I have had my tank setup for close to two months now. The first month was a relative breeze and the start of the second month i got Diatoms and green dust, which did not alarm me at at all, some otos and maintenance did the trick. Then I started getting staghorn on my Stauro 049, in addition to poor growth. Not just slow growth but spindly dwarf type growth.
The tank is a 72G 48in wide 4x54 T5 HO 10k lights (but I only was using 2), about 24 inches deep, the top of the light fixture to the substrate is 23 inches. The substrate is boiled wormcastings (done by the letter the way Tom describes) as the lowest layer supplemented by osmocote, and dolomite (to help me deal with my sometime erratic dosing due to work travel) topped with EcoComplete. I was using pressurized CO2 going into the tank via a RIO RVT 800. CO2 was going into the venturi and making a mist, which was spread throughout the tank. After about 5-6 weeks I was dissatisfied with the growth, the rotala indica has spindly green growth, ludwigia was green and small even the moneywort which I put in to get some quick mass was not growing that much and that well, the cambomba furcata I put in was disaster as well, the crypts I had were actually the only plant doing well. Then more green dust, diatoms and staghorn showed up. I figured it was CO2, then I read a post discussing my light fixture and its apparently crappy reflectors and really only put out at T5 levels rather than the T5HO levels, so I switched on a 3rd bulb of 6500k and actinic. Right before this I decided to setup a cerges reactor, but I couldn't find the right PVC pipe so I just ran the CO2 into the intake of my Mag 5 in my wet dry. Less than a week later, the growth in size of the Ludwigia repens leaves was 4x larger, the rotala growth was thicker, I still have the staghorn on the stauro, but its not getting worse.
A little more background. The original plants for the redo came from a neglected tank, I had rotala indica in its classic emersed form with just stems in the water, It was going no CO2, for a few weeks. I had plants growing out the sides and down my tank including the ludwigia repens and moneywort, but basically all the parts of the plants in the tank had to be cut off and tossed. To top this, my mail order plant order was delayed by month, so I could not get the dense planting in my tank right away like I wanted and had to rely more on my existing plants which were basically all in emergent form. However, I thought the CO2 would help in their transition back. I have also just added Dwarf Hairgrass and HC, a week ago, which basically looks like it did a week ago. The Staruo is rooting, but hasn't really taken off yet.
So it will probably be a mystery, but I am trying to find out what factor(s) have caused what appears to be a sudden improvement in growth, and what I should do next.
Was it the CO2?, I didn't change the rate, and not really even the method, i'm just running through a different pump that is in sump as opposed to a powerhead in the tank, there's not much of a change in the drop checker. However, the mist is virtually invisible now.
Was it the lighting? I cranked up my lighting with one more bulb, plus the actinic. I have been keeping up with water changes and maintenance, the fish are fine. Was it the transition of emergent to immersed that caused the delay. Could it be the plants are finally tapping the nutrients from the roots/substrate, my dosing has been EI since I restarted.
Or is it simply just time? Does it usually take two months for things to start growing even with CO2?
Based on what I provided any educated guess and advice would be appreciated.
The tank is a 72G 48in wide 4x54 T5 HO 10k lights (but I only was using 2), about 24 inches deep, the top of the light fixture to the substrate is 23 inches. The substrate is boiled wormcastings (done by the letter the way Tom describes) as the lowest layer supplemented by osmocote, and dolomite (to help me deal with my sometime erratic dosing due to work travel) topped with EcoComplete. I was using pressurized CO2 going into the tank via a RIO RVT 800. CO2 was going into the venturi and making a mist, which was spread throughout the tank. After about 5-6 weeks I was dissatisfied with the growth, the rotala indica has spindly green growth, ludwigia was green and small even the moneywort which I put in to get some quick mass was not growing that much and that well, the cambomba furcata I put in was disaster as well, the crypts I had were actually the only plant doing well. Then more green dust, diatoms and staghorn showed up. I figured it was CO2, then I read a post discussing my light fixture and its apparently crappy reflectors and really only put out at T5 levels rather than the T5HO levels, so I switched on a 3rd bulb of 6500k and actinic. Right before this I decided to setup a cerges reactor, but I couldn't find the right PVC pipe so I just ran the CO2 into the intake of my Mag 5 in my wet dry. Less than a week later, the growth in size of the Ludwigia repens leaves was 4x larger, the rotala growth was thicker, I still have the staghorn on the stauro, but its not getting worse.
A little more background. The original plants for the redo came from a neglected tank, I had rotala indica in its classic emersed form with just stems in the water, It was going no CO2, for a few weeks. I had plants growing out the sides and down my tank including the ludwigia repens and moneywort, but basically all the parts of the plants in the tank had to be cut off and tossed. To top this, my mail order plant order was delayed by month, so I could not get the dense planting in my tank right away like I wanted and had to rely more on my existing plants which were basically all in emergent form. However, I thought the CO2 would help in their transition back. I have also just added Dwarf Hairgrass and HC, a week ago, which basically looks like it did a week ago. The Staruo is rooting, but hasn't really taken off yet.
So it will probably be a mystery, but I am trying to find out what factor(s) have caused what appears to be a sudden improvement in growth, and what I should do next.
Was it the CO2?, I didn't change the rate, and not really even the method, i'm just running through a different pump that is in sump as opposed to a powerhead in the tank, there's not much of a change in the drop checker. However, the mist is virtually invisible now.
Was it the lighting? I cranked up my lighting with one more bulb, plus the actinic. I have been keeping up with water changes and maintenance, the fish are fine. Was it the transition of emergent to immersed that caused the delay. Could it be the plants are finally tapping the nutrients from the roots/substrate, my dosing has been EI since I restarted.
Or is it simply just time? Does it usually take two months for things to start growing even with CO2?
Based on what I provided any educated guess and advice would be appreciated.