Planted Aquarium Substrate and BioBalls

I'm getting started in the aquarium supplies business here in Cordova. I'll be contacting the locally owned retailers soon. If you're looking for planted aquarium substrate or biological filter media please email me or pm me. I have it available, but I haven't lined up a packaging supplier yet so I'm selling in bulk.

I'm also going to be lining up other manufacturers and suppliers for equipment soon. I'm looking into things like plant food and aquatic gardening. I've also contacted several vendors who will work me me to supply some quality CO2 supplies.

If there's something special you're looking for, especially in the area of planted aquariums, let me know.

_________________
--William Pearson

55g Amazon planted tank. Marbled Hatchetfish, Plecosomus, DIY Lighting and CO2, Amazon Swords, Chain Swords, Bog moss (Mayaca Fluvaitilis), Alternanthera reineckii, more to come.

wfpearson wrote:

I'm getting started in the aquarium supplies business here in Cordova. I'll be contacting the locally owned retailers soon. If you're looking for planted aquarium substrate or biological filter media please email me or pm me. I have it available, but I haven't lined up a packaging supplier yet so I'm selling in bulk.

I'm also going to be lining up other manufacturers and suppliers for equipment soon. I'm looking into things like plant food and aquatic gardening. I've also contacted several vendors who will work me me to supply some quality CO2 supplies.

If there's something special you're looking for, especially in the area of planted aquariums, let me know.

Awesome! I'm actually looking for some local help with Co2 stuff. I only have a DIY yeast setup on my 20 gallon but I need a pressurized system for the 45 gallon I'm setting up.
I'm pretty set on substrate, using EcoComplete, thought I wouldn't mind finding someone selling ADA aquasoil..

Are you going to be selling plants as well? Shrimp or fish?
I'm really jonesing for a local Amano shrimp breeder.

I can definitely do CO2. How technical do you want to go?

I can set you up with a regulator, needle valve, and bubble counter. Or we can go full blown with solenoid and pH controller.

Personally I am using a low tech regulator to low pressure regulator to needle valve setup with black co2 tubing and soap dish bubble counter / reactor.

I'm still waiting on my sintered glass diffusers to get here. The lead time will probably be 10 working days on any custom equipment until I have the time and capital to build an inventory.

_________________
--William Pearson

55g Amazon planted tank. Marbled Hatchetfish, Plecosomus, DIY Lighting and CO2, Amazon Swords, Chain Swords, Bog moss (Mayaca Fluvaitilis), Alternanthera reineckii, more to come.

Right now I'm using a DIY yeast bottle setup on my 20 gallon. I've got the bottle (a strong one, I got it as a kit from Hagen) and I just recently picked up a glass counter/diffuser which I just setup yesterday (to replace the plastic ladder thing)
Seems fine for the 20 gallon, but I have a 45 gallon that is bare and dry... and I want to set it up!
I'm kinda poor right now, I'm working but my husband isn't... so money is tight.

In the future (as soon as he gets a job and a regular paycheck) I'll be getting equipment for the 45 gallon.
I plan it being fully planted, going to go with mostly livebearers (my fave!) guppies mollies platies and swordtails.. maybe some neon tetra XD
The plants are going to be my main concern in the tank, so I was wanting to go with the whole "shebang" co2 setup.. This is also going to be when I can afford it, so probably not until either late this year or early next year.

As for my existing 20 gallon, I wouldn't mind some advice on some of the minor problems I'm having. I'd be willing to pay someone to come over and take a look at what I've got and advise me on where I should go/ what I should get.
I had made the mistake of buying a ton of plants and not knowing the lighting requirements of them. Most of the plants died before I realized i needed a much stronger light then a 15 watt.
Then I made another silly mistake of buying a 130 watt lighting system thinking "There is no such thing as too much light!" and while the plants are much happier..
I have a NASTY algea outbreak.

Oy!

There is no such thing as too much light. Smile

The goal of a planted tank is to make conditions right for the plants to win the battle for nutrients with the algae.

My guess is that your tank was lacking micro or macro nutrients that the plants use to win that battle. I'm working on a feature for my website that will give dosing directions for plant supplements. You can find these elsewhere, but not in a very user friendly format.

_________________
--William Pearson

55g Amazon planted tank. Marbled Hatchetfish, Plecosomus, DIY Lighting and CO2, Amazon Swords, Chain Swords, Bog moss (Mayaca Fluvaitilis), Alternanthera reineckii, more to come.

wfpearson wrote:

There is no such thing as too much light. Smile

The goal of a planted tank is to make conditions right for the plants to win the battle for nutrients with the algae.

My guess is that your tank was lacking micro or macro nutrients that the plants use to win that battle. I'm working on a feature for my website that will give dosing directions for plant supplements. You can find these elsewhere, but not in a very user friendly format.

