-
You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up
Problem solved. It was the plug/transformer that was faulty not the light fitting. £10 at Maplin and we're back in the game.
Still getting crappy staghorn algae, particularly on the Juncus Repens, but not overwhelming (yet!).
The Rotala is properly growing back now after its overzealous trim and the weeping moss has perked up a bit since The Glutaraldehyde Incident.
I've upped the time period on the Co2 to run from 7am to 9pm, mainly because there is quite a lot of sunlight hitting the tank. The actual 'lights on' period is still 5 hours.
Also removed some Xmas moss from down in the wee canyon (that you can't actually see because of the Hydrocolyte) which was basically a crap trap, and also removed some weeping moss from the rightward pointing rock as it was getting insufficient light and rotting.
Over and out.
Still getting crappy staghorn algae, particularly on the Juncus Repens, but not overwhelming (yet!).
The Rotala is properly growing back now after its overzealous trim and the weeping moss has perked up a bit since The Glutaraldehyde Incident.
I've upped the time period on the Co2 to run from 7am to 9pm, mainly because there is quite a lot of sunlight hitting the tank. The actual 'lights on' period is still 5 hours.
Also removed some Xmas moss from down in the wee canyon (that you can't actually see because of the Hydrocolyte) which was basically a crap trap, and also removed some weeping moss from the rightward pointing rock as it was getting insufficient light and rotting.
Over and out.
Last edited:
So the algae problem has probably got worse. The staghorn has infested some of the moss and the juncus is badly hit with it (mostly trimmed away now) and also with green flowing algae on the leaves closest to the light. Have also seen a wee tiny big of staghorn hiding in the hydro.
I had a wee birthday windfall so splashed out on a filter upgrade - replaced the small internal with an Eheim Aquacompact 40 which has massively increased the volume of filter media available. I'me going to leave it be for a while and see if things sort themselves out.
I had a wee birthday windfall so splashed out on a filter upgrade - replaced the small internal with an Eheim Aquacompact 40 which has massively increased the volume of filter media available. I'me going to leave it be for a while and see if things sort themselves out.
Greenfinger2
Member
Hi Kezzab,This little scape is really coming on 
With the stag H algae spot treat it with Carbo or Excel this will kill it. The green flowing algae ??"" Hair algae"" This you just have to keep removing.
With the stag H algae spot treat it with Carbo or Excel this will kill it. The green flowing algae ??"" Hair algae"" This you just have to keep removing.
Last edited:
Hi Roy - i'm very nervous of using carbo. I used it a few weeks back in the tank (admittedly it was used neat, 2% Glutaraldehyde) direct onto the moss (out of the water) and it completely killed a section of it.
Do you think if i use it diluted and/or on the moss when submersed, that i'd get away with it?
With such a small tank even 1ml would be about 5 times recommended dose...
K
Do you think if i use it diluted and/or on the moss when submersed, that i'd get away with it?
With such a small tank even 1ml would be about 5 times recommended dose...
K
Greenfinger2
Member
Hi Kezzab, You have to dilute the Glutaraldehyde. I only use the bottle stuff from the Fish store.Best way is to do it with a syringe under water will take a couple of doses over a few days it will kill of the algae with out doing to much harm to the moss. use 1/2 ml this should be ok
Greenfinger2
Member
Ho Sorry though you were using neat Glutaraldehyde missed the 2% bit. Yes you can spot dose under water just turn off the filter and then remember to turn it on again.
Greenfinger2
Member
Ok, been away for a few days. Left the tank broadly to its own devices. On return it's all a bit of a mess, staghorn's gone fairly rampant and everything is overgrown. The volume of staghorn is well beyond spot treating (see vid). The Hydrocolyte is starting to swamp everything too. Some heavy duty remedial treatment is needed.
Not sure what do with the Staghorn... Frustration is all plants appear to be growing well, just the algae is growing equally well.
Any suggestions before i go for a radical prune and set all lights etc etc back to initial tank set up state?
Not sure what do with the Staghorn... Frustration is all plants appear to be growing well, just the algae is growing equally well.
Any suggestions before i go for a radical prune and set all lights etc etc back to initial tank set up state?
Greenfinger2
Member
Hi Kezzab, Trim as much as you can of the infected plant mass. Turn off your filter then spot treat the rest with Carbo or Excel then turn your filter back on after a couple of treatments the stag will die back and the plants will put out fresh growth.
Ho clean the filter too
Ho clean the filter too
So it all went a bit mental last night. Once i'd started pruning away the worst algae affected plants it was pretty clear it was a full 100% infestation. So back to square one really. I've dropped the light to 4hrs at 50% while things recover. You live, you learn.
Ok since that last post on 1 April i went back to square one, total rescape. Main aim was to grow plants without creating massive staghorn disaster. Artistic merit was secondary concern.
