My 29g Re-do~~lots Of Pics

[Castellop123]

I wouldn't put holly branches in... Unless they are totally dried out, then you could try...

 

[nicklfire]

Hey hun,

Well i'm really happy when i see girls get into this hobby. It's mostly a male oriented hobby... (not trying to be sexiest) but... for some strange reason it is... i try to get my g/f into it and she's coming around now haha. Anyways.. glad to see you enjoy your hobby.. we all do it for the pure enjoyment that it makes us all happy.

If i could be totally honest with you.. i'll let you know what i truely think. i'm just being truthfull and honest. The problem i see with your dedication to this hobby is that your only going half way. You got the substrate you got the laterite you got the plants... But your lacking the other main things that are going to keep your plants growing.. instead of dying and the other thing is your opening yourself up to major algae blooms. First off your Eco-Complete contains live
Heterotrophic bacteria meaning that it contains tons of nutrients that plants normally would use tons of .. under right circumstances. Your plants are not using them because the carbon that plants need from co2 your not giving them. So... you have all these nutrients in your water.. and who's going to use them if the plants cant ... ALGAE!!!!!!!

Remember dear just because your below 2wpg does not mean that you can just get past the co2, that's not a choice at all. To be committed to this hobby you have to give your planted tank (if that's of course what type of tank you want) everything that it needs to keep a healthy environment.

Before going too much further with stocking your tank with tons of plants in there (i think i saw a lotus or a red leafed plant in there which are normally high light plants anyways) please just rethink your plan. Your stock hood that you have now isnt even effective in growing plants. You will need a compact flour to get a little more serious.

We are all here to do our research, trust me i'm learning on a continous basis. If you want to do a planted tank your going to have to get co2 there's no choice ... unless you use (excell liquid ferts). Your going to want to up your lighting to around 2.5 wpg - 3 wpg. Also your going to want to do regular weekly water changes to give your plants some trace elements plus dose them trace elements such as flourish. you already got the substrate which is expensive.. so your good to go on that point.

It's all about a perfect balance. We are all here to help you whenever you need. Your having problems with algae because you dont have a perfect environment... (trust me i'v been there.... somedays i am still there lol)

I just hate seeing people have so many problems because they are just not knowledgeable in this. I'v been learning for about 5 years.. and everyday i log onto this forum and learn a new thing or 2 if i'm lucky. There are very knowledgeable people here. Try to take away of what more they are giving you advice on and stay away from what type of wood you can put in your tank. Stay to safe things.. like normal driftwood... or sand such you have... etc... stop experimenting with the "other" things and learn more about the basics....

And your aquascaping will come in time aswell. When you learn about foreground , mid, background plants you will learn how to design aquascape. I suck at it to be honest.. but i learn from others designs.. and in the midst of doing my own.

Anyways... enough to my blabbing.. hope you took a little bit of my advice and experience.. and all the best to you. Always here to help if you need.

 

[lljdma06]

Hey hun,

Well i'm really happy when i see girls get into this hobby. It's mostly a male oriented hobby... (not trying to be sexiest) but... for some strange reason it is... i try to get my g/f into it and she's coming around now haha. Anyways.. glad to see you enjoy your hobby.. we all do it for the pure enjoyment that it makes us all happy.

Hey, Toots! I guess I come across as a guy. As does Jen, FKNM, and SB, to name but a few.

I play with you, and I mostly agree with you, especially regarding the thought about being committed to this hobby and to not go about things half-*****. However, it is entirely possible to have a successful planted tank with a lot less light than 2.5-3WPG and no CO2. Absolutes in this hobby do not exist.

I do, however, agree that the problem is with your lighting, ICEGIRL. It's a 29g right? I kept reading this thread and find your lighting combination strange, a bit piecemeal with it's multiple fixtures and such. Perhaps I've not had enough coffee this morning, but your lighting situation is confusing me. Could you clarify it? I don't want to generalize, but you'd need probably at least 1WPG to have a properly planted low-light aquarium. You could even squeak by on a little less, but your plant choices become limited. It really depends on what you want. Do you want high-light or low-light? Low-light gives you the option of not adding CO2, though I add it in two of my low-light tanks anyways.

If you have 56W over your tank now (that was the impression that I got), which is about 1.9WPG, I second the suggestion for CO2 injection. 1.9 puts you right in the cusp, and if your substrate is nutrient rich and you don't have enough plants, you get algae issues. What's bothering me, looking at your pictures, is the lack of growth, which is really strange to me. I have a tank with only 1.4WPG and the growth is mad!

Nicklfire, while I do agree that in general red plants tend to require high light, there are notable exceptions. I have a lotus in a low-light system and I also grow A. reineckii in two of my low-light systems. In addition red crypts are low-light plants and R. rotundifolia will blush pink even in well-maintained low-light systems.

I hope you sort this out, ICEGIRL. I will say that you've come a long way from your first tank. You'll get the hand of it soon. We all started from somewhere (I started with electric blue gravel ).

llj

 

[nicklfire]

yea everyone has there own input on things.. probably differs from person to person..but as a group we can help out whoever

 

[enchanted]

you need around 2W to 4W per gallon.

