Record 70 Mid-teck Planted Tank...

[nry]

Where are you at with the best position for the CO2 diffuser? I'm having to run ~50-60bpm (obviously this is relative to the specific bubble counter!) to keep a nice green drop checker - currently my diffuser (now a Dymax Atomiser) is sitting right at the bottom of the tank directly below the filter outlet (I have a Rekord 60 so almost the same as you).

Bubbles don't really get blown around the tank, they reach the surface, get blown along the surface for a little bit then pop. I have not tried it along the front/sides of the tank and am wondering if this could be worth a go?

 

[lljdma06]

Resist the urge to drastically change the scape for another 2 months. I know it looks good now and you have relatively few algae problems, but the continued precense of diatoms still indicates a new system to me. Wait another 2 months and then only gradually change the scape, a plant or two at a time, until you get the desired effects. To rush things now could trigger an algae outbreak.

It looks lovely, and the plant growth is quite excellent.

llj

 

[Castellop123]

Thanks, Llj... I'll resist the urge to change...

 

[nry]

I don't have the powerhead/tube thing on the Rekord 60 - there is a tube I can connect to the filter but it stays inside the box filter and just agitates the water surface loads. I have wondered how easy it would be to knock up an internal reactor for this tank, something using the tube for the filter going in to a larger tube with the CO2 bubbling up into it, water then coming out of the bottom. One day if I am bored maybe!

 

[Liam]

Its looking really good Corin lovely plant selection. The rotala w. is growing really well, not the easiest plant, it looks good in the two separate bunches. If you have the patience rubbing the crypt leaves between your fingers should dislodge much of the thread algae then water change. Is that the algae on the leaf beside the diffuser if so it looks long enough to remove by hand.
I agree with Llj and think it looks great as it is, sounds like you need another tank for the rock scape

 

[Castellop123]

Thanks, Liam...

Yep, that's the algae. I'll try removing it tonight

 

[Biulu]

Your plants look great and healthy. I think what you are looking for when you refer to your idea of the rockscape is a point at which your eye can rest, or is attracted to. Maybe if you would just add a 'red colour' plant you would already achieve what you are looking for. Currently all the plants have the same colour, and this colour variation might just do the trick and provide some variation.

 

[Castellop123]

ji

 

[john starkey]

Small Update...

I have just done a fairly massive trim of all stem plants and E.Tennellus... I have added two new plants to the tank, Pogostemon helferi ans a small amount of Rotala rotundifolia (which is currently in its emmersed form; rounded light green leaves)...

Hi corin, i will be interested to see pics of your pogostemon helferi, it is one of the species i am going to use as a mid groung plant keep up the good work regards john

 

[mlawson]

The Pogostemon helferi isn't that good quality (it came from me, from my junk plant tank), but it should eventually flourish in your tank, just make sure the tennelus doesn't swamp it too much.

 

[Castellop123]

...

 

[nry]

Macro, that's NPK stuff? Strange, I have had a small outbreak of staghorn over the past week or two, nothing major but it is on the slower growing/older leaves of my vallis which is in the really high light area of the tank. Haven't seen this algae type for ages, it usually seemed to appear when I upped the lighting levels but I have not touched these in ages. I started dosing pottassium sulphate just after it first started to appear. I'll give it another week, maybe I should consider upping something aswell?

 

[Castellop123]

I'll give it another week, maybe I should consider upping something aswell?

Are your Nitrate and Phosphate levels fairly low? If so, I would use monopotassium phosphate and potassium nitrate...

Apparently, Staghorn algae grows either in low-light tanks or tanks that are under-dosed in macros'... I've started to up all my doses...

 

[nry]

Haven't checked nitrAtes in a while, a few weeks into EI and they were sitting around 30ppm, I should likely check them again as I am a few months in now.

 

[Castellop123]

j