PLEASE HELP! Plant problem :(

[sbiondi1]

Hello everyone!

So I got 110l tank that I've been cycling since the 14th of April 2014 (so 17 days now).

For the first 10 days I had nothing in the tank, and then I added a few plants.

Three days ago (14 days after I first switched everything on in the tank) I got two Longfinned Zebra Danios to put in. They seem to be doing well although one of them appears to be bullying the other at times.

I have two problems and they are as follows:

1. The plants started to go brown and soon after that long thready stuff started to grow from one of them. The other plants are also going brown and have little bits of white deposit on them too. The leaves on some of them are starting to go see-through, some are getting holes, and some are rotting. At first I thought it might be a light issue (2x T8 - it's a Jewel Rekord 800 tank) but it's the leaves that get the most light that are having this problem. Some which are in the shade of ornaments are actually doing fine.

I went back to the shop and got fertilizer drops and C02 and have been adding these but they don't seem to have made any difference. I bought a special plant substrate so I doubt that's the problem... Any ideas or suggestions as to what the problem might be?

2. I've been testing the water and I currently have:

pH approx 7.5
Ammonia .25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

I did a 25% water change the other day to help keep the ammonia down and I also cleaned the white cotton sponge at the top of the filter quite thoroughly (was this a mistake)? I've read online that after 2 weeks the nitrogen cycle should be at a stage where ammonia is gone and nitrite is on the rise...but this doesn't seem to be happening in my tank. Any suggestions?

I'm new to all this...my first fish tank ever...so would be so grateful for help! I just want to keep my little fish happy! :/

THANKS!

 

[Coursair]

What light fixture and bulbs ?

What lighting schedule ?

Pictures ?


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[himdie]

If you are cycling u shoulnt clean the sponge as thats were all the beneficial bacteria grows

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[sbiondi1]

Thanks to both of you for replying so quickly!

Ya, I only read that I shouldn't clean the sponge after I'd already done it... Made a mistake

Re lights:

I have 2 x T8 bulbs of 18w each. Tank is 45cm high. At first I had lights on 12hrs a day on timer but when I added the fish I reduced to 8hrs a day. I will charge my camera and take pics tomorrow to to try to show you the plants...

I tested my tap water tonight too btw and it has the exact same parameters as my tank water. So now I'm wondering if it's even cycling? :/

 

[himdie]

Wen I cycled I put 2 mollies in my 40 with plants and mr tims nitryfing bacteria and that worked for me =\ but I did put in a old cartridge from my 10g

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[ljlee256]

Well bacteria needs food. When I cycle a tank I usually start with plants in from day 1, and add heavier than normal amounts of seachem flourish. It contains a trace amount of ammonia (you would have to go really overboard to make your tank toxic with that stuff) but that trace ammonia gives the bacteria something to feed on while there are no ammonia polluting fish in the tank. I've heard of people getting bad dechlorinator too or not using the correct amounts. Try switching it out for another brand or use the dechlorinator and then age your water in buckets for 24 hours. Chlorine doesn't stay diluted in water at normal air pressure indefinitely. Chlorine is instadeath for bacteria.

After a week or so add a couple of heavy polluters first, like goldfish. They will flood your water with ammonia, and are hardy enough to deal with poor water conditions, not giving anyone license to be cruel to them, but if you are a bit late on a water change you won't have a bunch of dead fish.

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[Rivercats]

When adding plants to a cycling tank you don't need to add nutrients until the cycle is over. If your getting algae on plants your lighting/co2/ferts aren't balanced which is pretty normal in cycling tanks. During cycling, even with plants only run lighting 6 hours daily to keep algae at bay. You have fish so are doing a fish in cycle meaning you need to do ammonia and nitrite readings daily and do a WC anytime either go above .25ppm. With fish in cycling and having to do WC's frequently to keep ammonia and nitrites down you won't have the types of readings as you would doing a fishless cycle with ammonia. You also say your using co2? What kind, pressurized or diy? Or are you using a liquid carbon? Exactly what plants are in your tank? The type of plants that flourish depends on the amount of light. You simple might be buying the wrong type of plants. What are you shooting for a light, medium, or high light tank?

 

[sbiondi1]

Ok, so here are some pictures of my plants... I don't know if they're very clear but there is this brown stuff growing on the leaves. I tried rubbing it off and most of it did...it felt like slime on them... Is this algae? If it is algae will reducing the light to 6 hours help get rid of it or will it just make my plants suffer more?

Yes, I use a liquid form of C02 and follow the dosage on the bottle. I tend to to put in a little less than it says too because I'm worried about harming my fish.

