Rusty's GLA 36-L First Iwagumi Build

[tex627]

Looks great! However, are the colors that desaturated or is it the camera?

[AUvet14]

Originally Posted by tex627

Looks great! However, are the colors that desaturated or is it the camera?

It's probably the camera. I took the photo with my phone, so I don't have as much control over the exposure so the colors aren't washed out as I do with my DSLR.

[tex627]

Good to know! I thought your plants were like UGH we need iron haha. Looking forward to more progress!

[AUvet14]

Originally Posted by tex627

Good to know! I thought your plants were like UGH we need iron haha. Looking forward to more progress!

Well I think part of it is the fact that I just flooded the tank and they are adjusting to sumberged life. The color isn't quite as vibrant as the color in my 30 gallon. I can try dosing some micros and see if that helps. I'm just not really sure how to go about fertilizing this tank without causing an algae bloom. Since they're both heavy root feeders, I'm not sure how much good dosing the water column does, but I suppose it's worth a try. I can always do a water change if I start getting algae.

[AUvet14]

Updated photo as of last night.



I started dosing PPS-Pro this week and I could immediately tell a difference in the plants. They looked starved for nutrients before, but the first day I started the PPS-Pro I noticed intense pearling from the HC and the blyxa looks happier now. Looks like I need to scrub a bit of algae off the glass now too. Overall I think it's making progress.

[Brian_Cali77]

Looks good Rusty. Are you using an airstone as a diffuser? Also, I think if you have the room behind the B. Japonica on the right, you should lay your heater horizontally just above the substrate so it's not so noticeable. I did that in mine and it's working fine.

[AUvet14]

Originally Posted by Brian_Cali77

Looks good Rusty. Are you using an airstone as a diffuser? Also, I think if you have the room behind the B. Japonica on the right, you should lay your heater horizontally just above the substrate so it's not so noticeable. I did that in mine and it's working fine.

Nope. The airstone is temporary. I had a nitrite spike last weekend because apparently my filter didn't completely cycle despite me running it on my 30 gallon for 2 months. After 2 dead amanos i tested and nitrites were at 5ppm. YIKES! So long story short, I did some large water changes, got them back to 0ppm, and I'm monitoring closely until I'm satisfied that the filter is cycled properly. Air stone is just to make sure the water is good an oxygenated and to help the filter bacteria grow. The diffuser I'm using is a GLA Atomic inline diffuser in the return line from my filter, that's why you don't see it

As far as the heater goes, I suppose I could do that, but I will be taking the heater out once it warms up here in a month or two and my apartment is warm enough that it doesn't need it, so I'm not too concerned with the eyesore right now.

[AUvet14]

Here are a few pictures of the filter and CO2 diffuser setup


The white PVC fitting at the top of the outflow line is just an adapter I pieced together so I could go from the 9mm hose of the Eheim 2211 return line to the 12mm hose for the glass filter pipes.

[tex627]

Very well thought out system! Pearling never ceases to make me smile!

Good luck,
Justin

[joey24dirt]

With reference to pearling... I get a few pearl pockets after a water change but it doesn't last. I'm guessing that as my plants grow and expand, they will in turn end up producing a higher volume of oxygen. This will increase the oxygen saturation in the water and create more frequent pearling?! Am I correct in this theory lol? Isn't pearling due to maximum oxygen saturation or something?? Or have I been reading false information haha

[AUvet14]

Originally Posted by joey24dirt

With reference to pearling... I get a few pearl pockets after a water change but it doesn't last. I'm guessing that as my plants grow and expand, they will in turn end up producing a higher volume of oxygen. This will increase the oxygen saturation in the water and create more frequent pearling?! Am I correct in this theory lol? Isn't pearling due to maximum oxygen saturation or something?? Or have I been reading false information haha

It's not necessarily that the water is saturated with oxygen. It's just that the plant is producing oxygen faster than it can be diffused into the water. The amount of water flow will play a role in whether you visibly see pearling. High water flow will allow more water to move across the plants, so oxygen will diffuse into the water quicker and result in less pearling. Also, fertilizer dosing may play a role in your case. Before I started dosing any ferts in this tank, I hardly noticed any pearling and growth seemed sluggish. The day I started dosing ferts, I noticed some intense pearling.

[joey24dirt]

Thanks for the info. I agree I think it could be a fert issue. I currently add ferts after a water change (1-2 a week) and see small amounts of pearling then. Maybe I need to look into a better fertiliser. The one I have now was just a random one that the shop had an offer. I read a lot on here about one called 'excel'? I don't think it's widely available in the uk. eBay seem to have a few of the ADA ones on there. I'm just wondering what you use? Thanks

[joey24dirt]

Ahh just noticed in your earlier post. PPS Pro is what you use. Quick search has revealed that there's none in the uk haha

[BenderBendingRodriguez]

Originally Posted by joey24dirt

Ahh just noticed in your earlier post. PPS Pro is what you use. Quick search has revealed that there's none in the uk haha

Hey man pps pro is just a method not a product.I won't go into the details but here is a good guide to using it.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...e-pps-pro.html

[joey24dirt]

Haha ok thanks I didn't realise. There's that many out there I just thought it was a brand name. Thanks for the link I'll do some investigating :-)