900mm Nature Return

[G H Nelson]

You're probably better with a Peace Lily; they're cheap and will remove nitrates, depending on how you want the nitrate removal plant to grow. Horizontal or vertical?

Due to Sagitaria melt I ended up pulling plant out

They can be tricky in softer water. They will do well in your tapwater, though!

 

[FishKeeper55]

You're probably better with a Peace Lily; they're cheap and will remove nitrates, depending on how you want the nitrate removal plant to grow. Horizontal or vertical?

They can be tricky in softer water. They will do well in your tapwater, though!

My plants choice wasn't the greatest but live and learn type of thing now.
Regards Nitrate Plant I'm not to bothered how it grows, I have space on right hand side of tank to grow vertically or will have to hang down a bit. Just need a plant that can pull them nitrates fairly quick.
Belive it or not my original idea for this tank was to go with different scape and have some plants at the back pulling nutrients out.

 

[Connswater]

normal melt

I think no one got back to you on this. Apologies if you have resolved things. Looks like ammonia melt to me, but high light might be to blame or a combination, if only "buses didn't come in twos", life would be simple. I'd throe in some floating plants for the initial running in stage, one pot of any floating plant should cover the surface in a week or two, keep thinning down to only 20% of the surface covered and in few months things should be stable. Many plants sold have been grown emerged, algae free, grown in humid CO2 enriched air, effectively terrestrially and super charged like tomato plants. They suffer melt in most new tanks, which is I suppose what you mean by normal melt. But crypts grown emerged if planted in a stable low Nitrate, no ammonia environment under sensible light levels rarely melt in my experience. Floating plants are not necessarily for everybody once a tank is mature but with Hornwort or Fogbit or Salvinia etc., the initial stages which can be brutal if the substrate is rich and the lights are intense, are literally softened by the light curtain of floating plants, and they suck up excess nutrients.

 

[FishKeeper55]

I think no one got back to you on this. Apologies if you have resolved things. Looks like ammonia melt to me, but high light might be to blame or a combination, if only "buses didn't come in twos", life would be simple. I'd throe in some floating plants for the initial running in stage, one pot of any floating plant should cover the surface in a week or two, keep thinning down to only 20% of the surface covered and in few months things should be stable. Many plants sold have been grown emerged, algae free, grown in humid CO2 enriched air, effectively terrestrially and super charged like tomato plants. They suffer melt in most new tanks, which is I suppose what you mean by normal melt. But crypts grown emerged if planted in a stable low Nitrate, no ammonia environment under sensible light levels rarely melt in my experience. Floating plants are not necessarily for everybody once a tank is mature but with Hornwort or Fogbit or Salvinia etc., the initial stages which can be brutal if the substrate is rich and the lights are intense, are literally softened by the light curtain of floating plants, and they suck up excess nutrients.

Thanks for getting back, I will be honest I just can't be dealing with floating plants. Will block skimmer on intake and will cause problems with filter sucking air ect. Don't want to be fixing one issue and creating my self another. I'm happy to turn lights down but I only keep at 55% anyway for 7h
What you saying regards ammonia melt you could be right. 99% of my plants come from tropica 1-2grow. At first everything was growing nicely, didn't dose to much ferts or anything, hardly and melt on any plants. Tank received big water changes in first weeks ect. Everything was looking OK until that root uplifted and had to disturb the soil. Since then sagitaria just melted and had to be removed, repens as you seen from picture day by day effected next plant and got to stage where I just trim the plant near base as it wasn't point keep pulling leaves out. Should grow back hopefully. Hair grass in places not looking so great but there is lot of new growth. So not sure if is just melting because usually melts then regrows or was caused by ammonia leaching. Pinnatafida has taken off sending shoots here there and everywhere but rotala not having great time right now.
I think I messed up after when root uplifted and just didn't go straight in to big water changes and tought it be fine. Tested few times now for ammonia and it shows 0 so at least it gets converted to Nitrate.
I could be wrong and be happy to admit in future but I think for now best would be something like piece lily or Pothos and big water changes until I can see nitrates stabilize. Most of what is happening is my own doing. First of all should have made sure that root is extremely solid like it is now and secondly after uplift treat it as new tank. Both of which I didn't do.