The names of the plants I have are:

2 x Ludwigia Repens Rubin
2 x Cryptocoryne becketti
2 x Alternanthera rosaefolia
1 x pogostemon helferi
1 x Alternanthera reineckii 'Rot'
(got those names from the plant labels)

I do a PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test every day. Ammonia level has never gone above 0.25ppm (seems closer to 0ppm judging by colour of test).

The two Danios in the tank seem ok.

In relation to the light question, like I said I have two 18w T8 bulbs and the tank is 45cm deep. It's 110 litres. I don't want to add any more lights so I don't know whether that makes it low, medium or high light.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[ljlee256]

Hard to tell on my phone but it looks like brown algae. Which is common in new tanks. Oto catfish love that stuff and don't harm plants, they're also pretty tiny.

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[sbiondi1]

Would an oto catfish survive in my tank as it currently is?

 

[ljlee256]

I don't see why not, the only perameter that is less than ideal is your ammonia, which isnt at a super toxic level, 0.25 is probably just not good for long term tolerance. You have fish in there already so you have at least started your cycle. The only thing id be concerned with is the liquid co2, I have never used the stuff so I have no idea how it will affect fish, for long term use its usually better to use pressurized kits (not DIY). Its always good to have a small backup (or hospital) tank when you have fish so you can remove diseased fish or fish in trouble from your normal stock and put them in clean fresh water for treatment. How are your readings today?

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[Rivercats]

Almost all new tanks go through a diatom phase. Diatoms are self limiting and will die out once all the excess silicates in the water are used up. Only running lighting 6 hours will help keep growth down. I do not suggest getting oto's in a new or cycling tank as they are very delicate due to their catching methods in the wild. Nerite snails will work great for diatom control and can't reproduce in freshwater so you won't be overrun with them.

 

[ljlee256]

Rivercats knows his stuff, id follow his advice over mine. Even if he likes to disagree with everything I post.

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[Brookster123]

Rivercats knows his stuff, id follow his advice over mine. Even if he likes to disagree with everything I post. Sent from my LG-E971 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

she certainly knows her stuff

 

[ljlee256]

Doh! I obviously don't read profiles.

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[sbiondi1]

I heard snails reproduce very fast? Is that true? Would just leaving the tank as it is for now and waiting it out be an option? From what I've read on other pages, it appears that the diatoms will go once my water has cycled? Thanks so much for all your help and taking the time to advise me guys. I really appreciate it. I really trusted the people in the shop I bought all my stuff in so didn't really research a lot beforehand but quickly started to realise that they were rushing me through the process...

 

[sbiondi1]

Just saw that you actually answered my reproduction question

 

[ljlee256]

I heard snails reproduce very fast? Is that true? Would just leaving the tank as it is for now and waiting it out be an option? From what I've read on other pages, it appears that the diatoms will go once my water has cycled? Thanks so much for all your help and taking the time to advise me guys. I really appreciate it. I really trusted the people in the shop I bought all my stuff in so didn't really research a lot beforehand but quickly started to realise that they were rushing me through the process...

Nerites will in salt water. Similar to amano shrimp, they can't reproduce in freshwater.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=47793


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[sbiondi1]

Water hasn't changed since yesterday.

Still between 0ppm and 0.25ppm of ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, and 0ppm nitrate.

pH still the same also.

Fish seem happy...I just don't know why the tank doesn't seem to be cycling...

 

[ljlee256]

Water hasn't changed since yesterday.

Still between 0ppm and 0.25ppm of ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, and 0ppm nitrate.

pH still the same also.

Fish seem happy...I just don't know why the tank doesn't seem to be cycling...

Often test kits have trouble reading exactly with low ammonia, <0.25 is usually not a problem for most fish but the color could also be off as basic liquid test kits aren't really sensitive enough to detect 0.25ppm accurately.

What do you use to remove chlorine? Some chlorine removers also detoxify ammonia and (kinda guessing here) probably make it inedible for bacteria, which could prevent cycling.

Also if I recall correctly you have only 2 fish correct? And how many gallons is your tank, you may just not be producing enough ammonia for the cycle to get started.

The low nitrates are more than likely causing some problems for your plants. It is recommended to keep them between 5 and 10 ppm, you could dose with seachem flourish to boost your nitrate. Use the instructions on the bottle to figure out how much.

When adding it to the tank use a clean container (like a large jar that been boiled, moms often have these kicking around ) and fill it with water from the tank then mix your liquid fertilizer in with the water in the jar and pour it into the tank, preferably nearer your water outlet for your filter to make it mix faster (and try to keep it away from the fish while its being poured in. As an added, bordering on paranoid, precaution I use the "recommended weekly dose" that is given on the bottle and I divide that up over the 7 days of the week. Just because I don't want to accidentally drop a bunch of fertilizer right on one of my babies.

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