Tom Raffield
Member
Hi everyone,
Some of you may have read or been aware of the long thread I started a good number of months ago about the issues I was having with my tank. Since then I have made some changes and have recently replanted a section of the tank, removing plants that were a little too worse for wear. They have been in for 4 days now and, due to my previous issues, I am a little paranoid but also interested to watch for any changes and possible early indications to problems.
My current tank regime and setup, due to the changes I have made, is as follows:
If there are upcoming issues I am somewhat stumped as to what to try next. If it is a further flow issue and therefore CO2 distribution what can I attempt? Is it too little CO2, could I add more Excel? Could it be a lighting issue as the T5s are over a year old, would an upgrade to something more versatile like LEDs which can be turned up/down be better? Is it a deficiency in nutrients in which case what more can I add?
As always, I thank anyone and everyone who shares their views. I have worked super hard to try and get this tank back on track as I was on the brink of giving up.
Some of you may have read or been aware of the long thread I started a good number of months ago about the issues I was having with my tank. Since then I have made some changes and have recently replanted a section of the tank, removing plants that were a little too worse for wear. They have been in for 4 days now and, due to my previous issues, I am a little paranoid but also interested to watch for any changes and possible early indications to problems.
- Crypts remain from when the tank was started. The following all took place 4 days ago.
- I added some Amazon Swords and they almost immediately showed negative signs (see photos). I believe that swords take time to adapt to a new environment so am hoping this is just the plant making itself at home.
- I replanted a monte carlo carpet - too early to say how this is doing.
- I added some Java Fern attached to rocks. Appears to be ok.
- And at the back, as a nutrient sponge and hoping it grows quite tall, hygrophilia polysperma. This, I think, is showing slight discolouration around the leaf edges and are the leaf veins very dark compared to the leaf itself? (see photos).
My current tank regime and setup, due to the changes I have made, is as follows:
- EI Dosing (with 50% water change weekly) using salts mixed in water following instructions supplied although I have reduced/removed phosphates as my tank was through the roof on these. 50ml macros and then 50ml micros on alternate days. A good local aquatic store tested for phosphates and whilst the test is supposed to take up to 10 minutes the colour had gone off the scale even as the indicator solution was being added. I also asked them to check my tap water which came back with a high phosphate reading so the plants should obtain enough from my water changes.
- Add Flourish Excel liquid carbon at 15ml a day.
- Juwel Vision 260 tank using 2xT5 tubes - 7 hour photoperiod. I had reduced the photoperiod when my troubles started to 3 or 4 hours. Never increased it again and was advised that the plants may be suffering from lack of light.
- Juwel filter removed and a Fluval FX4 added.
- Gas CO2 injection using CO2 art equipment and an atomic atomiser bazooka. Bubble count is too fast to physically count but both drop checkers (4dkh solution) show green at lights on and remain so throughout the photoperiod. The bazooka is directly under the water outlet to the filter so the bubbles are immediately gobbled up into that - hoping they have longer to dissolve through the filter; is this a good idea?
- Fluval FX4 outlets to the tank were removed and a custom 1m spray bar created. This sits an inch down at the back of the tank with the holes aimed forward and slightly down to minimise surface agitation. This was added to attempt to create better flow and distribution of nutrients in the tank. When I lower the water level to below the bar, the water 'jets' from the spray bar reach a third or so across the tank.
- Gravel substrate plus old eco-complete. Due to this I have recently added JBL Kugeln 7+13 balls throughout the tank.
- IDEA - I am tempted to buy a pH pen to do a profile of the tank over a day (30 or 60 min intervals). Would this be useful?
If there are upcoming issues I am somewhat stumped as to what to try next. If it is a further flow issue and therefore CO2 distribution what can I attempt? Is it too little CO2, could I add more Excel? Could it be a lighting issue as the T5s are over a year old, would an upgrade to something more versatile like LEDs which can be turned up/down be better? Is it a deficiency in nutrients in which case what more can I add?
As always, I thank anyone and everyone who shares their views. I have worked super hard to try and get this tank back on track as I was on the brink of giving up.