Todd2
Aquarium Advice Freak
Slowly but steadily my 20g L planted tank has been going down hill. The tank has dwarf sag, java fern, hornwort, java moss, and money wort. The fish in there are in my signature. I have a thin layer of peat on the bottom followed by laterite and then playsand. Right now I'm not adding any ferts. Water parameters are pH 7.6-7.8, Temp: 78 F and Nitrate 10 ppm (I don't have phosphate or iron test). I have 2 24" 20W bulbs over this tank. One GE Plant and Aquarium bulb, the other one is a 6700K bulb.
The dwarf sag has started to turn yellow and has stopped producing runners. Some of it's leaves are also turning translucent. The java fern has started to turn brown and hasn't produced any baby plants in a while. Some of the hornwort I bought recently has started to turn brown. (Part of the problem is that some of the hornwort is blocking out the light and the stems at the bottom are dying, I'll be removing a lot of this on Wed. when I do a pwc) The moneywort that I have is started to turn brown too. The java moss is the only thing that is completely green and doing good.
Diatoms are forming on the glass, heater, and driftwood. I plan on getting a couple of otos to deal with this.
How can I get this tank 'back on track'? What do I need to do to get the plants healthy again? I've read that tanks with 2-2.5 WPG will benefit with the addition of CO2. Should I start adding DIY CO2. I've done the gatorade bottle/yeast method before and know how it works. If I start adding CO2 will I need to start adding ferts to keep the nutrient levels balanced? In that case would I be adding Potassium and Micro nutrients since the phosphate and nitrogen are pretty much in check?
The dwarf sag has started to turn yellow and has stopped producing runners. Some of it's leaves are also turning translucent. The java fern has started to turn brown and hasn't produced any baby plants in a while. Some of the hornwort I bought recently has started to turn brown. (Part of the problem is that some of the hornwort is blocking out the light and the stems at the bottom are dying, I'll be removing a lot of this on Wed. when I do a pwc) The moneywort that I have is started to turn brown too. The java moss is the only thing that is completely green and doing good.
Diatoms are forming on the glass, heater, and driftwood. I plan on getting a couple of otos to deal with this. How can I get this tank 'back on track'? What do I need to do to get the plants healthy again? I've read that tanks with 2-2.5 WPG will benefit with the addition of CO2. Should I start adding DIY CO2. I've done the gatorade bottle/yeast method before and know how it works. If I start adding CO2 will I need to start adding ferts to keep the nutrient levels balanced? In that case would I be adding Potassium and Micro nutrients since the phosphate and nitrogen are pretty much in check?
