The Plant Tank

2007-04-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing:
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
50% water change:
2.5 tsp baking soda
1 heaping tsp MgSO4
2 tsp CaSO4 (accidentally forgot to use CaCl2)
1/2 tsp CaCl2
40 ml Excel
1/8 tsp KH2PO4
2 tsp KNO3 (hours later)

Plants grew smaller new leaves past couple weeks. Water is clear, turned off UVS.

The SAE died suddenly a couple days ago, for some mysterious reason. Was it connected to the spike in CO2? It was several days after the CO2 levels were fixed.

Green dust grew back

2007-04-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH: 5
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4: off scale
Iron:
Dosing: 20 ml flourish, 20 ml Excel, 2 tsp KH2NO3
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
Cleaned the tank last weekend, green dust algae grew back, though. Letting the tank sit for 4 weeks did not work. In fact, a lot of green hair algae has been growing as well. The CO2 tank started to run out last week. The change in pressure changed the rate of CO2 flow, increasing it to the point where two of the emerald rasboras died. Replaced the tank yesterday. Still dosing over 36 ppm NO3 daily, there's still a lot of PO4 even though haven't dosed any for the past week.

Cleaning tank after 4 weeks

2007-03-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4: off scale
Iron:
Dosing:
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
After 4 weeks of letting the tank sit undisturbed to see if I can get rid of the green dust algae on the tank walls, I cleaned out the tank, trimmed a month's worth of plant growth, and changed out 50% of the water:

2.5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp CaCl2
1 slightly heaping tsp MgSO4
40 ml Excel
NO phosphates
1 tsp KNO3
15 ml Amquel+

I didn't add any phosphates, since there seemed to be plenty of phosphates. We'll see if the green dust algae returns...

Rapid consumption of nitrates

2007-03-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: approx. 33-33 ppm NO3, 20 ml Excel, 1.2-2.4 ppm PO4, 10 ml Flourish
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
This is the third week of not changing the water, and leaving the tank alone, except for fertilization. It's looking like a jungle in there. Since last week, the slight green water has disappeared. Today, it looks crystal clear. The consumption of nitrates has also increased to an incredible rate. I now have to dose it twice a day for a total of over 30 ppm a day!! I also dose the phosphates at a rate of about 1-2 ppm a day. Why? I have no idea, but I like the results! Having the nitrates too low results in brown patches in the stargrass and the java fern. I usually dissolve the nitrates and phosphates in water before dosing, but I've been adding so much that there is starting too much water in the tank, so I've started to dry dose the fertilizers instead, about 1.75 tsp/day of KNO3, and a pinch of KH2PO4. The UVS is still running.

Also, I've noticed that if I dose a lot of KNO3 at once (20 ppm or more of NO3), I've noticed that the top leaves of the A. senegalensis will kink a bit, and the tops of R. rotundifolia/indica will grow in dwarfed. This seems to imply that too much potassium (or I guess nitrates) relative to other nutrients (Calcium?) causes these symptoms. The reddish plants, especially the R. indica, have been growing in greener, too. Don't know yet what affects that.

One more observation I've noticed is with the growth of the "green dust" algae on the tank walls, wherever there is a "green spot" algae growing, there is a circle around the spot that is clear of the green dust algae. It appears that the green spot algae repels the growth of other algae around it. Interesting.

Thoughts on stunting

2007-03-11T20:26:00.001-07:00

pH: 6.6
Temp:
KH: 5
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 5 before morning dose
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 15 ppm NO3 morning, 1.8 ppm PO4 morning, 5 ml Flourish, 20 ml Excel
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
The rotala doesn't grow in stunted, but I'm curious as to what changed to stop the stunting. It seems to be related to some ratio/amount of K/Ca/Mg. Right now, I'm pretty happy with the ratio of Ca:Mg of 3:1 (10.4 ppm Ca, 1.25 Mg added during 25 gallon water change). I'm still trying to figure out the optimal value of K, though (e.g. whether K dosing from just the KNO3 and KH2PO4 is sufficient, or is more needed).

Also, there is still a little bit of brown patches still occurring in the stargrass, even though I've been monitoring the nitrates pretty closely. I wonder if it could be a deficiency in potassium? I dosed plenty of nitrates today. I'll watch the plants another couple days to see if there are more brown patches developing before I try to add potassium.

