# Cape Clear



## paul.in.kendal (20 Dec 2020)

Ten years ago I set up a planted aquarium ("Punishment of Luxury" - it's on here somewhere) with moderate success. After a few months I took it down, and the aquarium has been standing empty, reproachfully, in the corner of our dining room ever since.

With plenty of time on my hands (we all know why), I finally decided to get it going again.

It was planted up on December 6th and so far it's going (and growing) really well.

Here's the hardscape. Seiryu stone from the original layout, new bogwood from UKAPS sponsors Horizon Aquatics.






Planted up, first filling. (I know, I know, red colander. On the way back from Horizon Aquatics I dropped in to Ribbon Foods in Darlington to stock up on curry ingredients and there they were, a big stack of them. £2.50 - bargain!)




Immediately after the first fill.





And here it is on Dec 18th, twelve days later.


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## paul.in.kendal (20 Dec 2020)

C. 200l Optiwhite, 100x45x55 tall
Eheim 2180 thermofilter
Arcadia Series 4 luminaire, 1x150w MH, 2x24w fluorescent
Aquamedic AM1000 co2 reactor
CO2Art PRO-SE dual stage regulator
ADA Amazonia version 2 substrate
EI dosing, homemade all-in-one mix from dry salts (using the IFC Aquarium Fertiliser Calculator)
[I'm editing this regularly - above is the current, not original setup].


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## paul.in.kendal (20 Dec 2020)

Second time around I've been much, much bolder than my first attempt a decade ago. Looking at my notes I see that back then I only switched on the MH after two weeks, for just 15 minutes to begin with. This time I've had all the lights on from the start, fluorescents for 6 hours and MH for 4.
The 1-2 Grow plants from Tropica are superb, rushing into full growth straight away. The introduction of Monte Carlo seems to make carpeting much, much easier, too. 
And I've got to say that George Farmer's set of introductory podcasts are absolutely superb - a great way to get back up to speed: comprehensive and concise, they've been a godsend. Thanks George!


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## paul.in.kendal (31 Dec 2020)

Three weeks in. The Monte Carlo carpet has been trimmed, and the astonishingly quick-growing limnophila sessiliflora has been cut back repeatedly. After a solid start some plants are falling apart and getting removed - some of the staurogyne reopens and now bucephelandra is melting away a bit. I'm getting algae - brown hair algae, I think - on some of the plants, mainly those on the bogwood, though it's now appearing elsewhere. I'm physically removing it, and considering treating it with liquid carbon (once I can get some). Back to doing 50% water changes every 1-2 days. I've taken out some of the frogbit too, which was multiplying rapidly.


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## paul.in.kendal (2 Jan 2021)

The algae continues, and more plants are being lost. I remember this from last time around, ten years ago.

The sense of rising panic as algae takes hold and plants suffer. The temptation to furiously adjust everything in an attempt to 'fix' a problem that (as I understand it) is just down to it being a brand new set-up with a shortage of several trillion microbes to process the products of decaying matter from my fast growing plants.

I'm trying to stay calm, leave everything alone and continue with the physical algae removal and daily water changes, removing plants that are past it and waiting for it all to settle down.

I did use the excellent


Hanuman said:


> new *IFC Aquarium Fertilizer Calculator*



on this site to check my all-in-one EI liquid feed from dry salts is correct. It is. Just maybe a bit low on KNo3 and calcium with my super quality tapwater. This is full EI so I'll not adjust it until I make up the next batch in a couple of weeks. I'll probably add a cuttlefish bone to the filter next time I open it, although the seiryu stone should be adding some calcium already.

I'm a terrestrial gardener too, and I liken this stage to how a flower bed reacts if you nuke it with glyphosate and slug pellets, dig it over repeatedly, then plant it up immediately. The microbes and animal life in the soil suffer massively because of the disruption, and the soil structure is completely out of whack. Inevitably pests invade, the neighbours' cats use it as a toilet, and some of the new plants can't handle it and give up the ghost.

However, once the bed is established, it's easy to plant here and there and the new plants settle in just fine.

For now I'm just focusing on all the plants that are doing OK, rather than getting upset about those I'm losing. Most of the stems are there just to build up plant mass anyway, so the intention was always to replace them with choicer specimens once the tank settles down.

Stay calm, Paul, stay calm!


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## Wolf6 (2 Jan 2021)

Got any pics of the algae, is it not just diatoms?


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## paul.in.kendal (3 Jan 2021)

I'll try to take some pictures later, once the lights come on. I wish it was just diatoms. No, hair algae of some sort.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (3 Jan 2021)

Very nice mate, I've been itching to get over to Horizon myself since seeing the review on Youtube. Don't know about that red colander though. I would check you aren't infringing any patents. I think George has pat pending on it. ADA will probably be selling glass ones for £100 next.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (3 Jan 2021)

BTW my only comment on it is I would love to have seen something red on the right hand side. Other than that sweet as though.


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## paul.in.kendal (3 Jan 2021)

Wolf6 said:


> Got any pics of the algae, is it not just diatoms?


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## paul.in.kendal (3 Jan 2021)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> BTW my only comment on it is I would love to have seen something red on the right hand side. Other than that sweet as though.


The stems on the right (mainly Hygrophila Corymbosa "Siamensis 53b") are mainly just placeholders, building up plant mass until the setup stabilises and I can add choicer specimens there.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (3 Jan 2021)

Give me a shout when they've done their job mate, I could do with some S53B that's already adapted to underwater life. The ones I've tried from Tropica for P@H don't seem to want to adapt for me.


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## dw1305 (3 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 
They look like they might be filamentous diatoms <"_Fragilaria/Synedra">_. The other option is the Green Algae (_Rhizoclonium_), it is also fine threads and brownish, but has a bit more of a green undertone. They are <"both fragile threads">, but you can do them by feel, "_Synedra"_ spp. have a fine gritty feel and _Rhizoclonium_ are just smooth. 

