I was dealing with "dirty" looking water. Amazing what a nice substrate cleaning and water change does!

[Rocky998]

For a while I was having issues with my tank water and how dirty it looked... It looked like detritus was always in the water being stirred up. It was gross and unsightly.
During my past water changes I figured to leave the substrate alone, especially if I was to have rooted plants. But I was getting tired of this ditty water so I deep cleaned the substrate and got everywhere I could without moving rocks and wood.
There was a TON of stuff that came up and now my sand looks WAYYY brighter and my tank looks clearer.
I git upset though when filling the tank cause I turned up the flow on my hose a but too much when it was over some rocks and it kicked up a bunch of detritus which you can see on the left side of the photo... Live and learn.
I'll get that next water change I suppose!

(Sorry for glare... Maybe I will get a photo when it's dark outside and there is barely any glare)

 

[CarissaT]

Isn't it great when everything looks so spiffy I feel the same way when I take a scraper to the algae on the front of my tank. There's never really enough there for me to feel like I have to bother scraping it, but when I'm done I can see so much better again and I didn't even realize it before.

Dirty substrate isn't great. Since you don't have any rooted plants now anyway, I would do a gravel vac every water change. My tank is covered with crypts that have spread through runners through the substrate so I can't dig into mine to the bottom, but I still suck up whatever sand and gravel will pop up from the top of it. Dirt feeds algae more than it feeds plants.

 

[Byron]

Here I agree with the above post. The organics in the substrate is your primary source of CO2 and this is essential for plants, so in most planted tanks you want to dig into the substrate as little as possible. But here, the few plants are slow-growing Microsorum pteropus and this is not likely to be an issue as carbon will more likely be sufficient.

However, there is an issue with these plants, a lack of nitrogen (ammonia/ammonium) evidenced by the black spots/holes and yellowing (other nutrients are likely involved too with the yellowing). This is related to the above, as organic breakdown also releases ammonia/ammonium. The fish load is the other major source. I don't see any fish, so that explains this aspect. I used to see evidence of a deficiency of ammonia/ammonium in my planted QT for new fish when it was empty of fish for several months. Within a few days of new fish going in, quite the change in the plant response.

 

[Rocky998]

Isn't it great when everything looks so spiffy I feel the same way when I take a scraper to the algae on the front of my tank. There's never really enough there for me to feel like I have to bother scraping it, but when I'm done I can see so much better again and I didn't even realize it before.

Dirty substrate isn't great. Since you don't have any rooted plants now anyway, I would do a gravel vac every water change. My tank is covered with crypts that have spread through runners through the substrate so I can't dig into mine to the bottom, but I still suck up whatever sand and gravel will pop up from the top of it. Dirt feeds algae more than it feeds plants.

Yup! I plan on getting amazon swords when I upgrade my tank. Hopefully that fills in nicely!
I plan on starting to vacuum it weekly now as it looks much much cleaner.

Here I agree with the above post. The organics in the substrate is your primary source of CO2 and this is essential for plants, so in most planted tanks you want to dig into the substrate as little as possible. But here, the few plants are slow-growing Microsorum pteropus and this is not likely to be an issue as carbon will more likely be sufficient.

However, there is an issue with these plants, a lack of nitrogen (ammonia/ammonium) evidenced by the black spots/holes and yellowing (other nutrients are likely involved too with the yellowing). This is related to the above, as organic breakdown also releases ammonia/ammonium. The fish load is the other major source. I don't see any fish, so that explains this aspect. I used to see evidence of a deficiency of ammonia/ammonium in my planted QT for new fish when it was empty of fish for several months. Within a few days of new fish going in, quite the change in the plant response.

Yes decay causes ammonia and CO2 and I never thought an ammonia shortage would affect the plants. I just assumed that if they had their other nutrients they would be just fine.
I have 2 peacock gudgeons and you can see one a bit left of the bottom right.
When I upgrade the tank size I will also be getting more fish so that should help with adding ammonia (never thought I'd be saying that ).

 

[Byron]

Yes decay causes ammonia and CO2 and I never thought an ammonia shortage would affect the plants. I just assumed that if they had their other nutrients they would be just fine.
I have 2 peacock gudgeons and you can see one a bit left of the bottom right.
When I upgrade the tank size I will also be getting more fish so that should help with adding ammonia (never thought I'd be saying that ).

Nitrogen is a macro nutrient, Plants will grow to the max if light intensity and spectrum are sufficient, and provided all required nutrients are available. Whenever any one factor, be it the light, or one nutrient esp a macro is insufficient, photosynthesis slows and may stop. The light drives photosynthesis, but not if the necessary nutrient food is unavailable.

Liebig's Law of Minimum says that plant growth is affected by the first nutrient to become insufficient. Not by having more of this or that, but not enough of something.

Using Flourish Comprehensive Supplement should help, or Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti. Both are comprehensive with the nutrients in the correct proportion. Whatever you do, do not start adding "x" but only a complete supplement.

 

[Rocky998]

Nitrogen is a macro nutrient, Plants will grow to the max if light intensity and spectrum are sufficient, and provided all required nutrients are available. Whenever any one factor, be it the light, or one nutrient esp a macro is insufficient, photosynthesis slows and may stop. The light drives photosynthesis, but not if the necessary nutrient food is unavailable.

Liebig's Law of Minimum says that plant growth is affected by the first nutrient to become insufficient. Not by having more of this or that, but not enough of something.

Using Flourish Comprehensive Supplement should help, or Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti. Both are comprehensive with the nutrients in the correct proportion. Whatever you do, do not start adding "x" but only a complete supplement.

I add API leafzone which caused the stuff to grow a but but then it kinda stopped... I read that java ferns needed potassium and iron, which leaf zone has both.

