Advice for first planted tank

[Holycakes]

I have recently set up a 33L planted tank and I would like some advice or any suggestions that people can offer me. I have never done something like this so I have no experiences to judge whether I am failing or succeeding.

Specs are as follows:

• 33 Litres
• 2x 15w PH Lights
• 350 Litres per hour Filter Pump
• Dimensions: 420 x 280 x 410 mm / 16.5" x 11" x 16.1"
• 200L per hour circulation pump
• Flora-Grow C02 Nano 50 (Small Pressurised setup with a diffuser)

Contents

• Organic soil base 2" deep
• Black gravel/Eco complete mix top layer 1.5" deep
• Dragon Stone Hardscape
• Staurogyne repens / Cyperus helferi / Hemianthus callitrichoides / Micromanthemum umbrosum / Eleocharis acicularis

Routine

• Currently been active for 1 week
• 6 hours of light per day and Co2 Diffuser filled during this time and dissolves during the day as the light stays on.
• Done 2 water changes due to using GF's filter water to kickstart the tank ready for fish. (Made it very brown and dirty)
• Dosed the tank with a weekly all round Fert twice (due to water changes)

The attached picture below is the tank a few days after It was first step up.



The second two pictures are after 1 week. As you can see (sorry for the image quality) alot of the plants seem to be melting away to me, and I have alot of dead plant matter making everything look a very dirty dark green colour




I have read a lot of stuff from this forum and I believe this could be just the natural process for the plants to adjust to the new tank?

Anyhow Hopefully if anyone out there has some suggestions because I could be doing things all wrong I have no idea. Would love some help so I can succeed as I very much enjoyed the process so far.

I would be very thankful.

Matt.

 

[Palm Tree]

30w of light is way to much, 15w is more than enough and this excess light is probably burning your plants causing the melting.

 

[Arana]

turn off one of those lights and crank up the CO2, what ferts are you dosing and how much?

 

[Holycakes]

Thanks for the heads up. I have now disconnected one of the lamps. I must of done my calculations wrong for my lighting conditions.

As for ferts I am using Nutrafin Plant Grow that I got off my GF, unused I am told it should suffice and I dose 10ml capful weekly

Also we had added a nitrogen supplement on 2 occasions thus far since the tank lacks fish.

 

[Arana]

Nutrafin Plant Grow only contains micro nutrients so you will need to start adding macro as well Also make sure your CO2 comes on a couple of hours before the lights come on and off about an hour before lights go off

 

[Arana]

Have a read of these 2 articles as well...

Setting up a “higher” tech planted tank | UK Aquatic Plant Society
The Estimative Index (EI) Dosing with Dry Salts | UK Aquatic Plant Society

 

[Holycakes]

Okay thanks, I read alot of stuff about the positioning within my tank, hence why I added a water circulation pump.

My filter intake is on the right back corner, and the flow comes out at the left hand corner but due to my tanks type I cannot alter this.

I have my diffuser next to the out pipe and water circulation pump next to the intake. Does this sound a good idea?