Things are going brown.

[JoeFreshnSalt]

Been dosing excel every other day in a 75 gal with 4 amazon swords thought all was well. Today I noticed a brownish buildup near the top of my eco complete near the glass, slate rock has a brown tinge to it, and my swords are browning on the edges. My water parameters:
7.8 pH
O Ammonia
0 Nitrite
0 Nitrate

Could it be too much light and not enough plants?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Been dosing excel every other day in a 75 gal with 4 amazon swords thought all was well. Today I noticed a brownish buildup near the top of my eco complete near the glass, slate rock has a brown tinge to it, and my swords are browning on the edges. My water parameters:
7.8 pH
O Ammonia
0 Nitrite
0 Nitrate

Could it be too much light and not enough plants?

Is your tank fairly new? I'd say your starting to get diatom algae. U should be able to find heaps of treatment options on Google

Also u want to try and keep nitrates around 10+ or your plants will starve of nutrients

 

[bruceamo12]

I agree about the ferts. No sure about the algae

 

[bruceamo12]

How much light and or sunlight?

 

[bruceamo12]

I light 4-5 hrs then turn off for 4 hrs then back on 4 more. Schedule daily with auto timer

 

[bruceamo12]

How often water changes?

 

[JoeFreshnSalt]

I just turned off my light, usually have it on for ten hours straight. It is a beamswork 1w high lumen. My aquarium is 12 feet from nearest window. I'm using leaf zone right now but want to go to flourish when I add more plants soon. Water changes once a week, with water parameters being OK I thought I'd wait a week. Thank you for your advice it is well appreciated.

 

[bruceamo12]

It definitely is a science, but takes time to find the right formula. Maybe keep a written record of your practices. If your parameters are 0 0 0
Maybe do 2 weeks before water changes.

 

[bruceamo12]

Also only fert one per week

 

[bruceamo12]

Check out Cory from Aquarium Coop. He has a lot of videos and pertinent information.

 

[Fresh2o]

Swords are heavy root feeders. Substrate fertilizers are recommended.
When you mentioned Flourish, are you referring to Seachem Flourish Excel or Seachem Flourish Comprehensive? Prior to using dry ferts, I used a combination of API Leaf Zone and Flourish Comp once a week (to cover both macro and micro nutrients) and Excel once a day (supply a source of carbon).

 

[JoeFreshnSalt]

I'm already using Excel and Api leaf zone, I was thinking about Flourish Nitrogen. I will take a look at the comprehensive. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Caliban07]

I'm already using Excel and Api leaf zone, I was thinking about Flourish Nitrogen. I will take a look at the comprehensive. Thank you for your advice.

Adding macro nutrients recently stopped my leaf edges from turning brown. I can't say which one was deficient put a solution of nitrate, phosphate, potassium and magnesium helped the formation of new healthy leaves.

 

[JoeFreshnSalt]

Went out and got the Flourish comprehensive, added it, logged it, now its just patience.

 

[Caliban07]

Went out and got the Flourish comprehensive, added it, logged it, now its just patience.

But that doesn't contain nitrogen or phosphorus.

 

[flchamp89]

But that doesn't contain nitrogen or phosphorus.

It does contain NPK just in lower amounts.

 

[JoeFreshnSalt]

Good catch. I'm going to have to oder those two. Not available in my area.

 

[Caliban07]

Yeah. The amount of nitrogen and phosphate is negligible so you will have to pick up the others that Seachem just so happen to make.

Buying your own dry ferts and mixing them in your own water would be a more cost effective way to administer them.

 

[JoeFreshnSalt]

Are there any specific aquarium dry ferts?

 

[Caliban07]

Are there any specific aquarium dry ferts?

Yes I think green leaf aquariums sell them if you are in USA