Newbee looking for help.

Hi,

Are you using 6 bulbs on a 20 gal tank with no C02 injection?

If so, this is a major cause of your issues........

You have very high light, no c02, and the ferts you are using is most likely mostly water with a little bit of nutrients added...

I can elaborate later as I am on lunch, but you need to lower the light a lot...

Do you WANT to use c02? Or do you want a non-c02 tank?

What are your goals??

Please note that I deleted your duplicate post..........

 

I recognize those two bottles of stuff.

Listen to Gerry. You should be able to grow most any plant under 1.7 watts/gal of T5HO lighting if you add CO2. I find most plants can do well with only 1.2 watts/gal. For NO3 you should be dosing at least 3.45ppm a day if your plants are using it up as fast as they typically can when CO2 is added. Without CO2 you are going to need to find an alternative carbon source for your plants. Start by telling us what your goal is, do you want to add pressurized CO2? Here is a post by Tom Barr on non-CO2 methods, http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/2817-Non-CO2-methods

Some other information that would help out would be soil type you are using.

Good luck, say hello to Mr Soto and welcome to the Barr report.

 

Yikes!! 6 x T5HO!!

+1 on what Gerry and Tug said. If I look at the leaves of the Hygrophila Polysperma Sunset (right at the back), those white leafvains tell me you have a BIG nutrient deficiency. Probably what you're dosing is not enough with that immense amount of light. You also wrote you measured 0 nitrate. Your nitrate should never be 0.

2 T5's are enough for this tank, maybe even 1. You will have to change things drastically.

regards,
dutchy

 

Good if that's your goals. But you still don't need that much light, even with CO2. My tank is using 1,4 WPG and I can grow every plant I like. I have Pogostemon Stellata's and Alternathera's which grow 22 inch tall. Red plants neading much light is one of the biggest myths around.

So if your goal is a well balanced tank start using less light first.

regards,
dutchy

 

Hi,

I would advise the following immediately if not sooner

1. Remove all but 1 of the T5 bulbs. 2 max. Keep the ones that provide the best spread over the tank, like the outer ones..
2. As Tom suggests, get some dry ferts online, and simply add a bit to water and dump in the tank. Also read the EI sticky thread on how to use them and determine how much to use. It is NOT an exact measurement, so no need for test kits really.
3. Search for threads that discuss what is needed for either DIY c02 or automatic c02. An auto c02 is NOT as much as you think if you look to e-bay and DIY...
4. Get yourself some new plants as I don't think anything but the anubias will come back (sorry!) AFTER you get the dry ferts.

Using low light and non-c02, low EI dosing, you can maintain many plants and get a basic understanding of things without c02.

Many folks have very nice tanks with no c02.....

Than do some research on providing c02 for your tank, many options to choose from..needle wheel powerhead, c02 ladder, disc diffusor, reactor, etc.

have patience as it takes time to learn and for the plants to adapt and grow to the conditions of the tank.

Remember that light is what drives plant growth and the subsequent need for nutrients such as c02.

You are driving the plants to grow at a high rate, but not providing the c02 to fuel that growth... c02 is the main plant nutrient and all the macro and micro dosing in the world is not going to change that fact...

You can always add more light later as the c02 kicks in and you gain experience and want more/faster plant growth.

With that comes more trimming....

Good luck.

 

Wait, wait, he still not used the Step 2 thats why his NO3 is 0. The tank is new, I agree to start using STEP 2 and dose 2x. Really the ferts are almost 50% nutrient and 50% water, are better than most comercial Ferts, he also knows that Dry ferts are better, still like I said the liquid ferts are easy to dose. They will work (Im using it too in my 5G) the downside is that they not will last a lot like dry ferts. He not have CO2 because have a problem with it but he will use. I worry more for that pH and kH.

Greeting to all my friends.

 

I never understand why people are recommended to get a BIG deficiency first. Because the tank is new? I dosed ferts from the day I put plants in the tank and they grew like crazy.

If he's going to start using CO2 the pH problem will be solved. Anyway for now part of his high pH could be caused by that much light. With that much light, "natural" Co2 will be depleted in a very short time. This will cause the pH to rise. So with less light he could have a lower pH.

regards,
dutchy

 

Get Your CO2 Right.

Your pH will naturally drop and CO2 will bring it down to what your plants will be comfortable with. As for red pigmentation and light, it is more about having non-limiting CO2. The lower the light source, the less demand for CO2 and other nutrients.

Cheers,

 

Yeah yeah, we have a few problem the aquarium we planned to have a lot of plants from the begining but a problem with a package (dead plants) we dont have a lot to make the scape. Also the CO2 (yeast) have a few problems (sealing). But I know that he will be in good way soon

 

Looking Good

I wish the people I get my fertilizers from would appreciate how professional these labels look. I can tell just by looking at them they are packaged by Brian, that he put some thought into clearly explaining how they are used and that he cares about his customer. We should never judge a book by it's cover but that is what we do.

On a side note - here is a recipe that lasts me for over 25 days at a time. It requires a 1 gallon container as well as the other stuff one needs to make a reactor and should get your fermentation to 8 psi of pressure. This is made with Champagne yeast which has a tolerance for higher sugar and alcohol levels. Other yeast strains often work best with less sugar but have shorter fermentations. They get drunk and pass out.

Fermaid K, is a blended yeast nutrient containing, Magnesium Sulfate, Inactive Yeast, Thiamine, Folic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium, vitamin B5 (Pantothenate) and DAP (Diammonium phosphate).

☯​

Pantothenate helps to keep open important metabolic pathways to dramatically reduce the production of H2S and Magnesium improves yeast alcohol tolerance.

Lighting and CO2 are key to any investigation. Good luck.

 

Close Enough.

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/6348-Fertilator-Conversion-Factors
268.75 mg of Plantex CSM+B (6.53%) ~ 1/16 tsp

Maybe someone will step in and explain moisture issues and such, but on average what you are working with is correct and would be used in a heavily planted, CO2 enriched tank under high levels of light. What did you decide to do about your lighting?

 

It's all good.

OK, are you able to hang the lights above the tank? That would be an option, you can have "Whatever You Like". I suggest starting with mid-light (one T5HO is more then enough) and work your way towards high-light (two T5HO lights is more then enough). And, 50% water changes twice a week will keep down the algae and it will add more CO2 to the tank with each water change. Do this until your CO2 reactor is working properly.


Explain what? Explain the calculations, I wish I could explain them. The calculations come from off of APC's The Fertilator. Focus on your CO2 and reduce your lighting as mentioned earlier.

10-20 gallon dose
0.625g KNO3 ~ 5ppm NO3
0.15g KH2PO4 ~ 1.4ppm PO4
0.15g KH2PO4 ~ 0.15ppm Fe

20-40 gallon dose
1.25g KNO3 ~ 10ppm NO3
0.3g KH2PO4 ~ 2.8ppm PO4
0.3g CSM+B ~ 0.3PPM Fe

Some typical uptake rates at high light and CO2 levels per day (24 hours):

Originally Posted by Admin View Post

I hope this helps.