Dr. wrote:
Greetings,
My first tank was a series of mistakes. My newest and 3rd tank, however,
turned out better. 50% Flourite, 50% small gravel, a decent light fixture
and an Eheim canister.
I want to fix my 72 gallon bow tank. I didn't know any better. I thought the
large gravel looked cool. And spent a fortune on ornaments and plastic
plants... which are almost all sitting in a box in the basement now. I'm
hooked on the live plants.
So... what's the best way to swap out the boulders with some Flourite? Even
after rinsing the stuff endlessly... the Flourite I added to my 40 gallon
hex tank made the water look like chocolate milk.
I kinda have an idea... but am wondering if anyone else has a better one.
Get a 5 gallon bucket. Drill a bunch of one-inch holes in the bottom. Get
some nylon window screen and line bucket with it. Pour in flourite, and
rinse it with a garden hose outside. I don't know how much Flourite I'll
need for a 72 gallon tank... but it's gotta be a LOT. Then, to add to the
tank... purchase a length of PVC tubing 2 or 3" in diameter. Butcher a
funnel and attach to one end. Dump Flourite down tube to bottom of tank...
hopefully preventing most of the sediment from floating around that I really
don't want running through my expensive Eheim canister.
Whaddaya think?
Oh... What in the world is Potassium Permaganate, and where can I acquire
it?
Thanks very much,
Gary
The rinsing plan sounds fine. I don't think there's any way to avoid
some sediment unless you use Eco Complete rather than Flourite.
Aquaclear makes a water polishing filter for their powerheads. The
sleeve that inserts into the filter can be slipped over just about any
filter intake and stapled or rubberbanded tight. It's made of fine
enough material to trap most the Flourite haze before it hits your Eheim.
Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent that is more
fish-friendly than bleach. It's good for reducing bacterial loads in
tanks, sterilizing newly purchased plants, and for treating some fish
diseases. Jungle sells it as Clear Water and Pond Guard and Kordon as
Permoxyn.
--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ
http://faq.thekrib.com