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Feeling frustrated with plants

Valleyglow

Member
Joined
30 Oct 2020
Messages
31
Location
Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taff
So I upgraded to fluval 3.0 light and added co2. Since then its been a disaster. 240 litre

Initially had light on standard setting for weeks but algea was a massive issue. Slowly turned up co2 and reduced lighting but a month on and still having issues. Drop checker is lime green.

Light is on for 5 hours at 15% co2 comes 1.5 hours before light. Using flourish and tropica specialised. Was using 3 pumps, last month only 1 pump and flourish 1.5 caps a week. Even new plants are looking crap within a day and just go downhill.

Feeling light I just wanna get rid of my co2 and light and carry on as before.

What am I doing so wrong?
 

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I'm sure someone who knows more then me regards Co2 ect. be he shortly but am I seeing this right? your lights are set lower the 25%? also adding co2, more powerful light ect. will require some adjustment to ferts, more sort of high tech then low tech you have now.
 
So I upgraded to fluval 3.0 light and added co2. Since then its been a disaster. 240 litre

Initially had light on standard setting for weeks but algea was a massive issue. Slowly turned up co2 and reduced lighting but a month on and still having issues. Drop checker is lime green.

Light is on for 5 hours at 15% co2 comes 1.5 hours before light. Using flourish and tropica specialised. Was using 3 pumps, last month only 1 pump and flourish 1.5 caps a week. Even new plants are looking crap within a day and just go downhill.

Feeling light I just wanna get rid of my co2 and light and carry on as before.

What am I doing so wrong?
Not sure how to edit. But the 1 pump of tropica is daily not weekly.
 
Would you be able to upload some pictures of plants? would give idea what you have in tank and what sort of algae you experienced in past.
 
Pictures above.

Fluval 3.0 light running at 15% between 12.00 - 17.00 (has sunrise and set set) co2 starts at 10.30.

Water change 30% Once a week.

Ferts. Tropica specialised - 1 pump per day. Flourish - 1.5 caps per week.

Substrate - lava rock at bottom with at least 50mm tropica soil.
Tropica substrate and sand in the foreground.
Root tabs.

Co2 - FE and co2 art regulator- had running st 90 BPM but turned up a month ago. Drop checker green in the morning and lime green by afternoon.

Pictures already posted
 
Using flourish and tropica specialised. Was using 3 pumps, last month only 1 pump and flourish 1.5 caps a week.
Hi @Valleyglow

I suspect that you are adding too much fertilizer. Perhaps, way too much. When you refer to 'flourish', you're obviously referring to the Seachem Flourish range of fertilizers but which one? And, it's worth noting Tropica's advice when using their specialized fertilizer:

"How to use the product

Specialised Nutrition is added each week when the water is changed. The pump bottle dispenses 2 mL per push.
We recommend 6 mL (3 pumps) per 50 L water weekly. However, we recommended that this is set in accordance with plant requirements. Specialised Nutrition contains, in addition to micro-nutrients, all essential macro-nutrients. The fertiliser is particularly suitable where plants display a lack of nutrition. However note that if algae growth starts, Specialised Nutrition will promote this growth.

Specialised Nutrition contains nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Dosage must therefore be adapted to plant absorption rates, to avoid undesirable algae growth. Where signs of algae growth develop, reduce the dosage by 50% and increase water changing frequency by 50%. Changing the water not only reduces the concentration of nutrients in the water, but also removes algae spores, remnants and other accumulated elements from the aquarium water".


Taken from here - Tropica Specialised fertiliser - liquid fertiliser for planted tanks - Tropica Aquarium Plants

JPC
 
Hi @Valleyglow

I suspect that you are adding too much fertilizer. Perhaps, way too much. When you refer to 'flourish', you're obviously referring to the Seachem Flourish range of fertilizers but which one? And, it's worth noting Tropica's advice when using their specialized fertilizer:

"How to use the product

Specialised Nutrition is added each week when the water is changed. The pump bottle dispenses 2 mL per push.
We recommend 6 mL (3 pumps) per 50 L water weekly. However, we recommended that this is set in accordance with plant requirements. Specialised Nutrition contains, in addition to micro-nutrients, all essential macro-nutrients. The fertiliser is particularly suitable where plants display a lack of nutrition. However note that if algae growth starts, Specialised Nutrition will promote this growth.

