Mark Allen
Member
I bought a Superfish 60ltr tank with LED lighting at the beggining of July.
For soil I used Caribsea Eco Complete plant substrate, I added some rocks and a wooden bonsai tree.
For plants I wanted a grass and used Elocharis sp. mini tissure cultre and on the tree I tied Ludwigia mini red tissue culture. In the tank I planned to have a simaese fighter and some other little shoaling fish/shrimp.
I added a CO2 system and use TNC complete and Sachem flourish, lights on 08:00 to 20:00. Tank is at 24'C
This is what it started out like.
The plants did great to start with and sure the Ludwigia was pearling. But then, it died.
I talked to some people on a forum and decided it was because the roots were in the water and not in the soil it died. So I put some new in the soil, as I wanted some red plant. That also died. So something else is going on.
I then decided to start adding some Red Cherry Shrimp. I thought the betta wouldnt go down low and try to eat them, but he did. So I had to move him to my other tank. So I went and bought some minnows to go in there with the shrimp. Then the shrimp started to die, their back split and I could see white. I checked all my pH, KH, GH etc.... and everything was ok. I added some of the Tantora white stone, but they continued to die, all in the same way. Eventually all of them were dead. So I cannot put a finger on that. Some people say CO2 is bad, some say it isnt, so I cant be 100% sure on if it was that?
Back to the tank, the grass has taken a hit
Theres still some healthy green growth and its spreading, but something must be wrong.
Then theres the diatoms, being a new tank.
Little bubbles are CO2 and my drop tester is blue as I have been messing around with the CO2 whilst the guppies were poorly (mentioned below)
I also added a few guppies now all the RCS have gone, but for some reason I think some of them caught Columnaris and have passed on.
Basically this has been the worst tank I have ever attempted. I've never had so much death and algae problems.
Any help or answering death of plants/shrimp would be much appreciated. I think I've covered most things, but im sure you will have more questions to ask me.
For soil I used Caribsea Eco Complete plant substrate, I added some rocks and a wooden bonsai tree.
For plants I wanted a grass and used Elocharis sp. mini tissure cultre and on the tree I tied Ludwigia mini red tissue culture. In the tank I planned to have a simaese fighter and some other little shoaling fish/shrimp.
I added a CO2 system and use TNC complete and Sachem flourish, lights on 08:00 to 20:00. Tank is at 24'C
This is what it started out like.
The plants did great to start with and sure the Ludwigia was pearling. But then, it died.
I talked to some people on a forum and decided it was because the roots were in the water and not in the soil it died. So I put some new in the soil, as I wanted some red plant. That also died. So something else is going on.
I then decided to start adding some Red Cherry Shrimp. I thought the betta wouldnt go down low and try to eat them, but he did. So I had to move him to my other tank. So I went and bought some minnows to go in there with the shrimp. Then the shrimp started to die, their back split and I could see white. I checked all my pH, KH, GH etc.... and everything was ok. I added some of the Tantora white stone, but they continued to die, all in the same way. Eventually all of them were dead. So I cannot put a finger on that. Some people say CO2 is bad, some say it isnt, so I cant be 100% sure on if it was that?
Back to the tank, the grass has taken a hit
Theres still some healthy green growth and its spreading, but something must be wrong.
Then theres the diatoms, being a new tank.
Little bubbles are CO2 and my drop tester is blue as I have been messing around with the CO2 whilst the guppies were poorly (mentioned below)
I also added a few guppies now all the RCS have gone, but for some reason I think some of them caught Columnaris and have passed on.
Basically this has been the worst tank I have ever attempted. I've never had so much death and algae problems.
Any help or answering death of plants/shrimp would be much appreciated. I think I've covered most things, but im sure you will have more questions to ask me.