Starting to try to get rid of green dust algae (again)

2007-03-09T23:46:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 10
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 15 ppm NO3 last night, 1.8 ppm PO4 last night, 5 ppm Flourish, 20 ml Excel
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
I'm going to try again to let the green dust algae on the tank walls grow out for 4-5 weeks, without any water changes, but keeping up on the ferts. Last time I tried this (unsuccessfully), I left the algae alone, but still continued with the water changes. If the plants seem to be suffering excessively from the lack in water changes, I'll start the water changes, but still try to not disturb the algae growth. I also reduced the light period from 11 hours to 10 hours.

Some other peoples' experiences.

Lots of nitrates being used

2007-03-08T23:40:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 1
PO4: 2
Iron:
Dosing: 5 mL Flourish, 20 mL Excel, 15 ppm NO3, 1.2 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
Over the past week, I've been putting in a surprising amount of nitrates (at least 30 more ppm before tonight, after the initial water change dosage). I don't know why they're being used up so fast. Even the phosphates has been used up at a fast rate (added about 3 ppm). It also seems that reducing the dosage of Flourish from 10 ml to 5 ml daily doesn't seem to make any difference.

The last of the harlequin rasboras died today from that same sickness that has plagued all the rest of the rasboras.

Plant growth improving

2007-03-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing:
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
Last week's plants grew well, I'm going to continue the current water change formulation, with some minor tweaks. I reduced the Amquel a bit to see what change would happen, if any, and I upped the K a little bit to try to optimize initial growth. What I usually see is little growth in the first couple days, until I do the next dosing of nitrates/phosphates, and there are initially some brown patches in the stargrass. It might be because there is not enough K from the water change, which gets added when dosing the KNO3 and KH2PO4.

50% water change:
15 mL Amquel+
30 mL Excel
2 tsp CaCl2
1 heaping tsp MgSO4
2.5 tsp baking soda
6 ppm K (not including K from KNO3 and KH2PO4, which adds roughly 10 more ppm)
2.4 ppm PO4
15 ppm NO3 (added hours later)

2007-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing:
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
50% water change:
2.5 tsp baking soda
25 ml Amquel+
2 tsp CaCl2
1 heaping tsp MgSO4
2.4 ppm PO4
3 ppm K
30 ml Excel
15 ppm NO3 (hours after water change)

Green algae improved

2007-02-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH: 6
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 20
PO4: 1.5
Iron:
Dosing: 3 ppm K, 1.2 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
Green algae seems to have decreased noticeably after the water change, even the green water has improved. Perhaps the difference was switching the CaSO4 to CaCl2? Too much S from all the other fertilizers?

2007-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing:
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
50% water change
20 ml Amquel+
2.5 tsp baking soda
30 ml Excel
2 tsp CaCl2
1 heaping tsp MgSO4
1.8 ppm PO4
3 ppm K
15 ppm NO3 (added several hours later)

Python faucet attachment broke, had to use bucket brigade. UVS still on. Since all the Mg/Ca/K fertilizers are sulfates, tried to switch out the CaSO4 to CaCl2 to see if plants respond better to less S/more Cl. Also reduced K a bit to see what minimum dosage works best. Still have green water. Might have to resort back to getting the diatom filter...

Holes in kleiner bar sword plantlet leaves

2007-02-11T23:05:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 30 mL Excel, 2 tsp CaSO4, 1 tsp MgSO4, 2.4 ppm PO4, 6 ppm K, 18.75 ppm NO3
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio:

Notes:
50% water change:
20 mL Amquel+
30 mL Excel
2 (slightly under) tsp CaSO4
1 (slightly over) tsp MgSO4
2.5 tsp baking soda
2.4 ppm PO4
18.75 ppm NO3
6 ppm K

Green water still persists. Noticed holes in the kleiner bar sword plantlets, does not look like nutrient holes, since they are many and irregular, and the leaf is otherwise very healthy. Perhaps the large snails that the loaches aren't picking off are eating holes in the leaves? Otherwise, the clown loaches are doing a good job at demolishing the small snails.

Adding some K during water change, since it seems that not enough is being added from the KNO3 and the KH2PO4 at the water change, although enough seems to be added by the cumulative dosing at the end of the week.

UVS not working on green water

2007-01-14T00:35:00.000-08:00

pH: 6.8
Temp:
KH: 7
GH: 12
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 30 mL Excel, 1 tsp MgSO4, 2 tsp CaSO4, 18.75 ppm NO3, 2.4 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 7.8

Notes:
50% water change:
2 tsp baking soda
20 ml Amquel+
2 tsp CaSO4
1 (heaping) tsp MgSO4
30 ml Excel
18.75 ppm NO3
2.4 ppm PO4

Even though I added less baking soda (2 instead of 2.5 tsp), the KH is still 7, instead of the target of 5. I've also upped the

Two weeks ago, I cleaned the cannister filter, and it seemed to help the UV sterilizer in the beginning of the week, but the green water is still persisting. After a couple weeks, it doesn't seem like the UVS is making a difference.

