Natural Aquarium attempt - 16/06/2015 (pics)

[Jaap]

Update:

I have decreased light intensity from 70% slowly slowly down to 55% since there was too much green dust algae on the glass every few days.

I have started doing water changes every 2 days and also use dechlorinator for my water changes and top-ups.

CO2 and nutrients are the same.

The plants seem to be growing slowly and steadily but I don't seem to be able to get rid of the filamentous brown algae! I pull it out with the water changes and the next day its there.

Another problem that I have is that I did not cut back on the Monte Carlo and it grew thick for quite some time now. This caused the lower layers to melt and the keep on melting. I gave it a trim 2 days ago and now I am waiting for a small recovery so I can trim it down some more so as to expose the melting part of it. I will remove all the melted leaves with a couple of water changes and hopefully it will recover.

Also I have noticed that the plants are pearling like mad. Its like a 7up can in there but that doesn't really tell you much.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jaap]

15/07/2015

Still fighting with algae and melting MC. I have cut the MC even shorter and continue to do twice a week WC. Still a long way to go but after decreasing light intensity things are a bit better. Alot of pearling too.

Next water change there will be alot of debris to remove. Also a filter cleanup is necessary after all that cutting of MC.

Here are some pictures:

 

[willsy]

15/07/2015

Still fighting with algae and melting MC. I have cut the MC even shorter and continue to do twice a week WC. Still a long way to go but after decreasing light intensity things are a bit better. Alot of pearling too.

Next water change there will be alot of debris to remove. Also a filter cleanup is necessary after all that cutting of MC.

Here are some pictures:
View attachment 4794View attachment 4795View attachment 4796View attachment 4797View attachment 4798

Hi Jaap

How did it go with the Grobeams in the end? Any success?

Cheers

Will

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Well done Jaap for persevering, but I would have given up on that ages ago and stripped everything out, emptied the tank and started again. When choosing the substrate you only get one shot at it, so don't skimp on the quality. I have had some success recently with the JBL Volcanic Base Substrate, and the JBL Plant Soil. It is similar to ADA Amazonian but it doesn't break down into dust like the ADA stuff.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Digitalfiend]

Old thread but all I could think about when reading it was: change the substrate! You tried virtually everything but that. Kudos for you sticking with it but either their is something wrong with your water or the substrate was the problem for your choice of plants. I've only been in the hobby for a few years but with ADA Amazonia I've never had a problem with plants growing, regardless of high or low lighting. Problems with algae, sure but never growth.

You could tell something wasn't right with the tank as with all the CO2 you were injecting and the lighting, that Tripartita should have been taking over the tank within a week - that stuff grows aggressively well. I setup a low-light tank for my mom and threw some MC in for a carpet not really expecting it to grow but with a Finnex Planted+ (dimmed) and no co2, ferts, or Excel, it has been slowly growing in over the course of a few months and looks awfully healthy. Tiny little leaves for sure, but it's a pretty good carpet now. That's with ADA soil.

If you try again, get a soil with some ferts in it, plant heavily, get the CO2 to the point where the drop checker is yellow, set your light to 100%, try to keep the water temp between 25-28c and I'll be shocked if you don't get better growth. Once everything gets established, start slowly dialling the CO2 back and adjusting the lights accordingly so that the drop checker is a light green by lights off. Then add livestock.