If you have a microscope they look quite different at the cellular level. 

cheers Darrel


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## paul.in.kendal (3 Jan 2021)

dw1305 said:


> but you can do them by feel, "_Synedra"_ spp. have a fine gritty feel and _Rhizoclonium_ are just smooth


Thanks for this, Darrel. Not gritty at all, so I guess it's Rhizoclonium. I'll check my filter to ensure flow is good (although it certainly seems to be fine) and continue with physical removal and big daily water changes. Lights are on for six hours, so I'll stick with that. I might get some liquid carbon for spot-dosing - although pretty much every plant in the tank will need treatment, so it'll be more like blanket-dosing than spot-dosing!


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## paul.in.kendal (4 Jan 2021)

OK. I've been doing some serious observation, reading, thinking. 
For the first three weeks everything was fine, plants growing rapidly. Only then did  the algae start. 
I've just checked the filter, and that was fine. No issues with flow - I use a spraybar with a 1700lph (rated) filter, so tons of flow. 
Fert dosing? Full EI from day one, no changes made so it can't be that. 
Lighting? Lighting is high (c. 200 watts for 5-6 hours) but I've not changed it, and plants were growing happily, algae free, for three weeks like that.
That leaves - co2. Looking back through my daily diary (I keep a note of everything - water changes, the lot) I see the obvious - I changed from my old Aqua Medic 1000 reactor to an inline diffuser, and broke my new glass drop checker. 
For the few days without a drop checker I had to guess at co2 levels. Once the replacement was here I adjusted co2 accordingly. But the drop checker has not been showing quite as green as before. I reckon that may well be the issue. 
So today I've increased the bubble count and I'll be keeping a close eye on the drop checker. 
To back up the idea that it's co2 deficiency, my frogbit (which as a floating plant with access to atmospheric co2 is not co2 limited) is doing fine. But, unquestionably, the pogostemon helferi is stunted. This is a plant I grew in my old tank (successfully) so I know what it should look like - and it's just not right. 
I'm hesitant to convince myself I've found the catalyst for the algal bloom, but I really feel this is the likely culprit. 
So, continue with physical removal, 50% water changes every 1-2 days, and close observation!


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## paul.in.kendal (6 Jan 2021)

One month old. Lots of algae in there, but plants are responding well again, now I've got the co2 back on track.


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## CooKieS (7 Jan 2021)

Hi, just read the whole thread, I started my tank end of November and get the exact same algae than you after just 15 days; it’s rhizoclonium, it’s nasty and makes healthy plants melt. (I never had this one since I started the hobby 5 years ago, so I thought it was just normal diatoms and unfortunately didn’t react as quickly as I should).

i tried some things to get rid of it and found out that , tweaking co2 (I was doing 24/24 1bps before now 2 -3 bps only when lights are on), no ferts (stopped npk), and lower lights (sunset sunrise for 2-3 hours period with only 2 hours at full power), helped a lot!

i lost  a bunch of plants, including several bucephalandra, anubias and stems, so don’t hesitate to throw away the ones that are too covered by algae and replace them with new ones. That will avoid unnecessary pollution.

you can do a 3 days blackout too, big wc before and after that.

it seems that dosing liquid carbon, even at triple dose, doesn’t Work with this one.

I’m actually dosing anti algae stuff (similar to easy life algexit, which is basically an anti po4 product) since 4 days and man the rhizoclonium is really starting to disappear.

good luck with it! It’s nasty but can be beaten, let’s keep us updated as our setup seems quite similar 

cheers 
Thierry


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## paul.in.kendal (7 Jan 2021)

Thanks Thierry. I'm seriously considering doing a blackout. But first I want to see how the plants respond to the increased co2.


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## paul.in.kendal (7 Jan 2021)

Had a closer look at the journal by @CooKieS (Lazarus) and it's reassuring to see the exact same thing in someone else's aquarium. And feel for them too, if course!


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## paul.in.kendal (7 Jan 2021)

Tim Harrison said:


> It's not great, but once you get on top of it, it should start to disappear.


Hi @Tim Harrison - if I keep on removing the Rhizoclonium and doing big daily water changes, will it go of its own accord, without a blackout?


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## Nuno Gomes (7 Jan 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Hi @Tim Harrison - if I keep on removing the Rhizoclonium and doing big daily water changes, will it go of its own accord, without a blackout?



I've had a layout that got completely overwhelmed by this type of algae to the point it felt disgusting to reach in and pull out what seemed like an impossibly large amount of crap. I kept up my water changes and removed all that I could with a toothbrush and after a couple weeks it just stopped coming back.


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## paul.in.kendal (7 Jan 2021)

Nuno Gomes said:


> I kept up my water changes and removed all that I could with a toothbrush and after a couple weeks it just stopped coming back.


I can't tell you how good it is to read that!


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## CooKieS (7 Jan 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Had a closer look at the journal by @CooKieS (Lazarus) and it's reassuring to see the exact same thing in someone else's aquarium. And feel for them too, if course!


Yes, I feel blessed to found your journal too, so we can compare our experience!


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## paul.in.kendal (9 Jan 2021)

Continuing to attack the algae daily, and daily (sometimes double) water changes. 




Here you can see regrowth in the centres of pogostemon helferi. This was a key diagnostic for me: when this started growing the crisp, cos-lettuce type rosettes in their centres, it was an obvious sign the plants were starting to grow back healthily, after their co2 starvation.





You can also see healthy growth at the tips of this rotala 'bonsai'.


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## paul.in.kendal (13 Jan 2021)

OK, so I managed to dislodge the plug for the solenoid during a cabinet reorganisation, resulting in no co2 for a whole evening. I've also noted that the new online diffuser, while producing lots of pretty microbubbles, isn't as efficient as the old Aquamedic 1000 reactor, so I've swapped back to that. I've also replaced the 150w metal halide lamp, as the old one was starting to fall apart:



In the circumstances. I've decided to go ahead with a blackout. Water change, fert dose, filter on but lights and Co2 off:



Wish me luck.