Specialised Nutrition contains nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Dosage must therefore be adapted to plant absorption rates, to avoid undesirable algae growth. Where signs of algae growth develop, reduce the dosage by 50% and increase water changing frequency by 50%. Changing the water not only reduces the concentration of nutrients in the water, but also removes algae spores, remnants and other accumulated elements from the aquarium water".


Taken from here - Tropica Specialised fertiliser - liquid fertiliser for planted tanks - Tropica Aquarium Plants

JPC
Other flourish ferts are called flourish excel, flourish advance, flourish trace etc im just using flourish. Going to start doing more frequent water changes and see if that helps. Thank you
 
@Valleyglow How deep is your tank? The Fluval Plant 3.0 isn't the brightest of lights, and running it at 15%, I'm surprised if that's enough light to grow much of anything? Are you getting any growth on the plants?

When I ran my Fluval Plant 3.0 on a 60cm/60L tank, I started at 60%. That wasn't quite enough to grow carpet plants at 35cm depth particularly well, and it didn't have enough spread to grow stems at the rear of the tank. Even when I eventually got it up to 100% after a few months, it wasn't enough really for the stems at the rear.

I know increasing the light is not typical advice, but I wonder if 15% might be below the light compensation point for some of the plants you have?
 
Hi all,
Fluval 3.0 light running at 15% between 12.00 - 17.00
Turn the light intensity up for a bit, I'd go to at least 50%. Our eyes are really poor at judging light intensity, and <"sunlight is incredibly bright">. I use a floating plant as a <"net curtain"> when I have a lot of PAR.

*edit: I honestly posted this before @Wookii posted his post, I'm blaming the forum software.

I'll copy in @oreo57 he is a "light whisperer" and will be able to tell you more about your light in terms of PAR output.

When you are adding nutrients and CO2 your plants can't make use of them if the light intensity doesn't reach <"Light Compensation Point (LCP)">.

You can leave your present lighting period (it is always a good idea to only change one thing at a time), but I also don't like a <"really short photo-period"> either, some-one is going to have to explain to me why 19 hours of darkness is a good thing.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,

Turn the light intensity up for a bit, I'd go to at least 50%. Our eyes are really poor at judging light intensity, and <"sunlight is incredibly bright">. I use a floating plant as a <"net curtain"> when I have a lot of PAR.

*edit: I honestly posted this before @Wookii posted his post, I'm blaming the forum software.

I'll copy in @oreo57 he is a "light whisperer" and will be able to tell you more about your light in terms of PAR output.

When you are adding nutrients and CO2 your plants can't make use of them if the light intensity doesn't reach <"Light Compensation Point (LCP)">.

You can leave your present lighting period (it is always a good idea to only change one thing at a time), but I also don't like a <"really short photo-period"> either, some-one is going to have to explain to me why 19 hours of darkness is a good thing.

cheers Darrel

Yeah it make
@Valleyglow How deep is your tank? The Fluval Plant 3.0 isn't the brightest of lights, and running it at 15%, I'm surprised if that's enough light to grow much of anything? Are you getting any growth on the plants?

When I ran my Fluval Plant 3.0 on a 60cm/60L tank, I started at 60%. That wasn't quite enough to grow carpet plants at 35cm depth particularly well, and it didn't have enough spread to grow stems at the rear of the tank. Even when I eventually got it up to 100% after a few months, it wasn't enough really for the stems at the rear.

I know increasing the light is not typical advice, but I wonder if 15% might be below the light compensation point for some of the plants you have?
I believe it is 50cm deep . Ill try increasing it and do smaller more frequent water changes. Plants can't really look any worse haha. I do get plant growth as recently done a trim but its slow given the current light. Think I might stop using the tropica and perhaps order some tnc or something. My non co2 planted tanks with cheap lights look amazing lol but just can't get this tank with upgraded light and co2 right! Only thing that has improved lately is the patches of green on the java form has disappeared but just getting loads of hair algea and red plants turning green!
 
