Hi all,
I set up a 72ltr Aquael Leddy 60 XL tank back in March with CO2 and feel my plants aren't just as healthy as they should be. Any help would be gratefully received, such as correct fertiliser and dosing rate?
The tank suffered from brown, diatomaceous algae and green algae for about 2 months at the start. I know this is to be expected but it really did seem to last forever. Swapping to Tropica premium, from fertilisers with N&P initially, has all but removed any algae, but some of the plants growth such as the Hygrophila siamensis s35 have very disappointing right from the start, as it is meant to grow like a weed. The bacopa has only recently started to show fresh growth as well (see photo). I was using "The Aquascaper" liquid feed in the beginning but thought this was making the brown algae worse so stopped. I did try Tropica specialised recently but thought that algae started to get worse again so went back to Tropica premium. I am expecting people to tell me to go back to using the Evolution aqua product, and to stick with it. I am currently dosing 3ml Tropica premium per day. Is this about right?
I am still building up the fish and shrimp numbers slowly: Shrimp - 7 amanos and 6 cherry. Fish 5 neons and 4 Pygmy Corydoras. They all seem healthy and I have only had 1 cherry shrimp die so far in total. The amanos are ancient as this is the third tank they have been moved to in about 5 or 6 years. Substrate = Tropica soil. Temp = 24oC. Lights = 2 Aquael LED tubes designed for the tank: 1 day & 1 plant (day on for 8 hours; 1300 - 2100, plant 1330 to 2030). CO2 - approx 1 bubble per second, on a timer: on at 1100, off at 1930. pH 6.4 - 6.6 with CO2 (tap water = 7.4). Filter = Oase Filtosmart thermo 100 (max flow = 600lph) filled with seachem matrix and foam. Some carbon as well. The carbon was used to remove staining from bogwood but I didn't think it cause any issues (like removing ferts). I also have an eheim 350 skimmer that i usually only put on overnight. Should I leave this on permanently? I get the feeling that the fish are already struggling with the flow in the tank. 25ltr water change per week (2 x 15 ltr buckets).
I also really don't want to add anymore CO2 as the tank already resembles a jacuzzi as it is. Also the tank is in a corner so the main view that I get while sitting on the couch is end on, so I really don't want things like diffusers on the side pane of glass.
Thanks
Alan
See photos below.
I set up a 72ltr Aquael Leddy 60 XL tank back in March with CO2 and feel my plants aren't just as healthy as they should be. Any help would be gratefully received, such as correct fertiliser and dosing rate?
The tank suffered from brown, diatomaceous algae and green algae for about 2 months at the start. I know this is to be expected but it really did seem to last forever. Swapping to Tropica premium, from fertilisers with N&P initially, has all but removed any algae, but some of the plants growth such as the Hygrophila siamensis s35 have very disappointing right from the start, as it is meant to grow like a weed. The bacopa has only recently started to show fresh growth as well (see photo). I was using "The Aquascaper" liquid feed in the beginning but thought this was making the brown algae worse so stopped. I did try Tropica specialised recently but thought that algae started to get worse again so went back to Tropica premium. I am expecting people to tell me to go back to using the Evolution aqua product, and to stick with it. I am currently dosing 3ml Tropica premium per day. Is this about right?
I am still building up the fish and shrimp numbers slowly: Shrimp - 7 amanos and 6 cherry. Fish 5 neons and 4 Pygmy Corydoras. They all seem healthy and I have only had 1 cherry shrimp die so far in total. The amanos are ancient as this is the third tank they have been moved to in about 5 or 6 years. Substrate = Tropica soil. Temp = 24oC. Lights = 2 Aquael LED tubes designed for the tank: 1 day & 1 plant (day on for 8 hours; 1300 - 2100, plant 1330 to 2030). CO2 - approx 1 bubble per second, on a timer: on at 1100, off at 1930. pH 6.4 - 6.6 with CO2 (tap water = 7.4). Filter = Oase Filtosmart thermo 100 (max flow = 600lph) filled with seachem matrix and foam. Some carbon as well. The carbon was used to remove staining from bogwood but I didn't think it cause any issues (like removing ferts). I also have an eheim 350 skimmer that i usually only put on overnight. Should I leave this on permanently? I get the feeling that the fish are already struggling with the flow in the tank. 25ltr water change per week (2 x 15 ltr buckets).
I also really don't want to add anymore CO2 as the tank already resembles a jacuzzi as it is. Also the tank is in a corner so the main view that I get while sitting on the couch is end on, so I really don't want things like diffusers on the side pane of glass.
Thanks
Alan
See photos below.
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