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A place for Corydoras

Yesterday added JBL inline diffuser in a horizontal position as this worked with two lengths of old filter pipe, meaning I did not need to cut the existing pipe (just in case I want to remove the inline diffuser).

Took the Java fern to my local Maidenhead aquatics for some credit and whilst I was there picked up a pot of Lobelia Cardinalis Dwarf. This was planted in the front right side.

As you can now see the original idea of an "opening" for the corys can now be seen, I think I need some small plants to put in front of the crypts around the "opening" - Any suggestions??

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So in a effort to get the co2 under control I borrowed a digital ph meter from a friend. First days use its been really helpful. Before co2 started read 7.04, 2.5 hours after co2 started read 7.2, so slightly adjusted, 3.5 hours later read 6.97 when co2 stopped.

Tomorrow want to try and see if co2 is consistent throughout the lighting period. Once that is sorted will then determine time to start co2.

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As you can now see the original idea of an "opening" for the corys can now be seen, I think I need some small plants to put in front of the crypts around the "opening" - Any suggestions??

Hi,

I think so too. That would really help to transition. Some smaller crypts (i.e parva) would work nice, since I assume you to be on the low tech side of things. Also some Anubias, tied on pretty small rocks in a way making the rocks invisible, would look good I guess ;)

Further I would place some stems in the background of the left side. That would fill the gap behind the root I think.
 
Hi,

I think so too. That would really help to transition. Some smaller crypts (i.e parva) would work nice, since I assume you to be on the low tech side of things. Also some Anubias, tied on pretty small rocks in a way making the rocks invisible, would look good I guess ;)

Further I would place some stems in the background of the left side. That would fill the gap behind the root I think.
Well funny you should day that as 2 x pots of Hygrophila compact and Staurogyne repens arrived yesterday. Pots placed in tank for now ready for Saturday.

Thinking these can go around the back with maybe a clump on the left?

Also thinking of removing the brown cryptocoryne, any suggestions for replacements ?
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Alternanthera cardinalis cut back yesterday and tops replanted, leaves with holes in removed. Reading a bit more on this plant it seems fairly common for it to get holes in its leaves.

PH read 7.4 this morning, hoping to get 6.8 (which I believe is the sweet spot) when the lights come on and to maintain this level until lights out.

Tested PO4 yesterday and it read 0.25 which to me seems a little low (I know you can't reply on these test kits 100%)

Water KH is 7 and GH is 11 (which tallies with water company averages)
 
Ringing around local fish shops, finding it hard to find some Bandit Corys :( Damn as this scape is for Cory's.. oh well patience.
 
Ringing around local fish shops, finding it hard to find some Bandit Corys :( Damn as this scape is for Cory's.. oh well patience.
A quick update on the goings on in the coryless tank. Having a few problems with the Staurogyne repens, they lost all their lower leaves (just floated) off. The Alternanthera Cardinalis is still getting holes in its leaves.

Now dosing 2.4ml Tropica specialiseddaily + 1.8 ppm of po4 and 0.76 of k.
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What's your current doing regime these days mate? Been looking at your other thread regarding deficiency but thought I'd post in here to keep track and all information in one place. Pale new growth would suggest iron, your water is quite hard but if you're using tropica I think they use a better chelator. Noticed further up you're adding extra Po4 and K but no mention of nitrogen. Lack of nitrogen would give pale new growth and yellowing of old leaves which seems to be apparent in the sword leaf and the upper most leaf in pic 2, the one with the brown hole in it.

If I was to hazard a guess I would start adding a bit more N and see how you get on with that. Tropica does have N but not massive amounts so if iron and N were in your cross hairs maybe up the Tropica dosing another squirt for a while. I would also up the co2 a touch, if the S.Repens are at gravel level are dissolving you could do with getting a bit more co2 down there as well.
 
well... 2.4 ml (2 squirts) of Tropia Specialised daily, and just started 1.2ml (1 squirt) of tropica premium daily. Co2 is now at ph6.8 (water is 8.2 after 24h) when lights on (lime green in drop checker)

We dose the dry 3 times a week.
 
and the Nitrogen?
 
I'm still thinking Nitrogen buddy. The nitrogen in Tropica specialised is relatively low compared to other dosing methods. I tend to think of Tropica products as ones you could use in a lowish light non co2 injected setup where most of the nitrogen comes from the fish waste unless you want to dose large amounts and have deep pockets. the dose you're currently adding is at the bottom end of what Tropica recommend for a tank of your size and advise upping this dose in heavily planted tanks until you find the correct absorption rates.

Right now your tank appears to be getting quite a decent bio-load of plants with some hungry fast feeders. I think you may have been getting away with it up to now with the plant soil but the nitrogen is depleting as the plants grow in. If you have any kno3 about try maybe a half teaspoon of that per week and see if your situation improves or double your tropica spec dosing for a few weeks.

