• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

I think something is wrong with my set up plants don't grow

tovtm

tovtm

Member
Joined
2 Jan 2011
Messages
249
My plants never really grow or if they do at such a slow rate. I haven't trimmed any stems since Xmas and they've not grown very much. I thought it was flow problem so treated myself to a new filter fluval fx5 but this was day after new year and still no change

125lt tank (4ft long)
2x 4ft T8 bulbs from 3pm - 10pm
Fluval FX5 to spray bar to total length of tank (bar few inches either end)
Co2 with ceramic diffuser under fx5 inlet lime green usually a hr after lights on
Dose EI mon-Friday

I have hair grass
Hydro Japan
Few stems
riccia
Anubias petite this seems to be the only thing that gets new leaves on

Not sure what else I can say to give you any info
 
Hi, I noticed that you havent said anything about water changes are you doing so? Also what subtrate and or and food/ferts for roots? Just throwing ideas at you I maybe be wrong.:) oh and is your heater working properly, what temps the tank?
 
good ideas :) temp tank is constant 27degree got a digi headwear and never moves from it
WC each week just under 50% RO/ tap water mix
have root tabs dotted around and use cat litter as substrate 2" to 3" in some places towards back of tank
 
That all sounds good. The only other thing I can think of is have you changed the light period tinkered with co2 ? If that's not the case then I'm out of ideas at the moment.:) could there be too much co2 and lights need longer have you changed the bulb and plants are adjusting, is the co2 depleating at night or are levels staying high. :) think ill leave someone else to help you now as I'm lost.
 
Have you tried adding liquid fertiliser or EI ferts ? Im not sure but I wouldnt think root tabs on their own would stimulate the speed of growth you want. Try something like the Tropica one, or there is an article on here about EI dosing that I have just finished reading and it made a lot of sense. Seems pointless having CO2 if you are not dosing ferts at the same time. If your dropchecker is lime green, try moving it to different parts of the tank to make sure its lime green everywhere (this will tell you if its flow related). Oh and also change the fluid in your drop checker.

(I cant claim to be telling you this from my own expertise, but from what I have read on journals on here, but thats why this place seems so useful).
 
Hi all, everything all seems to be in order in your tank, so seems strange that your plants are growing slowly. How much EI ferts are you dosing every day. It could be that you are not adding enough. Are all of the co2 bubbles getting blown all around the tank?
 
Matty1983 said:
Hi all, everything all seems to be in order in your tank, so seems strange that your plants are growing slowly. How much EI ferts are you dosing every day. It could be that you are not adding enough. Are all of the co2 bubbles getting blown all around the tank?
Click to expand...


He aint dosing ferts mate, least i dont think so. All he said was a few tabs in the bottom.

Oops ignore that, lol, I just read the bit about the fert tabs and missed the earlier post.
 
125lt tank (4ft long)
2x 4ft T8 bulbs from 3pm - 10pm
Fluval FX5 to spray bar to total length of tank (bar few inches either end)
Co2 with ceramic diffuser under fx5 inlet lime green usually a hr after lights on
:watching: Dose EI mon-Friday

Doses EI as above
Cheers
hoggie
 
hogan53 said:
125lt tank (4ft long)
2x 4ft T8 bulbs from 3pm - 10pm
Fluval FX5 to spray bar to total length of tank (bar few inches either end)
Co2 with ceramic diffuser under fx5 inlet lime green usually a hr after lights on
:watching: Dose EI mon-Friday

Doses EI as above
Cheers
hoggie
Click to expand...


Hahaha, missed that , duh. Thanks. Makes it even more mysterious then.
 
thanks hoggie yep as said I do dose EI mon,we'd,Friday 50ml salts,po4,po3 then tues and Tuesday 25ml of trace this was what was advised to me about a year ago not at home at the moment so can't give what quantities I use.

as for lights and co2 levels I'm not really sure if lights need more on/off period all I can say is the only Algae I get is the usual brown on the from glass from dirt. I have the lights ad tank in a big homemade sideboard unit and lights are about 6" above water level about 20" away from substrate I do however have a twin 4' T5 light that could go in if needed as I brought this thinking it could also be a light issue but was advised after to sort out any co2 and flow problems first otherwise I could just get a massive algae problem so I know I can't get better than the fx5 only if it's not getting around the tank ok. but all plants at substrate level move due to flow so plenty there.
 
as for co2 bubbles around the tank I can't see any but I just assume them going into the inlet of the folder they get even more chopped up and become nearly 100% dissolved. reason I use 50% RO is because I've got a discus did have a pair but female died


EI mix is as follows :
4 tsp KNO3
1.25 tsp KH2PO4
9 tsp MgSO4
Put all this in one bottle and add 600ml warm water and give it a shake.
I dose 50ml of this on days 1, 3 & 5

i Add 1.25 tsp Trace to 200ml warm water, in a different bottle, and give that a shake too.
I dose 25ml of this on days 2 & 4.
 
tovtm said:
as for co2 bubbles around the tank I can't see any but I just assume them going into the inlet of the folder they get even more chopped up and become nearly 100% dissolved
Click to expand...

