Dying plants and fish in cycled tank
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Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
You should see a difference then. Don't be afraid to up the dose if need be. Excels guidelines are well known for being a tad reserved.
So everything was stable for a very long time, over 6 months, so I went and bought some Golde White clouds 4ea. and added them into my tank as a test group.
They all survived about a month before the largest one died, then 2 weeks later a second died, then a week later the 3rd one died. The fourth held out for a few more weeks after that, however it was the most sickly looking of the bunch being very small and slightly deformed.
I've been going 2 weeks between PWC and doing about 30-40%, my levels are all the same except the pH which was high between 7.8-8.
I just did a PWC and now the level is up to 8.2, I'm curious if this spike is what did these fish in?
Also, I have a suspicion that the LFS's tanks pH levels are much lower than mine so adjusting them is difficult.
I bought pH down a long time ago, during my initial startup but I've read quite a bit of opinions that it's just not a good solution as it only provides temporary drops. I'm looked at natural ways to lower the pH levels and I do have two pieces of driftwood in my tank so I've rather not add another as it will look crowded.
The plants on the other hand are surviving, the Java ferns are stable and looking better and the grasses are holding on. I did add some more plants and some are growing with new growth and the others just melted away.
I don't really want to invest in an R.O. setup so I'm curious what other ways I can get that pH level down a bit and keep it that way.
They all survived about a month before the largest one died, then 2 weeks later a second died, then a week later the 3rd one died. The fourth held out for a few more weeks after that, however it was the most sickly looking of the bunch being very small and slightly deformed.
I've been going 2 weeks between PWC and doing about 30-40%, my levels are all the same except the pH which was high between 7.8-8.
I just did a PWC and now the level is up to 8.2, I'm curious if this spike is what did these fish in?
Also, I have a suspicion that the LFS's tanks pH levels are much lower than mine so adjusting them is difficult.
I bought pH down a long time ago, during my initial startup but I've read quite a bit of opinions that it's just not a good solution as it only provides temporary drops. I'm looked at natural ways to lower the pH levels and I do have two pieces of driftwood in my tank so I've rather not add another as it will look crowded.
The plants on the other hand are surviving, the Java ferns are stable and looking better and the grasses are holding on. I did add some more plants and some are growing with new growth and the others just melted away.
I don't really want to invest in an R.O. setup so I'm curious what other ways I can get that pH level down a bit and keep it that way.
White Clouds Mountain Minnows like cooler water, what is the temp of your water?
Snails and othe things like the harder pH so perhaps look for some that do enjoy the higher pH. As another possible way, to naturally reduce the pH is to use a trash can with DW and Peat in it to help have a pwc source with a lower pH for for your DT (display tank), wouldn't cost too much and if you have room would be of benefit.
Snails and othe things like the harder pH so perhaps look for some that do enjoy the higher pH. As another possible way, to naturally reduce the pH is to use a trash can with DW and Peat in it to help have a pwc source with a lower pH for for your DT (display tank), wouldn't cost too much and if you have room would be of benefit.
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78-79 degrees constantly.
Not sure what DW is but I don't have a lot of space to invest in this.
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I added some Peat granules to the filter and now the pH is down to 7.8.
I've also lowered the temp so now it stays around 78F.
I think I may have been overly concerned with pH and not measuring my water during PWC and adding the correct Decholorinator possibly.
I use the Python sink/hose system so I never use buckets, so I generally add 10-15 drops in while I change the water. I've read many people just add in the total amount of gallons the tank holds and never have issues so therefore I'll add 20-30 drops instead
Also, I'm going to go back to weekly water changes. I'm hoping all these modifications to my routine will help keep my fish alive as the one fish would enjoy company.
Some plants are thriving OK and some just don't seem to take hold, I think ultimately the LED lights just aren't providing enough light even for these low light plants to do well at all.
I have the equipment to do co2 from beer making hobby, but right now I'm still using Excel Flourish which is helping. No rush, still trying to find a good balance.
I've also lowered the temp so now it stays around 78F.
I think I may have been overly concerned with pH and not measuring my water during PWC and adding the correct Decholorinator possibly.
