90 Gal Low Tech HELP

[mtp10]

Hi everyone I'm new to the Forum I really have not posted many questions I just like to read the threads that interest me and learn that way but I have found my self in need of some advise . This is what I have a 90 Gal tank with Flora Base and Flourite and bottom fine gravel totaling about 3",3 Eheim filters . For lighting I have two f32t8/5500k daylight two f23t8 maxplant grow and two f40t12-bp Coralife 10,000K totaling six lights now the combo was sold to me by a local fish store. I'm running them for 7 hr a day at first my plants were growing well but now not so much and i haven't had much luck with red plants these are the plant that I have in my tank now ammannia grarillis but it is not pink or red its green? ludwigia broad red repens also green then dead ?Hygrophila polysperma also green? Rotal macrandra also green? Amazon Sword Plant stays small has some algae on it? Ludwigia repens grows slow and also green and Baby Tears as ground cover these are fine. Also my fish dont last long they die out they have babies and then die so do the babies ( different types of mollies,guppies and cherry barbs ) but I have also 3 Siamese Algae Eater are fine and 3 shrimp and one clown loach all these are fine

What do you think?

[CrazyMidwesterner]

I have to ask some questions before I think of answering yours :-) How long has the tank been set up? How low tech are you planning on going with your plants? Do you plan on dosing any fertilizer? Do you do water changes and if so how often?

What I can say based on your post is:

I like your light combo 2.1 WPG is great for growing just about anything and not getting much algae. Not sure why they told you to get the 5500K but they may know something I don't. I have a similiar setup with 2 6500K t-12's and 2 tri phosphor bulbs on my 75G. I leave mine on 10 hours a day. I've had good results.

Most red plants are very difficult to grow in a low tech with no ferts. There are exceptions like the dwarf aquarium lily, and the ludwigia repens should have grown. It is not uncommon in lower light, lower fert load aquariums for the plants to grow but not turn red. There is usually at least a red tint though.

I have no experience with florabase and I am not really sure what it really is. I simply use an inert substrate that has a little peat moss under it.

[mtp10]

ok it has been up since sept ,dosing any fertilizer ? not yet not sure which one to use? water changes I do 1/4 every two weeks and I don't clean the filters very often. How low tech are you planning on going with your plants ? not sure yet ... money is tight now but if you can please point me in the right direction. thanks

[CrazyMidwesterner]

Well if you are going completely no CO2 you need to limit water changes as much as possible and dose very little. The plants need to adjust to the low co2 levels in the water and the water changes add CO2 which makes it more difficult to adjust. An important factor many people overlook in a planted tank is stability.

I could write all kinds of suggestions down but it would merely be re-stating what I've learned and been told.

Check out this link. I think you will find it very useful. It is the method I used and it was pretty succesful for me.

http://www.barrreport.com/articles/4...2-methods.html

Rex Grigg on this forum I think sells ferts. A 1 pound bag of whatever you get will last you until darn near eternity in a low tech. The link above also tells you what to dose and how much if you choose to try it.

[mtp10]

thank you I will take a look

[mtp10]

I read what was in that link you sent me and learned a lot thank you really good, but I still haven't found anything on why my fish die soo fast?

[mtp10]

Hi all,
Well I have made some changes. I removed the two f32t8/5500k daylight and replace with two 96watt CP Daylight then added a DIY c02 a 2 liter bottle, plants are starting to get color ,my fish aren't dieing anymore I don't know what changed that? Think that I might have too much light now?

[Allfish]

Hello,

I was reading and it sounds like you need to research a little more before jumping head first into caring for fish. The fish should be the most important thing in the tank unless you are aquagardening. You should change one thing at a time and slowly. Then you will know what the problem was. Then you won't lose all the fish.

Don't you look before diving into a swimming pool?
Just some advice!!
Allfish