36 Gallon Bowfront

[Eviltwist]

So finally i decided to start a journal. this is my first planted tank.

Equipment:
36 Gallon Bowfront Aqueon Aquarium,
HOB Aqueon filter (hoping that soon it will be changed to Eheim or Fluval canister),
Aqueon heater.

CO2:
Pressurized, 5 lb tank with Milwaukee regulator, Mr.Aqua Ceramic Diffuser.

Lighting:
Nova Extreme T5HO 2x24

Substrate:
Eco-Complete

Fertilization:
1/4 Tsp-KN03 3x a week, 1/8 Tsp-KH2P04 3x a week, 3/4 Tsp-GH booster once a week, 5ml Seachem Flourish 3x a week, Seachem root tabs.

Parameters:
Ph 6.4 to 7, KH 4, GH 6

Plants:
Blyxa Japonica, Limnophlia Aromatica, Nesea Triflora.

Inhabitants:
Guppies, Zebra Danios, Cories, Ottos, Ghost Shrimp.

Photos:
This is how the tank looked like before tear down:


Background ready to be painted:


Finished:


Big leap forward:




Two weeks later it is a disaster:
Wood was removed, half or more plants died.


Blyxa Japonica: white growth (what kind of deficiency is it ?)


Limnophlia Aromatica:




A little update after almost a month

[Wasserpest]

Nice start. A couple of things that jump out...

- Your water is very hard. You are adding GH booster. Your plants are what I would consider typical soft water plants (even if some manage to get them to grow in medium hard water). I think there is your first problem.

- You are adding 1/4 tsp N and 1/8 tsp P. I must be old school, I always add N:P in a roughly 10:1 ratio. So I think something could be off, be it too much P or too little N. Have you tested your tap water and your tank water for these nutrients? I know with spooning in stuff supposedly you don't need to test, but it does help in the beginning to get a good grasp on the dynamics in your specific tank. In some places there is a lot of P in the tap water, in others none. Also think about K, some tanks can be deficient in that as well.

- Related to that, what is your water change regimen? 50% a week I assume?

- Have you checked your CO2 levels? This is a big one for more demanding plants. "7.2 to 7.8" is a huge swing. If it is 7.8 then with your kH you have basically not added any CO2.

Ok, this should get you started...

[Eviltwist]

Yeah water is hard and it might be a problem (too bad i can't afford a R/O filter or just to buy water from store) Actually it was higher before, Kh was in like 15 range and GH 25.. I used some distilled water to bring it down.

I used this for my dosing:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fe...-regimes_.html

I think next week i will move into the 40-60 range and see how that will work. API test kits are on the way to test for Phosphate and Nitrate so i will be able to tell my levels and update this thread.

Water change is 50% weekly yeah.

Co2 levels are okay i think, drop checker is light green to yellowish. Adjusted it based on drop checker and fish behavior, can't push it anymore as it will make the fish gasp for air.


Any idea why my Blyxa Japonica is turning snow white ?

Also i think flow in the aquarium might be too low, i have 2 Circulation pumps coming in on friday so i'll see if it will change anything.

[Wasserpest]

Turning white could be a sign of missing N, but since you are adding almost 20 ppm every week most likely that's not it. IME "soft water" plants don't do well in hard water, unless everything is in excess. Looks like you are adding enough micros, however, in hard water (with often related higher pH), some of them like Fe and Mn are not as plant available.

Perhaps consider changing out your plants. That way you don't have to go to extremes to provide them with softest water. If you are not hard set on specific ones, there are many that will do well in hard water.

[Eviltwist]

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

Turning white could be a sign of missing N, but since you are adding almost 20 ppm every week most likely that's not it. IME "soft water" plants don't do well in hard water, unless everything is in excess. Looks like you are adding enough micros, however, in hard water (with often related higher pH), some of them like Fe and Mn are not as plant available.

Perhaps consider changing out your plants. That way you don't have to go to extremes to provide them with softest water. If you are not hard set on specific ones, there are many that will do well in hard water.

I don't dose additional Iron but I'm going to start adding it next week and see if it changes anything. I really love the plants that i have and i would prefer to keep them but if i fail completely i will get something else and see how that goes.

[Eviltwist]

Little update on water parameters.

Ph is at 7.2
Kh 9
Gh 10

I received the tests today for phosphate and nitrate.

Phosphate is 10 ppm (and i think it's higher than that since API test kit goes to 10.
Nitrate is 20-40 ppm range (it's hard to say from the color card but it falls between 20-40 i think)

Tomorrow water change !!

I have bought 10 gallons of distilled water to bring Kh and Gh lower.

Also added a circulation pump.


Any input will be appreciated ! Thanks !

[Wasserpest]

Looks like you don't need to add any more P, and can perhaps cut the N dose in half for now.

Using distilled water mixed with say 25% tap water will work, but you will have to do this very consistently. With 50% weekly water changes this can get old/expensive.

Let us know how things develop!

[Eviltwist]

So today i did a water change and used 10 gallons of distilled water.

Gh is at 8
Kh is at 6

Next week more distilled water.

[Eviltwist]

A little update with few more pictures
Kh is at 4
Gh is at 6

What's the plant in the last picture ?

Also some new plants were added since last time.

[Dragonfish]

Why did you pull that wood out? I really liked it!

[Eviltwist]

Originally Posted by Dragonfish

Why did you pull that wood out? I really liked it!

Sorry about the delayed response. I removed the wood because i was moving plants around too much and each time i would move the wood by accident. On next major rescape i will mount it to the bottom of the tank somehow.