10 Gallon Planted Tank Plan

[hakova]

looks fantastic mate, i love it! ...

Thanks Bagu, I am trying to keep it that way; HC is creating the main trouble.

 

[mdwheeler]

When I took a look at your other topic I noticed that you were adding flourish excel. I'm not so sure you really need it considering its just a organic carbon, not really a fertilizer, and because you already have co2 being added to the tank (via the diy bottles).

 

[lljdma06]

@lljdma06: The filter output is directed toward surface, creating a good amount of surface agitation. BTW the flow rate of the canister filter is 100 gallons/hour, which is 10x the volume of the tank and you can feel the high volume turnover in the tank if you look closely. The fish usually stay deep in the water, which makes me think that there is no oxygenation problem in the water. Thank you for the article, I found it very interesting. The only fast grower in my tank is the sag. subulata, which started to show signs of growth and improved health, with new and brighter green leaves. I tend to assume that the slow growers, java fern and anubias will not compete with HC very much. For one thing, the actual biomass of HC is 2x more than java fern and 4x more than anubias.

HC came in pots, they were probably raised emerged, therefore this may be a reason for adjustment issues. The color and general appearance of all HC today seem a little worse than yesterday. Before noticing the posts here, I happened to open another topic basically asking for help to resuscitate the HC. You may remove that if you consider it double posting lljdma06. I apologize for this situation.

I know you were not an advocate of high intensity lighting, but now that I am adding fertilizers daily and maintaining high CO2 levels, do you think there is a place for adding that second T5 tube again (4.8w/g)? I really don't mind losing all my HC at this point, as long as I figure out a way to help survive and grow a very small portion of it. As soon as I formulate how to do this in my conditions, I can order a new batch of HC pots to replant, this time for a healthy growth. It is all about that secret art of finding he right ratios.

No, I still think you should keep your lighting. HC problems are mostly due to CO2 issues not lighting issues. I grew mine in what quite low lighting levels. Granted, it did not grow quickly, but it did do pretty well. It was a non CO2 tank, but, I was extremely lax on my waterchanges, which allowed CO2 levels, meager though they were, to become very stable. I with I had pictures, because it was really quite cute, but all this was going on when my work schedule was particularly crazy. I think the root of your problems with HC (pun certainly intended) lies with your distribution of CO2. I echo Aaron's post in the other thread. Are you using 4dkh solution? Or your tankwater in your dropchecker?

Don't consider that thread a double post. It is no big deal. Pretty much as long as you guys don't use foul language, troll, insult each other, or link to your own sales on eBay or a competing forum, I am good to go with most of what goes on here. 2 pages of forum rules and regulation boiled down to one sentence. Administration and the other mods would kill me.

I'm actually mulling over what to do with yours and Midwheelers, sort of combined journal of sorts. I think it's a great idea that you two have banded together. You two can certainly bounce ideas off eachother. Don't know whether or not to move it to journals proper, though. You two are updating the tanks here and posting pictures and asking questions. It's a cool thread.

 

[hakova]

When I took a look at your other topic I noticed that you were adding flourish excel. I'm not so sure you really need it considering its just a organic carbon, not really a fertilizer, and because you already have co2 being added to the tank (via the diy bottles).

Thanks for the suggestion mdwheeler. It is just a desperate attempt to increase carbon availability to the CO2-hungry HC, assuming that it wouldn't hurt.

@lljdma06: Thanks for your nice words. Yeah, I am using 4 dKH water in the bubble checker and I explained how I try to distribute CO2 in the tank in the other tread. I am not claiming it is adequate but it feels like that to me.

With all that fertilizer dosing, I cannot delay or decrease the amount of water changes, right?

Maybe I should just wait and see. If HC decides to do it real slow, I may be getting impatient and observing signs of unhealthiness, which really are not.

 

[mdwheeler]

To be honest the only water changes I do is what comes out of my filter media when I clean it!

I add distilled water when the water level gets low. But then again you are cycling the tank correct? If so then I understand all the wc's.

I guess it is a smart idea to keep adding the seachem flourish excel, especially with your water changes. Actually ( just got this idea) maybe add an extra dose of it every time you do a water change.

 

[hakova]

...But then again you are cycling the tank correct? If so then I understand all the wc's.

Actually I am done with cycling. The main reason for my WCs now is the use of fertilizers.

