help with my tank

Short answer:

Use 1/2 the light you are now

Find a better method to distribute your CO2, get a drop checker to help learn how to observe CO2 in your plants.

Make sure your biowheel isn't splashing. Get a canister if you can (rena's XP series is good for entry level), even a powerhead will help. Get the water moving around the tank.

Get your ferts adjusted: http://www.barrreport.com/estimative-index/62-estimative-index-dosing-no-need-test-kits.html

Long answer:

Your lighting is too high for your nutrient levels, which will starve your plants while specific algaes will take advantage of certain deficiencies. You are showing at least 3 deficiencies in your plants right now.

With these nutrients, CO2 comes along too. It is the hardest nutrient to fulfill, and the most difficult to measure accurately. If your CO2 is deficient, your plants will not grow fast enough, which means algae will out-compete your plants. Keeping CO2 levels high, and the CO2 well distributed is a matter of both turning up the needle valve, and making sure that the CO2 is well distributed.

Accomplishing good current will help to distribute nutrients, and can be combined with distributing the CO2. Some people put a filter output near a diffuser, some use a needle wheel modded internal filter (my favorite right now), others use CO2 reactors. Avoid the old bell systems if you can.

HOB filters are often in contradiction with using CO2. Water is drawn up from lower down, then laid out on the surface; sometimes splashed. This will cause your CO2 to gas off far more easily. Most often the issue is with DIY CO2 since it has a limited output. You can substitute by simply turning up the CO2.

With the drop checker, be sure to use 4dKH solution. It will make it so that your target solution color is set for 30ppm vs 15-20ppm. Don't be afraid if it turns yellow, so long as the fish are still doing fine. Should the fish end up at the surface gasping, turn the CO2 down to somewhere between the previous point and where you are now, unplug the solenoid temporarily, then gas the CO2 off some with an air pump.

Following EI as it's shown through the link will do you well enough to get you started for now. As with the lighting, I'm sure you'll have questions that we'll be happy to clarify. Your algae problems should be fixed between EI, light reduction and higher CO2 levels. GSA on the glass is something you can get a magfloat for, or increase your PO4.

Outside of that, ask what about what ever pops in to your head. I'd advise learning by reading what Tom posts, especially the stickied threads. Odds are his past work will give you better answers than I will. If that doesn't do it, everyone here should be happy to clarify. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

After getting all of this down, when in doubt, CO2 is your problem.

-Philosophos

 

I will go a step further than Philosophos and say get rid of the hang-on-back (HOB) filter. For whatever reasons, in the US are hooked on HOBs. In my evil plant monster opinion, they cause more problems than they solve.

I like canister filters just split the intake and output. I am partial to surface skimming intake on one end of the tank with deep-water output on the other end, preferably in concert with CO2 delivery.

I would also recommend one or more circulation pumps, intake deep on the same end as the canister filter’s intake with output delivered via tubing to the other end deep and moving through the CO2 delivery.

Use other pumps, power heads or my personal favorite the small, cheap self-contained submersible filters for problem areas. Make sure the general direction of flow for these devices are with the flow of your larger pumps (pointed toward the intakes).

With large water changes on a regular basis, in a planted aquarium I rarely use any filter material.

Biollante

 

Holy supernova Batman!

 

They're popular because people in the US focus on fish over plants. They're also cheaper. For new keepers, they look less likely to leak as well. In truth, I've had to mop up more water from HOB overflows than I have from any canister leak.

-Philosophos

 

Hi Adam,

As I mentioned before I am new to this EI stuff, so for hows and whys I’ll leave that to the smart folk.

I have more than (oh, how could it be) 50 years of fish keeping experience and have been messing with various aquatic and bog plants for most of those years.
I will tell you I think these folks are on to something. A little tightly wrapped, some here may be, but they are doing good basic science. We can learn a lot.

You have a nice tank, you seem diligent; you will be successful. It is a good-looking tank. A bit of an algae problem, make adjustments it will work.

Remember to have fun!

From http://www.barrreport.com/estimative-index/2819-ei-light-those-less-techy-folks.html

I found:
40-60 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/2 tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/8 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 3/4 tsp GH booster once a week(water change only)
+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change

I guess I would start with this.

I started two weeks in one of my 55-gallon tanks, using roughly half a teaspoon of PMDD every other day and three-fourths a teaspoon of Barr’s GH booster once a week.

I have been incredibly pleased so for and will likely begin dosing everyone next month (currently also dosing a two, ten and 20 gallon tank).

I have long believed in big water changes and meeting the nutritional needs of my plants and critters by over supply. Large water changes allow me to ‘get away’ with over stocking and over feeding.

Biollante

 

That is wierd. I have never had that problem with my HOBs, which are in planted tanks. Maybe I am just lucky, 15 years lucky.

 

Adam,

I think the CSM+b would be the '+/- 1/8 (10ml) Trace Elements 3x a week', above.

-Biollante

 

Adam,

I would like to hear your thoughts first:
1. Which GH Booster would be better for your situation? Think about your other dosing decisions. You might even wish to take into account your host.
2. What advantages might PMDD offer?

After I see your answers I will give you the reasons for my decisions.

Biollante

 

Amen!........

 

I've had most of my problems from adjusting the loads in these things. I don't like to just leave the recommended levels of filtration; I prefer a fine polishing layer of filter floss that removes some of the smaller debris. I find it reduces algae by eliminating bits of what could be, at times, ammonia leeching compounds.

Tom, I think you give your self too little credit some times. I haven't seen anyone popularize the concept to create a simple algorithm that keeps plants non-limiting in their nutrients without testing.

Yes, you've taken an old idea, but you've made it elegant in the sort of way every scientist and nerd looks for.

-Philosophos