REDSTEVEO
Member
Hi all,
I have been reading two threads with interest, surrounding the issues of brown diatoms on moss, excessive lighting, dosing and plant selection. The main two topics are below, where questions have been asked about silicates in the water column and leaves yellowing and dying off on plants.
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24039
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=24155
The problem I have had recently is striking a balance between getting certain plants to grow and avoiding the brown diatom issue on moss. I recently replanted my tank with the intention of having a sweeping bed of Uticulara and Hemianthus Cuba around the front, long stem plants at the back and some pieces of bog wood covered in moss reaching over the middle. The issue is I was having no success whatsoever with the Uticulara or the Hemianthus so I experimented with the lighting by increasing it using an old 150 watt metal halide unit I had. As soon as I added that, the Uticulara and the Hemianthus that was left started pearling as did all the other plants.
The downside is after two days I have got the same brown diatoms growing all over my moss. Is this a case where a decision has to be made in so much as it is either Uticulara and Hemianthus thriving at the expense of the moss, or keep the moss clean and healthy and forget the UT and the HC? Should we be saying we can't have both, low tech lighting plants with high tech lighting plants, or...is there a way around it?
If so it would be great if someone could let me know because I can not decide whether it is going to be the moss or the UT and HC.
The pictures below show what I am on about.
The HC and the UT virtually non existent after using two tubs of each, it just fell apart.
The moss that was thriving under low light 2 x 24 watt T5 tubes over the centre of a Trigon 190 and 2 x 15 watt T8 tubes in the front and back lid.
Sometime today I am going to have to remove the wood, trip off all the bits with diatoms on it, wash the moss and put it back in the tank. The stem plants are not doing brilliantly, the Echinodorus in the middle is thriving no matter what lighting I use.
Your views appreciated,
thanks,
Steve
I have been reading two threads with interest, surrounding the issues of brown diatoms on moss, excessive lighting, dosing and plant selection. The main two topics are below, where questions have been asked about silicates in the water column and leaves yellowing and dying off on plants.
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24039
http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=24155
The problem I have had recently is striking a balance between getting certain plants to grow and avoiding the brown diatom issue on moss. I recently replanted my tank with the intention of having a sweeping bed of Uticulara and Hemianthus Cuba around the front, long stem plants at the back and some pieces of bog wood covered in moss reaching over the middle. The issue is I was having no success whatsoever with the Uticulara or the Hemianthus so I experimented with the lighting by increasing it using an old 150 watt metal halide unit I had. As soon as I added that, the Uticulara and the Hemianthus that was left started pearling as did all the other plants.
The downside is after two days I have got the same brown diatoms growing all over my moss. Is this a case where a decision has to be made in so much as it is either Uticulara and Hemianthus thriving at the expense of the moss, or keep the moss clean and healthy and forget the UT and the HC? Should we be saying we can't have both, low tech lighting plants with high tech lighting plants, or...is there a way around it?
If so it would be great if someone could let me know because I can not decide whether it is going to be the moss or the UT and HC.
The pictures below show what I am on about.
The HC and the UT virtually non existent after using two tubs of each, it just fell apart.
The moss that was thriving under low light 2 x 24 watt T5 tubes over the centre of a Trigon 190 and 2 x 15 watt T8 tubes in the front and back lid.
Sometime today I am going to have to remove the wood, trip off all the bits with diatoms on it, wash the moss and put it back in the tank. The stem plants are not doing brilliantly, the Echinodorus in the middle is thriving no matter what lighting I use.
Your views appreciated,
thanks,
Steve