Hello.
This is my one year old tank and still i have alot to learn especially how to compact algaes & why black peppers appear in the Discuss body.
Dimensions: Aquatlantis 47" x 16" x 20"/120 x 40 x 50 cm, Volume 240 l./53 gal./63 US gal.
Fish: 2 x 6' Chequerboard Pigeon, 1 x 3'5, and 2 x 2.5' blue diamonds. 30x Cardinal Tetras, 6 x Otocs. Discusses are supplied by Chen's Discuss.
Plants/Invertebrates:
Glossostigma elatinoides, Tropica Riccia fluitans, Anubias nana, small portion of Hemianthus callitrichoides, Microsorum pteropus ''Narrow'', Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv', Cryptocoryne undulata, Echinodorus 'Aquartica', Echinodorus 'Ozelot' (green), Vallisneria, Nymphaea lotus (zenkeri), Lotus tiger, Pogostemon helferi , Nymphoides aquatica, Amazon Sword, Rotala macandra (not sure i've got the plant name corrected. They are the red ones next to zenkeri (left side).
Filtration: 1 x Eheim Professional 3e 2076, 1 x Aqua Aq1000
Lighting: 3 x 54w T5. tubes and 1 double ballast from Juwel, 1 single 54w ballst from Acra.
Substrate: Black & White subtrates (not sure the real name) from LFS, and JBL plant subtrates.
Decor: A branching red moon wood from Aqua Essentials, and a piece of bogwood.
Background: No. Clear glasses/mirrors around the tank
Water parameters: Ph 6.8-7.0. Very high GH & KH (8-10?). NO3 = 20 - 40mgl. NO2 = 0.1 - 0.3. PO4 = 2-4mgl. Temp: 78 - 80F. CO2 = yellowish in a double check co2 checker.
This tank was set up in end of June 2007. The colour pea subtrates replaced in Dec 2007 with 5-7cm black & white colour subtrates plus 1cm JBL plant subtrates. There was only 1 filter at the setup time, the water wasn't clear until an Eheim professional 3e added. I will add one more Eheim prof 3e on to it. The prof 3e filter is making water pretty clear and it sounds very quie as well.
The Eheim plastic lily pipes were replaced by two glass ware sets, PM Glass Inflow/Outflow Set - 16mm from Aqua Essentials, ordered few months ago. These sets are very breakable hence one of outflows was broken, so decided to replace the broken set with Cal Aqua Inlet/Outlet 17mm from Cal Aqua Labs.
A double check CO2 checker ordered at the same time the inlet/outset and it was free as they had a promotion at that time. I'm very pleased with the Cal Aqua products. Their stuffs are very top quality. I will order an Inline CO2 Diffuser Type II once it is on for sale in their website.
I've just started to keep fishes and live plants about a year now. I wanted to have a tank with green plants and healthy fishes but things didn't go as my plans although at the times. Algaes & fishes death were the real problems. I now think the major impact of fish death was the filter wasn't established and not ready, too many stresses & disturbing water changes. With algaes, two facts among others to allow growing are not enough CO2 and nutrients in the tank.
I started with DIY CO2 over 8 months and noticed that they are not good enough in a heavy plant tank, so I decided to change to pressuried CO2 few months ago. Since then plants grew better, however algaes still grow like mad. I was mad at times and decided to strip the tank and relandscape it quite alot of times. The more i tried to change, strip down the tank, remove the infected plants etc..., the more frustration i had because algaes still go nowhere.
I used Seachem liquid fertilisers and dosed them as instructed on the guidelines, but plants didn't grow well and look green as i wanted. Until recently (end of June) i decided to change the liquid to dry fertilisers (from Aqua Essentials), and this switch seem worked very well. Plants grow healthy, look green however algaes still present, but not much since dosing dry fertilisers.
In the past and now Microsorum pteropus ''Narrow'', 'Windeløv', and Java moss & java fens somehow do not grow well, algaes are growing on them. Brown dusts and few green spots are appeared on the front glass just after 3-4 days. I don’t know whether the lighting period is a cause to allow algae growing. Next week I will reduce the lighting period to see any effects. Lighting periods are: 7:50am to 2:30pm with 2 x 54w, and 1 x 54 switching on between 9am – 2pm. Then they all turn off and then turn on again from 5:30pm to 10pm with 2 x 54w, plus 1 x 54 is on between 6pm-8pm.
CO2 is supplied 24h. Airstone is on between 12am - 4am every night to drive off CO2.
I use Estimate Index (EI) method and dose dry fertilisers direct on the tank. Two reasons encouraged me to dose powders in the tank: a) No need to make a stock solution, b) No manual dosing the solution daily.
