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Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls" Update @ 31.05.09

Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls"

Thx guys for the replies - the picy attached was taken last weekend - a I stated within my thread the front glass / side (only one) side has been cover in GBA - flared up during this week, water change tomorrow and I will wipe the algae off with a cloth + I have to mix some more fertz, so I am going to double up the powder mix to the same quantity of water and see what happens. Kill or cure time.

Regards
paul.
 
Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls"

:D .welcome back paul.glad you've stuck with it.
 
Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls" Update @ 30.05.09

Thx for replies on my return.

Today a big water change really big 90%, all glass cleaned with cloth to remove algae, pipes cleaned, pumps washed, DC cleaned Inc. new solution, slight increase in Co2, new fertz mixed - double powder dosage to same quantity of water, substrate heater back on - lets see what happens now, kill or cure.

Regards
Paul.
 
Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls" Update @ 30.05.09

Patience :)
 
Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls" Update @ 30.05.09

ok, so i'm not the most experienced person around here but would it possibly be better to have your power heads on the back wall pointing in the same direction as your spraybar, so they compliment each other rather than give an uneven flow pattern as it is?
is it a new tank set up also?
if so the plant biomass seems a tad on the light side.
 
Re: Packing it in "NO I'm Back boys and Girls" Update @ 30.05.09

hi,
looks to me like the pump on the left is pushing flow along the front and the one on the right along the back towards the tall plants on the left,spaybar in the middle.a bit like paulo's(londondragons).i would have thought a good circular flow around the tank.
but i'm not that experienced either :D
 
nry said:


baron von bubba said:
ok, so i'm not the most experienced person around here but would it possibly be better to have your power heads on the back wall pointing in the same direction as your spraybar, so they compliment each other rather than give an uneven flow pattern as it is?
is it a new tank set up also?
if so the plant biomass seems a tad on the light side.

Guys

Last August 2008 I had a problem with a tank and I had to buy another one rather quickly as I had fish and plants in buckets, fish and substrate are approx. 16 months old. I lost a lot of the plants due to them being in buckets, so it was a case of replanting. Picy attached as the tank was @ 23.11.2008.

DSCN3320.jpg


The tank had the original hood, filter was a Ex1200, Co2 kit was by Dennerle - diffuser was Dennerle ladder system, fertz added was by easylife – Profito, Ferro, Fosfo and Nitro - everything was honky dory apart from some of the leaves were suffering a deficiency see attached picy.

DSCN3326.jpg


DSCN3325.jpg


DSCN3324.jpg



I posted a thread regarding the condition of these leaves and I was advised that it was a fertz issue and too double dose the Profito, things stayed the same – plants requiring high light levels died. I was also advised to try E.I as it would be cheaper than buying off the shelf fertz, so I purchased the powders and did my mix as per the E.I article.


If you want the honest truth the tank has been on the decline since I started E.I dosing and reading other threads of people who have started E.I dosing are / have suffered issues / problems with this.

Still having issues and numerous threads posted – replies, increase Co2, ladder system could not cope with the amount of Co2, purchased an Aqua Medic 1000 reactor, concerns raised regarding lighting – replies lighting should be ok but increase your Co2, increase circulation – so I bought an Ehiem 2080 rated @ 1700 lph, then I found out that it only produces 825 lph once full of media (test carried out) with in AM reactor inline its only 600 lph, that was a waste of £250.00 – should have kept my old 1200 running.

That why the thread was posted “packing in” spending money on tank and its going no where.

Thanks to you guy’s who took time to reply to my thread and convinced me to stay – I thank you

So I purchased 2 x HK 2 pumps and bought a new lighting hood, as I was convinced that a lot of the issues regarding plant growth was down to lighting and nobody Inc. the so called “experts” would put there heads on the block and say “YES” its lighting – the only thing they say is “INCREASE CO2 LEVELS”.

So – Co2 at its maximum, Lighting improved dramatically, circulation improved, the only thing that left is fertz – so double dosing as I need to improve the fertz as I have improved everything else the uptake of plant nutrition will increase.

Perhaps we need some engineers here to work out logical solutions to the issues / problems we have with aquairiums.

Regards
Paul.
 
Fair old walk around to where you are now then!

Hard as it may be, whatever you are doing now, stick with it for (if you can) 3 or 4 weeks before changing anything else, let the new regime become 'normal' before changing something else.

The whole point of EI is that it should be simple. It's designed for an average tank, with a slightly higher than average amount of light, and (light levels dependent) suits use of CO2 as well. Alter anything beyond 'average' and you probably need to alter everything else - stick in extra light? Probably need more CO2 to keep at 30ppm and if you have loads of plants then you'll likely need more fertiliser too.

