The Tropical Tank

[serreid]

I have a 90 gallon planted aquarium. My plants don't seem to grow very rapidly anymore and some look frail and week. While others (anubias and amazon sword and cryp wendti) have the beard algae. My tank has been running for over a year. I have about 3.5 watts per gallon over this tank. I have 3 inches of eco complete planted aquarium substrate. And I run a pressurized CO2 system with a Ph Controller. For filtration I have 1 Marineland C-360 canister filter and one Filstar XP3 filter Here are my tank levels; PH = 7.0 KH = 3 degrees GH = 3 degrees Am = 0 Nitrite = 0 Nitrate = 5mg Phosphate = 2.5 mg ( This was in the 7 -10 range 1 week ago) and my drop checker states my co2 is in the green (I use the Red Sea indicator) First of all since my tap water has no phosphate in it I don't know why my phosphates were through the roof!!? To combat this a week ago I started using Sea Chems Phosphate remover in my XP3 canister filter. I do weekly 30% water changes. I don't use any sort of liquid fertilizers on a constant basis. Every once in a while I will put some Flourish in. Please Please Please give me some advice on what I can do.

Thanks

[Reptile19832006]

Hello, I Have Had A Biorb(30l) For A Few Years Now With No Major Problems, Last Year I Got A Second Tank(60l) Which I Did Have A few Problems, Which i Managed To Combat With Alot Of Patience. I Added A Nutrafin CO2 System(Yeast Based) To Help The Plants And Was Pleased With The Results.

I Have Now Replaced The 60l With a 260l Vision(Big Jump). In All My Tanks I Have Had A Small Number Of Plants. In My 260l I WANT Alot Of Plants. i Currently have TWO Types Of Plants In My Vision(echinodorus "rose" and egeria densa) My Problem is The CO2, I Do Still Use The Nutrafin. But It Is For A Small Tank, I Would Like To Go To A Pressurised System But My Limiting Factors Are :

Cost(Would Save Over A Year To Get It)
Refillable Or Disposable CO2 Bottles?
If I Went Refillable, Where Do i Get It Refilled(Dumbarton, Scotland)
I Could Get More Of The Nutrafin Co2 System(Cheaper) But Means More Yeast And Sugar To Mix...lol,

I Need Help. Too Many Options...lol

I Had A Problem With Hair Algae On My echinodorus "rose" but I Changed My lighting Period From A Constent 14Hours A Day(9am-11pm) To Include A Siesta Period, Where The Lights Are Off From 2pm-4pm Each Day And My Light Switches Off At 10pm Instead. I Also Use A PMDD(Poor Mans Dosing Drops) Mix To Fertilise My Plants. I Seem To Be Getting in Control Of My Situation, Again I Think My Problem Is CO2 And Need Help.

This Is My Very First Time Replying To Any Post And Would Also Appreciate Any Help Given.

[Apistogramma]

I'll answer both together because I think the problem is probably the same for both of you!
Once you add co2 and good lighting to a tank your limiting factors in regards to healthy plant growth are nutrients. Algae will take advantage of anything the plants don't use, so the idea is to give the plants enough that they make use of the light, co2 and fertilisers during the time that the lights are on. I always had mine on for 6 hours on the well planted tank and found that there was little or no algae growth.
I also used a dry fertiliser programme which I've included below. I was running a 240l 4' tank using this and it worked brilliantly - without co2.

Serreid - the slow growing plants that have succumbed to algae will probably always be prone to getting some and I found that keeping red cherry shrimp in the tank sorted that out perfectly! Oto cats are also a good one but I have only kept them in my smaller planted tanks as I had discus back then. I really think dry ferts will work for you. I was also using eco-complete which I found to be very good. I'd recommend you try clearing the worst of the algae off the slow growing plants by hand - uproot them and clean them off in a bucket using tank water during a routine change.

Reptile - (Can you not use capitals for every word please, I had real trouble distinguishing where sentences started and finished and it took ages to get through the post.) When I ran a Jewel 240 I didn't use co2 because I did not have high lighting. I used reflectors on the standard fitted T8 bulbs and used the dry fert routine below. I grew all sorts of low and medium level light requiring plants very successfully. You could follow my routine below and see how it goes. The important part is doing the weekly 50% water changes to remove excess ferts. You'll find your nitrates lowered by the growing plants using up the excess your fish produce!

Day 1 – 50% Water Change - KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4
Day 2 – Trace
Day 3 - KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4
Day 4 - Trace
Day 5 - KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4
Day 6 – Rest
Day 7 - Rest

TRACE
3/16 teaspoon twice a week

KN03
9/16 teaspoon three times a week

KH2PO4
3/16 teaspoon three times a week

MgS04
1 ½ teaspoon three times a week


If you still have lots of questions I'll try and rouse one of our planty experts for you! I think they're both very busy at the moment with work and so on and finding it hard to find time to get online.
_________________
Becky

*Aimlessly drives around in the steam roller with Karena's now fairly blunt scissors...and Lisa's hedge trimmer*

[Reptile19832006]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll try not to use capitals for each word, its just a habit...lol.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. You said you only had your tank light on for six hours a day? Because plants use oxygen when its dark and release Co2 gas, as long as there is no major surface agitation the Co2 would remain in the water longer, so that, when the lights are on, the plants will use up the Co2 they have released when in the dark?

Is that correct? Or am I talking crap?

If it is correct, it is so simple...lol.

I thought the longer the light was on the better for the plants, but the lights are no good to the plants if theres no Co2 and nutrients, and the plants would not photosynthesis because there would be nothing for them to use and just burn out, so to speak, and algae would take a foothold on the plants.

Please forgive the babbling, none of my friends are into tropical fish, and I don't know if there are any groups locally, don't know where to find out, and my wife is tired of hearing about it...lol

I am intrested in your dry doising regime. It is obviously going to be easier to ajust the dose of each item, rather than what I have been doing with an all-in-one solution. Do you dose straight into a corner of the tank where the filter flow will mix it into the water or do you, for instants, the magnesium sulphate, put it into your filter to allow it to dissovle gradually, I've read thats what some people do.

Forgive all the stupid questions


Thanks for any response

[Apistogramma]

Concerning the co2 - that's correct BUT you need to keep a very close eye on the fish as they will soon be sitting at the top of the tank asking for more oxygen, so in most cases it's good to increase surface movement. However with lots of fast growing plants they'll soon use up the co2. That's one of the reasons why I didn't have the lights on for any longer - once you've used up one of your key nutrients (lights, co2 or ferts) the algae will start to take advantage.
I used to pre-mix my ferts in bottles of dechlorinated water to add to the tank.
_________________
Becky

*Aimlessly drives around in the steam roller with Karena's now fairly blunt scissors...and Lisa's hedge trimmer*