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Deansies 55L cube

Deansie

Deansie

Member
Joined
25 Dec 2014
Messages
192
Started my first planted tank after seeing some beautiful tanks on here.
Got it set up with little problems, I was worried about the tissue culture plants floating so I anchored them using cotton buds cut in half which I thought was quite a simple but effective solution. I'll remove them in a week or so once plants have rooted a bit.

Tank: Aquaone Aqua nano 40
Light: boyu 24W T5 unit
Substrate: 9L ADA Amazonia
C02 art FE Set up
Photo period 6 hours with C02 on 2 hours before and off 1 hour before lights.
Ferts: NPK Macroelements & tropica premium
Plants:
Java fern
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Micranthemum 'monte Carlo'
Marsilea hirsuta
Ludwigia inclinata 'Curly'
Taxiphyllum barbieri
Ammania so. bonsai
Ludwigia sp. 'Mini super red'
Pogostemon helferi
Riccia fluitans
Alternanthera reineckii 'purple'

Still a bit cloudy.
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"2 weeks in and added 2 more plants.
Taxiphyllum "Flame" moss and Cryptocoryne Wendtii tropica.

Now that the plants are growing in id say my placement of the plants is a bit suspect and will need changed before long.
Things haven't been going great the last few day, my Ammania sp. Bonsai is I believe melting before my eyes lol, strange as after initial planting it grew great and not its fading from the front to the back as can be see in this photo.
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My Pogostemnon Helferi has been on/ since planting, initially it went yellow though I think/ hope its settling and can see some green growth-perhaps die off as where 1-2 pots?
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Last is my monte-carlo, it was disappearing at a fair rate after plantig but is making a come back with side shoots etc growing.
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Any advice would be very much appreciated, especially about the sp.bonsai as its a lovely wee plant. In the description it says the plant can get a red tint from high lighting but mine doesn't. I'm still assuming that the problem is C02 or ferts.
Ive reduced my light strength to 2 T5 tubes instead of 3 and increased my ferts.
Im dosing 1 ml JBL Proscape NPK macro per day and Tropica micro (orange bottle) 5 days a week.
My tubes are 10000k and they make thing look very green so maybe not accurate picture (I may change to lower colour)

The JBL dosing instructions just show a picture

Full sun = 5ml/100L
Half sun=2.5ml/100L

can anyone tell me if my dosing sounds right? I take it the full sun is a well lit tank? My tank is 50 litres and I was using 3x8watt T 5 tubes.

Is a lot of info I know but any help is welcomed!!

thank you
 
I would place your drop checker much lower down than where it is at the moment to get a better idea what the co2 concentration at the substrate level is where it looks like it's needed. Not sure how you have your outlet configured, what you want is a nice circular flow going in the tank so that it carries the co2 from the bazooka across the substrate first before it has a chance to rise to the surface and degass.
 
Thanks, Ill place the drop checker down low tonight and see if it still turns green tomorrow.
The outlet is fixed on top left of back panel as you look at it with the diffuser directly underneath, I can't change the water direction as such but it's a cube so the output blows the bubbles right round. Only bit that is not hit is pegs ps the area behind the wood.
 
Melt of the MC and helferi looks like the plant was adapting and now is happy so trimming after it has good growth will sort that.
Ammania bis a bugger for this, goes great for a few weeks then melts. It needs really good co2 until it has grown tall then replant tops. After that time you can normally back off a bit on the co2. I'd suggest removing the unhappy plants to allow more circulation around the others. Increase the co2 and once grown some more chop the tops off and replant them. Old trimmed plants should sprout new stems. If melt continues keep looking at co2 and flow until it stops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks very much for the reply! I'll remove the dead Ammania tonight after water change, hope it pulls through.
Thanks for thoughts on pogo and mc, that's what j was hoping it was.
 
I would recommend you pop that diffuser down into the chamber where the heater and power head is, I did this with my aquanano and it worked a treat.
Which way around have you got the power head, slider switch at the top or wire at the top?

//Jan
 
Also if you want a bit more flow around substrate level you can use an elbow piece on the outflow pipe and 'aim' it just below the inlet.
 
Hey Jan thank you for your reply, do you think having the diffuser in that chamber uses more of the bubbles?
My bubble counter is stuck firmly on the glass and the air pipes have been cut to size tight fitting so would prefer not to move them but if I don't get improvement soon I'll be moving it to try, thank you.

The power head has the wire at the top, why do you ask?

I'd like to attach a directional elbow but have been unable to find any, do you know where I could purchase one? Be great!
Many thanks
 
Ph wise in the tank.
Tap ph=6
Tank before c02 on =5.5
Tank 2 hours after c02 on = 5

My test kit goes no lower than 5
Kh in my supply is 1-2
 
Nice I like it, nice to hear you plants have picked up. Looking forward to seeing it all after a few trims later on.:)
 
Deansie said:
Hey Jan thank you for your reply, do you think having the diffuser in that chamber uses more of the bubbles?
My bubble counter is stuck firmly on the glass and the air pipes have been cut to size tight fitting so would prefer not to move them but if I don't get improvement soon I'll be moving it to try, thank you.

The power head has the wire at the top, why do you ask?

I'd like to attach a directional elbow but have been unable to find any, do you know where I could purchase one? Be great!
Many thanks
Click to expand...

I believe you will get better, ere, is dissolution a real word? of co2 that way yes.
Well, I turned mine upside down so the slider for adjusting flow is on top at the same time as I put the diffuser in the chamber, I don't think it makes much difference really other than I can lose a lot more water to evaporation now without the powerhead starting to grind and hiss which is nice for me because I'm lazy. :)

No sorry I don't know where you can get such a part, I had a funny looking thing that is kind of flat and triangular outlet on an angle joint that was on top of a air powered corner filter which fitted on the outlet, it makes for a nice gentle flow which my Betta fish appreciates and it seems to be working pretty well for getting Co2 to the plants on the substrate as well.
 
ha ha, I went away for 3 days and when I got in my filter was sucking air so that is not a bad idea! ;)
I'm going to try and make a piece like the one you have to direct flow a bit better and see if that helps before moving diffuser.
I think I need to tinker with timing of my c02 rate also.
thanks Jan
 
Small update, sp.bonsai now all gone with ludwigia now melting.
Both these plants grew well after initial planting then went down hill?

Things I've done:
Started dosing EI ferts and liquid carbon.
Running 2 tubes instead of 3.
Purchased a tunze mini powerhead for increased flow.

If these have no effect I'll look at the light, my unit is nice but obtaining suitable tubes for 12" T5 isn't easy. I do like this LED http://www.joesaquaticworld.co.uk/e...n=googlebase&gclid=CO28ldOny8MCFQ6WtAodTHgAAw

It's been out a while but think it's good qualitly, any opinions?
 
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Hi, bought new LED light for tank, was a bit of a gamble but am really happy with the effect! Love the spot light shimmer from above rather than just light everywhere. Has built in dimmer and sunrise/ sunset effect built in.
I've not for it in full power.
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Also I've added s DIY spray bar, is rough but it improved the flow in the tank so am going to make a solid more attractive one.
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Well don't just keep us in suspense man, pictures! (hypocrite I know, I've yet to post any pictures myself, my tanks all look like c**p anyway :( )

//Jan
 
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