need some more advice

[houndour]

I need some advice...I feel like i've hit a dead end.

I haven't seen my plants pearling in ages...

Tank 19UK gallons...about 22 US gallons.
Light 55 Watt T5 compact interpet tube (Daylight bulb...had the Triplus before).
CO2...Nutrafin (DIY mixtures)...think I have found the best I'm going to get...ranges between 18-29ppm over a week so far.
Have an undergravel heater...I don't even know if this is working! I can't feel any heat from the cable. Have I got a broken one? Or do I need to feel the cable thats actually in the substrate?
I do water changes once every 7 days. I change about 20% to 25%.
I now have a Fluval 104, currently running along side my fluval trio 2000. The trio 2000 will be removed in 2 weeks.

My hair grass is dying. Or rather is dies at the same rate that it grows, so I have about the same amount that I started with 2 months ago.

I'm not sure what the next move should be.

Have I got too much CO2 for the amount of light I've got? Or should I get an extra light? If so any recommendations? I've been looking at the 18 watt dennerle (spelling) bulbs.

oohh nearly forgot...got my Iron test kit last night...ZERO iron. No cleated or non-cleated.

Where do you guys get your dennerle fertilisers from? I havent checked my nitrates recently but they are always around the 20ppm mark. And last time I checked phosphate it was between 0.1 and 0.25.

Now I look at the above, maybe my next move would be to get the fertilisers right before getting a light? But I think my hairgrass need more light. Hmmm. Would love to hear what you think.

 

[jimbooo]

HA HA

oohh nearly forgot...got my Iron test kit last night...ZERO iron. No cleated or non-cleated.

ditto.

behind light, nitrate and CO2 Iron (FE) is the next on the list essential for plant growth.

read my thread

Here

the solution was this

Kent Botanic FE

no other fertaliser had enough iron in it. i was finding iron was used up instantly but the rest of the nutrients in the multi fertaliser were still there hence refertalising put way too much potassium, blah blah (not a scientist) in the water.

since using the kent FE stuff iron stays in the water all week. and my plants pearl all the time right up to the water change.

hope that helps.

 

[houndour]

thank you thank you. i've just ordered myself a bottle from aquatics online. if they were as quick as delivering my fe test kit, then I should get it by Friday.

 

[jimbooo]

that was quick. should get you back on track.

good luck