New to aquaria, advice needed!

[jaypeecee]

Hi @Ray

Please take a look at https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/a-fresh-look-at-preventing-algae.61671/#post-607141.

JPC

 

[mrhoyo]

Hi @mrhoyo


Both your nitrate and phosphate are at very low levels, particularly the nitrate. I'd be tempted to firstly increase nitrate to 20 ppm using something like TNC Complete. This will likely increase phosphate to around 2 ppm, which is a bit higher than I would have liked. Ideally, we'd use separate fertilizers for nitrate and phosphate. A bit of trial and error is called for, I'm afraid.

You'd be wise to replace the API Phosphate kit with the JBL PO4 Sensitive kit. The first of these is insufficiently sensitive as it jumps from 0.0 to 0.5 ppm.

JPC

JBL ordered.
I already have TNC, I haven't used it for about a week and a half in an attempt to reduce the algae.

 

[jaypeecee]

Hi @mrhoyo

I already have TNC, I haven't used it for about a week and a half in an attempt to reduce the algae.

Plants that are growing help to suppress algae. As @Ray said below:

I’d be wary of not feeding too long because if your plants get into ill health it gets worse...

Plants also need a source of carbon that they can use. Perhaps you could consider using the EasyCarbo again?

JPC

 

[mrhoyo]

Hi @mrhoyo


Plants that are growing help to suppress algae. As @Ray said below:


Plants also need a source of carbon that they can use. Perhaps you could consider using the EasyCarbo again?

JPC

Sorry, I've been using the Easy Carbo all week. Forgot to mention that.

There seems to be a huge range of dosing for TNC based on threads on here; should I be using what it says on the pack or somewhere up to the Aquarium Gardens double-triple?

 

[Ray]

Sorry, I've been using the Easy Carbo all week. Forgot to mention that.

There seems to be a huge range of dosing for TNC based on threads on here; should I be using what it says on the pack or somewhere up to the Aquarium Gardens double-triple?

For low tech what it says on the bottle is normally fine.

 

[mrhoyo]

Should this Blue Exit stuff be working by now? It's getting 25ml a day which I reckon is 3 times the dose for the water volume, maybe more.

 

[Ray]

I don’t know, so I’m watching this thread carefully because I’ve got some background BGA in my low tech Betta tank too, which is a similar age to your tank. I don’t think the BGA will retreat faced by Blue Exit but it might stop spreading allowing you to remove what there is - what are you seeing up to now?

 

[Ray]

@mrhoyo just checking on you - how goes the war against the BGA?

 

[mrhoyo]

@mrhoyo just checking on you - how goes the war against the BGA?

The BlueExit was pretty much useless so I'm trying plan b- 2+ big water changes a week and lights dimmed. It seems to be retreating and so far I think the plants are growing. I'll get a picture in a sec.

 

[mrhoyo]

 

[hypnogogia]

@mrhoyo that looks much better.

 

[Ray]

Looking very good! So it seems to be good hygiene basically - regular water changes and vacuuming up mulm and debris?

 

[mrhoyo]

Looking very good! So it seems to be good hygiene basically - regular water changes and vacuuming up mulm and debris?

That combined with reduced light. I haven't managed to eradicate it yet but really it's just hanging on in the moss.
I'm finding the grass either holds or produces a lot of crud but it seems to be getting better.
Need to trim some stuff soon, I think I'll give it a couple more weeks to try and clear the last of the BGA and then start.

 

[mrhoyo]

BGA all but gone now so I've turned the light up a bit. If it stays away I'll increase it a bit more, if not I'll drop it again.
All looking ok at the minute although had a corydoras die last week. All other fish seem ok so not sure what the problem was.

 

[mrhoyo]

I got annoyed with my 'carpet' the other day so ordered some more in an attempt to make it look thicker. Thought I'd try sagittaria subulata.
Whilst I was on the AG website I got tempted by their mixed crypts so have ended up with parva, costata and willisii. Not sure how well they'll do without good lights and CO2 but we'll see.

All looks a bit of a mess at the minute but I daren't trim much or remove the horrendous pile of floating stems in case the BGA returns.

I don't know what the term for this feeling is but I'm sure there is one; basically I REALLY want a bigger tank now and CO2 and all the goodies.

 

[hypnogogia]

basically I REALLY want a bigger tank now and CO2 and all the goodies.

Lol, we all go through that.
The crypts should do ok with lower lighting. Just make sure you give them so,es root tans as they feed through their roots.

 

[sparkyweasel]

Crypts often lose their leaves in response to being moved to new conditions. If that happens, remove the melting leaves and leave the roots in place: they will send up new leaves as they adapt to the conditions in your tank.

 

[mrhoyo]

Lol, we all go through that.
The crypts should do ok with lower lighting. Just make sure you give them so,es root tans as they feed through their roots.

Root tabs ordered, I wouldn't have known to do that.

 

[mrhoyo]

Crypts often lose their leaves in response to being moved to new conditions. If that happens, remove the melting leaves and leave the roots in place: they will send up new leaves as they adapt to the conditions in your tank.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on them. O know some people trying them before planting but I thought I'd see how they go on the basis my other crypts didn't melt.

 

[Melll]

I never used to trim the roots or leaves off crypts and they seemed to take ages to do any growth. Now both ends get a good trim and the results are so much better, healthier looking and quicker.