had a sample size of only 2 or 3 pots.

Interestingly, while they are all in the same family (Juglandaceae), hickory and pecan are both members of the genus Carya. They produce a small amount of juglone. I have never tried other Carya species other than pecan, however. Walnuts are of the genus Juglans (butternut is also of this genus).

I have also heard that you should avoid related nut trees: black walnut, English walnut, pecans, etc. Hickory and oaks are OK.

Newt - looks like we were both typing at once!

Okay, so here's the 10-step plan so far:

1) Put down a 1-2" layer of clayey topsoil, leaves, and leafmold.

2) Add a 3-4" layer of river rock and gravel in assorted sizes from pea gravel up to cobble.

3) Arrange driftwood and limestone to approximate a local stream/reservoir environment.

4) Partially fill tank with water.

5) Plant Vallisneria americana, Myriophyllum heterophyllum, Elodea canadensis, Cabomba caroliniana, Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton spp., and Limnobium spongiae.

6) Fill tank completely with water.

7) Begin water filtration and circulation.

8 ) Introduce Golden Shiners.

9) Allow de-nitrifying bacteria to cycle and tank ammonia levels to stabilize.

10) Introduce other animals.

Any comments or suggestions on this plan?

Edited by Newt, 28 February 2008 - 01:07 PM.

A few comments:

1) Order of operations - put down about 1/2" of gravel, then fill with a few inches of water, add driftwood or other really large items, then put the plants in. That way you can get your hands to reach the soil, especially with the more delicate ones like Myriophyllum and Cabomba. Do not plant the Ceratophyllum - it will not produce roots and the buried portion will eventually rot, leaving you with a floating stem plant anyway. Do not plant the Limnobium - it is a floating plant (it does root in shallow water in the wild). THEN, add the rest of the gravel and the rocks. Then, finish filling the tank.

2) I have found that when using soil, the tank is instantly cycled, since you already have the bacteria. You can monitor it, of course, but I myself would add fish as soon as I was happy with the water clarity (it may take, oh, say a day or three for the water to clear to your satisfaction, but will remain clear thereafter unless you disturb stuff.

3) With the size tank you have, I would use at least 3" of soil/organic material. I have used this much in a 55 with good results, Todd uses even deeper. The nutrients in the soil will eventually need replenishing (use bits of fertilizer sticks to jam down in there), so you want to start off with a goodly amound. Don't worry about the "going anoxic" think. IMO it's a bunch of baloney.

Oh, gosh... I am SOOOOO jealous.

Thanks, Nativeplanter! You and Mette have helped me immeasurably.

Right now I'm still rinsing all the salt residue out of the tank and trying to acquire funds for refurbishment (mainly for fish and fish food; everything else should be pretty cheap). I actually got down inside the tank to scrub it out; that was kind of an interesting experience.

The actual setup of the tank should commence within 3-6 weeks. I'll post pictures!

Prior to all that I will be setting up a 55 gallon planted tank for my girlfriend. It will be the test run, I suppose.

Just an update: funding has been approved as of today, and the funding party (the president's office) wants this thing set up by the end of next week. I'm going to be awful busy for the next 10 days!

Someone at another forum recommended metal halide lamps rather than fluorescents, due to the height of the tank. Do any of you have experience with these lamps? I've never dealt with them at all, and I don't know what to look for in a metal halide lamp.

Someone at another forum recommended metal halide lamps rather than fluorescents, due to the height of the tank. Do any of you have experience with these lamps? I've never dealt with them at all, and I don't know what to look for in a metal halide lamp.

I've built a few lower-wattage MH rigs for my aquariums, and I like them. They produce a lot of light for the amount of electricity consumed but the components can get expensive fast.

It's true that their generally higher light intensity and directional beam (as opposed to the diffuse light of florescent lamps) is well suited to tall water columns, but how important is it that a lot of light reach the floor of the tank for the purpose of photosynthesis? It sound like most of the plants you are using will be likely to reach the surface, where a florescent lamp should keep them fed. Do you know much about the existing lighting system on the tank?

Here's a parts list for DIYing a single 150w lamp:

• 300w or 500w Halogen light fixture = $12
• 150w electronic MH ballast = $50
• 150w double-ended MH bulb = $50
• A few grounded computer power cords = $3

If you upgrade the lighting, I think you'll be right back at the beginning of this thread -- having to consider CO₂ fertilization.

Thanks, Mette.

The existing lighting did consist of twelve 40W fluorescents, but those have been removed by the previous caretaker. I don't know what color temp they were; the light was bluish white.

If metal halides are that pricey and powerful, I think I might as well avoid them. I would probably need at least three to get any kind of even lighting in the tank, and that's starting to get pretty high, especially since the bulbs don't last long. And I don't want to set up CO2 if I don't have to.

Looks like it's back to fluorescents!

Thanks, Mette.

