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help me please

E

evanso82

Seedling
Joined
9 Jun 2012
Messages
6
Hi,

new to planted tanks, and i think ive got a calcium deficiency, someone recommended adding Seachem Equilibrium but ive read somewhere its not very good for shrimps and id life to add some in the future, can anyone recommend anything else.

I have a tread on a practical fish keeping if anyone else can recommend anything else. http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk ... hp?t=87109
 
Seachem Equilibrium shouldnt harm shrimp. It is usually used for remineralising RO water. Where abouts do you live and can you get a water report from your water company?
Reading you thread on pfk suggests that the first things you need to look at are: your c02 injection and flow in your tank. I think you may not have enough of either. Getting some excel or easy carbo can help nuke the algae and boost your carbon levels but without addressing the root causes you will not fix the problem.
Posting all details about your tank size,light,flow,water params,ferts,a couple of pics etc here will see you get all the help you need.
Welcome to UKAPs BTW
 
Just to add, 1 bubble ever 3 seconds seems quite low for your co2. As stated equilibrium won't or shouldn't harm your shrimp at all. If your adamant it's calcium then purchase done calcium nitrate from the forum sponsors and just add half a teaspoon on water change days. Sounds to me like the main cause is down to co2. But definitely worth checking your test kits too if they are showing zero for both gh and kh.


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Hello,
People who are new to planted tanks and who think that their plants are suffering from calcium deficiencies have a history of misdiagnosing the condition 100% of the time. Calcium deficiency never results in black algae along leaf edges.

I cannot see the images in that external thread, but even blind, I can guess from the OP description that the tank is suffering poor CO2 and poor flow and probably poor distribution of flow. The algae sounds like it could easily be BBA, which is strictly related to poor application of CO2. Equilibrium and GH test kits will not solve these problems....ever, however Seachem Excel will definitely help because it is an auxilliary source of CO2 as well as being toxic to CO2 related algae.

As mentioned, you need to do a much better job of measuring and applying CO2. Study the Tutorial CO2 MEASUREMENT USING A DROP CHECKER so that you can have some degree of control over knowing the CO2 levels in the tank. That way you will know how much to increase your gas injection rate.

You would also do well to invest in a filter that is at least twice as powerful as the one you list becuae you are about 50% low on flow rating for an 80L tank.

You should also perform massive water changes (50% or more) and do this 2X-3X per week and dose TPN+ immediately afterwards until the situation abates.

Cheers,
 
i have played around with the filter and the flow does seem a lot better now, all of the plants seem to be moving in the flow. and i playing around with the co2 to get it around 30ppm

here a bit of a break down of the tank

It is a 60cm long, 30cm wide tank, 45cm high tank.

filter is a fluval U2, 400lph,

Lighting is 2 x 24w T5's on for a 6 1/2 period

Substrate is Carib Sea Eco Complete Planted Aquarium

dosing daily 2ml tropica plant nutrition+

Nitrite is 0.05 and nitrate is 0, my ammonia test has run out, ph is around 6.8 and both kh and gh around 0

how do i post some pictures?
 
here ther report from severn trent

Analysis Typical Value UK/European Limit Units
Hardness Level Moderately Soft No Standard Applies
Hardness Clark 3.00 No Standard Applies Degrees Clark
Hardness French 5.00 No Standard Applies French Degrees
Hardness German 2.00 No Standard Applies German Degrees
Aluminium 22.67 200 µgAl/l
Chloride 250 mgCl/l
Chlorine 0.29 No Standard Applies mg/l
Coliform bacteria 0.00 0 no./100ml
Colour 0.57 20 mg/l Pt/Co
Conductivity 136.50 2500 µS/cm at 20°C
E.coli bacteria 0.00 0 no./100ml
Fluoride 0.04 1.5 mgF/l
Iron 23.75 200 µgFe/l
Manganese 2.16 50 µgMn/l
Nitrate 2.75 50 mgNO3/l
Odour 0.00 Acceptable to customers and no abnormal change Dilution Number
Pesticides 0.00 0.5 µg/l
pH 7.85 6.5 - 9.5 pH Value
Sodium 8.73 200 mgNa/l
Taste 0.00 Acceptable to customers and no abnormal change Dilution Number
Plumbing Metals
Copper 0.00 2.0 mgCu/l
Lead 0.51 25 µgPb/l
Nickel 1.23 20 µgNi/l
or its here if you cant see it properly
http://www.stwater.co.uk/water-quality- ... mit=Search

and this is the co2 unit am running

http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/sh ... tarter-kit

ill try adding some photos now
 
Well there is enough hardness in that water to prove your test kits wrong. I wouldn't worry on that front, so it is unlikely you have a calcium defiency unless you havent been doing water changes...
I would follow Clive's(ceg4048) advice and focus on making sure you are diffusing and distributing your co2 effectively. Big water changes and liquid carbon (excel/easy carbo) are some your best tools to get rid of your algae. You may also want to check out the FE co2 tutorial on here as youll be chewing through those little canisters very quickly.
 
i generally do a 50% water change twice a week.

am not sure if its my imagination or not but the algae doesnt seem as bad since i have changed the flow.

another quick question, how often should i change the liquid in the drop checker?
 
evanso82 said:
another quick question, how often should i change the liquid in the drop checker?
Click to expand...
Weekly
 
danyel patrick said:
If you need any informations and help about fishkeeping or aquarium keeping, you have to go on that website, and so, you'll find all the informations that you need. I use it everytime I have a problem with my fish or tank:

http://themarinecentre.co.uk/ 😀
Click to expand...

Are you just advertising your own company? AKA Spam?
 
danyel patrick said:
If you need any informations and help about fishkeeping or aquarium keeping, you have to go on that website, and so, you'll find all the informations that you need. I use it everytime I have a problem with my fish or tank:

http://themarinecentre.co.uk/ 😀
Click to expand...
A website spell checker would be an essential purchase.
 
I would say that’s definitely a co2 issue, which is a combination of saturation and distribution. Increase co2 (more than you think) and look into using dry salts (EI).
 
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