100L planted tank go GREEN

[Revos]

Hello, this is my first aquarium, it's running since january 2012.

substrate:plain gravel
filter: internal bluewave 03
light: 3x24W 6700K
co2: DIY with a ceramic difusor
ferts: easy life products (NP, carbo and profito)

Dosing is via EI method

Plants:
-Dwarf sag
-Ludwigia Repens
-Rotala Wallichii (having problems with this one)
-Limnophilla sessiliflora
-Valisneria gigantea (this one is going out, it grows too much)
-and one more that I don't know the name, it's in the right corner

Fish:
12 tiger barbs

Water:
ph 7
no3 30
po4 1
kh 12 (yes very hard)
gh 16 (again very hard)

I have a bit of an algae problem. On the leaves i see brown "dust" which can be easily rubbed off, but is starting to get quite annoying. More pictures later when I get my other camera.

Also is normal for Dward sag to start melting when it's planted and then it starts to come back?

Comments appreciated!

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

Great Start! I bet it will look nice when it fills in all the way! The drift wood has a nice shape! Did Ya find it at a Aquarium Shop or in Nature?

As for the Brown Dust, it is Golden Diatoms, and is usually the first algae ya get in a aquarium! It is usually easy to deal with by getting a few Otto Cats ( Otocinclus is scientific name) a small algae eater. Then when they eat all of the Diatoms they will go ahead and eat most of the other types of algae that comes in a planted tank! lol But if you are lucky enough not to get much algae than you will need to feed them with either a Algae Eaters pre made food, or with Romaine Lettuce or Blanched Zucchini so they don't starve to death!

Sorry I can't help ya much on the Dwarf Sag or Rotala Wallichii, as I haven't tried them yet! But I am sure others will chime in pretty quick!

Anyway, Cool setup, and I hope you can find some Ottos in Slovenia!!!
Drew

[Revos]

The drift wood is from an aquarium shop yeah, I've heared that Ottos don't really eat algae and much rather eat food? Is this true is it just a myth?

Also I am curious if getting Seachem root tabs would help my plants grow easier?

Here's an older picture of the tank:

[tomfromstlouis]

The algae "dust" might be BBA, which comes from uneven CO2 levels. Manual removal is required and even CO2 levels keep it away.

I think Rotala is a nutrient hungry plant, so it might want more Co2. I am guessing.

Good looking tank!

[Revos]

I doubt it is from uneven co2 levels, because I have this pest almost from the very start... CO2 is currently at 1bps via 2x1,5L bottles with yeast.

I am thinking my kh and gh are causing troubles. How do plants deal with such high KH and GH?

[Revos]

here's an update on how my algae/dust looks like, hopefully some of you can help me




my tiny tiger barbs, they're eating like monsters though


a full aquarium picture

[Revos]

Nobody experienced anything like this before? Could it be a filter/circulation issue?

[Revos]

Here's an update to the tank I tried to open it up abit, still a few plants short but ok...

[Revos]

here's a picture of the new scape! New plants added aswell

[Revos]

the plant mass got HUUUUGE I think its cutting time...

[rustbucket]

Nice tank, as to an earlier question, otos prefer algae, I am actually having a hard time getting mine to eat anything else and am afraid they might starve, so make sure you have enough to support them.

Not sure if you still have the algae, with that plant mass it may have been out competed, but it looked a lot like brown diatom, in my my experience you can't wipe off bba, it sticks like glue and has to be cut out. If it is brown diatom then the o cats will love it.

Just a suggestion, keep up on the trims! And I kinda miss seeing the driftwood.

[Revos]

I am just gathering the plants for a complete rescape I am also looking out for some ottos, but I hope my tiger barbs won't become aggresive towards them?

The diatoms remain... After a mayor cleaning they're slowly swowly getting back...

[Revos]

Here's the rescape I did

I also putt in Tropica plant substrate underneath the gravel.
For the first time I see some crazy pearling going on from time to time.

PICTURES!




Do you have any tips on how to trim plants to make the new growth more dense and bushy?

When I cut a plant, it normally grows only 1 sideshot from the top of the old stem plant. I've heared it should grow atleast 2 sideshots. Any clues?

Comments welcome!

[GMYukonon24s]

Beautiful tank

[Revos]

Thanks alot... but I really don't find it all that good looking yet... This is my first aquarium and I'm having trouble getting really nice dense,bushy growth... I have no idea how other people do it...