Still Have Concerns
- Thread starter Kaidonni
- Start date
There's little actual technical data there, but from the text I would not waste my money on this tube. I have had similar so-called plant tubes, and they are weak in intensity, and turn the aquarium a sort of goulish purple/pink hue. Plants will not be at their best, and algae will take advantage.
Good tubes are the Hagen Life-Glo or the ZooMed UltraSun.
Byron.
Good tubes are the Hagen Life-Glo or the ZooMed UltraSun.
Byron.
Fortunately the closer lfs has sun-glo and I think glo-life (life-glo, Hagen...they do stock a fair amount of Fluval/Hagen products). I can pick one up tomorrow, as this light in the tank at the moment hasn't been on for ages. I've been using it today, but it's best to get a new one in just in case the old one blows a fuse and knocks the electricity out...
Kaidonni said:
Just make sure you have the right name, as all these "Glo" tubes can get mixed up. The Life-Glo is the best of the bunch for a moderately planted tank. It is the closest colour to mid-day sun, so there is a fairly true rendition of plant and fish colours. It is high in the red, blue and green wavelengths, and studies have shown that this combination promotes plant growth best. The Kelvin is 6700K, and generally a K between 5000K and 7000K is in the right range. The Sun-Glo that I believe you have is 4200K, which will appear warmer, so when you get the Life-Glo it will seem cooler, but you get used to it.
The Aqua-Glo is not worth having, it is much along the lines of the Arcadia you linked earlier. The Aqua-Glo is half the intensity of the Life-Glo. I have used both. I've also used the Power-Glo which has the intensity but the tank appears purplish, and plants all look funny.
Tubes do lose intensity as they burn, and at some point they will still light but the intensity will be weak; the plants begin to suffer and algae increases. I have experimented with Life-Glo over several tanks for a few years, and find that replacing the tube every 12-15 months is best. I aim for 12. By the time they reached 17-18 months, there was a noticeable issue with plants/algae that resolved with a new tube.
Byron.
I shot some more video of the tank. I'm just making sure I'm getting things right now. I turned the filter return flow the opposite direction on Thursday, I only actually moved the filter housing itself a short amount tonight. The WCMMs float more calmly in the middle now, especially during feeding. I fed some pea this evening and they were very lively, far more than they usually are - I've managed to get the temperature down to 22C according to the internal thermometer stuck to the glass, but the light might have helped a little too. I'm hoping that after turning the heater down to 19C, the tank should drop to 21C over night (I think it heats about 2C or so above where it's set, as it was at 20C and looked like the water was reading at 22C).
I'll stick to turning the light on during daylight, and then turning it off while other lights are on in the living room (and then dialling those lights down because I only usually have a lamp on anyway). The lighting hours...not completely decided on those. I turned it on at 2:30pm today and will turn it off at 9pm, it might be a good idea to go from ~12pm/1pm to 9pm so I can feed them while the light is on and see how much they are eating of what gets put in.
I filmed the Minnows a fair amount in case anything is wrong with them. I've never had the light on with them in there, so I do keep wondering. The one male Minnow does have a rather flat belly, but he has been like that for a long time now, going into last year; he clamps his fins quite a bit, but he is also lively, presents himself to the other male and the females, eats (not overly lots, but he does eat - I filmed part of the video after feeding the pea, and he's got a bumpy belly). I don't think he has internal parasites *touch wood*, for his belly to be that flat I figure he'd have to be pretty far gone if he did have parasites. Not that I've noticed the Minnows defecating the past week (the week before, when I rehomed the Clown Loach, I noticed signs of constipation on at least one female in trailing poo behind her), but then I might just not be looking at the right time and they're passing the feces properly now (and quickly).
I do think Minnows are an awkward fish when it comes to colouring, as many images on the internet show their gills as quite red, and their bodies can be redenned also (as in the case of at least one of the female Minnows). I do wonder if they actually have problems such as internal bacterial infections (as their bodies could appear redenned in that instance...and I'm wondering about the one female Minnow right now) or gill problems, but they are also all acting lively and eating plenty.
I did manage to kick up particles when I pruned some of the plants earlier, that might be visible in the video... The Minnows took a taste of that stuff and spit it back out. I'm aiming for 20-22 litres tomorrow in my water change, and also cleaning the filter and rotating the filter floss.