I'm of the group who had problems before EI, then switched to EI and the problems went away. I guess what EI did for me was introduce a strict maintenance routine, something which I lacked before, and possibly went some way to explain the algae problems I had years ago.

It strikes me that the damage on the red plant looks like it has been eaten by something though, rather than a deficiency?
 
Mark, the pictures you have put up of your tanks look very nice. You have a talent and really shouldn`t even consider giving up. Your plants may well be showing a variety of deficiencies, which a correct dosing of EI will resolve given time, but your plants will need that time. Any leaves showing a deficiency are not going to recover, so let the healthy new growth come through by removing the doomed leaves.

You seem a bit cynical of some of the advice you have been given, which is understandable considering the money you have spent. What you need to bear in mind is that the "experts" don`t experience the degree of problems you are having, but know how to correct them if they do start to show. It is always more difficult to diagnose a tank over the internet than it is to be stood in front of your own tank and figure out what to do.

Whereabouts in Cheshire do you live?

Dave.
 
Thx Guys

The picy was how the tank was last year 23.11.2008. The early part of this year I started E.I and it just added to the issue / problems I was having.

Tank @ 23.11.2008
DSCN3320.jpg



So I spent some money - added new plants , lights etc and in my opinion its still going down hill. Picy attached as the tank is now.

Plants on the front left hand side and infront of the water intake pipe very right hand side all Crypts + some of the HC are 8 weeks old, the other crypts in the middle are 4 weeks old + some HC.

Tank @ 24.05.2009
Tank24052009.jpg


The tank looked better last year.

Regards
Paul.
 
Hmm, I really like the current layout, it has much more structure than the older one - the old one (imho) was just plants, a big load of plants (nice ones though!), the newer one looks great :)
 
nry said:
Hmm, I really like the current layout, it has much more structure than the older one - the old one (imho) was just plants, a big load of plants (nice ones though!), the newer one looks great :)
I agree! Glad to see you back too. ;) Keep on top of it mate and if you need any advice just ask, someone will be able to help you out.
 
I've even taken some inspiration from your layout, IF I ever re-scape my 60cm :)
 
nry said:
Hmm, I really like the current layout, it has much more structure than the older one - the old one (imho) was just plants, a big load of plants (nice ones though!), the newer one looks great :)

Thx Nry

This is what I am referring too. last years tank lots of plants - high light loving plants struggling and decaying, swapped to E.I and decaying increased dramatically, time for a change - low light loving plants as they were the only ones I seemed to be able to keep, still E.I and these are struggling hence new lights, increase in flow etc. I am nearly there, this is what makes me think that there is something just missing and the only thing I can think it is now is fertz - hence double the dose. Some of the wllisii had yellow leaves, solved that by increasing trace mix, but the feel slimy now.

I have come to the conclusion that if there is a deficiency within the tank or water column whether its is lighting, flow / circulation, fertz and Co2 the net effect is an outbreak of algae and a lot of the replies within threads in relation to remove / reducing the effect of algae is increase the Co2 is only masking the issue when there are probably more fundamental issues that has caused the outbreak.

Hope this make sense.

Regards
Paul.
 
Way I see it, since algae loves instability, all the changes you've put in have possibly given a degree of instability...kind of why I'd say leave things for as long as you possibly can before changing anything. Crypts for one really don't like being moved or shoved around much. I moved a few of mine around a month back and they're only just starting to show some new growth even though they were growing much faster before I moved them.
 
hmmm, you have been round the block a bit with that dude!
hopefully everything you've learnt thro having yer probs will pay off in the long run!

have you still got the old filter? running that along side the ehiem could be an option?!

well, good luck getting it all sorted!
 
baron von bubba said:
hmmm, you have been round the block a bit with that dude!
hopefully everything you've learnt thro having yer probs will pay off in the long run!

have you still got the old filter? running that along side the ehiem could be an option?!

well, good luck getting it all sorted!

Thx Von

Ex1200 is sitting up stairs doing nothing (for sale). I purchased the 2080 to improve flow / filtration (OEM rated flow 1700 lph). I have now found out that a filter loose approx. 50% of their flow when they are full up with media - so you could say that the Ex1200 would only be pumping 600 lph. I have not got the room in the cupboard to fit both filter, the 2080 is that big is takes up one side of my cupboard and all my other equipment is in the other side, I have had to modify a shelf to get the Co2 bottle in. That why I have added two HK 1 pumps to assist with the circulation, I will get there even if it kills me.

There are solutions to any problems / issues that arise and it's not to bang more Co2 into the tank.

Regards
Paul.
 
a lot of the replies within threads in relation to remove / reducing the effect of algae is increase the Co2 is only masking the issue when there are probably more fundamental issues that has caused the outbreak

It's not really masking the issue, CO2 is critical to whether a lot of forms of algae thrives or dies.
 
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