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My plants never pearl

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking my light is lower using one 60cm Chihiros at about 30cm height on 85 litre tank currently open top.

You guys are using a lot of light! Also just to for clarification you only mention fe EDTA but what about the rest of the micros?
 
Thanks for the info. I'm thinking my light is lower using one 60cm Chihiros at about 30cm height on 85 litre tank currently open top.

You guys are using a lot of light! Also just to for clarification you only mention fe EDTA but what about the rest of the micros?
Im using TNC Trace, so the trace elements are there. Im also playing with DTPA and HEDTA, but that is something else.

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My ferts are simple
APFUK recipe
Macro
4tsp potassium nitrate
1tsp potassium phosphate
6tsp magnesium sulphate
500ml water
micro
1tsp chelated trace
500ml water
Each dosed 50ml 3 x week on alt days.
Chelated iron13.2%
2tsp
500ml water
Dosed 25ml twice weekly
Yes my light is high 7hr photo period 45min ramp up ramp down.The light also has 4 timers for the diff leds so only 4hrs at the end of the photoperiod is the light on full intensity.
 
Thanks man :)

Off-topic: around 150 PAR. 4x24w T5HO plus a 39w LED Chihiros, over a 60 liter tank. Ferts: 10ppm NO3, 3.5ppm PO4, 10ppm K, 0.3ppm Fe-EDTA 3x per week.

So basically you have 135w over a 60 liter tank! :O If I did that, my plants and fish would be swimming in an algae jungle.

I'm fighting with algae in my 250 liter tank, lit by 117w T5 bulbs. It's currently under control, but requires almost a daily intervention, rubbing certain parts of rocks and wood and removing cyano patches from the gravel. I'm firing at full force for my plants to start growing as fast as they can, to outcompete these nasties.
 
It is all about balance. There is nothing wrong with your lights. It is actually better to balance things out with less light.

Keep your CO2 in check. Go for at least 1.2 pH drop. This will make things worse for the Cyanobacteria and better for the plants. Keep dosing your ferts, aiming for the EI concentration levels. And a bit of Glutaraldehyde, as instructed, might help as well.

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Well my CO2 lowers pH for about 1-1,5. My nitrates are 15ppm, phosphates 1, if anything I should have a green spot algae, but I still have damn patches of Cyano appearing on the gravel every day!!! I also use EasyCarbo when needed and have upped the water flow from 800 to 1200l/h. Makes me mad, I don't know how to stop this thing, except turning the gravel every day and cleaning the glass.
 
Well, you could use medicine, but I would use it as a last measure.

For how long have you been having this issue?
 
Well, you could use medicine, but I would use it as a last measure.

For how long have you been having this issue?

Far too long actually. I got some major cyano & diatoms infestation, neglected a tank a bit, then cleaned it thoroughly (but biologically active - didn't use any chemicals or bacteria killers). Started using the pressurized CO2, upped the stream flow, cleaned as much detritus that I could, bought more plants, added KNO3 to help combat the issue.

While better, it's by no means good. For just 24h the patches form on the gravel and the glass. Also diatoms. They always go hand in hand with cyano. First cyano then diatoms.

Seems like, whatever change I did, even radical one, produced almost no long term results. :( The real cause, unknown to me, remains.
 
A lot of people say yhere is a connection between poor oxigen levels and diatoms. Do you have movement on the water surface?



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I do have plenty of water movement. The entire section of spray bar is turned towards the water surface. Thanks for trying to help btw!
 
Perhaps your flow could be adjusted slightly lower so it is aimed at the opposite rim of the tank, little adjustments can change things considerably.
If you are getting a 1.5 ph drop that is right at the upper limit ( My fish would suffer if I drop mine more than 1.1 but your tank could well be different) at least for most folks tanks it would be!
So perhaps you should look at you flow control?
 
I think since the co2 beating that has existed for some time on this forum many if not most people are pretty adept at delivering enough now. I think you are limited somewhere else nutrient wise and you have too much light whist the plants are not growing which is making the issue worse.

Also adjustments take time. Clive once said that things only go bad in a high light tank fast and I tend to agree.

It takes a lot of work and patience to get it right and it is about finding that balance.

I am only just turning the corner now on my 85 litre. I've struggled since setup. In hindsight I know that I probably started off expecting too much. Pummelling my newly purchased emersed grown plants with high light, nutrients, flow and co2. Logical reasoning often doesn't give reward in this hobby and things turned sour pretty quickly. Microorganisms and fertile sediments play large roles in the health of aquatic plants.

Here is an example of how too much of something based on logical decision making can turn out to be detrimental.

Trying to improve my situation and thinking I didn't have enough calcium I added EI calcium chloride. I also haven't dosed potassium religiously beforehand but my Hygrophila was fine before then. Now a week later my hygrophila pinnatifida has developed pinholes on all leaves including new.

Calcium and potassium compete for uptake in a plants so by adding extra calcium I have tipped the balance. Only plant affected is the hygrophila which is known to suffer potassium deficiency faster than most. Also the new calcium crust that develops when my water evaporates tells me u already had enough calcium.

I've lost my point but I think what I'm trying to say is take things slow and one at a time. Start by slowing everything down by reducing light. Do back to back 90% water changes to get you aquarium water more like your tap. And dose nutrients dry. Remove algae manually because if it's there you are just feeding it every time you add something. It has to be removed then the plants fed but don't overdo it with the ferts then increase as the plants grow in.
 
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