new planted tank

[vero]

Hi,

I recently moved and decided to take that opportunity to give a new home to my fish.

They used to have very coarse pale gravel and fake plants. I didn't like the look of the plants and the corys didn't like the gravel as they couldn't rummage throught it - which resulted in a lot of debris deep down and imperative vaccumming every week.

Since to move an aquarium one has to totally empty it I decided to re-aquascape it. My fish stayed in a tiny aquarium (2gal) for a day or two during that process.

I put 2-3 inches of eco-complete in the bottom and kept the piece of wood and the big rock. I filled with fresh water (with dechlorinator) and watched the back of the aquarium disappear!!! I let it sit overnight and it was a bit better the next morning. I decided to start the filter to try to make the water better faster. It wasn't a great idea. The filter had a lot to work it and stopped once (too much grit in the mechanism). After a good clean up, it worked fine but I will have to think about changing it soon (which was already planned as it is a rather old filter). I added some floss and that really helped making the water clear.

Once the water was sort of clear (it stayed a bit cloudy for a week) I added the fish. I did lose my zebra snail in the process. I figure that the tiny tank wasn't "dirty" enough for it so that it died of starvation (I did put algea tablets and bottom feeder tablet but that snail had never cared for them - it was always munching on the wood).

I changed the light canopy. It only had a T8 18inches fluorescent tube. I bought the coralife T5 24inches (one full spectrum and one 6700K). Keep in mind that my plan is to have a low light planted aquarium (I'm hoping to avoid putting a CO2 thingy as I find that too complicated for me). The light is on about 12 hours a day.

I waited a few more days before adding plants. I didn't find all the plants that I wanted but I started with 4 very small cryptocoryne wendtii, one small anubias nana and two vallisneria spiralis. I'm not sure about the light requirement for the vallisneria. The leaves yellowed (from the tip to almost mid-lenght) so that I thought it was going to die, but at the same time it is making babies that are very green.

I'm planning on adding: microsword (lileaopsis novea-zelendia), java moss on the wood, dwarf sagitarria, java fern, cabomba and anachris.

Please let me know if these plants are not suitable for a low light 20gal tank with glolight tetras and panda and bronze corys. I think that I don't have to add anything for the plants since I am using eco complete; am I correct?

I have never had problems with algea with my tank before (probably because there wasn't enough light). I did have some diatoms before moving, but not a lot. Now I find that my rock, the glass and even the leaves of the anubias are getting covered with brown algea. I think I must have too much potassium or phosphate from over feeding, altough I don't have the test for that. I plan on getting two ottocinclus to help me with the algea.

I will eventually have more fish: bigger groups of corys (3 more pandas) and tetras (4 more) and I might add 1 or 2 angels once it is well established.

I haven't done water changes since (it was set up 2-3 weeks ago) but I think I should to help remove the algea. I don't have water parameters (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were all 0 before adding the plants).

Overall, I really like the look of my tank and I find that my fish are happier. They swim around a lot more - especially the corys.

Thanks for the good advvice I got from here!
Vero

 

[Peyton]

Didn't see you mention what size tank it was. As far as your plants go the only problems I see are the microsword, cabomba, and anacharis. These are med-high light plants. Vals can be grown in low light. The yellowing is problably due to a nutrient defiecentcy. Are you using any fertilizers?

I have never used eco-complete so I don't know how fine it is but when I had sand in my tanks my cories were always stirring it up, making a mess. Later I read it's not a good idea to keep cories in sand because it wears down their whiskers. Just my $.02.

 

[vero]

Thank you for your reply.

It's a 20gal.

Thanks for the info on the plants. I had a bit of trouble finding info. Some site will say light to very high light (not an helpful information, imo)! Or different site will give different levels. You are right, I thought cabomba was light but it says medium to very high. Too bad, I like the look of that plant.

I wonder if shock of being moved could have caused the yellowing of the vallisneria. I haven't started using fertilizer as I was under the impression that eco-complete would take care of that.

Ecocomplete is quite fine but the stirring by the corys don"t make the water cloudy. I did read about their whiskers being damaged by substrate but that was with rough gravel. I read somewhere that corys like sand a lot. I will keep an eye on them and do some research. I hope they will be fine... I really like them.

 

[Purrbox]

Yellowing is usually a sign of one of three deficiencies.

If the main part of the leaf yellows but the veins stay green, then it is usually an Iron deficiency.

Otherwise it it most likely either a Nitrate or Phosphate deficiency. These often look very similar so testing can help determine which you are short on. As the deficiency gets more severe the leaves will turn more translucent and then dissintegrate.

The key with Cories and other bottom dwellers is to make sure that the substrate is smooth. Both gravel and sand can be either sharp or smooth. This is why you will hear some saying that sand is great for cories and others saying that it's bad.

 

[Peyton]

I haven't started using fertilizer as I was under the impression that eco-complete would take care of that.

You will still have to dose phosphorus and maybe potassium and nitrate. I would say phosphorus is the main reason why your vals are yellowing. It shouldn't be iron with the eco-complete. You really need to get some test kits to find out for sure what your missing.

You mention also you were having a problem with brown algae. When my nitrates are high in my tanks I seem to get brown algae. I have to do 2-3 water changes a week to keep nitrates down in my tanks. I did two 70% water changes in my 30 hex in one week and my brown algae almost completely disapeared. I would try some 50% water changes at least once a week to see if that would help.