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jan 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Hi @Tim Harrison - if I keep on removing the Rhizoclonium and doing big daily water changes, will it go of its own accord, without a blackout?


Sorry @paul.in.kendal I somehow missed your post. I still have it after it appeared about a month or so ago, but it's almost gone. Good news is it can be eradicated with persistence.
Check out James' Algae Guide. Good CO2, flow and maintenance are essential. Try to maintain a clean filter as well as frequent water changes, and manual removal.

I think what was key for me was to remove as much of the algae as possible by winding around a toothbrush and then spot treat the area on the plant or hardscape etc from where it was growing with LC using a syringe. Turn the filter off first so the LC has time to do it's work. I also removed the worst infected leaves especially those which looked like they were dying and wouldn't recover


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## CooKieS (13 Jan 2021)

I agree with Tim. But in your case it seems blackout is a nice option for now, and then you can apply your maintenance routine, don’t forget to get that co2 spot on too.

btw, don’t dose ferts during blackout.


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## paul.in.kendal (13 Jan 2021)

Thanks both. Although I was hoping to see the algae off just with determined removal and daily water changes, the variability of light and Co2 I've been using meant that wasn't going to happen, I reckon. 

So I'm interested to see the impact of a blackout. I cleaned out the pipework and filter before the blackout, and put some purigen in while I had it open.

So in three days I'm hoping for no (or little) algae, stable lighting and Co2, and a chance to get this back on track. 

If it still refuses to play ball I'm prepared to strip it down and restart with fresh plants. As a terrestrial gardener I'm used to losing plants - it's one of the best ways to learn. If it happens with these plants too, so be it.


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## paul.in.kendal (17 Jan 2021)

Covers are off and it's lovely and clean - a few bits of algae around (can't tell if it's alive or dead), but certainly a massive improvement. In the end it was wrapped up for about 90 hours.


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## CooKieS (17 Jan 2021)

Well, glad it worked as good as on mine, now get it back on track and enjoy


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## paul.in.kendal (22 Jan 2021)

Just fitted three of these Eheim double tap connectors, and what a difference they've made to maintenance! 



The Eheim 2180 thermofilter (now called the 1200XLT) has always been a pig to prime. It has two inlets, so getting a syphon going is very tricky - even on one inlet. Getting the second one going before the canister is completely full is a right pain. But now, with these valves, I can close off one inlet, get the other inlet syphoning very easily and, as soon as it does, shut that one off and get the other one going. I've just tried it and it's a piece of cake! They're not cheap, but worth every penny. 
I'm now wondering whether I should upgrade to the Eheim installation sets (1 & 2), to replace the mixture of bits a have now - some nasty Eheim green, some even nastier JBL. 
And I added some phyllanthus fluitans - we'll see how it gets on with the limnobium laevigatum.


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## dw1305 (22 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


paul.in.kendal said:


> But now, with these valves, I can close off one inlet, get the other inlet syphoning very easily and, as soon as it does, shut that one off and get the other one going. I've just tried it and it's a piece of cake! They're not cheap, but worth every penny.


I like them as well, <"it just makes things easier">. 

cheers Darrel


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## paul.in.kendal (22 Jan 2021)

The amount of cursing I've done trying to prime this thing, and now it's a breeze. I remember when I realised these connectors would not only make it so much easier to clean the inlets and outlet, but also facilitate priming, I couldn't quite believe they don't come as standard with the big filters. And they don't seem to get much of a mention on the forum, either. 

BUT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THEM! 
☺️

(Darrel, you'll have to show me how to do those neat, Ukaps-branded links. I'm blowed if I can work it out!)


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## dw1305 (22 Jan 2021)

Hi all,


paul.in.kendal said:


> Darrel, you'll have to show me how to do those neat, Ukaps-branded links. I'm blowed if I can work it out!


<"Cheating really">, I've got a good memory, so I can often remember threads and sometimes <"the protagonists">.

I can find a lot of my posts, relying on unique terms <"Radial oxygen Loss">, <"Plumbosolvency">, <"Groat"> , <"One Legged Irishman"> etc. but that doesn't work as well for other peoples posts.

If it is a plant ID thread, I type the name of the plant and @Mick.Dk  into the search bar, I know if he has answered <"the same question"> in the past that his answer will (99.9% of the time) be right.

If I really can't find something then I resort to Google, because <"I may have posted the content on another forum">.

cheers Darrel


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## paul.in.kendal (22 Jan 2021)

Ah, that's very clever, but not what I meant. 

Here is a link to a thread I started on suitable fish for this aquarium. 









						Taller bodied fish
					

I'm after a shoal of small fish for my high aspect ratio tank - it's 100x45x55cms tall. As George farmer says in his new book: "Taller ranks suit taller-bodied fish and shallower tanks more streamline species". I've had harlequins before, and I'm tempted to have them again - right size, right...



					www.ukaps.org
				




I've tried making it appear with just the little square UKAPS logo and the thread title, but it just won't happen for me.


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## dw1305 (22 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


paul.in.kendal said:


> I've tried making it appear with just the little square UKAPS logo and the thread title, but it just won't happen for me.


It is something Paulo @LondonDragon mentioned to do with the forum upgrade. 

cheers Darrel


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## LondonDragon (22 Jan 2021)

If you put the link in the same line as text -> Taller bodied fish it will show just the link with the correct page title!

if you put it on its own line it will show as the box with a snippet of the destination page:









						Taller bodied fish
					

I'm after a shoal of small fish for my high aspect ratio tank - it's 100x45x55cms tall. As George farmer says in his new book: "Taller ranks suit taller-bodied fish and shallower tanks more streamline species". I've had harlequins before, and I'm tempted to have them again - right size, right...



					www.ukaps.org
				




If you use the link icon on the menu YOUR TEXT  you can link to URL and call it whatever you want!!



YOUR TEXT SINGLE LINE!

Hope that helps!


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## paul.in.kendal (22 Jan 2021)

That's perfect, Paulo, thank you so much!


