Update Following "trying Not To Get Discouraged"

[carolisles]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Kev, your tank is beautiful and spotless! My tank is not nearly as cloudy as yours was; it's only slightly cloudy, really. If a UV sterlizer could fix your tank, I have no doubt that this solution will work for me, too.

Brian, thanks once again for the helpful information. Sounds like I should crank up the bubble rate. Here are my answers to your questions:

-- My tank is 26 gallons.

-- The kH of the water is 6 degrees dH; the pH is 8.3. (I haven't graduated to a drop-checker yet.)

-- I don't have an airstone.

-- I have a Penguin biowheel power filter that hangs outside the tank, and the CO2 reactor is positioned near the bottom of the tank below the filter intake. The filter outflow does ripple the surface of the water, but with the water level high it's not really much disturbance.

-- We're in Michigan, about 20 miles from the nearest town. If I want our well water analyzed I'll need to find a lab to do it.

By the way, yesterday I received my shipment of 24 assorted plants and was surprised at how big and healthy they look. I've managed to squeeze them all in, and I fully expect them to overwhelm the algae!

Here's a question: I haven't added fertilizer since my algae bloom . . . with all these new plants, should I add some liquid fertilizer as an interim measure until I've figured out the EI method?

Carol

 

[BHornsey]

Hi Carol,

-- We're in Michigan, about 20 miles from the nearest town. If I want our well water analyzed I'll need to find a lab to do it.

Ah, I didn't realise you were over the Pond! I recommended Aqua Essentials for your ferts but Richard's in the UK. I think Greg Watson is the US equivalent. Anyone disagree?

Here's a question: I haven't added fertilizer since my algae bloom . . . with all these new plants, should I add some liquid fertilizer as an interim measure until I've figured out the EI method?

My advice would be no, hold the feed.

First priority is sort CO2. With my first tank I was impatient and rushed to plant and get everything running. The result was a rash of algae. When I set up my 115 Gal tank it took a while to get efficient CO2 diffusion. I held back my impatience and ran the tank without fish, plants or lights until I had it sorted.

Once you get CO2 sorted, you can dose ferts, then, and only then, give them light. Light is the main driving force of plantlife! Limit that and you limit all other requirements. While the lights are off, the algae is also dying back. Also, when sorted, try to time the CO2 to come on an hour or so before the lights so CO2 is up ready for the plants to use. You can turn it off overnight about half an hour to an hour before lights out.

I take it you have planted your new crop? Until you sort CO2, plant uptake will be limited and algae can thrive. Personally I would turn off the lights until CO2 comes up. Without light, algae won't thrive. Since you say the plants are quite good they won't require nutrients immediately. Without light they will mark time as they have a reserve they can use for a short time.

If you still have an algae bloom, take this time with the lights off and new plants to do regular 50% water changes and pruning off algae covered plants to knock it back.

-- The kH of the water is 6 degrees dH; the pH is 8.3. (I haven't graduated to a drop-checker yet.)

A kH of 6 and pH of 8+ means there is minimal CO2 in the water.
You said your water was hard. The kH is the same as mine. Is the gH high?

I don't know what sort of diffuser you have but they can vary enormously in efficiency. I ditched my CO2 ladder in my 30G tank and built one of plantbrain's DIY reactors. This enabled me to reduce CO2 use while halving the time it took to diffuse into the water, and it produced a mist of CO2.
However, pH tests also vary so you may not be getting an accurate reading. You really need to look at obtaining one of the CO2 long term tests to get a more accurate picture of CO2 levels.
Again, I think Greg Watson is the place go over in the States.

Ferts: If you get the dry ferts, I recommend about:
¼-½ teaspoon KNO3 (about 10-15 ppm nitrate (N) and 5-10 potassium (K))
1/16 teas KH2PO4 (about 1 - 1.5 ppm phosphate (P))
plus traces at whatever is recommended.
There are one or two nutrient calculators available; Chuck Gadds and NutriCalc spring to mind.
Dose this after a weekly w/c, 2 days after and then another 2 days after that.

 

[carolisles]

I apologize for taking so long to thank all of you who gave me excellent advice about the various challenges I encountered in getting my CO2 up and running and dealing with the subsequent algae bloom.

Everything is going really well. I had posted a query about the solenoid on my Milwaukee regulator apparently not working. Since then Milwaukee has sent me a new solenoid, which I’ve plugged into the same timer as the light, and it’s clicking on and off just as it should.

I had an algae bloom shortly after getting the CO2 going, and some of you recommended that I get a UV sterilizer. I did so and it eliminated every trace of algae in about 48 hours. My water is crystal clear again.

I still plan to get started on the EI fertilizing, but until I have time to figure out how to do it I’m using liquid fertilizer.

Anyway, my plants are all thriving – actually even growing, for the first time ever – and my fish and I are happy. Thanks again for your great advice and support!

Carol

 

[Themuleous]

Sounds good Carol glad to hear you got everything sorted A 'growing' tank is worth all the effort isn't it?

Sam

 

[BHornsey]

Hey, that's great Carol

It's great when it all works. Only suggestion I might have; put the solenoid on a second timer and have the CO2 on about an hour before the lights. That way CO2 levels are back up ready when the plants need it. You can shut it off about 30 minutes before the light go off again.

Best of luck