Rob P
Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2013
- Messages
- 785
Hey folks,
Sorry for this mammoth post but would just like to run it from the top
My tank is absolutely no show tank, all I’m striving for at the mo is a nicely planted tank with lush/healthy growth and happy inhabitants. Next tank or a rescape will possibly be a little more adventurous
So, let me get the main details in first:
Aquarium: Fluval Roma 125 litre, 80cm x 35cm x 45cm.
Filter/pumps: Aquamanta 800lph (spraybar outlet) and Koralia 900 nano pump.
Lighting: TMC Grobeam Ultima twin 6500K LED strips, retro fitted to existing T8 tube holders, through an Aquaray controller.
Heating: Hydor 200w inline external, tank temp: 26 deg C.
CO2: 2kg FE set up including solenoid, ceramic diffuser (under powerhead).
Substrate: JBL Aquabasis+ covered with Unipac sand
Lights are on 3pm to 9.10pm with a 30 minute sunrise/set cycle (so on dimly at 3pm ramping up over 30 minutes). These are currently running at 65% of max intensity. I have no idea what wattage these are equivalent too, I understand these lights give me ‘medium’ lighting. In the first 2 weeks I didn’t have a controller and the lights were on 100% in two blocks, 8am to 12pm, 5pm to 9pm. I am unable to elevate these due to fitment inside integrated hood.
Pressurised CO2 was only added little over a week ago and switches on at 1.45pm and off around 7.45pm. I’m still trying to get this dialled in right. I’ve never used CO2 before. The drop checker is a nice transparent green throughout the light cycle. I’m finding it hard to count a bubble rate as it’s quick! Possibly around 4+bps. Bubble distribution and flow appears good. From inaccurate liquid tests my PH looks to drop from around 7.4 to 6.7.
The tank was set up with initial planting and filling at the end of August. It ran for a week before filter media and fish were transferred.
About a week after that I noticed green algae growing on my redmoor wood. Treated with liquid carbon via pipette and it went. Ever since then I’ve been seeing what I believe to be diatoms (brown algae – dusty looking on leaves – does wipe off), BBA really covering the wood, on rocks/plants (particularly my low plants – Eleocharis sp. mini, Marsilea hirsuta & Hydrocotyle tripartita) and in the moss tied to the wood, closest to the lights (moss has hair/thread algae in it too). All this showed up before injecting CO2. I was dosing NeutroT and Neutro CO2 daily before injection, now I’m dosing Neutro+ and Neutro CO2 daily. Liquid carbon is currently 1.5 times recommended dose, ferts at recommended dose.
I’m performing a 45 litre water change every 3 days with a light substrate vac, trimming of really mucky leaves, glass cleaning etc. I’m able to scrub the BBA off the wood & rocks with a toothbrush thankfully so working round a bit at time. Plants a bit more of an issue. For example, HG has got significant BBA on it and I’ve cropped this a couple of times. I removed some of the Marsilea and cut off all black bits and replanted. It’s growing well but still developed black fur on the leaves again (BBA I presume).
So, where do I go from here? Last night I had yet another good cleanup and go at stuff with the toothbrush (as much as I could do in a couple of hours) and ditched some Hydrocotyle tripartita. It had mostly mucky leaves and isn’t growing how I expected anyway. I feel like pulling the HG up and really trimming it off and trying to replant what I can, same with the Marsilea. But it soon seems to get stuff growing on it again, incidentally these have really good flow pushing across them. Also feel like removing the wood completely (and removing sorry looking moss & anubias from it) and taking a pressure washer to it along with the rocks, but feel this will be in vain if the BBA just grows back.
I’ve got some Brazilian Pennywort which when underneath/close to the lighting bubbles away during lighting period. In a way I feel I’m devoiding other plants of light, but daren’t turn them up. Ludwigia glandulosa is growing really well, albeit with a few mucky leaves (but not as bad as some of the other plants). Some plants I have are classed as needing medium-high light which I’m pretty not sure they’re not getting.
I want to get more plant mass in there to help outcompete the algae, but feel like it would be lambs to the slaughter and throwing good money away! Last introduction was some Tropica Styrogene repens a week or so ago and it looks like it could have tinges of brown already but nothing major.
So, I’m trying to follow all the guides which read mostly the same. 6 hours light, lower light intensity, increased liquid carbon dose, extra circulation pump (added as soon as algae appeared), increased/regular large water changes and as much pressurised CO2 as I dare! It’s a real labour of love at the moment.
I do appreciate this has all happened in a short period of time, so do I just need to ‘calm down dear’ and sit it out for a while, or rip out everything I can, clean it and replace? Are there any other actions/advice you can offer me at this time to help move things along in the right direction?
Remember i'm new, so go easy!.... Now shoot!!
