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My 130ltr Tank - *Updated Pics*

Over feeding fish?
Water changes not picking up crud from substrate, so poor water quality at substrate level? Do you vacuum? I think this is what finally sorted my tank out - now have almost nothing coming up off the substrate when I water change, even putting the hose right next to it...
Overstocking fish?
Drop checker inaccurate due to mist in tank - so not enough co2?

I've learnt all of these the hard way...! Is so frustrating when it's not working. Mine now is!
 
Ok so...

Overfeeding - cant be this as i am doing just a pinch every two days.
Fish levels are fine - just 25 tetra and 2 guppys n 2 ottos - in a 130 litre tank.
I am vacuming yes but what i think i may be doing wrong is disturbing the substrate level too much and this is causing dirt to settle on leaves - and thus stunting growth maybe?
My DC is yellowish but i inject co2 straight into my filter so the DC cant really be innacurate due to mist.

I really am getting so frustrated with this tank lol.

Just cant understand why i'm getting such poor growth.

Really think it might be a light issue - ie. my lighting just isn't enough to stimulate fast growth?

I have 2x 25 watt t8 tubes. If i switched to 2x 24watt T5's would that be a big difference?
 
I think you'll see a difference with the t5s definitely mate. You have massive flow though, and I'd have thought ( personally) that far too much flow would affect uptake wouldn't it? Im probably totally wrong. But is it not like filling a funnel with water, too quick and it overflows, just enough and it's all taken in?
What's with the misting anyway? Why does it cause incorrect drop checker readings?


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Because the co2 mist goes up into the DC and means its innacurate (im sure someone else can give a more accurate explanation).

I have just looked in my tank and think i may have identified a problem - too much vacuuming and disturbing. All my plants had a layer of dirt on their leaves - from when i clean the rocks etc. i guess this is the problem when running a tank for 9+ months.

I rubbed it off all the leaves so now there should be nothing to act as a boundry between the leaves and the water column.
 
Yes think that may be an issue. Disturbing the substrate also released ammonia which is bad. I just sort of 'hoover' very slowly over the surface without disturbing it, which picks up a lot of crud. Although having done that for a while now there's very little left each time. Think was disturbing substrate too much before. Hope that's your issue too! There's always something else. My tank is now going mental though.
 
Ok so im now convinced that the reason i am getting slow growth is because of my low light.

I remember before when i got a bit faster growth it would of been when the tubes were newer. My co2 is good - DC is always yellow. I am dosing EI too so nutrients arent an issue. Flow is now at about 20x too.

My only limiting factor is light. I guess 50watts of T8 is low for a 130 litre tank.

Do you think i should try replacing my tubes first? Or should i just upgrade to a T5 unit.

I was thinking of going for one of the T5 arcadia units - 2x 24 watt bulbs. Will this be an improvement to my 2x 25watt t8 tubes or will i not notice much difference?
 
If you do but a new light then i always think if you are buying a light unit it might as well have more light than you want now as long as it can be turned down. 4 (2x2) x 24w with two plugs would give flexibility.
Have you changed your flow pattern now?
 
iqutics and all pond solutions have t5 units at good prices.
 
i would drop the spray bar below the surface. And angle the outlet up at the surface.
 
The spraybar is below the sevice - i just emptied some water to show the flow lol
 
Struggling with Diatoms... not really sure how to go about removing as i am pretty sure I've tried everything your meant to do...
 
Ok, so... updated pics - post 4-day blackout.

The tanks looking nice & clean again now. Just need my growth to pick up!

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Some of the hairgrass is a little yellow after the blackout - that should hopefully clear up after a week.

Am also dosing some Flourish Excel for the time being - just to make sure the Diatoms don't come back!
 
suck it up! that really is money down the tube...
 
It's only a fee grains here & there. I haven't needed to top up my soil since ive started...
 
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