Hi
So I'm a bit stressed out and depressed at the moment lol and I'm not as knowledgeable or experienced as you guys so I need some help please.
Tank: 200l 2x T8 bulbs, 2x internal filters. Fluval u4's
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40ppm
PH 7.4
TDS 476
KH 12
GH 21
Dose EI pre mixed, and do not use KNO3, K2SO4 for potassium.
So my tank was fine & algae free, I said I want more growth especially on my carpeting plants, cranked CO2 up, and boom algae outbreak, system crashed literally, all my carpet plants now covered in brown algae, crypts and echinodorus plants eating them selfs, green smudge and brown smudge stuff all on my tank glass, tank & plants were took over with algae, green spot algae on all plants, glass. Just a total mess.
CO2 before was at 1.8bps, I upped it to 2.6, algae outbreak happens, so did I add to much CO2? so much that the algae started to benefit it more? Another good thing to point out is, my tank is low light, low demanding plants..... I am only trying my luck with carpeting plants.... so maybe there was just to much?
Anyway few days ago noticed clown loach acting weird, other fish gasping, CO2 somehow turned it's self up to 3bps, lol, from charts I think I might of been in the 90ppm area, anyway I've lowered it all the way down to a new lowest, 1.5bps, and not sure if regulator is stable, but at the moment it is.
Now when I look back I think I was stupid, example if tank 1 had high light, high demanding plants and fast growers... articles and people say online aim for 30ppm.. so in this high spec tank it has 30ppm of CO2 .... great, tank 2 (my tank) low light, low demanding plants, I have 30ppm of CO2, what happens here?? surely my tank don't benefit the same? my plants will use less co2?
I'm nearly overstocked with fish as it is, so if I removed my CO2, would they give enough co2 to my tank? my girlfriends fluval ebi has no co2, no ferts, but yet plants grow, slow but grow.
Obviously I want to achieve the best growth and give my plants everything they need, but I'm just confused, I'm not blessed with a high end tank with high lights, and high demanding plants, I would much prefer a tank like that, but sadly I got to make do for now, and everything I learned is from the internet and forums like this one
So where did this algae outbreak come from? & do I need CO2? if so how much?
I hope someone can help me, or give me some advice, I just don't know what to do, and don't get me wrong I really enjoy growing plants and this hobby, but my tank is just depressing me at the moment, I guess I might of reached the point off, I want better lights, high demanding plants and not crypts etc, but If I can get this sorted I know I can enjoy my tank again with out upgrading etc, as I can't afford that now and this is a new 200l tank I just feel like I have no idea what I'm doing no more, I'm questioning my self
So I'm a bit stressed out and depressed at the moment lol and I'm not as knowledgeable or experienced as you guys so I need some help please.
Tank: 200l 2x T8 bulbs, 2x internal filters. Fluval u4's
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 40ppm
PH 7.4
TDS 476
KH 12
GH 21
Dose EI pre mixed, and do not use KNO3, K2SO4 for potassium.
So my tank was fine & algae free, I said I want more growth especially on my carpeting plants, cranked CO2 up, and boom algae outbreak, system crashed literally, all my carpet plants now covered in brown algae, crypts and echinodorus plants eating them selfs, green smudge and brown smudge stuff all on my tank glass, tank & plants were took over with algae, green spot algae on all plants, glass. Just a total mess.
CO2 before was at 1.8bps, I upped it to 2.6, algae outbreak happens, so did I add to much CO2? so much that the algae started to benefit it more? Another good thing to point out is, my tank is low light, low demanding plants..... I am only trying my luck with carpeting plants.... so maybe there was just to much?
Anyway few days ago noticed clown loach acting weird, other fish gasping, CO2 somehow turned it's self up to 3bps, lol, from charts I think I might of been in the 90ppm area, anyway I've lowered it all the way down to a new lowest, 1.5bps, and not sure if regulator is stable, but at the moment it is.
Now when I look back I think I was stupid, example if tank 1 had high light, high demanding plants and fast growers... articles and people say online aim for 30ppm.. so in this high spec tank it has 30ppm of CO2 .... great, tank 2 (my tank) low light, low demanding plants, I have 30ppm of CO2, what happens here?? surely my tank don't benefit the same? my plants will use less co2?
I'm nearly overstocked with fish as it is, so if I removed my CO2, would they give enough co2 to my tank? my girlfriends fluval ebi has no co2, no ferts, but yet plants grow, slow but grow.
Obviously I want to achieve the best growth and give my plants everything they need, but I'm just confused, I'm not blessed with a high end tank with high lights, and high demanding plants, I would much prefer a tank like that, but sadly I got to make do for now, and everything I learned is from the internet and forums like this one
So where did this algae outbreak come from? & do I need CO2? if so how much?
I hope someone can help me, or give me some advice, I just don't know what to do, and don't get me wrong I really enjoy growing plants and this hobby, but my tank is just depressing me at the moment, I guess I might of reached the point off, I want better lights, high demanding plants and not crypts etc, but If I can get this sorted I know I can enjoy my tank again with out upgrading etc, as I can't afford that now and this is a new 200l tank I just feel like I have no idea what I'm doing no more, I'm questioning my self