I put the powders in an Eheim Tank Mate fish feeder unit, set meal timers to every 6am from Monday to Friday. This feeder unit can feed dry foods as well. Saturday and Sunday I dose the powder manually.
I do water change every Saturday, with 50% - 70% and replace with HMA waters. Clean and remove infected leaves, start dosing the powders right after the water change with 1 tsp of Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), ¼ tsp of Potassium sulphate (K2SO4), and ¼ of Monopotassium phosphates (KH2PO4), and then the same amount of fertilisers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sunday I dose ¼ tsp of Magnesium (MgS04), ½ tsp of Trace Elements mix, and ½ tsp of Iron Sulphate (FeS04) on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
My tank size is 240 l./53 gal./63 US gal without substrates and plants, so I guess now is about 220L with them on it.
One thing I noticed since using EI method is the Iron level present in the tank. Before using EI method and dry fertilisers, the UV unit was turn on 24h, i dosed Seachem Iron liquid each time of 5ml, 3 times a week, the test result showed the Iron level as always 0mg. Since using EI & dry powders, and the UV unit was turn off, the test result showed 1mg of Iron in the tank. I do not sure whether the UV unit has something to do with this Iron issue. i am studying this issue so i decide to turn the UV unit earlier this evening. I will check the Iron level by Sat to find out what's going on.
I thought algaes grow due to many seasons, one of them is the balance of KNO3 & KH2PO4. To study this issue I experimented the dosing by adding all nutrients together at the time on Friday morning, and change water by Sat morning, and dosing as usual on the following week, this study resulted that algaes still grow.
Tank maintenance seems a bit frustration. To be honest I have to clean the tank twice a week before and now, either on Tues or Wed, and Sat. I want to spend less times in maintenance, and in order to do so I need to figure out how to stop algae grow first. Once this matter solves, I guess there is need not to worry about cleaning the glass twice a week.
What i've learned so far: Do not put fishes on to the tank until the filter is ready, not until at least after 8-12 weeks. Do use pressured CO2 and supply them more than the CO2 checker indicates. And making sure my plants have the correct balance of nutrients is essential for good, strong growth.
Apart from algae problem, one more important fact i want to study, this is the kind of black peppers appearing on fins and top body of Discuss.
I try to get rid of algaes completely. Any advices and comments are welcome.
This is my one year old tank and still i have alot to learn especially how to compact algaes & why black peppers appear in the Discuss body.
Dimensions: Aquatlantis 47" x 16" x 20"/120 x 40 x 50 cm, Volume 240 l./53 gal./63 US gal.
Fish: 2 x 6' Chequerboard Pigeon, 1 x 3'5, and 2 x 2.5' blue diamonds. 30x Cardinal Tetras, 6 x Otocs. Discusses are supplied by Chen's Discuss.
Plants/Invertebrates:
Glossostigma elatinoides, Tropica Riccia fluitans, Anubias nana, small portion of Hemianthus callitrichoides, Microsorum pteropus ''Narrow'', Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv', Cryptocoryne undulata, Echinodorus 'Aquartica', Echinodorus 'Ozelot' (green), Vallisneria, Nymphaea lotus (zenkeri), Lotus tiger, Pogostemon helferi , Nymphoides aquatica, Amazon Sword, Rotala macandra (not sure i've got the plant name corrected. They are the red ones next to zenkeri (left side).
Filtration: 1 x Eheim Professional 3e 2076, 1 x Aqua Aq1000
Lighting: 3 x 54w T5. tubes and 1 double ballast from Juwel, 1 single 54w ballst from Acra.
Substrate: Black & White subtrates (not sure the real name) from LFS, and JBL plant subtrates.
Decor: A branching red moon wood from Aqua Essentials, and a piece of bogwood.
Background: No. Clear glasses/mirrors around the tank
Water parameters: Ph 6.8-7.0. Very high GH & KH (8-10?). NO3 = 20 - 40mgl. NO2 = 0.1 - 0.3. PO4 = 2-4mgl. Temp: 78 - 80F. CO2 = yellowish in a double check co2 checker.
This tank was set up in end of June 2007. The colour pea subtrates replaced in Dec 2007 with 5-7cm black & white colour subtrates plus 1cm JBL plant subtrates. There was only 1 filter at the setup time, the water wasn't clear until an Eheim professional 3e added. I will add one more Eheim prof 3e on to it. The prof 3e filter is making water pretty clear and it sounds very quie as well.
The Eheim plastic lily pipes were replaced by two glass ware sets, PM Glass Inflow/Outflow Set - 16mm from Aqua Essentials, ordered few months ago. These sets are very breakable hence one of outflows was broken, so decided to replace the broken set with Cal Aqua Inlet/Outlet 17mm from Cal Aqua Labs.