Be aware that if you decide to go for these light levels you have to commit to stable CO2 and a fertiliser regime. There is no half way house.

Actually at 2W (the low end) you don't need C02. It's going over 2W you do. But with stock lighting you can't even hit 1W per gallon.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Actually at 2W (the low end) you don't need C02. It's going over 2W you do. But with stock lighting you can't even hit 1W per gallon.

There`s not a lot of point in going in to the semantics WPG, as it is a very general rule, but 2WPG over 29USG without CO2 and ferts is the road to a losing battle with algae IMO.

Dave.

 

[AndyOleszczuk]

I think your tank looks great. Just add a few more plants at front centre. Some nice foreground plants that wont grow too tall.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thank you! I love honest people. That is what I was looking for. I want my tank to look good, and I want to do it right. I am trying to learn. That is why I am asking so many questions. I ask them here because I want the truth.
I have been reading and checking out other threads and stuff. What I have been able to find tells me that for CO2, I need to get a nutrifin kit, bubble counter, phosphate kit, and new lights.
I can't get the lights just yet. I am trying to get the money together for it though. I do intend to get better lighting in the near future. The two fixtures I am using now is just to get it up to a decent level with what I had here until I could get the right one. This is what I am using now... They sit on a glass hood on top...
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I am planning to add CO2. I just didn't know what I needed to get or how to use it. I have been adding excel though until I could figure it out. Will I need anything more than the nutrifin kit and bubble counter to get me started? If so what?

I am using flourish and flourish trace also to feed the plants. What else do they need?

I am looking at new lighting. I am trying to figure out what I can get that will work and not cost me a fortune. I have already spent a lot on this tank.( I am also trying to save up to get a bigger tank. )

I will get the new pics of the tank up in just a few...

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[ICEEGRL]

This is what the top of my tank looks like and what the lights look like on it...
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More on the way...


Here are a few pics of the tank now...
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I know they aren't the best pics, but I am learning that too. The pics too will get better as I learn... I hope.

Tell me what you think.

Thanks

 

[ICEEGRL]

Also... What causes the plants to do this?
View attachment 43209

 

[ICEEGRL]

And this...
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And this...
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And this...
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Almost all of the java fern looks like crap. For something that is supposed to be so easy, it is the hardest thing I have to make happy. I don't get it.

 

[Themuleous]

Right I think I can see the root of your problems -> your lighting. Those bent bulbs aren't (I wouldn't think) designed for aquariums? In which case they are probably doing more harm than good. Until you are able to get a second aquarium bulb I would take them out. Algae is far more adaptable than 'true' plants so will be able to use the light produced, whilst the plants will be left lagging behind. However, unfortunately the problems you are having with the plants is due to a lack of light. So if you could get the new lighting as soon as, I think things might start to improve.

Re CO2, the nutrafin kit has everything you need (which is why its so popular), so you don't need anything else, not even a bubble counter. The only thing I would suggest is you replace the supplied ingredients with those on the pinned article, you'll get much better CO2 production that way.

Keep it up, I've been struggling with planted tanks for years, but with help from this forum you'll get there in the end

Sam

EDIT - I forgot to say, I like your tank it has a lot of promise

 

[bullhead]

like nickfire stated earlier its all about balance.If you have equal parts of light,Co2 and nutrients(substrate) then things will take off.If one area is lacking or one area is over powering then the whole process is fouled up.You could have the best lights in the world and the best substrate known to man but if there is no Co2 then all of the other stuff is useless.Or if you have a great Co2 system and great lights and no nutirents your still in the same boat.Does this make sense.You have a good substrate,no Co2 and sub par lighting.I would also get rid of the trickle filter,it isnt helping you Co2 levels at all.Pick up a nutrifin Co2 kit and a double T-5 light fixture(around 30 to 40 bucks,try thatfishplace.com)and you'll be amazed what this alone will dh by the way I kind of liked the initial lay out,the messy look,a little more natural imo.I think once it fills out you'll be happier with it.

 

[Themuleous]

I'm sorry to have to disagree, but adding more light isn't the way forward here IMHO. Yes high light tanks can give excellent results, but high light tanks are also far less forgiving that lower light tanks. And for the 'beginner' it seems somewhat harsh to send them down a road to expensive disaster before they have got their 'hands wet' with a low light tank. Just my personal opinion.

I have a low light tank, with expensive substrate and CO2, but Ive not upgraded the lighting as I know I've not go got the time to spend on a second high light tank. Yes it means I'm not making the best use of the substrate and CO2, but if I did upgrade the light and things went belly up (which they would when I missed a water change or fert dosing for lack of time) I'd kick myself that the tank had turned into an algae farm as I decided to run before I could walk.

Just my £0.02 worth

Sam

 

[Dave Spencer]

Sam`s right, you don`t have to be high tech to have a successful planted tank.

The poster has also stated that she has intentionally stayed below 2WPG. Anyway, that`s enough talking as if you are not here ICEEGRL. Have you seen llj`s journals? Improve the quality of your lighting and use her tanks as a benchmark and example of what can be achieved.

There is more than one way to run planted tank, I just wish I knew what they were.

Dave.