I didn't have a chance to do a water change last week, and I noticed green hair algae growing on the plants this week, with some sort of slight nutrient deficiency in the L. repens and the glosso (yellowing of leaves). I upped the magnesium a little bit for this water change.

Back from vacation

2006-11-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: almost 0 after water change
PO4: ~2
Iron:
Dosing: 5 ml Flourish, 2 tsp CaSO4, 1 tsp MgSo4, 15 ppm NO3, 1.8 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 15:1.8 = 8.3

Notes:
Back after 2 week vacation, and the tank looked like a jungle. Someone had come in every other day to add the following to the tank:
5 ml flourish
20 ml Excel
7.5 ppm NO3
1 ppm PO4

When I came back, there surprisingly was a lot of brown algae.

I cleaned the tank out with a 50% water change:
35 ml Excel
1 tsp MgSO4
2 tsp CaSo4
20 ml Amquel+
2.5 tsp baking soda

Later:
5 ml Flourish
15 ppm NO3
1.8 ppm PO4

The tank doesn't look so great, it will probably take another several weeks to get it back into shape again.

2006-11-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 4 ppm Flourish K, 1.8 ppm PO4, 15 ppm NO3, 35 mL Excel, 2 tsp CaSO4, 1 tsp MgSO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 15:1.8 = 8.3

Notes:
50% water change:
20 mL Amquel+
2.5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp CaSO4
1 tsp MgSO4
35 ml Excel
1.8 ppm PO4
15 ppm NO3 (several hours later)
4 ppm Flourish K (several hours later)

One of my two new yo yo loaches. I've noticed small empty snail shells, and I've seen the loaches eat the small snails, making a clicking sound as they try to suck out the snail from its shell. They seem to leave the bigger ones alone, though.

2006-11-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

pH: 6.5
Temp:
KH: 5
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 2.5
PO4: 1.5
Iron:
Dosing: 10 ml flourish, 20 ml excel, 10 ppm NO3, 1.2 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 32.5:4 = 8.1

Notes:

2006-10-30T23:08:00.000-08:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 10 mL Flourish, 20 ml Excel, 7.5 ppm NO3, 1 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 22.5:2.8 = 8.0

Notes:

UVS effect on nitrate levels?

2006-10-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 25 mL Excel, 1 tsp MgSO4, 2 tsp CaSO4, 15 ppm NO3, 5 ppm K, 1.8 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 15:1.8 = 8.3

Notes:
50% water change:
2.5 tsp baking soda
20 mL Amquel+
15 ppm NO3
5 ppm Flourish potassium
1.8 ppm PO4
1 tsp MgSO4
2 tsp CaSO4
25 mL Excel

I noticed that after every water change, in the beginning of the week, that the plants seem to show a nutrient shortage, which seems to be potassium. There are black pinpoint holes in the leaves of the L. repens, and the stargrass shows black patches in the beginning of the week before growing out nice and green. I still have some leftover flourish potassium, so I added 5 ppm to the water change. The yo yo loaches are uprooting some of the plants, especially the A. senegalensis, which is annoying to replant, since the stems are so buoyant.

I ran the UV sterilizer for the last 2 days, which still didn't make any impact. It seems to accelerate the decreasing levels of nitrates. Yesterday, I added 7.5 ppm NO3, after levels fell to nearly zero from a level of 10 ppm only the day before. I learned the hard way that if nitrate levels fall to zero for more than a day, the plants quickly suffer, especially the plants which take their nutrients more from the water column rather than the roots (anubias, H. micranthemoides, java fern). That's why I'm reluctant to run the UVS for long periods of time, though the slight green water is bugging me. I'll probably run the UVS for several days this week, and keep a close eye on the nitrate levels.

Interestingly, several hours after the water change, the red on the leaves of plants was noticeably more green. I had waited a couple hours after the water change to add the nitrates/potassium. Usually, I add the nitrates immediately after the water change. I waited this time, because my theory is that the Amquel+ neutralizes/locks up the nitrates if I add them into the tank at the same time. The change in the leaf colors seems to bear this out, though perhaps the extra dosage of potassium could also be a factor.

Yo yo loaches still not eating the snails

2006-10-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 10 mL Flourish, 20 mL Excel, 1.2 ppm PO4, 10 ppm NO3
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 35:4 = 8.75

Notes:

Some of the cherry shrimp have grown nice and large (~1 inch) and a very bright red.

