Hi Jaap, thanks for link to your journal. I had read it before but didn't make any comments as Clive and a few others have covered all the major issues.
I think that your most major issue is the temperature. You added the plants when at 32'C which is way to warm for most plants. It's also your toughest to sort out. If it were me and I really wanted it to work I'd go for a small chiller. It would help keep your tank at a
constant temperature. Plants and fish the same they need stable water conditions. They can adapt to extreme conditions as long as the change is gradual and then they are constant. Like clive said also I'd stop using the reactor and dose your co2 directly to the canister outlet or an in tank difusser. Then you will at least see the fine mist of co2 and can see where it's going in your tank.
The plant list you gave earlier clearly the ones in yor tank and not hugely light demanding so I really don't think that the issue is the lights.
Others mentioned that the spray bar needed to be raised you do want that as high as can be or drop your water level to create good turbulence on the surface.
Also mentioned already when in a chrisis I'd do daily water changes, at least 20% per day and make sure your top up water is pure! No chlorine for sure. I always use RO and add what I want in there. These water company's are dumping all kinds of crap into our drinking water so it can't be trusted from the tap!
You have been very patient as your tank is well into its life over 70 days and if things had been ideal,I'm sure you would have seen great growth. In 2 weeks mine had to be cut back already. Some plants are slow growers but the ones you have should be faster. Especially the Java moss.
Id really hold back on the fish idea until you start to get it looking like you want. But shrimp are another mater. I started mine with 25 amano shrimp and 25 red cherry shrimp in 150lt they are worth their weight in gold and keep all the scum, microfilm and algae at bay.
But back to the first issue I said you had the temperature. If you live in a hot climate soon it could warm up again and 32'C will be way to warm for your shrimp let alone the plants. Maybe you should keep a bare bottom discus tank
😉 just kidding but that is ideal for them. But you will need to know that when the ambient room temperature goes up you can keep your tank cool. I used to have this issue with a reef tank as I ran triple metal halides over it and the room got hot and so did the water. In the end I was running air con in the room and a chiller on the tank. It kept the tank at a cool 26'C for me even in room ambient temperatures of 32'C
Plants do prefer acidic water. A lower acidic Ph helps them in the uptake of nutrients. Maybe your high PH is inhibiting nutrient uptake and could be causing nutrients to no longer be available. Mine is 5.8 to 6.4 it peaks at max co2 exposure at the 5.8 and just before the co2 kicks in Im at about 6.4. I chose a substrate that helps keep the ph down as well as I like the black water look also. So went for tropica aquarium soil.
Like I say your plants are not that light demanding and some should be growing really fast.
For me I'd work on keeping the temperature and PH down. RO water really helps.
Here is my tank after 18 days...
I've had to cut the echinodorus belheri back and the aponogetons as well a lot! I do have a slow grower for a carpet and its a real challenge my lilaeopsis brasiliensis has given me only 2 new leaves in that time and if you look at the start picture if anything has receded! The echinodorus tenellus is doing well though. Both these are at about 55cm from my light source as it rests on the glass drip trays.
Sorry about flooding your post but maybe something here will help.
Temperature constant and down max 28 best 26 try using a small aquatic chiller.
pH down 5.5-6.5 best
Spraybar higher have some surface agitation if you can hear it even better.
Better co2 injection and circulation.
Regular plant feed at the correct doses.
Once this is achieved I'd add amanos and sooner than later as they are worth their weight in gold for cleaning and eating algae.
Good luck and hope you manage to get a good lush green growth of plants soon
🙂