The existing lighting did consist of twelve 40W fluorescents, but those have been removed by the previous caretaker. I don't know what color temp they were; the light was bluish white.

If metal halides are that pricey and powerful, I think I might as well avoid them. I would probably need at least three to get any kind of even lighting in the tank, and that's starting to get pretty high, especially since the bulbs don't last long. And I don't want to set up CO2 if I don't have to.

Looks like it's back to fluorescents!

I agree. If it's a 6' tank, you need 3 MH lamps. The bulbs probably ought to be replaced annually, but that goes for floro tubes, too. In either case you can burn them until they die, but you won't get the same results across the life of the bulb. Honestly, for the type of tank you are planning I don't see a problem with running old bulbs.

If you have to buy lights for this thing regardless, I wouldn't write off MH, but I'm not sure they're the best choice either. Basically, you need an inexpensive setup to provide modest lighting to a large tank, right? You have a lot of options. What are your priorities?

It's an 8' tank, so I might even need 4 MH.

My priorities for this tank are:

1) There must be attractive clear lighting that will allow visitors to the building to see and enjoy the animals and plants on display.

2) I want native plants to live and grow in (but not take over) the tank.

3) I want to minimize and simplify maintenance. This tank will be taken care of by student volunteers, so I want a tank that can be easily taken care of, and do well with weekly water changes and daily feedings. I don't want a tank that will require constant scrubbing or daily water chemistry tests.

4) I want to reduce continuing costs. The funding for setting up this tank is a one-time lump; the continuing costs will come out of a different budget and I would like to keep them low.

Edited by Newt, 13 March 2008 - 01:15 PM.

Todd uses metal halides on his tank and can probably provide some pretty good input. I'm also pretty sure that he doesn't use CO2. I've been told that the light they give off is especially attractive, which would be good for public display.

I've been playing around with new fluorescent bulbs recently. I hardly ever give into any hype, but tried a pair of Ott-Lite 40W tubes called "natural light supplement" for plants that are available at Home Depot (Lowes does not carry, at least here). I am very pleased so far with the growth, and actually bought 2 more tubes last night. Boxes are yellow and about $9 each bulb.

I hardly ever give into any hype, but tried a pair of Ott-Lite 40W tubes called "natural light supplement" for plants that are available at Home Depot (Lowes does not carry, at least here). I am very pleased so far with the growth, and actually bought 2 more tubes last night. Boxes are yellow and about $9 each bulb.

Do you know what size ranges they have on those. The new Petsmart that had its grand opening sale 5 months ago still has me back ordered on some 36 inch dayglo bulbs. The sale price was $12 instead of $23 so I thought what the heck why not. Seems to me $9 is better than $12

Maybe I can compromise and use one MH and a couple of fluorescents on one half of the tank, and all fluorescents on the other half. If the plants do better on one side than the other, that's not going to bother me. Thoughts?

Do you know what size ranges they have on those. The new Petsmart that had its grand opening sale 5 months ago still has me back ordered on some 36 inch dayglo bulbs. The sale price was $12 instead of $23 so I thought what the heck why not. Seems to me $9 is better than $12

I've only seen 24" and 48" ones. I too use them on my tanks.

Maybe I can compromise and use one MH and a couple of fluorescents on one half of the tank, and all fluorescents on the other half. If the plants do better on one side than the other, that's not going to bother me. Thoughts?

In the long run, MH will cost less as they require less changing. Fluoros lose their effectiveness a lot faster than MH. If cost is a concern. You will also get a better light with MH.

Thanks, drewish. I've been looking a bit at some of the MH lamps available online, and I'm totally bewildered. Can you make any manufacturer or lamp style recommendations? Are double-ended bulbs better than single-end? Can I use home improvement store lights? Can I run multiple lamps on a single ballast, or do I need a separate ballast for each lamp?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm an electrical ignoramus.

If buying fixtures from the home improvement store, be careful. Most of their fixtures are either for sodium vapor or mercury vapor bulbs. This is different from MH.

AH Supply used to offer inexpensive MH fixtures, but I see from a quick visit to their site that they are all into CF now. That's something else you could look into.

If buying fixtures from the home improvement store, be careful. Most of their fixtures are either for sodium vapor or mercury vapor bulbs. This is different from MH.

AH Supply used to offer inexpensive MH fixtures, but I see from a quick visit to their site that they are all into CF now. That's something else you could look into.

Thanks, Irate. I've looked at a few reef sites online, and all the fixtures seem to be absurdly expensive. Just a housing with socket and reflector, not even including ballast or bulb, runs over $100. That seems like a rip-off to me, and if I can find a decent alternative at the Lowe's, then I'll take it.

CF = compact fluorescent, right? How would those be an improvement over standard fluorescents? Space isn't an issue for me; I have room for sixteen 48" fluorescent tubes in the hood.