severumkid

Hi Guys...

Have been extremely busy over the last month due to the recession and huge work pressure due to the same. Have sighed number of times thinking about the good old days when I used to log on to APC for the full office hours, those days are gone now.

Anyway, good thing is that the hobby has not left me, my tanks are doing good, touch wood and plant health has not been disappointing. More over I am in the process of starting a new 2/1/1 tank with ADA Amazonia ii, pressurised Co2, rocks and HC Cuba. It will be an Iwagumi project, and the hardscape is already layed and the substrate is soaking in water. I am on my way to procure HC Cuba for the flora. I am using 72 watts of hanging PLL fixtures for this tank of 15 gallon. Will post the pics in a day or two.
I plan to grow the HC emersed and then fill up water.

However, I am little concerned about algae, to be precise about BBA on the rocks as they are directly under the strong lights. I need all your expertise to ensure and prevent that the dreaded BBA does not ruin the looks of the barren rocks thus hampering the tank composition. Kindly help me.

Cheers and happy fish keeping to all.

BJRuttenberg

Good Luck

severumkid

Man is that all I get?? Just plain 'good luck'? What do you guys do to avoid the BBA? I am sure there are many tanks with the same conditions/parameters.

waterfaller1

Balance the ferts, keep the CO2 up, flow good. QT all plants before they go in your tank. That is what I have learned. Do not worry about a problem that doesn't exist yet. If the light is too intense, you have the advantage of being able to raise it a bit. Go with it. When I get algae I attack it manually, figure out what caused it, and try to fix the problem.
Lots of water changes in the beginning with Amazonia aquasoil. I would recommend the regular Amazonia over II.

freydo

just think of this as starting a new tank all over again. to control the the spread of algae, put in some fast growing plants so the algae doesn't get a chance to take hold. maintain a good fert regiment, balanced with your light levels, and CO2 input.

when things are nicely settled, start introducing the HC and slowly remove the fast growing plants. adjust everything as needed.

hope this helps.

dawntwister

As long as a usable (5-10ppm) level of Nitrate is maintained, the the plants will continue to use up the available phosphate, effectively controls BBA and other phosphorus-dependant algaes
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_algae.htm

severumkid

Ya...this was what I was looking for some, solid advice from seniors. Thanks a ton. Presently I have planted HC and am maintaining lights for 5 hrs a day. The HC was grown emersed, and now they are submerged under 2 inches of water coloumn, they are turning pale dark green and seems like fading, I think they are in the process of shedding their emersed leaves and habituating themselves to the submerged growth conditions. I am incorrect? Have not started any dosing or co2 as of now, will fill up the tank and start dosing and applying co2 once the HC picks up its growth and starts to cover the substrate. I am following the right strategy or I am doing it all wrong? No algae issues as of now.

Tank pics. http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/co...00_258_158.jpg

severumkid

just wanted to update about one of the tanks development.

Tank size 2x1x1 ft.
ADA AS ii
Lighting is 72 watt of PL for 8.30 hrs a day.
Pressurised co2 @ 2 bps for 8.30 hrs a day.
Started ada brighty k and brighty green step 1
Local rocks
HC Cuba, Eleocharis Parvula - initially grown emersed and put under water recently. (HC Cuba awaiting a trim). Plan to add more Hairgrass, lilaeopsis brasiliensis, Hemianthus Micranthemoides.

Fishes = introduced 14 hrs ago, some 7 local wild caught small sized killies. Would like to get them id-ed.

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