I'll stick to turning the light on during daylight, and then turning it off while other lights are on in the living room (and then dialling those lights down because I only usually have a lamp on anyway). The lighting hours...not completely decided on those. I turned it on at 2:30pm today and will turn it off at 9pm, it might be a good idea to go from ~12pm/1pm to 9pm so I can feed them while the light is on and see how much they are eating of what gets put in.
I filmed the Minnows a fair amount in case anything is wrong with them. I've never had the light on with them in there, so I do keep wondering. The one male Minnow does have a rather flat belly, but he has been like that for a long time now, going into last year; he clamps his fins quite a bit, but he is also lively, presents himself to the other male and the females, eats (not overly lots, but he does eat - I filmed part of the video after feeding the pea, and he's got a bumpy belly). I don't think he has internal parasites *touch wood*, for his belly to be that flat I figure he'd have to be pretty far gone if he did have parasites. Not that I've noticed the Minnows defecating the past week (the week before, when I rehomed the Clown Loach, I noticed signs of constipation on at least one female in trailing poo behind her), but then I might just not be looking at the right time and they're passing the feces properly now (and quickly).
I do think Minnows are an awkward fish when it comes to colouring, as many images on the internet show their gills as quite red, and their bodies can be redenned also (as in the case of at least one of the female Minnows). I do wonder if they actually have problems such as internal bacterial infections (as their bodies could appear redenned in that instance...and I'm wondering about the one female Minnow right now) or gill problems, but they are also all acting lively and eating plenty.
I did manage to kick up particles when I pruned some of the plants earlier, that might be visible in the video... The Minnows took a taste of that stuff and spit it back out. I'm aiming for 20-22 litres tomorrow in my water change, and also cleaning the filter and rotating the filter floss.
That's it...I've absolutely had it with these tests. The nitrite ones went right the way down after the Clown Loach was rehomed, but the ammonia one has not budged from it's faint reading. I *think* it was roughly about the same when the Clown Loach was in the tank, and it's still there. Obviously he would have contributed to the bioload as such it would lead to increased ammonia and nitrites, which both registered as faint readings, but he somehow magically didn't actually touch the ammonia because that hasn't changed since...
I think I want to rehome the Minnows and just trash this tank. I'm not going to tolerate those faint readings whatsoever, and given I have OCD, I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder and worrying. Fish keeping really isn't for me. Not anymore. It's far too fiddly. I'm done, just done completely...
I think I want to rehome the Minnows and just trash this tank. I'm not going to tolerate those faint readings whatsoever, and given I have OCD, I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder and worrying. Fish keeping really isn't for me. Not anymore. It's far too fiddly. I'm done, just done completely...
I did the 20 litre/40% water change as planned. The first 10 litres added was a bit warmer than the water in the tank, and I did add it rather quickly, within 5-10 minutes. I added the next 10 litres over 5-10 minutes also, but I managed to match it closer to the temperature, perhaps a little under/over (and I also messed about with the plants before adding the second 10 litres, so I didn't add it right after). I added the dechlorinator as I was filling the bucket each time, the first time round the water was a bit cloudy... I could have probably let the tap run a bit longer I suppose, but I felt a little bit in a rush, doing it in an hour before lunch...
I do hope I haven't damaged my biological cycle or introduced anything nasty into the tank/poisoned the fish. I could have probably added the first 10 litres a lot slower, and also been a bit slower on the second 10 litres. At the moment there do appear to be tiny bubbles over the plants and floating in the water...
I do hope I haven't damaged my biological cycle or introduced anything nasty into the tank/poisoned the fish. I could have probably added the first 10 litres a lot slower, and also been a bit slower on the second 10 litres. At the moment there do appear to be tiny bubbles over the plants and floating in the water...
I see nothing at all of concern in the video, quite the opposite. The fish are behaving normally now, and I even spotted some interaction. The fish have no issues I can see either.
It is normal for fish to pick up any stuff they think might be food, and chew it and spit it out. They can do this with actual food too. Normal.
To the ammonia. Please, forget it. You are using Prime, and it does affect some tests. And the fish are showing no signs of ammonia issues. I haven't tested ammonia or nitrite in decades, literally; only time is when I sense a problem from a sudden change in how the fish act such as one can get if something goes wrong in the water or a pathogen is introduced, then I test as a first step in identifying issues.
