or try some RO water 
Her Name Is Rio...
- Thread starter stu40
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OP
OP
stu40
PRC
or try some RO water
That thought had crossed my mind after reading your journal.If i can get things back on track a bit and settled in on a more low tec approach, where i'm only changing say 25% weekly (40L),
then maybe try to work it so replacing with 20L RO & 20L tap water.don't know how much my LFS charge for RO (the one with the fish price thread) and this is only a vague idea....
My water was rock hard (GH 26), 1 month on the GH is 8, so all's good. I'm also noticing more pearling on leaves via the C02. The C02 is better dissolved (apparently) in RO water. I personally don't see the point in mixing it. I have 4x 25litre barrels and it costs £11 to fill those with re mineralised RO.
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
Cheers.like i said, something to think about.Research time again.
Funny thing is less than a year ago, i had a one 40L tank which was a decade old.Didn't really know much about it, or do much with it.
Now got decent-ish looking planted 180L, with more fish than ever.Now i'm talking about buying RO water, and selling the occasional plant.My Mrs thinks i've become completely obssessed.
It's her own fault though, she talked me into giving up my sport on a Saturday.
Funny thing is less than a year ago, i had a one 40L tank which was a decade old.Didn't really know much about it, or do much with it.
Now got decent-ish looking planted 180L, with more fish than ever.Now i'm talking about buying RO water, and selling the occasional plant.My Mrs thinks i've become completely obssessed.
It's her own fault though, she talked me into giving up my sport on a Saturday.
I'm the same Stu, i played football Saturday and Sunday...i broke my leg quite badly 5 years ago. I had to give up, so bought a small fish tank and it went from there. You see nice planted tanks, you then try and emulate them, you then get a little further into the planted side of this and maybe buy an Aquajournal or see some of Amano's tanks. Once you learn to grow plants and the fish are happy. It's then ready to go to the next level. You have already achieved level one Stu, and you definitely have the 'eye' to recognise how a tank should be scaped. Now you will be gagging to re scape the tank to better you scape lol. Don't worry we have all been there!
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
Not been the best of months.Had algae issues for awhile now.Started dosing easycarbo & tpn+, both at doses according to bottle.waited 2 weeks, nothing happening.
2 weeks ago removed every leaf with algae & did 50% waterchange.Easycarbo upto 5ml & tpn+ 8ml.Lighting period down to 5 hours.
Added Amazon frogbit which now covers about 1/8 of the surface, and is starting to grow decent roots & reproduce.The wisteria is now melting/dying on me again.
Offloaded some rummynosed for the time being, think half the original problem was caused by not only removing plant mass (too much vallis) and increasing fish numbers (plus existing fish have been getting bigger).
Thinking about it, when i planted up the new Crypts i did disturb the substrate a fare bit, not sure the subsequent water change was big enough.(learnt that one the hard way).
Some leaves are still showing signs of nutrient deficiency, mainly the H.corymbosa, which is at the far end of the tank from the Koralia and behind the clump of C.Tropica, which is doing well with no signs of algae.
All in all, bit frustrating really.
edith yeah, added some free Java moss (courtesy of Tanksalot) to the driftwood and to some slate.Also acquired some large Java fern for the left side of tank.Got bored waiting for my plantlets to grow
2 weeks ago removed every leaf with algae & did 50% waterchange.Easycarbo upto 5ml & tpn+ 8ml.Lighting period down to 5 hours.
Added Amazon frogbit which now covers about 1/8 of the surface, and is starting to grow decent roots & reproduce.The wisteria is now melting/dying on me again.
Offloaded some rummynosed for the time being, think half the original problem was caused by not only removing plant mass (too much vallis) and increasing fish numbers (plus existing fish have been getting bigger).
Thinking about it, when i planted up the new Crypts i did disturb the substrate a fare bit, not sure the subsequent water change was big enough.(learnt that one the hard way).
Some leaves are still showing signs of nutrient deficiency, mainly the H.corymbosa, which is at the far end of the tank from the Koralia and behind the clump of C.Tropica, which is doing well with no signs of algae.
All in all, bit frustrating really.
edit
h yeah, added some free Java moss (courtesy of Tanksalot) to the driftwood and to some slate.Also acquired some large Java fern for the left side of tank.Got bored waiting for my plantlets to grow
minnnt
Fish Expert
Sounds like you're havng a tough time getting everything to the right levels Stu.
