1st Proper Bash At A Planted Tank! Update! 15/05/07

[lljdma06]

Tank looks good so far. You are right at 2WPG, so you may or may not have to think about a fert regimen. What is you photo period? Good advice at this lighting level is to plant densly with weeds and then gradually swap out for plants that you really want after 3-4 months. I know I sound like a broken record, but this saves you from binning expensive pretty ground covers and more fragile species if you develop an algae issue. And I mean plant dense! I have a tank with nearly 100% of the substrate covered in plants. My average is between 60-80% depending on the hardscape. I also want to know what all those bubbles are? If not CO2 bubbles, I would also opt for less surface agitation, but be careful not to reduce circulation. These are two different things. If water is not adaquately circulated, you'll create dead spots in the tank which are ideal locations for the appearence of BGA, an algae, well, actually a bacteria, that is pretty rotten stuff.

llj

 

[R1ch13]

Luc

Thanks I quite like the moss too

I wouldnt know how to divide the plants up ?

Do I just break the 2 stems apart ?

nry

I have a DIY c02 unit connected to my filter venturi (Spelling)

So I thought it would be c02 ...

But my filters been buggering up so ive had to remove the airline from the venturi and now its just 02 bubbles

I need to find a cheap diffuser i think this would be my safest bet ?

lljdma06

Photoperiod was around 12 hours on 1st few days of planting but i then reduced it to 10 hours now I have it down to around 8 hours as i noticed a small amount of algae on some of the arial roots coming from my Alternanthera reineckii ''roseafolia'' .... its not got any worse so i think the 8hour photoperiod is a good thing for just now!

I do plan on getting more plants i dont have any money just now! Ill beg my mum once more i was thinking some Hygrophila Polysperma from Java plants its 1.40 for 5 plants so ...

How much do you think i should get ?

I also wanted an Afircan Tiger Lotus but i think i should wait a few months before i get things like that!

Ok well ill push my filter lower into the water for the time being and i understand the surface agitation and circulation so ill get that sorted asap!

Thanks alot to all!

Richie

 

[R1ch13]

I have now re-connected my c02 to my venturi and i have totally submerged the connection meaning it is air tight?

I have some little tiny bubbles coming out not millions but a good amount that swirl around my tank then desolve!

There is now no surface agitation what so ever but the tank is still circulating nicely!

Heres some more junk looking pics! Notice no mass amounts of air bubbles

 

[mlawson]

Looking good, more plants are needed I think, Hygrophila species are ideal tank fillers, especially polysperma and corymbosa, they will also prevent algae.

Good luck with the tank, it looks great.

Mike

 

[R1ch13]

Looking good, more plants are needed I think, Hygrophila species are ideal tank fillers, especially polysperma and corymbosa, they will also prevent algae.

Good luck with the tank, it looks great.

Mike

Cheers Mike !

Well my mum caved and more plants will be on order soon

Thanks

 

[nry]

Do you know your CO2 level? This is the only way to know if your current method of adding CO2 is sufficient.

I put a red tiger lotus inmy 15-gallon when I set it up new. 1wpg, no CO2, purely JBL AquaBasis Plus below the gravel and *cough* Tetra Plantamin. The thing went nuts, it was a stunning plant, but way too big for mine in the long term.

 

[R1ch13]

Do you know your CO2 level? This is the only way to know if your current method of adding CO2 is sufficient.

I put a red tiger lotus inmy 15-gallon when I set it up new. 1wpg, no CO2, purely JBL AquaBasis Plus below the gravel and *cough* Tetra Plantamin. The thing went nuts, it was a stunning plant, but way too big for mine in the long term.

Erm nope sorry i dont

But i really dont think this way is sufficient !

Thanks alot

Richie

 

[nry]

Do you know your CO2 level? This is the only way to know if your current method of adding CO2 is sufficient.

I put a red tiger lotus inmy 15-gallon when I set it up new. 1wpg, no CO2, purely JBL AquaBasis Plus below the gravel and *cough* Tetra Plantamin. The thing went nuts, it was a stunning plant, but way too big for mine in the long term.

