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Chris Tinker

Chris Tinker

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Joined
25 Jun 2019
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231
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leeds
please see attached photos as this will best describe the problem.

i stripped back the plants 3 weeks ago as i was not using EI but some off the shelf product. the plants where pretty much all algae free, clean, roots trimmed, stems trimmed, more substrate added etc etc

regular weekly water change and EI in place. not missed a day.

co2 is inline injected. i have a good green on the checker. on for 1 hour before and off 30 minutes before lights turn off.

lights are 3 x 30w LEDS 5 hrs or 6 cant remember.

flow seems good over the plant area.

why is this so much harder than 5 years ago 20191003_222227.jpg 20191003_222217.jpg 20191003_222207.jpg 20191003_222253.jpg
 
Have you tried to do a pH profile? Do you get 1 unit drop in pH? How about the flow in the tank?

I would personally remove those plants and add more plants increasing the plant mass, and do pH profiles until you see 1 unit drop consistently. Maybe lower the light intensity for a while and ramp up once the tank settles in.
 
Hi all,
Zeus. said:
Fitting some sort of temporary filter below your DIY lights and/or raising them, the light filter will reduce the PAR getting to the plants
Click to expand...
I'd definitely add some floating plants to help diffuse the light. The BBA you have won't go on its own now, but it may lessen in growth rate once you get more plant biomass.

You also look to have some Stagshorn algae. We don't what causes it, but if you have tightly packed filter media? it can make things worse.

On the plus side if you look at the new leaves on the light green, faster growing plant (Heteranthera?) they look quite healthy.

cheers Darrel
 
A full tank pic and a plant list would be useful. From what I can see in the pics above you don't have a lot of fast-growing plants. Lots of light, EI ferts and injected CO2 are sure to make something grow rampant; if your plants aren't able to take advantage of it, opportunist algae will. A lot more fast-growing stem plants could help, (even just a big cheap bunch of elodea if the pond shops have got any left) as well as Darrel's suggestion of floating plants.
 
Hey Chris.

Chris Tinker said:
i stripped back the plants 3 weeks ago as i was not using EI but some off the shelf product.
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Unsure what you specifically mean by off the shelf product. Can you clarify? Which product? What dosage to what size tank?

Chris Tinker said:
more substrate added
Click to expand...

What substrate? Sand? Soil? Both?

Chris Tinker said:
lights are 3 x 30w LEDS 5 hrs or 6 cant remember.
Click to expand...

Any wiser what light you’re using?

Chris Tinker said:
flow seems good over the plant area.
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You appear to have very low plant mass so what qualifies as ‘good’? It’s hard to tell from your photo’s but there doesn’t appear to be much preventing water from circulating around the tank etc... A full tank shot would help a lot as others mention. It’s just that good is such a subjective term. Plants blowing around, swaying gently, barely moving? I’ve know folks to have the equivalent of hurricane force winds in terms of flow and describe this as good so it’s not being pedantic but just getting a grasp on what this means more specifically in context.

Chris Tinker said:
read this... so more water changes... and may be more co2....
Click to expand...

You haven’t sourced the issues. I guarantee the first customer to capitalise on Co2 fluctuating will be BBA. Figure the problem(s), develop a strategy, execute and see if it works. There are even caveats to water changes. Tap water contains a considerable amount of dissolved Co2, causing fluctuations that staghorn and BBA quite effectively utilise during the photo period before the plants have even woken up. Water changes before your Co2 comes on or after lights out may help at this point but not during the photo period.

Chris Tinker said:
maybe some easy carbo to kill whats in the tank
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Glutaraldehyde is a tool. It does more than just kill algae. For the sake of plants and livestock it’s a good idea to consider whether you want to use it long term. If you do there are understandings that will allow you to use it effectively.

As Darrel has said, new growth on certain plants looks good and healthy. This is promising. Keep trucking and turn it around. Answers to these questions helps narrow it down.
 
itsBobby said:
You have 90 Watts of LED lighting? My entire house has less with every single light on!
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Your have got more wattage over that tank than my car headlight have as standard, your issue is lighting way to much. Lift your lighting hood up if you are using one, if not reduce the wattage.
 
thanks for all the responses typically my mobile broke and got a new one ordered.

i will try to add and answer all.

https://cpc.farnell.com/v-tac/402-vt-30-b/floodlight-led-30w-6400k-black/dp/LA07365?CMP=TREML007-005

these are my lights.. at 300litre and 50cm depth this was what was worked out to be good amount of watts...

when you mean a filter? over the lights could you describe what? plastic sheet? clear ? clouded?

i added JBL Manado under my sand for nutrients and additional substrate to lift it a bit and bought some not so fine sand (10kg vanished quickly)

i have not done a ph profile other than the co2 art co2 checker which is green. doesnt really go blue when lights are off.. so i assumed ph is consistent... i was around 7.5ph before co2 injection so i know my base number.... tonight i can check

not many plants as i took a lot out due to not working.... with this algea i can cut some of the effective areas but it is getting every where....

some plants do shoot beautiful new leaves i just need to get to the point they dont get this bba on it.

the plants have a gentle sway... nothing crazy...

tank limits where i can out filter in and out lets and i cant lift the lid up for lights etc... cant remove lid as i have a 3 year old who despite being told still likes to throw things for her 8 month old brother....

i have a spray bar on back wall to spread out the flow but i can reduce this to inject more push...
 
as a side note last night i spent some time on maintenance... i am shamed to say both filters were really dirty.

neither are jam packed

eheim 2 pro 600ltr has 3 blue sponges 1 on each level and alfragog.

the eheim pro 4 300ltr is as standard... blue sponge on top.. black plastic... square things and then balls both which are a rough material.

both filters got a big clean with some tank water to squeeze the sponges nearlly clean and shake off the debris of all other media.

flow increased (not surprisingly)
 
TNC was the off the shelf product. looking at the ingredients to EI it is significantly less.
 
Hi all,
Chris Tinker said:
eheim 2 pro 600ltr has 3 blue sponges 1 on each level and alfragog. The eheim pro 4 300ltr is as standard... blue sponge on top.. black plastic... square things and then balls both which are a rough material. Both filters got a big clean with some tank water to squeeze the sponges nearlly clean and shake off the debris of all other media. flow increased (not surprisingly)
Click to expand...
You should be able to remove a bit of filter material. I'd take out any fine sponges and the square things (Eheim Mech Pro?), I like Alfagrog, <"Eheim "Coco-pops"> and coarser sponge in the filter.

I don't know if you can hide it in the tank, but I like a pre-filter on the intakes, either the <"Eheim one (effective but ugly)"> or a <"big sponge block">.
Chris Tinker said:
not many plants as i took a lot out due to not working...
Click to expand...
I'd definitely try some floaters, they shouldn't have an algae or light issue.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all, You should be able to remove a bit of filter material. I'd take out any fine sponges and the square things (Eheim Mech Pro?), I like Alfagrog, <"Eheim "Coco-pops"> and coarser sponge in the filter.

I don't know if you can hide it in the tank, but I like a pre-filter on the intakes, either the <"Eheim one (effective but ugly)"> or a <"big sponge block">. I'd definitely try some floaters, they shouldn't have an algae or light issue.

cheers Darrel
Click to expand...

no fine sponges just blue coarse

do you like that plastic black things? mech pro and square thing bio mech
 
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full tank shot..

i will look at getting floating plants... omw to the sale section lol
 
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