GWAPA: Ivo Busko

::aquariums::

120 gallon Amazonian tank:

fish: Mostly tetras - cardinals, rummy noses, black phantons,
head and tail lights, hatchets, pencilfish. Also two paired angels
and many corydoras.

plants: large amazon swords, tenellus swords, stargrass, penywort,
mayaca, babys tears, creeping charlie, cabomba, alternanthera,
frogbit (and still some rotala indica and hygro used as startup plants).

substrate: flourite (back), white sand with laterite (front). Extra
portions of clay subsoil from my garden where laid out around swords roots.

driftwood: several Malaysian driftwwod pieces plus an extra large
piece from aquariumdriftwood.com.

heater: Azoo 200 Watt 120 V undergravel cable cycled by a timer.
Ground probe,GFCI and manual switch protect against shock and cable insulation failure.

lights: 4 X 55 Watt PCs under efficient reflectors and on two
staggered timers (another 2 X 55 Watt PCs are installed but not being
used now; when on, a ventilation fan is used for cooling).

filter: Eheim 2028 with standard media and below the surface return
spout + DIY hang-on-tank prefilter box and DIY surface skimmer. A Tetra Mini 5 UV unit was used during the first 6 months.

CO2: 5 lb bottle + regulator + needle valve delivers 2 bubbles/sec
directly into filter intake.

water change: 7% daily straight from cold tap, with automatic, hands
off system.

fertilizer: DIY mix with K2SO4, KNO3, MgSO4, H2PO4, Plantex CSM trace
mix, baking soda. Jobes sticks occasionaly under the large swords.

fish food: Tetra flakes and pellets once a day, frozen food occasionaly.

water parameters: temp = 79 - 81, pH = 6.5 - 6.7, kH = 2.5 - 3.0, gH =
6 - 7, NO3 = 5 - 10, PO4 = 0.05 - 0.2. Do not test for K, but input water
is enriched with 25 ppm K.

46 gallon bow front Asian tank:

fish: rainbow varieties, rasbora varieties, clown loaches, pearl and blue
dwarf gouramis.

plants: cript varieties, Java fern, dwarf lily, eusteralis stelata,
rotala indica, hygro, hygro sunset, glossostigma, hairgrass, marsilea, corkscrew valisneria, floating riccia, salvinia.

substrate: right side (for crypts): 2 in. deep mix of fine sand,
crushed vermiculite and laterite under coarse gravel. Left side: shallower, white natural sand with laterite and peat sprinkled underneath.

background: black painted eggcrate panel covered with Java fern.

heater: 150 Watt submersible, hidden in prefilter box.

lights: 2 X 55 Watt PCs + 1 X 30 Watt T12 with two staggered timers.

filter: Eheim 2213 with standard media and below the water spray bar +
DIY hang-on-wall prefilter box.

CO2: 5 lb bottle + regulator (shared with 120 gal tank) + needle valve
delivers 40 bubbles/min directly into filter intake.

water change: 7% daily straight from cold tap, with automatic, hands
off system (shared with 120 gal tank).

fertilizer: DIY mix with K2SO4, KNO3, MgSO4, H2PO4, Plantex CSM trace
mix.

fish food: Tetra flakes and pellets once a day, frozen food
occasionaly.

water parameters: temp = 76 - 78, pH = 6.6 - 6.8, kH = 3.5 - 4.0, gH =
6 - 7, NO3 = 5 - 10, PO4 = 0.05 - 0.2. Do not test for K, but input water is
enriched with 25 ppm K.

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