Dad's tank

[Sirtastic]

So my dad has a tank, about 120 liters i guess. Stockings: about 15 swordtails, a SAE and a clown loach. He doses co2 and it has fertilized gravel. The tank runs a decent filter and has 3 huge led strips(shining 7 till 22 o clock white). The plants look bad, lots of dead leaves and no new growth. It all looks gray/black. The water test showded that only the hardness was a little bit to low. What's the problem with this? I'm really hoping someone can fix it beqause we spent a lot of money on this.
thanks

 

[Delapool]

Is that CO2 injection or liquid carbon?


Lights I'd say should start at 6hrs on and then work up to say 8 hours (or less if algae comes in).

 

[Sirtastic]

Co2 is liquid. The gH of the tank was too low, it's almost at a normal level right now. Do you guys think this was the problem?

 

[Delapool]

Gh would be the least concern to start with.

What's lights (tank light duration and led make), ferts and liquid carbon dosing schedule and what water readings do you have? Ph, nitrates and phosphates, kh, gh if you have them.

Liquid carbon (glut) can burn or rot out leaves. I usually start at a half dose and work up. Also new plants might die off a bit as they swap to your water. Also what plants do you have - sometimes some just won't grow and have to keep experimenting.

Any blue lights in the LEDs I'd switch off unless tank is 2ft or more deep.

 

[Sirtastic]

Leds are 15 hours a day on, they're just leds in a row with a extern controller. The readings are all fine, plants are standard like anubias and water pest. I guess whe have to dose less carbon?

 

[Delapool]

Leds are 15 hours a day on, they're just leds in a row with a extern controller. The readings are all fine, plants are standard like anubias and water pest. I guess whe have to dose less carbon?

Hi, we need to know exact readings, led type, dosing schedule, ferts, etc unfortunately. For example in a really deep tank with lots of reds in LEDs you might get away with 15hrs. If these are high-powered LEDs the plants would be getting all that light energy but have no carbon and ferts to power growth so wouldn't do well.

I'm guessing without details but would drop lights back to 6hrs and half-dose the liquid carbon. If you don't have readings or much detail that's ok, it's only planted tanks rest on getting light, ferts and CO2 in balance - combined with good flow and substrate.

I assume the Anubias is on a rock or driftwood? If buried in gravel it won't like it.


Mine took about 6 months first time to really get sorted. Before that it was pretty dismal growing plants as very deep tank.