A double check CO2 checker ordered at the same time the inlet/outset and it was free as they had a promotion at that time. I'm very pleased with the Cal Aqua products. Their stuffs are very top quality. I will order an Inline CO2 Diffuser Type II once it is on for sale in their website.
I've just started to keep fishes and live plants about a year now. I wanted to have a tank with green plants and healthy fishes but things didn't go as my plans although at the times. Algaes & fishes death were the real problems. I now think the major impact of fish death was the filter wasn't established and not ready, too many stresses & disturbing water changes. With algaes, two facts among others to allow growing are not enough CO2 and nutrients in the tank.
I started with DIY CO2 over 8 months and noticed that they are not good enough in a heavy plant tank, so I decided to change to pressuried CO2 few months ago. Since then plants grew better, however algaes still grow like mad. I was mad at times and decided to strip the tank and relandscape it quite alot of times. The more i tried to change, strip down the tank, remove the infected plants etc..., the more frustration i had because algaes still go nowhere.
I used Seachem liquid fertilisers and dosed them as instructed on the guidelines, but plants didn't grow well and look green as i wanted. Until recently (end of June) i decided to change the liquid to dry fertilisers (from Aqua Essentials), and this switch seem worked very well. Plants grow healthy, look green however algaes still present, but not much since dosing dry fertilisers.
In the past and now Microsorum pteropus ''Narrow'', 'Windeløv', and Java moss & java fens somehow do not grow well, algaes are growing on them. Brown dusts and few green spots are appeared on the front glass just after 3-4 days. I don’t know whether the lighting period is a cause to allow algae growing. Next week I will reduce the lighting period to see any effects. Lighting periods are: 7:50am to 2:30pm with 2 x 54w, and 1 x 54 switching on between 9am – 2pm. Then they all turn off and then turn on again from 5:30pm to 10pm with 2 x 54w, plus 1 x 54 is on between 6pm-8pm.
CO2 is supplied 24h. Airstone is on between 12am - 4am every night to drive off CO2.
I use Estimate Index (EI) method and dose dry fertilisers direct on the tank. Two reasons encouraged me to dose powders in the tank: a) No need to make a stock solution, b) No manual dosing the solution daily.
I put the powders in an Eheim Tank Mate fish feeder unit, set meal timers to every 6am from Monday to Friday. This feeder unit can feed dry foods as well. Saturday and Sunday I dose the powder manually.
I do water change every Saturday, with 50% - 70% and replace with HMA waters. Clean and remove infected leaves, start dosing the powders right after the water change with 1 tsp of Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), ¼ tsp of Potassium sulphate (K2SO4), and ¼ of Monopotassium phosphates (KH2PO4), and then the same amount of fertilisers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sunday I dose ¼ tsp of Magnesium (MgS04), ½ tsp of Trace Elements mix, and ½ tsp of Iron Sulphate (FeS04) on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
My tank size is 240 l./53 gal./63 US gal without substrates and plants, so I guess now is about 220L with them on it.
One thing I noticed since using EI method is the Iron level present in the tank. Before using EI method and dry fertilisers, the UV unit was turn on 24h, i dosed Seachem Iron liquid each time of 5ml, 3 times a week, the test result showed the Iron level as always 0mg. Since using EI & dry powders, and the UV unit was turn off, the test result showed 1mg of Iron in the tank. I do not sure whether the UV unit has something to do with this Iron issue. i am studying this issue so i decide to turn the UV unit earlier this evening. I will check the Iron level by Sat to find out what's going on.
I thought algaes grow due to many seasons, one of them is the balance of KNO3 & KH2PO4. To study this issue I experimented the dosing by adding all nutrients together at the time on Friday morning, and change water by Sat morning, and dosing as usual on the following week, this study resulted that algaes still grow.
Tank maintenance seems a bit frustration. To be honest I have to clean the tank twice a week before and now, either on Tues or Wed, and Sat. I want to spend less times in maintenance, and in order to do so I need to figure out how to stop algae grow first. Once this matter solves, I guess there is need not to worry about cleaning the glass twice a week.
What i've learned so far: Do not put fishes on to the tank until the filter is ready, not until at least after 8-12 weeks. Do use pressured CO2 and supply them more than the CO2 checker indicates. And making sure my plants have the correct balance of nutrients is essential for good, strong growth.
Apart from algae problem, one more important fact i want to study, this is the kind of black peppers appearing on fins and top body of Discuss.
I try to get rid of algaes completely. Any advices and comments are welcome.