Hi everybody,
since a few years I started again with this beautiful hobby. My 13 (50 L) gallon tank is in my office at work. In the beginning the pogostemon helferi grew great, nice big leafs etc. Than came a bad period with lost of algea, trial and error. I think I have it all pretty balanced now with the EI. Almost no algae except for the occasional GSA. But I am still not satisfied yet because my Heterana Zosterifolia has black pinholes in the tip of the older leafs (shrimps will tare it apart) and the growth of the pogostemon helferi is not really coming back some how??? Small leafs, holes (burned edge) in older leafs, stunted growth. Others plants like my HC, crypt's and val are fine and growing well. Crypt is creating even bigger leafs.
Specs:
14 gallon low light tank (15 watt)
internal filter (with home made spray-bar out of a 15 ml centrifuge tube)
24/7 DIY CO2 with diffuser (change every 3 weeks)
Once every 2 weeks ~30% WC
Sand with nutrient substrate below
Minimal fish load (9 tertra's) and lots of shrimp.
Dosing:
KNO3 20 ppm 1x week
KH2PO4 2-3 ppm 1x week
Micro (easy life profito) dosing according to bottle (5 ml on 14 gallon) 1x week
EasyCarbo (alt. C source) when changing DIY CO2 bottle
(I don't have any tests, just dose by looking at the plants)
My tank is pretty full of plants with lots of moss. I wonder if 20 ppm is enough? Also sand is maybe not the best choice because there is not enough debris between substrate for bacteria. I made sure that there is enough circulation.
Any suggestions?
since a few years I started again with this beautiful hobby. My 13 (50 L) gallon tank is in my office at work. In the beginning the pogostemon helferi grew great, nice big leafs etc. Than came a bad period with lost of algea, trial and error. I think I have it all pretty balanced now with the EI. Almost no algae except for the occasional GSA. But I am still not satisfied yet because my Heterana Zosterifolia has black pinholes in the tip of the older leafs (shrimps will tare it apart) and the growth of the pogostemon helferi is not really coming back some how??? Small leafs, holes (burned edge) in older leafs, stunted growth. Others plants like my HC, crypt's and val are fine and growing well. Crypt is creating even bigger leafs.
Specs:
14 gallon low light tank (15 watt)
internal filter (with home made spray-bar out of a 15 ml centrifuge tube)
24/7 DIY CO2 with diffuser (change every 3 weeks)
Once every 2 weeks ~30% WC
Sand with nutrient substrate below
Minimal fish load (9 tertra's) and lots of shrimp.
Dosing:
KNO3 20 ppm 1x week
KH2PO4 2-3 ppm 1x week
Micro (easy life profito) dosing according to bottle (5 ml on 14 gallon) 1x week
EasyCarbo (alt. C source) when changing DIY CO2 bottle
(I don't have any tests, just dose by looking at the plants)
My tank is pretty full of plants with lots of moss. I wonder if 20 ppm is enough? Also sand is maybe not the best choice because there is not enough debris between substrate for bacteria. I made sure that there is enough circulation.
Any suggestions?