A few photoās of what tipping a load of biscuits into a tank can do to a new setup. These are from the week after the incident/buscuitgate scandal:
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All the lower end of the stems had an array of algae, a collectoritis of algae throughout the tank and BBA and staghorn affecting epiphyte leaf edges and roots.
Always tell folks to persevere through problem patches so time to put that into practice myself.
Its pretty clear pruning this tank back would be the harbinger of death. To take the remaining plant resources to remove what is effectively a system wide problem is like peeing on a house fire, aināt gonna work.
Tap TDS is reliably 450-500ppm here, which is fine on a healthy setup Iāve found, but not optimal for recovering the situation. Once things settled changed the water to 50% tap and 50% rain water. After adding dechlorinator, magnesium sulphate and potassium sulphate to the water change water, in tank TDS sat bang on 250ppm. Bit more reliable for nutrient uptake.
The existing stem growth is a write off, have to accept that, and one by one their leaves will jettison. Placed root tabs directly under these so they can grow themselves out of trouble. Perhaps a little counter intuitive, but have increased the light on the ONFās from 50% to 75%. Co2 is spot on so increase is not a problem.
Within 24hrs new clean growth appeared. Clean as a whistle and continuing. When it gets significant enough, will cut the clean tops and remove the affected lower portions and replant the tops.
Pinnatifida: the awkward one. Saw a good post on here yesterday regarding this plant but canāt remember which thread. Best success Iāve had with it is with higher than normal K input per week, but restricted N in the water column (hence the root tabs under the stems to provide for the stems what the water column will not). So gone with this dosing schedule again. Little by little new leaves have begun to appear and all the old growth is shedding leaf by leaf.
Epiphites... Thereās very little I can do at this stage to help them. Where possible Iāve tucked the Buce/Anubius roots into the substrate for additional access to nutrients. In my experience if you hassle these plants when theyāre suffering youāre rewarded with failure. Better to improve the water column, keep it clean and stable, then wait it out.
Tank is being double dosed with glutaraldehyde and the valve to the trickle system in the sump is fully opened at night to ensure maximum agitation for gas exchange out of the tank.
Still not out of the woods but satisfied everything that is appropriate to do has been done, just need to sit and monitor. Will update at one month.