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## LondonDragon (22 Jan 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> That's perfect, Paulo, thank you so much!


No worries'  forum as so many options that sometimes can be a little overwhelming, but it does cater for every use!


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## alto (22 Jan 2021)

Well done on the Algae Battle (such demoralizing stuff)

Just note that your new Metal Halide will be rather more powerful than the old one (not sure how long you ran it previously)

For a tank this size Green Aqua recommends inline reactors over in-tank diffusers (though these can do fine if you add more than one or adjust other parameters), with MH you definitely want to be consistent with CO2, and enough of it


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## paul.in.kendal (22 Jan 2021)

That's interesting, Alto.

Once I'd replaced the lamp I raised the luminaire from about 200mm to about 300mm above the aquarium for that very reason. It's noticeably brighter than the old one - unsurprisingly, looking at the state of it.

And reverting to inline reactor was definitely the right move. Good to know it aligns with the advice from Green Aqua!


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## alto (22 Jan 2021)

Advanced Aquarist had some excellent articles on MH deterioration - both spectrum and power shift with use - these would be in the archives now, Sanjay Joshi is one author who has done a lot of lighting analysis over the years (and has the technical equipment) 
He focuses on reef versions, but has also done some freshwater lighting (also some light manufacturers recommend same light for both, with some spectral adjustment) 
MH is old enough that, along with fluorescent tubes, planted tank gurus from mid 90’s - early 2000’s were running similar experiments ... but I think most of those websites are gone now


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## paul.in.kendal (27 Jan 2021)

Aquarium doing fine with the last wisps of hair algae now gone. Just a little bit of staghorn algae on the Crinum calamistratum, which I've removed manually.

I've just had some choice replacement plants for the few I lost to the algae from those lovely people at @Horizon Aquatics - Bucephalandra Kedagang, Echinodorus cordifolius Marble Queen, Microsorum pteropus Windeløv and Hygrophila tripartita, all planted in just this minute. (I'll do a full current plant list shortly). 

I also got some rather nice Aquavitro spring scissors from them too. If you've only got long scissors, a short pair of these is a useful addition I'd say.

The Phyllanthus fluitans had to go, unfortunately. It couldn't cope with the very high flow in my tank and it kept on getting forced beneath the surface. A low flow plant I think.

Learned a new term from a @George Farmer Tropica video yesterday - rheophilic: something that is happy living in fast moving water. Hygrophila pinnatifida is rheophilic, while Phyllanthus fluitans is definitely rheophobic!

Doing lots of research at the moment on which fish to purchase and how to introduce them safely; and on how to culture live foods at home. 

Current thinking on stocking is: a big shoal of either black phantom tetra or wadai tetra (again, @Horizon Aquatics have had the wadai tetras in, and they do look absolutely spectacular), plus a group of pygmy corydoras (preferably salt and pepper corys, Corydoras habrosus, as they apparently keep to the bottom more than other pygmy corys), and some red cherry shrimp.

Still a bit concerned about my super soft water (hardness Clarke 1.61) and whether it will adversely affect the shrimps' ability to moult. I'm considering adding a piece of cuttlefish bone either to the aquarium or in the filter. Any thoughts, folks?

With live foods I'll probably start by buying a variety to see what my fish enjoy, then move to home cultivation after.

Water change immediately after the new plants went in:


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## paul.in.kendal (27 Jan 2021)

OK, current plants:
*Foreground* 
Micranthemum tweediei Monte Carlo
Hygrophila lancea Araguaia
Staurogyne repens
Rotala bonsai
Pogostemon helferi
Hydrocotyle tripartita 
*Midground*
Lagenandra meeboldii red
Crinum calamistratum 
*Background*
Hygrophila Siamensis 53b
Hygrophila polysperma rosanervig
Echinodorus cordifolius Marble Queen
*Epiphytes and floaters*
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Anubias barteri nana Pinto
Bucephalandra wavy green 
Bucephalandra Kedagang
Microsorum pteropus Windeløv 
Weeping moss
Taiwan moss
Limnobium laevigatum


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## dw1305 (27 Jan 2021)

Hi all, 


paul.in.kendal said:


> The Phyllanthus fluitans had to go, unfortunately. It couldn't cope with the very high flow in my tank and it kept on getting forced beneath the surface. A low flow plant I think.


That was the same Issue I had with it, it always ended up <"under the other floating plants">. 

cheers Darrel


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## paul.in.kendal (28 Jan 2021)

After reading an article about flipping photos of aquascapes to identify design shortcomings (in the latest issue of PFK), I thought I'd try it on my aquarium. 
Original:



and reversed :



I think (modestly!) it looks pretty good both ways around. The major shortcoming is the big rock on the left (or right, reversed!). That's keeping the bogwood cantilevered up and over the central stone, but it's a blooming eyesore. You can see I've planted Bucephalandra Kedagang on its front face, and microsorum pteropus Windeløv on top, to try and soften/mask it.


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## George Farmer (1 Feb 2021)

Great job mate - and thanks for the feedback!


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## alto (1 Feb 2021)

That is one terrifying wood monster!
Somehow I missed that until I saw the flipped photo (and now can’t unsee it)


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## paul.in.kendal (10 Feb 2021)

Since the new plants went in I've had a few minor issues. A greasy film appeared on the surface. Not very much at all, but as @ceg4048 tells us, it's a sure sign plants are in distress.

There are a couple of possible causes. I had much reduced filter flow for a couple of days, down from 75% to 25% of maximum flow (the Eheim 2180 has a flow indicator built in). I think I had an airlock in one of the two inlets. Also, the rubbery outlet connector inside the filter was over ten years old, and not in good shape. I replaced that with a new one (better design) and the seal to the impeller housing now seems much better, which can only help with flow capacity.





But also, the plants I introduced had a certain amount of damaged growth, and I think I was a bit overcautious cutting them back - I left some leaves on that were dying, that I should have removed. Most likely, a combination of these two factors (reduced flow and damaged plants) caused the oily film.