I decided to plant and go for 100% light intensity straight away, 5 ours. Then upped to 6 and now 7. Main algae issue has been diatoms which i'm still dealing with, but its manageable.
Got a couple of tiny otos in there, a zebra nerite and, possibly, a couple of amano shrimp.
The rotala is getting out of control but i'd like it to start growing emersed so i'm leaving it alone for now.
The alternanthera is growing well, but getting a bit over shadowed. The eleocharis is very slow growing and traps a lot of muck!
But all in all, a qualified success so far. Would welcome your thoughts.
I decided to plant and go for 100% light intensity straight away, 5 ours. Then upped to 6 and now 7. Main algae issue has been diatoms which i'm still dealing with, but its manageable.
Got a couple of tiny otos in there, a zebra nerite and, possibly, a couple of amano shrimp.
The rotala is getting out of control but i'd like it to start growing emersed so i'm leaving it alone for now.
The alternanthera is growing well, but getting a bit over shadowed. The eleocharis is very slow growing and traps a lot of muck!
But all in all, a qualified success so far. Would welcome your thoughts.
So since the last post i've changed things up again. I was sick of the HT Japan and Rotala> it was rampant, then you trimmed it and it looked crap, then grew back, then looked good for about three days and needed trimmed back again. The tank just seems to small for such vigorous plants. The diatoms just wouldn't stop either, despite alomost daily 75% water changes.
I then did a rushed and pointless rescape that looked rubbish and i lost interest and decided to run an experiment to see what happens when you completely neglect a tank. In this case the whole thing becomes smothered in cyanobacteria - but no other algae (despite no ferts, c0s running out, and zero water changes). Finally that just started looking too ugly to ignore so I got planning another rescape.
This time i'm going for mainly crypts (Tropica, Moelhanni, Willisi, Becketti, 'scuse spelling), but i've kept hold of the AR Mini I had (which has suffered at bit and needs some TLC). I've also salvaged a tinty bit of Marislea Hirsuta because i really like it. Stuck a couple of Anubias Nana Bonsai and some weeping moss on the wood too. And there's a couple of small refugee Java Fern as well. Planted it all up yesterday.
The wood is a piece of old Hawthorn root from the garden, the substrate is the same as previous, but i've capped it with grit scooped up from the lake shore at Ullswater, really pleased with how it looks.
I've ditched the heater, it was ugly. So temp is now about 18c, we'll see how that works out. Bit concerned the crypts may grow too big for the tank. But I don't expect that'll take just 10 days like it did with the Rotala. I've dimmed the light a bit with baking parchment. Currently on for 5 hours. Diffusing C02 as before. I'm hoping keeping the light at lower intensity and the lower temperature is going to get keep algae at bay. Time will tell.
The big pink stone is purely to weight down the wood!
I then did a rushed and pointless rescape that looked rubbish and i lost interest and decided to run an experiment to see what happens when you completely neglect a tank. In this case the whole thing becomes smothered in cyanobacteria - but no other algae (despite no ferts, c0s running out, and zero water changes). Finally that just started looking too ugly to ignore so I got planning another rescape.
This time i'm going for mainly crypts (Tropica, Moelhanni, Willisi, Becketti, 'scuse spelling), but i've kept hold of the AR Mini I had (which has suffered at bit and needs some TLC). I've also salvaged a tinty bit of Marislea Hirsuta because i really like it. Stuck a couple of Anubias Nana Bonsai and some weeping moss on the wood too. And there's a couple of small refugee Java Fern as well. Planted it all up yesterday.
The wood is a piece of old Hawthorn root from the garden, the substrate is the same as previous, but i've capped it with grit scooped up from the lake shore at Ullswater, really pleased with how it looks.
I've ditched the heater, it was ugly. So temp is now about 18c, we'll see how that works out. Bit concerned the crypts may grow too big for the tank. But I don't expect that'll take just 10 days like it did with the Rotala. I've dimmed the light a bit with baking parchment. Currently on for 5 hours. Diffusing C02 as before. I'm hoping keeping the light at lower intensity and the lower temperature is going to get keep algae at bay. Time will tell.
The big pink stone is purely to weight down the wood!
A few months since last update. This tank's evolved a bit again. Some of the crypts, particularly the Willisi, melted, regrew but then have shown barely any growth in months, while others have grown well. I got rid of the AR Mini as it was a cyanobacteria magnet. Added the Cardamine lyrata recently and I really like the effect, a little concerned it will overwhelm the tank though. We'll see.
Quick pic update. Any advice on why i'm getting little bits of 'melt' on my crypt leaves? Its not like normal melt, it's like the leaf is being attacked by something. If i cut/rub out the affected part it tends to stop spreading. Thoughts?