Are you dead set on dosing easycarbo? Maybe just dose an all round fertiliser and see if the issues clear up?
Are you dead set on dosing easycarbo? Maybe just dose an all round fertiliser and see if the issues clear up?
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
Sounds like you're havng a tough time getting everything to the right levels Stu.
Are you dead set on dosing easycarbo? Maybe just dose an all round fertiliser and see if the issues clear up?
Morning.Far from it actually.Was advised to try the carbon as the hair algae & spot algae are caused by low CO2.The tpn+ is starting to cost a bomb, and i have a drinking habit to maintain (joke).
Have thought about trying your sponsor for dry ferts, but am unsure if ferts alone will do the job.Introduced the frogbit in an attempt to cut down the lighting & increase plant mass.
On a plus note, over the last week, the hair/staghorn has not come back too much, after the last lot of stem removals.Though it does seem to be in areas with good/the best flow.
minnnt
Fish Expert
Don't you just love fish keeping?
Basically, i have two tanks that i am dosing fertilisers in. One i am dosing the sponsored fert in (the 180) alone, the other i was dosing TPN+ and Flourish Excel. (I have just run out of TPN+ so will be stopping the excel too)
Could i tell a difference with plant growth? No. Was it costing three times as much for a tank 3/4 of the size? Yes.
Unsure of what kind of water conditions i have (hard, soft, semi... ) but the majority of the plants i have seem to do well in them.
I've never had issues with the algae you mentioned in these tanks, the only one i had hair algae (i think) was in a tank that wasn't being dosed with anything.
Probably not much help and probably just rabbiting on now, but that's my experience.
Basically, i have two tanks that i am dosing fertilisers in. One i am dosing the sponsored fert in (the 180) alone, the other i was dosing TPN+ and Flourish Excel. (I have just run out of TPN+ so will be stopping the excel too)
Could i tell a difference with plant growth? No. Was it costing three times as much for a tank 3/4 of the size? Yes.
Unsure of what kind of water conditions i have (hard, soft, semi...
) but the majority of the plants i have seem to do well in them. I've never had issues with the algae you mentioned in these tanks, the only one i had hair algae (i think) was in a tank that wasn't being dosed with anything.
Probably not much help and probably just rabbiting on now, but that's my experience.
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
The fish keeping is fine, it's the blooming plants
Thanks for rubbing it in with the rest
Appreciate the input though
Right, i'm off out to site.Got a swimming pool slide/ride/tube thing to set out.
Thanks for rubbing it in with the rest
Appreciate the input though
Right, i'm off out to site.Got a swimming pool slide/ride/tube thing to set out.
minnnt
Fish Expert
Sounds like fun mate. I wasn't rubbing it in bud. Will keep my fingers crossed for you
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
more frogbit in tonight, and the current lot is starting to produce new plants.H.polysperma has picked up and the newer growth has larger leaves than previously.Crypts are all starting to put on decent new growth.
H.corymbosa is losing lower leaves, and the H.difformis is definitively on the way out for the second time.Tank seems to be stalling, despite now having more ferts and carbon addition since it was started in Jan.
Staghorn is still being kept at bay, and hasn't got any worse this week.
I know (or am told) that N & P do not cause algae.But what about in tanks that already have it?
lights 6 hours, Easycarbo 4ml, TPN+ 9ml daily.
Going to try adding more stems, probably 'easy'stuff like a Baccopi Caroliniana & Limnophila sessiliflora.The foreground looks rubbish ATM so also toying with the idea of trying Eleocharis parvula.
As usual any comments welcome (unless they're for pics
)
H.corymbosa is losing lower leaves, and the H.difformis is definitively on the way out for the second time.Tank seems to be stalling, despite now having more ferts and carbon addition since it was started in Jan.
Staghorn is still being kept at bay, and hasn't got any worse this week.
I know (or am told) that N & P do not cause algae.But what about in tanks that already have it?
lights 6 hours, Easycarbo 4ml, TPN+ 9ml daily.
Going to try adding more stems, probably 'easy'stuff like a Baccopi Caroliniana & Limnophila sessiliflora.The foreground looks rubbish ATM so also toying with the idea of trying Eleocharis parvula.
As usual any comments welcome (unless they're for pics
minnnt
Fish Expert
Sounds like you're winning the battle!
Keep up the good work and schedule and i'm sure you will crack it mate.
OP
OP
stu40
PRC
cheers dude.Ordering stuff as we speak.
minnnt
Fish Expert
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