I've been giving some little doses (recommended according to the bottle) of Iron suppliment.
I recently ran out (today)
Should I get some more and keep that? Or is that causing the algae? Should I be dosing other elements?

I appreciate the help very much Smile

You need some CSM+B, its a micronutrient mix. I have 5lbs. That's about 100 years worth. Smile

I can part with some if you want it. If you want to arrange to meet me in the evening in Cordova, or during the day downtown, I can let you borrow a vial that will last you about 6 months on a smaller tank.

You also need Potassium Nitrate and Phosphate to start.

Walmart sells Potassium Nitrate as Spectracide Stump Remover in the gardening section. Lowes and Home Depot have Grants stump remover, but the granules are bigger and harder to dissolve. While your at Walmart pick up a box of Equate (Fleet) Enema, Equate Epsom Salts, and Morton Salt Substitute (not low-sodium salt).

Fleet Enema = Sodium Phosphate
Epsom Salts = Magnesium Sulfate
Salt Substitute = Potassium Chloride

I'm going to be posting simplified directions and a calculator in the next week or two on my website.

Blackwater Hardware

_________________
--William Pearson

55g Amazon planted tank. Marbled Hatchetfish, Plecosomus, DIY Lighting and CO2, Amazon Swords, Chain Swords, Bog moss (Mayaca Fluvaitilis), Alternanthera reineckii, more to come.

wfpearson wrote:

You need some CSM+B, its a micronutrient mix. I have 5lbs. That's about 100 years worth. Smile

I can part with some if you want it. If you want to arrange to meet me in the evening in Cordova, or during the day downtown, I can let you borrow a vial that will last you about 6 months on a smaller tank.

You also need Potassium Nitrate and Phosphate to start.

Walmart sells Potassium Nitrate as Spectracide Stump Remover in the gardening section. Lowes and Home Depot have Grants stump remover, but the granules are bigger and harder to dissolve. While your at Walmart pick up a box of Equate (Fleet) Enema, Equate Epsom Salts, and Morton Salt Substitute (not low-sodium salt).

Fleet Enema = Sodium Phosphate
Epsom Salts = Magnesium Sulfate
Salt Substitute = Potassium Chloride

I'm going to be posting simplified directions and a calculator in the next week or two on my website.

Blackwater Hardware

Wow, awesome!
I work during the day, mostly from 3:30 to Midnight M-F and I live in Raleigh (right behind the Stage Stop or Skateland) and im relatively new to Memphis so I am not familiar with the town quite yet.

Can I snag your email? We can continue discussion that way, unless you'd prefer to do so here.
My email is Vitae *at* VitaeBat.com

Hey, don't leave now! Smile

I'm glad to see some data flowing on here, and I've learned a bit from this exchange. I haven't done any purposeful planted tank accomodation other than have some fish providing "fertilizer", although I've built something much like a DIY CO2 generator as a mosquito trap.

As for algae outbreak correction, I had a heavy bloom once when I doubled the lighting... my water was very very green... couldn't see a fish more than an inch or two in. The remedy I used was to put in more plants (couple handfuls of Java Moss then), and then turn off the light and cover the tank from any extra light for two days. When I uncovered it and relit it, most of the algae was gone. Within a week of resumed lighting, all the algae was gone, as the plants outcompeted it for nutrients (in theory).

You specifically mentioned that you will have substrate and CO2, but will you also be supplying lighting solutions? I have a large tank that I'm getting ready to set up as a palludarium so I'll be needing all of those things, and this sounds like a tremendous opportunity. I would also like to add pressurized CO2 to my 75gal plant tank. I've already bookmarked your website, and I'll check back often.

Thanks,

EG

For lighting I must defer to either Sun City Hydroponics on Whitten. They have 48" T-5 High output fixtures in stock. These are steel fixtures that you suspend from the ceiling.

I would go with a 4 bulb * 55 watt fixture. That would give you 220/75 or about 3 wpg. Their fixtures have MIRO reflectors that actually give you triple the wpg effective output.

Tell them William the aquarium guy sent you. I'm going to try to get them to carry some of my products.

If you want to build the hood yourself or want to install lighting into a hood that matches your stand you can buy a kit from AH Supply
www.ahsupply.com
You really can't beat their prices if you just want a custom kit or retrofit kit.

I got your PM, I'll call you this evening.

_________________
--William Pearson

55g Amazon planted tank. Marbled Hatchetfish, Plecosomus, DIY Lighting and CO2, Amazon Swords, Chain Swords, Bog moss (Mayaca Fluvaitilis), Alternanthera reineckii, more to come.

I checked the website, and it appears that blackwater hardware.com never got off the ground. I'd love to hear an update. Maybe the url changed and the business is thriving.