Hi all,
I am trying to grow a mixed carpet of Micrantheum 'Monte Carlo' and Marsilea hirsuta on Amazonia. The tank is 60x30x30cm (54 liters), has pressurized CO2 and a Fluval 2.0 light which is on 100% for 8 hours a day (no rampup or cooldown, all colours on full). It's unheated but I keep my house warm, so it's a steady 22 degrees.
I can't use EI dosing because I have Caridina type shrimp in the tank which cannot take large water changes, so I've been using an AIO weekly. It's been a struggle to keep the CO2 at a safe level for the shrimp, I've settled mostly on "drop checker just turned green from blue" or the shrimp start congregating in high spots in the tank, presumably to obtain more oxygen.
The Monte Carlo is extremely dense where it's growing, but there are huge bare patches rather than a carpet, and I have not needed to trim it. The tank has been planted since early August- I tried DSM in July but got mould within four days, flooded immediately and added several more pots of plants at that stage. I would have thought I would have a carpet by now.
Are the ferts my problem, or something else? Anyone have any tips?
Pics below. Sorry for the algae on the front glass! There's also some Pogostemon Erectus in the back in the first pic, which is doing well, nicely green, but I'd like to see more upward growth from that.
I am trying to grow a mixed carpet of Micrantheum 'Monte Carlo' and Marsilea hirsuta on Amazonia. The tank is 60x30x30cm (54 liters), has pressurized CO2 and a Fluval 2.0 light which is on 100% for 8 hours a day (no rampup or cooldown, all colours on full). It's unheated but I keep my house warm, so it's a steady 22 degrees.
I can't use EI dosing because I have Caridina type shrimp in the tank which cannot take large water changes, so I've been using an AIO weekly. It's been a struggle to keep the CO2 at a safe level for the shrimp, I've settled mostly on "drop checker just turned green from blue" or the shrimp start congregating in high spots in the tank, presumably to obtain more oxygen.
The Monte Carlo is extremely dense where it's growing, but there are huge bare patches rather than a carpet, and I have not needed to trim it. The tank has been planted since early August- I tried DSM in July but got mould within four days, flooded immediately and added several more pots of plants at that stage. I would have thought I would have a carpet by now.
Are the ferts my problem, or something else? Anyone have any tips?
Pics below. Sorry for the algae on the front glass! There's also some Pogostemon Erectus in the back in the first pic, which is doing well, nicely green, but I'd like to see more upward growth from that.