I use the Python sink/hose system so I never use buckets, so I generally add 10-15 drops in while I change the water. I've read many people just add in the total amount of gallons the tank holds and never have issues so therefore I'll add 20-30 drops instead
Also, I'm going to go back to weekly water changes. I'm hoping all these modifications to my routine will help keep my fish alive as the one fish would enjoy company.
Some plants are thriving OK and some just don't seem to take hold, I think ultimately the LED lights just aren't providing enough light even for these low light plants to do well at all.
I have the equipment to do co2 from beer making hobby, but right now I'm still using Excel Flourish which is helping. No rush, still trying to find a good balance.
jessipanda
Aquarium Advice Freak
I believe the person suggesting driftwood was saying to have a bucket with driftwood to temporary house your water for your water changes. That way the new water with the driftwood may have a lower pH prior to adding to the tank.
I haven't back-read comments recently...have you tested your tap water for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? If not, I would suggest doing so. I usually test mine a few times a year as I have a well and depending on the season, the pH can fluctuate. When it does, I do a few small water changes over the course of 2 weeks to help my fish adjust easily.
I haven't back-read comments recently...have you tested your tap water for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? If not, I would suggest doing so. I usually test mine a few times a year as I have a well and depending on the season, the pH can fluctuate. When it does, I do a few small water changes over the course of 2 weeks to help my fish adjust easily.
So I did a water change today and tested my water as I normally do, it looks like with the peat pellets my water is back down to about 7.8 pH. Although due to the lack of fish my Nitrates are very low so I need to get some more fish in my tank soon.
See the results in my photos.
KH was 3 drops and GH was 4 drops, so the peat has softened my water as well
Low Range pH tested indicated it was 7.6+, to my eyes it appears to be 7.8-8.0
See the results in my photos.
KH was 3 drops and GH was 4 drops, so the peat has softened my water as well
Low Range pH tested indicated it was 7.6+, to my eyes it appears to be 7.8-8.0
Yes that is what I was thinking, even using a bag with the peat would work in that situation.
~~~
You do not need to add fish immediately, just feed your tank some fish flake food like you had fish but don't and it will feed the nitrification cycle perfectly.
I'd prefer not to have multiple containers of water to manage, so I don't think this would suit me, however i appreciate the advice.
I think the cycle is fine, however It's been a long time and quite frankly I want to actually see some fish in my tank rather than just these plants and what we've deemed the "designated survivor"
A friend who has cicleds recommended this to regulate the pH: https://smile.amazon.com/Neutral-Regulator-500-1-1-lbs/dp/B00025694Y/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awdo_dcs_dcLPybKYEXTP9_tt
So I'll try it out.
I think the cycle is fine, however It's been a long time and quite frankly I want to actually see some fish in my tank rather than just these plants and what we've deemed the "designated survivor"
A friend who has cicleds recommended this to regulate the pH: https://smile.amazon.com/Neutral-Regulator-500-1-1-lbs/dp/B00025694Y/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awdo_dcs_dcLPybKYEXTP9_tt
So I'll try it out.
Actually it looks like this is a better option for a planted tank:http://www.seachem.com/acid-buffer.php
**Update**
Ok, so I took a break and tried to get into a good groove by not adding anything new to the tank. After several weeks I felt quite confident that I had my water parameters rock solid, every week the same readings with slight fluctuations in the pH.
Also, I'm colorblind (like the King Of DIY) so I have trouble with Reds and Greens. Because I've struggled with the pH readings I purchased this handy tool: Jellas Pocket Size PH Meter Which has helped me considerably, as it's confirming my pH readings are lower than I thought. Also, I see the fluctuations in my pH easier.
That being said, my pH was anywhere from 7.5-7.8.
So I went ahead and did a restocking at the LFS, only this time I found fish that were compatible with each other as well as the water parameters. I also lowered the temperature in the tank to 77F.
After about 1:30mins at the LFS I settled on the following:
5 Bloodfin Tetras
1 Red Dwarf Gourami (larger probably male)
1 Blue Dwarf Gourami (smaller maybe female?)
3 Black Mollys
1 Small Catfish (Forgot the species, unfortunately)
and more plants (again I forgot the species)
I've attached pictures to show.
