55Gl Fw Planter Tank

[stanleo]

I would like to post some pics of my fish. I haven't gotten one of the angel yet as he is just to shy still. 
 
Test results today
 
pH 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
didn't bother with nitrates. I am running low on that test and it should be steadily rising if the bacteria can handle the bioload which it obviously can since I am detecting no ammonia or nitrite. I think I might have actually done the fishless cycle right. Yeah me! and yeah all the help I had on here! LOL
 

 

 

 

 

[stanleo]

I thought hen I saw the fish at Petsmart with the bad fins it would be ok. Well I have lost 3 of the harlequins. There are 2 Moore with bad fins so I am going to get Melafix and see if that will help them. I found one fish dead and stuck to the filter and the other two I had to euthanize. I really wanted this school and those with the bad fins were what they had so me school would be big enough.

 

[stanleo]

Total I have lost 6 of the harlequins which brings my school down to 8. I started treating with Melafix yesterday but I thought a stronger antibiotic was called for so I got a product called Sera Baktopur. It turned my water a bright green. I worry it will block the light to bottom of the tank.

The fish do look better, the harlequins no longer have clamped fins so I might be out of the woods. I am going to continue treatment for the full 7 days of the Melafix but I am not going to do the Baktopur again.

I bought a couple new plants. 2 moss balls and an amazon sword (Echinodorus bleberi)

I also bought a book on plants and it strongly suggests to keep the light on for 12 hours so I have done that and am running the co2 for the duration.

And I went ahead and bought the 5 otos and a clown pleco.

 

[stanleo]

 

 

[stanleo]

I lost a julii cory today. I upped the temp to 80 degrees.

I have a major diatom and brown algae bloom. I have read its normal in new tanks and should probably clear in a few weeks.

 

[stanleo]

I changed 20 gallons of water today because the algae and diatoms was getting put of control. One of the harlequins is not looking too good. Right now the temp is 80.2. One of the juliis has a white fungus on the tail and the fin is withering. I'm continuing Melafix,protein and higher temps.

 

[stanleo]

I changed 25 gallons of water today which is half of the volume of water in the tank. I did this to battle the diatoms and brown algae problem. I used a small siphon to take the algae off the fragile stem plants, used a toothbrush to clean off the algae from the large driftwood and took out the two small piece and scrubbed them in tank water. I used the big siphon to vacuum the white substrate. I don't normally like doing that in a planted tank but I am fighting algae here. I lost all the hydrophilla because the taller plants blocked out the light. I lost all the dwarf baby tears and one of the clumps of hair grass to the algae. I saved one clump of grass by removing it and shaking the algae off in a bucket of tank water. Hopefully all this hard work will give the plants a chance to out compete the algae for nutrients and give the otos a fighting chance to eat the algae and stay ahead of it. 
 
I changed one of my 10000k bulbs for a useless actenic bulb because I have heard a couple people tell me that my light was too strong. I am going to run the light 10 hours a day along with the co2. 
 
In this WC one of my von rios couldn't handle the stress and died. One of my sterba corys is showing symptoms of fin rot but none of the other fish are showing it. I finish the melafix treatment and added carbon to my filters today. I am keeping the temp at 80 degrees. So right now my stock is:
8 albino von rios
7 harlequin rasporas
6 peppered corys
2 sterba corys (I may be losing one of these)
2 julii corys
5 otos
1 angle
1 clown pleco
 
I will test today. 
 
Here is a pick after I change things a little and did the water change. 
 

 

[stanleo]

Test results today

PH 7.6
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm

 

[stanleo]

I ordered Seachum Flourish and Flourish Trace for the microferts that I need. They should be here on Monday. I also ordered a CO2 indicator to test my level.

 

[stanleo]

I got my micro ferts today and a CO2 indicator. I got Seachum Flourish and Seachum Flourish Trace. I have to dose these twice a week and the bottle says to do alternate days. So today, Saturday, I dosed the Flourish and on Monday I will do the Trace. I put the indicator in and am waiting because I did a 50% WC change right before I put it in and the instructions say I have to wait up to 60 min to get an accurate reading. It is AZOO CO2 Indicator. I am going to continue to dose the API LeafZone after every water change. I removed the carbon that I added to my filters to remove the medication. 
 
On the medication, I have not noticed any new symptoms and the julii cory that was losing tailfin has got some of it back so I think I beat that problem! 
 
The brown algae is horrible. I had to do a 50% WC and siphon as much as I could out. I have reduced the photoperiod to 8 hours with the CO2 adjusted the same. Hopefully that and the addition of the micros will help this issue. Beyond this I don't know what else to do. I know that brown algae and diatoms is common in new tanks but this seems excessive to me. I have before and after photos to document the growth rate.  
 
September 1 after the last 50% WC and siphoning as much algae as I could. 
 

 
Today, September 6 before the 50% WC and siphon
 

 
After the 50% WC and siphon
 

 
If anyone has any other ideas that I could do please let me know. 
 
I will update later on the water parameters and CO2 level. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

I'm sorry I can't be of much help in regards to your losing fish (has that all stopped now?) really sorry for your losses btw

And I'm not sure on how to help with the algae but like you say it's quite common in new set ups.
 
Have you made a post about it in the planted section and gave info on your parameters, type of lighting, lighting period, ferts, and flow? Hopefully someone can help you figure it out. The tank looks lovely though!
 
*Edit* I see you just posted about it Also I was curious as to why you skipped on the red tiger lotus I think it was?

 

[stanleo]

Thanks for your comment Nin. Yes the loses have stopped and the cory that had lost some of his tail fin is growing it back so I think that is all better. All the fish look really healthy and lively now.
 
I can't find the tiger lotus except at one place online and its the only thing I want to order from them and it would cost 30 bucks just for shipping. The Madagascar lace bulb was starting to go white with fungus and had no growth so I gave up on that one too. I am going to keep my eye out for the tiger lotus because it is such a stunning plant.
 
My test results
 
pH 7.2
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Co2 dose need to go up some.

 

[Ninjouzata]

May I ask what site you're using? I'd also like to recommend another plant site which I think might be cheaper for you, bamaplants.com So glad the fish are doing better!

 

[stanleo]

I have only ever ordered from Liveaquaria.com. I like that site you gave me and put that in my favorites, thanks Ninj!
 
The other site is Aquariumplants.com. THey have the tiger lotus but I don't want to order anything else from them.

 

[stanleo]

To lesson the intensity of my light I used electrical tape to wrap up the actinic bulb and the coral plus bulb. So now the only light getting in the tank is going to be the 6500k bulb and the 10000k bulb.

I am also dosing the fertilizers once a week after the water change.