Plants stopped growing

[sallyjano]

I added pressurized co2 and a new light a few months ago. I'm still having ongoing problems and could use some help...... Here's my info:

60g Long.

Fish: guppies, mollies, cories, swordtails, neon tetras, Australian rainbows.

Plants: Vals, pygmy chain, rotala, water wisteria, sunset hygro, hygro poly, amazon swords.

Lights: Ray2, 2x15w plant growth bulbs. On for approx 6.5 hours a day.

Flourish root tabs. PPS Pro daily. I started at 6ml micro/macro but still had issues so kept upping it until I got to about 10-12ml each but then realized I had HIGH nitrates so made a new solution with no nitrates and now got that under control but really no clue what level I should be dosing for my tank.....help! Currently down to 6ml micro and 7.5 maco (but no nitrates).

5ml metricide (neat) to help w/algae.

50% PWC weekly.

Water params: 80 degrees, 0 nitrites/ammonia, 10-20ppm nitrates (was very high so I removed nitrates from my PPS PRO solution and did a really good clean up job), hard water, ph 7.8 before co2.

C02 - goes on a couple of hours before lights and shuts off about an hour before. Drop checker reads light green to yellow by end of day. Tom Barre's ph/kh chart shows ppm as 45ppm.

Problems (so many!):

Growth - when I first got the new lights and co2 my pygmy chain and Vals went bonkers! Now all of a sudden it's not growing at all (no runners) and going yellow/brown.

Some plants I've never been able to get to grow. My sunset hygro has never grown properly. Leaves end up distorted or go brown and shrivel up. At the moment it's doing nothing - just not growing.

Also I have rotala which is weak and pathetic - only looks good at the tips where close to the light. Seems like I don't have enough light but shouldn't a ray2 on a 60g be enough for rotala?

Swords - leaves going yellow and brown all over the leaf.

Also......still got algae despite 5ml of metricide and allegedly high co2 (as I said at least 40-45ppm according to the tom barre ph/kh chart and drop checker).

I will post a pic of the tank and the algae in case it helps.

From looking at my issues/set up what would you change?

 

[sallyjano]

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[sallyjano]

Shameless bump......

Thoughts anyone?

 

[tiger terror]

Looks to be flow related,for now I'd spot treat with h2o2 with filters off for 15mins..increased co2 will not kill the algae if that's what you're trying to accomplish although the glut is probably helping more than you can see..

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[sallyjano]

Looks to be flow related,for now I'd spot treat with h2o2 with filters off for 15mins..increased co2 will not kill the algae if that's what you're trying to accomplish although the glut is probably helping more than you can see..

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Thanks though actually I had a powerhead previously and the algae on the amazon sword it was near was dreadful and someone said maybe too much flow so I removed it.

I am spot treating the algae but trying to get to the root cause.

Thoughts re the plant growth issues?

 

[ScotJudd]

Some plants are less tolerant to Glut/Excel than others. My Vals melted away never to return but my crypts, Java fern and Java moss have gone bonkers.


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[tiger terror]

You may also back your ferts down a bit,nothing really overly demanding in the tank at this point(plant wise)..some hygro's can be potassium hogs, a double dose of that after a water change can help with them...the excess ferts may be contributing to an imbalance causing your algae issues..

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