PeteA
Member
Hi All,
I've been suggested to come here and ask this question from the PFK forum - hope I've put it in the correct forum! I've a AquaStart 320T (37 litre) which has a collection of Amazon Sword, Indian Fern and Vallis Corkscrew. I've also got some Java Fern on a bamboo stick and a Moss Ball. Although the plants are doing OK they don't look particularly healthy and the Indian Fern is the only one that seems to be actively growing. The new shoots are nice and healthy, but the rest are browning. The Amazon Sword also has a number of very pale, almost transparent leaves now and the Java Fern looks like the ends of it is starting to brown. A couple of weeks ago I added in a diy CO2 setup which seems to have helped a little, but not much. It did however, have the positive effect of bringing my pH level down to 7.4 from 8.2.
Now having done a bit of reading it does sound like I should be adding some iron in the form of fertilisers into my tank for my plants and have just read the fluff that accompanies the Flourish Excel and am confused if I should continue with my diy CO2 setup and use Flourish Excel, or just use Flourish Excel on it's own or if there is a better way of doing this. I don't want to mess up my pH level now that I've got it nice and stable - despite the fact it's a baby tank, I'm using RO water as my tap water is naff, buffered to KH 6. All of the levels are pretty good (Ammonia & Nitrite is 0 and Nitrate is < 10). I do have some shrimp in the tank so am also consious that I don't want to add anything in that will affect them.
Thanks in advance
pete
I've been suggested to come here and ask this question from the PFK forum - hope I've put it in the correct forum! I've a AquaStart 320T (37 litre) which has a collection of Amazon Sword, Indian Fern and Vallis Corkscrew. I've also got some Java Fern on a bamboo stick and a Moss Ball. Although the plants are doing OK they don't look particularly healthy and the Indian Fern is the only one that seems to be actively growing. The new shoots are nice and healthy, but the rest are browning. The Amazon Sword also has a number of very pale, almost transparent leaves now and the Java Fern looks like the ends of it is starting to brown. A couple of weeks ago I added in a diy CO2 setup which seems to have helped a little, but not much. It did however, have the positive effect of bringing my pH level down to 7.4 from 8.2.
Now having done a bit of reading it does sound like I should be adding some iron in the form of fertilisers into my tank for my plants and have just read the fluff that accompanies the Flourish Excel and am confused if I should continue with my diy CO2 setup and use Flourish Excel, or just use Flourish Excel on it's own or if there is a better way of doing this. I don't want to mess up my pH level now that I've got it nice and stable - despite the fact it's a baby tank, I'm using RO water as my tap water is naff, buffered to KH 6. All of the levels are pretty good (Ammonia & Nitrite is 0 and Nitrate is < 10). I do have some shrimp in the tank so am also consious that I don't want to add anything in that will affect them.
Thanks in advance
pete