Hi everyone,
The title says it - and in some ways I should just sit on my couch and move on ... but - inspired by @Geoffrey Rea 's word on plant mastery, I can't help but keep striving for a bit "better"
That said, I would appreciate some guidance about next steps as I am not sure "where to go". Is this a case of "ok growth for my plant selection"? And I apologize for the long post and am thankful for anyone who gets through it to help me .
The details:
1. Size of tank: 65 Gallons = 250 L
2. Filtration API XP - M Filstar 300 GPH (it is not even 5x ... and turnover - and ultimately CO2 could be the issue -- trying to exhaust other options before replacing my filter).
3. Lighting and duration: 9 hours ... 2x AI prime freshwater on at 100% ... 2.5 hour ramp down starting when CO2 turns off and 30 minute ramp up. Probably total of 80 PAR at substrate at the highest?
4. Substrate: Tropica with miracle gro root tabs DIY probably 7 months old?
5. Co2 dosing or Non-dosing: Yes
The DC
About a 1.3/1.4 pH drop.
It is stable from lights on. CO2 turns on 3 hours before lights. Diffuser runs into the intake and comes out through a spraybar.
6. Fertilisers used + Ratios.
Per week dosage (from liquid fertilizer):
EI macro
Nitrate = 21 ppm
Phosphate = 4.2 ppm
Potassium = 14 + 1.75 (from potassium phosphate and potassium nitrate) = 15.75 ppm
Plantex CSM + B -- EDTA chelated micros - including Iron.
Iron used as proxy = .7
These weekly levels are split over 7 days and dosed daily.
My pH is less than 6.5 at lights on and probably goes up over 7 (so the chelate definitely breaks by lights on the next day).
*** going down the DTPA or EDDHA route may be an idea ... but I feel that the iron - dosed daily at lights on - is sufficiently available due to the "proper" pH at the dosing time. But who knows -- maybe the accumulation of EDTA in the water column may cause something?
At water change:
Through DIY GH booster (potassium, magnesium, and calcium sulfates).
Potassium = 24 ppm
Magnesium = 16 ppm
Calcium = 15 ppm
Water report = 2 ppm magnesium and 9 ppm Calcium
Considering the 80% change, we could say that my actual values are "higher than suggested up top" due to residual build up.
Totals are probably:
Calcium < 30
Magnesium < 25
Potassium < 35 (plus the dosage daily)
Could it actually be cation interference (affecting the ability to uptake and naturally liebigs ... though I think the plant has some ability to moderate its uptake) and I need to fiddle with the ratio?
The duckweed index @dw1305,
7. Water change regime. 80's weekly - if I am not busy, then I would do more a week.
8. Plant list.
Rotala Rotundifolia
Rotala mini butterfly
Rotala Bonsai
Pogostemon Erectus
Anubias Barteri
Buce Arrogant blue
Java fern (needle)
Staurogyne Repens
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Limnophilia aromatica
9. Inhabitants. Neon tetras, otto cats, apistogramma macmasteri pairs, some cherries (saw one the other day), an amano (haven't seen in weeks)., I have ALLL THE "PEST" SNAILS!!
10. Full tank shot.
Note: The rotala are definitely blocking flow and I do need to trim - but the issues that I am going to bring up happened "before" -- I will probably trim this weekend, however.
Some shots to help:
Pogostemon:
Rotala Rotundifolia
Some odd dark green veins? Or maybe its normal? Random "holes" that show up on maybe 5% of the leaves?
Java fern:
"tearing/stretch marks?"
A new anubias:
Rotala macrandra mini butterfly:
Some leaves are gorgeous ... some are just odd - greening? Odd deformity?
Staurogyne Repens:
Maybe old magnesium deficiency?
Limnophilia aromatica:
Cryptocoryne Wendtii:
These holes/tears are "new" they only started showing up a month or two ago and the holes/tears have progressively gotten worse.
I hope the photos illustrate some of the issues and give a complete picture of the growth in the tank.
Thank you for reading to this point .
