relatively new to planted tank, advice?

[gentoo9ball]

I setup and built a 20g tall back in november. In december I started adding plants. Since, I've been tinkering. For a while I used Seachem Neutral, until I found out it was a phosphate buffer (months of green water). Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my plants extremely healthy and lush. Nitrate rests at an undetectable level with drop tester. What doses, and what ferts should I use. At my disposal, I've got Seachem flourish, iron, trace, nitrogen, and I'm thinking about adding carbon to the list. So from these what should I dose and how much? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, I'm also working with a 10g and 30 gallon both semi planted with my trimmings.


Tank:
20G tall mounted in an old wood tv
4x20W t12 plant bulbs from homedepot in 2 24" double-wide strips
Toms Rapid Mini Canister Filter (no carbon)
basic CO2 with ladder diffuser
EcoComplete
small Pond Pump at 1/2 height

Fish: this complicates things because there are so many
1x 2" clown loach (temporarily moved from 30G to help with pond snails
1x Chocolate Pleco
3x Glowfish
3x Neon Tetras
4x Platties + 7-9(1/4" babies)
5x Guppies + 4(3/4" babies)
5x Ghost Shrimp

Plants
Medium bunch Nesaea red (limping along though rooting, newer addition)
Small Dragons Tongue (most died before I added 40W, limping now, newer)
Large Amazon Sword (10leaves, 3 out of water)
Small Cabomba bunch maybe 6" avg
Medium Moneywort bunch (7 stems maybe 8" avg)
alot Narrow Leaf Chain Sword (used as front runner all the way across in thick)
Medium bunch Water Sprite (was out of control taking lots of nutrients, trimmed to be shorter, now won't grow up?)
1 small Moss ball


I'll see if I can get a picture up on this too, I'd really like to have something lush and beautiful and I'm open to any suggestions, thanks for you your help!

[xoolooxunny]

No need for the carbon if you have good co2 (15-30ppm). but excel can still be used since you have such high lighting. Your nitrates need to be around 15ppm as well, the plants need them, and the fact that you have none means that the plants are gobbling them up as fast as the fish put them out, so they need more. This will also help keep blue-green algae and clado algae at bay.

I would also recommend getting your bulbs elsewhere than home depot. I did the same thing, and the difference it made when i switched to powerglos from my lfs was amazing.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Nitrates 10-20ppm
Phosphates 1.0-2.0 ppm
Iron 0.1-1.0 ppm
Potassium 10-20 ppm

So add Seachem Phosphorus to your list instead of carbon.
plus a dose of your trace once or twice a week along with your regular flourish as directed.

This is what Rex Grigg does but i haven't followed it yet but plan to.

[smaug]

ditto to what all of the above say.If you like your moss ball stay away from the excel,it will kill it,I lost a half dozen of them over a period of 6months till I figured out what was happening.The fish dont complicate things,in a planted tank ,having many fish is a help.

[gentoo9ball]

Thanks for the help. I tested yesterday, my CO2 is around 20ppm after the light has been on for 4 hours. Nitrates once again showed 0, so I added some water from my other aquariums. I also found GH around 107ppm gh/kh, and KH to be at 4 deg.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

Thanks for the help. I tested yesterday, my CO2 is around 20ppm after the light has been on for 4 hours. Nitrates once again showed 0, so I added some water from my other aquariums. I also found GH around 107ppm gh/kh, and KH to be at 4 deg.

I wouldn't be adding water from your other tank.... you could just be transferring bad stuff more then anything good. Like ammonia and diseases. I thought you had Seachem nitrate?

[hpt84]

How about some Seachem tab? The swords could use them.

[Sasquatch]

Nitrates once again showed 0, so I added some water from my other aquariums.

You're better off adding ferts directly.

Water from another tank is too diluted to change the levels much and you risk adding unwanted things to the tank.

[gentoo9ball]

This is great info. Sometimes I get a haze in the water, and it can turn into green water. What might I be doing to cause this?

On another note, this tank looses about a gallon a week to evaporation. Should I still remove water for water changes every couple weeks?

[Sasquatch]

On another note, this tank looses about a gallon a week to evaporation. Should I still remove water for water changes every couple weeks?

Definatly! If you don't salts will build up in the tank and could eventually become hazardous for your fish. With that much evaporation, I'd consider a GH test to monitor the hardness levels.

You might even want to bring your levels back up to where they're supposed to be before you do the water change.

[doug z]

This is a good thread, with some excellent recommendations..

Looking forward to some pics, gentoo!

Welcome to the forum!

[gentoo9ball]

I'm working on the pictures guys. I moved around the tank setup and ended up with some green water. I'm sure it will pass soon.

[gentoo9ball]

Has anyone used Ott-lite's f20-t12 natural daylight bulbs?

[xoolooxunny]

you want bulbs with a rating between 6700k and 10000k. Green water comes from ammonia and high lighting/too much lighting. turn the llights out and wrap the tank in a blanket for 2 days so no light gets in, then do a small water change. try and keep the lighting down until your cycle is complete.