Here's the scoop. In my 30g tank I have this hygrophila polysperma that usually grows like mad. The past two months something went wrong.
I was doing strict EI originally. However I would have mysterious fish deaths following my water changes, every week or at least every two weeks. So I started cutting back on dosing and reducing my changes to 25% instead and all seemed very well for a couple of months.
Then, due to fluctuating co2, I started having bba issues. Fixing co2 and doing bleach dips resolved 90% of it.
Around the same time, I added some new reflectors (60w of light).
A short time after that, I added carbon to the filter since my driftwood was leaching lots of tannins and I was tired of the yellow water.
Immediately after that, my hygrophila started having funny growth, new growth looked like something had eaten a piece out of the leaves. Then green spot algae started on the leaves. I started dosing more regularly and added more Plantex CSM+B.
Now, a month later, the problem has not resolved. I removed the reflectors a few days ago to slow down the algae growth. As fast as it grows and I prune it, the algae reappears actually on the plant leaves (not on anything else).
CO2 has not been consistently high, but hasn't been any lower than usual. ~10-20ppm usually. This is not co2 deficiency though, I've seen that before on this plant and this is not the same thing.
So I'm starting very strict EI again, hoping that my fish stay healthy. Did my first 50% water change two days ago and no fish deaths yet.
My tap water has 1.0ppm of copper out of the tap. A possible cause for my fish deaths after water changes.
Any thoughts?
I was doing strict EI originally. However I would have mysterious fish deaths following my water changes, every week or at least every two weeks. So I started cutting back on dosing and reducing my changes to 25% instead and all seemed very well for a couple of months.
Then, due to fluctuating co2, I started having bba issues. Fixing co2 and doing bleach dips resolved 90% of it.
Around the same time, I added some new reflectors (60w of light).
A short time after that, I added carbon to the filter since my driftwood was leaching lots of tannins and I was tired of the yellow water.
Immediately after that, my hygrophila started having funny growth, new growth looked like something had eaten a piece out of the leaves. Then green spot algae started on the leaves. I started dosing more regularly and added more Plantex CSM+B.
Now, a month later, the problem has not resolved. I removed the reflectors a few days ago to slow down the algae growth. As fast as it grows and I prune it, the algae reappears actually on the plant leaves (not on anything else).
CO2 has not been consistently high, but hasn't been any lower than usual. ~10-20ppm usually. This is not co2 deficiency though, I've seen that before on this plant and this is not the same thing.
So I'm starting very strict EI again, hoping that my fish stay healthy. Did my first 50% water change two days ago and no fish deaths yet.
My tap water has 1.0ppm of copper out of the tap. A possible cause for my fish deaths after water changes.
Any thoughts?