SumoC
New Member
Hi folks,
Another cry for help I'm afraid. I've had this planted aquarium going for 18 months now but it's never really settled down, a couple of times I've thought it had but then it's just gone all wrong again a few weeks later. During it's time I've certainly had brown hair algae, BBA, cyanobacteria, green spot algae - right now I seem to be free of brown hair stuff and low on green spot but the others are having fun. I've messed about with just about everything (based on reading around the topic), but over the last couple of months I've gone back to 'the rules' and I'm still getting nowhere. So here I am laying it out before you for your help - please help me get my sanity back! I'm giving this one last shot before I go bogwood and blackwater....
Tank: 6ftx2ftx18" (appx 510 litres)
Filter: Eheim Pro 3 1200XL filter, two inlets at the same end of the aquarium, outlet through spray bar whole length of the aquarium, flow reaches front glass
Heater: Hydor inline heater, 28 degrees (this is nominally for discus, but they're all on holiday whilst I sort this lot out)
Substrate: ADA Amazonia (no other ADA additives)
Ferts: EI using aquariumplantfood.co.uk EI salts at their recommended doses (Macro - 4tsp nitrate, 1tsp phosphate, 6tsp sulphate per 500ml water, 100ml dosed every other day; Micro 1tsp chelated trace elements per 500ml water, 100ml dosed every other day). Dosed using a Jecod pump so no rest days
CO2: pressurised CO2 with in line atomiser from 1 hours before lights on to 1 hour before lights off, drop checker green
Lighting: 3x Kessil 160WE Tuna Sun, set at 13.00 5%; 14.00 100%; 20.00 100%; 21.00 5%; 21.10 off (so effective photoperiod 6 hours)
Stocking: 100 black neon tetra, 60(ish) amano shrimp, 40 nerite snails (previously 20 otos but they got a bit too nippy at the discus)
WCs: 50% weekly
Deep filter clean at first water change of the month
Photos: Taken this afternoon - sorry about the state of the glass! (enthusiasm has waned over the last few weeks but is ready to go again! (kept up WCs just not stringent algae removal, to be honest I was bored of that....))
I had a nice selection of plants in there a year or so back but with each algae I've removed the afflicted plants. I'm left with a good covering of sagittaria subulata (I let that go to try to outcompete the algae...no joy), a sprig of heteranthera zosterifolia, a few stems of hygrophila 53B in various stages of fight with algae, some java fern which is currently arguing with cyanobacteria and an occasional cryptocoryne leaf. I'd like to get back to a lower carpet (eleocharis acicularis mini or micranthemum monte carlo), and a nice variety of plants, just a nice aquascape really - this has eluded me completely since set up!
I'd really welcome your input, a step by step to get me on the straight and narrow would be brilliant. I'm happy to turn it into a weekly photo journal if you'd like to see it as we go.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul
Another cry for help I'm afraid. I've had this planted aquarium going for 18 months now but it's never really settled down, a couple of times I've thought it had but then it's just gone all wrong again a few weeks later. During it's time I've certainly had brown hair algae, BBA, cyanobacteria, green spot algae - right now I seem to be free of brown hair stuff and low on green spot but the others are having fun. I've messed about with just about everything (based on reading around the topic), but over the last couple of months I've gone back to 'the rules' and I'm still getting nowhere. So here I am laying it out before you for your help - please help me get my sanity back! I'm giving this one last shot before I go bogwood and blackwater....
Tank: 6ftx2ftx18" (appx 510 litres)
Filter: Eheim Pro 3 1200XL filter, two inlets at the same end of the aquarium, outlet through spray bar whole length of the aquarium, flow reaches front glass
Heater: Hydor inline heater, 28 degrees (this is nominally for discus, but they're all on holiday whilst I sort this lot out)
Substrate: ADA Amazonia (no other ADA additives)
Ferts: EI using aquariumplantfood.co.uk EI salts at their recommended doses (Macro - 4tsp nitrate, 1tsp phosphate, 6tsp sulphate per 500ml water, 100ml dosed every other day; Micro 1tsp chelated trace elements per 500ml water, 100ml dosed every other day). Dosed using a Jecod pump so no rest days
CO2: pressurised CO2 with in line atomiser from 1 hours before lights on to 1 hour before lights off, drop checker green
Lighting: 3x Kessil 160WE Tuna Sun, set at 13.00 5%; 14.00 100%; 20.00 100%; 21.00 5%; 21.10 off (so effective photoperiod 6 hours)
Stocking: 100 black neon tetra, 60(ish) amano shrimp, 40 nerite snails (previously 20 otos but they got a bit too nippy at the discus)
WCs: 50% weekly
Deep filter clean at first water change of the month
Photos: Taken this afternoon - sorry about the state of the glass! (enthusiasm has waned over the last few weeks but is ready to go again! (kept up WCs just not stringent algae removal, to be honest I was bored of that....))
I had a nice selection of plants in there a year or so back but with each algae I've removed the afflicted plants. I'm left with a good covering of sagittaria subulata (I let that go to try to outcompete the algae...no joy), a sprig of heteranthera zosterifolia, a few stems of hygrophila 53B in various stages of fight with algae, some java fern which is currently arguing with cyanobacteria and an occasional cryptocoryne leaf. I'd like to get back to a lower carpet (eleocharis acicularis mini or micranthemum monte carlo), and a nice variety of plants, just a nice aquascape really - this has eluded me completely since set up!
I'd really welcome your input, a step by step to get me on the straight and narrow would be brilliant. I'm happy to turn it into a weekly photo journal if you'd like to see it as we go.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul
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