 

[mdwheeler]

Just bought a Hydor Koralia Nano for my tank. That'll give me like what....20 times circulation? (240 gph!!!) Now i'll be able to move my ugly gray powerhead behind the cabomba, get rid of the noisy fluval, and get LOTS of circulation with the new powerhead! ALso I'm hoping that the new powerhead will further pulverize my co2 bubbles. I don't really have that great of a current on the surface of the water (depends on how low or high the water is) so i'm probably gonna slightly aim it towards the surface.

I got the powerhead from Dr. Fosters & Smith. They sent me an email saying they had marked them down 40%:

http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=15955

Pretty good deal if you ask me! Also I got 5 off any purchase for joining they're email list.

ALSO when I was browsing around all these sights I thought I saw a powerhead almost completely identical to yours and I believe it was an azoo:

http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...amp;pcatid=4591

At least thats what it looked like in the pic...

I'm gonna have to trim my cabomba. Its growing and wrapping around itself because some of the stems are WAY to tall.

 

[hakova]

...I got the powerhead from Dr. Fosters & Smith. They sent me an email saying they had marked them down 40%.

Looks like a great deal!

...ALSO when I was browsing around all these sights I thought I saw a powerhead almost completely identical to yours and I believe it was an azoo.

Yep, you are right, it looks very similar (model 180).

I'm gonna have to trim my cabomba. Its growing and wrapping around itself because some of the stems are WAY to tall.

Great news, I guess it means that you are providing enough CO2 and nutrients to them.

 

[mdwheeler]

SO it's been awhile and I felt like stating how my tanks is.

Still dosing 2ml Flourish every other day. Lighting still 4.8 wpg.

All the fish are still alive (except maybe one catfish....can't tell because they're too dang hard to see!)

Hygro Rosa is contiually growing, some wisteria has capped the bottom of the tank (on the hygro rosa side).

Java moss is fine. Green stringy algae is growing on the moss but I think it looks kinda cool and is easy to control.

Now: Cabomba.
Rotting and dead. Basically it's breaking apart. I'm gonna have to trash it (all of it, literally, is dead). I'm probably just going to try and grow some more hygro rosa on that side of the tank. Kinda broke so introducing a new species is out of the question. Funny thing is I think a small snail infestation killed the cabomba. I've noticed there's a lot of those suckers on 'em and when a branch breaks theres typically a snail right on the end. They're like murderous beavers, dang things.

ttyl!

 

[hakova]

Nice hearing from you mdwheeler. I haven't been posting much lately, but I keep following the forum 3-4 days a week. Events from my end are as follows:

I failed my side of our experiment. After struggling with a single fluorescent bulb for a couple of weeks and watching mass disintegration of HC, I decided to increase the light back to 4.8 w/g. Along with that I increased the Fluorish Excel to 2 ml a day. Still supplying CO2 via two bottles continuously along with fertilizing by EI protocol. The results were not bad actually. I was able to rescue whatever was left from the original HC purchase. They don't grow and form carpet necessarily but they look lush green and healthy. They do not disintegrate any more. Dwarf sagitaria is dwarf no more. It is in the process of invading the whole tank as we speak. Many many shoots, very long leafs all over the place. It actually has a lush green color now as well, unlike the brownish color at the time of my purchase, which was probably secondary to poor health condition of the plants (covered with diatoms, etc.). I wasn't probably supposed to do this, but I went ahead and "mowed the lawn" on Sunday during weekly WC. I basically took a pair of scissors and shortened most of the very long leaves. I just wanted to provide more swimming space for the poor fishies. So far "dwarfed" sagitaria are doing OK. They didn't start producing new leaves crazily, nor did they get sick and unhealthy. Anubias barteri v. nana is growing very nicely, too. It produces 1-2 leaves every weak. So far, I wasn't able to see a flower but I don't go crazy about it. If it happens that would be a bonus, but even if it does not, I am happy to see it growing healthily. Java fern are VERY slow growers I figured, but still they are trying to produce baby plantlets, so I am happy with them, too. Star moss didn't improve a bit, so I just got rid of it. I covered the rocks with Riccia instead, which I bought from ebay and did not treat for snails. As expected, I ended up having a couple of snails in the tank. I am not a fan of snails but I just can't kill them unless I have personal convincing evidence to prove that they are harming the ecosystem; therefore they will stay. I am on the lookout for their eggs though; I already discarded a couple of batches. Especially after reading your experience with them, I will be extra careful not to miss any mishap on their part.

Following are a couple of pictures taken before Sunday, when dwarf sagitaria had not get a hair cut yet. You can see the one of the Riccia covered rocks and the leftover HC in the second picture in greater detail.