 

[Byron]

I add API leafzone which caused the stuff to grow a but but then it kinda stopped... I read that java ferns needed potassium and iron, which leaf zone has both.

I know that in the past some members have said Leaf-Zone did this or that, but I would never use it. First, it is only iron and pottassium, what about manganese, nickel, zinc, copper, and all the others? And second, iron is not the safest thing to be adding to a fish tank. It is an old wives tale that iron is the cure-all for aquarium plant woes--total rubbish. There is all the iron you need in balance in the comprehensive supplements I mentioned. Several years ago I was pursuaded (undoubtedly by well-meaning aquarists on another forum) to add iron. It killed my Ceratopteris cornuta in the one tank I did this. Fortunately not all of the plants, but another trial months later had the same result. It also melted the floating leaves of my Red Tiger Lotus in the same tank. Adding "x" nutrient alone is always a risk, and depending upon the nutrient can be deadly.

As the previous post noted, plant growth is not improved by adding more (unless this is all nutrients in balance), quite the opposite.

 

[Rocky998]

I know that in the past some members have said Leaf-Zone did this or that, but I would never use it. First, it is only iron and pottassium, what about manganese, nickel, zinc, copper, and all the others? And second, iron is not the safest thing to be adding to a fish tank. It is an old wives tale that iron is the cure-all for aquarium plant woes--total rubbish. There is all the iron you need in balance in the comprehensive supplements I mentioned. Several years ago I was pursuaded (undoubtedly by well-meaning aquarists on another forum) to add iron. It killed my Ceratopteris cornuta in the one tank I did this. Fortunately not all of the plants, but another trial months later had the same result. It also melted the floating leaves of my Red Tiger Lotus in the same tank. Adding "x" nutrient alone is always a risk, and depending upon the nutrient can be deadly.

As the previous post noted, plant growth is not improved by adding more (unless this is all nutrients in balance), quite the opposite.

So what fertilizer should I be using??

 

[Byron]

So what fertilizer should I be using??

I already posted two that work. Flourish Comprehensive Supplement and FlorinMulti. If you lived in the UK there is also TNC Lite. These are all liquids, there are also the substrate tabs of each that will benefit larger substrate-rooted plants. There are likely others I have never heard of, but these three have the track record. Note, they are "supplements," which means they do not provide all the levels but they supplement the natural levels of the nutrients, which come from fish food and water changes.

 

[Rocky998]

I already posted two that work. Flourish Comprehensive Supplement and FlorinMulti. If you lived in the UK there is also TNC Lite. These are all liquids, there are also the substrate tabs of each that will benefit larger substrate-rooted plants. There are likely others I have never heard of, but these three have the track record. Note, they are "supplements," which means they do not provide all the levels but they supplement the natural levels of the nutrients, which come from fish food and water changes.

See I don't like tabs. I feel like they will be expensive and messy...

 

[Byron]

See I don't like tabs. I feel like they will be expensive and messy...

You've used the wrong ones, the API are not good. I have never in 12 years had issues from Flourish Tabs. And back in the 1990's I had a tab from the Netherlands I think, they worked well so far as I can remember, can't think of the name though, they were cone shaped.

As for expense, that is no reason to deny nutrients to the plants because good growth is providing better water quality for the fish so it is a positive all round. The growth difference in Echinodorus species with tabs is phenomenal. I did have one brand back in the early 2000's that was even better, but I have been unable to find them anywhere in more than a decade. Plant Gro Sticks, made I think by NutraFin but going from memory. One of these between two swords provided nutrients for 12 months (yes, one full year) and the plants exploded with growth by comparison. But not being able to get these, the Flourish Tabs were a very close second in their results.

 

[Rocky998]

You've used the wrong ones, the API are not good. I have never in 12 years had issues from Flourish Tabs. And back in the 1990's I had a tab from the Netherlands I think, they worked well so far as I can remember, can't think of the name though, they were cone shaped.

As for expense, that is no reason to deny nutrients to the plants because good growth is providing better water quality for the fish so it is a positive all round. The growth difference in Echinodorus species with tabs is phenomenal. I did have one brand back in the early 2000's that was even better, but I have been unable to find them anywhere in more than a decade. Plant Gro Sticks, made I think by NutraFin but going from memory. One of these between two swords provided nutrients for 12 months (yes, one full year) and the plants exploded with growth by comparison. But not being able to get these, the Flourish Tabs were a very close second in their results.

I've never used tabs. I have just heard bad things and in my mind I'm thinking: "I will have to remove the tabs to place new ones which will cause a really clouded tank and dirty water"

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I've never used tabs. I have just heard bad things and in my mind I'm thinking: "I will have to remove the tabs to place new ones which will cause a really clouded tank and dirty water"

What bad things have you heard about root tabs? I've only had a problem with them once, when I cheaped out and bought a no name, cheap, made in China root tab container from amazon, and it released too many nutrients at once. But name brand root tabs, never had a problem, and haven't heard of anyone else having a problem or them making a mess.

 

[Byron]

I've never used tabs. I have just heard bad things and in my mind I'm thinking: "I will have to remove the tabs to place new ones which will cause a really clouded tank and dirty water"

You do not "remove" tabs, they slowly dissolve. I have never "found" a tab I inserted 2-3 months previously. You should not be messing in the substrate that much anyway, that is the most important part of an aquarium, the bacteria bed that keeps the tank healthy.

 

[Rocky998]

What bad things have you heard about root tabs? I've only had a problem with them once, when I cheaped out and bought a no name, cheap, made in China root tab container from amazon, and it released too many nutrients at once. But name brand root tabs, never had a problem, and haven't heard of anyone else having a problem or them making a mess.

Hm... I will look at the Flourish Tabs for the Amazon swords and other plants I may do! Thank you both!