• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Beginner's learning tank

Franco

Seedling
Joined
14 Jul 2014
Messages
8
Hi, I recently set up an experimental tank at 15 July, my last attempt was unsuccessful so I want to find solution and learn. English is not my first language but I will try.

This is a 25cm tall 30L tank, light source is 14W T5, 5 cm above from the tank. I also cover the tank with tower so there are no other light source.
The tank is bare bottom but it has four party plastic cups containing inert gravel and two containing some aqua soil (looks like AS, but not sure which brand) , they are cut into 4cm height and used as the plant pots.
I dose 2x EI daily and use liquid carbon for the carbon source (easy carbon) .
Filter is a 1000L/H canister. Tap water here is realy hard, both GH and KH are above 20 degree.
Plants are staurogyne repens and rotala sp green. No fish.

Repens seems growing well. I accidently up root some of them during water change, I notice that repens in the aqua soil pot have longer and thicker new grown roots than those in gravel pot.

Is that normal? I guess that is because the soil is lighter and less compact than the gravel?

Rotala's growth looks stunted, the new leaves are small and some of them are twisted. Could this be the plant is still adapting?

Tank also apear to have surface scum, not too bad but they are there. From what I have read, surface scum means the plants are not happy with the current nutrient/Co2/etc.

I think there are enough nutrient since I dose 2x EI, I am worry to dose more liquid carbon than the instruction.
Maybe too much light? I can reduce the light by blocking it with paper, that would reduce around 50% of light, but it looks too dark for me.

The tank has only been running five day, so I would leave everything as how they are now, I also did a 50% WC today.

Any thought?
 
Ceg,

Thanks, I will add more liquid carbon. Currently I am dosing 3ml every day, will be dosing 5 ml or more.
The instruction says 1ml per 50L daily, I hope this is an okay amount for the fish, in the furture. Althought I wont be adding any untill the tank is stable.

One thing forgot to mention, the water looks a bit cloudy. It got better after the WC.
I guess this is caused by the plant's waste like how the surface scum form?
 
Yes there are lots of reasons for cloudy water including hardscap material dissolving, plant/animal waste and bacterial blooms. Just continue frequent and large water changes and ultimately the water will clear. You can also use filter material such as Purigen and/or activated carbon to help clear the water.

You cannot depend on the bottle instructions. CO2 uptake demand is not static. It depends on a lot of things, but primarily the amount of light. The bottle label does not know how much light you have.

Cheers,
 
Thanks Ceg, you have made a good point there that the company does not know how much lighting I have.
I start dosing 10 ml of liquid carbon today. Although I am still aware of the toxicity of it but I will gave it a go and see.

Franco
 
Rotala's growth has been improved, new tips are growing properly. :)
Thanks again ceg4048.
 
I wouldnt worry about the effects of liquid carbon on fish at the moment as you have no fish :)
Get the plants growing nicely and you cam start cutting back if you need to once you add fish.
 
IMG_2875.jpg


Added HC today, another species I could not grow in the pass, hopefuly I can grow them this time. :)
Surface scums is gone and water clearness has got better, not to the point I am happy with but I will leave it like this for the moment.

Repens' old leaves that come with the plant when I got them are melting but the new growth looks great, is that normal for new bought plants? :crazy:
Rotala sp green has the same problem, old leaves are turning brown and die off. Some rotalas' new growth are doing good but some are still small and twisted, so I up the liquid carbon dosage again.

IMG_2876.jpg

IMG_2878.jpg

IMG_2879.jpg
 
Just notice the repens had been growing upward instead of staying low, their lower stems has been "pulling" upward by double.
CO2 problem I guess? Another thing is, I would want to decrease my lighting, but I can not adjust the height of my light setting, any solution?
 
What do you mean? Edvet. I thought alufoil would act as a reflecter and therefore increase the light.
The tank got a bit cloudy. When look closely, it is like there are many tiny white "dust" flowing around. So I did water change again.
 
Back
Top