Started working on the new micro mix n stuff yesterday and got it all finished up this afternoon
Im aware I said like two days ago I shouldnt spend my energy on micros at the moment, but to my credit I did get the CO2 spray bar installed first at least 😅
I just overestimated my patience (as usual) and how long I could continue to live with the pink water look.
My autodoser has 4 channels and I have only been using 2, one for macro and one for micro.
I have set up lines on the 2 remaining pumps, so now I can adjust Fe and Mn separately from the rest of the traces for a while, until I figure out what my tank likes.
This took a bit of work, but will save work in the long run when I can adjust it without making new micros from scratch.
I only made enough for 30 days this time around, usually I make for ~60 days but I wanted to cut down on wasted ferts.
The channels now go Macro, Micro(Zn,B,Cu,Mo,Ni), Fe, and Mn.
The total levels are the same for now, but the 0,3 ppm iron that has previously been 0,275 DTPA and 0,025 EDDHA is now 0,15 DTPA and 0,15 Gluconate.
Totals per week for future reference:
0,3 Fe (Total)
0,15 Fe DTPA
0,15 Fe Gluconate (Seachem Iron)
---
0,05 Mn EDTA
---
0,02 Zn EDTA
0,02 B
0,006 Cu EDTA
0,009 Mo
0,0001 Ni
PH stuff:
Time | PH | Notes |
06 00 | | CO2 on (4 hour ramp) |
09 00 | 6,44 | |
09 30 | 6,40 | Might be able to shave 30min off CO2 ramp |
10 00 | 6,39 | Lights on full |
10 30 | 6,39 | |
11 00 | 6,38 | |
11 30 | 6,37 | |
12 00 | 6,37 | |
12 30 | 6,37 | |
13 00 | 6,37 | |
14 00 | 6,37 | |
15 00 | 6,37 | |
16 00 | 6,39 | Lid had been off for pictures |
17 00 | 6,39 | Residual effect of lid removal? |
18 00 | 6,37 | |
19 00 | 6,35 | CO2 off |
| | |
Offgassed PH | 7,71 | |
Total drop | 1,34 | |
Happy with this profile
The tank is a bit cloudy today because last night I dosed the second treatment of Genchem "No Planaria".
I havent seen any parasites since the first treatment two weeks ago which is technically a positive sign, im just too jaded to get optimistic about the situation at this point.
I hope they are all finally dead though, and I wont have killed all my beautiful Thiara sand snails for nothing 💔
My plan is to do a third treatment even though two treatments are said to be enough to kill Scutariella.
I want to do this very thoroughly because I do genuinely think I will end up culling the entire shrimp population if the parasite shows up another time. And then run the tank for several months with absolutely no shrimp in it.
I dont think I posted a follow up on
@Wookii 's query on how the Caridina shrimp are doing, shortly after we discussed it last I concluded that there was only two of them left, one male and one female carrying eggs.
The female has released her eggs one more time now I think, but it seems like the shrimplets do not survive. This morning I found the male dead ☹️
I think the medication just pushed him over the edge poor fellow. If it wasnt all my other messing around that did it, I think a KH of ~3 and GH of ~7 is just too much outside their preferred parameters.
Fancy Caridina are not exactly the most robust creatures. If I do end up with lower KH in my tank at some point I will give Caridina another try then.
Plant health pictures since I have changed micro a bit, need reference pictures of course:
If possible I would like to see the newest leaves be roughly the same color as the older leaves.
Bacopa c. Colorata finally got a speck of algae on it
Im wondering if it might be a bit paler than it needs to be, it doesnt complain sure but I wouldnt be surprised if if the color got a little bit more saturated eventually.
How green vs pink it is seems to be mainly or only determined by light. If it ends up not turning quite as pink as I would like under the Fluval 3.0 lights running 100% then I will likely remove it from the tank for a period of time.
I have it growing emersed in the kitchen as well, so I could put it back in the tank when I eventually upgrade the lights and maybe get more space.
Marilia doing fine as usual, it sheds some old leaves still but we will see if I ever work out what causes this. CO2 problems are probably not helping the matter.
This plant actually shows hooking of the ends of the leaf. Its just not something thats easy to notice because the leaves are so round. I should pay attention and see if it ever stops doing that.
Assortment of test subjects. Pantanal offshoot alive but angry, business as usual in other words. Rotala OJ stunted in all but one dominant shoot. Rotala mac Mini 4 pale and crying about instability. Ludwigia polycarpa thought about stunting last week but then decided to keep going because its not that kind of plant. To the right, Myriophyllum sp. Guyana is blissfully unaware there ever was a problem with anything.
Glandulosa properly angry. If the tip doesnt resume on its own soon I will have to pinch off the top and try to force a sideshoot, because I cant see the plant making any sideshoots on its own so far. Hope it doesnt die, dont have a backup of this one.
Tonina for reference, as expected.
Pogostemon helferi
"Snow White" "Ivory Allure"
This plant is definitely taking the chlorosis hardest, and it has barely grown lately.
Hoping to see improvement in this one soon. There is a little speck of green in the center, I could have sworn that wasnt there two days ago.
Yesterday the tank ran on just freshly changed water and a slosh of Seachem Iron (Fe Gluconate).
Rotala Blood Red SG, I pinched off the shoots that were doing the best and replanted them, hoping to squeeze out a few more viable stems from the crumply bits left behind.
Could look a lot better than this of course. In the center some outrageously expensive BG 2011/12 covered in BBA. What is that saying again, "Pearls before swine" ?
Oh and I figured out what is causing the high pitched sound. It wasnt the CO2 system, its the transformer / electrical doodad blob for one of the lights 😬
Not super thrilled about that, I would prefer not burning to death in my sleep or something like that.
Have contacted Fluval and hope to hear from them soon ☠️