So, fast forward a few months later and....
2 Molly's died along with the catfish, unfortunately...
However, now I have 12 smaller Mollys!! apparently, one was a pregnant female and gave birth, all the baby Mollys have grown quite large by now and going strong...
But now I'm seeing 3 new smaller baby Mollys!?
Tetras are schooling and seem healthy, the Gouramis are thriving well and have grown bigger. I am also supplementing their feeding with dried bloodworms BloodWorms
So as far as the fish, they are doing great. But now on to the plants...
So all my previous plants were not doing so well so I looked to add additional light, recommend by a video I saw on Youtube (King of DIY) DIY planted aquarium LED light
At first, I went with two 15w 6500K lights, then I added a 3rd, so I have about 45w of 6500K light.
I have those lights on a timer as I previous had, and limit the cycle to 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.
Along with the lights, I'm dosing a capful of Seachem Flourish Excel daily, I put about 5-6 Seachem Flourish Tabs every 3-4 months as directed. Plus regular weekly 25-30% water changes and light cleaning of the gravel.
The plants responded well to this but still grew slowly, hence I added the 3rd light. However I've developed a big Algea issue, I'm continually getting blooms of green algae which is covering and now seems to be killing my plants. I have twice unplugged the lights for more than a 24 hour period, I've scrubbed the walls and some rocks of all the algae I could, as well as cleaning the plants of as much algae as possible. All to no avail, I keep getting more algae....
So, I finally switched over from low-tech to high-tech CO2. Being a homebrew hobbyist I had regulators and a CO2 tank laying around so I carefully and very economically pieced together bubble counter, check valve, precision valve, and solenoid plus a diffuser (maybe $30-40 total)
After connecting everything (I'm going to upgrade the tubing) I have a successful CO2 injection planted tank. I added a CO2 Drop CheckerGlass CO2 Drop Checker and
CO2 levels seem to be ok, fish aren't gasping or stressed. pH has dropped to around 7.0 and plants are still growing, plus I was able to propagate a plant. But still, the algae persists!!
I have seen several suggestions online about using bleach and/or peroxide but I wanted to try the easy methods first.
Suggestions??
What am I doing wrong?
*Yes, those smaller grasses are new growth that came up from the gravel*
Ok, so I took a break and tried to get into a good groove by not adding anything new to the tank. After several weeks I felt quite confident that I had my water parameters rock solid, every week the same readings with slight fluctuations in the pH.
Also, I'm colorblind (like the King Of DIY) so I have trouble with Reds and Greens. Because I've struggled with the pH readings I purchased this handy tool: Jellas Pocket Size PH Meter Which has helped me considerably, as it's confirming my pH readings are lower than I thought. Also, I see the fluctuations in my pH easier.
That being said, my pH was anywhere from 7.5-7.8.
So I went ahead and did a restocking at the LFS, only this time I found fish that were compatible with each other as well as the water parameters. I also lowered the temperature in the tank to 77F.
After about 1:30mins at the LFS I settled on the following:
5 Bloodfin Tetras
1 Red Dwarf Gourami (larger probably male)
1 Blue Dwarf Gourami (smaller maybe female?)
3 Black Mollys
1 Small Catfish (Forgot the species, unfortunately)
and more plants (again I forgot the species)
I've attached pictures to show.
So, fast forward a few months later and....
2 Molly's died along with the catfish, unfortunately...
However, now I have 12 smaller Mollys!! apparently, one was a pregnant female and gave birth, all the baby Mollys have grown quite large by now and going strong...
But now I'm seeing 3 new smaller baby Mollys!?
Tetras are schooling and seem healthy, the Gouramis are thriving well and have grown bigger. I am also supplementing their feeding with dried bloodworms BloodWorms
So as far as the fish, they are doing great. But now on to the plants...
So all my previous plants were not doing so well so I looked to add additional light, recommend by a video I saw on Youtube (King of DIY) DIY planted aquarium LED light
At first, I went with two 15w 6500K lights, then I added a 3rd, so I have about 45w of 6500K light.
I have those lights on a timer as I previous had, and limit the cycle to 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.
