TheMacInnis
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2015
- Messages
- 16
Hey, everyone-
I've kept a beautiful 50g tank for over five years, and it feels like the tank has run its course. While the fish are healthy, the plants have become something of a monoculture of broad-leafed crypts (C. pontederiifolia or similar), and the introduction of additional species marks a slow march back to near-monoculture as they don't flourish.
Some basics on the setup, followed by some questions:
- I keep the pH at 7.5, a moderate GH (60-120ppm) and a moderate KH (80-100ppm)
- Zero nitrate/nitrite
- I dose pretty generously with Flourish Potassium each day, and Flourish Trace every other day
- Every few months I add iron (etc.) soil spikes (ADA)
- Plenty of light for 8 hours a day (ADA metal halide 150W); no algal problems
- CO2 injection between 3-5 bubbles/second
- Substrate is ADA Amazonia, and it's 5+ years old
- 20-30% water changes every week, like clockwork
- And, yes, I'm one of the suckers who bought the Fluval G3, which is fine; the mechanical filter needs weekly cleaning (but really begs for, like, 2-3 times weekly cleaning, because the flow chokes off! annoying.. but I digress)
Over the course of the last few years, I've had blooms of snails... now I have no snails. At one point, the tank was utterly packed with competing plants I had to trim every week, including gorgeous dwarf baby tears.. now I couldn't grow dwarf baby tears to save my life (I tried). I have had the fish (Emperor Tetras) breeding almost every month.. now they don't. Shrimp used to have a great life... now they don't last.
The aquarium seems to have been through a weird cycle of life over the last few years, despite my meticulous care.
Smaller questions:
- Why the heck is only the crypt flourishing? What characteristic of the chemistry am I overlooking?
- Is it possible that this is really about the substrate? Is it completely depleted?
My big question:
How often do you decide to "start over" with your tank? Same equipment, etc., since it's all perfectly fine, but clean it out, replant, new substrate, new layout, etc.? Am I an odd person for nursing the same tank along for 5 years?
Thanks!
-tm
I've kept a beautiful 50g tank for over five years, and it feels like the tank has run its course. While the fish are healthy, the plants have become something of a monoculture of broad-leafed crypts (C. pontederiifolia or similar), and the introduction of additional species marks a slow march back to near-monoculture as they don't flourish.
Some basics on the setup, followed by some questions:
- I keep the pH at 7.5, a moderate GH (60-120ppm) and a moderate KH (80-100ppm)
- Zero nitrate/nitrite
- I dose pretty generously with Flourish Potassium each day, and Flourish Trace every other day
- Every few months I add iron (etc.) soil spikes (ADA)
- Plenty of light for 8 hours a day (ADA metal halide 150W); no algal problems
- CO2 injection between 3-5 bubbles/second
- Substrate is ADA Amazonia, and it's 5+ years old
- 20-30% water changes every week, like clockwork
- And, yes, I'm one of the suckers who bought the Fluval G3, which is fine; the mechanical filter needs weekly cleaning (but really begs for, like, 2-3 times weekly cleaning, because the flow chokes off! annoying.. but I digress)
Over the course of the last few years, I've had blooms of snails... now I have no snails. At one point, the tank was utterly packed with competing plants I had to trim every week, including gorgeous dwarf baby tears.. now I couldn't grow dwarf baby tears to save my life (I tried). I have had the fish (Emperor Tetras) breeding almost every month.. now they don't. Shrimp used to have a great life... now they don't last.
The aquarium seems to have been through a weird cycle of life over the last few years, despite my meticulous care.
Smaller questions:
- Why the heck is only the crypt flourishing? What characteristic of the chemistry am I overlooking?
- Is it possible that this is really about the substrate? Is it completely depleted?
My big question:
How often do you decide to "start over" with your tank? Same equipment, etc., since it's all perfectly fine, but clean it out, replant, new substrate, new layout, etc.? Am I an odd person for nursing the same tank along for 5 years?
Thanks!
-tm