Help for a newbie

[DrApocalypse]

Hello all, this will be a copy and paste from my intro post so please bear with me. If you need any info please ask and I'll do my best to figure it out.

So I am a little concerned at the moment and have read multiple things which have me confused. Hopefully someone can clarify or enlighten me. A little detail on my tank, my issues and concerns and my objectives.

My current set up involves a 33gal long tank. I use a pretty cheap filter system with bio-wheel and a heater set to 76 degrees on the right end. Towards the middle I Installed a simple bubble stone buried under rocks and sand for simple current movement and aesthetics. For the dirt I used a pure organic garden soil, maybe to pure as it had a lot of wood bits and roots. Great soil overall but I made my first big mistake with the amount I used. I thought a varied landscape would look nice, but in the end some areas had well over two inches of dirt. Rushing into things and being eager, I called it good and filled it with water. Once the dirt settled after a few days, I added my sand and gravel substrate and realized my mistake. Well I rolled with it, ran the tank empty for a week and a half, changed about half the water and added some planets. I added a mix of moneywort, cabomba and wisteria. The cabomba and wisteria took off like wildfire but the moneywort is sickly. I have read that its common for the bottom leaves to go brown and melt away, so I'm not terribly concerned. Why however would the other two thrive while this one is struggling in comparison.

Another issue I am struggling with is water discoloration. The tank has been going for about a month and a week. It has a slight yellow/brown tint to it. Should I let this resolve on its own, or is a 1/4 to a 1/2 water change in order? Is it due to the plants and other forms of decomposition and/or bacteria growth? Along with it is the alarmingly high ph level. It is always seems to ride at 8+. I have hard water in my area to start with. GH and KH always tend to be on the high end with my ph coming out of the tap at around 7. NO2&3 don't seem to be to terribly high, reading around 3 and 80 respectfully. I have read that a high ph is common for starting/establishing Walstads. Did I just doom everything that's already in place?

I also jumped the gun and dropped in 10 ghost shrimp and two mystery snails. The Snails are doing well from the looks of it, but I have lost 3 shrimp in 1 1/2 weeks. I am assuming I didn't let the tank cycle proper and the spikes in everything might be doing the poor critters in. They are creepy little things but I am becoming a fan of them. I think my biggest fault is that I never picked up Diana Walstads book, which would have saved me some time, money and embarrassment.

While reading some start up tips, I feel I may have added critters to soon. At this point I'm looking for some reassurance or some tips/tricks I'm missing. Will submit a picture later on tonight. Thanks everyone

 

[hjsvt]

Sorry I can't help you much because I'm a beginner but I am about 80% through Diana Walstads book and I highly recommend it.

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[Coursair]

Sorry, no experience with dirted tanks. I use straight sand with root tabs.

What light are you using ?

What are current parameters ?

Water change schedule ?

You can trim the tops and replant. Don't overcrowd, space out stems so the leaves aren't quite touching.


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[Coursair]

Can you post a pic.

This was my tank when I had mostly stem plants



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[DrApocalypse]

For lighting I am using a 40watt flouresent "aquarium" bulb. Standard, non HO.

As far as parameters go, my GH and KH come out of the tap high, I have very hard water. Tank wise, they are borderline maxed based off of my test strips.(cant afford a nice test kit atm)

Ph is scarey high, seems to always want to sit around 8.5. I did a 25% change a few days ago. It was ok for about a day before jumping back up.

NO2 has been settling around 3 and NO3 around 80.

I have read so many conflicting views on water changes with walstads, I have only changed it but a few times within its month and a half of being set up.

Attached is a photo, this was taken 2 days ago. The quality is not the best.

Also, still have plants and rocks etc to add. I will as the budget allows.

 

[Coursair]

That does look like way too much soil.
If you try to move a plant I'm afraid you'll get a ton of soil in your water column, which may set off a spike.

I'm sorry to say if it was me, I'd reset.

You don't want to exceed 3" total. I stay at about 2" total.

1" of soil. Up to 2" of sand cap.

It is better to build hills using rocks or other stabilizers. Using straight substrate will mean that it will all eventually settle flat.

But it is your tank.


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[Mebbid]

Whew, that's a ton of soil. You are going to be constantly struggling with the brown discoloration of the water and high nutrient levels. I would redo the substrate and like was mentioned earlier, do about 1" of dirt with 2" of sand over top of it.

As for the pH, don't worry about it.

Ghost shrimp die easily when first introduced to a tank.

 

[DrApocalypse]

Well, its going to be a task but tonight I will reset it. I have a large plastic storage bin, will this be sufficient to hold the plants and shrimp for a day or so? My concern is if the plastic could do any harm. For a day or two I would like to think not.

Thanks for the advice, ill post a update once the dust settles.

 

[livefishguy124]

if its like Rubbermaid you should be fine, i would think the soil is leaking that color but i'm not sure i usually just do sand and that ph needs to be lower most fish that would fit in the tank will like 7 ish ph so add some stuf to lower ph i think they have drops that lower it instantly i would add that to the tank and water every time you change it