Along with the lights, I'm dosing a capful of Seachem Flourish Excel daily, I put about 5-6 Seachem Flourish Tabs every 3-4 months as directed. Plus regular weekly 25-30% water changes and light cleaning of the gravel.
The plants responded well to this but still grew slowly, hence I added the 3rd light. However I've developed a big Algea issue, I'm continually getting blooms of green algae which is covering and now seems to be killing my plants. I have twice unplugged the lights for more than a 24 hour period, I've scrubbed the walls and some rocks of all the algae I could, as well as cleaning the plants of as much algae as possible. All to no avail, I keep getting more algae....
So, I finally switched over from low-tech to high-tech CO2. Being a homebrew hobbyist I had regulators and a CO2 tank laying around so I carefully and very economically pieced together bubble counter, check valve, precision valve, and solenoid plus a diffuser (maybe $30-40 total)
After connecting everything (I'm going to upgrade the tubing) I have a successful CO2 injection planted tank. I added a CO2 Drop CheckerGlass CO2 Drop Checker and
CO2 levels seem to be ok, fish aren't gasping or stressed. pH has dropped to around 7.0 and plants are still growing, plus I was able to propagate a plant. But still, the algae persists!!
I have seen several suggestions online about using bleach and/or peroxide but I wanted to try the easy methods first.
Suggestions??
What am I doing wrong?
*Yes, those smaller grasses are new growth that came up from the gravel*
Attachments
May need to start a new thread here..
So I thought I was able to kill the algae, but apparently not. I did slow it down a lot though.
I pulled all the plants and driftwood and did a peroxide soak, then scrubbed the tank of as much algae as I could. I did a 50%+ water change during this as well.
After rinsing the plants and driftwood I placed everything back in the tank and topped off with water. Within 15 mins all the algae had turned brown and I started noticing the driftwood changing colors. I also left the lights off for almost 2 days.
The tank got remarkably cleaner of excess algae and was great for the past two weeks. The plants seems to be doing better despite all the algae covering the leaves.
Also, to help battle the algae I purchased this: API Algae Fix
This also appeared to really get rid of almost all the algae and cleared the tank.
Now after dosing as instructed and weekly water changes the plants started melting and dying off again..
I also see small bits of algae coming back, moreso on the leaves which seemed to kill off the plants despite grasses spreading. Also I noticed the leaved were becoming very light in color.
And now I've got two fish that seem to be sick, one moreso than the other. They have a white spot on their mouths and on the top of their head. So I don't know if it's fungus or cotton mouth disease.
I've got the co2 dosing with the lights, which brings the pH down to around 6.5-6.6.
Just did a 70% water change tonight, my water parameters were:
pH: 6.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 30-40ppm
kH: 5
dH: 6-7
Phosphate: <0.5 mg/l
See attached pictures.
So I thought I was able to kill the algae, but apparently not. I did slow it down a lot though.
I pulled all the plants and driftwood and did a peroxide soak, then scrubbed the tank of as much algae as I could. I did a 50%+ water change during this as well.
After rinsing the plants and driftwood I placed everything back in the tank and topped off with water. Within 15 mins all the algae had turned brown and I started noticing the driftwood changing colors. I also left the lights off for almost 2 days.
The tank got remarkably cleaner of excess algae and was great for the past two weeks. The plants seems to be doing better despite all the algae covering the leaves.
Also, to help battle the algae I purchased this: API Algae Fix
This also appeared to really get rid of almost all the algae and cleared the tank.
Now after dosing as instructed and weekly water changes the plants started melting and dying off again..
I also see small bits of algae coming back, moreso on the leaves which seemed to kill off the plants despite grasses spreading. Also I noticed the leaved were becoming very light in color.
And now I've got two fish that seem to be sick, one moreso than the other. They have a white spot on their mouths and on the top of their head. So I don't know if it's fungus or cotton mouth disease.
I've got the co2 dosing with the lights, which brings the pH down to around 6.5-6.6.
Just did a 70% water change tonight, my water parameters were:
pH: 6.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrates: 0
Nitrites: 30-40ppm
kH: 5
dH: 6-7
Phosphate: <0.5 mg/l
See attached pictures.
Attachments
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