robsgalaxy
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Hi, I'm starting up my 2nd tank, 1st was 30g this one is 187g with a 60g sump.
This 187g tank will be planted and roseline fish in it, I love the roseline and built the tank just for them. There will also be a couple platties to offset it.
Here's my specs
tank - 72" x 20" x 30"
lights - burning 2x 96w Corlife colormax 6700k 34inch, compact florescent
lights - burning 2x 96w Corlife colormax 10000k 34inch, compact florecent (I know they should be 6700k and they will be once I get more bulbs) The blast is capable of holding 2 more bulbs so it could be 600w.
sumpump - no specs nothing on pump but its big and does well.
powerheads - 2 tunze powerheads (the large ones)
Abstrate - Flourite for planted tank
The beginning of October 2012 I planted the tank. The substrate is Flourite for planted tanks, I was told it had everything needed except potassium.
The first couple weeks was great, even up to a month, the plants were growing 2in a day, at least the tall ones in the back of the tank. The others were growing as well but not as rapidily. After the plants went in I added the wood on the right side of the tank. They weren't able to sink so they had to be added later. The big piece of wood sunk right away so it went in first. The water stayed clear, most said it would go brown but it didn't.
So as everything was doing great I thought everything would work out good but then at one point, about a month, they just stopped growing. They still looked good and alive but weren't growing. Then they slowly showed signs of death and died day by day over the period of 3 months.The tops always looked good and lasted the longest.
The worst part is about a week ago I was under the impression my tank was cycled properly and water tests showed up great. I had a couple platties in there for about 2 1/2 months and they were doing good. So a week ago I added 7 roseline sharks and unfortunately they have been dieing off and its killing me. The 4th day the first died the next day another and so on. I have 3 left and its been 8 days and they seem to be doing ok as we speak. As soon as 1 died I had the water tested again and there was some ammonia in there, not good. The ammonia didn't show up when I got them.
Now I left all my plants in there way too long, I was always hoping they would recover but my friend thinks they were so much rot they were the cause of the ammonia. Guy at fish store will buy along with it. Anyways I immediately took all the dead plants out and have been doing water changes the last couple days to try and fix it. I'll be getting it tested again in a couple days.
I was always adding potassium to the water because I was told it was needed and not in the subsrate. Now I've been told I dont' reallay need it.
It makes it difficult when all these "pros" say different things, I realize there is a lot to it but some are so contradiciting yet they are both pros. So I'm on here to try and get some guideance on what I should be doing.
I have no place for the 3 roselines and am hoping they stay strong and live through all this, the platty is doing great.
So basically I'm starting over with plants and if you can help that would be great.
What do you recommend on plants? I don't really want co2 but who knows?
What tests should I be looking into to check everything is good for plants?
This 187g tank will be planted and roseline fish in it, I love the roseline and built the tank just for them. There will also be a couple platties to offset it.
Here's my specs
tank - 72" x 20" x 30"
lights - burning 2x 96w Corlife colormax 6700k 34inch, compact florescent
lights - burning 2x 96w Corlife colormax 10000k 34inch, compact florecent (I know they should be 6700k and they will be once I get more bulbs) The blast is capable of holding 2 more bulbs so it could be 600w.
sumpump - no specs nothing on pump but its big and does well.
powerheads - 2 tunze powerheads (the large ones)
Abstrate - Flourite for planted tank
The beginning of October 2012 I planted the tank. The substrate is Flourite for planted tanks, I was told it had everything needed except potassium.
The first couple weeks was great, even up to a month, the plants were growing 2in a day, at least the tall ones in the back of the tank. The others were growing as well but not as rapidily. After the plants went in I added the wood on the right side of the tank. They weren't able to sink so they had to be added later. The big piece of wood sunk right away so it went in first. The water stayed clear, most said it would go brown but it didn't.
So as everything was doing great I thought everything would work out good but then at one point, about a month, they just stopped growing. They still looked good and alive but weren't growing. Then they slowly showed signs of death and died day by day over the period of 3 months.The tops always looked good and lasted the longest.
The worst part is about a week ago I was under the impression my tank was cycled properly and water tests showed up great. I had a couple platties in there for about 2 1/2 months and they were doing good. So a week ago I added 7 roseline sharks and unfortunately they have been dieing off and its killing me. The 4th day the first died the next day another and so on. I have 3 left and its been 8 days and they seem to be doing ok as we speak. As soon as 1 died I had the water tested again and there was some ammonia in there, not good. The ammonia didn't show up when I got them.
Now I left all my plants in there way too long, I was always hoping they would recover but my friend thinks they were so much rot they were the cause of the ammonia. Guy at fish store will buy along with it. Anyways I immediately took all the dead plants out and have been doing water changes the last couple days to try and fix it. I'll be getting it tested again in a couple days.
I was always adding potassium to the water because I was told it was needed and not in the subsrate. Now I've been told I dont' reallay need it.
It makes it difficult when all these "pros" say different things, I realize there is a lot to it but some are so contradiciting yet they are both pros. So I'm on here to try and get some guideance on what I should be doing.
I have no place for the 3 roselines and am hoping they stay strong and live through all this, the platty is doing great.
So basically I'm starting over with plants and if you can help that would be great.
What do you recommend on plants? I don't really want co2 but who knows?
What tests should I be looking into to check everything is good for plants?