Out of all the nutrients in the tank, although they all need to be balanced the plants generally consume mostly nitrogen and potassium hence EI dosing would recommend between 20/30ppm weekly nitrogen and 15/20ppm potassium. Po4 only at 3ppm and iron 1ppm so as you can see N&K are the ones plants need a fair bit of. Looking on Rotala if you dosed 35.7 ml of Tropica spec you would be adding 3.83ppm of Nitrogen.

Taking all that into account plus the plant deficiency has the traits of nitrogen deficiency that's the direction I would be heading in I think.

Just to add po4 is quite low in potassium as well where as quite high in KNO3 so a dose of kno3 could sort two issues if that's the case.
 
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Should probably explain the Rotala bit, you would need to dose more than a standard dose of Tropica Spec to get the bottom end of Iron requirement for E.I but as you dose premium as well you are probably covered for iron. But even at that rate you are still low on nitrogen and the premium doesn't contain any. Essentially other than that little bit in the specialised your plants are relying on fish waste and whetever left in the soil.
 
I'm still thinking Nitrogen buddy. The nitrogen in Tropica specialised is relatively low compared to other dosing methods. I tend to think of Tropica products as ones you could use in a lowish light non co2 injected setup where most of the nitrogen comes from the fish waste unless you want to dose large amounts and have deep pockets. the dose you're currently adding is at the bottom end of what Tropica recommend for a tank of your size and advise upping this dose in heavily planted tanks until you find the correct absorption rates.

Right now your tank appears to be getting quite a decent bio-load of plants with some hungry fast feeders. I think you may have been getting away with it up to now with the plant soil but the nitrogen is depleting as the plants grow in. If you have any kno3 about try maybe a half teaspoon of that per week and see if your situation improves or double your tropica spec dosing for a few weeks.

Out of all the nutrients in the tank, although they all need to be balanced the plants generally consume mostly nitrogen and potassium hence EI dosing would recommend between 20/30ppm weekly nitrogen and 15/20ppm potassium. Po4 only at 3ppm and iron 1ppm so as you can see N&K are the ones plants need a fair bit of. Looking on Rotala if you dosed 35.7 ml of Tropica spec you would be adding 3.83ppm of Nitrogen.

Taking all that into account plus the plant deficiency has the traits of nitrogen deficiency that's the direction I would be heading in I think.

Just to add po4 is quite low in potassium as well where as quite high in KNO3 so a dose of kno3 could sort two issues if that's the case.

Brilliant analysis and very informative reply, thanks very much. I do have kno3, so 1/2 TSP a week would be what ppm a week as I'm thinking I could add it to the kh2po4 solution which I dose 30ml a week?
 
So if I put in 6 TSP into 500ml, each dose of 10ml will give me 4.41ppm. So over the week id get 13.23ppm as I'm dosing 3x a week, is that a good starting place?
 
I always refer back to James Planted Tank Calculator for a quick reference. you would need to decide which way you are thinking about going about this obviously the spoon route is simplest. Looking on there a quarter tspoon of kno3 added once to a 125 ltr tank would raise your nitrogen levels by 7.36ppm and a half would be 14.71 ppm. If you want to mix in your bottle you would need to start with a fresh bottle so you know how much volume you have to start with so I would add dry until you use up your existing bottle. You need to take into account you already have some nitrogen in there so maybe add the quarter spoon twice a week first dose after your water change and see how you get on allowing a few week for the plants to soak some up and build up a store. You could then use the calculator and mix some in with your bottle if you feel that the situation has improved.

I'm no expert btw so I could be wrong here but if all the signs are there in the plants and what we know about how you're currently dosing points to possible nitrogen shortage then you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain from adding the KNO3. Once we know it isn't the nitrogen we can look at what else maybe a miss but you seem to be adding all the others in enough quantities to rule them out for now anyway. Process of elimination.

That's why E.I dosing with dry salts is such a popular way of growing plants, basically all of the above ferts can be ruled out (sort of) as they are being added in quantities that it is highly unlikely with whatever lighting you have that the plants will need any more than this so people can concentrate on flow and co2.
 
So if I put in 6 TSP into 500ml, each dose of 10ml will give me 4.41ppm. So over the week id get 13.23ppm as I'm dosing 3x a week, is that a good starting place?

Something like that yeah, just remember though if you add water to your existing bottle and you've used some it will water down whatever ferts are already in there so fresh bottle or dry.
 
Something like that yeah, just remember though if you add water to your existing bottle and you've used some it will water down whatever ferts are already in there so fresh bottle or dry.
We have only used and 30ml of it, so I think I'll just add to that and see how I get on. To start with this week I'll add 1/2 a TSP now and upon water change on Sunday start using the bottle.

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