Ben C
Member
Hello all,
I need your help. I set up a new planted tank in early December. It started off perfectly, but has declined over the last couple of months to a mess. I've had planted tanks for years and this is the toughest ride I have ever had. I've made a video to help illustrate where I currently am with it.
Specs:
TMC Signature 60 x 30 x 45 cm (54l)
Eheim Professionel 3 (2075) at 1250LPH
Hydor koralia pump (added two weeks ago to increase CO2 circulation)
Eheim Skim 350 on 24/7
2x Kessil A80 Tuna Suns at 80% for 6hrs per day
Pressurised CO2 for 7 hours per day (on two hours before lights, off one hour before lights off). Drop checker turns yellow shortly after lights on.
Tropica substrate
Hugo Kamishi sand
Dechlorinated tap water (50% w/c per week)
Ferts - Evolution Aqua complete liquid plant food (4ml per day)(although I do occasionally forget, but I don't think this is the problem)
Plants:
Monte Carlo
Lilaeopsis mauritania
Staurogyne repens
Rotala wallichi
Anubias pangolino
Bucephelandra lamandau sp. red
Fissidens fontanus
I change 50% of water once a week, but was religiously doing 3x 50% water changes per week for the first three weeks after setting up. The filter gets cleaned every two weeks, washing the media in tank water.
However, around a month or so after setting up, I had a really bad outbreak of diatoms which really smothered the plants. I overcame this with some intensive water changes, bleach-treating the plants where possible and dosing Flourish excel. Before I beat the diatoms, I then had an outbreak of stag horn algae which remains on the substrate and hardscape.
Now I have this awful brown algae that I am struggling to identify and tackle. The plant growth is obviously sluggish (new growth looks healthy, but is soon overcome). I've also noticed that the Staurogyne is turning pale yellow, but this is new. Related?
What am I doing wrong?! I have better kit than I've ever had, but never had this challenge.
I feel like it needs a bit of a re-start, but won't do that until I understand what is going on here.
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Ben
I need your help. I set up a new planted tank in early December. It started off perfectly, but has declined over the last couple of months to a mess. I've had planted tanks for years and this is the toughest ride I have ever had. I've made a video to help illustrate where I currently am with it.
Specs:
TMC Signature 60 x 30 x 45 cm (54l)
Eheim Professionel 3 (2075) at 1250LPH
Hydor koralia pump (added two weeks ago to increase CO2 circulation)
Eheim Skim 350 on 24/7
2x Kessil A80 Tuna Suns at 80% for 6hrs per day
Pressurised CO2 for 7 hours per day (on two hours before lights, off one hour before lights off). Drop checker turns yellow shortly after lights on.
Tropica substrate
Hugo Kamishi sand
Dechlorinated tap water (50% w/c per week)
Ferts - Evolution Aqua complete liquid plant food (4ml per day)(although I do occasionally forget, but I don't think this is the problem)
Plants:
Monte Carlo
Lilaeopsis mauritania
Staurogyne repens
Rotala wallichi
Anubias pangolino
Bucephelandra lamandau sp. red
Fissidens fontanus
I change 50% of water once a week, but was religiously doing 3x 50% water changes per week for the first three weeks after setting up. The filter gets cleaned every two weeks, washing the media in tank water.
However, around a month or so after setting up, I had a really bad outbreak of diatoms which really smothered the plants. I overcame this with some intensive water changes, bleach-treating the plants where possible and dosing Flourish excel. Before I beat the diatoms, I then had an outbreak of stag horn algae which remains on the substrate and hardscape.
Now I have this awful brown algae that I am struggling to identify and tackle. The plant growth is obviously sluggish (new growth looks healthy, but is soon overcome). I've also noticed that the Staurogyne is turning pale yellow, but this is new. Related?
What am I doing wrong?! I have better kit than I've ever had, but never had this challenge.
I feel like it needs a bit of a re-start, but won't do that until I understand what is going on here.
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Ben