Caliban's AquaOpti 85L

[Caliban07]

Did a bit of a trim this morning. Something occurred to me regarding the S.Repens. When I took it out of the pots I just planted it. What I should have done is get rid of the emersed growth. Assuming the old growth was emersed. It usually is.

Anyway I just cut the tops of (where algae hadn't taken hold) and replanted them all. I'm hoping the newer leaves reflect the new environment and stay algae free.

Monte Carlo isn't doing great either although yesterday I know I had enough co2 as the fish seemed to be acting different and my cardinal tetra was breathing pretty fast. This doesn't necessarily mean I have too much co2 but rather a lack of oxygen.

I noticed I have been getting a lot of surface biofilm which is strange because I am a light feeder and am lightly stocked.

It may have come from the canister filter that I had sitting for a few days (maybe longer) before I reconnected it although I did give the sponges a rinse (I think). Other than that it's coming from the plants that are struggling with algae.

My remedial action was to point the spray bar back to the top. Do a 50% water change. Reduce co2 slightly aaannnd reduce flow a tad.

The fish are already acting normal again and so I'm hoping I can get the plants pearling again. Carrying on EI tomorrow.

The scape is not finished. The stems at the back are just there because I had them already. Ludwigia looks nice and my pogostemon.

The rocks almost seem 'lost' at the moment.

Meh, I'm off out now. Will ponder more tomorrow.

 

[Bert2oo1]

It's looking good! Although I do agree that the rocks are abit lost. Maybe u could raise the substrate level to the back right corner abit and use the rocks to divide it? Will give u a nice flow from back to foreground.

Don't be disheartened, it's looking really good and your growth is strong. Buy some more plants and get that moss on the tree

 

[Fresh2o]

The carpet is settling nicely. It should fill in in no time. The pogo is lush with long green needles. The staur repens looks fine.

 

[Caliban07]

It's looking good! Although I do agree that the rocks are abit lost. Maybe u could raise the substrate level to the back right corner abit and use the rocks to divide it? Will give u a nice flow from back to foreground.

Don't be disheartened, it's looking really good and your growth is strong. Buy some more plants and get that moss on the tree

I just think they are too small. I feel I need some larger rocks for the other side to get a sense of scale.

Rocks are supposed to signify mountains and unless you are in middle earth you won't normally see trees that are bigger than mountains. Still needs thinking out but thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Caliban07]

The carpet is settling nicely. It should fill in in no time. The pogo is lush with long green needles. The staur repens looks fine.

I'm surprised how quickly it is carpeting to be honest. The pogo has adapted well. I'm pleased but much more to come.

 

[TMaier]

I just think they are too small. I feel I need some larger rocks for the other side to get a sense of scale.

Rocks are supposed to signify mountains and unless you are in middle earth you won't normally see trees that are bigger than mountains. Still needs thinking out but thanks for the encouragement.

I looked at some nice size dragon rock. $7 a pound but they are dense. One rock would have been $70 to have any height.

 

[Caliban07]

I looked at some nice size dragon rock. $7 a pound but they are dense. One rock would have been $70 to have any height.

Ooo I do like that stuff.

 

[Bert2oo1]

I just think they are too small. I feel I need some larger rocks for the other side to get a sense of scale.

Rocks are supposed to signify mountains and unless you are in middle earth you won't normally see trees that are bigger than mountains. Still needs thinking out but thanks for the encouragement.

Yea that's sort of what I was trying to explain lol
U could use those rocks if you built up the substrate and stacked them so one protrudes out the top. Sort of grade them forward slightly.

Hard to do with the position of the intake though

I'm by no means a good scaper though, I can see what I want to do but when I try and make it it looks crap haha

I don't know how people find the right rocks etc for scapes.

 

[Caliban07]

Yea that's sort of what I was trying to explain lol
U could use those rocks if you built up the substrate and stacked them so one protrudes out the top. Sort of grade them forward slightly.

Hard to do with the position of the intake though

I'm by no means a good scaper though, I can see what I want to do but when I try and make it it looks crap haha

I don't know how people find the right rocks etc for scapes.

This is part of the problem for most and it is what sets the pros apart from the rest but it's nothing more than experimentation and experience up until the point it because natural.

There are some rules to follow, lots of tips and ticks to learn but if you stick at it you will get better.

Pro scapes are very much planned out. But there is an element of inspiration and ideas come from watching and observing. Being in the environment along with other aquascapers, going to shows and contests can prove invaluable.

My tank looks awesome in my mind too [emoji23]

 

[Caliban07]

Found a way to get my glass lid on top of the tank as well as the light unit. It just won't push all the way back because of the filter pipes.

I'm hoping the evaporation will slow down somewhat and the dust will now settle on top of the glass. I removed the surface film before I did this and made sure I have good surface agitation to prevent it from building up. I want good o2 levels as well as co2 levels and I want the co2 to be able to escape. Every time I touch the the surface the water makes a fizzing noise as all the bubbles are released. Can't be good.

