Surface Scum, Dark stuff on Leaves, Yellow Gravel. HELP!

[ceg4048]

Hi niru,
Yes, well generally it sounds like you're on the right track. You know that you have to solve the CO2 and flow/distribution riddle of that tank. I guess I don't really understand the part about removing the spraybar to avoid hitting the HC. That's actually the main reason for the sraybar. You want to get flow down to the HC to deliver nutrients/CO2. I also don't get the 1/2 hour powerhead strategy? Sorry mate, that's not really clear to me...

Cheers,

 

[niru]

Hi ceg

the spray bar removal is only for a few day till HC gets rooted in nicely. I guessed that the spray bar sending the water straight to the front glass and then down on the HC would actually kick HC off the gravel support. That was my reasoning.. but perhaps my concerns are unfounded.

To maintain a good distribution, the powerhead position is changed. The one I have has flow of 1500 - 4500 lph; i have kept it at 1500. But still I thought its way too much movement in the water. Hence I timed it for 1/2 hr strategy. My lights go ON at 13:00 and OFF at 22:00. The powerhead starts at abt 11:00 and does the 1/2 hr stint till 19:00 until I get home. From then on I keep the powerhead ON continuously till night.. I have a tetra schooling at the bottom level (not affected by the powerhead flow), but a small school of abt 10 platys moving on the upper levels of the tank. Since fish dont physically smile, I cant judge if they like this huge water current continuously! Hence my kind of dummy arrangement.

-niru

 

[ceg4048]

...the spray bar removal is only for a few day till HC gets rooted in nicely. I guessed that the spray bar sending the water straight to the front glass and then down on the HC would actually kick HC off the gravel support. That was my reasoning.. but perhaps my concerns are unfounded.

Well I'd probably look for a different way to hold it down, like pins pushed through the rock wool into the sediment (sort of like thumb tacks) or burying the pieces deeper into the gravel so that the leaves just peek out. If you delete the spraybar and have poor flow to the sediment then you run the risk of CO2 shortage which then causes the HC to disintegrate. A sort of Catch-22, I guess. You probably have mentioned it before, but you are turning the gas on a couple hours prior to lights on right?

To maintain a good distribution, the powerhead position is changed. The one I have has flow of 1500 - 4500 lph; i have kept it at 1500. But still I thought its way too much movement in the water. Hence I timed it for 1/2 hr strategy. My lights go ON at 13:00 and OFF at 22:00. The powerhead starts at abt 11:00 and does the 1/2 hr stint till 19:00 until I get home. From then on I keep the powerhead ON continuously till night.. I have a tetra schooling at the bottom level (not affected by the powerhead flow), but a small school of abt 10 platys moving on the upper levels of the tank. Since fish dont physically smile, I cant judge if they like this huge water current continuously! Hence my kind of dummy arrangement.

Oh OK, I get it. But still, it's not like fish need calm waters so that they can concentrate on their studies to pass their A Level exams or anything like that. Fish swim for a living and swimming through the current probably keeps them fit since they're probably overfed in 99% of tanks anyway. Body types that have a high surface area like angels and discus probably find high current to be a drag, but torpedo shaped fish shouldn't have too much difficulty I reckon. The current also brings fresh Oxygen to the gills, so breathing should be easier as well.

Cheers,

 

[niru]

Hi ceg

as promised a few pics (the snaps are from my mobile, so apologies for the quality)..

Before I asked here on the UKAPS forum:

The front gravel getting too much light..

Green dust settled on the front glass... doesnt look crystal clear...

Great surface scum..

Leaves of my crypt green gecko blackening...

Is this Mg deficiency (the leaf in the center of the pic)??

... And after reading your answers and also a lot of forum reading, cleaning, upping CO2, etc etc.. the tank looks like below yesterday.

Sunday I will do a 50% WC and continue as usual.. Any comments and/or suggestion are most welcome!

many thanks
-niru

 

[mdhardy01]

Just one suggestion
Rather than have your pump at the front which will oppose flow from your spray bar why not have it on the back wall
either next too or under your spray bar so all flow is going the same way and not cancelling each other out?
Matt

 

[niru]

Thanks Hardy for this. I have done it so. But now poor HC Cuba is a flying circus!

 

[ceg4048]

Yes, further to Matt's suggestion, when I look at the back wall on that last photo, I can see that the left third of the tank gets poor flow because there is only the Eheim tubing there (unless you have punched holes in it) until it gets to the spraybar. Then, the spraybar ends, and the right third is blank. What you can do is to get extra sections of spraybar and gang them together so that they extend all the way to the right. Then you can put the Koralia on the left, just under the green tubing.

That photo you showed of the Hygrophila is what I was talking about earlier where you were looking at the veins instead of the discolored tissue in between the veins. The veins are healthy but the tissue in between shows symptoms of photoinhibition, so this can be either a CO2 issue, or an Mg issue or most likely a combination of things which can be fixed by optimizing flow/distribution. If you are already dosing EI as well as Epsom Salts then its unlikely to be a dosing issue, but more likely to be a CO2 and distribution issue. This is confirmed by the GSA on the crypt, the surface scum and the dust algae.

As always, you can aid recovery by temporarily reducing light intensity and by slightly increasing CO2 even more. As I mentioned before, if you fail to do this you endanger the HC, which does not appreciate poor CO2/distribution.

Cheers,

 

[niru]

Thanks ceg and hardy. I have changed the powerhead position and will add another spraybar. With the new flow my HC is already floating a lot. Do you just collect it and push it back into gravel? I have added 2 pots, do I need more? Also any suggestions for aquascaping? I have a piece of wood to which I can tie the moss (btw, it's a triangular moss as pr my lfs, I have never heard of it or I missed the german translation)

Currently I have the Dupla co2 reactor inside the tank and is powered by the sera power motor. Time permitting I will shift it outside on the canister output. Co2 DC is lime to yellow.

 

[ceg4048]

Hi niru,
The Koralia should be pointed straight ahead, i.e. level and not down to the substrate. That also goes for the holes on the spraybar. That way you encourage good movement of the water in a circular pattern instead of blasting the plants directly. That might be why you are having difficulty. Just play with the position of the pump along the top back wall to find a compromise.

It also looks like you have a background plant in the front right corner. It might look more appealing if you were to move it to the back. That will also free up that front corner for more carpet plants and will facilitate better water movement up front.

Cheers,

 

[niru]

The Koralia should be pointed straight ahead, i.e. level and not down to the substrate. That also goes for the holes on the spraybar. That way you encourage good movement of the water in a circular pattern instead of blasting the plants directly. That might be why you are having difficulty. Just play with the position of the pump along the top back wall to find a compromise.

I had already done this. The spray bar is also horizontal.

It also looks like you have a background plant in the front right corner. It might look more appealing if you were to move it to the back. That will also free up that front corner for more carpet plants and will facilitate better water movement up front.

The Valisneria is indeed on the front right, but after a lot of trial & error I decided thats the place for it (though its background species) since this way the Juwel internal is gets hidden from front view when vals make a thick grass savannah. I will restrict it so that it always occupies only the corner block. I idea is to have a short grass just in front (ie slightly left) of the tall val grass. Since its a Val nana, the leaves are not too thick and wont grow like crazy.. well thats the hope

will keep you updated on this..
cheers
niru