40 Breeder Planted

[Rivercats]

You don't measure them daily. You measure the amount of each, put into dosing bottles (I use 3 dosing bottles, I use 1 for nitrates, 1 for potassium and phosphates, and 1 for micros). Then you dose 1ml of each solution for every 10 gallons of water. If you get the dosing bottles from GLA it makes daily dosing a snap. I can tell you red plants don't like high amount of nitrates which is why I only run my tank at 10ppms. Don't you add El dry? All you need are doing bottles to switch to dosing PPS-Pro.

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

You don't measure them daily. You measure the amount of each, put into dosing bottles (I use 3 dosing bottles, I use 1 for nitrates, 1 for potassium and phosphates, and 1 for micros). Then you dose 1ml of each solution for every 10 gallons of water. If you get the dosing bottles from GLA it makes daily dosing a snap. I can tell you red plants don't like high amount of nitrates which is why I only run my tank at 10ppms. Don't you add El dry? All you need are doing bottles to switch to dosing PPS-Pro.

Yeah I think that is the best route to dose. I thought I was going to easiest way but guess not. I brought the Micros and Macros dry fertilizer per mixed on another forum. It included 2 dosing bottles. All I needed to do is add 500 ml of RO water for each mix. Those figures I sent you came from Wets EI dosing Calculator .

 

[Rivercats]

Since you know the tanks numbers are running high why don't you try dosing 1/2 of what your dosing now and see what your nitrates and phosphates are reading at the end of the week?

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Since you know the tanks numbers are running high why don't you try dosing 1/2 of what your dosing now and see what your nitrates and phosphates are reading at the end of the week?

Okay I will try doing that. As far as the damaged plant all the leaves are looking like I described. Will the leaves recover or is the plant a lost.

 

[Rivercats]

I would trim the damaged leaves off so the plant doesn't waste any energy on them. Then wait and see if it recovers. I never give up on a plant unless I know it's gone.

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

9 February 2013 Update

. Added some Staurogyne repens (Tropica No 049G) about 2 weeks ago. (going for a small carpet)
. Started dosing extra iron to attempt to bring out the red. (Not sure if that was the cause)
. Just refilled Co2 tank
. Rescaped a bit

Full tank shot (Amazon Sword is getting huge, some of the leaves tips are out of the water, check how it looked when I first added it at the beginning of the thread)

Staurogyne repens (Tropica No 049G)

Star Grass (Heteranthera zosterifolia)
Thinking about removing it. Not really what I was looking for. Not sure yet.

Plant is still turning green just started to dose extra iron to see if that helps. This is the last one that kept its red color.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, throw them my way.

Not sure if anymore plants can be added.

 

[nathanden]

Beautiful

 

[Rivercats]

I have alot of non-green plants and have found I get the best color by running a low nitrate (10ppm) high phosphate (1.5ppm) tank and adding alittle extra iron once or twice weekly.

I think the tank is going to look great once it fills in!

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Thanks everyone. @Rivercats I am trying to get my nitrate and phosphate under control. I guess I had some osmocote plus root tabs not buried deep enough that came up. I try to take out any that I see. But my phostphate seem to stay at around 5ppm and my nitrate about a couple day of a water change is around (40-80 cant really tell).

 

[Rivercats]

Yep they're alittle high but overall your tank looks to be doing really well.

EDIT: You will see more red I believe if you can get those nitrates down. My plants just suck up phosphatres and I have to double dose them daily or they 0 out.

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Update: 4/1/2013

Rescaped the tank a bit.

The Amazon Sword was getting to be for the tank so I removed and replaced it with a smaller one.

Also added some new plants

Linderna sp Variegated
Rotala Rotundifolia
Ludwigia Green
Ludwigia Lacustris
Neasea Triflora
Myrio Mattogrosense
Myriophyllum sp. 'Guyana'
Rotala sp 'H ra'
Acmella Repens
Ludwigia Arcuata
Rotala Colorata
Purple Cabomba
Rotala Bangladesh
Bacopa Monnieri

Rehomed 4 Zebra Danio and added 1 more Touriquis Rainbowfish (5 total)
and 6 Amano Shirmp

Going to see how it looks once everything grows out. I really wish I started with Eco-Complete. Any suggestions on the tank or scape?


Tank before rescape

Tank after rescape

Growth of Staurogyne repens

New Amazon Sword

Amano Shrimp

Another reddish color plant I added turning green

The sand had some brownish color but it has cleared up a lot over the last month. These are the only spots left.

 

[PockX]

Looks great. What lighting is that? (Sorry I'm too lazy to see if you posted it before and I prolly forgot even if I did see it from awhile ago)

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Looks great. What lighting is that? (Sorry I'm too lazy to see if you posted it before and I prolly forgot even if I did see it from awhile ago)

Nova Extreme 2xT5HO

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Update: 5/2/2013

So I decided to change my substrate from pool filter sand to eco complete. Added 4 bags at 80 pounds. Gave about 2 1/2 inches .Altogether it took me about 3 hours or so. While everything was out did some rescaping and trimming as well.

 

[PockX]

Beautiful.

 

[Nelsontreyjones]

Beautiful.

Thank you