My First Aquascape Journal

[Steven]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum and would like to post my first journal. Actually this is my 3rd scape. I will post my journal from 2nd scape because the 1st scape only last for about a week, my most favorite plant (Hemianthus callitrichoides 'cuba') was melted at day 3, also the layout was very ugly too so I decided to re-scape. The second one last for about 2 weeks, the same thing happened again (HC was melted on day 6+ ) also the layout was very ugly too...see for yourself...

The driftwood looks too big in my tank ...

After the unsatisfied 2nd scape, I decided to tear apart and sell the tank. The reason is that tank is too tall (48cm) and my lighting fixture is a 2xT8 18 watt fluorescent tubes that I think will not be enough to light all of plants. The tank comes with its canopy that makes me so difficult to add another lighting fixture set, also the shape is ugly too .

This time I've bought myself a new tank and a new lighting fixture too and hoping this time I will be able make myself a nice humble aquascape tank .
This is the hardscape

Specification :
Tank : Eheim 80x30x40cm (96l/25gal)
Lighting : Dymax 4x21 watt T5NO
CO2 : 4kg pressurized with glass diffuser
Substrate : ADA Amazonia II
Filtration : JBL e900 canister filter with surface skimmer
Decorative : Petrified wood

I used my ground water for my first and second scape and much suspicious with something in the water that was responsible for the death of my plants. Now at the 3rd scape, I am using a distilled/filtered water.

Day 1

Flora : Eustralis stellata, Rotala rotundifolia, Hygrophila polysperma, Bacopa caroliniana, Echinodorus tenellus, Crytocoryne wendtii 'green', Rotala nanjenshan and a little clumps of Hemianthus callitrichoides.
Fauna : None

Day 4

Flora : Eustralis stellata, Rotala rotundifolia, Hygrophila polysperma 'sunset', Bacopa monnieri and caroliniana, Echinodorus tenellus, Crytocoryne wendtii 'green' and Hemianthus callitrichoides.
Fauna : None
Some plants were removed and some new were added. I injected my CO2 at 1bps 24/7 and lighting period is on its initial 8hours/day with a break a the first 3 hours for 2 hours with only 2 bulbs on (2x21 watt) and haven't dose any liquid fertilizer except I add flourish excel at every day 3 of 50% water change. I am getting rid of ammonia spike from ADA Amazonia. Temp is between 25C-27C.

 

[Steven]

Day 7

It seems like they are all growing except for the HC (although not showing sign of melting neither growing).


Day 10

Ammonia level has dropped significantly to 0 mg/l, partial 50% water change. The active carbon has been removed and liquid fertilizer (Seachem Flourish) is first added and still the excel. But the a few of HC have showing signs of melting and also I have turn the 3rd lighting bulbs on make it a total of 63watt (2.48 wpg). Is there anything that I've done wrong? Please help folks, all the advice, comment, input and information are very welcome. This is my 3rd attempt to grow HC and hoping that I will success to make them carpeting my foreground. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Tom Barr]

HC is a CO2 demanding plant.

Takes a few weeks to get going then it takes off.

It's easy to grow with sediments, or with Hydroponics or with foliar spray above the water...........so there's no CO2 limiting factors, so it';s not a light or nutrient issue, that's fairly easy to rule out.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Steven]

So should I increase the co2 then? say to 2bps? My co2 is on for 24/7 with 1bps now. Do HC always melted first and then new shoot will come up? Thanks Tomm.

 

[slalomsk8er]

Co2

Hi Steven

Bubbles per min means nothing, you need to provide the HC with 20 to 30 ppm or mg/l of CO2. Try to calculate the CO2 from PH and KH.

Here is the formula and a online calculator for CO2 http://www.deters-ing.de/Berechnungen/Berechnungen.htm#CO2ausPHundKH

Regards, Dominik

 

[Steven]

Thank you slalomsk8er, now I just know that during this time, my HC got not enough CO2. I am now increasing my CO2 rate see if they will survive.

 

[Steven]

Update on day 25

Hygrophila polysperma and Bacopa caroliniana were removed and replaced by Rotala sp. green and Mayaca fluviatilis and Mayaca will be remove too once the Rotala green has grown and will propagate and replanted in Mayaca's place.

My "survive" HC has started to grow and sending new shoots as I increase my CO2 rate and replace the finer glass diffuser, at last...also I have add some new HC to speed up the "carpet" process. Special thanks to Tom Barr and slalomsk8er for their advice and now that I can see my HC pearling too during photoperiod

But I also notice that they are spreading too slow, if I give them more light should they grow faster? meaning that I should inject more CO2 and dose more fertz? Thank you very much all around.

 

[Biollante]

Patience, Virtue

Your tank is at least as of these pictures seem to be doing well and really with that much t-5 lighting I think you should be seeing the plants moving along quite well.

Make sure you aren't limiting fertilizers, if you aren't seeing faster growth yet consider a little heavier dosing.

If you increase lighting you will need to increase fertilizers and CO2.

Patience, as they say, is a virtue.

Biollante

 

[Steven]

Really? But since this is my first planted tank, I really have no idea if all of my plants are doing very fine although I really noticed a growth from them especially the stem plants. For HC, they are seem to spread real slow (an unstable output of CO2 drove them melt again recently though I've replace my regulator + solenoid Mydymax.com - DYMAX CO2 PROFESSIONAL REGULATOR RX-122 yesterday and see if they will recover back). Maybe you could help? Below is my plants condition on day 33 (you can compare the growth on day 25 on my previous picture)

Day 33

Are the growth from them consider normal? I do dose but only as the label product suggested level, too afraid of algae to increase it and how do you keep the red plants always stay in red? Is it Iron fertz and intense lighting? My Rotala rotundifolia and Limnophila aromatica turning its leaves to green/yellow but not red although I do dose Seachem Iron and right now my lighting is 3x21watts, total 63 watts in 96 litre. Should I increase it to 4x21watts, total 84watts? Thank you.