Starting a 46G Planted Tank -- First Timer

[NielsenE]

OK, so just expected melt on the Apon U, that's good to know.

The cabomba's should be getting plenty of both light and co2. The light's about 6-9 inches from the tops of the cabomba's and they're on axis directly under the light. The manufactorer reports 172 PAR at 12 inches on axis. I go have a glass cover between the lights and the plants, so I was assuming the 6-9" would be more comparable to the 12" number. They are also the closest plants to the reactor, so I'd expect them to have the most CO2. Perhaps I'm still low on that. There doesn't seem to be a difference in their health for the taller or shorter ones, or the ones closer to or further from the CO2 reactor.

If I need to go higher light, I'm willing to, but I I'm kinda doubting that's the problem. I am brand new though, so please let me know if the above figures seem wrong. (Of course if I need to go higher light I'm not really sure how... this fixture is very similar to a BML... I can go to two fixtures, but would need to get a different cover -- the versatop I have for the bowfront only really has one fixture width of un-occluded glass (the plastic rear portion would block too much light as would the front hinge.

 

[Brookster123]

Ditch the glass, unless you have cats? Just give the plants time to settle in. Co2 should be evenly distributed throughout the tank, that's why a dc opposite the diffuser is a nice touch. I'm just saying that your lfs could have had the plant tank at 200 par with 5 ppm nitrates and 15 bps.. no fish in the tank and it's all about the plants!!

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[Fishperson]

Actually there are some varieties of truly purple cabomba.

If the plants melt a bit thats fine.
Nothing you can do.

 

[NielsenE]

I've removed the glass top for today, I'll see if the cabomba start to look any better with the stronger light in a day or so. Still futzing with the regulator, it seems that after about an hour the bubble flow slows rather dramatically. In the past I had it set to ~2 bps, but it would be down to like .75bps after an hour. Now I'm setting it to more like 4 bps, but it still drops to 1.5-2bps after an hour (but stabilizes there). Its a new co2 tank and I haven't noticed the pressure gauge dropping. Is this normal to have to fiddle multiple times a day?

 

[Brookster123]

Is the temp in the room changing dramtically?

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[NielsenE]

That's a good point, there is some change. I'll have to track it better, but I think if anything it would be going the opposite direction.

(Ie I turn off the CO2 overnight. Start it up in the morning, an hour or so before the lights turn on. Room temp is normally ~72-74. Thermostat allows the room temp to rise to 78 while I'm at work, and then drops back to 72-74 for the evening and overnight. So if anything, the flow should speed up during the day as the heat increases.)

Oh.... wait. Typically when I first set the regulator the cabinet door has been closed. While the cabinet is open backed, I suspect its still trapping more heat than with the door open. I typically leave the door open as I do other get-ready-for-work tasks to check on it occasionally, hence it would be bleeding heat and slowing the flow.

I'll check that hypothesis tomorrow morning and see if I keep the door closed, and check less often, if the rate is stable.

 

[Brookster123]

The only thing I would see there is the temp. difference, I have a small setup running at around 1 bps 24\7, it's always a but slower in the morning as the temp drops at night, by the time I get home it has sped up a little but, nothing drastic but noticeable all the same.

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[NielsenE]

So the tank seems to be doing a little better with the slightly increased light (no cover) and increased ferts and co2. Some of the purple cabomba is getting its color back. The Apon. U is still melting, but that's expected.

The Dwarf Baby tears are having the worst time, so I'm thinking about getting a second light for the tank. I'm leaning towards a BML 6500 XB, probably with a slightly narrowed beam angle. The idea would be the existing light moves to the rear position, and is generally hitting the taller plants. The new, stronger light would be in the front position, but chiefly responsible for the low growing carpet plants, so needs to penetrate deeply, but only needs to light about half the tank bottom or less. Any suggestions on what beam angle I should consider?

And in other news, looks like I'm starting to see nitrites, so the cycle is beginning!

