[PrimeObsession]

Hi, it looks like your off to a great start! I like the rock you've selected and you've got a really nice set-up. I'm also a fan of the 22 long... I wish I would have known about that size when I set-up my 20 gal.

Any plans as far as what your going to stock in there?

 

[Nastee]

Nice!

 

[neverwander]

The plan as of right now is a nice shool of threadfin rainbows, some otos, and red cherry shrimp

 

[kimchilee]

very nice tank! raise the light a little bit if possible.

 

[agro]

very nice tank! raise the light a little bit if possible.

P+ should be fine if he's blasting co2.

 

[neverwander]

very nice tank! raise the light a little bit if possible.

Thanks! Are you saying add more light, or physically raise the light so its farther away from the water?

 

[agro]

What type of outlet you have? Also move the inlet more to the right and out of sight.

 

[kimchilee]

P+ should be fine if he's blasting co2.

i don't have a PAR meter, but i did a little test on Current USA SAT+ and Finnex Planted+ before, ran each of them on my 22 gallon tank for couple days with 8 hours photoperiod, i think raise the planted+ light few inches higher from the substrate is not a bad idea. i might be wrong.

Thanks! Are you saying add more light, or physically raise the light so its farther away from the water?

physically raise the light, but i might be wrong.

 

[neverwander]

i don't have a PAR meter, but i did a little test on Current USA SAT+ and Finnex Planted+ before, ran each of them on my 22 gallon tank for couple days with 8 hours photoperiod, i think raise the planted+ light few inches higher from the substrate is not a bad idea. i might be wrong.

I saw you raised yours up, but I couldn't make out what you used to do so. Any suggestions? Also, love your 22. It's really coming along nicely!

 

[kimchilee]

I saw you raised yours up, but I couldn't make out what you used to do so. Any suggestions? Also, love your 22. It's really coming along nicely!

thanks, going to add more plants to my 22 this week. for finnex planted+, you can try to contact neilshieh for the light risers, or see the link below. i'm still waiting for the finnex 24/7 version light risers.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=828721&highlight=

 

[neverwander]

What type of outlet you have? Also move the inlet more to the right and out of sight.

The outlet is the one that comes with the filter, basically a plastic tube with 5 or 6 holes drilled in the side to let the water out. I would move the inlet over if I could, but I ran out of filter tubing. Gonna wait a few weeks, and pick up some glass inflow/outlow and clear tubing.

 

[neverwander]

Updated original post with this weeks photo. Getting good growth out of HC. Algae has begun to take hold. Reduced lit period and decreased daily fert dose to try to counteract it. Also cut the Eleocharis back so it stands up straight. I like the fact that the tops stick out of the water now. Can't wait for the tank to stabilize so I can get some shrimp and Otos in here to help combat the algae.

 

[kimchilee]

impressive growth rate!

 

[neverwander]

HELP! Algae Explosion! This red thread algae has taken off and I can't seem to slow down it's growth. I have stopped dosing with ferts altogether and pulled back on CO2. Light period is currently at 8 hours a day. Doing a water change actually made it worse. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to combat this stuff?

 

[DGarone]

I think that ceasing fert use is a bad idea. I think reducing light in some way and increasing flow while manually removing algae is the better bet.

Also, I think that decreasing CO2 is literally the worst thing you could do short of increasing light. I don't think steady overuse of CO2 ever causes algae. Changing and/or inconsistent CO2 is supposedly really bad and can cause algae to grow.

Reducing CO2 and ferts pretty much cancels out the fact that you reduced the light. Might even be worse than if you had left everything the same and increased light.

My understanding is that excess CO2 and ferts are never the problem. Light and flow are. You have to have enough CO2 and ferts to allow your plants to use up whatever light you're providing. If you don't, then algae fills the gap and uses the extra light.

Extra CO2 and ferts (like via EI dosing) are done to make sure there is enough to allow max use of whatever light you're pumping in. According to Tom Barr, extra ferts do not cause algae.

Lastly, changing so many variables at once will make it way harder to figure out what the problem was and adjust for it.

 

[zeldar]

What type of substrate are you using? I hope not controsoil...

 

[jsarrow]

HELP! Algae Explosion! This red thread algae has taken off and I can't seem to slow down it's growth. I have stopped dosing with ferts altogether and pulled back on CO2. Light period is currently at 8 hours a day. Doing a water change actually made it worse. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to combat this stuff?

Cut back light to 5hrs/day, keep co2 going and no ferts. May want to backout the tank for 1-2 days as well. The plants will likely be fine.

 

[neverwander]

I think that ceasing fert use is a bad idea. I think reducing light in some way and increasing flow while manually removing algae is the better bet.

Also, I think that decreasing CO2 is literally the worst thing you could do short of increasing light. I don't think steady overuse of CO2 ever causes algae. Changing and/or inconsistent CO2 is supposedly really bad and can cause algae to grow.

Reducing CO2 and ferts pretty much cancels out the fact that you reduced the light. Might even be worse than if you had left everything the same and increased light.

My understanding is that excess CO2 and ferts are never the problem. Light and flow are. You have to have enough CO2 and ferts to allow your plants to use up whatever light you're providing. If you don't, then algae fills the gap and uses the extra light.

Extra CO2 and ferts (like via EI dosing) are done to make sure there is enough to allow max use of whatever light you're pumping in. According to Tom Barr, extra ferts do not cause algae.

Lastly, changing so many variables at once will make it way harder to figure out what the problem was and adjust for it.

Thanks for the great advice, I'll put it into use as soon as I get home from work.

What type of substrate are you using? I hope not controsoil...

I'm using ADA Amazonia

Cut back light to 5hrs/day, keep co2 going and no ferts. May want to backout the tank for 1-2 days as well. The plants will likely be fine.

Thanks. I'm heading out of town for the weekend. If the changes DGarone suggested don't help reduce it by the time I'm back, I may try a blackout to kill off the algae and let me pick it out of the plants.

Thanks again for all your help guys!

 

[zeldar]

It looks like you have filamentous diatoms. I fought it in my Edge (check out my journal for some gnarly pics) and changing lights, co2, or ferts doesn't solve the problem. The diatoms are caused by high silicates in the water. You need to figure out what is causing the high silicates in the tank. In my tank it was the soil which was leaking it. Might be the same case with the Aquasoil. I had to end up breaking the tank down and replacing the substrate. Once I switched to an inert substrate (Eco complete) I haven't seen one speck of diatoms. Good luck, I feel your pain as that algae just chokes the plants out and basically kills them.