Nothing of concern re the water changes. However, as a general rule, always add water just a bit cooler, not warmer, than the tank water. And the bubbles are normal, that is CO2 in the tap water. And using the dechlorinator in the bucket does cause a slight cloudiness; I have this with my 10g on which I use a pail, but not in the tanks I fill directly. Nothing to fuss over.
One observation on the plants. The Java Fern, make sure the rhizome is not buried in the substrate or it may well rot and kill the plant. The true hair-like roots can work themselves into the substrate, but the thick rhizome must remain above. And I see a bit of yellowing around the leaf edges; this is a nutrient deficiency. Are you adding any plant fertilizer? If yes, which and how much. You will need this, especially now the light is on.
Byron.
It is normal for fish to pick up any stuff they think might be food, and chew it and spit it out. They can do this with actual food too. Normal.
To the ammonia. Please, forget it. You are using Prime, and it does affect some tests. And the fish are showing no signs of ammonia issues. I haven't tested ammonia or nitrite in decades, literally; only time is when I sense a problem from a sudden change in how the fish act such as one can get if something goes wrong in the water or a pathogen is introduced, then I test as a first step in identifying issues.
Nothing of concern re the water changes. However, as a general rule, always add water just a bit cooler, not warmer, than the tank water. And the bubbles are normal, that is CO2 in the tap water. And using the dechlorinator in the bucket does cause a slight cloudiness; I have this with my 10g on which I use a pail, but not in the tanks I fill directly. Nothing to fuss over.
One observation on the plants. The Java Fern, make sure the rhizome is not buried in the substrate or it may well rot and kill the plant. The true hair-like roots can work themselves into the substrate, but the thick rhizome must remain above. And I see a bit of yellowing around the leaf edges; this is a nutrient deficiency. Are you adding any plant fertilizer? If yes, which and how much. You will need this, especially now the light is on.
Byron.
I've just gone and lifted the java ferns out of the gravel so the rhizome is exposed. Probably not as aesthetic as before, but if the plants die then it's a null point anyway. They aren't planted as such now, just on top of the gravel due to the rhizome usually being in an awkward place among the roots at the base of the plant.
As for fertilizer...no, none. I'm assuming now that these plants will start cannibalizing the nitrates in the tank, so I won't have a high-nitrate issue any longer...I'll have a low nitrate problem instead?
I tested right before the water change. The last use of Prime was on Wednesday when I topped up with 2-3 litres. Before that, last weekend. Does it impair tests for a very long time?
I moved the filter down a little more in case it was causing bubbles due to surface tension, I'll turn the air stone back on now also.
As for fertilizer...no, none. I'm assuming now that these plants will start cannibalizing the nitrates in the tank, so I won't have a high-nitrate issue any longer...I'll have a low nitrate problem instead?
I tested right before the water change. The last use of Prime was on Wednesday when I topped up with 2-3 litres. Before that, last weekend. Does it impair tests for a very long time?
I moved the filter down a little more in case it was causing bubbles due to surface tension, I'll turn the air stone back on now also.
I'm not sure, as I never use Prime. I have read from others that it does mess with some tests, that's all. Again, I really would not worry about ammonia given everything else.
Plants need 17 nutrients, of which nitrogen is one. Plants prefer nitrogen as ammonia/ammonium, which is why they are so good at taking up ammonia. Now, the faster-growing the plant species, the more ammonia (and other nutrients) they will need and take up. And Java Fern is a slow-growing plant. I always have floating plants in my tanks because they are the fastest growing so they do the most at removing "stuff" from the water.
Plants will only turn to taking up nitrate when ammonia/ammonium is insufficient (in balance with light and the other nutrients) for their need. Again, slow-growing plants will do this less. So I wouldn't expect too much nitrate removal here. However, this gets us into another issue, and that is, the source of the nitrate. If nitrate is occurring from within the tank, as the final stage in nitrification, then plants will keep it lower because they are taking up much of the ammonia/ammonium so there is less nitrite and thus less nitrate. But if the nitrate is entering with the source water (tap water), that is not going to lower much. Have you tested your tap water for nitrate? And just what is the nitrate test result for the aquarium water?
Back to the nutrients, I recommend a basic comprehensive liquid fertilizer. I use Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement, added once a week after the water change. It takes very little, but it contains almost everything and this is a good source for the micro nutrients especially which are usually the ones likely to be missing otherwise.