I stuck a drop checker in which confirmed my co2 should be good as it was almost yellow at lights out.

Wondering how much the glass will affect the PAR rating considering also the light refraction caused by condensation droplets on the inside of the lid. This might be a good thing though. I think I have a lot of light with this LED. Although I did notch the setting up one to compensate.

Hoping the Monte Carlo will stay a nice green when new growth comes through.

 

[Caliban07]

I feel a lot better about things today. You know what this hobby is like though so I don't want to speak too soon but the evaporation has been negligible compared to what it would have been like if I'd not have the lid on.

Surface movement is looking good and the fish seem much much happier which makes me feel a lot better.

Drop checker is a nice green and a feel like the drop in PAR post glass lid is being appreciated at least by the plants.

Time will tell though. Tanks looking prettier as everything fills in despite still having a bit to ponder. I feel like I had the chance to get this right first time but when fish need to go in ASAP it's difficult. That said I didn't do enough prep. The tank will change over time for sure but right now I'm just trying to find the balance.

Happier overall [emoji4]

 

[TMaier]

Ooo I do like that stuff.

It is dead sexy. You should tell Santa you want some for Christmas!

 

[Caliban07]

It is dead sexy. You should tell Santa you want some for Christmas!

You know what. I never even thought of that! Unfortunately (well not really) we are going Iceland this year for Christmas and have decided not to buy for each other. My parents are paying for our Xmas dinner and so that leaves my two sisters....not gonna happen [emoji23]

 

[Bert2oo1]

I said the exact thing last night "if I set another tank up I'd take it slow and not rush into it every time I've had to worry about fish aswell it's abit frustrating really! Looking good! Remember don't trust that drop checker!

 

[Caliban07]

I said the exact thing last night "if I set another tank up I'd take it slow and not rush into it every time I've had to worry about fish aswell it's abit frustrating really! Looking good! Remember don't trust that drop checker!

Yeah never 100% [emoji41]

 

[TMaier]

You know what. I never even thought of that! Unfortunately (well not really) we are going Iceland this year for Christmas and have decided not to buy for each other. My parents are paying for our Xmas dinner and so that leaves my two sisters....not gonna happen [emoji23]

We tried this one year and my hubbie bought me presents and hid them. Man did I want to kick his butt!

 

[Caliban07]

Cal's Aquaopti 85L

We tried this one year and my hubbie bought me presents and hid them. Man did I want to kick his butt!

You would have to put things in my mind wouldn't you.[emoji848]

 

[Caliban07]

A few issues arising with this tank. Original plants got covered with green spot. Ludwigia was dropping leaves. This I believe was creating lots of biofilm. I upped my co2 and pointed the spray bar at the surface to get a gentle ripple going. The water level would drop due to evaporation when I had the cover off and so after a day the gentle ripple became major agitation so think I was degassing too much co2. No drop checker at this point.

I shifted the spray bar back down slightly then the scum came back and fish became stressed. Put the cover on to stop evaporation and turn my flow down (yes you read that correctly) because I though maybe the flow was that fast the Monte Carlo that was browning was not getting the co2. Played around with light. Dimmed it by half then back up a touch after I fitted the lid but the Monte Carlo continued to die.

I come across some things that I am hoping is the cause of my problems because if it isn't then I'm stumped.

The DC turns green an hour after lights on and the bubble rate is not a million miles off what the 46 gallon was and that was very heavily planted. I've move the DC all over the tank, even on top of the Monte Carlo. The drop checker and solution are brand new. The ludwigia has stopped dropping leaves but the old leaves algae up quickly.

I know my flow is good and I'm 95% certain co2 is good. I turned my light down it's on for 8 hours and still I am getting issues. Monte Carlo still browning and the new cuttings of S.repens are showing signs of nutrient deficiency. I'm getting fuzz algae very quickly on the back and sides of the tank which I have to keep scrubbing off despite having increased P levels.

My P.erectus is static in terms of growth. It literally does not move. So I went back to a few articles and thread I had been studying a while back and decided to seek some advice. I've made a few educated alterations to my setup. At this point I'm not going to say what I have done because there is no point if I do not see any improvement but I am hoping for a recovery.

Stay tuned. If it works I'll let you know so my experience can be documented., If it doesn't I'll still let you know what my rationale was but I'm tired of thinking I have the answer only to be wrong and so it's pointless is all being in the same boat.

Will update accordingly.

 

[Bert2oo1]

A few issues arising with this tank. Original plants got covered with green spot. Ludwigia was dropping leaves. This I believe was creating lots of biofilm. I upped my co2 and pointed the spray bar at the surface to get a gentle ripple going. The water level would drop due to evaporation when I had the cover off and so after a day the gentle ripple became major agitation so think I was degassing too much co2. No drop checker at this point.

