Suggestions, ideas, thoughts

[Soho]

Greetings!

I finished the 1st stage with my first tank. It's a 20G long Juwel with standard filter and heater, DIY 2x20W lightning in the hood and DIY CO2.
Substrate is Tetra-Complete and fine gravel.
First I used fast growing plants, e.g. egeria densa and hygrophylla polysperma to establish a healthy anvironment for fish which I introduced slowly during the past month.
Last few days I've been working on creating new aquascape with mostly Anubias family plants. In the left there is one sword and couple of bacopa stems. At the right side of the tank I have Tropical Hornwort and some crypts.
Next week i plan to pull out the crypts, and replace them with some low growing carpet plants which I would like to have in all the front of the tank covering now visible gravel.

Water parameters are:

KH 13
pH 7,4
GH 14
NO2 0
NO3 around 10
temp. 26C

Using the table that makes around 16ppm CO2 during the day period.

I use Sera Florena liquid fert and some root tabs with Iron and minerals.

Fauna:
Amano shrimp 6x
Tiger barb 11x, one misteriously disappeared
2x cory sterbai
2x albino ancistrus
Now I would like to hear suggestions and comments. What do you think about this plant choice. Is it good with the current setup? Do you have some ideas on what to change or which plants to put in the tank.

Please comment.

 

[VaughnH]

My 2 cents worth: It is very unlikely that you really have 16 ppm of CO2, because that pH/KH table generally overstates how much CO2 we have in the water. If you make or buy a drop checker - the Red Sea CO2 Indicator being a cheap one - you can find out how much CO2 you really have. Then, you need to work on keeping that amount constant day after day, which will mean using more than one DIY bottle, with the start times staggered. Finally, the fertilizer you mentioned is, I am almost sure, just a trace element mix, so you need to be supplying some nitrates, phosphates and potassium to the water. Then you should be able to grow the carpet plants you want.

 

[Soho]

My 2 cents worth: It is very unlikely that you really have 16 ppm of CO2, because that pH/KH table generally overstates how much CO2 we have in the water. If you make or buy a drop checker - the Red Sea CO2 Indicator being a cheap one - you can find out how much CO2 you really have. .

Do you mean those ladders made by Red Sea?
If so, I have the similar, if not the same, made by Hagen.
Thank you for the tip. I will get some carpet plants soon and read as much as I can about dosing those macros to my tank.

 

[VaughnH]

No, I mean a device like what is discussed here: http://www.barrreport.com/articles/...-kh-method-co2-determination-3.html#post12274

 

[Tom Barr]

CO2 is going to be the challenge with your tank.
I'd suggest making a DIY CO2 internal reactor(see Articles).
You can make them out of any available local plastic parts, sometimes they are very cheap or free.

This will save you a lot of pain and hassle.
If you change the brew from the DIY CO2 once a week, that will also help.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Soho]

So you both think that those CO2 ladders won't do fine?
I heard divided opinions about them.

 

[VaughnH]

I have never used on of those ladder devices, so I have no experience with them. I do use one of Tom's DIY internal venturi type reactors, and it works very well. With DIY CO2 you can shut off the unit's powerhead at night and get almost the same effect as turning off the solenoid on a pressurized system. Plus, the venturi type reactor generates a lot of CO2 mist which is beneficial to the plants too.