Community Tank: Fluval EBI with Betta as centerpiece

[fort384]

Yes, it's a 13w and either a 65 or 6700K.

All the rest of the plants are doing good and these val bunches even pearl on a regular basis. The Vietnam is growing fast and even the mini xmass moss from AFA is showing good growth under this light.

Good to know! Is it compact florescent?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Good to know! Is it compact florescent?

DOH! Yep

I also do a 4on/4off/6on lighting scenario. We like to see the tank lit in the evening (I know, selfish but what can I say). I dose with Flourish, use root tabs (using the ADA sticks now) and Excel every other day or so.

The offshoot vals that I leave in are doing good, just not the originals

 

[jetajockey]

I light my tanks in the evening also, it's not selfish at all, don't worry. We keep fish for our enjoyment, and they adapt readily to the lighting schedule we put them on.

Vals can be sensitive to excel, your yellowing might be related to that.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Vals can be sensitive to excel, your yellowing might be related to that.

I was thinking the same thing but I mix it in a 1g container to spread out the dose and pour it in the front right corner of the tank away from them. Plus the new shoots show no signs of melting from the excel and that's what has me confounded.

 

[fort384]

Are the older leaves melting or just yellowing?

 

[twoodrough]

Newbie here - what's the popcorn about?

 

[jetajockey]

I was thinking the same thing but I mix it in a 1g container to spread out the dose and pour it in the front right corner of the tank away from them. Plus the new shoots show no signs of melting from the excel and that's what has me confounded.

I don't think direct contact is the issue as much as total concentration in the tank.

I've not had an issue with vals or anything else melting with excel but I don't normally dose the recommended amount either.


But yeah, it's weird to have some yellow and others do ok. I've had that happen in my inert sand tanks but never in my ecocomplete and dirt tanks.

 

[fort384]

Dave, I know a lot of folks have successfully used excel with vals, so long as they didn't dump the dose right on top of them. 1 member in particular used it for months in a tank with vals, and then inadvertently dumped it directly on top of the vals instead of the other side of the tank, and all her vals melted the next day. I think by diluting it first, you can insure the concentration stays low enough and uniform. It seems like even a few seconds of high concentration glutaraldehyde is enough in some cases to do 'em in.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yes, they're yellowing and slowly disintergrating (sp?).

I heard about vals and anacharis melting, which is why I do the water mix. The anacharis in my DT is growing about 6" a week and they get the same feedings as all my tanks (I mix it in a 5g bucket and spread it thru my 4 tanks) and pour via % of total tank volume. This is the only plant that's got an issue amoung 25 or so plants.

FYI: popcorn is when you're watching a build or whatever.

Here's some for you .

 

[fort384]

You are using root tabs and flourish (comprehensive I assume?), so I wouldn't think nutrients would be a big issue, but I wonder if you are bottoming out on nitrates?

 

[jetajockey]

Yeah that makes sense, I've heard of people melting plants by directly applying excel as an algaecide as well.

Thankfully I've not had it happen yet, I always dose into the outflow

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yep, Flourish Comprehensive and the root sticks I use don't have iron, but I have Laterite so I think I have everything covered.

Tested water just a bit ago. Ammo 0ppm, no2 0ppm, no3 5-10ppm (more 10 than 5), pH 7.8.

 

[fort384]

ok, you aren't N limited then. Could just be the light, could just be vals. You look at 'em funny some times, and they will turn on you

 

[Mr. Limpet]

ok, you aren't N limited then. Could just be the light, could just be vals. You look at 'em funny some times, and they will turn on you

Mad at me for cutting off their heads (as it were) . Guess I'll start leaving the babies in there and see if that's messing them up, but the more I remove the more pop up .

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Moss wall attempt.

I got a hold of some mini xmass moss and I'm going to see if I can get to grow on the 3D background of my tank. I used some plant weights, plastic canvas and thread to make a seeding panel of sorts to give it a place to take hold. It'll take time for sure but hopefully I can get my ivy wall effect .

 

[mommytron]

i've personally found vals to be quite finicky. i can't keep them alive for the life of me. i've tried 3 varieties--jungle, italian, and contortion--all of which have ended in the same results--melting and death although they are some of my favs i've given up on them for now.

that is a great idea (the moss wall) if it works out like you hope it's gonna look awesome. can't wait to see.

 

[daileene]

looking good mr. limpet...

please excuse me if i am being dumb, but what is BW and GSP? sorry!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

i've personally found vals to be quite finicky. i can't keep them alive for the life of me. i've tried 3 varieties--jungle, italian, and contortion--all of which have ended in the same results--melting and death although they are some of my favs i've given up on them for now.

that is a great idea (the moss wall) if it works out like you hope it's gonna look awesome. can't wait to see.

Thanks! I'm not expecting much from the moss wall for a while.

Yeah the vals are funny, some are good, some not so good .

looking good mr. limpet...

please excuse me if i am being dumb, but what is BW and GSP? sorry!

Thanks Daileene! We're very happy with it and Elvis rules .

BW is brackish water and GSP is green spotted puffers. We named them Jake & Elwood lol.

Here's the thread if you want to check it out:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/new-tank-build-29-gallon-gsp-adventure-147269.html

 

[daileene]

Oh cool......thanks mr. limpet. I am still learning on some of the shortcuts here...LOL...

I wil definitely take a look at that link...

thanks!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Elvis struck a pose and finally let me ge a half decent pic .