The frogbit promptly showed signs of distress including some dieback and green hair algae in the roots of some of the most mature clumps (which I binned, of course).

I found a few strands of GHA elsewhere, and the odd bit of black staghorn algae, all removed by hand.

Despite all this, once corrections were made, the new plants started growing strongly, especially echinodorus Marble Queen, which had had the most damaged foliage to begin with. I'm still removing damaged frogbit, but I'm sure that's just damage already done and only now becoming apparent. It'll bounce back I'm sure. Here it is right now. You can see it's still quite a mess. 




I'm doing a 50% waterchange every other day, to keep the scum to a minimum. Right now, I reckon it's the damaged frogbit causing the film. 

The Micranthemum Tweediei Monte Carlo has had another trim. I read somewhere you should be bold, and trim it as soon as it's looking perfect, to stop it becoming too thick and getting dieback at the base, so that's what I'm doing. Really impressed with what a compact, dense carpet it is forming, with just a gentle press down after the trim to keep it tight. Great little plant!

And I've been surprised by Anubias barteri nana 'Pinto' which, despite having to compete with an aggressive clump of Hygrophila pinnatifida (and enduring that first major algae attack), seems to be doing really well and producing some very pale new leaves. Be interesting to see how it progresses with so little chlorophyll in those new, near-white leaves. The H. pinnatifida is being kept at bay, rest assured. 




I've also put in new inlets and spraybar, the Eheim installation sets 1 & 2, which are great quality, and should make cleaning tubes and repriming the filter even easier. Coarse sponges are now on the inlets, in preparation for the addition of cherry shrimp.

And (controversially) I've added a decorative feature - a terracotta urn from Amtra. I'm not at all sure about this, but we'll see how I like it over time.




I also have an Amtra Jaguar skull. That will ONLY be going in the tank when we have small people visiting, just for fun!

Here's the tank as it is right now.


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## dw1305 (10 Feb 2021)

Hi all,


paul.in.kendal said:


> I'm still removing damaged frogbit, but I'm sure that's just damage already done and only now becoming apparent. It'll bounce back I'm sure. Here it is right now. You can see it's still quite a mess.





paul.in.kendal said:


> A greasy film appeared on the surface. Not very much at all, but as @ceg4048 tells us, it's a sure sign plants are in distress.





paul.in.kendal said:


> I left some leaves on that were dying, that I should have removed. Most likely, a combination of these two factors (reduced flow and damaged plants) caused the oily film.


I think you are right they may well be related, I'd definitely pick all the damaged leaves from the Frogbit.

cheers Darrel


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## ceg4048 (11 Feb 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> And (controversially) I've added a decorative feature - a terracotta urn from Amtra. I'm not at all sure about this, but we'll see how I like it over time.


Hi Paul,
           Yeah, well, I'll have to admit to not being a rabid fan of ancient Roman artifacts in hardscape - maybe throw some moss on there? But hey, at least it's not a pirates sunken chest, or first born's baby shoes (which might have precipitated a mandatory 3 week ban). Who knows, maybe some day a hobbit comes along, sticks his hand in there and finds the long lost one-ring-to-rule-them-all...

In any case, that hair algae and what seems to be GSA on the anubias, along with the greasy film is a signal that the reduced flow affected CO2 first and foremost. Photo 3 doesn't have enough resolution but it looks like there some GSA on the lower leaves of the H. pinnatifida. If so then might want to jettison those leaves as well. Additionally, things look a bit pale, especially p. helferi. Is that just a photo issue or does that represent the real life color in photo 4? If so, may want to review NO3 dosing.

Cheers mate,


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## paul.in.kendal (11 Feb 2021)

ceg4048 said:


> In any case, that hair algae and what seems to be GSA on the anubias, along with the greasy film is a signal that the reduced flow affected CO2 first and foremost. Photo 3 doesn't have enough resolution but it looks like there some GSA on the lower leaves of the H. pinnatifida. If so then might want to jettison those leaves as well. Additionally, things look a bit pale, especially p. helferi. Is that just a photo issue or does that represent the real life color in photo 4? If so, may want to review NO3 dosing.


Um, yes, I do seem to have a bit of GSA too, don't I? I'll get onto it. 
I have tweaked up the CO2 just a fraction already, but I'm sure lack of flow was the primary issue, not the CO2 level itself. 
I'm reasonably happy with my dosing levels (full EI) and I think the pale colouration is just in the photo, not in fact. But I'll keep an eye on it. 
Thanks Clive.


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## paul.in.kendal (16 Feb 2021)

I make up my own EI all-in-one, using the excellent IFC Calculator. After Clive suggested I review my NO3 dosing, I went back to the calculator to check. And found I have been guilty of "garbage in, garbage out".

NO3 was fine - but MGSO4 wasn't. I've been dosing twice as much as I should. Turns out I had the calculator set for MGSO4.7H2O when I'm actually using MGSO4 - of which I should be using half as much! Any thoughts on whether this overdosing is damaging would be appreciated (@dw1305 ?)

I also put my tapwater parameters in this time, even though I know it doesn't contain very much of anything.  

I noticed that the calculator, when set to match Full EI All-In-One, has a target  for calcium of 30ppm, while my tapwater is just 7.8ppm, and I'm not adding any additional calcium {apart from the Seiryu stone I'm using).

So I'm now wondering what source of calcium I should be using? Calcium Chloride? Calcium Chloride hexahydrate? Can I add it to my all-in-one mix? Or should I be using Seachem Equilibrium or somesuch? Or just add a piece of Cuttlefish bone? Any suggestions, folks?


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## dw1305 (16 Feb 2021)

Hi all, 


paul.in.kendal said:


> Turns out I had the calculator set for MGSO4.7H2O when I'm actually using MGSO4 - of which I should be using half as much! Any thoughts on whether this overdosing is damaging would be appreciated (@dw1305 ?)


