Silent cycle - plant list

[AilyNC]

@AilyNC you mentioned you have this tank. Have you just got the single light strip that came with it? Have you manged to grow swords and other plants that need medium light levels with it?

Thanks

Just the single strip. My amazon sword isn't doing great just I think it's because my substrate is too shallow & roots keep coming up. I'm hoping to take gravel out & put in sand soon. Water Wisteria is doing very well in this tank. Salvinia, Elodea & Anubis Nana too.

 

[Fishy_Dan]

Just the single strip. My amazon sword isn't doing great just I think it's because my substrate is too shallow & roots keep coming up. I'm hoping to take gravel out & put in sand soon. Water Wisteria is doing very well in this tank. Salvinia, Elodea & Anubis Nana too.

I'll keep an eye on my swords. They and the crypts are melting at the moment. My salvinia has doubled in size though, it's only been 2 days! Limnophila also doing really well so far.

 

[AilyNC]

I've Limnophila sessiliflora in my other tank and love it. My Ciano 60 has had high temp for few weeks & I'm not sure if that's been a problem for the plants too.

 

[Fishy_Dan]

I've Limnophila sessiliflora in my other tank and love it. My Ciano 60 has had high temp for few weeks & I'm not sure if that's been a problem for the plants too.

Me too. I originally had it spread all over, but when doing the mini re-scape I put it all together in one corner. It's already grown about an inch in a few days. Will look great when it fills out.

 

[AilyNC]

I've mine in one corner like a background far off forest. Or at least that's how I see it

 

[Fishy_Dan]

Just the single strip. My amazon sword isn't doing great just I think it's because my substrate is too shallow & roots keep coming up. I'm hoping to take gravel out & put in sand soon. Water Wisteria is doing very well in this tank. Salvinia, Elodea & Anubis Nana too.

I bought the second light stip apparently designed for 'plants' - the CLA60 PLANT strip. I tried it out, but I don't like the way it turns the tank red. See images below, one is just the normal LED strip, the other is both on at the same time.

Now I don't know what to do. I might send it back. Or I could set up a lighting schedule so the red light only comes on for a certain part of the day (when I'm not going to be looking at the tank!).

I'm also unsure whether in absence of CO2 this addtional light would lead to algae. Hmmm...

 

[AilyNC]

I think red light is good for plants. Maybe try schedule it as suggested. Also with more floating plants it might soften the red light.

 

[Fishy_Dan]

Tested my water this evening:

Ammonia 0.5ppm
Nitrite 0.5ppm
Nitrate 20ppm (tap is ~30ppm)

I can understand the ammonia being the adjustment and breakdown of the new plants, but I'm not sure about the nitrite. Seems a bit soon for bacteria to be converting ammonia to nitrite? I'm not adding ammonia and the tank has only been running 5 days. I added some quick start when I did the water change on Monday, maybe there really is live bacteria in there??

Nitrate reading is interesting that it seems to be dropping slightly from the tap level! Hopefully the plants will save me the hassle of RO water or some alternative.

 

[Fishy_Dan]

First sign of algae...
Just starting to appear on the lagenandra meeboldii leaves. Only on those at the top of the tank, close to the lights. So I'm guessing the light intensity up there is the problem. Any suggestions other than remove those leaves?

 

[AilyNC]

Yes! I was just tidying my cables earlier & realised my dimmer/timer switch from my bigger tank works with the light on my Ciano 60 too. Gonna order a second switch for the Ciano tank. You can adjust the light intensity from 1 to 100 & set programme to come on/off as well as increase/decrease intensity to a schedule.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X23FZS2/?tag=

It attaches to this part -

 

[Fishy_Dan]

Yes! I was just tidying my cables earlier & realised my dimmer/timer switch from my bigger tank works with the light on my Ciano 60 too. Gonna order a second switch for the Ciano tank. You can adjust the light intensity from 1 to 100 & set programme to come on/off as well as increase/decrease intensity to a schedule.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X23FZS2/?tag=

It attaches to this part -
View attachment 119453

Oooh thanks, been looking for a good timer/dimmer!

 

[AilyNC]

It's a good price too. I leave my lights on too much so need the timer to restrict me

 

[Fishy_Dan]

Water parameters this evening:

Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 2ppm
Nitrate: 10-20ppm
PH: 7.6

Interesting that I've only added plants to my new tank yet it seems to be tracking a similar pattern to a fishless cycle. I didn't realise that having a well planted tank the rotting leaves will give off quite so much ammonia.

ph seems to be a little higher than before. Does dechlorified water have higher or lower ph? Not sure what else would have raised the ph?

 

[Fishy_Dan]

I've been away for a week for half term. Upon return there's a fairly large hair algae outbreak and the azalea root has developed a biofilm all over.

Water parameters are looking good:
Ammonium: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-15ppm (tap is ~30ppm)

QUESTION: What should I do about the azalea root? Should I take it out and give it a scrub or leave it to take its course?

I think I may have left the tank heater off while we were away . Hopefully no harm done, though the water may have got down to 16-17 degrees at its lowest. Maybe this contributed to the algae bloom?

 

[HoldenOn]

I've been away for a week for half term. Upon return there's a fairly large hair algae outbreak and the azalea root has developed a biofilm all over.

Water parameters are looking good:
Ammonium: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-15ppm (tap is ~30ppm)

QUESTION: What should I do about the azalea root? Should I take it out and give it a scrub or leave it to take its course?

I think I may have left the tank heater off while we were away . Hopefully no harm done, though the water may have got down to 16-17 degrees at its lowest. Maybe this contributed to the algae bloom?

View attachment 120771
View attachment 120772

I would leave the wood. The film is microorgansims that will go away once the nutrients have been depleted in said wood. Scrubbing it would just get rid of the problem for like 2 days.