Lisbeth Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Really I'm just excited. I started my planted 10 gallon a month and some change ago, and for the past two weeks it has been giving me stable readings. Currently I'm experiencing a diatom bloom, and everyone is telling me that that is perfectly normal thing to happen at the end of tank cycling. I have such mixed feelings about this. One one hand, "Eeeew, brown algae" on the other hand, "Yay! This cycling thing actually does happen!" Now I get to figure out what all I'm going to stock with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Plants...a great planted tank! Some community fish i guess is okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGuppyGirl Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 10G planted with brown diatoms sounds like otocinclus heaven lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) Yes. All of the plants! Although ah, this is another learning curve. I think I might end up springing for a Co2 system after all, as I've come to realize that I have a really strong light.So far I have (mostly in the form of small trimmings) Limnobium laevigatum aka Frogbit (the floaty weed!) Alternanthera Reineckii 'Rosaefolia' (red plant) Bacopa Monnieri (rounded leaves) Limnophila Aromatica (jagged leaves and red-tinged top) Microsorum pteropus aka Java Fern * Asplenium Normale * Marsilea Crenata aka Dwarf Four Leaf Clover * Taxiphyllum alternans aka Taiwan Moss Cratonneuron Filicinum aka Triangle Moss Aegagropila linnaei aka Marimo The ones with the asterisks (*) are the ones that aren't doing so hot with my current setup. Seeing how they were mostly all trimmings and I knew nothing at all about the needs of each plant prior to having them passed on to me, I don't feel too heartbroken over some of them potentially not making it.I have also come to the conclusion that Frogbit is the most adorable stuff ever. I could probably be happy with a tank full, just spinning about with the current. Edited January 6, 2015 by Lisbeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 For a 10gal before you invest in any sort of co2 system I'd suggest to try the dyi yeast method first. A 10gal tank can greatly benifit from this while this method looses it's effects greatly on anything beyond a 30gal. I've done this method and it works perfectly. I'd be happy to offer help with this if wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frogfish Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Don't make the same mistake I did and get the fluval COâ‚‚ system, it is very costly to maintain and wasteful due to the disposable cartridges. $20 every 3 weeks or so. If too much light is an issue the frogbit will do an excellent job at blocking it as well as getting its long roots tangled in your stem plants. I love that plant and watching it dance and twirl in the current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 The DIY route could be fun! I do have nearly a full jar of yeast that hasn't been turned into bread yet. The only thing I'd be worried about is maintaining proper regulation so I don't accidentally nuke everything.I did look at the Fluval systems, and yeah, those tiny disposable cartridges seems super wasteful. It seems like it'd be far more economical to get a 5-10lb Co2 tank and just get it refilled at a paintball centre every so often. I really like the frogbit. It seems to grow really quick. I think I have almost double what I originally started out with. It's likely that a few of the plants that I have are getting too much light, at least the ones that are doing kind of poorly. Either that or they're still melting. I can't really tell. So far I'm having the most luck with my taller stem plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 A little more information would be helpful. What are the lights, what kind of substrate and are you using any ferts? Some of the plants you have are not easy plants to grow so don't feel badly if they're not doing well. As you're just starting out, there's some basic plant needs that help you succeed without spending more money! Also research your plants and get some easy plants ie crypts, anubias, vals etc. Then when you get them going, look at at your options ie CO2. Hate seeing newbies spending lots of money and not just enjoying their planted tanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) Sure thing! Tank specs: 10 gallon with Eco-Complete fine grain planted substrate and a constant temperature of 23 C. My light is an ADA Aquasky 451, which is rather overkill for what I was planning originally for this tank, but I'm learning to roll with it. It's currently on for 9 hours a day. I'm also using an Eheim 150 canister filter, so it has more than enough filtration.For ferts, I currently have some API root tabs (to be replaced by some DIY ones in the future), and I've been dosing with Flourish comprehensive a couple times a week. So far the Frogbit has been doing the best (understandably)! The Bacopa Monnieri is also doing really amazing (so many roots!), and so has the Limnophila Aromatica (it melted almost completely but now has a bunch of really pretty red-tinged leaves; it even seems to open and close with the light). My Alternanthera Reineckii is looking a little poorly, but I'm expecting it to come back. It was getting roots all over (probably because of my Flourish), so I ended up cutting it down some more and replanting sections. As far as the rest of the plants go: just, hmmm. Haha. A few of them I'm not expecting to live at all. A combination of not having Co2, potentially too much light for a couple, and the fact that a few of the plants I got arrived in a literal block of ice thanks to Canada Post messing up priority shipping. So I certainly realize that they're not all are going to make it. Like I said though, I won't be too heartbroken. Most of them were from a $20 "surprise me" grab bag. Survival of the fittest in my tank! Edited January 6, 2015 by Lisbeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 IME, Carbon is the most important addition to a planted tank. Lower light tanks can get by with atmospheric CO2, but when you have a beast of a light like that, you should add some Carbon. Excel (or Metricide 14) is the easiest way to keep Carbon levels relatively constant. You'll also want to add Macronutrients if plant growth doesn't look good - often, fish food isn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks so much! I wasn't expecting to end up with such a monster light (or even planning on doing many ferts outside of root tabs originally), so it's been a lot to take in. I'll be sure to grab some Excel and add that to my routine, although Metricide looks like a way better deal for people with larger/more tanks. Maybe someday. So for macronutrients, I'd be looking at regular N/P/K. I imagine that my tank will end up being low on N due to the high light, so Potassium Nitrate is at the top of my list (which should take care of some of the K as well?). Probably also P because this is likely to be a shrimp only tank and they have low bioloads. So much to take into consideration when you would like to grow things other than just algae, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Plant growing can be as simple or technical as you want it to be. That is your choice to make. Nothing wrong with using a basic fertiliser and waiting for your tank to settle in before researching CO2.Also any liquid carbon could harm your java moss. As you're doing well with the frogbit, that will take away some of your light in the tank too. It's a pet peeve of mine when people are starting tanks and every comment means a visit to the pet store and more money!! Growing plants is a learning process so just enjoy your tank and develop your aquatic horticulture skills.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Also good advice. I don't want to do too much too fast, specially since the majority of my plants seem to be doing mostly alright. My mosses (which were frozen solid) have been bouncing back these past few days too. I was pretty worried about them, but they seem to be doing much better. However, my Java Fern, and Asplenium Normale (both of which were frozen), are likely going to end up croaking. C'est la vie. Anyway, I drip acclimated a couple of shrimp to the tank today. They've been having a fun time exploring and grazing on absolutely everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcherrybarb Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I did DIY co2 on my planted tank. I bough a 15 dollar kit off amazon that fits onto pop bottles, a 6 dollar glass diffusor and whipped up some sugar, yeast and baking soda. IMO way easier and cheaper than the citric acid method. My plants literally exploded within a few days. I have Eco complete/gravel mix substrate with root tabs, and a 96w 6500k t5HO on a timer. I do dose iron and potassium a few times a week. At night when my light shuts off I remove the diffusor and turn the needle valve off. Seems to be working for me. But I am a newbie to plants, so there are lots of members on here that know better than I do, I may be doing it wrong lol. I found that the diatoms do go away after some time, patience and regular tank maintenance helps. I personally despise that phase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceturf Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 More photos? :beer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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