50g High Light Low Tech Journal

[ChilliPepper]

I thought I'd start a little journal over here too, please go easy on me, I am still learning 8) I actually started this last week or so, so will recap.

Tank specs

190L/50g tank
Eheim 2217+
Koralia Nano 900 l p/h
(10 x turnover)
50% water change per week
2 x 39w T5's (5 hours a day approx, will be getting a timer)

Ferts

Flourish Excel (1 capful a day, 5 capfuls after water change)
Tetra Plant Root Tabs
EasyLife Profito (15ml weekly)
EasyLife EasyCarbo (when Flourish used up)

Plant Stocking

Vallisneria spiralis
Aponogeton boivinianus Bulb
Cryptocoryne wendtii Green
Cryptocoryne wendtii Brown
Cryptocoryne nevellii
Echinodorus parviflorus
Anubias nana on wood
Nymphaea Tiger Lotus Red

Fish Stocking

8 x Praecox Rainbowfish
7 x Lacustris Rainbowfish
1 x Keyhole
1 x Apistogramma Agassizi
1 x Laetacara Dorsigera
1 x Bolivian Ram
6 x Khuli loaches
2 x Panda corydoras
4 x Pgymy corydoras
1 x L075
1 X BN Plec
2 x Amano Shrimp

30th April

Anubias Nana on wood with Crypt Wendtii Green in background

Crypt Wendtii Brown

Cryptocoryne Nevellii

Echinodorus Parviflorus

Anubias Nana on wood, affected by BBA unfortunately, may have to give it a prune

Keyhole:

Full tank shot, bit shaky:

4th May

Please excuse the reflections, there is a window on the right and it's quite sunny today. Will probably take some more pics later, gone photo mad lately

Plants to add/on order

Hygrophila Rosae Australis, Juncus Repens, Phyllantus Fluitans, Aponogeton Ulvaceus Bulb and two small moss balls for my shrimps.

I am also going to get some more shrimps at the weekend, hopefully.

Comments welcome, but please be kind, I realise it's not up to the same standard as most of you but hope to learn from you 8)

 

[ChilliPepper]

The plan is to put the Aponogeton ulvaceus at the back right as it's a bit bare there. The Hygrophila Rosae Australis mid-right, and the Juncus Repens - not sure yet Moss balls at the front, and the floating plant; half in here and half in my Betta's tank. That will be me pretty much sorted now, and just got to see what grows well etc.

Oh the Nymphaea has been moved over to the right near the coconut shell as my plec kept shifting the sand around there

 

[bigmatt]

Can't see the pics as on rubbish work computer, but the first thing that strikes me is that you are putting a lot of light and not a lot of carbon into this tank, which is a rapid route to algae issues. As you'll probably know from reading the forum light is a powerful accelerator of growth, but only when the nutrient demands induced in the plant by the high lighting levels are met with suitably high nutrient and (especially) carbon. I'd give serious thought to pressurised CO2 or droppignsome of the bulbs out of your lighting. I've grown all of your plants under lower light conditions and they do fine with a lot fewer algae problems. If you want to stcik with hgh light you're REALLY going to be better off with pressurised CO2 as you'll burn through a whole load of (expensive) liquid carbon.
Hope this helps mate -i'll try and have a look at the pics when i can,
Matt

 

[sanj]

Hi, I was wondering what the substrate is that you are using? Is it unipac Limpopo sand?

 

[ChilliPepper]

Can't see the pics as on rubbish work computer, but the first thing that strikes me is that you are putting a lot of light and not a lot of carbon into this tank, which is a rapid route to algae issues. As you'll probably know from reading the forum light is a powerful accelerator of growth, but only when the nutrient demands induced in the plant by the high lighting levels are met with suitably high nutrient and (especially) carbon. I'd give serious thought to pressurised CO2 or droppignsome of the bulbs out of your lighting. I've grown all of your plants under lower light conditions and they do fine with a lot fewer algae problems. If you want to stcik with hgh light you're REALLY going to be better off with pressurised CO2 as you'll burn through a whole load of (expensive) liquid carbon.
Hope this helps mate -i'll try and have a look at the pics when i can,
Matt

Thanks, yeah I realise the potential problems I'll have. I have suffered algae before and it's horrible stuff. I am going to try going down this route one final time and be religious in my carbon and ferts dosing to see if I can keep it at bay. Otherwise I may have to give CO2 a try. I am a bit nervous using it to be honest, not sure why. The whole pressurised gas thing I reckon

Hope you can see my pics soon and give me some feedback

 

[ChilliPepper]

Hi, I was wondering what the substrate is that you are using? Is it unipac Limpopo sand?

No, it's a Roman Gravel sand 8)