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Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' carpet

Luis Batista

Member
Joined
19 Jun 2014
Messages
129
Location
Portugal
Hello

About 7 weeks ago i planted about 7 doses of Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' on my Akadama and it look like this now:

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IMG_20130101_000330_zps42b87b95.jpg


IMG_20130101_000310_zps3fc5ac73.jpg


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Sorry about the photos, it was with my cheap phone...

With seven weeks, should not be further developed? More compact?
The new runners that born, almost all rots and float away.
It seems that they dont get a good fix, good root on the Akadama...

What can i do to speed the grow of it?

Here is my specs:

Tank Size: 100x30x45

Lighting: 2x T5 39W 6500K 4200K with reflectors

CO2: drop lime green, about 3/4 bps with a inline diffusor

Substrate: JBL AquaBasis Plus and Akadama on top

Fertilization:

E.I: 60ml = 20 x 3 times a week

NO3 - 25
PO4 - 4
K – 30
Mg – 5
Fe - 0.5


Thanks all
 
Poor CO2/flow/distribution to the substrate.

Cheers,

i cant go further on the CO2 or i will kill all the fish.
the drop checker is lime green, almost a yellow and i move it along the tank and the readings is always the same.
the flow is all over the tank, so the poor CO2/flow/distribution doesnt apply in this case

im about 0.8W/L, it may be too little to make the carpet more compact

thanks Ceg
 
Def a CO2/flow/distribution problem mate.

reduce light it will be better. I have 0,36 W/ L and no problem for Monte Carlo to carpet. By the way W/L is not a good reference.

Check Flow if you can't push more CO2.
How your flow is design please ? can we have a pic of the instalation please.
 
Water changes quite often? Cause it looks like there is some algae asfixiating the plant.

50% WC every week
yes, i have been fighting with some BBA on the substract, from a former failed experience with marsilea crenata
i have been overdosing excell and treat on spot

thanks
 
Def a CO2/flow/distribution problem mate.

reduce light it will be better. I have 0,36 W/ L and no problem for Monte Carlo to carpet. By the way W/L is not a good reference.

Check Flow if you can't push more CO2.
How your flow is design please ? can we have a pic of the instalation please.

I have the filter pumping with a wide jet nozzle and a circulation pump to help push the stream. They both push the stream along the back glass to the left side glass, then the flow go down along the left side glass and circulates along all the substract, hitting the right side glass and go up and start the cicle again...

here is a poor paint job:

12_zpsfb25e588.jpg



Here is the layout:

HPIM3952_zps61de0956.jpg



Thanks
 
Definitely need to improve the flow. The plants and rocks will be creating a barrier that prevents decent throughflow. Depending on your filter size, you should try a spraybar, or a separate powerhead on the front left corner to push the water across the front of the tank.
 
Lovely looking tank, the layout is well planned. Hope you get your carpet sorted then it will be a top class tank :)
 
When the plants grow in it will definately look very nice. I would recomend putting the dropchecker on the right side of the tank at a low height. thats the place where youll have the least co2. Another thing is that you might be having some ammonia leak from the substrate (¿?) which can only be solved with more wáter changes. The flow is the hardest bit to finetune and no body can do that for you.
 
Definitely need to improve the flow. The plants and rocks will be creating a barrier that prevents decent throughflow. Depending on your filter size, you should try a spraybar, or a separate powerhead on the front left corner to push the water across the front of the tank.

the filter is a bit weak, is a Tetratec EX700, 700 L/H says Tetra. I have a circulation pump of 600L/H side by side with the filter outflow to boost the flow, like you can see in the paint graphic.

The flow is all over the tank. From right to left on the top of the water column and left to right more down the water column.
This creates a nice circular pattern all around.

I already try a spraybar but im using a inline diffusor and with the spraybar, ii seems that the gas wasn't spread right.

will try another spraybar on the other side, left side, down, close to the substrat, to boost the second part of the flow and see...

Thanks

Lovely looking tank, the layout is well planned. Hope you get your carpet sorted then it will be a top class tank :)


thanks Bhu

i´m on the hobby just from April, just a few moths but im getting to enjoy this hobby...

Thanks

When the plants grow in it will definately look very nice. I would recomend putting the dropchecker on the right side of the tank at a low height. thats the place where youll have the least co2. Another thing is that you might be having some ammonia leak from the substrate (¿?) which can only be solved with more wáter changes. The flow is the hardest bit to finetune and no body can do that for you.

Jose, that picture have a few days now. Already put the drop on the right side, just over the cryptos. Its was a good advice, indeed.
Why you say that, about the ammonia?
Because of the B.B.A?
I recently, 2 weeks now, change my biological media, so ammonia could spike a bit.
It was because of ammonia that im getting alot of G.D.A? green dust algae?
In 2 or 3 hours, the front glass is almost fill of this, on the upper half of it...

