Low Tech Trials and Tribulations

[fish_4_all]

Well the plants are growing well. I have 33 watts over a 10 gallon and dose regularly with everything using EI although slightly lower than my DIY CO2 tank. The problem is I have hair algae from hell, lol. I think once I get Excel and start dosing it will go to the way side and my plants can be a little happier. The pictures show my cave with the Christmas moss. The moss isn't the happiest but it is growing. The excel should help there also. The other one shows my Nana and my Aromatica. The Aromatica is the only plant along with the X-mas moss that doesn't have any algae at all. Maybe the Aromatica is naturally resilent but it looks the best out of all of them. Will be putting a couple more tie downs on the Christmas moss to get it down the cave a little more and I think it will grow in nicely.

The primrose behind the cave and the pearlweed in front should make for a real nice scape once it fills in. Should look just as I had imagined it.

Any suggestions or comments on the scape or maybe how to get rid of the hair algae?

 

[rkilling1]

Looking good. Algae will always be apart of a planted tank. They live off the same things the plants do. Heck they are plants.

EDIT: maybe i'm just wrong. CO2 and lighting makes a big difference on looks. sorry.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

For the java moss, take the ornament out and soak the moss in an Excel solution, about 10:1 in strength. 1 part Excel to 10 parts water. Soak for 5-10 minutes, then place back into the tank. The moss will excel in growth, and the algae will melt away.

 

[JeffreyL]

excell

LWB, please tell me "the moss will excel in growth" was an accident. You did not actually say that intentinaly did you??

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, it will. Excel is a carbon source, and after soaking it in the Excel solution, not only did the algae melt away, but the moss got nice and thick, and is now about 6 inches thick, and thicker in some areas. It went from almost no growth, taking forever, to a decent growth rate for java moss.

 

[Jchillin]

Re: excell

LWB, please tell me "the moss will excel in growth" was an accident. You did not actually say that intentinaly did you??

I actually thought it was an unintended pun.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Nope, no unintended pun. My moss was in kind of a slump, and I think the Excel dip actually helped it get out of that slump. And with the algae gone, it get's more light as well, which is another helpful factor.

 

[fish_4_all]

I agree that it will help and will possibly become part of my dosing regiment now thta i have decided CO2 injection is not an option anymore. If worse comrs down to worse I will simply move the tank and switch the lighting with the other one. I just like the plant growth with 33 watts over my 10 gallon and if I can get fish to eat the staghorn and control it then I won't be changing anything.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Could you do a DIY CO2? With my pressurized, I'm just running the CO2 tube into the intake of my Whisper 5-15 filter. Works well for the small 10G tank. I would imagine DIY would do just as well.

 

[fish_4_all]

I took the DIY CO2 out about 2 weeks ago or more. Want to keep the pH above 7.0 and GH below 4 for my BN as this is my low tech planted for the BN and they have reacted to the change with leaps and bounds and maybe a few summersaults.

I may have to move the tank and exchange it with the other tank that doesn't have any direct lighting just because it looks like a hard fight to keep the Algae down with 33 watts over a 10 gallon without CO2. It may be my dosing that is the problem so I still have to figure that out also.

 

[rich311k]

Give the excel try. Dose as recommended for month and see what happens.