electronic_brick Posted October 24, 2005 Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 Ok.. here's the situation.... 50 gal tank 6700K Coralife 96W pH 6.6-6.8 (just added baking soda to bring it up a little) GH 420mg/L (23.53 degrees?) KH 50mg/L (2.8 degrees?) temp 80 NH3/NH4 =0 N03 5-10 Although I put Flourish Iron into the tank last weekend I just tested it and iron levels are at 0. I'm running 2 DIY C02 systems on it right now. One is running up a bubble ladder, being captured in a container and then pushed through a powerhead, and the other is being run through an airstone into a bell, and then into the container and through the powerhead. Hopefully very little C02 is being wasted this way. I just pushed Flourish tabs under most of my plants. Before this I was using Aquatic plant food 20-10-5 The plants didn't seem to be doing much. I was wondering if there was anything I should be doing to maximize plant growth. The substrate is Flourite and fine gravel. The tank has Angels, tetras, a pleco and a cory cat. The tank is heavily planted with a mixture of plants... none of them are red. I belive there is java fern, anubias, crypt, a two inch tall ground cover that looks like short val/grass and a couple other rossette type plants... i'll try and take pictures later. The plants don't seem to be growing much. The ground cover keeps turning yellow and disintegrating. Any ideas to help maximize plant growth would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, natalia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garhan Posted October 24, 2005 Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 First you need to up your C02 concentration so that it is between 20 and 30 ppm. You can do this also (C02 saturation)by getting your KH to a 4 or 5 degree level. Maintain your ph at the current levels, but up your KH. What type of filteration are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 I have a magnum HOT filter in one corner, and an AC 300 in the other. The magnum is pointing down so as not to disturb the surface tension, and the water level is high so that the AC doesn't either. Before I make any changes to the KH I'm going to retest everything. The tests I did yesterday were right after installing the second C02 system. Hopefully the levels are up today. How do you figure out the level of C02 in your system? Thanks Garhan for your help. Nat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted October 24, 2005 Report Share Posted October 24, 2005 (edited) Hi Natalia, If your tests are not fooling you, there is something that doesn't make sense to me. Calgary tap water does not have such properties, so I would assume you are using RO water. Furthermore, I would guess it's 100% RO. Now, let me expand on this assumption. With the addition of CaCO3 (baking soda), you raised the KH to 2.8, and somewhat GH (CaCO3 is 40%Ca). But that still does not explain the GH being so high (23.5). There may be something in your tank leaching Ca (rocks, shells, crushed coral/shels...?) to the water column, contributing to Ca concentration, thus affecting GH. In this scenario you have lots of Ca, but there is Mg (Magnesium) missing. If you want to stick with RO, you will have to add MgSO4.7H2O (Magnesium Sulfate Heptohydrate) so called Epsom Salt (Safeway-pharmacy). The other way, and in my mind preferable, would be to increase the % of tap water. Your test results, again if they are reliable, put your CO2 level @ about 17 ppm, which under your light conditions should not be a problem, although more would be better. There is a good site describing nutrient deficiencies, so you may want to visit it and find what is the best description of your plant's state. Let me know if this theory rings the bell ... Edited October 24, 2005 by Milan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 I just got home from work.. going to run my tests again, because i'm using 100 percent Calgary tap water. I have marble in the tank.. perhaps that's where it's coming from? hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Ok.. I think the C02 system must be working.. the acidity has jumped. pH is 6.4 GH is 420 (23.53 degrees) KH is 100 (5.6 degrees) Although the C02 is working.. somehow I don't think my fish are going to like a pH of 6.4 ?? HELP!! thanks in advance.. natalia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 (edited) Natalie, something weird is going on, either with your water or your tests. KH of 5.6 makes more sense than previously measured 2.8, but GH of 23 is still too high. For example, my tap water, so it is in some other parts of the city KH ~ 6.5, and GH ~ 13, and pH being 7.8-8.1. Your pH of 6.4 will not harm anything, but if your tests are right (and I doubt it), the CO2 level @ 67 ppm may be a problem for your fish. Are your fish gasping for air at the surface? If yes, stop the CO2, aerate the water (using air pump), or do a water change. If they are not, than your tests are fooling you. Try to test the tap water for the same parameters (pH, GH, KH) and let us know the results. Cheers Edited October 25, 2005 by Milan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Water tested straight out of the taps... pH 7.4 GH 160 mg/L 8.9 degrees KH 70 mg/L 3.52 degrees From the results of these tests, I'm guessing that the Calcium Carbonate in the Marble slabs I have in my tank is leaching into the water colum. I'll try removing them and doing a water change to see if this helps. What is the formula for determining C02 levels? Thanks for all your help! natalia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garhan Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 There is a C02 chart available at Chuck Gaud's website. Definite issue with the marble. I would recommend petrified wood for a classic display rock. In your filters run only the following media, sponges, ceramic rings, and or peat pellets. The latter peat is not absolutely necassary, but it does assist in stabalizing your lower ph levels and introduces other nutients benifical for your plant. Peat will also leach out the tanins and stain the water. Run no charcoal, zeolite or any of the other chemical filteration products other than what I mentioned. If you need to from time to time run charcoal, go ahead and do so but only for short periods of time. As it will remove fertizlers, trace elements and medications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanker Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 charcoal... will remove fertizlers, trace elements and medications. I learned something today. I knew about the meds, but had not realized it would muck with the 'good stuff' too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Thanks everyone for all your help. I'm going to remove the marble, charcoal from the filters, and do a water change. I'll keep you posted on how things are going. Thanks again all! natalia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2005 Ok.. did a water change and removed the marble. Man was it soft.. parts of it broke apart in my hand. That was a big OOPS :bang1: on my part. New pH today is 6.8-7.0 GH is 16.8 degrees KH is 5.6 degrees Hopefully this will work this time. Still have to get the GH down a little. Thanks again guys! :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquanerd Posted October 27, 2005 Report Share Posted October 27, 2005 If your looking for major plant growth you really need to increase your lighting levels. For a 50 gal tank you have moderate light levels at best. For instance I have a 33gal tank with the corallife 96watt CF strip, I also have 2 25 Watt fluorescent tubes under a Aquamirror reflector. So I am with Milan, your CO2 is probally fine, if anything right now to much CO2. You will have to start dosing nutrients also, KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4+7H2O, and trace elements. If your intrested in getting some CHEAP order some from http://www.hydroponics.com/ P.S. Remember if you think a test is way out of wack... Then it proablly is, get a second opinion. :P Hope we can help you through the rough time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted October 27, 2005 Report Share Posted October 27, 2005 New pH today is 6.8-7.0GH is 16.8 degrees KH is 5.6 degrees Hopefully this will work this time. Still have to get the GH down a little. This looks much better. Your GH is just fine. No need for ajdustments here. As far as fertilization goes, first you will have to make a choice if you want to continue using commercial stuff, or you want to start making your own ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronic_brick Posted October 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2005 Oooooo!! Make my own!! Sounds like fun! LOL.. :grr: Actually.. I would like to do it the most economical way going. Probably making my own. Unless you would advise against it Milan?? I never had so much trouble growing plants on Vancouver Island. The water wasn't treated... came out of my well. So that's probably part of the problem... and then the whole marble issue here didn't help much! You guys have been so much help! Any suggestions on how to improve or properly fertilize the tank are greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Natalia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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