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Your my last hope people!

Hi all I’m new to the group….I am literally close to shutting tank down I have had enough.
What happened? Why are you close to shutting down?

excuse it at the moment I’ve stripped it down ready for bigger tank just 350 coming.
I don't get it. You are thinking about leaving the hobby but getting a bigger tank?
 
Hi all,
  • It is rarely ferts
  • 99% of the time co2 is the issue
I think floating plants are advocated mainly by those that never use CO2. Me , for instance.
That is why I needed a floating plant for the <"Duckweed Index"> it takes CO2 (and, nearly always, light) out of the equation. Once you've excluded them? That only leaves the mineral nutrients.

If you end up with this <"C02 ISSUES">? You know that you are supplying all the nutrients plants need.

dscf2076-jpg-jpg.jpg

My suggestion to @Hera6891 is to get a complete nutrient mix, as suggested by @PARAGUAY , @hypnogogia & @ElleDee, and a floating plant, and see what happens.

@Hera6891 have a read through <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. I'm <"obviously biased">, but it helps separate out the <"coffee from the froth">.

I understand <"that CO2 is really important">, but I think the chances of the OP's issues not being a mineral nutrient related are really low, purely because he isn't using any fertiliser and there are 14 different options for <"Liebig's Limiting Nutrient">.

cheers Darrel
 
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The above should be posted at the start of each help request.
Why do we ask these questions?
It will stop the member posting multiple times and helpers don't need to scroll through a whole thread to find them.
 
I think all the comments about Easy Carbo and choosing a simpler and better basic dose, like TNC are right. I'm going to suggest something that helps me and others may disagree with. I have a smaller tank with a dirt substrate (a version of the dieted tank thread by Tim on here), capped with a plastic grid sheet, covered by sand and some sponge filters, so no great flow. Using low tech I find the plants develop better in this. I think flow is important with CO2 but, heresy, NOT with Low tech. I then transfer these plants to my larger tank once they thrive – that bigger tank is also low tech, but has more flow. I find new plants sometimes struggle in this tank. So, my suggestion is switch ferts, keep the CO2, but have a small 30 litre dirted tank, and use that as a nursery. Also useful for babies or shrimp. I would also have floating plants in both tanks.
 
water change routine 30% twice or 50% are needed weekly on CO2 aquarium
Can you elaborate on this? Is it basically CO2 means faster growth which requires dosing which necessitates water changes to clear unused nutrients? I'm currently running CO2 with no ferts and minimal water changes and things seem ok, but maybe that is because it's quite new atm?
 
Bit harsh…
Yes, my comment should have maybe been a bit more constructive.

What I see is a tank that's got a huge bioload from the fish, lots of organic waste. Some of these fish appear to like nibbling on the plants.
To me we have a rather erratic lightning schedule, it's constantly changing. Co2 being dosed in insufficient amounts leading to yet more instability (for the record I don't think this tank needs co2 injection) and the wrong choice of plants for a fish dominated set up.

So I'd try and add a bit of stability to the tank, pick a light setting that you like and try to keep it at this level throughout the photo period, 50~60% should be fine with a short (30min) ramp up/down.
Either focus on getting the CO2 stable from lights on to lights off, or stop injecting it.
Try and pick plants that are less demanding, cryptocoryne, echinodorus etc.

Fertilizer wise adding a complete one won't do any harm. I just kind of feel you could chuck ei levels of ferts in this tank and we'd still see similar problems.
 
Hi all,
Is it basically CO2 means faster growth which requires dosing which necessitates water changes to clear unused nutrients?
Plants can only make use of the extra CO2 if none of the mineral nutrients are limiting plant growth. The water change is reset, that removes the organic compounds, waxes etc. that plants create, as well as any "excess" nutrients.
I'm currently running CO2 with no ferts and minimal water changes and things seem ok, but maybe that is because it's quite new atm?
In the long term that isn't sustainable situation.

You will need to add fertiliser, you can either add it on a regular basis, or when a non-CO2 limited plant shows deficiency symptoms.

Cheers Darrel
 
Can you elaborate on this? Is it basically CO2 means faster growth which requires dosing which necessitates water changes to clear unused nutrients? I'm currently running CO2 with no ferts and minimal water changes and things seem ok, but maybe that is because it's quite new atm?

Your plants are going to run out of food. CO2 is only part of what they consume; they’ll also strip N, P, K, Ca, Mg and micronutrients.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi all,


That is why I needed a floating plant for the <"Duckweed Index"> it takes CO2 (and, nearly always, light) out of the equation. Once you've excluded them? That only leaves the mineral nutrients.

If you end up with this <"C02 ISSUES">? You know that you are supplying all the nutrients plants need.

View attachment 216245

My suggestion to @Hera6891 is to get a complete nutrient mix, as suggested by @PARAGUAY , @hypnogogia & @ElleDee, and a floating plant, and see what happens.

@Hera6891 have a read through <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">. I'm <"obviously biased">, but it helps separate out the <"coffee from the froth">.

I understand <"that CO2 is really important">, but I think the chances of the OP's issues not being a mineral nutrient related are really low, purely because he isn't using any fertiliser and there are 14 different options for <"Liebig's Limiting Nutrient">.

cheers Darrel
is that a pic of your tank @dw1305 ? #verdant
 
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