Stocking Help 180 Gallon (Updated)

[LB79]

Don't cut the lighting. Step up the water changes and start dosing iron.

[n00dl3]

Originally Posted by LB79

Don't cut the lighting. Step up the water changes and start dosing iron.

There is apparent imbalance going on in the tank for him to start developing algae. Wouldn't it be smart to dial back the light or ask for his tank spec before throwing out a random advice?

Anyways, OP what are your tank spec? fert? co2? (Looks like no co2).

[Perchance]

Thanks.. So I'll cut it down to a 10 hour photoperiod and see how that goes? The reason I was a bit confused is that the 2 bulbs that would be on for 10 hours (or 8 if 10 is still too long) are only an actinic bulb and a purpleish one from the reef days. So that seems like barely any light, at all, really. Basically, if I'm not doing such a long 'midday' period, should I put a white bulb in with the blue instead?

Seeing as I have so much light, I figured those two bulbs be okay to leave there as it looks great for a kind of morning/sunset lighting. Then the midday white/yello bulbs are all in the other 6 that come on for only 4 hours. There 4 white and 2 blue in that as I was thinking the blue would add color but not really much intensity or PAR value.

That lights are about 52 inches about the substrate. I want to raise them but I'm having major problems with how exactly I can't access the space in the roof above the lights, and putting a brace on the wall strong enough to holy the massive light fitting seems like a pain that I'm not up for...

[Perchance]

*Her. Sorry didn't see the other responses. I'm planning on getting just the seachem Iron as I've been reading up on the symptoms in some of my plants. The minimal growth in the ludiwgia and the translucent young leaves.

Tank is 180 gallon 6x2x2ft only been set up maybe 3 months now. I do 40% water changes every 10 days to 2 weeks or so (mainly because some new driftwood seems to still leeching tannins into the water and yellowing it). Filtration is a large sump filter and the AquaOne 2700 canister filter.

Readings for ammonia, nitrites are 0 and nitrates barely register, I would say 0 but I'm being pessimistic here. Water is soft and has pH of 7.2. My phosphate test kit is out of date, so I don't really trust it.. But it comes up with 0, or extremely close to, not quite the next color level.

I dose with AquaGreen's liquid fertilizer and their liquid carbon also (think Seachem excel without the price) as well as their root tabs everywhere in the gravel, concentrated around the base of larger plants. The substrate is river sand underneath river gravel. The fertilizer I use, makes no mention of iron, so I'll be adding that regardless of whether I change the light cycle.



So, no, I don't have pressurized CO2, but I was hoping that the constant addition of liquid carbon would suffice? There shouldn't be a difference, should there?

EDIT: the Crispus I'm worried about with the translucent-ish leaves has also got two flowers up atm, and the amazon sword in the tank has got mabe 5 sprouts off a running in the last 10 days. And a little crypt I got tossed in at a petshop because it was just basically leaves falling apart, has now got 7 plants from runners all going well. Wisteria is sending out dozens of smaller plants and shoots as is the hygro. The australian val, various anubias and lace fern are also going well. As is the lillie and rainbow nardoo I have. My rotalla indica is not very red, though (iron again?). So other plants seem healthy, despite the layer of bushy algae.

[farrenator]

Hmm, not sure what to say. I can only relate my experience which was when I had too much light I got BBA. Seeing that raising the lights is difficult, play with the photoperiod. I hope someone else has other suggestions.

Originally Posted by Perchance

Thanks.. So I'll cut it down to a 10 hour photoperiod and see how that goes? The reason I was a bit confused is that the 2 bulbs that would be on for 10 hours (or 8 if 10 is still too long) are only an actinic bulb and a purpleish one from the reef days. So that seems like barely any light, at all, really. Basically, if I'm not doing such a long 'midday' period, should I put a white bulb in with the blue instead?

Seeing as I have so much light, I figured those two bulbs be okay to leave there as it looks great for a kind of morning/sunset lighting. Then the midday white/yello bulbs are all in the other 6 that come on for only 4 hours. There 4 white and 2 blue in that as I was thinking the blue would add color but not really much intensity or PAR value.

That lights are about 52 inches about the substrate. I want to raise them but I'm having major problems with how exactly I can't access the space in the roof above the lights, and putting a brace on the wall strong enough to holy the massive light fitting seems like a pain that I'm not up for...

[LB79]

Originally Posted by n00dl3

There is apparent imbalance going on in the tank for him to start developing algae. Wouldn't it be smart to dial back the light or ask for his tank spec before throwing out a random advice?

Anyways, OP what are your tank spec? fert? co2? (Looks like no co2).

Sometimes the best way to achieve and maintain balance is to perform large water changes and add ferts and CO2. My tanks get overrun by algae if I don't put in the liquid ferts and/or the CO2 isn't running. The idea is to jack the plants' metabolism, and they will outcompete the algae.

[Sara3502]

I have a female kribensis in a 46 gallon bowfront community tank. She has never stirred up trouble, but mostly keeps to herself. I don't think you would have a problem

[Perchance]

Originally Posted by LB79

Sometimes the best way to achieve and maintain balance is to perform large water changes and add ferts and CO2. My tanks get overrun by algae if I don't put in the liquid ferts and/or the CO2 isn't running. The idea is to jack the plants' metabolism, and they will outcompete the algae.

So, because I'm doing ferts and liquid carbon, am I doing too little of these to go with the lighting? I think I'm doing plenty of water changes. Though there could be phosphate in my water, and the test kid bugged. I read somewhere, maybe... Probably got this wrong, but that phosphate has seen to encourage flowering in apon. crispus plants.. Like mine is atm. Can't remember though. I might just cut down on feeding, but the lights on 10 hours and 4 hours midday burst and see if it helps.

