Bill's 12 Gallon Long - Iwagumi V.2

[NanoJack]

I'm understanding that wpg is irrelevant. With that being said, I found your fixture is 25 watts and has a par rating of 96 from 6" and a par rating of 36 from 12". Those values also apply to my 18" strip.
Technically, my tank is now in the high light. I have my old fixture in the back above my HM. I do notice them to look a cool dark green while the satellite plus hovering over 2/3 of the tank brings a lot of warmth and natural colors to the plants. I'm liking the natural color tone that the satellite plus bring outs in everything.
Yes, my concerns is that I may trigger unwarranted algae issues. hence, my doubling or maybe tripling my dosage of ferts until the plants adjust. I'm assuming growth will be accelerated but if there aren't enough ferts/food, I will have a huge problem. I won't stock fauna until I see my plants have totally transitioned and have adjusted to a 1bps dosing of co2. thanks for the input. I maybe shooting myself in the foot.

 

[Sk3lly]

Im interested to see what happens here

 

[Old Scales]

Hey Bill,
I need your help. With an Iwagumi you have high light and just the low carpet plants. I'm assuming this is a much less plant load in the tank than a Dutch style scape. How have you found it best to keep algae away in such a set up. Since I went with my new scape with less plants I can't seem to find the right balance that keeps green dust algae away. I've played with fert levels and CO2 level and light periods and still haven't hit the sweet spot yet. Any tips to try will be appreciated. OS.

 

[Billbug68]

OS,

I'm sure you already know this, but keep the phosphates up above 2ppm. I've found I get more green types of algae from too much light and too long of a photoperiod. Which doesn't make sense because your glosso is reaching...

I'd try cutting your lights down to 4 hours and keeping your phosphates up for a month or so, and see if it gets better. Then slowly start bumping the time back up. I never run more than 6 hours in my planted tanks.

I still get minimal amounts of algae on the glass, plants, and stones. But as far as the nutrient uptake goes... You'd be surprised how much a full thick carpet of HC uses.

 

[Old Scales]

I have my PO4 up at 3 ppm and NO3 runs 10 to 30ppm dat 1 to day 7. Lights on six hours now. Am going to shut CO2 down and leave lights off 2 full days, then do WC and start lights and CO2 for 4 hrs for a week then to 5 hrs and see what happens. Thanks. OS.

 

[Billbug68]

Just waiting for the DHG to fill in now. For supposedly being e. acicularis, it's curling over more than I thought it would.

 

[azmodan]

Dang bill that looks fantastic! HC looks super healthy and I can't imagine better placement for your stones. Just out of curiosity how long does it take you to trim that massive lawn?

 

[Billbug68]

Dang bill that looks fantastic! HC looks super healthy and I can't imagine better placement for your stones. Just out of curiosity how long does it take you to trim that massive lawn?

Thanks for the kind words! I'd say it takes about 30 minutes to an hour... Not really sure how long it takes, I kinda just get "in the zone," ya know? It gets a little nerve racking because the HC can uproot so easily, so I take my time. The worst part is netting out all the trimmings afterwards. I really need to invest in a wet/dry vac so I can just suck them off the top. Lol, that didn't sound right.

 

[azmodan]

Haha gross. Yeah I rather like that zone one enters during maintenance. It's sorta like a form of meditation especially when you can take your time with it. Sipping a drink in conjunction usually adds to the experience too haha.

 

[Billbug68]

Lovers, perhaps...?

They've been like this for hours... Couldn't help but snap a quick pic...

 

[saltwaterbeginners]

Just waiting for the DHG to fill in now. For supposedly being e. acicularis, it's curling over more than I thought it would.

Where is your filters? What's behind your tank? What's underneath your tank?

 

[Billbug68]

Where is your filters? What's behind your tank? What's underneath your tank?

I'm using a canister filter. Hmmm... There's a window behind the tank, and a stand under it? Not really sure what you're looking for...