Rob
Sorry for this mammoth post but would just like to run it from the top
My tank is absolutely no show tank, all I’m striving for at the mo is a nicely planted tank with lush/healthy growth and happy inhabitants. Next tank or a rescape will possibly be a little more adventurous
So, let me get the main details in first:
Aquarium: Fluval Roma 125 litre, 80cm x 35cm x 45cm.
Filter/pumps: Aquamanta 800lph (spraybar outlet) and Koralia 900 nano pump.
Lighting: TMC Grobeam Ultima twin 6500K LED strips, retro fitted to existing T8 tube holders, through an Aquaray controller.
Heating: Hydor 200w inline external, tank temp: 26 deg C.
CO2: 2kg FE set up including solenoid, ceramic diffuser (under powerhead).
Substrate: JBL Aquabasis+ covered with Unipac sand
Lights are on 3pm to 9.10pm with a 30 minute sunrise/set cycle (so on dimly at 3pm ramping up over 30 minutes). These are currently running at 65% of max intensity. I have no idea what wattage these are equivalent too, I understand these lights give me ‘medium’ lighting. In the first 2 weeks I didn’t have a controller and the lights were on 100% in two blocks, 8am to 12pm, 5pm to 9pm. I am unable to elevate these due to fitment inside integrated hood.
Pressurised CO2 was only added little over a week ago and switches on at 1.45pm and off around 7.45pm. I’m still trying to get this dialled in right. I’ve never used CO2 before. The drop checker is a nice transparent green throughout the light cycle. I’m finding it hard to count a bubble rate as it’s quick! Possibly around 4+bps. Bubble distribution and flow appears good. From inaccurate liquid tests my PH looks to drop from around 7.4 to 6.7.
The tank was set up with initial planting and filling at the end of August. It ran for a week before filter media and fish were transferred.
About a week after that I noticed green algae growing on my redmoor wood. Treated with liquid carbon via pipette and it went. Ever since then I’ve been seeing what I believe to be diatoms (brown algae – dusty looking on leaves – does wipe off), BBA really covering the wood, on rocks/plants (particularly my low plants – Eleocharis sp. mini, Marsilea hirsuta & Hydrocotyle tripartita) and in the moss tied to the wood, closest to the lights (moss has hair/thread algae in it too). All this showed up before injecting CO2. I was dosing NeutroT and Neutro CO2 daily before injection, now I’m dosing Neutro+ and Neutro CO2 daily. Liquid carbon is currently 1.5 times recommended dose, ferts at recommended dose.
I’m performing a 45 litre water change every 3 days with a light substrate vac, trimming of really mucky leaves, glass cleaning etc. I’m able to scrub the BBA off the wood & rocks with a toothbrush thankfully so working round a bit at time. Plants a bit more of an issue. For example, HG has got significant BBA on it and I’ve cropped this a couple of times. I removed some of the Marsilea and cut off all black bits and replanted. It’s growing well but still developed black fur on the leaves again (BBA I presume).
So, where do I go from here? Last night I had yet another good cleanup and go at stuff with the toothbrush (as much as I could do in a couple of hours) and ditched some Hydrocotyle tripartita. It had mostly mucky leaves and isn’t growing how I expected anyway. I feel like pulling the HG up and really trimming it off and trying to replant what I can, same with the Marsilea. But it soon seems to get stuff growing on it again, incidentally these have really good flow pushing across them. Also feel like removing the wood completely (and removing sorry looking moss & anubias from it) and taking a pressure washer to it along with the rocks, but feel this will be in vain if the BBA just grows back.
I’ve got some Brazilian Pennywort which when underneath/close to the lighting bubbles away during lighting period. In a way I feel I’m devoiding other plants of light, but daren’t turn them up. Ludwigia glandulosa is growing really well, albeit with a few mucky leaves (but not as bad as some of the other plants). Some plants I have are classed as needing medium-high light which I’m pretty not sure they’re not getting.
I want to get more plant mass in there to help outcompete the algae, but feel like it would be lambs to the slaughter and throwing good money away! Last introduction was some Tropica Styrogene repens a week or so ago and it looks like it could have tinges of brown already but nothing major.
So, I’m trying to follow all the guides which read mostly the same. 6 hours light, lower light intensity, increased liquid carbon dose, extra circulation pump (added as soon as algae appeared), increased/regular large water changes and as much pressurised CO2 as I dare! It’s a real labour of love at the moment.
I do appreciate this has all happened in a short period of time, so do I just need to ‘calm down dear’ and sit it out for a while, or rip out everything I can, clean it and replace? Are there any other actions/advice you can offer me at this time to help move things along in the right direction?
Remember i'm new, so go easy!.... Now shoot!!
Rob