Byron.
The last time I tested the tap water for nitrates, it was 30-40ppm according to the API test. The pipes have recently been flushed, so it might make a difference; the chart I found from 2013 stated between 19.3-33ppm nitrates in the tap water. My tank was 40-80ppm last time I tested, I haven't tested for several weeks now (I'll probably test in the next couple of weeks - likely some time this week - doing the larger water changes and having a much smaller bioload should help). I need a rest from all my testing. Ammonia and nitrite this morning, ammonia and pH this evening...I do these tests almost every other day at the moment with all that has been happening.
Will I be able to get away with dosing with something like Flourish next weekend? For an extra £2 I can get it shipped quicker, but is there a rush as long as I can get it by next weekend for my next water change?
I've now fiddled about moving the thermometer...I noticed the Minnows swimming at the far end by the filter and getting caught in the flow, and now and then twirling back. I didn't want any of them to smack into the thermometer...
My fiddling with the plants earlier also kicked up particles (they're settled now though). After all that cleaning, I made a mess of things again...
Will I be able to get away with dosing with something like Flourish next weekend? For an extra £2 I can get it shipped quicker, but is there a rush as long as I can get it by next weekend for my next water change?
I've now fiddled about moving the thermometer...I noticed the Minnows swimming at the far end by the filter and getting caught in the flow, and now and then twirling back. I didn't want any of them to smack into the thermometer...
My fiddling with the plants earlier also kicked up particles (they're settled now though). After all that cleaning, I made a mess of things again...
Yes on Flourish Comprehensive next weekend, or whenever you get it, no rush. Just make sure it is the Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium, to give it the full name. There are several different products in the "Flourish" line.
On the nitrates, this is high. Am I reading correctly that this is in the tap water?
On the nitrates, this is high. Am I reading correctly that this is in the tap water?
I've found this online, looks like the right stuff. How much would I dose for ~50 litres? 0.5ml going by the instructions on Seachem's site, or less - or more?
Just tested, the tank is coming in at 40-80ppm (it's no lower than 40ppm according to the API chart), and the tap is coming in at ~30ppm (or at least somewhere in the middle between 20-40ppm). Either that or I shook the tests too well... My tap water therefore poses a problem, because I could really be at 50-60ppm, but a 50% change would drop me to only 40-45ppm in that case.
Also, the light wasn't turned on until 6pm this evening because I wasn't around and my father forgot. Yesterday and Saturday I ran it from 2pm-9pm, although I think it's odd timing what with it already being past the middle of the day by 2pm in terms of daylight. I could switch it on before I go to work at 8.20am, but then that takes it to 4-5pm if I go by 6-8 hours lighting, so I won't exactly get to see the fish while it's all lit up (not that this is the important thing). How long would be too long, and what are the best hours to do it during, as 2pm-9pm seems awkward?
Also, the thermometer seems to have balanced out just above 22C (not 23C, somewhere in-between, but very close to 22C). The heater is turned all the way down now.
Just tested, the tank is coming in at 40-80ppm (it's no lower than 40ppm according to the API chart), and the tap is coming in at ~30ppm (or at least somewhere in the middle between 20-40ppm). Either that or I shook the tests too well... My tap water therefore poses a problem, because I could really be at 50-60ppm, but a 50% change would drop me to only 40-45ppm in that case.
Also, the light wasn't turned on until 6pm this evening because I wasn't around and my father forgot. Yesterday and Saturday I ran it from 2pm-9pm, although I think it's odd timing what with it already being past the middle of the day by 2pm in terms of daylight. I could switch it on before I go to work at 8.20am, but then that takes it to 4-5pm if I go by 6-8 hours lighting, so I won't exactly get to see the fish while it's all lit up (not that this is the important thing). How long would be too long, and what are the best hours to do it during, as 2pm-9pm seems awkward?
Also, the thermometer seems to have balanced out just above 22C (not 23C, somewhere in-between, but very close to 22C). The heater is turned all the way down now.
Decided to film two of the female Minnows, wondering (read worried - am I anything but?) if their gills are inflamed or enlarged, or unaturally red or irritated, and with the one female if she's clamping her fins too much (the one the video finishes on). I do notice them trying to fight the current a lot in the corner, as well as the other three Minnows.
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