No, you  are good, you have been dosing the right amount. What ever yours says on the packet it will be the heptahydrate (MgSO4.7H2O), and ~10% Mg, when you use it. 


dw1305 said:


> Yes it will be. You can actually <"use it as a desiccant">.
> 
> It is quite difficult to stop it picking up atmospheric moisture and requires you to put it in a desiccator (while it is still very hot) to keep it in anhydrous.


Have a look at <"Quick question about MgSO4">.

cheers Darrel


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## paul.in.kendal (16 Feb 2021)

dw1305 said:


> No, you  are good


Thanks Darrel, that's great - really helpful, as always!


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## paul.in.kendal (28 Feb 2021)

I've been removing staghorn algae from the aquarium for a couple of weeks now. I was hoping it would start to subside, but it's proving persistent. It does seem to have migrated from being mainly on the plants to being mainly on the hardscape, which I hope means the plants are getting stronger. 
I have adjusted the spraybar to increase surface agitation, hoping to increase oxygenation for when I introduce fish. I'm wondering whether doing this has increased gassing off of co2, thereby requiring a reduction in lighting to maintain balance. Today I've moved the luminaire up an inch, and might move it up an inch or two more over the coming days. 
I added some cherry shrimp (and a piece of cuttlefish bone) a week ago - they seem to be fine.


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## paul.in.kendal (28 Feb 2021)

... and I've been doing 50% water changes like a maniac - aiming for a daily water change and never skipping more than one day.


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## ceg4048 (2 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Full EI All-In-One, has a target for calcium of 30ppm


Paul, Is that a typo? There is no way plants require 30ppm of Calcium. I'm not sure from where the source of this data originates. Calcium is a micronutrient, which means you only need microscopic amounts. It just has to be present, so there is no need to add any more than what is in your tap.


paul.in.kendal said:


> I have adjusted the spraybar to increase surface agitation, hoping to increase oxygenation for when I introduce fish. I'm wondering whether doing this has increased gassing off of co2,


You need to determine the behavior of the gas. This isn't something that should be guessed at. What does your DC say? How does the pH track from gas on to lights out?


paul.in.kendal said:


> I've been removing staghorn algae from the aquarium for a couple of weeks now. I was hoping it would start to subside, but it's proving persistent.


This is primarily CO2 related (but can be due to other issues ). You can add daily Excel dosing (or you can spot dose) until you've sorted out the CO2/flow/distribution.

Cheers,


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## paul.in.kendal (2 Mar 2021)

Hi Clive, I have misrepresented what the calculator says about 30ppm calcium. It's not a target, but a limit:

_"Here you increase the upper (maximum) limit the calculator should use when designing your fertilizer. Beyond these values the calculators will refuse to calculate. Note that the default limits are already beyond what anyone would need so it is advisable not to change them other than for testing purposes."_

I'm concerned about how my tapwater's modest calcium levels might adversely affect the ability of shrimp to moult. So I've put in a piece of cuttlefish bone.

Hmmm,  co2 levels. When you ask how PH tracks through the photoperiod, I suppose you mean solely as measured by the drop checker? I'm not measuring it any other way.

My DC shows lime green from about half an hour after lights on. As there's a lag (roughly an hour?) in the DC reacting to the changed PH, I'm assuming that co2 is at an appropriate level when lights go on. Co2 injection starts two hours before lights on. After about four hours of the photoperiod (lights are on for six hours in total) the colour becomes a bit yellower - but it's still green!

But as I don't want fish gasping for oxygen I thought that, if I increased surface agitation it would increase oxygen levels. Since doing this, I've continued to monitor the DC and it continues to show lime green, getting a little brighter, a little more yellow-green, towards the end of lights-on. (Having said that, have you ever looked at the wild range of colours that get called lime green? Being colour blind doesn't help either. And this is supposed NOT to be guesswork?!)

You say that the staghorn is primarily co2 related. As I understand it, this could be a result of poor distribution of co2 due to poor flow. I'm sure it's not that as I have a big filter (nominally rated at 1700lph in a c. 200 litre tank) working efficiently, a spraybar all along the back, an inlet in each rear corner and all plants moving very gently.

Or it could be an ammonia spike. I put in some new plants a month ago and didn't trim off all damaged material. As these parts decayed could they have caused such a spike? That's been my best guess so far. I've of course now removed all damaged plant material, and the introduced plants are showing some good growth. I'm removing all badly affected plant material to encourage strong new young growth.

Or it could be inadequate co2 injection for the lighting being used. I'm reluctant to up the injection rate (for fear of gassing yet-to-be introduced livestock), so I'm attempting to marginally reduce co2 demand by  raising the luminaire a little instead. It's metal halide so no adjustability apart from height (or altering the length of the photoperiod itself).

I think I'm probably getting closer to the solution to the staghorn problem (without knowing precisely what the cause is) but, as I get nearer to that solution, the alterations have to be finer and the result will likewise be tiny changes to the growing conditions I'm providing for the plants. All this is difficult to assess, especially as this is only the second time I've ever set up a planted aquarium of any description. My judgement is inevitably going to be relatively poor until my experience grows.

Oh, and I don't want to start spot-dosing because, as you say, that only deals with the symptoms.

Thanks for your help as always, Clive.


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## paul.in.kendal (4 Mar 2021)

I've now introduced a shoal of red phantom tetra. They seem absolutely fine - no sign of distress while co2 levels are elevated. 

And thinking about what @ceg4048 said about staghorn and co2, it occurs to me that, while I had sufficient co2 in the tank in the early stages of healthy growth, it may not be enough now that the plant mass has increased so much. As the plants incrementally grow it's easy to not notice just how much more plant mass there is in there. And as the bigger plants take more co2, its easy to miss any subtle colour change in the drop checker. 

Taking a step back (figuratively as well as literally), it's evident that there's now probably four times as much plant mass in there as in those healthy, early weeks. Maybe more. And more plant mass will need more co2. 

So I've tweaked up the co2 injection rate.


