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The Accidental Aquascape

The best way to find out would be to check your bubble counter.
I also tend to install the drop checker on the other side and away from the CO2 inlet. To make sure to see the an effect that can be reference for the rest of the water.
 
I think we may have some progress.
You can't see it that well in the photos, but the Rotala Bonsai is definitely showing signs of healthier growth. It's new leaves have the yellow/red colouring.
Both mosses are covered in bubbles and the carpet is even having a go at pearling too.
I've been trimming quite a bit, so it's difficult to tell, but I don't think the algae is getting worse.
Fingers crossed it's just small tweaks now.

Pearling_1.jpg Bubbles_1.jpg Pearling_2.jpg
 
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Moss & Rocks - Is this a deficiency of some sort?
Looks like it's dying back in a few patches. Image below - healthy on the right and not so good on the left.
This is the low-tech cube and the moss is Riccardia Chamfhweuyagnblayfuqaghva or whatever it's called.
I do Ei ferts in this tank.

MossDefincency.jpg
 
Hi all,
CooKieS said:
Looks like an 'Iron burn'............Are you using liquid carbon?
Click to expand...
<"Fertiliser burn"> for me as well. Mosses, fern prothallia and liverwort are particularly at risk from osmotic stress, because they don't have the protective leaf epidermis that a higher plant would have.

cheers Darrel
 
CooKieS said:
Looks like an 'Iron burn'.
Try to doss less Iron and/or micro.
Are you using liquid carbon?
Click to expand...


Read that as iron bum the first time, very confusing.
Doing less of something sounds good to me. I’ve been using the same amount per litre as the large tank, but I guess this tank has slightly less plant mass (ratio wise).
The weird thing is, I haven’t increased the amount, so I’m surprised it’s showing now rather than when I started dosing.

I don’t use liquid carbon. I have some somewhere though. Will it help or make things worse?
 
Kezzab said:
Random things happen. Give it a week, it'll probably fix itself. Dont rush to diagnose if it's been fine up to this point. Maybe just having a bad day. Seriously.
Click to expand...

It's water change day for that tank. Plus the Ei recommends a 'rest day', which is tomorrow, so hopefully it'll sort itself out soon.
Do others do rest days? Seems odd to me.
 
Im maybe the wrong person to ask... im not precise. Lots of folk stress about routines and timings and mixes and all this magic incantation stuff. I chuck in some all in one ferts when i change water, probably at about EI levels. It works for me. But i do make sure its a full moon.
 
rest day is just for convenience to keep it simple dosing 3 days and 3 days for micro and macro, theres no science behind it other than you have already dosed your tank with EI levels of ferts by the 6th day so no need to add more on the 7th, your water will still contain nutrient build up from that week and then you WC to reset and go again
 
The Accidental Aquascaper said:
Read that as iron bum the first time, very confusing.
Doing less of something sounds good to me. I’ve been using the same amount per litre as the large tank, but I guess this tank has slightly less plant mass (ratio wise).
The weird thing is, I haven’t increased the amount, so I’m surprised it’s showing now rather than when I started dosing.

I don’t use liquid carbon. I have some somewhere though. Will it help or make things worse?
Click to expand...

Iron aren't needed in such High dosage in your kind of aquascape, just reduce the dosage and see. 🙂

Got the same problem in my 60f tank few years ago, I reduced Iron from daily dose to once a week After WC and it worked.

Liquid carbon could 'burn' riccardia the same way if dosed too much Hence why I'm asking.
 
Overhang & Outcrop Upate

Tank is settling in to it's new configuration now and here's what's been happening.
It's definitely better all round, but I'm not out of the woods by a long way.

This photo has got a bit of everything. Hair algae, spot algae, new growth, lovely bubbles and possibly a limpet on the Hydro V.
Growth&Bubbles.jpg

Some nice growth at the bottom.
BottomGrowth.jpg

Frogbit seems happy enough.
HappyFrogbit.jpg

And here's a view I don't often get to see.
ViewFromRightSide.jpg

Rotala Bonsai is going well. Some algae on the Hydro V.
GoodBonsaiBadHyrdoV.jpg

Oh dear.
HairOnHydroV.jpg

Oh deary deary me.
HairOnHygroPin.jpg

Oh FFS will you stop it!
HairOnBuceRed.jpg

Well there you go. It's a mixed bag as usual.
I don't really want to upset the balance, just hope the new regime will keep improving things.
Will be adding some fresh plants soon.
 
I actually got the same algae on my pinnitififa...I'm now Overdosing excel, reducing ferts (Iron and no3, only dosing K) and get a good filter cleaning.

As kezzab said, just trim the affected leaves.
 
Things have been chugging along nicely for the large tank (I can't say that for the cube, but I'll leave that for another day).
I thought it would be a good idea to get some more plant mass in there, as I've had to trim the algae affected leaves.
I also wasn't happy with what was going on in the front left corner. Soil was slipping through cracks, so I haphazardly chucked in a few rocks.

Left corner before...the carnage!
LeftCornerBefore.jpg

The point at which I was wondering what on earth I was doing.
LeftCornerDuring.jpg

After...sigh of relief.
LeftCornerAfter.jpg

It's had some unintentional beneficial effects, more light and more flow. The right side needed a bit of attention too.
Here's a satisfying FTS before and after. It's a bit bigger than normal, to see more detail. Sorry if I'm smashing your data!
BeforeAfterFrontRescape.jpg
 
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