# My first planted tank - need some help



## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

Here is my 4 months old tank. When I first setup the tank. The HC pearl like crazy and the rotala indica grow very fast and healthy. Here is the picture.








But now the rotala at the back grow very slow. Leaves become smaller and smaller. Replanted HC new grow leaves are pale of yellow. There is no more pearling even the drop checker show light green (30 ppm). Live stocks are doing okay, but the plants are not. I wonder what do I miss. What should I do?























Light: AQUASKY LED 361 (covered 7 LED light to reduce brightness)
Tank: ADA Mini-M
Substrate: ADA soil II
Pressurized Co2: 1 bubble per second
ADA Drop checker: use 4dKH solution
Water change: 15% twice a week

Dosing: 
Brighty K: 1 ml (1 push) every 2nd days
Green Brighty step 2: 1ml (1 push) twice a week
Flourish Phosphorus: 0.5 ml once a week

Plants:
Rotala Indica
Rotala Sp. Green
Pogostemon Helferi
HC "cuba"
HM "pearl weed"
Phoenix moss

Fishes:
2 Oto
1 SAE
8 CRS (A/S grade)
8 RCS


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

bump, anyone!


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I'd start with the co2. As you see an increase in plant matter there is also an increase in co2 need. Just slowly push up the co2 a little. Give it a 3-4 days and see. The response should be quick.

We can look at fertilizers afterwards.


Edit: also, do a water test for Nitrates, what do you have in there? I don't think brightly K, step 2, or phosphorus has nitrates, you may need to provide that as food. 

There's a good deal of ammonia in ADA substrate, my plants also went crazy and grew super fast when the tank was first set up. Afterwards, it'll take a bit more work to care for the plants.


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

NO3 (Nitrate): 40 ppm
NO2 (Nitrite): 0.5 ppm
ph: 6.5
Kh: 0 ppm
GH: 30 ppm

I start dosing pfertz Nitrogen and Flourish Phosphorus last week. Also dose aqua KH to increase the KH. No too much change in last couple of days. HC cuba look rusty outside. Maybe algae is starting to boom. I will try to up my CO2 to 90 bubbles /minute and see any improvement.


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

Here I attach some pictures that I update yesterday. The HC looks rusty. I am not sure if it is dead or just cover by BBA algae. My SAE like to eat has a lot of activity around it.





































I am dosing recommended amount for the nutrients, but still not get the good plant grow that I want. The pale HC leaves may be a result of over dosing potassium (K). The next thing to do: I will concentrate on the gH and kH. As tape water in Vancouver, both gH and kH are pretty low. I will try to bring them up to 4-5 degree of gH and kH, so my plants and use the CO2 more efficiently and also build up the plant cells.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

+1 on bumping the co2. Worry about other stuff later. Try co2.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

My CO2 injection is now at 90 bubbles/min. The drop checker is light green, and close to yellow.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

I have checked your dosing regiment I didn't see any source of N, I can only see P, K and trace. Did I miss something?

Your 15% WC 2x a week could cause nutrient build up in there, that's less than 30% WC per week.

Your CO2 level is fine with that plant density IMHO.

Here's what I would do: Do about 90% WC to reset all the nutrients in your tank. You might want to relocate all your livestock until you sort things out. i would change your Dosing Regiment to EI, 50% WC weekly to prevent nutrient build up and follow the EI recommended dosing on Ferts.

How long is your photo period by the way?


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I think increasing co2 helps eliminate it as a deficiency. My HC is doing fairly well in my soft high tech tank (KH/GH 2/2), but my downoi melted off when I dropped KH/GH from 4/4 and my rotalas don't seem too thrilled either; it could play a role in your plant wellness but likely not the main issue since your HC was having problems in your prior soft water. 

If you weren't dosing NO3 before I'll bet that was likely your main issue. That or CO2. 

I haven't had K problems in a while and I don't really dose it (once every 2-3 weeks); that being said I don't know if your ferts contain K, but my dry ferts do (KNO3; K2PO4). K deficiency could've been related though I doubt it. Plants don't need THAT much of it.


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Reckon said:


> that being said I don't know if your ferts contain K, but my dry ferts do (KNO3; K2PO4). K deficiency could've been related though I doubt it. Plants don't need THAT much of it.


He is dosing Brighty K.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

crimper said:


> He is dosing Brighty K.


Dang coffee didn't kick in at the time yet. It didn't connect for me that he was dosing brightly K. Reread the post, overdose not underdose. Never seen overdosing results before...


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

I just bought a empty 18.9L refill bottle from Safeway. Then mixed the aquavitro carbonate KH, Seachem Equilibrium, Prime to prepare the water for the future water change. I test the mixed water now is 4gH and 4kH with API test kit. This 18.9L can allow me to do the next 5-6 water change for my 20L tank.


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

Reckon said:


> Dang coffee didn't kick in at the time yet. It didn't connect for me that he was dosing brightly K. Reread the post, overdose not underdose. Never seen overdosing results before...


ADA recommend 1 pump /day (1mL) for Brighty K. I am dosing 1 pimp every 2nd day now and I am still thinking it is too much K I am dosing. Here are the chemical that I am using:


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I guess I'm just not sure how much is equivalent to 1 pump. I've only had k deficiency once before, it's pretty obvious. Like I said, I've never overdosed K so I'm not sure how that looks. But if everything else is in place, CO2, nitrogen, PO4. Then perhaps the only thing left to do is to back off on the K, perhaps 1 pump a week?


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

I have a new ADA Vuppa-I to blow the CO2 bubbles. Hopefully it help to diffuse more CO2 into the water


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

My old water was 0-1 degree kH. My Co2 bubble count is 60 /min, and the drop checker (use 4 dkH solution) turned light green after 2.5 hrs. 

Now I raise the kH to 3, and I need 120 bubbles / min to get the light green color in the drop checker after 2.5 hrs. Can anyone explain this?


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

PH and Kh are directly related to your co2. Here is a chart. These charts arnt exactly accurate Ive read but good for refrencing.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

His drop checker is dkh 4 though, so how quickly it changes shouldn't be affected by the differences water kh in the tank?


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

I could be wrong but what Ive read over his posts. He has no KH and low GH. Planted tanks need both of these so Im not sure why thats being over looked. No one has mentioned anything about that. I could be wrong I dont go all high tech like some but I keep my KH and GH around 5 in my planted co2 tank. Ideal is GH 2-8 dGH KH 3-6 dKH. Ive even been able to grow plants in my African tank keeping to these numbers.

I took him saying "My old water was 0-1 degree kH. My Co2 bubble count is 60 /min, and the drop checker (use 4 dkH solution) turned light green after 2.5 hrs. 

Now I raise the kH to 3, and I need 120 bubbles / min to get the light green color in the drop checker after 2.5 hrs. Can anyone explain this?"

If he raised his KH than that will effect how much co2 he injects. Thats all I was saying. I posted the chart to help him because it seemed like he needed some BASIC help.


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## niceguy1234 (Nov 11, 2012)

My tank water is now 4 dgH and 3 gkH. I am aiming 4 gkH, but just let the fishes and shrimps get comfortable the slow change. The rotala indica and rotala sp. green are doing pretty well now. There are a lot of bubbles on their leaves. The new growth of HC has normal size leaves instead of tiny leaves in the past. But I don't see pearling on the HC. I shoot some pictures this weekend.


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