New Planted Aquarium

[L2]

Hi there,

I just setup a new 6 gallon nano cube... Freshwater... Planted. I have an 18 W bulb... so about 3 W per gallon which is quite good or so I've been told. The filteration is excellent. I used florite for the substrate...

Some of the plants are going yellow though, especially the grassier plants. I'm not sure why though and I'm concerned... The tank is just cycling. So I have a slight amount of amonia... But it isn't much at all... 0.25.

I've been using Carbon Excel every second day... I need to pick up some Flourish food... What could I be doing wrong? Or is this normal? Will they survive?

Thanks.

 

[JDogg]

can you post a picture of the plants?

could need to dose k, or even trace elements with that much light.

plants may need root tabs and CO2 as well, i do not know if excel is enough at 3 wpg.

i only have low light tanks so i will leave anything more to the high light people

 

[L2]

Some photos..

Here are some photos. It's a small tank. I set it up a week ago.

 

[JDogg]

I'm not an expert but it is probably a potassium deficiency (new and old growth getting sick)

if only new growth is getting sick then i might be iron.

can you give a little more tank parameters?

nitrate=?
PH=?
GH=?
KH=?
Phosphate=?

 

[L2]

Well I just planted the tank. It's only 1 week old. So the only thing I've tested for is amonia.

I'm using the excel but my friend told me I need to get flourish for nutrients... (food)... I guess I'll pick some up tonight and see what happens. Hopefully that'll help. What do you think?

 

[JDogg]

Well I just planted the tank. It's only 1 week old. So the only thing I've tested for is amonia.

I'm using the excel but my friend told me I need to get flourish for nutrients... (food)... I guess I'll pick some up tonight and see what happens. Hopefully that'll help. What do you think?

flourish would probably not be bad. but i still think you will need some potassium.
if i was you i would pick up more a compleat test kit, OR bring a water sample into the LFS and see if someone would test it for you. AP Freshwater Master kit is a good start IMO.

if you have not done so already i would also suggest reading the Stickies at the top of the Planted tanks page...allot of good info!

 

[JustOneMore20]

In a new tank, there may not be any nitrates yet (or not enough), so I'd dose some Flourish nitrogen also. Pick up some of that and the Flourish potassium.

Did you get the plants online or in a LFS? Sometimes if you get them online, they have been grown emersed and the emersed growth will die off and new submerged growth will grow. If you got them in the LFS though, I'm not sure what the problem is.

3wpg is about medium-high light in a small tank. Its not considered high, like it would be in a 55g tank.

I'd try the potassium, nitrogen and flourish and if they don't get better soon, I'd look into DIY CO2. But, try the ferts first.

 

[L2]

Thanks!!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I agree, Potassium. Even in established tanks with fish, you may not need to dose nitrates or phosphates, but you should dose Potassium, and some traces, and then reset your parameters weekly by doing a 50% PWC.

 

[azn_fishy55]

I don't think you will need fourish potassium because flourish nitrogen is made with KNO3 which is potassium nitrate and it doses both so you won't need to waste money of the potassium stuff.But if you just wanna dose potassium get flourish potassium.

 

[Zezmo]

There is not enough Potassium in KNO3 (or flourish nitrogen) to meet you plants K needs.

Excel should be fine as a carbon source for a tank that size, don't bother with CO2 (DIY or Pressurized). Until you are adding fertilizors (micro or macro), then there is probably no need for Excel or CO2 anyways.

18w bulb: an 18w incandescent? a 18w screw in compact Fluorescent? a 18w standard fluorescent? a 18w 2pin Compact Fluorescent?

All light is not created equal. I don't think your lighting is your issue. But, 18w over a 6g aquarium is not hight light. Depending on the light that is probably medium light, but is also probably enough to grow nearly any plant.

For ferts, consider regular Flourish for your Micros.
For macros, as you will see suggested all over this board, I recomend Greg Watson and some dry ferts. In a 6 gallon, 1 pountd of ferts will last a year. So maybe $10 will be all you need for a years worth of Macros.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

There is not enough Potassium in KNO3 (or flourish nitrogen) to meet you plants K needs.

Excel should be fine as a carbon source for a tank that size, don't bother with CO2 (DIY or Pressurized). Until you are adding fertilizors (micro or macro), then there is probably no need for Excel or CO2 anyways.

18w bulb: an 18w incandescent? a 18w screw in compact Fluorescent? a 18w standard fluorescent? a 18w 2pin Compact Fluorescent?

All light is not created equal. I don't think your lighting is your issue. But, 18w over a 6g aquarium is not hight light. Depending on the light that is probably medium light, but is also probably enough to grow nearly any plant.

For ferts, consider regular Flourish for your Micros.
For macros, as you will see suggested all over this board, I recomend Greg Watson and some dry ferts. In a 6 gallon, 1 pountd of ferts will last a year. So maybe $10 will be all you need for a years worth of Macros.

I fully agree. You will still need to dose Potassium. The Potassium nitrate is for dosing the nitrates to the proper level, and supplimenting some Potassium. But it will not give you the required levels.