Josh
The title says it - and in some ways I should just sit on my couch and move on ... but - inspired by @Geoffrey Rea 's word on plant mastery, I can't help but keep striving for a bit "better"
That said, I would appreciate some guidance about next steps as I am not sure "where to go". Is this a case of "ok growth for my plant selection"? And I apologize for the long post and am thankful for anyone who gets through it to help me .
The details:
1. Size of tank: 65 Gallons = 250 L
2. Filtration API XP - M Filstar 300 GPH (it is not even 5x ... and turnover - and ultimately CO2 could be the issue -- trying to exhaust other options before replacing my filter).
3. Lighting and duration: 9 hours ... 2x AI prime freshwater on at 100% ... 2.5 hour ramp down starting when CO2 turns off and 30 minute ramp up. Probably total of 80 PAR at substrate at the highest?
4. Substrate: Tropica with miracle gro root tabs DIY probably 7 months old?
5. Co2 dosing or Non-dosing: Yes
The DC
About a 1.3/1.4 pH drop.
It is stable from lights on. CO2 turns on 3 hours before lights. Diffuser runs into the intake and comes out through a spraybar.
6. Fertilisers used + Ratios.
Per week dosage (from liquid fertilizer):
EI macro
Nitrate = 21 ppm
Phosphate = 4.2 ppm
Potassium = 14 + 1.75 (from potassium phosphate and potassium nitrate) = 15.75 ppm
Plantex CSM + B -- EDTA chelated micros - including Iron.
Iron used as proxy = .7
These weekly levels are split over 7 days and dosed daily.
My pH is less than 6.5 at lights on and probably goes up over 7 (so the chelate definitely breaks by lights on the next day).
*** going down the DTPA or EDDHA route may be an idea ... but I feel that the iron - dosed daily at lights on - is sufficiently available due to the "proper" pH at the dosing time. But who knows -- maybe the accumulation of EDTA in the water column may cause something?
At water change:
Through DIY GH booster (potassium, magnesium, and calcium sulfates).
Potassium = 24 ppm
Magnesium = 16 ppm
Calcium = 15 ppm
Water report = 2 ppm magnesium and 9 ppm Calcium
Considering the 80% change, we could say that my actual values are "higher than suggested up top" due to residual build up.
Totals are probably:
Calcium < 30
Magnesium < 25
Potassium < 35 (plus the dosage daily)
Could it actually be cation interference (affecting the ability to uptake and naturally liebigs ... though I think the plant has some ability to moderate its uptake) and I need to fiddle with the ratio?
The duckweed index @dw1305,
7. Water change regime. 80's weekly - if I am not busy, then I would do more a week.
8. Plant list.
Rotala Rotundifolia
Rotala mini butterfly
Rotala Bonsai
Pogostemon Erectus
Anubias Barteri
Buce Arrogant blue
Java fern (needle)
Staurogyne Repens
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Limnophilia aromatica
9. Inhabitants. Neon tetras, otto cats, apistogramma macmasteri pairs, some cherries (saw one the other day), an amano (haven't seen in weeks)., I have ALLL THE "PEST" SNAILS!!
10. Full tank shot.
Note: The rotala are definitely blocking flow and I do need to trim - but the issues that I am going to bring up happened "before" -- I will probably trim this weekend, however.
Some shots to help:
Pogostemon:
Rotala Rotundifolia
Some odd dark green veins? Or maybe its normal? Random "holes" that show up on maybe 5% of the leaves?
Java fern:
"tearing/stretch marks?"
A new anubias:
Rotala macrandra mini butterfly:
Some leaves are gorgeous ... some are just odd - greening? Odd deformity?
Staurogyne Repens:
Maybe old magnesium deficiency?
Limnophilia aromatica:
Cryptocoryne Wendtii:
These holes/tears are "new" they only started showing up a month or two ago and the holes/tears have progressively gotten worse.
I hope the photos illustrate some of the issues and give a complete picture of the growth in the tank.
Thank you for reading to this point .
Josh