# Fluval 13.5 gal Sea Evo for a planted shrimp tank



## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

I have a Fluval 52 L Sea Evo
-Tank size 56 x 29 x 38 cm
-Fluval 3 stage filtration. Its an overflow type filter
-Pump Output: 500 L/h
-Lumens: 1383 LM
-Color Temperature: 14000K

Right now the tank has:
-50w EHEIM Jager heater
-Flourite Black Sand and rock for aquascape
-Dwarf baby tears
-A Coco Petite Nana
-A Nana Golden
-4 Echinodorus Aflame
-3 Blyxa Japonica

 I have just been using flourish Excel and Flourish Advanced but I am also fighting hair algae........grass of the devil!!!!
 So I was thinking I should at a pressurized CO2 system to the tank. Its a small tank and I am looking for something that isn't obtrusive as the tank lives on my kitchen island. The tank is about 3 months old, only has pants, snails and some tiny unidentified micro organisms swimming around. I think the one in the picture is a Cyclops, the first tank picture is before the crazies and the addition of the tree (its covered in Fissidens fontana not that you can tell). I have my lights on about 8 hours a day, none of the plants are pearling anymore. Any suggestions are welcome


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## alto (31 Jan 2018)

Regarding use of Flourish Advance - Phil says it so much better than I 


Phil Edwards posted this over on PlantedTank



> I had the opportunity to pick Seachem's tech folks' brains this Summer and asked some questions about Flourish Advance.
> 
> 1. To say it's not a fertilizer is a mis-statement. It contains numerous elements needed for plant growth and as such is a fertilizer. It just doesn't have nitrogen.
> 
> ...


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## alto (31 Jan 2018)

I'd suggest adding some fertilizer to your tank care -  you can stay with the Seachem line (though I prefer Aquavitro over Flourish) or go with Tropica Premium & Specialized or look at what others are using locally (is there an aquarium club or planted tank club)

The lighting on the Evo line is rather blue (understandably as Evo is directed toward the marine market) so not one I'd choose for plants but plants can generally adapt to utilize available light spectra

There are some outstanding tanks grown with only Excel (or other branded "liquid carbon") but pressurized CO2 is definitely a more readily (bio)available carbon source

There are always reports of adverse effects with liquid carbon & some shrimp lines so that may be a consideration depending on your shrimp goals

Fluorite black sand is not an enriched substrate in the manner of the Aquarium Soils so you should be supplementing with some root tabs (or use a product such as Tropica Growth Substrate )
Beware that this sand can compact (my experience)


I've not looked closely at the Evo, but the Flex filter inflow/overflow is very susceptible to shrimp migration into the filter area so you may want to screen this off - or not - shrimp do seem happy enough living in the Flex filter zone


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## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

I got the Fluorite black sand because it said it provides Essential Nutrient To Plant Root Structure Long Term For Success Planted Aquariums. 
As for the overflow I already have that screened, I am testing what works best for water flow.
I will add some fertilizer to my normal regament. 
Any ideas about a CO2 setup for smaller tanks? And do you have any idea if it will help with the hair algae?


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## alto (31 Jan 2018)

You might find this Flourite discussion from the Krib archives useful 

Seachem Flourite

Dr Grey Morin is a scientist with Seachem 

Unfortunately the analytical data for Seachem Products seems to have been removed from their website, though you might be able to obtain data through their technical support department
(though I don't believe Greg Morin is still involved at that level)

I'm a great fan of Seachem, they do some of the best science in the trade 
I know they were testing a soil based product (sorry can't recall the trade name) but didn't notice it on their website
The Flourite series is a fracted clay product


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## Konsa (31 Jan 2018)

Hi
Looking at the pictures it really seems your light is bright and for too long wich can run U in lots of allgae issues  as your tank is newly setup I will stick to about 6 hours of light.Will be good idea to get yourself some floaters to help with the light dimming and to help with the initial balancing of the tank and suppression of algae.From what I see U have planted the anubias in the substrate.This plant is to be attached to wood rocks the way U have it it will just die.U need to rethink what is your aim about the tank and choose your plants according to that. I will advice U to go for the easy ones  from tropica range and hold off the CO2 now till U get a bit of experience to grow them healthy as things will happen slowly and U will have higher margin for mistakes.Once U get the basics  right if U still wish add CO2 and more demanding plants.
Regards Konsa


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## Edvet (31 Jan 2018)

Richelle Thomas said:


> because it said it provides Essential Nutrient To Plant Root Structure Long Term For Success Planted Aquariums.