Erm nope sorry i dont

But i really dont think this way is sufficient !

Thanks alot

Richie

You'll be surprised. There is an easy method to test CO2 levels, if you have a pH test kit already. If I recall (check the pinned thread to double check!) take a sample of your tank water well into your lighting period. Leave it to stand for an hour or two. Take a second samlple of your tank water: test pH in both samples. Generally 30ppm of CO2 should show a 1pH difference between the two samples (i.e. the sample you took first and left to stand should be 1 higher than the pH of your actual tank water.

I'd suggest a permanent test kit, these are relatively cheap (Mine was £10) and give a permanent and easy way to monitor CO2 levels.

 

[R1ch13]

Do you know your CO2 level? This is the only way to know if your current method of adding CO2 is sufficient.

I put a red tiger lotus inmy 15-gallon when I set it up new. 1wpg, no CO2, purely JBL AquaBasis Plus below the gravel and *cough* Tetra Plantamin. The thing went nuts, it was a stunning plant, but way too big for mine in the long term.

Erm nope sorry i dont

But i really dont think this way is sufficient !

Thanks alot

Richie

You'll be surprised. There is an easy method to test CO2 levels, if you have a pH test kit already. If I recall (check the pinned thread to double check!) take a sample of your tank water well into your lighting period. Leave it to stand for an hour or two. Take a second samlple of your tank water: test pH in both samples. Generally 30ppm of CO2 should show a 1pH difference between the two samples (i.e. the sample you took first and left to stand should be 1 higher than the pH of your actual tank water.

I'd suggest a permanent test kit, these are relatively cheap (Mine was £10) and give a permanent and easy way to monitor CO2 levels.

yeah i know of this way.... But all i have is the crappy tetra test strips i was told there very unaccurate

Thanks alot

Richie

 

[nry]

I bought those when I got my tank (first tank in 15 years!) and realised (like you!) that they are rubbish. Still, I always found the pH reading was good (same as my liquid tests) so it is worth a try until you get a better method.

 

[R1ch13]

I bought those when I got my tank (first tank in 15 years!) and realised (like you!) that they are rubbish. Still, I always found the pH reading was good (same as my liquid tests) so it is worth a try until you get a better method.

Ahh alright well I'll look them out!

I moved my co2 pipe to behind the filter jus below the intake...

But as i dont have a diffuser on the bottom of the pipe its just one big bubble that comes out and i dont think the filter is sucking it in at all!

I really do need a cheap kind of diffuser Asap !

Any ideas?

I think my dad has a few of those white plastic airstone things would this work at all ?

Richie

 

[nry]

Air stones will be better but they don't create small enough air bubbles to get the most from your CO2 usually. If you're UK based I got a spirio glass cup diffuser for around £10 via www.aquaessentials.co.uk

 

[R1ch13]

Yeah im in the Uk!

Is this ok to be used with DIY c02 ?

I just cant seem to get the bubbles to go all the way down the pipe on there own !

theres not enough presure or something?

Its fairly annoying !

Richie

 

[nry]

Mine seems fine, was recommended by another member here who also uses it with DIY. You don't get full bubble coverage of the ceramic disc but my levels are almost the same as when I was using the Nutrafin ladder....actually, given that I'm no longer using the Nutrafin ladder you can have it if you're interested? I only took it out because it was a bit big for my 15-gallon.

 

[mlawson]

Do you know your CO2 level? This is the only way to know if your current method of adding CO2 is sufficient.

I put a red tiger lotus inmy 15-gallon when I set it up new. 1wpg, no CO2, purely JBL AquaBasis Plus below the gravel and *cough* Tetra Plantamin. The thing went nuts, it was a stunning plant, but way too big for mine in the long term.

Yep, I kept it in my Juwel Vision 180 with 1WPG, no CO2, no fertilisers, an inch layer of 1cm grained size pea gravel and the thing flourished, producing new areial leaves every couple of days, I had to prune it loads! Clearly a plant which deserves more thought for hardiness.

Mike