First time - Does my C02 level look right?

[jonfromscotland]

Hello,

This is my first tank with C02 and so far it is 2 months old. I have some algae issues and so turned my lights down to 4/7 which is about 60PAR at the substrate. Im trying to get optimal C02 but it appears to be a bit of an art form. I gave up counting bubbles and let the water evapurate from that. Does below look normal? To me it seems like it is potentially inconsistent and slow to saturate. My fish seem totally fine btw with no change of behavour throughout the day.

Note readings are with a digital meter for PH and API test kit for KH.

7:00: ph6.9 / KH4 - C02 ON - (i think it used to be 7 before i increased injection to 6>8 hours. Appears effect not wore off from previous?)
8:00: ph6.6 - med green - LIGHTS ON
9:00: ph6.5 - med green
10:00 ph6.4 - med-light green
11:00 ph6.3 - lime green
12:00 ph6.3 - lime green
13:00 ph6.3 - lime green, nearly yellow
14:00 ph6.3 - lime green, nearly yellow
15:00 ph6.2/ KH4 - lime green, nearly yellow - C02 OFF .....
16:00 LIGHTS OFF

Equipment
oase scaperline 75l rimless with matching cabinet
Oase 350 biomaster (quite overfiltered)
Glass lilly pipes pointing slighty upwards, creating good agitation
Full strideways pressurized c02 system
C02art inline diffuser
Twinstar S light (new model)
Tropica substrate
8 ember tetras, 4 galaxy rasporas, 8 pygmy cory

Routine & levels
Light 8 hours a day 4/7 settings 60PAR reasing at substrate
C02 comes on 1 hour before light son/off 1 hour before lights out
TNC complete weekly dosing of 7ml
weekly water change of about 40% at which point nitrates are 10-20
Flourish excel currently dosing 2ml per day and 5 ml on water change
A number of bladder snails that were not invited but their shells turn pale quite quickly

 

[Scaperinc]

That looks like diatoms to me , if it is it will pass just do an extra wc per week , you can turn co2 on maybe 1.5 hours before and see if you get one d ph drop.

Do you have any clean up crew ammano/ ottos?

 

[Aqua Hero]

Honestly I kinda stopped looking at my drop checker these days and just Monitor the growth rate and health (leaf structure) of the plants to know if I have optimal co2 levels.

If after a week I'm seeing new bright green growth from certain plants with no visible algae then I know im good.

What algae are you dealing with? If it's brown algae then I wouldn't worry about co2 levels. If it's green algae or black alages then I would be concerned

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

 

[jonfromscotland]

Honestly I kinda stopped looking at my drop checker these days and just Monitor the growth rate and health (leaf structure) of the plants to know if I have optimal co2 levels.

If after a week I'm seeing new bright green growth from certain plants with no visible algae then I know im good.

What algae are you dealing with? If it's brown algae then I wouldn't worry about co2 levels. If it's green algae or black alages then I would be concerned

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

Well, The hairgrass is my biggest concern. On the right and far left its worked really well in the most part. It rooted very early and spread. There is a little green stuff clinging to one small patch.

However, on middle strip its had a lot of hair/cobweb like algae. This same algae has appeared on teh wood and stems as well. Its a type that comes off very easy though. Mostly doesnt cling.

There is another hairy algae which is green/brown and clings to the stems and crypts. Ive been removing quite a few leaves here.

Finally, there is the usual glass clinging green algae.

So, i reduced my lights, upped my c02, dosing excel, manual clean, bigger water changes. It seems to have improved already.

However, i dont really know how to know C02 is good or not. Its yellow by end of day but not a full ph drop. Fish seem fine but plants not pearling or anything. Before bubble counter evaporated it was quite a lot more than people recommend. I stuggled to count though so gave up.

 

[jonfromscotland]

That looks like diatoms to me , if it is it will pass just do an extra wc per week , you can turn co2 on maybe 1.5 hours before and see if you get one d ph drop.

Do you have any clean up crew ammano/ ottos?

No clean up crew yet. Was going to get ammanos last week but they didnt have any. THe bladder snails that invaded are going very pale from the acidity.

 

[Scaperinc]

Hair grass is problematic, I have taken it all out and replaced with cuba and mc.

HG needs a trim so just trim it very low do water changes and dose all in one fertz

 

[jonfromscotland]

Hair grass is problematic, I have taken it all out and replaced with cuba and mc.

HG needs a trim so just trim it very low do water changes and dose all in one fertz

Yes and i am using the "mini" more difficult variety. I ave trimmed quite a few times and it does grow... Well most of it does. Just a lot of stubborn bits and algae ...

I may end up replacing it but will keep at it a few more months.

 

[Scaperinc]

Yes definitely new scapes can be problematic/unstable, Using any fertilizer?

 

[jonfromscotland]

Yes definitely new scapes can be problematic/unstable, Using any fertilizer?

TNC complete 7ml per week. I started doing it twice a week because i started doing 2 water changes per week to help with the algae.

Ive considered both decreasing and increasing but realized i dont know which so just leaving it. As i am changing other things right now i figure leave it as a constant.

 

[Scaperinc]

Thats fine I think twice a week .
For green dust alge what I do is I lower the water level then clean of the glass with a sponge trying not to release the spores in the water. For me it's getting better.

Just keep doing the maintenance, your scape is in the ugly phase, once plants start to grow they will outcompete the algy.

Trim effected/dying old leaves etc etc

 

[jonfromscotland]

so, i started the C02 1 hour earlier yesterday and i think i prefer the results... seems more consistent and better at the crucial early hours.

tap is 7.0 .....

6:00: C02 on ....
8:00: ph6.3 - med-light green - LIGHTS ON
9:00: ph6.3 - light green (yellow when out of water)
10:00 ph6.2 - light green (yellow when out of water)
11:00 ph6.2 - light green (yellow when out of water)
12:00 ph6.2 - light green (yellow when out of water)
13:00 ph6.1 - light lime green (yellow when out of water)
14:00 ph6.1 - light lime green(yellow when out of water)
15:00 ph6.1 -light lime green(yellow when out of water)

 

[jonfromscotland]

Thats fine I think twice a week .
For green dust alge what I do is I lower the water level then clean of the glass with a sponge trying not to release the spores in the water. For me it's getting better.

Just keep doing the maintenance, your scape is in the ugly phase, once plants start to grow they will outcompete the algy.

Trim effected/dying old leaves etc etc

Growth is actually very aggressive in some areas. Its a mixed bag.

My crypt has exploded in 2 months but also got algae 2 weeks ago and now is in poor state
Rotala needs trimmed every week - no algae at all
Other stems - some algae on some but generally good. Cuba white tip is my most exotic plant and its doing great
haigrass rooted straight away in grew runners in couple of weeks. However, around 1/3 was poor early on. Now i have green algae in good bits but it still grows and needs trim every 2 weeks perhaps
Buce have clearly too much light and doing badly/algae/looking poor. I added floaters to shade but might need to dip them