I shifted the spray bar back down slightly then the scum came back and fish became stressed. Put the cover on to stop evaporation and turn my flow down (yes you read that correctly) because I though maybe the flow was that fast the Monte Carlo that was browning was not getting the co2. Played around with light. Dimmed it by half then back up a touch after I fitted the lid but the Monte Carlo continued to die.

I come across some things that I am hoping is the cause of my problems because if it isn't then I'm stumped.

The DC turns green an hour after lights on and the bubble rate is not a million miles off what the 46 gallon was and that was very heavily planted. I've move the DC all over the tank, even on top of the Monte Carlo. The drop checker and solution are brand new. The ludwigia has stopped dropping leaves but the old leaves algae up quickly.

I know my flow is good and I'm 95% certain co2 is good. I turned my light down it's on for 8 hours and still I am getting issues. Monte Carlo still browning and the new cuttings of S.repens are showing signs of nutrient deficiency. I'm getting fuzz algae very quickly on the back and sides of the tank which I have to keep scrubbing off despite having increased P levels.

My P.erectus is static in terms of growth. It literally does not move. So I went back to a few articles and thread I had been studying a while back and decided to seek some advice. I've made a few educated alterations to my setup. At this point I'm not going to say what I have done because there is no point if I do not see any improvement but I am hoping for a recovery.

Stay tuned. If it works I'll let you know so my experience can be documented., If it doesn't I'll still let you know what my rationale was but I'm tired of thinking I have the answer only to be wrong and so it's pointless is all being in the same boat.

Will update accordingly.

Sounds similar to the battle I'm fighting at the moment I shouldn't have fiddled so much because I'm paying for it now

Atleast u will learn what's what by the end of it all and be able to tell me what I'm doing wrong haha

 

[Caliban07]

I think I might have overdosed the micros and caused micro toxicity in some plants. I understand that this might be a preposterous notion to some but let me explain.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...eriment.html#/topics/853001?page=11&_k=dpeqgo

Now this is just one of the threads out there on this. It's a long one and I don't expect anyone to read it but it contains several cases where reduced micros alleviated a whole bunch of symptoms.

The main gist of the hypothesis (and really that's all it may be although there is a confounding link between micros and problems) is that certain elements in the micro mix CMS+B can become toxic if left to build up or sometimes even just dosed. The dosing amounts are very widespread but mainly those that follow EI are more likely to run in to problems.

Problems are the toxicities apparently look like deficiencies and in some cases a toxicity in one nutrient can cause a deficiency in another. Complicated. This has reported to have caused, 'frying', melting, algae, stunted growth, undulation of leaf tips, chlorides, burn spots, the list goes on.

The symptoms are the effects of micro toxicity are also exacerbated by low KH and low GH because of the interaction of calcium and magnesium on heavy metals. I think competition etc (if micro toxicity is the problem I will learn all of this in depth)

This is not a new find of course, not even on this forum. I was only a baby in the planted tank world really then. Still am in a way dagnamit but I digress.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/ei-dosing-micro-toxicity-343121.html

So my tank water in this tank is:

pH=7.51 degassed
pH=6.45 height of co2
KH=3
GH=5

I dosed micros about 3 times before something clicked and I had to check this out. I turns out that my water is toxicity friendly also that my micro mix contains a higher percentage of nearly all the trace elements than CMS+B.

On day 1+2 my plants looked amazing (as you would expect after not so long) but I mean the pearling was insane. Now literally the day after my first EI (and a bit more because you know "nutrients don't cause algae") also calculated at the full 85 litres of water my carpet turned brown. My s.repens just was covered in algae and my pogostemon erectus just stopped growing. It literally will not move. I trimmed my s.repens tops and this happened a few days after planting.



Not the chlorosis. I have never seen this before ever on any of my plants BUT these plantlets are the uprooted ones and have been floating. I chose these because they are the only ones that have grown new roots.



So if I suspect a toxicity why not just change loads of water and stop dosing ferts? I did that but I have Eco complete. Many have reported that their substrates have become toxic because of this. So at the moment I just have to let this run its course to see if I can prove anything. Im also in danger of running in to deficiencies and not knowing because I'm looking for toxicities.

Now I was dosing micros in my 180 litre aquarium but I always never liked to because I just had a feeling they were causing problems. Dosing was sporadic but I had nothing but trouble for a very long time even with co2. Every algae possible.

Then i stopped dosing just because I knew the soil would provide micros indefinitely. And looking back now that's when my tank exploded. The reason I don't believe the soil turned toxic is because organic material can bind heavy metals to a certain extent.

My co2 is definitely on point because I made my fish unwell trying to prove co2 wasn't the problem. Drop checker is green even on top of the carpet and the ph is just over a one point drop.

There more but I'm late for work. Feel free to comment on this.

At the moment things haven't improved a great deal so there may be other reasons for this of course. I don't want to get carried away with the concept but the signs are all there at least for the moment. Oh yeah just remembered one guy saying 'isn't is great being to get rid of the surface scum after a detox' now what have I been complaining about? Surface scum.

I'm late for work typing this so....