newbie here

[wendyv]

Hi everyone, just found this site I have a 75 gallon aquarium with 2- 40watt full spectrum lights (4 ft. flourescents) and 2 3 ft.. flourescents, one an aqua glow and one a power glow - 30 watts each. I started up the tank a couple of months ago, planted it with swords, java fern, some long thick grass type of plant (can't remember the name) and a few other plants. I have also stocked it with 9 orandas (not full grown) and a clown pleco. The plants looked like they were flourishing when I first put them in but now are getting this kind of brownish/dark green over the leaves and have almost stopped growing.


Not sure if you can see what I mean in these two pictures. Fish are doing really well. Also getting green algae on the front glass; the good kind; which is fine but this stuff on the plants really bugs me.
Anyone know why I am getting it; not enough light, too much, etc.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Wendy

[GulfCoastAquarian]

Their growth has probably been stunted from lack of light. You've got 140 watts over your 75g, which makes for about 1.87 watts per gallon (wpg). You'll need at least 2-3wpg. I would add a All-Glass PC light strip with 2 x 55w bulbs. They're on sale for a little more than $100 at www.bigalsonline.com

[wellbiz]

I would also look at your water, those fish are messy and I imagine your phosphate levels are through the roof compared to the other nutrients...


Jason

[Nordic]

does look like diatom algae.... any on the glass?

[wendyv]

Thanks everyone, we don't have phosphate testers in my neck of the woods; also no brown algae on the glass only good green stuff. I really like my fish; even if they are messy but I have cut down on my feeding; maybe feeding too much; there is some new plant growth, just not much. Tried making a homemade co2 generator using a 2 litre coke bottle yesterday, isn't working yet but they say it might take 3 days to get going, anyone have any info about them; they work, they don't? The web site where I got info from says they do? Don't have a lot of money to spend on the tank, so am trying to make what I can. Anyone have any more ideas for me to try?
I figured from what was said that if I did a water change; did that two weeks ago, my ammonia is perfect, so is my nitrites that I might make the brown algae grow more?
Thanks for any replies.

[Nordic]

Wendy if it doesn't get going in a few hours at the most, you most likeley are dealing with a small leak somewhere...

[wendyv]

Thanks for the reply Nordic, I decided after reading some of the DIY postings to redo it; using two coke bottles and a smaller one in the middle. Started the yeast mix separately, just waiting for the one to bubble for the second bottle. I have some old testers and was checking out my water and it reads on an O2 test that at 25C I have 11 mg02 per litre of oxygen and on an C02 tester from Tetra that I found; didn't know I had; it isn't reading a color and it says that that means I have too much C02 in my tank:-(. So I don't know (these are old testers though, haven't bought any for years; so maybe not very reliable. My fish sure are perky with supposedly so much C02 in the tank. Now I am wondering if I can safely put this C02 unit on that took me days to make:-)

[Nordic]

Ok Wendy, not optional, go out and buy a kH kit (try to get the tetra one, it was only about USD4 here) and a pH kit, then we can help you determine your CO2 content, (hopeing for no weird buffers).

Those CO2 kits are just not accurate or worth it.

BTW, mind making your avatar a bit smaller?