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180L Jewel Rio - First time with plants

Unfortunately, the Multilux tubes (that come standard with Juwel tank kits these days) are not dimmable without modification by someone with the required electronics chops. The Day+Night controller only works with the Helialux LED bar, which isn't cheap.
Yeah they are super expensive for me at the moment bah But I have a friend who is an electrician and he doesn't the electrics in one of the bars I work so I will ask him if he can do something tricks and make it dimmable and maybe he can build a controller - he did for the bar lights.
 
So, yesterday I did my 30% WC. Added the Liquid CO2, Seachem Flourish, Fluver water conditioner, Fluvel bacteria and another piece from the old tank filter. Trimmed some plants as well.

- I have ordered the EI kit but should only arrive tomorrow.

Today, once I arrived home I saw some brown hairy stuff on one of my rocks, which I believe it might be algae. Should I just remove with my hands? What do you think might have the problem?
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Today, once I arrived home I saw some brown hairy stuff on one of my rocks, which I believe it might be algae. Should I just remove with my hands? What do you think might have the problem?
Some form of algae, due to too much light for your CO2 levels and fertiliser levels. Reduce lighting intensity.

Remove by brushing or spot dosing with light carbon from a dropper/syringe and reduce light levels until tank has settled in.

Might be diatoms (a brown dust), symptomatic of a new tank again with too much light. Can be brushed/washed off it diatoms. Will naturally die away.
 
So yesterday I got home from work and had more of the hairy brown stuff. Brushes away my stones and with my hand I took the ones on my plants.

After the “cleaning” there was a lot of kinda dust on the tank but it settled after few minutes.

Add my LC and my lights are both covered with ring foil - 2/4. My friend will come on the weekend to make them dimmable :) hehe

Now...I tested my yesterday and today and my ammonia and nitrite were 0 and nitrate 20/30 - API 5-in-1 test.

Is this good for me to start putting shrimps in? This way they can start dealing with some future algae.

Today I’ll do 30% WC and add LC with Seachem flourish.

Think EI kit should arrive today or tomorrow.
 
So I got 6 amando shrimps yesterday. Put the bag in the water and left it on the surface while I was changing the water.

Once I refilled the tank put the water conditioner and waited 15m until the water is safe and started putting a bit of water in the bag every 15m x3 and released the shrimps.

Was amazing to see them running around and eating my ugly algae hehehe:clap::thumbup:

This morning, when I woke up the algae was go e - for my surprise - and my rocks and plants were more alive BUT some of my leafs are “gone”

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Is it normal for the shrimps to eat the leafs? Won’t they destroy some plants? - just worried hehe :D
 
Hi
Amanos are a different kind of beast compared to other shrimps especially when fully grown.They need regular feeding or they build a habit eating plants if starved enough.I had a go in one 22l tank with some diatoms in it after about a week the one shrimp that was in it ate my Lobelia mini to the bone (only stalks left )overnight while not touching anything else.
On other hand is possible that the leaves were unhealthy and they just cleaned them for U.
Regards Konsa
 
Hi
Amanos are a different kind of beast compared to other shrimps especially when fully grown.They need regular feeding or they build a habit eating plants if starved enough.
Oooooh....didn’t think they were that beast haha
On other hand is possible that the leaves were unhealthy and they just cleaned them for U
Well they did ate some unhealthy leaves hehe....so should I buy any food for them, just in case? I really don’t want to lose plants :/
 
Hi
They not really that bad.lol
No need to fear for plant losses.
They are great addition to any aquarium and their destructive side is sth that appears very rarely and is more related to a specific individuals.Having said that very often they along with Ottos and other shrimps are mistreated and not provided with what they need especially if added to a new setup with low biofilm build up.As they are living creatures its not right.Yes get some food in and feed the buggers once or twice a week.
Regards Konsa
 
Ok so I just got my EI kit but, I’m still confused on the measurements.
This is what I read in the forum
“NPK (Nitrogen + Phosphorus + Potassium) Mixture for 20 Gallon Tank
1 month = 4 Weeks
3 doses of NPK per week
Therefore there are 12 doses of NPK per month
Multiply a single dose teaspoon value by 12 => [3/16 tsp KNO3]*12 = 2 ¼ tsp KNO3
[1/16 tsp KH2PO4]*12 = ¾ tsp KH2PO4
[1/2 tsp MgSO4]*12 = 6 tsp MgSO4
Add these to 600ml of tap or distilled water”

As my tank is a 47.551 US Gallon, should I multiply all those doses in the bottle?
 