[Perchance]

Originally Posted by farrenator

Hmm, not sure what to say. I can only relate my experience which was when I had too much light I got BBA. Seeing that raising the lights is difficult, play with the photoperiod. I hope someone else has other suggestions.

I'll try and lift the lights a little through some kind of platform or something. How high would you have the lights?

[LB79]

Originally Posted by Perchance

So, because I'm doing ferts and liquid carbon, am I doing too little of these to go with the lighting? I think I'm doing plenty of water changes. Though there could be phosphate in my water, and the test kid bugged. I read somewhere, maybe... Probably got this wrong, but that phosphate has seen to encourage flowering in apon. crispus plants.. Like mine is atm. Can't remember though. I might just cut down on feeding, but the lights on 10 hours and 4 hours midday burst and see if it helps.

True. I have my lights on for 9 hours. Phosphate in the water also encourages algae. What you could do is get a phosphate-removing resin (don't know what it's called, but I've heard the stuff works), and put it in the filter. I feed my fish once every two days on the assumption that in the wild, they spend a lot of energy finding a relatively small amount of food. Less is more in captivity, I think. Anyway, they don't seem any more hungry than when I fed them three times a day, and they're certainly healthy.

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by Perchance

Thanks.. I should probably do a journal thread but I don't think my tank really warrants it. I'm seeing the beginnings of a PITA algae problem. It's A kind of green fuzzy hair algae covering way too many leaves now. Especially on the sword.

I've decreased the 'Midday' light period by an hour. It's not on for 6 hours and I though 5 would be better. By other lights which is just 2 bulbs (one blue one purple) are on for a couple hours either side of that.

I dose liquid fertilizer and liquid carbon which I'm wondering if I should cut back or not?

What lighting period would you recommend, also? I have an 8 bulb t5 fixture with separate controls for 2 bulbs and the other 6.

Originally Posted by Perchance

Anyone? Is it too little light if I have a blue and red bulb on from 12pm till 12am and then a midday burst 4 hours long with 4 dayblulbs and 2 blue bulbs from 2 pm till 6pm? My red ludwigia (I think it is, the leaves are not as circular as most pictures,) and my Aponogeton Crispus aren't doing that well. Slow growth in the former, almost translucent leaves in the latter. I think maybe this is an iron deficiancy? But someone also suggested that too little light can lead to the larger gaps between leaves which I'm seeing in the ludwigia.

Yet at the same time, I'm having an algae problem and thus want to cut down the lighting?

if those bulbs are T5HO your over driving your tank and not dosing the other legs of the stool to keep things in balance. The liquid ferts and "liquid carbon" are not enough so algae gains an edge. With that much light you really need to have injected co2 and a comprehensive NPK fertilizing regimen. I would highly suggest you take a look into the fertilizer area of the forum and read up a little bit. The hair algae is not that bad of an algae to get rid of. Get the tank in balance and it will fade on its own. You can suck it off the plants in the mean time, or use something like algaefix (if you do not have any invertebrates in the tank) Tom Barr has done a pretty good job destroying the myth that phosphates promote algae growth, in fact it is a necessary fertilizer and can keep algae like green spot at bay. Everything in the tank must be in balance of algae has a chance at breaking though.

[Perchance]

Originally Posted by Noahma

if those bulbs are T5HO your over driving your tank and not dosing the other legs of the stool to keep things in balance. The liquid ferts and "liquid carbon" are not enough so algae gains an edge. With that much light you really need to have injected co2 and a comprehensive NPK fertilizing regimen. I would highly suggest you take a look into the fertilizer area of the forum and read up a little bit. The hair algae is not that bad of an algae to get rid of. Get the tank in balance and it will fade on its own. You can suck it off the plants in the mean time, or use something like algaefix (if you do not have any invertebrates in the tank) Tom Barr has done a pretty good job destroying the myth that phosphates promote algae growth, in fact it is a necessary fertilizer and can keep algae like green spot at bay. Everything in the tank must be in balance of algae has a chance at breaking though.

How is liquid carbon not as useful as pressurized carbon? If I'm adding enough liquid carbon, will it still be too little..? That doesn't make sense to me, but I'm sure someone has some facts about how well plants use liquid vs pressurized carbon.

The algae is actually going away at this point? I've been spot treating a little with the liquid carbon. Could it be more new tank type outburst?

The liquid fert is " chelated trace elements, nitrogen and potassium" but no phosphate. Which is rellied on from fish food and waste. I plan on adding iron, as well. So is this not really doing much? I can fairly easily access specific other elements but really just want it to be easy.


There are only 4 day bulbs, though? Will the blue lights actually add much consumable light for plants and algae? I don't know. I'll still minimize the light period and raise the lights. The algae isn't so bad at the moment though...

Thanks for the opinion, I'll look up some threads on the fertilizer area of the forum. Injected co2, however, is fairly impossible at this point... Definitely in the future, just not atm.

[sanj]

Cutting the light period and intensity is usually better than messing around with other parameters first.

Light is the driving force. More light = more requirement for co2, more macros (NPK) and more trace elements.

If you want to maintain high light levels then you have to up all the other elements and few people maintain tanks for long periods with all the unessarry work associated with High input requiring tanks.

All my aquariums have 6-7 hours duration of light, typically 30-40 PAR at the substrate. Beyond 8-9 hours, I dont see the point. It is not necesarry unless you like being charged for leccy that you dont need to use.

I wouldnt waste money on phosphate removers. You can balance your system without such desperate measures.