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## ceg4048 (4 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Hmmm, co2 levels. When you ask how PH tracks through the photoperiod, I suppose you mean solely as measured by the drop checker? I'm not measuring it any other way.


Hi Paul,
            In order to properly track a dynamic pH you'll really need to use a pH probe and record the data every half hour or so. The DC is just too slow and clunky to give you accurate data. Getting accurate pH readings will help you to assess the behavior of the gas. It may be, for example, that the pH reaches it's minimum (CO2 at it's max concentration) farther into the day than is optimal. So this will tell you that the gas should turn on earlier and can be shut off earlier. The instantaneous reading of the probe also can more accurately illustrate the effects of your surface agitation.


paul.in.kendal said:


> Or it could be an ammonia spike. I put in some new plants a month ago and didn't trim off all damaged material. As these parts decayed could they have caused such a spike?


Possibly. Another possibility is that if these were planted in the substrate then disturbing the substrate could also have kicked up ammonia. If you didn't do a water change straight afterwards that could have triggered it.  It's very difficult to isolate the exact cause, so one has to assume all the known causes and fix each possible cause. Water changes as well as getting the CO2 right will address both possibilities.


paul.in.kendal said:


> Taking a step back (figuratively as well as literally), it's evident that there's now probably four times as much plant mass in there as in those healthy, early weeks. Maybe more. And more plant mass will need more co2


Correct!


paul.in.kendal said:


> So I've tweaked up the co2 injection rate.


Good, but get a quality probe so you can fix your gas on timing.

Cheers,


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## alto (5 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> And more plant mass will need more co2.


Does it though?
Unless you’re providing very low levels of CO2 and very high plant mass (though growth rates may be slower than in a higher nutrient system), I remain unconvinced 

Tropica seems to have run this aquascape fine with only 20mg/l CO2 (including some plants considered “high” light/CO2 demand)





__





						Layout 110 - George Farmer and Jurijs Jutjajevs - Tropica Aquarium Plants
					

Inspiration and ideas for your planted aquarium.




					tropica.com


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## CooKieS (5 Mar 2021)

alto said:


> Does it though?
> Unless you’re providing very low levels of CO2 and very high plant mass (though growth rates may be slower than in a higher nutrient system), I remain unconvinced
> 
> Tropica seems to have run this aquascape fine with only 20mg/l CO2 (including some plants considered “high” light/CO2 demand)
> ...


 I always laugh when I see the spec sheet on those tropica tanks; 200ml tropica ferts weekly!?! Hahaha


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## paul.in.kendal (5 Mar 2021)

ceg4048 said:


> In order to properly track a dynamic pH you'll really need to use a pH probe and record the data every half hour or so.


Thanks Clive. 
[Retires to research pH probes].


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## paul.in.kendal (5 Mar 2021)

Looks like Milwaukee is a respected brand. Their ph600 pen is available for £15 - £25. As I'd presumably only be using this for a few days, to get a handle on injection timing and rate, that would do it I reckon.


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## alto (5 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Milwaukee is a respected brand.


er...uhmmm...
Can I convince you to splash out on Hanna (Instruments)

Definitely select one that can be calibrated, and can be done with preferably 3 “standards”, or at least 2 standards that bracket the region of interest (drawing a calibration curve through a single point can yield some pretty exciting lines)


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## paul.in.kendal (5 Mar 2021)

Too late, a Milwaukee has been bought. What model of Hanna should I have got?


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## ceg4048 (5 Mar 2021)

Yeah, I have to admit, I'm a Hanna fanboy myself, but I recognize they are expensive. My personal favorite is the combination pH/TDS/Temp HI98129 which currently retails for (gulp) _only _144 Euros...The do make pH only probes for considerably less, but never mind, Milwaukee is good too. Just make sure you have and always use the calibration fluids (7.0 and 4.0) and you'll be fine.

Cheers,


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## alto (6 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> Too late, a Milwaukee has been bought.


In case you haven’t read this product page (good storage and usage tips)









						Milwaukee pH600AQ Digital pH Pen
					

The Milwaukee Instruments compact pH pen tester is often used to help maintain pools and aquariums as well as improve results for growers and quality in a range of food and beverage uses.




					milwaukeeinstruments.com
				




Unfortunately there’s no real technical specifications included


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## paul.in.kendal (6 Mar 2021)

Thanks for that, @alto - I've discovered that, infuriatingly, the pen doesn't come with any calibration/buffer solutions, and Sterner don't even nudge you in that direction when you order it! So I've now ordered some sachets separately. 

I'm guessing calibration is only needed from time to time? I'll be using it repeatedly over a few days and then it'll probably not be used again for a while. I'm assuming, once calibrated, it won't wander off that calibration for days or perhaps a few weeks? I suppose I can find out whether it has drifted off by turning it on and sticking it in buffer when I want to re-use it, and see if it's still reading accurately. 

Thanks again for all the assistance (and to  @ceg4048) - much appreciated.


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## ceg4048 (8 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> I'm guessing calibration is only needed from time to time?


Errr...actually Paul, probes really do need a lot of babysitting and really ought to be calibrated prior to use. You can buy bulk calibration fluid on Amazon. A two point calibration is suggested (4.0 and 7.0).

Cheers,


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## paul.in.kendal (8 Mar 2021)

I've ordered ten sachets of ph7 solution,  as it seems to be a one-point calibration process.  Hopefully that'll do me for a couple of daily half-hour sets of data? Or do I literally need to recalibrate for each and every one of those half-hourly measurements?


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## ceg4048 (9 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> I've ordered ten sachets of ph7 solution, as it seems to be a one-point calibration process. Hopefully that'll do me for a couple of daily half-hour sets of data? Or do I literally need to recalibrate for each and every one of those half-hourly measurements?


