[smp]

My plants are turning brown. New growth is "green".

Have an algae problem.

Using C02, Drop checker is Green. Plants are pearling.

Dosing per instructions Seachem liquid ferts.

Light is 4x65w 10 hrs.

What do I need to do?

 

[mistergreen]

More ferts, less lights.

 

[smp]

4x65 8 hrs or
2x65 10 hrs?

 

[leaf]

How old's the tank?

 

[smp]

This tank setup is 3 months old.

90 gal stocked (6 rainbows (fully grown), tetra's(12), 2 kissing groumais, 2 Chinese algae eaters, 3 Cories, 1 otto).

I converted from gravel, fish only with UG filter and 2 penguin 350's to present setup.

aquariumplants substrate. Eheim 2215. (I will be adding another 2215 this weekend) Current 4x65 (6700K) bulbs. I ran the HOB filters for 2 months until the tank and the 2215 cycled.

Current water parms:
Temp 74
KH 4d (I have to add baking soda to achieve this. Tap water is 1.4)
PH 6.8
Ammonia, Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phosphates 1 ppm (I'm running a Phosban reactor. Prior to running the reactor, phosphate level was 10+)

Plants have been in the tank for 2 weeks.

C02 (pressurized) has been running for 1 week. C02 comes on 2 hrs before lights, cuts off 2 hrs before lights go off.
When lights are off, HOB filter starts.

No carbon in any filter.

I just cut lights back from 12 to 10 hrs. Tank is not in direct sunlight.

Hope this helps.

 

[lauraleellbp]

I'd do a 3 day blackout to try and get the algae in check. Then I'd run only 2x65 watts for 8hrs/day till you get a good fert regimen put together.

 

[smp]

I'd do a 3 day blackout to try and get the algae in check. Then I'd run only 2x65 watts for 8hrs/day till you get a good fert regimen put together.

When doing blackout I assume C02 off and HOB running to get O2 in the tank?

 

[lauraleellbp]

You could do that, just to be on the safe side.

 

[smp]

So, is the "brown" algae or a nutrient deficiency? If these were "garden" plants I would think they needed "watered".

 

[lauraleellbp]

So, is the "brown" algae or a nutrient deficiency?

Looks to me like both.

 

[GTR]

I have to agree with others, you don't need that much light. I only run all 4 bulbs on my 90g for 2-4 hours a day, the other two run for 8.

I've yet to feel confident when testing for PO4. But maybe I could tell the difference between 1 and 10ppm. Are you using the full line of Seachem ferts?

SteveU

 

[smp]

I have to agree with others, you don't need that much light. I only run all 4 bulbs on my 90g for 2-4 hours a day, the other two run for 8.

I've yet to feel confident when testing for PO4. But maybe I could tell the difference between 1 and 10ppm. Are you using the full line of Seachem ferts?

SteveU

K, will cut lamps back to 2-2hrs, 4-4hrs, 2-2 hrs.

I'm using the following Seachem Ferts (I got them from my LFS via a "fish" trade).

From the "Plant Pack Fundamentals"

Florish Excel - 2 capful every 3 days
Florish - 1 capful every 5 days
Florish Iron - 1 capful once a week.


From the "Plant Pack Enhancer:NPK

Flourish Phosphorus - 4ml twice weekly
Flourish Nitrogen - 4ml twice weekly
Flourish Potassium - 10ml twice weekly


I just received my Fertilizer Combo Pack from Rex Grigg.

Switch to it and stop the Seachem?

 

[Streptomycin]

I'm certainly no expert, but the plants look like what my plants looked like when adjusting to life in the tank. Since you say they are only two weeks old, I'd assume that is the case.

In my experience, my plants look ragged until a little time has passed (the right genes and pathways are turned on and fine tuned?) for the plants' optimal functioning in each tank's unique miniature ecosystem.

 

[smp]

Here's the tank a few days after it was planted, and a week before the C02.

 

[Hoppy]

What light fixture are you using? I know that there is a wide variation in the quality of the reflectors in 65 watt PC fixtures. And, how are the lights arranged on the tank - two rows of end to end, or what? Is it a 4 bulb fixture?

I'm asking all of that because I wonder if you have enough light, or have the light uniform enough to get to all of the plants. If you had AH Supply bright kit lights I would have no doubts, but considering some of the 65 watt PC fixtures I have seen......

 

[smp]

It is a 4 bulb Current Satalite fixture, sitting on top of the tank, dead center. No top glass on the tank under the lights.

Fixture has 4 24" bulbs, 2 rows 2 bulbs each. I'm using Sunpaq 65w 6700k Daylight. Bulbs are ~3 months old.

 

[Hoppy]

The bulbs in that fixture are placed very close together, side by side. The fixture is about 5 inches front to back, but only about 4 inches of that is the reflector, if that much, and the bulbs are almost that wide side by side. The tank is 18 inches front to back, so you must have low light near both the front and rear glasses. The tank is also 24 inches tall, so the lights are about that far from the substrate. My guess is that you are getting 50 micromols or less PAR at the substrate directly under the fixture and less than 40 micromols at the front and back glass, both being low moderate intensity. Higher up in the tank the difference between the intensity directly under the light and at the front and back glass will be much greater. I can't tell what plants you have, but if they are high light plants you don't have high light. That could be part of the problem.

Since your plants are pearling you may have enough CO2 for the light you have. Are you using 4 dKH distilled or DI water in the drop checker?

Seachem's liquid fertilizer recommended doses are for relatively low light tanks, so you may have enough, if you are using the nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous ones, along with Flourish, for trace elements.

I do agree with those who say you shouldn't run the lights as long as you were. 8 hours or even less is generally long enough.

 

[Zapins]

It looks like you have a brown algae problem. Brown algae are really diatoms which do not require light, in fact, they aren't even algae at all. They are autotrophs, meaning they eat waste around the tank. They usually occur in newly set up tanks, tanks with low light, or dirty tanks. Since you just set up your tank now, I think that is the most likely reason you have them. They can linger for a few weeks, but more water changes will help get rid of them.

The plants themselves also look a bit off, but I'm not entirely convinced it is a lack of light or nutrients. Do you see any growth stunting or is it just the strange color? They might just need a bit of time to adjust and grow in. Also, what is your GH (calcium and magnesium)? Soft water plants like wallichii don't grow well in hard water.

 

[smp]

Here's the plants I have

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/98100-holiday-plant-sale-sold.html

Water is soft. GH is 33ppm (as per the water company. And that's after the lime is added)

I've measured the KH at the tap and it was 28ppm.

Plants are growing.

If more or closer pictures are needed to aid in identifying anything , let me know.

 

[smp]

Update on the tank.

I cut back lighting to 1 hour 2 bulbs, 8 hours 4 bulbs, 1 hour 2 bulbs.

Git a drop checker and upped CO2 until it's green.

Doubled up on the nitrogen (was using Seachem Liquids). This appeared to fix the problem with brown plants.

Increased ferts.

Everything is doing great now. :icon_smil: Plants are growing quite well. Algae is under control. I trapped and removed the CAE's (They were attacking my rainbows. Giving them to my Daughter to put in her cichlid tank.)


roud: Thanks all for input/help. I'll post a new picture in a few days.