 

[NanoJack]

Hey Bill!

Do you have your current sat+ on full intensity? I ask because I see GSA on some areas of my HC and SR repens. I've upped my phosphates.

 

[Billbug68]

Hey Bill!

Do you have your current sat+ on full intensity? I ask because I see GSA on some areas of my HC and SR repens. I've upped my phosphates.

I turn the whites, red, and blue all the way up. I think my photoperiod is something like 6.5 hours. I get a little GSA on the glass and stones by the end of the week, but fortunately none of the plants are affected.

You still running two fixtures on yours?

 

[NanoJack]

At one point I removed the extra fixture thinking that it was the reason for the diatom explosion. Then when I realized that the diatom still grew, I threw it back on at full spectrum. That was around week 5 thru 7 and then the diatoms started receding. Photo period is at 6 hours per day. During that added light intensity, I also changed my photo period from the pm's to the am so that ferts would be quickly utilized and not marinate for 8 hours of the day for the pm light cycle. I really don't know what caused the diatoms to recede. It just may have been my tank finally cycling. That being said, you maybe correct. I do suspect the gsa is from the added light as well. I have reduced the intensity to match lighting tone with original fixture. Subsequently, I am also considering taking off the Sat+ once again. Take the slow and easy route...

 

[Sk3lly]

Jack you seem very knowledgable. I read that you thought your diatoms receded due to your alteration in photoperiod. My belief, was that diatoms fed off of the silicates from newly set up tanks and receded on their own once these silicates had been used up

 

[Brookster123]

Jack you seem very knowledgable. I read that you thought your diatoms receded due to your alteration in photoperiod. My belief, was that diatoms fed off of the silicates from newly set up tanks and receded on their own once these silicates had been used up

+1 diatoms are self limiting, as stated above, once silicates are exhausted diatoms should fade out.. Baring any major water imbalances or issues..

 

[NanoJack]

Jack you seem very knowledgable. I read that you thought your diatoms receded due to your alteration in photoperiod. My belief, was that diatoms fed off of the silicates from newly set up tanks and receded on their own once these silicates had been used up

The factor that I have not mentioned was the ambient day light hitting the tank during off times. Theoretically, I thought changing photo period schedule would allow plants to absorb most nutrients and starve out the diatoms. However, since I tweeked so many variables, I don't know what really caused the diatoms to subside. Now that I have GSA, I think I have low co2 levels and not enough phosphate. I do recall adjusting my excel dosing bc I saw translucent leaves from my HM. But I might have jumped the fun there. New growth seems more translucent and fills out later. I am going to increase my excel dosing to rid the GSA. This hobby is a quagmire.


I can't grasp the silicate theory. My 50wc should theoretically create more diatoms.

 

[Sk3lly]

The factor that I have not mentioned was the ambient day light hitting the tank during off times. Theoretically, I thought changing photo period schedule would allow plants to absorb most nutrients and starve out the diatoms. However, since I tweeked so many variables, I don't know what really caused the diatoms to subside. Now that I have GSA, I think I have low co2 levels and not enough phosphate. I do recall adjusting my excel dosing bc I saw translucent leaves from my HM. But I might have jumped the fun there. New growth seems more translucent and fills out later. I am going to increase my excel dosing to rid the GSA. This hobby is a quagmire.


I can't grasp the silicate theory. My 50wc should theoretically create more diatoms.

I think diatoms feed off different nutrients than what your standard GSA or BBA would. I dont think light affects them like it would other algaes. I may be wrong though. Interesting to know a definitive answer each way

 

[Brookster123]

GSA is my biggest pita ATM... It seems to only be growing in one of my 2 planted tanks, the higher light one naturally, only on the slower growing anubias and glass.. Not on and of the stem plants or ground cover plants.. I'm slowly upping phosphates too.. I don't want to overdo the excel with rams in the tank:/ quagmire indeed sir..