I want this award. Can I have it?

[Lady Hobbs]

The Ugliest Planted Tank Award!

I'm about ready to toss the plants out and just grow algae since it does so well for me. I went from the diatoms (I guess. Brown and slimy that I could wipe off.) To just brown spots that don't wipe off and now I have green spot algae that I have to scrap off with a razor blade.

I have a 20 gallon with 28 watts compact light so stuck with crypts and java fern. Stuck a couple amazon in that is dying, of course, but crypts are fine. Not doing anything but not dying either. Java Fern is finally taking off after four months!

I have CO2 and use Plant Tabs. Also use a phosphate/silicate reducer which has dropped phosphate levels from 2 to .50.

Ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and have not tested for nitrates but doing water changes every other day so I know those are low.

I was thinking I might need to increase lights but don't want to kill the crypts with too much either. I could put a 65 watt on this tank that will get the swords to grow but they will probably kill the crypts.

This tank is ugly and never looks clean. My tanks are all crystal clear but this tank always has crap floating around in it......food or algae particles or pieces of plants. This morning the wood was green.

So.......what now?

Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish Phosphorus (not this one) Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Trace, Flourish Potassium.......yadda, dadda, and how do you know which one you need?

[Lady Hobbs]

Oh, my plant subtrate is what everyone is raving about in the planted tank forum. I have Soil Master Select which is really for baseball fields, has a clay base and is inert. I like it alot but it does need nutrients which is the reason for the plant tabs.

[Rue]

Poor Hobbs! I dunno what to suggest...other than keep up with the water changes and just let the tank mature on it's own?

[Lady Hobbs]

I was looking at Fluorish's guide on what to add to your tank daily and they have about 5 things to add every single day. Just seems like some liquid ferts once a week should be enough.

This 20 gallon is my "dry-run" before planting a larger tank but man ol petes, I've been struggling with this one for months. blah

[zackish]

Just try flourish or flourish excel and flourish trace.
Sounds like your main problem has to do with too much of something, hence all the algae.
Diatoms are from low light and GSA is from low phosphates and low CO2. You way want to stop reducing your phosphates and try increasing your lighting and seeing what happens.
Sorry you may have to sacrifice your crypts :scry:

More information on your algae problems can be found on this page:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

See what your nitrates are too for the heck of it. Note that it is necessary to have some traceable elements in your aquarium so you don't want to attemp to limit all the elements that can be harmful at higher levels. You just want to keep them under control and at an optimum level.

[ruecole]

I've been reading up on planted tanks (so no experience talking, just head knowledge... :rolleyes:) and they say Flourish Excel is really good for algae problems. Apparently you can pour it right on the algae affected plant (not exactly sure how you do that in a tank, though...) and it'll clear it right up.

Dunno if that helps at all.

Rue

[Lady Hobbs]

I've also read that about Flourish Excel. Also read it's good to use in place of CO2 if you wish. That I will try for sure!

Thank you, zackish. Good link and good information. Appreciated. I've noticed my platies like to work on that algae as well as the cory's so they went back in the tank today.

[elmer]

I've been struggling too, Hobbs.

using Excel, and enjoying the pearling effect now that the photosynthesis is taking place.

Another suggestion, and this is what I might like to do, is to pack the tank full of plants, and make sure they have the basic necessities. Then the algae could lose the competition for whatever the limiting factors are. The main thing I've read is that algae does better than plants in so-so conditions, but when the conditions are good in every way, plants will win.

Only problem is, how to get lots of plants cheaply. I'm trying the local buy/sell forums, and going for stuff that multiplies fast.

And then the problem is to make sure they have the basic necessities: iron, phoshphorus, potassium, nitrogen, traces.... Either by trial and error, or by doing lots of tests.

[RobbieG]

I had a bit of trouble getting mine going too - what finally worked for me was

Good Substrate (Mine is Eco Complete)
1.5 Watts per gallon of light
DIY CO2 with an airstone on the end - stuck under the outflow from my HOB
1 Splash a week of liquid fert
New tabs once a month

[elmer]

How much water changes, RobbieG?

