I’ve been getting lots more traffic to my blog since I started writing more about my aquariums, so I figured I would start highlighting my most popular pages and posts.  I use two analytics sites, Google Analytics and Woopra.  So here they are, February’s most popular pages and posts.

From Woopra:

• My Planted Aquarium CO2 Setup
• Product Review: Fluval 205
• Product Review: AquariumPlants.com Electronic CO2 Regulator
• 26 Gallon Bow Front Planted Aquarium

From Google Analytics:

• My Planted Aquarium CO2 Setup
• Product Review: Fluval 205
• 26 Gallon Bow Front Planted Aquarium
• Product Review: AquariumPlants.com Electronic CO2 Regulator

When I started my 26 gallon bowfront aquarium a few months back, I started out with 10 neon tetras. I only have 7 left at this point. I’m not sure why I lost 3, but the others are very healthy. I plan on getting at least 4 more in the near future.

From Wikipedia:

Neon tetras are considered easy to keep in a community aquarium that is at least 60 cm (24 inches), with a pH of 6.0–7.8 and KH of 1.0–2.0.  Neons are best kept in a densely planted tank with subdued light and an ideal temperature of 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit to resemble their native Amazon environment.  Neon tetras are omnivores and will accept most flake foods, but should also have some small foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, which can be stuck to the side of your aquarium, and micro pellet food to supplement their diet.

I’ve taken a ton of photos of my aquarium, and while the neons are definitely not camera shy, they move too fast for the current settings on my camera. I need to increase the shutter speed to get a clear shot. It also doesn’t help that I have a broken tripod.

I feed my neons a combination of flake and freeze dried bloodworms once a day. I also give them frozen bloodworms or frozen tubifex once every other week. They seem to enjoy this emmensely.

I also have other tank inhabitants, but I’ll save them for another post.

I have a strange nutrient deficiency (or something) going on with one of my plants. the leaves are curling and turning black. The black parts are fairly rough to the touch. I’m also still having trouble with string hair algae. I change 50% water weekly, and dose dry fertilizers, 1/16 tsp Trace & Fe 3x week and 1/16 tsp KH2PO4, K2SO4, 1/2 tsp KNO3 3x week. I think I’ll try increasing my CO2 injection. I need to find my drop checker. I have no idea where it is, and I really don’t want to order a new one.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Update: Seems that this is normal for this type of anubias.  I might also have a low phosphate level.  I’ve decided to up my KH2PO4 from 1/16 tsp to 1/8 tsp.  I’ll see if that helps.  I need to get a phosphate level test kit.

It’s been a few days since I re-scaped my 26 gallon aquarium. You can find more photos here, and my aquarium journal here.

I finally re-scaped my 26 gallon aquarium. I took out all my plants, and put in my driftwood that I boiled and soaked the other night, and replanted all my old and new plants. I started fearing that I was running out of space. Indeed, I started to run out of space for my smaller foreground plants. But that’s ok, I got them in. I’ll have to re-scape in the near future anyway, once I’m ready to take out all the substrate and replace it with soil and sand. By that time, I’ll have my 20 gallon aquarium set up and can use that to house my fish and snails while I redo the substrate.

Here’s a couple photos I took right after. There’s still a lot of crap in the water column. I’ll take more photos once it all settles and/or gets filtered out.

I ordered a bunch of new plants for my aquarium this week. These include crypts, anubias, mosses, and a carpet plant. Here’s a list:

Crypt wendtii
Anubias nana
Anubia minima
Crypt parva
Christmas moss (for moss wall)
Weeping moss (for moss wall)

I haven’t had the time to plant them, so I just tossed them into the tank until I can rescape. I plan on rescaping tomorrow. I’m going to pull all the plants out and change everything around. Wish me luck!

I recently purchased an EHEIM 2232 Ecco External Canister Filter for my 20 gallon el natural tank. I installed it on my 26 gallon high tech aquarium to seed it with beneficial bacteria.

I really like this filter. It was super easy to set up. The only thing I don’t like about it is that is has ugly green hoses, filter and intake. But that’s easily replaceable.

It’s increased the flow in my 26 gallon tank. I have a spare Fluval 205 that I’ll add to it once I have the 20 gallon tank set up and move the Eheim over. I’ve also been considering putting a power head in the tank instead if the second Fluval 205. If I do that, I can create great flow for the carpet plants I plan on putting in the 26 gallon tank.

I really can’t say if I like it any more or less than my Fluval 205 though. They both work very well, and I haven’t had problems with either. Anyway, the EHEIM 2232 is good for tank sizes up to 35 gallons, which is plenty of flow for my 20 gallon tank.

The flora and fauna that I’ll eventually put in it will love it.

So I’ve been planning my second aquarium setup. It’s going to be “El Natural” style, also called “Low Tech.” I’ll be using a base substrate of Miracle Gro Organic Choice soil and a cap of Tropic Isle Tahitian Moon Sand. For lighting, I’m planning on using my Single GLO Life-Glo T5 HO 24W 6700K that I have laying around. For flora, I’m thinking about getting some water wisteria, water sprite, rotala rotundifolia, sword plants, S. subulata, frog bit, and maybe some crypts.

For fauna, I plan on having a chinese algae eater, mystery snails, and red cherry shrimp.

So to begin with, I’m going to set the tank up emersed. Grow out the plants emersed, then after 3 or 4 weeks, fill the tank up. I’m thinking about changing the substrate out on my 26 gallon bow front tank, so if I decide to do that, I’m going to put the fish and snails from that tank into this tank temporarily while I change out the 26.

More to come. =)

So I was going to install my older Fluval 205 filter on my existing 26 gallon aquarium to seed it for the 20 gallon aquarium I’m about to set up. The problem is, is that I lost the two pieces that hold the intake and outflow hoses to the aquarium. I must have lost them during the move. I can order new pieces for it, but I think I’m going to just buy a new filter. I’m thinking about going with an Eheim this time. Not sure. I have to go to Walnut Creek tomorrow for an appointment, so I’ll visit the aquarium shop in Concord afterwards. Who knows, maybe I’ll buy a new aquarium as well. Not sure on that one though. We’ll see.