Planted Tank help

[AngelWings]

Good morning all!

I have a planted 150gal, gravel substrate, LOTS of anacharis, amazon swords, java fern, anubia, and wisteria. 4X96W T5 HO lighting 8 hours a day, micro/macro ferts at 1ml/10gal per day, glut at 2ml/10gal per day, plus root tabs. Medium fish load. Tank us cycled, been set up for a year with readings generally around 0/0/5-10, and pH 7.8. Canister filtration has mechanical and biological filtration, that gets rinsed every two weeks in dirty tank water.

I've had a few things happen in a short span of time... I'm assuming they are all connected, but what do you think?

1. My nitrates have gone way up, and have been hard to control. Testing with api, they have gone up to the 40-80 range. Frequent water changes bring them back down to 20, but then go back up again.

2. Snail population EXPLOSION. MTS mostly, but some pond snails that I pull out as soon as I find them.

3. My java fern leaves are turning brown and black, both young leaves and old.

I'm thinking that the swords need more iron, as they aren't growing much, but I don't want to add that until I get the rest sorted out.

I don't know where the nitrates are coming from... Possibly some dead leaves somewhere? There haven't been any fish deaths, though I can't ever get a good count on my kuhli loaches.

What do you all think is going on?

 

[Rivercats]

Let's start with the snails. If your having alot of decaying plant issues that is enough food to get the MTS snails multiplying. One way to get alot of them and pond snails out is to get some zucchini, cut pieces long ways and microwave a few seconds just enough to get them to start softening up. Weight them down or better yet lay them in a jar with the jar on it side. They will go in there in mass to eat on the zucchini and you can just carefully turn the jar upright and remove them. Then put the zucchini and jar back in. For some reason they love softened zucchini but it has to be on the bottom of the tank. They will mound on it so that is why you need a jar and a rock or something to keep the zucchini from floating.

Have you tested your tap water for nitrates? Also have you done a couple big 50% WC's within about 3-4 hours of each other then tested the nitrates? Then tested it the next day to see where they are? Also are your canisters/filters clean? That can cause horrible nitrates if left dirty too long. Also gravel can cause high nitrates if too much organic matter builds up.

Swords are mostly heavy root feeders so they need root tabs. I actually use regular root tabs along with phosphate root tabs and iron root tabs around my 2 large swords. AquariumPlants.com sell bot phosphate and iron tabs.

 

[AngelWings]

Any idea why the java fern is turning black and getting holes in the leaves?

 

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Instead of making a new thread...

What are some good carpet plants?

 

[AngelWings]

Rivercats, you are always a wealth of information! Some days I think I need to get you on my speed dial.

My tap has 0 nitrates, so that's not the issue, thankfully. I've upped my pwc schedule to twice a week at 60% - 70%. That has my nitrates down to 10 to 20 this morning. Does anyone else have a hard time reading the difference between 10 and 20 on the api kit?

QUESTION: Do I need to reduce the number of MTS? Are they contributing to or causing the nitrate spike? Otherwise, I don't mind having them in there. Cute little buggers.

About the canister, I clean it our pretty well on a regular basis. If there is decaying material anywhere, it's in the gravel, which I can't clean to extensively without disturbing my plant roots.

QUESTION: I'm considering adding Purigen to my canister. Will that help, or do you think it will take our too many nitrates and starve the plants?

 

[Rivercats]

Any idea why the java fern is turning black and getting holes in the leaves?

If they are pin sized holes then that indicates potassium deficiency. But in Java ferns when the leaves start turning black/brown they are also usually reproducing. Are you seeing alot of daughter plants starting on the leaves?

 

[Rivercats]

Rivercats, you are always a wealth of information! Some days I think I need to get you on my speed dial.

My tap has 0 nitrates, so that's not the issue, thankfully. I've upped my pwc schedule to twice a week at 60% - 70%. That has my nitrates down to 10 to 20 this morning. Does anyone else have a hard time reading the difference between 10 and 20 on the api kit?

QUESTION: Do I need to reduce the number of MTS? Are they contributing to or causing the nitrate spike? Otherwise, I don't mind having them in there. Cute little buggers.

About the canister, I clean it our pretty well on a regular basis. If there is decaying material anywhere, it's in the gravel, which I can't clean to extensively without disturbing my plant roots.

QUESTION: I'm considering adding Purigen to my canister. Will that help, or do you think it will take our too many nitrates and starve the plants?

Speed dial

I don't mind the MTS since they are only out at night. The only thing that irritates me with them is I can't leave algae tablets on the substrate at night for the BNP. They just come up and eat them.

I use purgen in my 220's canisters and love it. Purgen only removes organics from the water so that could help you and it sure won't hurt.

When you do your WC's do you ever wave you hand over the plants and substrate to get any loose detris to come up into the water column? I do that weekly. I can't clean my substrate either so I understand that.

 

[phishfriend]

"Rivercats, you are always a wealth of information! Some days I think I need to get you on my speed dial."

I think a lot of us feel the same way!!

I also use perigen in my tanks. Really good stuff and it rechargeable so you can use again and again for cost of one purchase.

 

[Rivercats]

Phish I thought I was on your PM speed dial...

 

[phishfriend]

Phish I thought I was on your PM speed dial...

So true! You are, lol!

 

[ztigris]

Rivercats, you are always a wealth of information! Some days I think I need to get you on my speed dial.

Amen!! : )