Hi Paul,
            Single point calibration, really? OK, fair enough. Probably Darrel has a few posts regarding probe calibration. The probe's electrode outputs a voltage for each pH value and there is a theoretical straight line representing the voltage along which, ideally the probe outputs from 0 to 14. No probe follows the line exactly - they either drift above or below the line across the pH range.  I would be guessing if I told you how much drift there will be in a half an hour. Maybe it will be fine, maybe not so fine.
The probe is an essential tool Paul. Yes, for this exercise you'll take some readings and then put the probe away, but a month from now there may be another issue in the tank and the probe will be useful to perform the same exercise.  I don't consider the pH probe to be disposable because there is _always _something wrong with our CO2 and this is the most useful tool for getting to grips with the issue. In any case, even if it is only a single point calibration I would still get some 4.0 solution and after a rinse, dip the probe in it after the 7.0 calibration, just to make sure that it reads close enough to 4.0.

Cheers,


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## dw1305 (9 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


ceg4048 said:


> Probably Darrel has a few posts regarding probe calibration.


<"We have a few">. I'd be tempted to <"re-calibrate the probe every half hour">, we usually do it every tenth sample when the probe is in continual use (where we have lots of separate samples).

cheers Darrel


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## Kogre (9 Mar 2021)

This has been a great journal to follow.  I was really glad the blackout helped and it's nice to see everything appear to bounce back.


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## paul.in.kendal (10 Mar 2021)

The probe and buffer sachets turned up yesterday, so I took some half-hourly readings. 
I finished a 50% water change at noon, using my (pH7) tap water. pH readings as follows:
1300 - 7. 0
1330 - 6.7 (co2 injection begins) 
1400 - 6.7
1430 - 6.7
1500 - 6.5
1530 - 6.4
1600 - 6.3
1630 - 6.3
1630 - 6.3
1700 - 6.2 
1715 - (lights come on) 
1730 - 6.2
The readings then stayed at 6.2 every half-hour until
2200 - 6.2 (co2 injection ends) 
2230 - 6.3
2300 - 6.4 (lights go off) 
2330 - 6.4
0000 - 6.5
0030 - 6.5
0100 - 6.5
0130 - 6.6
02.00 - 6.6
Then I went to bed. 
This morning:
0800 - 6.8
0930 - 6.9

What have I learned? 

Re. calibration, I repeatedly checked against several sachets of pH7 buffer during the process. I'll order some pH4 as well.


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## ceg4048 (10 Mar 2021)

paul.in.kendal said:


> What have I learned?


Hi Paul,
            Yeah, I'm finding this data really odd because in half an hour from 1300 to 1330 there was a 0.3 unit rise yet it required 2 hours of injection to have it fall by 0.3 units. You probably provided the information somewhere regarding your KH but it looks like the behavior of super high KH. In any case, if the probe is to be believed, there is no way it should require 4 hours to achieve a 0.5 pH unit drop.
Does the DC corroborate this data? Some of your photos show a lime green or yellow DC but it is unclear at what time of day that is.  Either the probe is faulty or your injection rate is just a trickle and needs to be adjusted some more. What you've learned is to be suspicious about everything related to CO2 mate. Sorry. 

Cheers,


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## paul.in.kendal (10 Mar 2021)

ceg4048 said:


> Yeah, I'm finding this data really odd


I think that either the 1300 or the 1330 reading is wrong. I'm going to do it all again (not today, I need an early night!) and see what I get.
Thanks again, Clive.


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## paul.in.kendal (1 Apr 2021)

So I've not re-done the Ph readings, primarily because it's such a pain to do. The staghorn continues, I've raised the luminaire a little more, and I'm focusing on propagating healthy new growth, with assertive pruning, rather than preserving existing growth, which is a fool's errand.

Just today introduced a shoal of black neon tetra - fabulous fish! The phantoms, as their name suggests, have always rather kept to the shadows, but the neons are bold and brilliant - love them already!


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## nanocube (25 Jun 2021)

Any updates?


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## paul.in.kendal (27 Jun 2021)

Yup.

After much agonising, about six weeks ago I introduced five pearl gourami to the aquarium. Lovely fish, definitely the right thing to do (and no further additions for sure!)

About four weeks ago I lost one of the red phantom tetra, found dead at the bottom of the tank. No idea what did for it. All the others seem fine, as do the black neon tetra.

The shrimp have pretty much disappeared. Occasionally we spot one, but I have no idea whether there's one left, or loads in hiding!

I've got plenty of algae. Mainly BBA, but I also get small amounts of thread and staghorn algae, and some GSA (mainly on the lower leaves of the stems round the back). 

I'm trying to be philosophical about the algae. My terrestrial garden is lush and lovely, and it has its population of slugs, snails, aphids and other pests. And weeds, of course. I don't try to eradicate any of them, but I do take action if they start to impact too adversely on the garden.

I'm now doing the same with the algae. I'd love to get rid of it all (especially the BBA!), but that just isn't happening. So I remove the worst damaged foliage, encourage vigorous healthy growth, and accept that I can have a tank of (reasonably) healthy, happy plants and fish, and a background level of algae. That works for me (for now, at least).

Plant mass has increased massively, with the sword 'Marble Queen' growing out of the water, and flowering. I've added a Tunze circulation pump to ensure good flow throughout the tank, even with all this extra vegetation.

I'm still dosing full EI. There seems to be no point trying to ease back on nutrients, as I'm using dry ferts - it's so cheap, what would be the point in risking underdosing to save very small amounts of money?

Lights are on for six hours. Co2 comes on two hours before the lights, and off one hour before lights off.

The fish are mainly fed crumb (my LFS's own mix), supplemented with a little live and frozen food from the LFS. I'm also cultivating grindal worms, but rather struggling to get volumes up enough for them to make a significant impact on the total feed required. The fish do love them though!

Here's the tank today.


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## paul.in.kendal (29 Jun 2021)

One of the five gourami has been more timid than the rest, keeping apart, reluctant to feed and distinctly smaller than the others. Just this minute found it dead at the bottom of the tank. I'm surprised how sad it feels to lose a little fish, even though I knew it wasn't thriving.


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