Help with 30G

I recently started a 30G planted tank 3 months ago, and was initially plagued by a whole range of algae. Looking for a simplified method of dosing I decided to give Estimative Index a chance. This in combination with Seachem Excel treatment has completely eliminated my algae woes and prevented any further outbreaks. Initially for the first few weeks of using EI, all of my plants were thriving and pruning was becoming a chore However, lately a few species have been really suffering and I'm not sure why:

- Hemianthus Micranthemoides is melting away, starting from the base.
- Growing point of Rotala Rotundifolia and Ludwigia Arcuata is progressively producing smaller curved leaves, eventually not growing at all.
- Glosso producing smaller and thinner leaves. Old leaves are also rotting away.

Other species which are thriving and growing nicely:

- Blyxa Japonica is growing nicely into a big bush with long leaves, filling out a big space in the tank
- Didiplis Diandra is growing a few inches a day, however not developing any reds (prob due to high NO3)
- Heteranthera Zosterfolia is a real weed as well, developing into a thick clump.

My 30G plant parameters are:

- 4x30w T8 (all 4 are on for 4 hours, and only 2 are on for 8 hours)
- 3 bubbles per sec of CO2 into an Aquamedic 1000 reactor.
- 1/4 tsp of KNO3 3 x a week
- 1/8 tsp of KH2PO4 3 x a week
- 5 mL of Flourish 3 x a week
- 2 mL of Flourish Iron 3 x a week (to prevent pale leaf growth)
- 2 tsp of CaCl2 2 x a week
- 2 tsp of Epsom Salt 2 x a week
- 50% weekly water change

I dose immediately after a water change, and also add 1/4 tsp of Sodium Bicarb to boost KH. According to my water supply company our tap water is around 1KH and 1GH.

My question is, why are some of the plants doing poorly as I described, while others are thriving? Have I dosed sufficient nutrients given the very soft water supply? Are the lights on for too long or too strong, eventhough im not experiencing algae problems? Are the thriving plants known to inhibit the growth of other species?

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I'm convinced the EI method works and it seems to make sense. It's just a matter of fine tuning it I guess. Would like to achieve more reds by altering the dosage of KNO3, but only after I solve some of these growth issues.

 

Thanks for the reply Tom! With regards to the CO2, I adjusted the rate of CO2 by cranking it up until the fish are gasping and then backing down a notch. So I assumed my CO2 level is fine, but maybe I'm wrong. I've got a bunch of Windelov in the tank as well, which is not going black, but its not growing that quickly either. I always thought 3 bubbles per second on an Aquamedic 1000 reactor would provide plenty of CO2 for a 30 gallon aquarium, since it was designed for much larger tanks. Have you had any experience with the same reactor?

I've got a spray bar which I've positioned to cause a slight ripple on the surface and good movement across the tank. Maybe I should position it to cause less ripples?

 

Thanks for your suggestion Joe, I'll definitely give it a try since CaSO4 is readily available and I have nothing to lose. From my reading on various post, a number of people have been using CaCl2 without any problems. But, maybe their dosage was less. I'll report on my progress in a few weeks when the tank settles. Has anyone else experienced similar problems with CaCl2?

 

After substituting CaCl2 with CaSO4 for a couple months, all my plants are doing well with no signs of melting or stunted growth. As a result of the increased growth, I'm getting almost no signs of algae now. All my parameters are exactly the same, so I can only blame the Cl. But, of course, more testing is required to confirm this. It did take a while before the improvements kicked in, approximately 2 weeks or so. So, a bit of patience was required.

Thanks again to JoeBanks for the suggestion!

 

Hi Tom,

According to my previous dosing regime it seems that my Cl- concentrations won't be that much higher relative to other cations and anions. But of course I can't be sure without proper testing. Maybe when I eventually get bored of my tank, I can try adding Cl- again to put your hypothesis to the test, and possibly draw a conclusion. To be honest, I would rather try different aquascapes and plants before getting to that Especially since I only have one tank to play with.

It's a pity the GH booster is not freely available here in Australia, forcing me to mix my own. I remember someone mentioning the recipe for the GH booster is freely available somewhere? If this is true, could someone point me in the right direction?