• 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

Tom's Mini M

That rock is VV nice, I think that the upper sections should be clear of plants as you have stated. The contrast between the left and right is great and will look great peaking out of well placed crypts.
 
Good News!!

After a week of no dosing and an unknown period of no CO2, the tank is actually doing rather well. I've decided from now I'm dropping the EI N and P and just dosing traces. Diatoms are completely gone and I am just left with a bit of BBA from the lack of CO2. Not even that much of it though, and it's all been nuked with AE Carbon which is doing it's job. Gave it all a mega trim too, so hopefully the good results will continue as it grows back in.

IMG_25580.jpg
 
Just thought I'd make a list of things I've learned/re-learned from this tank. There will probably be more to add....:

-When diatoms appear, don’t panic! They'll go on their own.
-Don’t increase the light if there is still algae present!
-Don’t add EI when there is still algae!
-Don’t place wood and rocks too close to the front of the tank.
-CO2 consistency is just as important as concentration, if not more important.
-Don’t bother with dry start next time.
-Leave more room for stems at the back.
-Prune stems lower.
-Shrimp make a right mess of an Aquasoil/light sand combination!
-Get check valves that work.
-Amano Shrimp are suicidal.
-Tap water is fine.
-Spiky moss doesn’t attach, so don’t expect it to creep up wood!
-Stick to the original plan if possible – don’t impulse buy plants you don’t really need, then make a mess of planting them!
-1-2-Grow plants are awesome.
-Don’t angle wood forwards, as it casts too much shadow on the underside – bad for photos.
-I’ve noticed no difference using ADA Green Gain.
-Don’t look too far into chemistry you don’t understand – you overthink things, get paranoid and bugger it up.
-Pipe cleaners from art shops are great for glass pipes.
 
Tom said:
Just thought I'd make a list of things I've learned/re-learned from this tank. There will probably be more to add....:


-Stick to the original plan if possible – don’t impulse buy plants you don’t really need, then make a mess of planting them!
Click to expand...

EXACTLY the way I am now feeling!
 
Well the diatoms are now back on the plants - not hardscape or glass. The went completely when I dropped EI and went back to ADA only, but now the staurogyne is brown again. The lower stems have gone dark again, and anything below the top node of HC looks dark green and crap. It's also very leggy. Shouldn't be any problems with CO2 or distribution. I'm ready to rip it out. Anything I read about diatoms says they will rub off, but this won't. It's like the leaf itself is brown and it's been there for months. The only thing doing well is the moss now.
I was going to finish the scape after this last trimming of the stems, but some have grown fast, some slow, and some not at all so it's a right mess. Some leaves are big, some small.
 
I had sporadic diatoms recently, as soon as I started aerating the tank overnight they went within a week, A 3 day black out will help as a general rule but it's a big step.
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all,
I'd try feeding the plants again, it doesn't need to be back to the full EI programme, but I'd try adding some macros (NPK and Mg) for a time and see what happens.

cheers Darrel
Click to expand...

Since starting adding NPK again, that's when the diatoms have been back. I haven't changed anything else in the tank in that time except CO2 (ran out). Still have the constant non-rubb-off-able diatoms on all stems below the top node, plus now stringy diatoms again on wood.

I'm surprised I've still kept this tank going, but I'm starting to think it must be the wood that's causing the problem, and maybe rotting. I can't think of anything else that should be leaching ammonia, and my filtration should be well over-adequate. The fact that the stringy diatoms only appear on the wood to start with might support that, but then it does tend to spread over everything. I daren't rip it out though, even with another ADA setup sitting next to it!

It's just why the plants (stems and HC - moss is great for once!) are so dull in colour even with full EI.

Tom
 
That's a lot of dirt there mate :lol:, siphon it and let the scape recover and don't use the wood for a while.
That should have been in your filter not in the tank :). Sorry to see that you still have problems with your tank.

LE: Now I see that you re-scaped the tank. Good luck with the new one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top