Hey
@CooKieS this conversation may interest you, but is likely to be a red rag to a bull for some as it is much less than scientific. However… We both have experience of conducting a tank to look just the way we want, when we want, so should be interesting.
Just to frame the conversation with a couple of questions:
Is it possible to run a mixed planted, high tech tank, to the same standard from twelve months onwards?
What can be done to overcome the issues at around twelve months commonplace in these sort of tanks?
Think you know what I’m getting at here, there’s a reason folks rescape yearly. Stores that run display tanks into a second or third year understand the drop in performance being referred to. Currently it is relevant to you as you have continued running your IAPLC entry tank a little longer, so intrigued to know what you’re noticing about your setup too. Yours is not so dissimilar as it uses aquarium soil, unlike some moss dominant entries that use the absolute minimum amount of soil in the setup.
Backdrop to the current situation here… Stopped thinking about this 1200 with any clarity and it ended up here. The current condition is part of a wider set of problems so looking to address them rather than just fix the algae. Not concerned about the hair algae, it’s feedback and this is useful.
The reef tank stole this 1200’s thunder, but was necessary to keep the marine setup moving. Had to quickly solve a hair algae problem that was stalling the startup on that setup. It worked out pretty quickly once the relationships holding the system in that state became clear. Marine has its own set of tools but the rules aren’t too dissimilar.
Before:
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After:
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Think there was a great learning to be had there regarding taking care of your systems bacterial colonies first. I believe the success of the Utricularia graminifolia setup is also due, in part, to considering the importance of all the things we rely on that we cannot see.
Currently considering the implications of my actions on the 1200 by retracing the steps that have got the tank to this place.
Think you can deeply appreciate the importance of balancing methods with aesthetic value in a tank
@CooKieS . For example, compact S. repens or L. arcuata with needle sharp orange to red leaves, even deeper red H. pinnatifida to accent a spot. Those wants are all mapped on to the scape design and what the layout will permit distribution wise too.
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The task set on the 1200 is to find out if you can do this outside of the first year of a setup; maintain those aesthetic practices with soil that has gone passed a year.
Ferts - The first half of the life of the 1200 has for all intents and purposes been ADA’s regime; Powersand, Bacter 100, Amazonia, Green Brighty neutral K, Green Brighty Mineral. This was supplemented with periodic additions of root tabs, pushed into the crevices of tactically placed lava rock so the task could be done blind:
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Once the soil is in, if you don’t remember where the crevices are it becomes difficult to get a tab through the soil and Powersand to the base glass. Point is the replenishment of root tabs has always been primarily at the back of the setup where the Co2 mist sprays left to right and the light is strongest. It’s a high demand area.
This worked, for a good while:
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Around the six month mark noticed the epiphytes required much more care so switched the dosing regime. Will get to this in a moment.
Up until this point, any nitrate and phosphate needs were catered to from the substrate and fish loading. It’s useful as anything planted into the soil has those mobile nutrients available and can make withdrawals from the bank of nutrients in the substrate. Associated with this is running the Co2 in the green with more leeway for error. N-P-Co2 balance is much more customisable with substrate dependence for the first two. Think ADA designed their products this way to decrease failure rates of patrons of their system.
The Co2 becomes the controlling aspect of the three as N and P are always available, but not the primary driver of growth. The Co2 puts a limit on the growth and the amount of photosynthesis, but the leaves go red to adapt to the conditions of high light. Instead of melt we get compact, coloured forms.
Enter alternatives to ADA’s Brighty K and Mineral… APT Zero, Tropica Premium [insert favourite brand here]. All liquid ferts with nitrate and phosphate omitted. Think the point missed here is this works with fresh soil that is loaded but is on a downward trajectory. The ‘lean’ dosing isn’t lean at all, it’s just a system that takes advantage of location and regulation of the transportation of nutrients within the plants.
Back to the epiphytes… same source water but integration of KNO3 and KH2PO4 into the water column dosing. Source water is RODI taken all the way down to 0TDS. Sample is sent off for analysis every three months and the unit is on a conservative maintenance schedule. It’s as much control as you can have on the input water.
The intervention to boost epiphyte health…
Full breakdown of the new weekly inputs in ppm:
KNO3
NO3 5
N 1.13
K 3.15
KH2PO4
PO4 1
P 0.33
K 0.41
CaCl
Cl 5.11
Ca 2.89
dGH 0.4
CaSO4.2H20
Ca 9.31
S 7.45
dGH 1.3
MgSO4.7H2O
Mg 3.94
S 5.2
dGH 0.91
K2CO3
K 7.92
CO3 6.08
dKH 0.57
Condensed:
NO3 5
N 1.13
K 11.48
PO4 1
P 0.33
Cl 5.11
Ca 12.2
S 12.65
Mg 3.94
CO3 6.08
Ca : K : Mg
12.2: 11.48 : 3.94
(Note: when K is input over the week that ratio is targeted to be closer to 3:2:1 consistently)
This carried the tank through another three months. Overall health was good although there were losses on colouration. Adapted this by changing some species out that were more colourful by virtue rather than conditions.
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With the ‘slightly’ more comprehensive water column fertilisation the viable range of Co2 concentration got tighter and required more management. It was workable though. Further round of root tabs in during this period. Nothing too shabby, but again, slowly getting away from good form and colouration:
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Finally… The final quarter of the year bringing us to today.
Shifted over to DIY Tropica TPN+ using ammonium nitrate for N source. No root tabs.
No idea of the condition of the soil at this point. However, two things are pretty certain; the CEC of the soil will have been on a downward trajectory and the buffering capacity of the soil will be diminished.
Decided to place a bet on letting growth go emersed to increase Co2 respiration from the roots. Alter the pH locally in the soil.
Plan was to continue with periodic root tabs, then lean more heavily on water column fertilisation with the root tabs as a safety net. Started the emersed on one side to see if there was any notable difference in growth from the soil. This was between the emersed right and the still submersed left.
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The tank got a bump on the right side so continued with letting the left side join the party.
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It was going well. But then against better judgement, all this growth was cut back to submersed.
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No availability for maintenance in November so the idea was to improve distribution around the tank with Co2 dialled in, then let it grow out again this month in my absence. Confused my needs with the tanks needs unfortunately, it would have been better to leave it growing in hindsight.
This slow shift towards emersed growth and greater levels of dosing via the water column may have worked. The high uptake from the emersed growth got a reaction from some species located submersed and sharing the soil, bringing out signature colouration of lean water column conditions. It was a very localised difference.
If I had to guess, would say slowing the additional Co2 respiration from the roots of the emersed growth in one go (by trimming back to submersed) was a really, really bad move.
And here we are today…
Long one
@CooKieS but interested to know if any of these experiences chime with your experience?
I know you can elongate the downward trajectory of a tanks life by simply using massive piles of soil… ADA show tanks and Green Aqua displays for example.
Some ADA display tanks have even been stripped out, had the soil replaced and then the hard scape/plants returned to give them a second burst of life. That’s cheating 😂
Wonder if I’m just pissin’ in the wind here trying to get too much of a good thing. Is it that everything simply has a beginning, a middle and an end with regards to maintaining these plant forms to that standard?
Anyway… that’s this tank, one of many. The algae will be destroyed and beer will be drank to celebrate in due course.. Just wondered if you’ve seen any examples of comp spec tanks run longer term, or had success longer term with these plant forms/colouration personally?
