Themuleous

Hi All

I'm not sure what the issue is so thought 'general discussions' was probably the right place!!

Right, I really cant work out my 4ft. I'll admit that to start with the flow really wasn't what it should be but hopefully Ive sorted that now. The HC is at least staying alive having added the eheim pump.

Quick run down of the tank

120x45x45
Eheim 2080 filter 1700lph
Eheim compact+ 3000lph closed loop for flow
lighting - 1x54w osram lumilux skylight 880, 1x54w sylania growlux on for 8hrs. I had been running 2x osram lumilux skylight (three in total for 6hrs) but I cut it back to two tubes and increased into the 8hr.
Ferts - 20ppm NO3 and 2ppm PO4 three times a week. 40ml AE trace three times a week. 50% water change with rain/tap water
Akadama substrate
Think that's most things.

My problem seems to be that the plants grow (even pearl under the 2x54w!), but the leaves very quickly turn brown. The HM shows this really clearly but all except the java fern are doing it. DC is green to yellowish.









Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Sam

Brilliant

Hi, Im no expert but your plants look like they are screaming for potassium.

davemonkey

Unless your source for nitrates and phosphates are KNO3 and KH2PO4, then you are not giving the plants any potassium. I think that is the problem.

-Dave

Themuleous

Hi,

Cheers for the thoughts. I am using KNO3 and KH2PO4 for the N and P so K should be covered,i would think.

Sam

adechazal

Themuleous, have you tried a 3 day blackout? I've used the blackout method not only to kill back algae (except BBA, which doesn't seem to be your issue) but also to evaluate if my issue is recurring or just a one time thing such as excess ammonia from an unseen dead fish. My aquarium is a planted 180 gallon so sometimes a dead fish will go unnoticed for a while. How are your ammonia levels?

Also, it's hard to tell how fully planted your aquarium is. While I like the fert amounts you have listed, under strong lighting with little nutrient uptake things can go wrong quickly. Can we see a full picture of the aquarium?

davemonkey

Hmmm. I'm stumped as well now. Is that brown (diatom) algae on the leaves? How old/new is the set-up? Sometimes it can take a few months to get out of the 'baby-stages' where algae covers everything.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

-Dave

Themuleous

Hi,

Here's a pic of the tank



I see what you are saying about the dead fish, but I can see pretty well around the tank and I'm sure I would see a dead fish. I also have shrimp in the tank which won't survive if NH3 was present.

I also know that I'm well under planted, but I spend £50 on HC when I first set up the tank which all died and I'm not overly keen on spending lots more on plants until this issue is sorted!

When you say 'things can go wrong quickly' what do you mean? Following the advice of a friend I have cut the ferts way back so its only 5ppm NO3 and 1ppm PO4 three times a week. Under the old fert dosing I could easily have had a NO3 level well over 100ppm.

Your help is greatly appreciated

Sam

Themuleous

Thanks Dave, it is a puzzler!

The tanks been running for several months now and there are plenty of otos in there so pretty sure its not diatoms. The thing is that the older leaves are turning brown and dieing off, it just seems really odd

Sam

Complexity

I noticed that you're using rain water for at least part of your water change. Can you explain how you're collecting the rain water, how much are you using, and why you are using it?

Themuleous

Hi Vicki,

The rainwater comes off my house roof, which has concrete tiles (old one's, the house was built in the 60's), then stored in water butt (which i cleaned not so long ago). I run the water through a huge pond carbon filter meant for taking chlorine out of tap water during pond top ups. It goes into it with a very slight colour but comes out colourless and odourless, seems to work great!

I do a 50% water change so must be using 80-90lt rainwater each week. This is why I'm using rain water as I was using RO but on this new 4ft it would waste so much water I add to find an alternative.

Sam