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New tank, various problems

Jim..

Member
Joined
2 Oct 2016
Messages
83
Location
Colchester, Essex
Evening All :wave:

Hope you can help.

Started my new tank on Saturday but losing a few plants already, Pogostemon Helferi and Limnophila Hippuridoides are slowly melting away.
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I've had some problems with my co2's bubble counter, only getting 1 bubble every 4 seconds and increased my light output from approx 30% to 50% midweek.

The bubble counter has been replaced and after some reading the atomizer has been moved to an area of good flow. Approx 2bps, 2 hrs before light start/finish. Lighting has also been reduced back to 30%.

I am dosing Co2Art's EI pre made macro and micro as recommended.

Parameters,
pH - 7-8
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0.25
NO3 - 5
KH - 14
GH - 22

Also, Heteranthera zosterifolia was showing a great improvement after planting and is now starting to yellow.
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Other plants look ok but not great.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you in advance :thumbup:

Journal is here for more information.https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/jims-tmc-signature.43041/
 
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How are you measuring your Co2 levels Jim? What's your lighting duration and how far are the lights from your tank (the light looks very bright in your journal but it may just be the pictures)?
 
Hi John

I have a drop checker which is green atm. It was blueish green mid week when I was having problems. Lights are on for 6 hrs, 25cm from the surface water. The light is running at approx 30% but I turn this up to 100% for most of the photographs. Although it still seems quite bright at 30%

Edit. The light intensity control rotates from the off position at 7 o'clock, clockwise to maximum at 5. I had it set to 11
 
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Tank 60cm x 45cm x 30cm tall?
Kessil A160?
ADA substrate system - tank was flooded & run before planting I think, how long, water changes???

Planted Saturday
plant condition? I see leaves in your prep trays, were plants shedding leafs when handled/placed in water etc?
- if yes, that is a significant contributor to what you're seeing now

Temperature?
Ambient light?
Hard Water?
Water Change Schedule?


CO2 difficulties to start, try to have CO2 available at start even if it means running a Tropica diffuser (very efficient design & cheap & available) in the tank
 
At this point, I'd

1) increase light intensity - the A160 really only does a 30cm "square" with high light, a 45cm "square" with med to high light, anything outside that 45cm radius, is receiving fairly low light
THEN the important part most people miss, these values/esimates are for 100% intensity
When you decrease the intensity, the shape of the "light spill" changes quite significantly

I didn't notice the relative position of Kessil vs plants, also look at the degree of shading from hardscape - unfortunately this is easiest to see when tank is at the dry stage & room is dim

2) run CO2 24/7 - you can still increase CO2 levels during the photo period but plants are often "up & about" even before the designated lights are turned on, so maintaining a low - moderate level of CO2 at all times is beneficial to struggling plants (established plants have quite a different biochemical/energy etc status)

3) water change - 80 - 90% daily (easy for me as I have a Python system & just use tap - so adjust this to the largest amount you can manage), syphon out as much debris as possible, eg that wood slime, any leaf fragments WITHOUT getting so close that you disturb developing plant roots or bruise already fragile leafs

4) commercial fertilizer - added daily after water change, I use Tropica series but anything developed specifically for planted aquaria should be fine, better to add daily small amounts at this stage then weekly dosing regardless of water change schedule

5) light duration x intensity - 5 hours, with maybe 4 at 80% intensity (or even 100% depending on shading etc) - I think you have Limnophila hippuridoides - look at the plant handling video (linked page) - that is really how quickly this plant begins growing even with low CO2 & moderate light (IF it's arrived in good condition), it's also one of those plants that visibly opens & closes it's leaf "cup" (though difficult to see if there isn't a good growing tip) so you can use this to adjust light schedule/intensity

(& yes I have Kessil A160's on a 90 x 45 x 52H)
 
Hi alto

Tank was running 2 weeks before planting. Waters changes were 70% every other day for the 1st week, changed to 35% daily for the last 2.

Plants arrived in bad condition imo. They were cold, the fibre containing the root was partially frozen. Limnophila Hippuridoides didn't look great, some wilted leaves. The Hygrophila Siamensis looked dead, completely wilted, I'm surprised it looks this good. Other plants looked ok. Alternathera Reineckii Mini looked good but shed leaves when handling.

Temperature? 25.5
Ambient light? Limited. Gets the morning sun if I leave my blinds open.
Hard Water? Yes
Water Change Schedule? As above. Water is heated to match tank temperature.

The Kessil is fitted to the centre.

Ferts. I am using pre made macro and micro, https://www.co2art.co.uk/collection...-macro-for-high-tech-planted-tank-ei-easy-way. Dosing recommended amounts.

I understand your recommendations but why such large water changes? Coming from marines making huge changes like this is outside of my comfort zone.

Thank you for your help:thumbup:
 
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Here's my technique:

1 weekly water change of 10-20%
Easycarbo and brighty K daily
No ferts until 2 months
CO2 to the Max (drop checker lemon green)
Lights at 100% but only 6h/day

Good luck!
 
The large water changes are about removing melting plant "biochemicals" - some people do this, some don't
You can try 25 - 40% daily water changes - important to find a routine that works for you so you get some consistency in; again, I think this is more important with weakened plants than established ones.
If plants aren't melting (rotting), Tropica suggests water change ~30% every three days for the first while (check the 90 Day app ;))

With struggling plants, presentation form of the nutrients is more important, hence my suggestion to go Tropica or (sorry can'r recall some of the others)
- not sure about your link, I did a copy & paste for a 404



Marines are a completely different game :)
 
Thanks guys :thumbup:

I have increased the lighting to 100% and the CO2 is running 24/7. I can continue with wc's at 35% daily.

Fert info from bottle. Macro, 1 pump of this product to 10l of water adds approx 6.6ppm no3 and 1.3ppm po4. I'm adding 7 pumps, 3 x a week. Micro, 1 pump of this product to 10l of water adds approx 0.26ppm Iron and 0.15ppm Mg. I'm adding 7 pumps, 2 x a week.

Do you think the condition in which I received the plants would have an effect?

I do have the Tropica app but disagree with adding inverts on day 3 and fish on day 10, so didn't continue to use it. Just my opinion.

Easycarbo is just CO2? Why the need for additional CO2?

Would the potassium in Brighty k make a difference? I am already using prime for chlorine neutralization.

Edit. Drop checker is showing lime green this morning.
 
As with ADA the assumption is that you have a cycled filter :)

Shrimp would be helpful in your situation - you might post in the Classifieds for anyone in your area that can spot you some sponge ;)
BUT then you'd need to limit CO2 so ...

EasyCarbo, Excel etc are "liquid CO2" ie a small organic compound which some plants can easily use as a carbon source, other plants need to invest a bit more, yet other plants that have limited response
It definitely has some algaecide activity
 
As with ADA the assumption is that you have a cycled filter :)
Ah ok, that makes more sense now :thumbup:

Shrimp would be helpful in your situation - you might post in the Classifieds for anyone in your area that can spot you some sponge ;)
BUT then you'd need to limit CO2 so ...
Think i'll hold fire atm. One thing at a time.

EasyCarbo, Excel etc are "liquid CO2" ie a small organic compound which some plants can easily use as a carbon source, other plants need to invest a bit more, yet other plants that have limited response
It definitely has some algaecide activity
Understood :)

Thanks again :thumbup:
 
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