First Planted Tank hand holding required...!

[zig]

Yes the bubbles will get smaller as they rise up the ladder this is the co2 dissolving into the water, a good sign, i always thought those ladders should be a bit longer by a few inches to fully dissolve the bubble, but they work anyway thats the main thing.

 

[nodding_dino]

thanks zig...I'm not going crazy then...there's actually something quite calming watching the bubbles zig-zag up to the top! I think I can see some new growth on a few of the plants, just tiny little leaves poking out the crown...and that may of course have been there all along, but it looks like things are starting to progress quite nicely!

I think I will let this thread run, and post pictures every once in a while so everyone can see the tanks progress!

 

[houndour]

Will the leaves get much bigger?

They get huge, imo. This is the best picture I have to give some idea:

its the one on the left. the tank is 30" long.

 

[nodding_dino]

WOW! that is some size increase!!!

 

[smithrc]

I've just swapped a dennerle out of our 15gal and replaced it with a power glow - very nice chrisp light - brings the natural colours out nicely

 

[George Farmer]

I could never understand Hagen's claim that they're 18000K. Are they a purplish light?

 

[smithrc]

we have purple slate in the tank so it'll throw my answer...

just been and had a look - it looks slightly purply for a few seconds... they it looks very white

 

[George Farmer]

Nothing like 18000K then. That would be BLUE.

 

[nodding_dino]

Well, the two new life-glo2's are now in place, and do seem to balance the colour out quite nicely. I just need to get two 30" reflectors now! That has taken me up from 1.1 to 2.7 WPG, I think this is a much better figure...hopefully there will be no stopping the plants now!

I tested all of the water parameters today:

pH 7.2
KH 100ppm
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5

These are the pH/KH/CO2 figures from 3 days ago:

OK...KH test done...so here goes:

pH 7.6
KH 100ppm

so 100/17.9 = 5.5

This sits between two values on the reference chart. so I guess I'm currently looking at a figure as low as 3.7-4.5 for the CO2.

So the figures have doubled! I am now sitting between 9.3 and 11.2 on the chart so the little cannisters seem to be doing their thing a treat!

I have noticed the beginning of some algea on the tank sides...especially the one that gets some extra sunlight. Now that everything is setup, I thinks it's best to start lighting consistently. I have got two digital timers from Maplins, is the general consensus that a 5-2-5 regime is best?

 

[George Farmer]

A quick word of warning mate. You will need to up your CO2 to at least 20ppm, preferably 30ppm if you're running 2.7 WPG, believe me when I say you will get algae othwerwise. You may need to add more yeast.

Read this link - http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=101380

5-2-5 is the photoperiod I use to good effect. I have tried all sorts of combos from 4-4-4 to 12 and find 5-2-5 the best for a balance of plant growth versus algae inhibition.

 

[nodding_dino]

I've just counted the bubbles and am getting 5 per minute on *each* ladder, so 10 bubbles total per minute. The units have been running for 3 days, so I presume are running at their peak now. I have seen a pH drop of .4 since inception, which has helped uptake...I guess this will get lower still and improve things further but from the sound of things not quite enough.

I have just read your thread and although I know the KH value, thought I better test for GH. I work this out to be 280ppm(?) how do I convert this to degrees?

If this works out to fall within the levels you suggest, do you think I should pull both cannisters out and replace the solution now or do one today and one in a couple of days time?

(THANKS!)

 

[nodding_dino]

I think I've found it...looks to be the same as KH...so my DH figure is 13.4 deg in which case I can drop the bicarb.

 

[nodding_dino]

well, I've thrown caution to the wind and replaced the mixture in one cannister...I'll see if it makes any improvement, and if so change the mix in the other too!

 

[nodding_dino]

well, half an hour in and the new mixture is already outperforming the original...at this rate, in a hour or two I'll be reaching gf255's infamous 30 bubbles a second

 

[George Farmer]

well, half an hour in and the new mixture is already outperforming the original...at this rate, in a hour or two I'll be reaching gf255's infamous 30 bubbles a second

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You cheeky beggar!

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