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Do water changes cause co2 fluctuation?

Yes growth has slowed down and some do look paler now that I look back at older photos.
You think iron deficiency?
 
There is quite a bit of algae on glass of tank, lily pies and thermometer :rolleyes: Tank needs a good clean IMO, Turkey blasting the substrate and then remove the worse affect leaves a few WCs Big ones then clean the filter media, your pH profile doesnt look too bad at all and flow seems good going of the bubbles swirling round

Your MC isnt looking very good under the carpet and the hair grass also has dead ends

upload_2019-12-1_17-31-13.png


Heres a pic of mine below carpet

upload_2019-12-1_17-32-36.png


and thats 50cm below water.

What ferts are you using ?

I would reduce light intensity and tank clean to reduce DOC

Block off the natural sunlight with bespoke shield
 
There is quite a bit of algae on glass of tank, lily pies and thermometer :rolleyes: Tank needs a good clean IMO, Turkey blasting the substrate and then remove the worse affect leaves a few WCs Big ones then clean the filter media, your pH profile doesnt look too bad at all and flow seems good going of the bubbles swirling round

Your MC isnt looking very good under the carpet and the hair grass also has dead ends

View attachment 129515

Heres a pic of mine below carpet

View attachment 129516

and thats 50cm below water.

What ferts are you using ?

I would reduce light intensity and tank clean to reduce DOC

Block off the natural sunlight with bespoke shield

Hi I know the tank looks bad and you might not believe me but it was no where near this a week ago, there was zero algae in tge lily pipes and the thermometer. I'm just back from a week away. I am using ei ferts that someone threw in when I bought a few bits second hand so I have no idea how old they are etc.
Yes the monte Carlo and hair grass has never looked so bad. Also deformed leafs on plants and crypts melting.
I have invested in a biomaster thermo and twinstar S and the tank is looking worse now!
Argh it's very annoying.
I would like to get my ph drop done before lights on but I'm at my limit with my fish.
 
All it takes is for the tank to get direct sunlight for a few hours for a few days, which can happen very easy at this time of the year as sun doesnt get very high.
If the CO2 is off when the sun hits the tank........
I believe you but think you would benefit from a sheild esp when going away ;)
 
Hi I know the tank looks bad and you might not believe me but it was no where near this a week ago, there was zero algae in tge lily pipes and the thermometer. I'm just back from a week away. I am using ei ferts that someone threw in when I bought a few bits second hand so I have no idea how old they are etc.
Yes the monte Carlo and hair grass has never looked so bad. Also deformed leafs on plants and crypts melting.
I have invested in a biomaster thermo and twinstar S and the tank is looking worse now!
Argh it's very annoying.
I would like to get my ph drop done before lights on but I'm at my limit with my fish.
Have u added ferts already?Clean, and add ferts. Also rmb yr water changes and there might be too much P left hence the algae.
 
I think that if a system is well balanced it shouldn't really make a difference when you do the weekly water change. Whether the tank is low or high energy shouldn't make a difference either.
Looking at your plants, if it were my tank I'd be looking at the CO2 flow and distribution a bit more closely, and ensuring it was on point.

I might also be tempted to increase the fertz dosing as well. I wouldn't complicate matters trying to guess which fert is deficient, I never do, I just up the dose of the lot, it's far easier and simpler, it's what EI was designed for. That is assuming your fertz are okay, but since you didn't mix them you will never know for sure. Maybe it'd be an idea to bin them and mix your own.
 
As just a hobbyist (but learned about)that's what I do increase fertiliser rather than dwell on what's going on too much. Fertiliser to suit as well at the moment it's the EA The aquascaper, any of the family can dose this simply if l am not about. Having soft water GH booster on WC days.
 
I think that if a system is well balanced it shouldn't really make a difference when you do the weekly water change. Whether the tank is low or high energy shouldn't make a difference either.
Looking at your plants, if it were my tank I'd be looking at the CO2 flow and distribution a bit more closely, and ensuring it was on point.

I might also be tempted to increase the fertz dosing as well. I wouldn't complicate matters trying to guess which fert is deficient, I never do, I just up the dose of the lot, it's far easier and simpler, it's what EI was designed for. That is assuming your fertz are okay, but since you didn't mix them you will never know for sure. Maybe it'd be an idea to bin them and mix your own.
Agreed some salts are better in terms of solubility etc.Might wanna make yr own one but since the algae issue only popped up a week ago while you went away it appears the plants may have depleted the ferts and the leftover ferts would have contributed to algae.
 
I think that if a system is well balanced it shouldn't really make a difference when you do the weekly water change.

Yes 100% agree hence AG and GA get away with it :thumbup: But without experience how you dont know if it well balanced :angelic:. I always plan my WC around non CO2 times.
 
Haha, good point ;) But to put it a another way, I doubt that when water changes are made makes much of a difference either way.
And if a planted tank is experiencing problems it's probably something else that's the root cause.
In this case probably CO2 flow and distribution and maybe fertz deficiency :)

I always plan my WC around non CO2 times.
Despite what I wrote above, so do I. It just makes sense not to waste CO2 if you can help it.
 
Hi all,
I am using ei ferts that someone threw in when I bought a few bits second hand so I have no idea how old they are etc.
You don't need to worry, it won't make any difference for dry salts like KNO3 and MgSO4.7H2O, they don't have a sell by date, and are basically good <"for all of eternity">.
some do look paler now that I look back at older photos.
You think iron deficiency?
It could be, if the new leaves look small and pale? then it is likely to be iron deficiency. Iron is different from most other nutrients because it isn't mobile within the plant so deficiencies show up in new, rather than old, leaves.

It looks like Rotala spp. are fairly good <"canaries"> for iron deficiencies.
I wouldn't complicate matters trying to guess which fert is deficient, I never do, I just up the dose of the lot, it's far easier and simpler, it's what EI was designed for.
Sound advice.

cheers Darrel
 
I think that if a system is well balanced it shouldn't really make a difference when you do the weekly water change. Whether the tank is low or high energy shouldn't make a difference either.
Looking at your plants, if it were my tank I'd be looking at the CO2 flow and distribution a bit more closely, and ensuring it was on point.

I might also be tempted to increase the fertz dosing as well. I wouldn't complicate matters trying to guess which fert is deficient, I never do, I just up the dose of the lot, it's far easier and simpler, it's what EI was designed for. That is assuming your fertz are okay, but since you didn't mix them you will never know for sure. Maybe it'd be an idea to bin them and mix your own.

I have a co2 art inline diffuser on the way. I had someone fertilizing whole I was away, I think it has gotten worse since I got a new co2 reg. The old one would never turn completely off, when co2 was off it would still let through a bubble every 7 or 8 seconds. I just got the individual bags of ei, I have mixed myself. I think I am over thinking with the ferts being old etc.
 
It has always been planted that way, so I just follow the guide of 10ml per 50litres.
Do u have a drop checker to calculate how much co2 u have?If yr plant mass has increased it would be sensible to inject more co2 as well as dose more ferts?
 
Do u have a drop checker to calculate how much co2 u have?If yr plant mass has increased it would be sensible to inject more co2 as well as dose more ferts?

Yes the drop checker is lime green, any more co2 and my fish start to gasp, I'm on the limit.
 
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