 

[G H Nelson]

Pothos will grow faster than a peace lily or a Monstera-type plant, and it will reduce the Nitrate level quicker!

 

[Connswater]

Pothos

It will grow with roots in water but I've found it takes weeks if not months to adapt to growing emerged, peace lilies are quicker to adapt. But terrestrial plants are not a quick fix, but they do work long-term, I set up a tank for my son in his primary classroom with "natural filtration", water adapted peace lilies and yes, Hornwort. I perfectly understand your reluctance to use floating plants, water changes are the way forward, don't overdo turning the lights down, light drives plant photosynthesis, without adequate light plants will wilt and fade and feed algae.

 

[woronov]

Looking for a plant that will absorb Nitrate, having hell of a time keeping it down right now.
Need something that won't clog skimmer part of intake and something that I don't have to stick in soil.
Last night done 70L water change, new water had Nitrate of about 5ppm. Checked tank this morning well I let you decide for your self from picture. Within 2-3 days it will be lot higher.
Going back to water changes every 2 days now until I can keep this down.

I come a cross plant called Pothos that I could just hang on side of tank for now do you think this will work? Or what else

 

[FishKeeper55]

Will take a look at that video later.

Do another water change this evening, get some Pothos and just keep checking every 24/48. I'm expecting them nitrates to keep raising for next few weeks so will keep doing water changes every 2 days until I notice things improving.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Will take a look at that video later.p

I really enjoyed it, but in my case he is 'preaching to the converted".

I'd guess the science will put some people off, but it gives an underpinning.

Cheers Darrel

 

[FishKeeper55]

Manage to find time this evening to get another water change, bit larger then normal so 90L drained, bear in mind I already changed 70L yesterday.
Pic of before and 2h after water change this evening. Need to get this under control for sake of stock.
To me looks like 10ppm Will recheck in 12h to see how much has increased

 

[megwattscreative]

Hiya, from experience a peace lily will root and grow incredibly quickly in water. Pothos will root and adapt, just takes a little more time. My suggestion is to whack both in. Emergent plant growth is a fantastic tool for nitrogen uptake and I credit i For ref, here's a pic of how big one of my peace lilys got in my low tech set up - this was approx 1.5 years of growth with low ferts and inert substrate. 6ft 2 partner included for scale:



And this was the second one growing alongside it, that reached equally gargantuan proportions:


They looked absolutely beautiful in the set up, and I wish I could've kept them, but my space didn't allow it. If you do want to remove them after the tank has settled in, chuck em in a chunky soil mix or leca and water with old tank water. Just be aware that if they reach the size pictured, removing them will have a huge impact on the nitrogen uptake of the tank. I hope this info is somewhat helpful!?

 

[FishKeeper55]

So, as expected after 12h, so to me it looks like 10ppm higher than last night. Won't be doing any water change tonight.
Retest tomorrow to check. Added Piece Lily as well to the tank

 

[FishKeeper55]

So lot has been happening over last 24h hours, after having conversation with "G H Nelson" and sending across few videos along with photos turns out I'm not only dealing with nitrate raise but also Periphyton. Which quite frankly is a bit of bummer, as most plants and rocks starting to look brownish.
I have added Piece Lily yesterday and today some floating plants and some floating stems, reduce light down to 45% and just praying this will resolve one day. Placed a DIY bar with teeth cutout so can still use skimmer part of the intake.

 

[G H Nelson]

I do like the bar, think you have come up with a DIY winner there!

 

[FishKeeper55]

I do like the bar, think you have come up with a DIY winner there!

Only downside is colour and depth. But L profile can be purchased in clear and different depth. Teeth cut out just use angle grinder.