When you say inlet, do you mean inlet into the filter or inlet back into the tank ? Im assuming you mean the first one. I have read some threads where people say that their CO2 gets built up in the top of the filter and then "burps" out in one go (which you may not be aware of unless you are there all the time to witness it). You could try putting your diffuser (i presume you mean its an inline one right mate ?) on the outlet of the filter instead for a while. At least you would see where the bubbles are going to confirm you got decent enough distribution.
 
I have heard of simular things but as the fx5 filter hs smart technology every 24hrs it collects all the trapped air and expels it all but I would have though all this would do is not let co2 into the tank but drop checker says otherwise as it's green. diffuser I have is just a ceramic glass diffuser thatched in the tank can't buy a inline diffuser off the shelve for the 25mm fx5 pipes :) I could reposition this buy not sure wherein the tank maybe dead centre on the back wall under spray bar?

and inlet of the filter/ pipe going into the filter
 
In my tank I have it positioned underneath the outflow of the filter and it blows the bubbles into the tank in a downwards movement. In a larger tank such as yours a powerhead would be an idea, or a korallia :) Just thoughts though. Its going the be a lot of trial and error, since from what youve said you have lighting CO2 and ferts covered. The problem will be something to do with that and the balance you need to achieve between all three.
 
I moved the glass ceramic diffuser to middle back of the tank right under a spray bar hole in hope it may spread the CO2 a little better il see tonight if drop checker is any different.

in the past I've really struggled to understand EI and the mixture I dose at the moment was worked out by a previos member on here. EI calculator goes right over my head and struggle to work out how to calculate it would someone mind telling me if my dosing is correct or what I should be mixing?
 
Hi there, took this from APFUK website:
"Standard Ei Dosing [This is a guideline only]

Macro Solution
Mix, Shake & Leave to Dissolve Overnight:
4tsp Potassium Nitrate
1tsp Potassium Phosphate
6tsp Magnesium Sulphate
500ml Water

Dosing
Macro 3x a week. (10ml per 50ltr of Aquarium water)
20-50% weekly water change."

Seems your dosing is a little excessive at 50ml on the macro days. Really 30ml is more than ample, don't think this will be an issue though as you are diluting in 600ml water. I use cooled boiled water for mixing and leave overnight to dissolve fully, again unsure if this is relevant, but just what I have been told. Also your adding a bit more potassium phosphate and a lot more magnesium sulphate, I'd knock that back to the standard recipie and see how you go. I could be wrong but with exaggerated levels of these ferts you could be encouraging a nitrogen shortfall....in your 600ml mix the relative lower amount of Potassium Nitrate could be a potential cause of slow growth.....Clive is the man for this answer though!
Hope that helps.
 
Thanks Ady for the input I know if anyone would know what's going on with my tank Clive will be the man be good if he sees this for some input too. up to this point I've not been to worried about slow growth and not vibrant green colour but after spending out on nearly all new improved equipment I'm itching to get nice faster growth rates and lush green plants.
 
tovtm said:
125lt tank (4ft long)

2x 4ft T8 bulbs from 3pm - 10pm

Fluval FX5 to spray bar to total length of tank (bar few inches either end)

Co2 with ceramic diffuser under fx5 inlet lime green usually a hr after lights on


Dose EI mon-Friday
Click to expand...
Hi mate,
This data does not compute. You say 4 foot long but only 125 liters? Is it a very shallow or a very narrow tank? I probably have my numbers mixed up, but a 30 gallon tank is usually not that long? It's normally just over half that. So this might be a custom job which means trouble. If it is an elongated shape then, per standard operating procedure, one has to immediately question CO2 distribution, and it may be that having an in tank diffuser is not sufficient with the current bubble rate. Also having lime green an hour after lights on is exactly 1 hour too late. Lime green should occur at lights on, and maybe you need it to be yellow at lights on if distribution is poor. You may want to consider the in-line reactor options and consider turning the as on a lot earlier as well as an injection rate increase in order to achieve the lime green earlier.

I guess we need images of the spraybar installation with the water level lowered because it's very difficult to visualize the jet spray pattern just with words.

Cheers,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top