Could A Mixed Substrate Be Slowing Plant Growth?

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jaeger

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I've just set up a 50L high-tech planted nano tank about 3 weeks ago.
 
I won't bore you with the details of how this happened, but basically, I have a mixture of ADA Amazonia and Eco complete. If I had to guess I'd say it's roughly 40% ADA and 60% Eco.
 
The substrate, along with the filter media and tank water have been borrowed from another well established tank. The fish are doing fine, good water parameters, good lighting and around 30ppm of co2.
 
The plants don't seem to have done much growing yet, I know all the other parameters are fine, so it's playing on my mind that the plants aren't doing as well as they could be because the mixed substrate is slowing things down a little and is the only (in my mind) negative factor.
 
I'm dosing 5ml of TNC Complete after each 50% weekly water change and 1ml every day thereafter. The guide on the bottle says to dose 5ml once every week, can anyone see any problems with me going against this as long as I do regular water changes?
 
The plants are: 
 
HC Cuba (Hemianthus Callitrichoides) - planted in 1x1cm bunches roughly an inch apart.
Dwarf Hair Grass - again, planted in same way.
 
Both plants are still very green which is obviously a good sign!
 
If anything, the HC has grown upwards and outwards a little bit. Some of the bunches have been floating up to the surface, and as an experiment, I'm using some 'aquarium safe' strips of Lead wrapped around the roots to hold it down into the substrate. The strips are quite rigid and you literally bend it over it's self and 'clip' it onto the plant then bury it. I can't imagine any problems with this and I haven't read about this method being used before so any feedback would be welcome. I'll post the results in another topic later on.
 
The Hair Grass hasn't done a thing. I've been taking pictures every few days and comparing them for growth and I can almost certainly say they haven't grown in the slightest. 
 
I realise I may be being impatient and it can take a while for plants to acclimate before they grow but I'm unsure of how long this period is.
 
I guess the whole reason I'm posting this is because I've read about people saying how quick their plants grow, these 2 in particular. The only evidence of these plants growing slowly seem to be due to insufficient Co2, light or ferts - none of which I believe I am lacking.
 
 
how are you testing your co2? HC will detach and float if it does not like where its at EX- not enough co2 light or fert. I would suggest upping the fert doseage if in fact you do have 30ppm co2 readings. if you start to see algae then your light isn't strong enough to drive the growth your looking for. if you are using co2 and high lighting its best to dose E.I dry ferts anyways
 
I can't see the mixed substrate being a problem. In fact I believe some people advise using a mixed substrate, I'm not too sure though.
 
3 weeks really isn't a long time for a planted tank and I think you just need to be more patient with things. You're plants are healthy and that really is great at this stage, they will have just about adapted to your water and hopefully, you'll be seeing some growth soon. 
 
As Mitch has suggested, it might be a good idea for you to look in to dosing dry ferts too. It's cheaper in the long run and gives you more control, being cheaper is the main thing though :p 
 
What lights do you have and what is your CO2 injection method? Hair grass and to a greater extent HC are very high tech plants so you need to get things spot on for the, to flourish. What filter do you have and do you have any additional powerheads?
 
jaeger said:
I'm dosing 5ml of TNC Complete after each 50% weekly water change and 1ml every day thereafter. The guide on the bottle says to dose 5ml once every week, can anyone see any problems with me going against this as long as I do regular water changes?
As you're high tech you want to treble that dose. Say 2ml daily. This is probably what is limiting your growth at the moment.
And you're correct. If you're setup correctly you should be able to see HC grow daily.
MoneyMitch said:
If you start to see algae then your light isn't strong enough to drive the growth your looking for.
I don't believe that - Not in this context.



IMO
 
SO19Firearms said:
 
Just on this, I would happily take SO19's opinion on this as pretty reliable.
 
Perhaps going on my previous post, you need to elaborate on your setup so we can fully understand what you've got and maybe see where we are able to help.
 
Lunar Jetman said:
 
 
Just on this, I would happily take SO19's opinion on this as pretty reliable.
 
Perhaps going on my previous post, you need to elaborate on your setup so we can fully understand what you've got and maybe see where we are able to help.
Tank is an Aquanano 40 (these have sump/filtration built into the back), lights are TMC Aquaray Mini 400 LED set to 9 hours a day, Co2 is via FE and a glass Rhinox diffuser. Co2 comes on 2 hours before light does, at which point my KH is 10 and PH is 7 which puts me at 30ppm co2, using drop checker and Hagen master kit.
 
I've recently installed a powerhead, although I had good flow without it, I previously had zero surface agitation. Co2 has been increased to compensate for extra gas escaping.
 
Video:
 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yw_JzCqPggU
 
 
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jaeger said:
at which point my KH is 10 and PH is 7 which puts me at 30ppm co2, using drop checker and Hagen master kit.
Get yourself some 4dKH water for the drop checker.
 
SO19Firearms said:
at which point my KH is 10 and PH is 7 which puts me at 30ppm co2, using drop checker and Hagen master kit.
Get yourself some 4dKH water for the drop checker.
Tank water is 10dKH, drop checker is 4dHK is what I meant sorry.
 
If you're confident that you have flow at substrate level then you sound set - Start that fert increase and you'll be dosing at EI levels. When stuff starts growing in better you'll then need to be looking towards 50% water changes to remove the organic waste from the plants.

To answer your orig substrate question - I grew a HC carpet in my nano in inert lava chippings - x3 TNC Complete dose and TNC Carbon....so you're def looking good so far IMO
 
SO19Firearms said:
If you're confident that you have flow at substrate level then you sound set - Start that fert increase and you'll be dosing at EI levels. When stuff starts growing in better you'll then need to be looking towards 50% water changes to remove the organic waste from the plants.

To answer your orig substrate question - I grew a HC carpet in my nano in inert lava chippings - x3 TNC Complete dose and TNC Carbon....so you're def looking good so far IMO
Thank you for the vote of confidence sir! I guess now I just play the waiting game...
 

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