Thanks for your help
 
Last edited:
im about 0.8W/L, it may be too little to make the carpet more compact
Compactness has nothing to do with W/L. It has to do with flow and CO2. So everything you have mentioned points to poor flow/distribution/CO2.

You should experiment with mounting the pump and filter outlet along the back wall instead of on the side.

You should also perform a pH profile to better understand the behavior of the gas.

Cheers,
 
You should experiment with mounting the pump and filter outlet along the back wall instead of on the side.

Like you recommend on another topic, i already try a spraybar along the back wall, about 90cm long pointting to the front glass but then, never could use the circulation pump right.
If i turn the pump, it messes all the flow inside the tank...

Now i mount a wide nozzle on the filter outlet, leaning against the back wall, pointted to left side, to the flow go all along the back wall. the pump, mount at the same height and direction of the filter outlet, provides a strong flow...

Do you think that it will help to have another pump?
Perhaps on the opposite side, on a lower height to not break the flow from the other pump?

a new filter was better but right now is impossible....

Like always, a very apreciated help, Ceg...

Thanks
 
You cannot tell the effectiveness of the changes you make unless you perform a pH profile check. It's very difficult to determine visually.
Where did you place the pump in relation to the spraybar and how was it oriented? Lots of people use this combination successfully so it's very suspicious.

Cheers,
 
You cannot tell the effectiveness of the changes you make unless you perform a pH profile check. It's very difficult to determine visually.
Where did you place the pump in relation to the spraybar and how was it oriented? Lots of people use this combination successfully so it's very suspicious.

Cheers,


i have a cheap Aquilli PH Test, so i will check that.
What will be the better way to test it?

With the back wall spray bar, i placed the pump on the front top right corner, about 10 cm from the surface...
i just get that flow from up to down the substrat. Like i have a central layout with the wood and rocks, the flow dont go left to right, to the filter inlet...

Where do you think, based on my layout that you see on the photo, that i should mount the pump, to work with a back wall spraybar?
 
You can always get a pH Pen if you can afford it. That way you don't have to play with messy reagents, just dip and read. It makes life a lot simpler, but you do have to calibrate the pens frequently. Standard pH 7 and pH 4 solutions are cheap and easily available.


With the back wall spray bar, i placed the pump on the front top right corner, about 10 cm from the surface...
Yes, this is the wrong place. That's why it didn't work. As I mention hundreds of times, you must place the flow outlets in a symmetrical pattern and they must all face the same direction. If a spraybar is mounted on the back wall then a single powerhead is best placed at the center of the length of bar facing forward, either directly above or directly below the spraybar. If you have two pumps then they should be placed equidistant along the length of the bar. If the bar is short and does not reach the full length of the tank then a powerhead can be placed at the same height, facing the same direction in the middle of the gap that is left from the end of the spraybar.

Cheers,
 
You can always get a pH Pen if you can afford it. That way you don't have to play with messy reagents, just dip and read. It makes life a lot simpler, but you do have to calibrate the pens frequently. Standard pH 7 and pH 4 solutions are cheap and easily available.



Yes, this is the wrong place. That's why it didn't work. As I mention hundreds of times, you must place the flow outlets in a symmetrical pattern and they must all face the same direction. If a spraybar is mounted on the back wall then a single powerhead is best placed at the center of the length of bar facing forward, either directly above or directly below the spraybar. If you have two pumps then they should be placed equidistant along the length of the bar. If the bar is short and does not reach the full length of the tank then a powerhead can be placed at the same height, facing the same direction in the middle of the gap that is left from the end of the spraybar.

Cheers,


Good morning Ceg

Lets see if i get it right:

122_zps1f98d1ff.jpg


back wall spray bar facing the front glass, with the circulation pump on the middle of the spray bar, above or below it, also facing the front glass?

Cheers
 
Hi Luis,
Yes, thank you for the diagram. That is the nominal geometry for multiple outputs. Again, it does not guarantee success, because if the output from the spraybars is too weak then you still will have trouble, but this geometry has the highest probability of success. Do a pH profile check to determine the results.

Cheers,
 
Hi Luis,
Yes, thank you for the diagram. That is the nominal geometry for multiple outputs. Again, it does not guarantee success, because if the output from the spraybars is too weak then you still will have trouble, but this geometry has the highest probability of success. Do a pH profile check to determine the results.

Cheers,

Once again, thanks Ceg
already order a PH Pen from Ebay, with 2 calibration solutions.

What will be the best times to check the ph to make a decent profile?
My Co2 turns on at 7 am and the lights at 9 am.
then the co2 turns off at 6 pm and the lights at 7 pm
 
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