60/45/30 optiwhite

[anttthony]

Hi ant
tank looking good so far. S repens would be great for a background but one thing I would change Is to replace rocks for bigger one, some big and small size. What you think? As for vallis is a pain to keep tidy as it will send runners like crazy but if you need more i got loads to fin out.

Cheers

Hi yer going to ad some more rocks up the bank need to take a trip to the green machine the vallis is starting to run already think il try and box it in with substrate dividers thanks for the offer I might give you a shout when I get back from me holidays
Starting to get a little bit of melt on two bunches of the hc definitely looks like a c02 problem but the other bunches around it look ok going to turn up the gas and have a play with the circ pump

ant

 

[anttthony]

Hi everyone
Been away for 10 days had someone dosing the tank for me.
Might sound strange but after adding a circulation pump before i went away, my hc has started to melt. think I had to much flow as the filter iam using is quite powerful and the pump seemed to be moving the substrate about the tank so I have removed it
Also going to remove the vallis and dose liquid carbon
Went to the green machine yesterday (new scape coming on nicely)
Picked up a couple more pots of hc
2 pots of hygrophila
And some mini grass
Ive removed the worst of the melted hc do you think the rest will come back?

Or does it look abit far gone some pieces look really leggy

Also fitted a heater today so I might add a some live stock tonight can anybody recommend a good number of cardinal tettas to add? I was thinking about 7 and a few ottos from another tank but don't want to overstock
Il add a full tank shot later when the lights come on.

ant

 

[sa80mark]

Its hard to tell off the pictures but my hc went through similar I kept syphoning as much of the melt off as I could each day and as I had no live stock whacked the co2 right up it soon turned around and grew really well

Mark

 

[anttthony]

Its hard to tell off the pictures but my hc went through similar I kept syphoning as much of the melt off as I could each day and as I had no live stock whacked the co2 right up it soon turned around and grew really well

Mark

Yer the pictures ain't great going to hang fire on the fish and turn up the gas a little... hopefully it survives its 4 pots worth!

ant

 

[sa80mark]

It will be fine, turn the gas up and keep onto of water changes it will soon start growing back then there will be no stopping it

 

[anttthony]

Heres a full tank shot after planting

ant

 

[anttthony]

Had a hc melt down in the tank am pretty sure my flow is ok. the tank is 80 litre iam using a 1400 lph filter with lilly pipes and a korila 900 all pointing from left to right where a ceramic diffuser is situated iam getting a mist all around the tank. I have no livestock at the moment but if I turn the gas up any more I just get large bubbles reaching the surface I cant get the diffuser low enough to sit under the filter inlet. Iam dosing easy carb x2 and ei daily. The tanks been set up about a month ive had no algee at all just co2 issues. Iam not sure if its the ceramic diffuser. I have a aquamedic 1000 external reactor do you think this would be overkill on a small tank? Was thinking of fitting it at the weekend. I was also thinking maybe ther was a problem with the gas iam using as ive got a friend who gets me out of date fire extinguishers think thats grasping at straws though? Ive just got a ph pen going to do a few tests tomorrow. Any body see anything iam doing wrong?
Il pots some pictures of my filter ser up
Thanks
ant

 

[anttthony]

ant

 

[anttthony]

Just a quick update after trying a ceramic diffuser ive ended up using a small air stone straight into the filter inlet as my ceramic diffuser is a bit large to fit in there
The hc has started to make a comeback so pretty sure av got it nailed
Been taking ph readings
Morning 6.9
Lights on 6.3
Lights off 6.1
Seems a lot better
Just ordered a hydor inline heater of a member
Just added some livestock
6 cherry shrimp
15 neon cardinals
3 ottos
This hobby seems to be a massive learning curve hopefully my plants recover under the new conditions thank god for ukaps

ant

 

[anttthony]

Hi all
Made a few changes to the tank I had problems with co2 distribution and lost all the hc. Since then Ive changed the ceramic diffuser to a aquamedic 1000 reactor and a diy acrylic spray bar across the rear of the tank (excuse the ehiem crook haven't quite got the hang of bending acrylic) and replanted with Staurogyne repens, hair grass and hygrophila rosanervig. also added a few pieces of ada kei stone I had lying around

Fingers crossed

ant

 

[anttthony]

Hi guys
A week and a half after planting and It looks like ive got a little dead spot In the tank. a little patch of stauro on the left hand side is just starting to melt. the right hand side looks to be growing well and is probably due a trim. Ive moved the filter inlet more central because it did favor the right due to the length of it. I am using a aquamanta ex 400 filter rated at 1400 lph with just a basket of ceramic rings a course sponge and some purigen Via a full Length spray bar across the rear of the tank. I do have a korila 900 and did try it below the spray bar but it was moving the substrate about to much
Anyone have any suggestions on a different arrangement for better flow or do I need to upgrade the filter?
Also I know my problem is c02 related but I read a post that made me think my light is inadequate? The tanks a tmc sig (60cm) and iam using a single tmc aquaray 500 (45cm) if I do need another light I would think I would need a controller as well

Left hand side melt

Right hand side

Filter arrangement (not a great picture)

Thanks guys


ant

 

[Lindy]

More light usually creates more problems. If the other plants are fine then why would you think you need more light?

 

[anttthony]

More light usually creates more problems. If the other plants are fine then why would you think you need more light?

Hi just read another thread and made me think if the light was long enough for the tank if that makes sense
I was told in my last tank that my problems with carpet plants where down to light think I was sent on a bum steer.

ant

 

[anttthony]

Just got home and a couple of my neon cardinals are showing signs of what I think is dropsy they look bloated and are struggling to swim upright is ther anything I can do to help them now or a good remendy I could buy tomorrow if iam not two late?

ant