Well they did ate some unhealthy leaves hehe....so should I buy any food for them, just in case? I really don’t want to lose plants :/

That's what (all) shrimp (& many snails) excel at - tidying the plants & removing the damaged leaves that will melt & contribute unwanted organic melange to our tanks ;)

As long as there's visible plant debris, I'd not feed the shrimps additionally, or perhaps 1-2 times a week - Amano shrimp love frozen bloodworms :D
Mature Amano shrimp can be quite determined fish food consumers & completely shirk their plant tending duties

It's not unusual for shrimp to arrive rather hungry, they often slow down after a couple weeks
They can decimate certain "tender" plants but 6 Amano are unlikely to devastate your tank without advance notice :shifty:
 
Very true! I can’t have low tech with gas CO2 right? Hehe

I don't see why not... It's actually slightly easier than "high tech all the way" imho.
You'll have lots of the benefits of CO2 but less of the risks that come with high speed growing conditions.
Plants will always appreciate/benefit from having access to CO2, even when lights (and/or ferts) are rather low....

Things will still go (grow) slower when lightlevels are low (and real high demanding plants will struggle so plantselection is important).
But the overall quality of the plants/plantgrowth will be good (or possibly better?) with CO2 available.
I have a few low tech tanks and i add gass in some of those.
In the (low light) tanks with CO2 (it looks like) i get better, stronger growth (and more intense green colors) in slow plants like Anubias, java fern and Bucephalandra.
Mosses (like fissidens fontanus, willow moss) really seem to benefit quite a lot from the gas. I see faster, more dense growth and brighter green colors, even in very low light conditions they seem to thrive better (and look more robust) in the "gas-tanks".

An other advantage is that you will get away with lower CO2 levels (in low tech tanks) so it's a bit easier to reach the concentration you aim for and to keep it steady. With a 2KH water mixture (instead of 4KH) in the drop checker you steer to lower levels (20ppm instead of 30ppm).
Slower growth, less maintenance/pruning and algaecontrol feels to be easier because when things go wrong they don't go completely south overnight. ;)
When (or better 'if') algea (somehow would) appear in such a tank it will happen slower so you'll have more time to react/make adjustments before it gets way out of hand...

All this feeds my believe that adding gas is possible (and can be advantageous) for both low and hightech setups.
Except the higher costs i don't see real disadvantages (for the plants/fish) in adding gas to any planted tank (fast or slow) as long as you adjust the CO2-levels to the specific setup/plants.
Low tech tanks with gas are (ime) definitely easier to control and to keep steady than full blown high tech setups (which can be quite unforgiving for mistakes)

But again:
That is just my opinion, maybe there is a flaw (or flaws) in my theory or i might have missed/forgot something... :rolleyes:
In that case i'm sure someone will tell me off whilst correcting any mistakes that might have slipped in my (bold or dodgy) statements... ;):oops:

Edit: or maybe the definition of low tech implies the absence of pressurized co2 addition perse?
I don't know if there is something between low and hightech actually? When does a tank stop being lowtech one might ask... :D
 
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As long as there's visible plant debris, I'd not feed the shrimps additionally, or perhaps 1-2 times a week - Amano shrimp love frozen bloodworms :D
Mature Amano shrimp can be quite determined fish food consumers & completely shirk their plant tending duties
Whenever I feed my fishes, they will definitely grab some fish food, I assume that is ok?
It's not unusual for shrimp to arrive rather hungry, they often slow down after a couple weeks
They can decimate certain "tender" plants but 6 Amano are unlikely to devastate your tank without advance notice :shifty:

Should I be worried? It is strange because the only ate these plants. Oh and one leaf from my Vall as it was unhealthy. If I take out the eaten leaves, will it grow back to normal?
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Also, Would you agree with my EI measures above? Want to give some nutrientss to my plants today :)
 
All this feeds my believe that adding gas is possible (and can be advantageous) for both low and hightech setups.
Except the higher costs i don't see real disadvantages (for the plants/fish) in adding gas to any planted tank (fast or slow) as long as you adjust the CO2-levels to the specific setup/plants.
Low tech tanks with gas are (ime) definitely easier to control and to keep steady than full blown high tech setups (which can be quite unforgiving for mistakes)
Yeah I prefer low tech for now for those reasons - easier. As I am a beginner I don't want to start high tech and do something wrong because it would be more difficult to deal with it after haha:p
I am not bothered with plants growing slow, as long they grow healthy. I know that some plants would benefit from the pressurized CO2 and colours would be more vibrant so if I can have CO2 and be (100% :D) low tech, then I can get it later on hehe

Edit: or maybe the definition of low tech implies the absence of pressurized co2 addition perse?
I don't know if there is something between low and hightech actually? When does a tank stop being lowtech one might ask... :D
I think I read something about Hybrid, don't know if this is the in between or not though
 
they will definitely grab some fish food, I assume that is ok?
:p you'll certainly not be able to stop them - I just make sure they can't get entire wafers by breaking up larger foods
Not sure if Sera still does the food wafers that you can stick to glass (& they remain there) while fish eat away at them


Looks like some sort of Ludwigia stem plant, hopefully the plant will be forming roots & can regrow the leafs - as long as the stem remains "firm" rather than soft & melty, it should be fine (make sure it's not too shaded by the sword leaves)
It does look as if the shrimp ate both the older submerse leaves (that will die back anyway) & new growth

The Vallisneria should regrow fairly quickly (though some species are more particular), you can trim or just allow shrimp to tidy the damaged leafs - note that once cut, most Vallisneria leafs will slowly die back - which is not really noticeable once plant is established & actively growing


