Bertie
Member
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2013
- Messages
- 489
Hi all,
Apologies for what may be a long post.
Tank (as of today). Tank has been running for 6 months.
Rio 180 with 160 litres with 6-8mm gravel.(did not intend for live plants when setup)
Eheim Pro3 250 External Filter at 950lph, New Wave 1.6 Circulation Pump at 800lph and a small cheap submersible pump at 200lph
2 x 45w T5 Tubes on for 8hrs a day.
Pressurised CO2 at 3bps
5ml daily of a "complete" fertilizer and 4ml of Liquid CO2
Change 50% water weekly.
I must at this point, say that I have had good advice from this forum, although nothing seems to work for me. (maybe my impatience).
History of my Tank.
I initially set up the tank without live plants so I had fake plants and rocks basically, with just the Juwel Internal filter.
Quite quickly the tank suffered from brown algae and, very shortly afterwards, from serious BBA. The stuff was, to me anyway, everywhere. I initially cut the lighting down to 6hrs per day and took out all of the decor etc and gave it all a good scrubbing and replaced. I also removed the internal filter and replaced it with an Eheim Pro 3 250. Over a few weeks the brown algae receded and the gravel appeared fine.
I was however no longer happy with the fake plants and started to add plants..Initially, Vallis, Cabomba and the like. The cabomba,especially was a disaster with bits everywhere, so I quickly pulled it out. I added some crypts and swords, moss balls and other bits and bobs. I started feeding a fert recommended for tanks that did not use CO2. I also started dosing with 3ml daily of liquid CO2.
I kept adding plants and kept on getting small attacks of bba, so on advice I started adding "complete" fertilizer and upped the liquid CO2 gradually to 5ml daily. Everything settled down and I increased the lighting period back to 8hrs per day.
I was happy with the tank and all looked well, until the plants seemed to stop growing, or dramatically slowed down. I managed to talk my wife into allowing me pressurised CO2 and I also bought 2 light reflectors. I did have problems getting the bps right, going up quite high at one time. In a short space of time I had more bba and brown algae on the gravel.
On advice, I removed the reflectors, upped the fert dosage, and altered the flow of the powerhead, and, at first the bba and brown algae seemed to recede,in fact the bba started to turn red, and I gave the plants a good haircut to remove the blackened leaves.But the bba persists.
I made a DIY long spraybar for the back of the tank but the result was not good so I placed the supplied eheim spraybar back along the side of the tank. At the same time I re-positioned the powerheads and the flow is a lot better enabling me to reduce the bps to 3.
But I feel I am losing the battle. The bba is still here,as is the brown or olive algae on the gravel, and the plants look straggly, and most appear not to be growing too well, new growth is pale to yellow and some even look "torn". The plants that seem to be doing very well are the Java Fern. Most of the rest of the plants look "dirty" and not very nice. My water is crystal clear and the fish appear very healthy.
Therefore should I pull up all the plants and start again? I feel that I should start over and replace the substrate,plants etc. The trouble with that is that I do not have anywhere to house the fish whilst that is done, as it would take a while, due to my health. I also do not know whether the other half would fund it.
Or would cutting the plants right back help? Or maybe I am not cut out for growing plants in a fish tank!! I certainly do not have problems with my hanging baskets.
Sorry about the rambling on, but it has started to get me down.
I should add that I have now resorted to adding AlgExit. I know it is not the answer but just trying to make the tank look better at the moment.
My son just does a 3 bucket water change a week, throws 5ml of a "lite" fert in and his plants are regularly reaching the top of the tank!!
Apologies for what may be a long post.
Tank (as of today). Tank has been running for 6 months.
Rio 180 with 160 litres with 6-8mm gravel.(did not intend for live plants when setup)
Eheim Pro3 250 External Filter at 950lph, New Wave 1.6 Circulation Pump at 800lph and a small cheap submersible pump at 200lph
2 x 45w T5 Tubes on for 8hrs a day.
Pressurised CO2 at 3bps
5ml daily of a "complete" fertilizer and 4ml of Liquid CO2
Change 50% water weekly.
I must at this point, say that I have had good advice from this forum, although nothing seems to work for me. (maybe my impatience).
History of my Tank.
I initially set up the tank without live plants so I had fake plants and rocks basically, with just the Juwel Internal filter.
Quite quickly the tank suffered from brown algae and, very shortly afterwards, from serious BBA. The stuff was, to me anyway, everywhere. I initially cut the lighting down to 6hrs per day and took out all of the decor etc and gave it all a good scrubbing and replaced. I also removed the internal filter and replaced it with an Eheim Pro 3 250. Over a few weeks the brown algae receded and the gravel appeared fine.
I was however no longer happy with the fake plants and started to add plants..Initially, Vallis, Cabomba and the like. The cabomba,especially was a disaster with bits everywhere, so I quickly pulled it out. I added some crypts and swords, moss balls and other bits and bobs. I started feeding a fert recommended for tanks that did not use CO2. I also started dosing with 3ml daily of liquid CO2.
I kept adding plants and kept on getting small attacks of bba, so on advice I started adding "complete" fertilizer and upped the liquid CO2 gradually to 5ml daily. Everything settled down and I increased the lighting period back to 8hrs per day.
I was happy with the tank and all looked well, until the plants seemed to stop growing, or dramatically slowed down. I managed to talk my wife into allowing me pressurised CO2 and I also bought 2 light reflectors. I did have problems getting the bps right, going up quite high at one time. In a short space of time I had more bba and brown algae on the gravel.
On advice, I removed the reflectors, upped the fert dosage, and altered the flow of the powerhead, and, at first the bba and brown algae seemed to recede,in fact the bba started to turn red, and I gave the plants a good haircut to remove the blackened leaves.But the bba persists.
I made a DIY long spraybar for the back of the tank but the result was not good so I placed the supplied eheim spraybar back along the side of the tank. At the same time I re-positioned the powerheads and the flow is a lot better enabling me to reduce the bps to 3.
But I feel I am losing the battle. The bba is still here,as is the brown or olive algae on the gravel, and the plants look straggly, and most appear not to be growing too well, new growth is pale to yellow and some even look "torn". The plants that seem to be doing very well are the Java Fern. Most of the rest of the plants look "dirty" and not very nice. My water is crystal clear and the fish appear very healthy.
Therefore should I pull up all the plants and start again? I feel that I should start over and replace the substrate,plants etc. The trouble with that is that I do not have anywhere to house the fish whilst that is done, as it would take a while, due to my health. I also do not know whether the other half would fund it.
Or would cutting the plants right back help? Or maybe I am not cut out for growing plants in a fish tank!! I certainly do not have problems with my hanging baskets.
Sorry about the rambling on, but it has started to get me down.
I should add that I have now resorted to adding AlgExit. I know it is not the answer but just trying to make the tank look better at the moment.
My son just does a 3 bucket water change a week, throws 5ml of a "lite" fert in and his plants are regularly reaching the top of the tank!!