RossMartin
Member
Hi All,
I’ve been on this forum for ages but never really had the time to setup my tanks and run it. Fortunately I now have the time but I am experiencing some problems with what I believe to be C02. I’ve read a lot of posts and believe I have tried most things but I am prepared to accept I have missed something obvious! The tank sounds like a fizzy drink at the moment due to the amount of CO2 that is going in. I think I am dissolving enough as the PH can drop by up to 1.5.
I have had the same issues using RO water as well! So I do believe the issue is CO2 as I think that what the plants are telling me but I do not know the best way to improve it!
During the first week there was no growth and a couple of leaves on the Repens looked a little yellow, so I increased the intensity to 20% for the second week.
I have now turned this down to 10% and in fact the last five days I have had no lights on at all to give the plants a break….they seem to look better and I will post a pic of the them tomorrow!
The tank:
TMC Signature 60 x 45 x 30 Optiwhite
TMC Signature Stand in Gloss White
Substrate:
Tropica Plant Growth Substrate topped with Tana Sand
Lighting:
1 x TMC Aquaray Grobeam 1500ND
1 x TMC 2 Channel Aquaray Controller
The Lighting comes on at 16:00 with a 30 minutes ramp. The lights go off at 21:00 with a 30 minute ramp. The light Intensity is 20%.
Filtration:
1 x JBL e1501 External Filter
All media removed and I have added some Pot scrubbers as media. I have five in each of the three trays and I have added Purigen in the top tray.
The JBL spray bar goes across the back of the tank. About an inch down from the top of the tank. The flow reaches the front pane of glass.
I clean the filter out each Sunday when I do my water change. I also clean the pipes.
Circulation:
1 x Hydor Pico Evo-Mag 1200
This sit beneath the spray bar in the middle of the tank facing towards the front glass. The gravel at the front of the glass has been moved a bit by the flow!
CO2:
1 x 2kg CO2 Fire Extinguisher with a Dual Stage CO2Art regulator
1 x Up Inline Atomizer on the Filter Outlet
C02 comes on at 13:00 and off at 20:00 this is three hours before the lights come on and turns off an hour before the lights go off.
Fertilisers:
Currently running EI using the starter pack from Aquarium Plant Food. I dose 20ml of the Macro mix on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 20ml of the Micro mix on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday
Schedule:
CO2 On/Off 13:00/20:00
Lights on/Off 16:00/21:00 @ 10% intensity
CO2 approx 10-12bps
Dosing EI Mon-Sat
I have been adding 5ml of Easy Carbo per day
50% daily water changes
PH Readings:
Lights at 10% on at 16:00, 30 min ramp. Off at 20:00 30 ramp
13:00 - 7.9 (C02 on)
14:00 - 7.2
15:00 - 7.0
16:00 - 6.9 (Lights on)
17:00 - 6.9
18:00 - 6.9
19:00 - 6.9
20:00 - 6.9 (CO2 Off)
21:00 - 7.3 (Lights Off)
Water Readings from water report:
Calcium 139mg/l
Total Hardness: 348 mg/l
Degrees English (or Clarke): 24
Degreed German: 19
Degrees French: 35
Plants successfully killed!:
Staurogyne Repens
Eleocharis Parvula mini
HC
Blyxa Japonica
Postegomon Helferi
XMAS Moss
Weeping Moss
These were the plants on Sunday:
The DC at Lights on:
Unfortunately the Blyxa died so has been removed! The Weeping moss and Christmas moss have not grown. I seem to have a nack of killing plants.
To top it all of i have been attempting a planet tank on and off for five years, and i have never put a fish in the tank!!
Any help of advice would be great!!!
Kind Regards
Ross
I’ve been on this forum for ages but never really had the time to setup my tanks and run it. Fortunately I now have the time but I am experiencing some problems with what I believe to be C02. I’ve read a lot of posts and believe I have tried most things but I am prepared to accept I have missed something obvious! The tank sounds like a fizzy drink at the moment due to the amount of CO2 that is going in. I think I am dissolving enough as the PH can drop by up to 1.5.
I have had the same issues using RO water as well! So I do believe the issue is CO2 as I think that what the plants are telling me but I do not know the best way to improve it!
During the first week there was no growth and a couple of leaves on the Repens looked a little yellow, so I increased the intensity to 20% for the second week.
I have now turned this down to 10% and in fact the last five days I have had no lights on at all to give the plants a break….they seem to look better and I will post a pic of the them tomorrow!
The tank:
TMC Signature 60 x 45 x 30 Optiwhite
TMC Signature Stand in Gloss White
Substrate:
Tropica Plant Growth Substrate topped with Tana Sand
Lighting:
1 x TMC Aquaray Grobeam 1500ND
1 x TMC 2 Channel Aquaray Controller
The Lighting comes on at 16:00 with a 30 minutes ramp. The lights go off at 21:00 with a 30 minute ramp. The light Intensity is 20%.
Filtration:
1 x JBL e1501 External Filter
All media removed and I have added some Pot scrubbers as media. I have five in each of the three trays and I have added Purigen in the top tray.
The JBL spray bar goes across the back of the tank. About an inch down from the top of the tank. The flow reaches the front pane of glass.
I clean the filter out each Sunday when I do my water change. I also clean the pipes.
Circulation:
1 x Hydor Pico Evo-Mag 1200
This sit beneath the spray bar in the middle of the tank facing towards the front glass. The gravel at the front of the glass has been moved a bit by the flow!
CO2:
1 x 2kg CO2 Fire Extinguisher with a Dual Stage CO2Art regulator
1 x Up Inline Atomizer on the Filter Outlet
C02 comes on at 13:00 and off at 20:00 this is three hours before the lights come on and turns off an hour before the lights go off.
Fertilisers:
Currently running EI using the starter pack from Aquarium Plant Food. I dose 20ml of the Macro mix on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 20ml of the Micro mix on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday
Schedule:
CO2 On/Off 13:00/20:00
Lights on/Off 16:00/21:00 @ 10% intensity
CO2 approx 10-12bps
Dosing EI Mon-Sat
I have been adding 5ml of Easy Carbo per day
50% daily water changes
PH Readings:
Lights at 10% on at 16:00, 30 min ramp. Off at 20:00 30 ramp
13:00 - 7.9 (C02 on)
14:00 - 7.2
15:00 - 7.0
16:00 - 6.9 (Lights on)
17:00 - 6.9
18:00 - 6.9
19:00 - 6.9
20:00 - 6.9 (CO2 Off)
21:00 - 7.3 (Lights Off)
Water Readings from water report:
Calcium 139mg/l
Total Hardness: 348 mg/l
Degrees English (or Clarke): 24
Degreed German: 19
Degrees French: 35
Plants successfully killed!:
Staurogyne Repens
Eleocharis Parvula mini
HC
Blyxa Japonica
Postegomon Helferi
XMAS Moss
Weeping Moss
These were the plants on Sunday:
The DC at Lights on:
Unfortunately the Blyxa died so has been removed! The Weeping moss and Christmas moss have not grown. I seem to have a nack of killing plants.
To top it all of i have been attempting a planet tank on and off for five years, and i have never put a fish in the tank!!
Any help of advice would be great!!!
Kind Regards
Ross