relatively new planted eclipse 6, java moss question

chacal · 01-27-2004, 04:00 PM

Hey all,

well i've finally gotten my eclipse 6 gallon transitioned from plastic plants with epoxy gravel to a real planted tank. It's now got eco-complete as the substrate, and it's planted with a bunch of java ferns, anubias nana, a couple of crypt wendtii, and a bunch of java moss covering a rock cave. It's been running for 2-3 weeks, and in general things seem good. Most of my plants are growing and/or exhibiting new growth. The java ferns and the anubias both have new little plants growing out of the rhizome, which is cool.

Last week I just bought the Kent Plant Care starter kit. From that I'm using the Freshwater Plant and the Pro Plant. I also got a bottle of flourish excel, and i'm dosing according to those instructions on the back.

My question is about the java moss. I know that I only have 8 watts of lighting in my tank, but people seem to be successful with these low-light plants in this tank with the stock lighting. I think the moss is browner than when it came in the mail, and it doesn't seem to be greening up. I've got a picture of it attached so you can see, I don't know if there's anything i'm doing wrong, or if there's anything else I can do to help it green up. If anyone has any suggestions (short of reworking the lighting in the tank, which I'm not up for right now), I'd love to hear them.

chacal · 01-27-2004, 04:03 PM

also, for what it's worth..after reading the post below, i'm going to cut open the filter cartridge and get rid of the carbon..if that's sapping nutrients from the water, it can't be helping the java moss.

mook · 01-27-2004, 05:13 PM

that's very strange. from my experience, java moss will grow ANYWHERE. my friend had some left over in a little tupperware container for a couple months before giving me a sprig, and it was still green and healthy...
sorry, that doesn't help you much.

Wasserpest · 01-27-2004, 08:54 PM

Very nice aquascape you've got there! What you might be experiencing is the initial succession of algae that new tanks go through... starting with... brown algae (diatoms). It could also be that the java moss is adapting to the new conditions it finds in your tank. Give it some time to adapt.

You need to be careful with dosing fertilizers in the tank. Due to the insufficient light, plants are probably not taking up a lot, and you might end up creating good conditions for algae. There are huge differences in nutrient requirements between low light and high light tanks... nothing new to you, I am sure.

Taking out the carbon is a good move. Observe the growth of the little plantlets... I am sure you'll have a lot of fun with that, compared to their plastic predecessors

Daemonfly · 01-27-2004, 09:26 PM

The stock Eclipse lighting is good enough for Java Moss (but I still think not good enough for Fern & Anubias...).

I would give it time to adapt & recover as it could have been damaged by cold weather during shipping.

As for ferts, I find it odd, but I can vary my dosages by quite a bit, and still have no algae problems with this 6g. It wasn't until I added more light to my 6g before I saw bad algae.

hypsophrys · 01-28-2004, 01:41 AM

D-fly, I so disagree. It ain't stellar, but I have lots of growth and plantlets. My sagittaria is even sending out runners. :-)

Ian

Daemonfly · 01-28-2004, 05:31 AM

Yeah, your 6G always trying to prove me wrong :P :lol:

hypsophrys · 01-28-2004, 02:34 PM

I think the plants pick up on my optimism. :-p

chacal · 01-28-2004, 03:48 PM

Daemonfly, hypsophrys,

Are you guys still running the bio-wheel? I took the carbon out of the filter pad (per a thread on this forum that said the carbon sucks up the nutrients that the plants need), and now i've read that the bio-wheel takes CO2 out of the water. Is it something I need to remove, or are you having good luck with the wheel in place?

Thanks!

hypsophrys · 01-28-2004, 04:13 PM

chacal,

I removed mine, and I think D has a picture somewhere of the mod he did (foam and poly + no biowheel). Biowheels definitely allow gas exchange...

Ian

Daemonfly · 01-28-2004, 07:23 PM

I actually removed mine as well. I cut an opening in the back of the cover and put in an Aquaclear Mini.

The filtration will only take CO2 out if you're injecting CO2, either by DIY or pressurized. If you're not injecting CO2, they you deffinately want surface agitation.

Here's direct link to the article on my filter media mod - http://daemonfly.com/articles/diyfil...ltermedia.html I did leave the Biowheel in since at the time I was using the Hagen CO2 system. It was set at it's highest placement, and the diffusion from the filter kinda balanced it out. I like the AC Mini replacement a lot better, as it opens up so much room under the lid now.

