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Newbie to Aquatic plants.

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Nikko829

New Member
Joined
15 Dec 2024
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14
Location
Derbyshire
Hello every hope alls well. I’m new to the site and new to plants within an aquarium. I’ve a problem. I’ve had the tank now with plants in 3 weeks, having loads of melting that’s for sure…… Is this a natural thing to happen?…. As the tank is adjusting still after three weeks?…. Using Fluval substrate with fertiliser being dosed twice a week. Should I be introducing any CO2 at all. Really need some help here
 

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Hello - welcome to UKAPS!

Is that three weeks in total? Or the tank has been set up for longer, but the plants have only been in 3 weeks?
 
Welcome to UKAPS! It's worth posting your question in the planted tank discussion thread. It's normal for plants to melt, especially crypts, as they are usually grown emersed if bought from tropica (for example) and have to adjust to life as fully aquatic plants. People on this forum usually recommend a period of at least a couple months of waiting for everything to get established, for water parameters to level out and for the plants to settle in before adding any livestock/fish. I did this method, and it worked well for me!
Personally I definitely wouldn't add any co2, and maybe hold off on fertilising: you have a very new tank, with new substrate and new plants that are still adapting. There are going to be a lot of water quality fluctuations as everything adjusts, which can be dangerous for your fish; so I would hold off adding additional chemicals/products that will create more variables in water quality.

Questions:
Is this a new filter setup, or are you using established filter media?
Is this your first tank, or your first planted one?

I hope you can find some answers and advice, there's lots of experts on here. Hope all goes well 🙂
 
Hi there. This is my complete first fish tank ever…… it’s a Fluval 207 set up filter with media’s. Taking advice from the aquatic store I have learnt isn’t that great at all….. I shall stop the liquid co2 and fertiliser and see what happens…… it’s stressful I’ll say that. I’m checking the water parameters daily for two months…..
 
Nikko829 said:
Do you suggest regular water changes if I’ve been using co2 and fertiliser???
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Welcome to UKAPS. Yes you should.

If you want help, please read the guidelines..

G H Nelson

Thread 'Please read the guidelines for plant help!'

Dear Member

Please give as many details as possible regarding your aquarium set-up, when requiring advice/help!

The above should be posted at the start of each help request.

Why do we ask these questions?
It will reduce posts by members asking for the information below, also advisers don't need to scroll through a whole thread to find them.

Copy and Paste the list below...and add your answers to each number on the list!
@13 Please upload photographs/images if possible.

1. Size of tank.
2. Age of the system approximately.
3. Tap water parameters.
4. Filtration and Media.
5...
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Hello and thank you for your help! Really appreciate this.

1. 168ltr tank
2. 3 weeks old.
3. Ph 6.8 KH 120 total alklinity 40 GH 75
4. Fluval 207 unit with standard media
5. Fluval plant 3 duration 9 hrs. Will post a picture of settings
6. Fluval stratum
7. Liquid co2 API 3ml daily
8. No idea of level of co2.
9. Microbe life twice a week at 7ml.
10. Twice a week water change at 20%
11. All immersed please see picture
12. 12 Black phantom tetras
13. See attached
 

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Ok, for a 3 week old tank, you have your fish in way too early. What are your NH3 and NO2 (ammonia and nitrite) readings?

Also, liquid CO2 adds negligible amounts of CO2 and some plants react badly to it. Without knowing what plants you have it’s difficult to say, but I wouldn’t bother with it.

As to your fertiliser, I’m not familiar with it. Is it an all in one that provides NPK and iron?

Also, please clarify your water hardness readings…KH is alkalinity, so a bit confused by two readings provided. I’m assuming they are in ppm?
 
Ammonia and Nitrite is zero.
That’s right in PPM. They are within the good parameters my test kit says.

The fertiliser used contains plz see picture.
 

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Whilst better people than I can talk to you about plants (learning myself!) I will add a few comments to others above.
  1. The 207 in a 165-litre aquarium is underpowered. If all things are good, you might just about get two times turnover but I would recommend more.
  2. Looking at your pictures, I can see no surface movements. (The image of light reflection looks static). A bubbler is good, but mainly if it creates surface movement.
  3. Further to the above, I can see bubbles getting stuck on the surface, which means some form of film/oil. This will inhibit effective gas exchange.
  4. The aquarium is new, and 12 Black Phantom Tetras is quite a lot. I recommend upping water changes for a while and keeping a close eye on Amonnia + Nitrite. Also, feed lightly,
  5. Your Plant 3.0 setting at 75% seems high.
 
Thanks Bradders I’ll do regular water changes! This with the 12 tetras was recommended by the aquatic shop yes I fell for it hook line and sinker. I’ll probably bit the Fluval next size up filter then 307 will act better.
 
Nikko829 said:
Bubbles Bradders are being created with a bubbler. They are disappearing when at the top and not creating any film
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Thanks for that. It does look pretty flat at the surface, though, i.e. no surface agitation like the image below. Is that right or is it just the photos?

IMG_1539.jpeg
 
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