 

[Brookster123]

Yah, hc is among the toughest carpet plants in the game, in a 46 gallon bowfront?!?! Ooooo weeeeee the beauty of bml is you call the dude up and tell him you want an hc carpet in your 46 and they'll make it happen! I think that's a great plan! Cycling huh?! I remember my first cycle.. almost a whole year ago.. what a nightmare that was hahah

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[NielsenE]

I've sent the BML light guys an email, with goals and the stats on the current light. Hope to hear back from them soon.

Current things I'm trying to understand:
1) WTH is going on with my regulator, I still can't get it to a nice 3-5 bps range. If I set it to ~4 bps, 10 minutes later its a solid stream of air, rather than bubbles and the reactor is burping constantly. If it set it to ~2 bps, 10 minutes later is at 0.5 bps. I've normalized by keeping the cabinet door open through the testing and the room temp is stable (at least over these time scales). I think its the "Milwaukee Co2 MA957 Regulator"

2) Where I'm getting new ammonia from.... Had been holding steady at just about 4ppm for the first week while I cycled. Then it dropped, a little, not all the way to 2ppm, but noticeably between the two. Now its noticeably above 4ppm, but not all the way to 8ppm. There's no fish yet, one snail probably hitched a ride on the plants. So I assume the snail is producing some... Do the melting plants generate any also? I'll do a WC soon to try to avoid letting it get too much higher.

 

[Brookster123]

I'm not familiar with that regulator, doesn't sound like it's functioning properly though.. maybe take it back? ? Yes, decomposing plant matter can/will produce ammonia, depending on what you used for substrate/root tabs? That can leach ammonia too.

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[NielsenE]

So is it best to cut & remove the melting leaves once its clear they're melting and not merely unhealthy?

 

[Brookster123]

Yes, you should always trim dead/dying plant matter, check with Mr google on proper ways to trim the specific plant..

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[NielsenE]

Just ordered the BML light 650B. Tank is slowly turning around and colors are returning, but its taking moving the light back and forth (hence when I have two fixtures I should be solid). new growth on the red melon sword is nice and colorful, as is the purple cabomba.

The DBT is starting to look a touch better, I think its more from flooding the tank with CO2 than the lights though. Still fighting with the regulator, visiting the LFS this weekend to see if I got a busted one or something else, but since i don't have fish yet, I'm willing to err on the too much co2 side as long as I'm not blatantly wasting it. The DBT is also partially shadowed by other plants in its current location, but haven't wanted to move it since it uprooted itself, settled there and seems more secure.

 

[NielsenE]

Got my drop checker finally. This morning pre-lights coming on it was a little on the yellow side and the pH controller had shut off the co2, so looks like I have that dialed in just about right.

 

[Brookster123]

Sweet on the bml!! So your dc was yellow after having had the co2 off all night?

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[NielsenE]

No, the CO2 had been on (subject to the ph controller overriding that) all night. I had finally managed to get a pretty consistent 4bps flow going and didn't want to mess with it. don't have it also hooked up to a timer yet. Without any livestock, didn't think it would cause problems to leave it on overnight.

 

[Brookster123]

No issues in an empty tank no.. full tank?! Different story haha.. can't wait to see this tank take off! This is what research and proper funding look like on paper; )

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[NielsenE]

I'm hoping I'm about the turn the corner on getting the things dialed in. Planning to do a 30-40% WC change this weekend(was hoping to do 10-20% multiple times a week and avoid larger ones, but this week's been hectic) and some pruning of the less healthy shoots, might pick up a few more plants now that I seem to have things starting to rebound and act healthy.

Cycle seems slow, but I'm having enough fun learning/trying different things to get the plants happy, that I'm not worried/impatient on that front yet.

On constant snail watch duty, killing several a day. Might try the small bait and trap method. They aren't out of control yet, but I think if I'm not careful they will be soon.

 

[Brookster123]

Want some assassins? And some seeded media

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