ThievingSix
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2014
- Messages
- 19
So I realised i've been neglecting my planted tank for a while, only doing one 50-70% water change every 2-3 weeks, my CO2 tank was slowly running out, the diffuser was clogged with algae. I got slack and wasn't adding any ferts. I was basically just growing algae. Had a spike of Blue-green algae which subsided on its own.
My water testing revealed
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 80+, it was a fairly dark red on the API scale, but not as dark as the highest.
Phosphate = 0.5ppm(maybe 1ppm, hard to tell on the API test kit)
kH = 4dkh
gH = 7dgh
CO2(using the table estimate) = 4mg/L
So yesterday I gravel vacced the substrate and removed a tonne of waste, cleaned 1 of my 2 filters completely. Did an 70% water change. Added 200ml of purigen to my filter. I purchased a new CO2 tank and a CO2 reactor and started running it. I scrapped down all the walls of algae and cleaned my plants a little(i seem to have a mix of blue green, green spot and black beard algae. No signs of brown algae, or any hair type algae. I also purchased a bunch of ferts and a dosing pump to automate that side of things.
This resulted in the following
pH = 7.4
Nitrate = ~20-30ppm(which makes sense because the 70% change reduced nitrates by almost exactly 70%)
kH = 3dkh
CO2 = 3mg/L(only started running the CO2 1 hr ago)
Crystal clear water!!!
I have a couple of questions
1. I never really mastered titrating the CO2, how do people do it? I started at 1 bubble per second, I was thinking of gradually increasing to 2/3 per second and watch pH and kH. Does this sound correct? Should i be running it 24/7 or only when the lights are on(which is what i'm doing now)?
2. How/when do i start dosing ferts. Im concerned dosing to much to quickly will cause my algae to grow again. Do i wait till CO2 levels rise, or dose them straight away?I bought the seachem range of NPK. I also have dry ferts which i neglected mixing up ages ago. What should i be aiming for with each of these ferts, do you guys dose to the appearance of plants, or to specific water levels.
3. What is everyones opinions on LED lights. My aquarium is probably 2 years old and i've never changed the T5 stock bulbs on my rio 240L, but i'm thinking of switching to LED's. Should i stick with bulbs or switch?
4. The most important question, HOW do i grow plants and not algae!!. Is Low co2 and high nitrates the culprit?
My water testing revealed
pH = 7.6
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 80+, it was a fairly dark red on the API scale, but not as dark as the highest.
Phosphate = 0.5ppm(maybe 1ppm, hard to tell on the API test kit)
kH = 4dkh
gH = 7dgh
CO2(using the table estimate) = 4mg/L
So yesterday I gravel vacced the substrate and removed a tonne of waste, cleaned 1 of my 2 filters completely. Did an 70% water change. Added 200ml of purigen to my filter. I purchased a new CO2 tank and a CO2 reactor and started running it. I scrapped down all the walls of algae and cleaned my plants a little(i seem to have a mix of blue green, green spot and black beard algae. No signs of brown algae, or any hair type algae. I also purchased a bunch of ferts and a dosing pump to automate that side of things.
This resulted in the following
pH = 7.4
Nitrate = ~20-30ppm(which makes sense because the 70% change reduced nitrates by almost exactly 70%)
kH = 3dkh
CO2 = 3mg/L(only started running the CO2 1 hr ago)
Crystal clear water!!!
I have a couple of questions
1. I never really mastered titrating the CO2, how do people do it? I started at 1 bubble per second, I was thinking of gradually increasing to 2/3 per second and watch pH and kH. Does this sound correct? Should i be running it 24/7 or only when the lights are on(which is what i'm doing now)?
2. How/when do i start dosing ferts. Im concerned dosing to much to quickly will cause my algae to grow again. Do i wait till CO2 levels rise, or dose them straight away?I bought the seachem range of NPK. I also have dry ferts which i neglected mixing up ages ago. What should i be aiming for with each of these ferts, do you guys dose to the appearance of plants, or to specific water levels.
3. What is everyones opinions on LED lights. My aquarium is probably 2 years old and i've never changed the T5 stock bulbs on my rio 240L, but i'm thinking of switching to LED's. Should i stick with bulbs or switch?
4. The most important question, HOW do i grow plants and not algae!!. Is Low co2 and high nitrates the culprit?