[Incredulous_Ed]

hobbs, eventually, you will get the panted tank perfect. Just keep trying. I have no doubt you can do it.

[RobbieG]

How much water changes, RobbieG?

I do 50% every week in all of my tanks

[zackish]

Airstones are good but nano-diffusers are preferable. You can get one for about $10 anywhere. I know petsolutions.com has them and if you type them in on ebay "Co2 Nano Diffuser" get the one from malaysia. It is like $1.00 and $6.00 shipping, that is what I have and chrona recommended to me. Takes about 2 weeks to get here.

[gm72]

Lady, what spectrum is/are your bulbs? Could be something worth looking into there.

[DaleJr08]

You might want to try taking the C02 off for now. If i read correctly, you have 28 watts over 20 gallons. Thats not alot of light over it. IMO C02 becomes a factor with more light then that. Also the plants you have in there don't really need C02. Cypts with be fine with more light, just plant them in an area where they aren't directly under the lights. Hope this helps alittle. I don't claim to be an expert anything so my ideas can be taken for whatever lol.

John

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, hobbs, you have so much plant trouble!

i dont know whats with my 55g. all medium-high lights, the CO2 hasnt kicked in, hagen liquid ferts, and only 30W light, and the plants are bright green.

[zackish]

I wish mine were bright and green....

[cocoa_pleco]

and the weirdest part is my plants were rescued. most were brown and half dead, but now they bright lime green, especially the hornwort

[Lady Hobbs]

My lights are T-5's. Not great but should be ok for the crypts. It's the danged algae that drives me nuts.

I guess I will add one more 28 watt giving me 56 for this tank.

Thanks you everyone for the suggestion.

[CAF]

The Ugliest Planted Tank Award!

I'm about ready to toss the plants out and just grow algae since it does so well for me. I went from the diatoms (I guess. Brown and slimy that I could wipe off.) To just brown spots that don't wipe off and now I have green spot algae that I have to scrap off with a razor blade.

I have a 20 gallon with 28 watts compact light so stuck with crypts and java fern. Stuck a couple amazon in that is dying, of course, but crypts are fine. Not doing anything but not dying either. Java Fern is finally taking off after four months!

I have CO2 and use Plant Tabs. Also use a phosphate/silicate reducer which has dropped phosphate levels from 2 to .50.

Ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and have not tested for nitrates but doing water changes every other day so I know those are low.

I was thinking I might need to increase lights but don't want to kill the crypts with too much either. I could put a 65 watt on this tank that will get the swords to grow but they will probably kill the crypts.

This tank is ugly and never looks clean. My tanks are all crystal clear but this tank always has crap floating around in it......food or algae particles or pieces of plants. This morning the wood was green.

So.......what now?

Flourish, Flourish Excel, Flourish Iron, Flourish Phosphorus (not this one) Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Trace, Flourish Potassium.......yadda, dadda, and how do you know which one you need?

NO... Nitrates are GOOD!!! You want around 20ppm Nitrate for your plants. It helps keep them happy and thriving. Not all of the nutrients are taken in by the root structure of aquatic plants, quite a bit is taken in via the leaves.

[CAF]

Ok here is what I do for 120 species of plants in over 16 tanks...

No water changes except to replace water with Nitrate heavy water from my Cichlid tanks.

Light varies depending on the species in the tank. Average is 2 to 3 WPG

Good current under the surface by using Powerheads.

DIY CO2, ammount based on the size of the tanks. 55g and above get 2 bottles instead of 1.

Ferts, based on condition of plants and how lazy I am that week, otherwise Macros once, Micros twice a week.

There are groups and forums out there dedicated specifically to this topic (Normally where I lurk, but I decided to hang here for while...) If you have questions try those. You'll get a lot of different answers, none of them wrong. The key to plants, is finding out what works for you, with your water stats, lighting, etc. It WILL vary from person to person a little.