Hi all,

Turn the light intensity up for a bit, I'd go to at least 50%. Our eyes are really poor at judging light intensity, and <"sunlight is incredibly bright">. I use a floating plant as a <"net curtain"> when I have a lot of PAR.

*edit: I honestly posted this before @Wookii posted his post, I'm blaming the forum software.

I'll copy in @oreo57 he is a "light whisperer" and will be able to tell you more about your light in terms of PAR output.

When you are adding nutrients and CO2 your plants can't make use of them if the light intensity doesn't reach <"Light Compensation Point (LCP)">.

You can leave your present lighting period (it is always a good idea to only change one thing at a time), but I also don't like a <"really short photo-period"> either, some-one is going to have to explain to me why 19 hours of darkness is a good thing.

cheers Darrel
Thank you. Makes sense, if I'm still dosing but only having the light on low, doesn't sound right does it lol! Logical really but didn't think of that before.
 
So I upgraded to fluval 3.0 light and added co2. Since then its been a disaster. 240 litre

Hello,
I believe someone else asked you to post more defiled photos as it is difficult to tell exactly from so far away what algae you have. It looks to me as if you have a diatomic algae attack, most likely triggered by your upgraded lights which pump too much energy in the tank for newly submerged plants to deal with.
Now that you've opened the door and actually set dinner plates for diatoms it might be a long hard road to recovery. At least you were wise enough to turn the lights down.

You may have other types in there but I cannot tell what's happening in photo two. All I can tell is that they are red plants. You'll need to zoom in much closer in order to identify.

I reckon no one told you that the biggest problem by far in CO2 injected tanks is....CO2.

As usual, we have no idea about your flow/distribution methods so impossible to advise in that regard.

In any case, lots of water changes and mechanical removal. You'll need to stick your hand in there as much as possible, maybe with a toothbrush and remove. Follow the water change technique suggestion in this post. Algae Problems Help Please

Cheers,
 
Hello,
I believe someone else asked you to post more defiled photos as it is difficult to tell exactly from so far away what algae you have. It looks to me as if you have a diatomic algae attack, most likely triggered by your upgraded lights which pump too much energy in the tank for newly submerged plants to deal with.
Now that you've opened the door and actually set dinner plates for diatoms it might be a long hard road to recovery. At least you were wise enough to turn the lights down.

You may have other types in there but I cannot tell what's happening in photo two. All I can tell is that they are red plants. You'll need to zoom in much closer in order to identify.

I reckon no one told you that the biggest problem by far in CO2 injected tanks is....CO2.

As usual, we have no idea about your flow/distribution methods so impossible to advise in that regard.

In any case, lots of water changes and mechanical removal. You'll need to stick your hand in there as much as possible, maybe with a toothbrush and remove. Follow the water change technique suggestion in this post. Algae Problems Help Please

Cheers,
I think it might be brown diatom algae. Every two weeks I've been in there with tooth brush and pipe cleaners etc. Co2 is inline diffuser and ha e circulation pump to help distribution.

Not sure how accurate it is but read that using silica sand in tanks can cause a lot of brown algea. Still new to everything.
 

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Not sure how accurate it is but read that using silica sand in tanks can cause a lot of brown algea.
There's at least one long thread on here about that, of you fancy a search and a lot of reading.
Or spend that time removing some more and dont worry about your sand, - it doesn't dissolve into the water where the diatoms could use it.
 
Not sure how accurate it is but read that using silica sand in tanks can cause a lot of brown algea. Still new to everything.
No, it's not accurate but it is very fashionable, especially with pet shops who want to sell you silicate removal kits and other paraphernalia. I mean, did you have this level of algae before you upgraded your lights and added CO2? The same silica sand would have been there before the upgrade, right?.

Thanks for the close up photos. Yeah, as sparkyweasel mentions, you have a real fight on your hands and you need to start doing massive water changes while physically removing the algae as often as possible.

Cheers,
 
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