I don't subscribe to EI dosing so won't comment on that :)
 
Looks like some sort of Ludwigia stem plant, hopefully the plant will be forming roots & can regrow the leafs - as long as the stem remains "firm" rather than soft & melty, it should be fine (make sure it's not too shaded by the sword leaves)
It does look as if the shrimp ate both the older submerse leaves (that will die back anyway) & new growth

The Vallisneria should regrow fairly quickly (though some species are more particular), you can trim or just allow shrimp to tidy the damaged leafs - note that once cut, most Vallisneria leafs will slowly die back - which is not really noticeable once plant is established & actively growing

Yeah stems are good and not damaged - happy for that haha. I did WC today - will do weekly only from now - and took some bits from the plants, bits I know they wont eat.

What is good, is that they are not on the plants now, only on the substract :clap::thumbup:
 
Yesterday I wanted to come but unfortunately had no time.

Since yesterday, my plants seem a bit strange, some leafs getting white for example. I think it was because I didn't put nutrients for almost a week (waiting for my EI starter kit) yet, since monday I have started with EI. Monday/Wednesday/Friday - Macro 10ml & Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Micro - Sunday I will do water change.

I wonder if it was for the lack of nutrients or not. What do you guys think, by looking at pictures, it could have be the problem?
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Also, I think this is a baby snail no? If so, I got free snails without knowing hahaha
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This weekend I want to get more flowers for the tank and maybe add one or two dragon stones. If I move few plants around, would that be a problem?

Thank you :D
 
So today I got home to see some brown algae on my valls. I’ve reduced the photocintece to 4h from 6h just in case.

Do you guys know if it is the lights? I have mine covered with foil. 1/3 is covered.

Oh and my Amanos are a bit brown, is this normal? Guess so cuz they are a bit teansparent... :pHaha

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Hiya

You're subscribing to ian_m's planted tank methodology rather than mine, so not that keen on sticking my oar in ;)

I don't believe that the Juwel multilux LED need to be dimmed on this tank - the 50cm water column depth has already reduced substrate PAR to low to moderate levels
(look online at Tropica Inspiration page Juwel tanks, at professional aquascaper tanks (Jurijs mit JS, George Farmer, Filipe Oliveira ... with & without CO2) - sufficient light is an important aspect of leaf structure/health)

Algae is a component of planted tanks - it fares remarkably well in excessive light, moderate light, dim light - to me, limiting algae is about tank balance & maintenance rather than strongly limiting a single factor (eg, light)

What you're seeing is fairly typical - most aquarium plants are cultured emerse (think wet feet (fertilizer enriched), humid air, lots of light, CO2 ...), this gives them lots of stored energy for the transition to aquatic conditions (whatever they may be in an individual tank)
As plants establish, often first sign is root growth (why media such as Aquarium Soil with easily accessible (bioavailable) nutrients is helpful), followed by the development of new immerse (underwater) leaf structures - these are often thin & soft relative to emerse culture, also different shape
This new immerse leaf is now able to (readily) uptake water column nutrients, scavenge the low levels of CO2 & light

Some plants begin to adapt leaf structure almost immediately, other plants, more slowly

The breaking down (old emerse) leaf structure is a nice base for algae - some deeply attached into leaf structure (shrimp, snail etc crew will consume this algae while it's young/delectable/soft :p), some just sitting atop leaf structure (easily rubbed off)

Of course algae will also try for new immerse leafs as well - a healthy new leaf tends to be more resistant to algae attack than the old emerse leafs - this is the aquarist job, supplying sufficient light, CO2, nutrients

Here again, I differ with ian_m, I'm a limited nutrient person - excess nutrient molecules can inhibit enzymes, block transport mechanisms, etc
Most natural waters that aquatic plants are sourced from are relatively nutrient scant (vs dense), so water column fertilizers should be sufficient rather than excessive

Daily water changes can help with minimizing algae (mechanical removal of "spores" at the least)
Physical removal of visible algae
Physical removal of plant breakdown materials

Soft brown algae that "rubs" off is usually diatoms - this is typical in tank startups, Otocinclus are the most effective diatom control

CO2 - gas - are you still planning this? I usually add this at the beginning to help establish plants, even if I'm intending to run non-CO2 enriched later, often tap water is a decent source of dissolved CO2 (relative to tap water that has been standing/water in tank) so again daily water changes can assist plant growth

Liquid Carbon - this can be utilized efficiently by some plants, less so by others; it has a definite algicide/algistat effect so it's often useful to add daily

You can also add carbonated water (look for low sodium) as a CO2 source - add daily; again this should be done with daily water changes to avoid buildup of other sparkling water components (most often sodium)
(Mick.Dk provided a dose somewhere)

Fertilizers - as you might guess, I prefer to add small daily amounts rather than dumping in a weekly dose (especially in a beginning tank)

What's your algae crew? How many?
Are you seeing new growth on the carpet (Monte Carlo?)? Other plants?
 
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