Although the yo yo loaches look busy, I haven't noticed them eating any snails or even showing any interest. When I crush snails, the baby angelfish are more interested in eating the crushed snails than the yo yo loaches. Even the cherry shrimp are more interested in nibbling on the snails. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Yo yo loaches

2006-10-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 10 mL Flourish, 20 ml Excel, 10 ppm NO3, 1 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 25:2.8 = 8.9

Notes:
I bought a pair of yo yo loaches from a LFS, and let them loose in the tank. They are about 1.5 inches long and have pretty leopard like markings all over their body. So far, they're pretty shy, but are more active at night, nosing around all over the tank. They don't seem to be bothering the shrimp so far, but they don't seem to be bothering the snails either. At night, I crushed the snails I could see to try to entice the loaches.

I have to admit, though, that the snails are very good at cleaning up the algae on the leaves. The green algae is largely gone from the leaves. If they could only practice some birth control...

Yesterday, the angelfish spawned again.

UV on green water

2006-10-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 35 mL Excel, 1.8 ppm PO4, 15 ppm NO3, 1 tsp MgSO4, 2 tsp CaSO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 15:1.8 = 8.3

Notes:
50% water change:
20 mL Amquel+
2.5 tsp baking soda
15 ppm NO3
1.8 ppm PO4
35 ml Excel
1 tsp MgSO4
2 tsp CaSO4
The green algae is slowly but surely disappearing from the plants. The bit of green water, though, is still persisting. An overnight run of the UV did not work. I probably have to run it for a longer period of time, but I'm afraid of it causing a reaction with making some nutrient unavailable to the plants as experienced in previous longer runs. I will probably run it for a longer period of time just before the next water change.

As for the %^&* snail problem, I will probably start trying to look for some loaches, either the yoyo or kuhlie loach and hope they eat the snails without eating the shrimp.

Baby shrimp sighting

2006-10-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 5
PO4: 1.5
Iron:
Dosing: 10 ml flourish, 20 ml excel, 7.5 ppm NO3, 1.2 ppm PO4, (3.75 ppm NO3 yesterday)
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 33.75:4 = 8.4

Notes:
Saw that the stargrass was looking a bit ragged, checked the nitrates yesterday, was about 5 ppm, so I added another 3.75 ppm yesterday.

I put in a piece of zucchini in a shot glass into the tank yesterday to see if I could catch any snails. There were only less than 5 snails that were kind enough to enter the cup. Manually, I must be killing at least 10 snails a day now.

Today, I saw several tiny baby shrimp about a third of an inch long; it looks like they are doing well and steadily multiplying.

Snails multiplying

2006-10-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 10 mL Flourish, 20 mL Excel, 7.5 ppm NO3, 1 ppm PO4
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 22.5:2.8 = 8

Notes:
Manually killing a lot of snails lately, don't know how to eradicate snails without killing the shrimp as well...

It seems that I probably have ramshorn snails: Snail ID

There doesn't seem to be any good way of removing the snails except by perhaps trapping them, i.e. baiting with lettuce or zucchini and removing attached snails several hours later.

A bit of green water

2006-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3:
PO4:
Iron:
Dosing: 1 tsp MgSO4, 2 tsp CaSO4, 15 ppm NO3, 1.8 ppm PO4, 30 mL Excel
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 15:1.8 = 8.3

Notes:
50% water change:
20 mL Amquel+
2.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp MgSO4
2 tsp CaSO4
30 mL Excel
15 ppm NO3
1.8 ppm PO4

There is still green algae growing, though the plants are starting to grow normally again with the proper nitrate levels. There is also still a bit of green water. It seems that the Excel helps suppress it, but not completely eradicate it. I keep forgetting to run the UV the night before a water cahnge to try to completely get rid of the green water.

You can see the water is a bit cloudy

The snails that must have hitchhiked on the un disinfected plants are really prolifigating: I could even see snail eggs on the tank walls.

Two of the harlequin rasbora died yesterday, probably because the CO2 bubble rate was set too high. I fixed the rate.

2006-10-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

pH:
Temp:
KH:
GH:
NH4:
NO2:
NO3: 10
PO4: 1.5
Iron:
Dosing: 20 ml Excel, 10 mL Flourish, 1.2 ppm PO4, 3.75 ppm NO3
NO3:PO4 Cumulative Dosing Ratio: 26.25:4 = 6.6

Notes:
Using new phosphate kit (Seachem)