 

[FishKeeper55]

This tank just not doing well for me been honest, little recap
Post 49 has root uplift that happen on 7th May
Everything was looking good till about 14th May, noticed Sagitaria Melting then on 18th pulled it out and spotted same issue with repens Post 55, overall tank didn't look to bad.

Since then everything just keeps going downhill, every stem, every floating root is turning brown that you can't wipe it off, there is new growth but everything under new tip just going brown. Not sure what is causing this issue.

I have been working on own ferts as I didn't want to does N, tank even bottom out on phosphate after 7h after dosing is just been challenge been honest and I'm out of ideas what to do next. Nitrates still reading in 20s.

Light has been turned down, filtration and water movement in tank is good. Co2 still green on lights on.

I have attached some pictures if anyone has ideas I am all ears, I do wonder if I won't be better off just cutting everything down. I even noticed melt on Limnobium.

 

[Connswater]

to does N, tank even bottom out on phosphate after 7h after dosing is just been challenge been honest and I'm out of ideas what to do next. Nitrates still reading in 20s.

Light has been turned down, filtration and water movement in tank is good. Co2 still green on lights on.

I have no magic answers.

I find Amazon Frogbit is really very Nitrate hungry, and partial to more Phosphate than is ideal, many floating plants are used in dealing with polluted water, in fact so polluted they can be harvested to improve water quality, fancy name, phytoremediation.

Light! If only we could agree here. I find rainbow lights a gimmick but others are convinced by them. Too much in duration is definitely not helpful, and most plants cope with short photoperiods (5-6 hours) of intense light if, if CO2 levels of around 10 ppm are maintained, water temperature isn't too high and the water is "clean" but not inadequate trace and macro elements are available.

Honestly, I find 10 ppm to 15 of CO2 maintained 24/7 works well for most plants. Levels of Nitrate that see Frogbit suffer are not detrimental to most stems. Even at less than 5 ppm of Nitrate in the water column most stems seem happy in bright light with CO2 around 10 ppm.

But our tanks vary, even mine vary. One is full of floating plants, one is full of stems recovering and looking great now I have removed floating plants. The former is medium light high nutrient, the latter, high light low water column nutrient.

 

[G H Nelson]

Hi mate
I would tweak the RO/Tapwater to (60 L RO + 10 L tap) and add 6.5 g of MgSO₄·7H₂O.
That brings magnesium up to about 10 ppm, which is where you want it for a stable 3:1 Ca: Mg ratio.
I know it's not far different from what you are doing, and I think it will help.

 

[G H Nelson]

With 60 L RO + 10 L tap, your water change only adds about 6 ppm nitrate from the tap.
If you want to sit around 10 to 15 ppm NO₃, just add 1.5–3 g KNO₃ after each water change.

 

[FishKeeper55]

[

I have no magic answers.

I find Amazon Frogbit is really very Nitrate hungry, and partial to more Phosphate than is ideal, many floating plants are used in dealing with polluted water, in fact so polluted they can be harvested to improve water quality, fancy name, phytoremediation.

Light! If only we could agree here. I find rainbow lights a gimmick but others are convinced by them. Too much in duration is definitely not helpful, and most plants cope with short photoperiods (5-6 hours) of intense light if, if CO2 levels of around 10 ppm are maintained, water temperature isn't too high and the water is "clean" but not inadequate trace and macro elements are available.

Honestly, I find 10 ppm to 15 of CO2 maintained 24/7 works well for most plants. Levels of Nitrate that see Frogbit suffer are not detrimental to most stems. Even at less than 5 ppm of Nitrate in the water column most stems seem happy in bright light with CO2 around 10 ppm.

But our tanks vary, even mine vary. One is full of floating plants, one is full of stems recovering and looking great now I have removed floating plants. The former is medium light high nutrient, the latter, high light low water column nutrient.

Apriciate your input and can agree no two tanks are the same but always nice to hear other people opinions.

I'm still trying to figure where all this Nitrate coming from for now, mind you lot more stable then it was week ago.