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Melting Monte Carlo..

AlexH

Member
Joined
3 Oct 2016
Messages
152
Location
United Kingdom
Hey Guys,

I went away this weekend, I've returned home to find my MC has begun to melt.

I've got 2x T5 37w Hi Lite Day Light tubes with reflectors, I have a Fluval 406 - but a pre-filter coarse sponge on the in-take and i have Co2 running for around 7 hours at around 1 BPS with lights on for 7 hours - CO2 starting first and lights an hour thereafter, with CO2 ending an hour earlier than the lights. I dose (Non EI) TNC complete - 18ml every week (although I've only just started this). They're planted in ADA AS.

They've taken a turn for the worst since I've added the pre-filter. I don't know if this is an issue of flow?

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[url=https://flic.kr/p/NC19Fs]30599834384_a16d0c2f0f_b.jpg

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PSzzRF]31421145485_3481990159_b.jpg

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PSzv9z]31421129645_5e20f77858_b.jpg

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PDNApd]31276569322_daac2269e0_b.jpg

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I'd hate for the MC to die to have to re-plant it all.

Many thanks
Alex
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I forgot to mention, the filter I'm running is a Fluval 406 - my tank is 180L.

I've got 3 trays of Biohome Ultimate - half full. I've got the bottom tray dedicated to three types of sponge foam - starting with the most coarse and finishing with the finer foam - and the in-take has a coarse spong as mentioned in my last post.

Many thanks
Alex
 
Give it time. My monte carlo and HC melted but then exploded in growth afterwards. Took a few months though for the carpet to form. But make sure you have sttong flow and stable c02 levels.

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1bps on a 180litre tank seems like a fairly low CO2 level to me - if you want to run this low, I'd run the CO2 24/7 ... my preference with tank start ups, especially with 1-2-Grow, note you also want to add low levels of a comprehensive fertilizer from day 2 or 3 (best dosed in small daily amounts) - I use Tropica of course ;) - change to DIY once plants are established if that's your preference

If you don't have shrimp in there to remove leaves as they begin to melt, I'd split up the MC clumps - that will definitely help with flow & CO2 delivery to each leaf
(yes I know there are plenty of setups done with 1-2-Grow MC & HC where larger clumps are planted without "melt" but that's not your current situation :) )

Why not use a shrimp guard rather than a cylindrical sponge "prefilter" :confused:
I believe Aquasabi has some options
(I just collect the shrimp out of the filter ;) they don't seem to mind (shipping from Aquasabi would cost me more than the guard :() ... if fish are getting jammed on the filter intake, either flow is too great for those fish or (more likely) they are feeling rather under the weather)

You can add in-tank power heads to increase flow of course, but very few of the plants we grow in aquaria are from riverine habitats - they need "good" flow rather than "lots" of flow.

1-2-Grow plants have fewer reserves than their more grown up potted plant versions, I find some begin growth within a few days, other species seem to focus on root development & are slower to begin showing obvious leaf growth - while they do need "support" early on, I don't feel they take significantly longer before beginning to form submerse leafs :)
 
Theres some great advice - thank you!

Ive increased thr BPS yesterday - im going to increase again today :)

Im adding TNC Complete once a week. But do you suggest dividing the doseage across a week?
 
So i came home and found all my fish and even shrimp at the top of the tank.. seems to be too much CO2

Ive had to reduce a little bit again... see how tomorrow goes. Ive performed a 35% WC and added 1/3rd of my weekly dose of TNC complete (6ml) - going to add a further dose on thursday and then saturday then Monday :)

Lets hope they stop melting... had some more floaters today from the MC!!

Whilst water changing ive cleaned my pre filter and media as well as sponges. Ive removed the layer of wool fibre as a fine filter - as its very restrictive on flow. hopefully itll assist.

Unfortunately, today i lost a shrimp and a rasbora :(
 
Sorry for your loss fella, it's trial and Error, it's just unfortunate that it's resulted in a losses :(

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