01-27-2004, 08:54 PM	#4
Wasserpest Are these real? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (140/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 14,643	Very nice aquascape you've got there! What you might be experiencing is the initial succession of algae that new tanks go through... starting with... brown algae (diatoms). It could also be that the java moss is adapting to the new conditions it finds in your tank. Give it some time to adapt. You need to be careful with dosing fertilizers in the tank. Due to the insufficient light, plants are probably not taking up a lot, and you might end up creating good conditions for algae. There are huge differences in nutrient requirements between low light and high light tanks... nothing new to you, I am sure. Taking out the carbon is a good move. Observe the growth of the little plantlets... I am sure you'll have a lot of fun with that, compared to their plastic predecessors __________________ All my tanks Autodosing Water Change Temperature Monitoring Cheap Filter The Wasser-Controller

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01-27-2004, 04:00 PM	#1
chacal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 18	Hey all, well i've finally gotten my eclipse 6 gallon transitioned from plastic plants with epoxy gravel to a real planted tank. It's now got eco-complete as the substrate, and it's planted with a bunch of java ferns, anubias nana, a couple of crypt wendtii, and a bunch of java moss covering a rock cave. It's been running for 2-3 weeks, and in general things seem good. Most of my plants are growing and/or exhibiting new growth. The java ferns and the anubias both have new little plants growing out of the rhizome, which is cool. Last week I just bought the Kent Plant Care starter kit. From that I'm using the Freshwater Plant and the Pro Plant. I also got a bottle of flourish excel, and i'm dosing according to those instructions on the back. My question is about the java moss. I know that I only have 8 watts of lighting in my tank, but people seem to be successful with these low-light plants in this tank with the stock lighting. I think the moss is browner than when it came in the mail, and it doesn't seem to be greening up. I've got a picture of it attached so you can see, I don't know if there's anything i'm doing wrong, or if there's anything else I can do to help it green up. If anyone has any suggestions (short of reworking the lighting in the tank, which I'm not up for right now), I'd love to hear them.

01-27-2004, 04:03 PM	#2
chacal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 18	also, for what it's worth..after reading the post below, i'm going to cut open the filter cartridge and get rid of the carbon..if that's sapping nutrients from the water, it can't be helping the java moss.

01-27-2004, 05:13 PM	#3
mook Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3	that's very strange. from my experience, java moss will grow ANYWHERE. my friend had some left over in a little tupperware container for a couple months before giving me a sprig, and it was still green and healthy... sorry, that doesn't help you much.

01-27-2004, 09:26 PM	#5
Daemonfly Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 355	The stock Eclipse lighting is good enough for Java Moss (but I still think not good enough for Fern & Anubias...). I would give it time to adapt & recover as it could have been damaged by cold weather during shipping. As for ferts, I find it odd, but I can vary my dosages by quite a bit, and still have no algae problems with this 6g. It wasn't until I added more light to my 6g before I saw bad algae.

01-28-2004, 01:41 AM	#6
hypsophrys Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 225	D-fly, I so disagree. It ain't stellar, but I have lots of growth and plantlets. My sagittaria is even sending out runners. :-) Ian

01-28-2004, 05:31 AM	#7
Daemonfly Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 355	Yeah, your 6G always trying to prove me wrong :P :lol:

01-28-2004, 02:34 PM	#8
hypsophrys Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 225	I think the plants pick up on my optimism. :-p

01-28-2004, 03:48 PM	#9
chacal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 18	Daemonfly, hypsophrys, Are you guys still running the bio-wheel? I took the carbon out of the filter pad (per a thread on this forum that said the carbon sucks up the nutrients that the plants need), and now i've read that the bio-wheel takes CO2 out of the water. Is it something I need to remove, or are you having good luck with the wheel in place? Thanks!

01-28-2004, 04:13 PM	#10
hypsophrys Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 225	chacal, I removed mine, and I think D has a picture somewhere of the mod he did (foam and poly + no biowheel). Biowheels definitely allow gas exchange... Ian

01-28-2004, 07:23 PM	#11
Daemonfly Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 355	I actually removed mine as well. I cut an opening in the back of the cover and put in an Aquaclear Mini. The filtration will only take CO2 out if you're injecting CO2, either by DIY or pressurized. If you're not injecting CO2, they you deffinately want surface agitation. Here's direct link to the article on my filter media mod - http://daemonfly.com/articles/diyfil...ltermedia.html I did leave the Biowheel in since at the time I was using the Hagen CO2 system. It was set at it's highest placement, and the diffusion from the filter kinda balanced it out. I like the AC Mini replacement a lot better, as it opens up so much room under the lid now.