Hi again
Its time for some update's and some pictures. But first its time for me to review this last two months since i started my tank.
I started planning this tank 4 months ago. And looking back at this time, specially the time the tanks as been running i can cleary say that despite all my researching a planning,alot of mistakes were made,some that could easily have been avoided.
In my plan (if a perfect tank existed),that would have been mine, But time showed me that i'm not ready for great looking and awesome planted tanks. So i now see this project of mine as a Test Tank,where i will experimente as much as possible in order to be more experienced when i go in to future scapes.
Most of my planning and research before the tank was about equipment and setup of the tank. In what regards to that i think i was able to make a very decent setup.It may not be the best out there but is more than adequate for a HIGH TECH, HIGH LIGHT TANK.
The problems started when the time came to put that equipment to good use.After i got the materials,and equipment i was very impatient to get it working,and did not gave myself enough time to get everything i needed ready.
Here's some of my mistakes, i put them here so that other people don't do the same,even though my impatience made me do some embarrassing beginner mistakes.
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Not enough planning as to what type of scape - I had an idea for a scape since the beggining in my head but i did not bother (big mistake) to put it on paper and either by not having the right plants,or hardscape for my plans my current tank is nothing similar to my first ideas. Because of that i'm still mostly improvising as i go along,and i'm still strugling to find a balance between my first idea,and my current failure in turning it to reality.
My lesson from it and suggestion for anyone that wants to go for planted tanks is, take as much time as needed to plan your scape. Put your ideas in paper,or any other means you find helpful to prevent future problems. Make sure that when you start you have everything you need for your project, its harder to do major adjustments after the tank is running.
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I made a mistake calculating how much akadama the tank would need - I think underestimated the size of the tank. After a few days of the tank running i had to add more akadama to a already working tank. IT WAS MESSY.
(this is an embarrassing mistake,just make sure you got everything ok before you flood the tank).
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The 2 pieces of wood i kept under water for 2 weeks before i started the tank were still floating and not ready to be used - They broke free even after i attached them to some rocks. So i gave up on them,and kept them aside for later.
Th problem is from this 2 pieces, i totally gave up on one and the other even though its not floating anymore,i'm having a hard time with a way to fit it to the scape now that the plants have spread.
I should have started only when everything was ready for it.
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Too much light or not enough plants - My plans for this tank is a high light,high tech, i know i was warned that algae soup was a possibility. But i've seen some successfull tanks out there. I'd like my tank to be one of them one day.
Unfortunately my review for this start is algae soup as some people warned me.
I started with 216 watts of light (0,8watts/litre more or less),it was a big mistake. I did not have enough plants to start with. I couldn't find all the plants i wanted in my LFS so i decided to start with just the ones i had and all that light and only a few bunch of plants could only mean something.
My lesson, either you cut down your light in the beginning or you start heavy planted and i mean really heavy.
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The wrong plants - I did research on the plants,but because most of them were not available i got some other ones from wich i did not knew nothing of. And some of them not the easiest ones.
Never to much to say it, Better planning, research the right plants before start and stick to your plan. Improvising is a bad idea.
- Fertilizing - Apart from fertile soil i did not plan for fertilizing. I always left it for when it was needed. Don't do this plan ahead do not wait untill your plants are strugling for nutrients.
Ok its a long post already so this my assessment of the tank today:
- Its working with hight light 4x54 watts. And as got algae. Not out of control algae like before but they are there,and affecting the way some plants look.
Eliocharis parvula : Most of it died in my algae bloom a month ago,there's still a bit here and there but my idea of a carpet failed. I have plans to try again.
Bacopa australis,cabomba,egeria densa,valisneria gigantea,Myriophyllum matogrossense,pogostemon erectus - These plants are growing fast and they look healthy. But some of them do show traces of brown algae that prevent them from looking at their best.
Limnophila aromatica - This plant looks great, fast growing,with the high light back up again its starting to change color to purple/red on the top. But i still see some of the lower leaves with a more yellow green colour,then a healthy green.
Blyxa - Growing faster now with the light, i just did not have enough to start with or it could have spread. But its still covered with some brown algae.
Diplidis diandra - This is the worst plant. It grows fast but it looks ugly, dark brown, covered with algae and debris. Some of the leafs are either dying or yellow.Only the new growth is green.
I've been fertilizing 15 ml daily of TPN+ had to increase it again,anything before that there was some clear signs of something missing.I just don't know what is missing.
I already ordered the dry salts as soon as they arrive i'll go for the EI route. TPN+ is getting expensive.
I currently have algae:
Black brush algae – I have this one on the wood,on the edge of the older valis leaves and in one of the rocks.
Blue green algae or cyanobacteria – I have this one on the gravel at the front of the tank.
Diatoms or brown algae – I have this one on some of the plants and rocks
Green dust algae – I have this one on the glasses specially both of the side glasses.
Green spot algae – Also on the glasses.
The tank as looked better, and I can point out some probable reasons as to why:
My fertilizing method with TPN+ as been disastrous. I started 5ml a day,then 10ml and currently 15ml.
The tank being working with high light again for more than a week now.
My water change system was every 2 days between 30% and 50%, but I cut it down to only one 50% a week.
Some imbalance in nutrients that i'm not aware.
Probably my water circulation is not good enough
The fish are fine,no major worries with them except on what to add next.
Its been a long post but the purpose of this journal is to share my experiences with this tank,not just my sucesses and beautiful pictures also my mistakes and failures, hopefully someone besides me will learn from them.
As to the current situation if anyone can give advice i'll be glad to take them, I know the first advice will be cut the light again, its the wise way to do it. If anyone with experience in high light tank can give any advice I appreciate it.
One of my rocks full of algae
Some blue green algae also know as cyanobacteria
Sorry about the quality. But is enough to see that the plants are growing,but in the middle we have brown algae.
Here you can see the diplidis diandra and how bad it looks. Unfortunately the bad quality of the camera makes it look better than the real thing.
Here you can notice the algae on the back glass,the limnophila aromatica that actually looks quite nice,the plant between it and diplidis diandra to this day i do not know its name but just like the diplidis its suffering from the same problems.
I know the pictures are not the best and there's no picture of the full tank, i'll put a video ASAP, i did not have enough time today and i wanted to focus on the problems the tank is currently facing.
If reached here once again thanks for reading.
/www.theplantedtank.co.uk/EI.htm
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