Ok. It's time for another update.
This story has its ups and downs. So I went step forward, to take 2 steps back. lol
More likely I flooded it too soon and was near to spoil everything. thanks to some
wise advices and re-assuring me I managed to save it and get over the issues experienced.
I hope someone being in similar problems (if) may find this post helpful in future..
So after filling the tank and running it with fresh filter and fresh media (70% fresh) the
nitrite spike stabbed me on my back - around 5.0ppm. Amonia was 1.0 ppm as for a first days and I accepted it as normal (it would go away
in few days without affecting the pants). On 2nd day noticed plants melting in few areas. On third
day melting was taking over more and on the 4th day I decided to drain the tank to save the plants.
Once tank was drained it all did not look well at all..
Cuba turned from juicy green to yellowish in colour with areas melting
..I can tell you only one thing - it was heartbreaking to see my plants in this way.
But we do learn from mistakes. It's always recommended to learn from the mistakes done by others, but this is not my case..
So - started the recovery process -
All lights ON for 13hrs per day
No spraying at all for 4 days, not a single drop
Once the melted parts dried OFF I pruned them carefully away
Once melting stopped started to maintain it as before the flooding
just with little changes (adding goodies to spray bottle)
In the mean time my JBL filter is cyckling in 25L tank. lol
1400L/h + eheim 2213 on 25L capacity sounds fancy enough
Today is 10 days since drained..
Looks like I managed
to save my project. The worst is behind and now it looks much better as even before
the flooding (except some few areas of what's left over from damage).
So far of what I'm doing:
Lights:
Added additional 28w tube. So now I'm lighting this box up with 3x28w+1x34w for 12 hours
Around 6 hours it does deliver the full power available, 3hours 2 x 28w with higher K rate
in the morning and 3 hours of 1x34w+1x28w lover K rate before shutting down. Looks like
plants does not mind and only benefit from the amount of light delivered.
Spraying:
2 days with RO + Chelated Trace Elements
2 days with RO + Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulphate
Cuba carpet is getting really tight in some places what looks really well.
As in background picture you can really notice how well thick it is now.
Two smaller pictures reflect the worst effected areas (that's what is left over
from melting)
This is how it looks from top right now. Different areas of my project. The colour of Cuba
now is really juicy strong
green! Glosso is stretching out over the stones.
I'm trying to form the runners on stones every 2-3 days and they are really stick to the rock. If it will
go well I will try to form it in a curtain over the big cave rock. This should look very nice especially
when glosso will be not floating but attached to the rock all over.
I think it will take its time to fill some spots as you can see from a top-side view there are some spots
much slower growth (don't mind the big gap to the far side (in pic.) as this is the hole for tree to go back.
And a face view..
..as more I'm looking at the scape now as more I'm having a doubts about the tree..
I dunno if I would like to see it going back in th form and way it looks itself with moss..
but what I'm thinking of is just a tree with a very few branches, much less massive as the
one I have.. with no moss, but maybe some Bonsai Anubias.. or even without anything, just
a "dead" tree to add for the scape more rough feeling of loneliness..
But then I will need to change the project name.. lol