I don't know how old you are, but if you always believe what manufacturers say on their package you are going to be in for a lot of disappointments


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## dw1305 (31 Jan 2018)

Hi all, 





Richelle Thomas said:


> and Flourish Advanced but I am also fighting hair algae


Looking at the images you I think have too much light intensity for your plant mass. You also look a bit deficient in macro-nutrients. I'd try adding some potassium nitrate (KNO3) or a <"complete fertiliser"> with some nitrogen.

Plants need <"all the essential nutrients">, but after carbon (C), they need about ten times more nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) than they do phosphorus (P), and about three times more phosphorus than magnesium (Mg) etc.

I <"use a floating plant">  (not carbon limited) to both diffuse the light and to indicate if there are any nutrient deficiencies.

cheers Darrel


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## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

Konsa said:


> Will be good idea to get yourself some floaters to help with the light dimming and to help with the initial balancing of the tank and suppression of algae.From what I see U have planted the anubias in the substrate


Thanks for the suggestions. The anubias is actually attached to a coconut shell, it's just covered everything but the rhizome. As for dimming my light could I just cover up some of the LED's?


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## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

dw1305 said:


> Looking at the images you I think have too much light intensity for your plant mass. You also look a bit deficient in macro-nutrients.


I am going to add fertilizer to my normal regament. Is there anything additional that fertilizer can't provide?


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## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

Thank you all for your help. This has been the best forum experience for me so far. You are all so willing to share information and knowledge. Much thanks 
Now I have some more questions 
To dim my lights can I cover some of the LED's? Also can I mix something into the Fluorite to make it better?


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## dw1305 (31 Jan 2018)

Hi all,





Richelle Thomas said:


> Also can I mix something into the Fluorite to make it better?


Not really, fluorite is fine, but so is sand. Calcined clay substrates, like fluorite, have a cation exchange capacity (CEC), the ability to exchange cations with the water column, but I'm not sure it makes a huge difference to plant growth 





Richelle Thomas said:


> Is there anything additional that fertilizer can't provide?


There is definitely evidence to suggest that having some dissolved tannic and humic substances helps with tank maintenance, and I would definitely include some <"structural leaf litter"> for shrimps. Have a look at <"all the the leaves are brown">.

In terms of different fertiliser brands, or ones that contain sea weed extract or a novel compound etc, not really, plants can only take up nutrients as ions from solution. This means that it doesn't matter where a (for example) potassium ion (K+) came from, every K+ ion is the same as every other K+ ion. 





Richelle Thomas said:


> To dim my lights can I cover some of the LED's?


 No idea with the dimming, your best bet is to search for the light unit and find if it can be dimmed electrically. 

Personally I don't worry too much about light intensity or duration (but nearly every-one else on this forum does). I have whatever lamp I have to hand (often grow-lamps), on a 12 hour day and then I let the plant mass grow until it has intercepted all the available light. If I have a bright light I just have a lot more floating plants and a bigger plant mass in total. 

I will feed the plants more, but it won't be a set amount, because I use  the duckweed index as an indicator of when to add nutrients. Have a look towards the end of <"page 1: High nitrate">.

cheers Darrel


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## Richelle Thomas (31 Jan 2018)

Ok. It looks like I have some research to do and changes to implement! I'll be back!! With an update and probably more questions 

Thank you everyone.


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## alto (31 Jan 2018)

alto said:


> I know they were testing a soil based product (sorry can't recall the trade name) but didn't notice it on their website




Seachem's soil came out under the AquaVitro line

aquasolum


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