Planted Tank upgrade and questions

[Sk3lly]

Yep i reckon thats it. All my stem plants are straight when my lights are on, but bend towards natural light when my lights are off.

I think they are similar to normal garden plants like this


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[Brookster123]

Makes sense! I have the shades drawn and like fresh my tank is dark in the daytime, guess that explains it

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[Fresh2o]

I was thinking...I could try taping something to the side of the tank to block the light.

 

[schoeplein]

I've considered breaking some plastic hangers apart and soft mounting my stems to ensure vertical instead of horizontal growth... There's zero ambient light around my tank, so it's all water flow and high intensity light towards the top of the tank causing them to "lay out" (bend sideways). I should probably trim them down first...

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[Khuligirl93]

That's an interesting idea.
I might try just covering my tank with a blanket if it doesn't change after a trimming and starting to dose PPS pro. I'm starting to wonder if some sort if deficiency could also cause the sideways growth. You know all those perfectly aquascaped tanks at Interzoo have got to have super intense lighting and they don't have sideways growing plants- there's got to be a reason.


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[Fresh2o]

Let us know how it goes with the blanket idea. If they continue to lean...then maybe it is a deficiency of some sort.
I had some cardboard laying around so I taped it to the window facing side of the tank. Going to see what the stems look like this afternoon.

 

[Fresh2o]

Update: I checked out the stems this afternoon and the tips were not leaning towards the windows. Normally at this time of day they would have been. I even had MORE light come in from the windows (yesterday I changed the blinds to a different type).

 

[Khuligirl93]

Good to know you've figured it out! I was unable to do the blanket idea today due to my tank being in a high traffic area and having guests over. Expecting my PPS-pro order to arrive Wednesday!


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[Khuligirl93]

So it's now been 3 weeks since adding Mebbid's DIY recipe root tabs and my plants are exploding with growth.
Day1:

1 week later:

2 weeks later:

Today:

I know it doesn't look like much, but my sword it putting out 2 new leaves each day! And that water sprite is taking over my tank. Also my crypts are putting out new leaves constantly now and my Vesuvius is sending out runners.
I'm excited to see what PPS pro does for me! Still dealing with this algae:/ I thought it was improving but it's growing on my new anubias leaf so I guess not.


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[Brookster123]

Boom!!! My rotala has responded very well to it also..

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[Khuligirl93]

Has responded well to.. PPS-pro?


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[Brookster123]

Oh sorry, mebbid's rt's.. pps pro seems to working to! Than again I used 2 months supply in 2 weeks..

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[Khuligirl93]

Haha! I didn't put any tabs below my rotala because every couple weeks I chop off the tops and replant them (removing the lower stems) so they never get a chance to establish roots. If the lower half of my stems stop growing algae on them when I start dosing then I'll start just trimming the tops and giving them some root tabs as well!


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[Fresh2o]

Haha! I didn't put any tabs below my rotala because every couple weeks I chop off the tops and replant them (removing the lower stems) so they never get a chance to establish roots. If the lower half of my stems stop growing algae on them when I start dosing then I'll start just trimming the tops and giving them some root tabs as well!


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I've noticed that with other fast growing stem plants. I wonder if increasing spacing and light penetration will keep the leaves growing (and reduce or eliminate the amount of algae growing on them).

 

[Khuligirl93]

I will try that next time I trim Fresh2o!
My ferts are scheduled to arrive any time now! (Tracking says they've checked out at the local ups station and are in route for delivery).
So I was thinking, would it be a good idea to dose EI for one week and then switch to PPS pro? Just to cover all my bases for all the deficiencies my plants have to give them a jump start and counter algae growth. Or could that cause problems?


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[Khuligirl93]

This is the type of algae I have:
On dwarf sag
On anubias (in addition to what I'm thinking is potassium deficiency, causing edges of leaves to deteriorate)

On glass

Now I know the last one looks like diatoms, but it's much harder to get off, and I've had this tank set up 4+ years and the play sand has been in there for 1 year.


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[Sk3lly]

Looks like BBA (black brush algae)

It's a pretty tough one to rid. I think it's brought on by an imbalance of a carbon source in an aquarium

Best way to kill it off is hydrogen peroxide spot treating


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[Fresh2o]

I will try that next time I trim Fresh2o!
My ferts are scheduled to arrive any time now! (Tracking says they've checked out at the local ups station and are in route for delivery).
So I was thinking, would it be a good idea to dose EI for one week and then switch to PPS pro? Just to cover all my bases for all the deficiencies my plants have to give them a jump start and counter algae growth. Or could that cause problems?


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I have only used PPS pro so I really don't know. But at the end of the week (of EI) you would be doing a 50% WC to reset things so I suppose you could jump right into PPS Pro.
Are you still using API CO2 booster on this tank? I cannot recall the carbon source. You will want to maintain a good carbon source as you increase the ferts (and lights).

 

[Khuligirl93]

I have pressurized CO2, which is about at 2-3bps (I used to have it a little higher but it dropped my pH to 6.0 so i turned it down gradually until I tested a consistent pH throughout the photoperiod). But no drop checker.
I have a bottle of CO2 booster that I use for my lowlight tank, but I don't use it on this tank.
Thanks sk3lly, I'll have to do that hydrogen peroxide treatment on it. The imbalance of carbon would make sense because I was out of the country for all of June and my CO2 ran out and didn't get refilled. I had all this algae when I returned. You think it looks like the same thing in all 3 pictures?


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[Fresh2o]

I have pressurized CO2, which is about at 2-3bps (I used to have it a little higher but it dropped my pH to 6.0 so i turned it down gradually until I tested a consistent pH throughout the photoperiod). But no drop checker.
I have a bottle of CO2 booster that I use for my lowlight tank, but I don't use it on this tank.
Thanks sk3lly, I'll have to do that hydrogen peroxide treatment on it. You think it looks like the same thing in all 3 pictures?


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I couldn't remember and got lost scrolling up while looking for it. Yep, get a drop checker. Much better relying on it changing colors rather than your fish telling you.