The Devil is in the Details
A lot of little stuff to do today. Having noticed the slow decline of the corkscrew val, I concluded that in addition to the fact that it was probably suffering from a lack of CO2, it was kind of shaded by the log stump. Looking into the hood, I realized the reflectors there were pitifully small. The rest of the black hood was probably not providing very good coverage across the aquarium. Therefore, I attached some aluminum foil with double-sided tape to most of the hood's canopy.
I also decided I was ready to add the Fabco valve on a trial basis. Having heard back from Rex Grigg about its mechanics (i.e. the lock screws on the handle served to attach it to the post, not to set it in place). However, when I set it up in-line, even with the valve full open, there was no bubbling into the Hagn ladder. I tried an arrangement of configurations in order to isolate the check valve as the problem.
Sure enough, the arrow was pointed in the direction of airflow, but just in case, I flipped it around. No change. No that I was confident in my ability to provide adequate pressure, but I tried blowing into the check valve, and was unable to feel any air coming out. I used a paperclip to push on the (I guess it was a ball) valve, and sure enough, something gave. Now I was able to blow air through relatively easily. I'm guessing it was sitting unused long enough that the copper loosely bound together.
Not to be crass, but my cory that's being quarentined there has much more value to me than the ghost shrimp, so I will only be bubbling CO2 in under supervision while he's in there, in case anything were to go wrong. In fact, I just completed a 40% or so water change, and I am starting a second dose of Fungus Clear. I think I've halted the infection, because his right eye appears clear, but I'm doing this second dose just to be safe, hoping his left barbels can start to heal and grow back.
When I'm ready to return him, I got a good suggestion from jaidexl from Aquamaniacs on how to use a "bottle trap" to capture the zodiac loach. It shouldn't be to hard to outsmart a fish, right? So anyway, if I bait him into a trap, my plan would be to put him in the 10 gallon for a period of time and see if the cories improve dramatically (I'd probably spare the ghost shrimp and move them into the 30 gallon). Then I could decide whether to keep him or donate him to a LFS.
I also decided I was ready to add the Fabco valve on a trial basis. Having heard back from Rex Grigg about its mechanics (i.e. the lock screws on the handle served to attach it to the post, not to set it in place). However, when I set it up in-line, even with the valve full open, there was no bubbling into the Hagn ladder. I tried an arrangement of configurations in order to isolate the check valve as the problem.
Sure enough, the arrow was pointed in the direction of airflow, but just in case, I flipped it around. No change. No that I was confident in my ability to provide adequate pressure, but I tried blowing into the check valve, and was unable to feel any air coming out. I used a paperclip to push on the (I guess it was a ball) valve, and sure enough, something gave. Now I was able to blow air through relatively easily. I'm guessing it was sitting unused long enough that the copper loosely bound together.
Not to be crass, but my cory that's being quarentined there has much more value to me than the ghost shrimp, so I will only be bubbling CO2 in under supervision while he's in there, in case anything were to go wrong. In fact, I just completed a 40% or so water change, and I am starting a second dose of Fungus Clear. I think I've halted the infection, because his right eye appears clear, but I'm doing this second dose just to be safe, hoping his left barbels can start to heal and grow back.
When I'm ready to return him, I got a good suggestion from jaidexl from Aquamaniacs on how to use a "bottle trap" to capture the zodiac loach. It shouldn't be to hard to outsmart a fish, right? So anyway, if I bait him into a trap, my plan would be to put him in the 10 gallon for a period of time and see if the cories improve dramatically (I'd probably spare the ghost shrimp and move them into the 30 gallon). Then I could decide whether to keep him or donate him to a LFS.
posted by k-maub @ 7:38 PM
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