[trymypride]

Ok everyone
please help me, i have recently started in planted tanks from keeping plants in a tank with tropicals :icon_wink
I have generally had good success with my plants in that they dont die - but they are just so darn slow! a while back i had great revelations when i started adding CO2 (DIY) and the plants took off little bubbles everywhere
Now its all stopped and I have decided its time to start with fert. Was only using 'florena' and florinette A a combination of tablets and juice - which i have found to be close to tap water. I have managed to source KNO3 and others from hydroponics stores and its time to go for it i guess
STATS
90L (23 gal) AGA
its a high top - 3ft x 2ft x 1ft
Substrate is Ferral (a red iron trace stuff) and Terralit topped with black gravel

I have undergravel heating
1000lph canister and 7w UV
Lighting is 3 x 3ft flouro tubes 30w each
2x 10000K 1'plant grow'
ph - 6.6
temp 25.5
CO2 - DIY tests at >25ppm with sera colour indicator

7 rainbows, 3 corys, 5rummynose, 3ottos, 1 whiptail and 2 peppermint BN.
2 large swords, 2aponogon, several crypts (wentii and other) large red lotus, anubius nanna, and bunch of "babys tears'

yesterday i dosed nitrates to 20ppm, K -15ppm and 1-2 ppm phosphates - i also gave a slightly larger dose of my florena

still no bubbles :icon_cry:

do i have enough light? should i also have dosed MgSO4? Is it iron?
what am i missing ?
please help

 

[Joetee]

OK you have 3.9 watts per gallon which is good. Are you measuring your C02 with the KH/PH chart? You really should read Rex's Guide. It will explain a lot. Now your DIY C02 will start within a couple days and be fast giving you a lot of C02. Then as time goes by, it will slowly diminish. After 2 or 3 weeks it is nearly gone. When I was using DIY C02, I had three 2 litter bottles. I refilled one every week and that gave me a more stable C02 level. But the pearling usually don't start until the evening.

I hope this helps a little.

 

[sherry]

I disagree Joe. I think 3.9 watts per gallon with diy co2 is very tough to balance. It is tough to balance with pressurized. I'd cut off one of the lights and try to balance with 2 tubes. I'd also turn off the undergravel heating. It is an old idea that doesn't really seem to have retained its credibility. Also how often are you dosing? you should be consistent.

 

[Galactic Doug]

You may want to read this thread for somemore insight on a better DIY yeast method using jello.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/9916-jello-co2-thread.html


or

Add Flourish Excel to help the carbon...
Doug

 

[Joetee]

Yes 3.9 WPG is a little high but with a 23 gallon tank and my old method of using three 2 litter bottles, it would be possible to keep it high enough but I am no expert by far.

 

[trymypride]

DANG - DANG DARN POO !!!! haha - i dont know what I did.... but im an idiot... somewhere in setting up i made a huge calculation error.... theres not 23gal at all theres actually 40 us gal in there!!!!! CRAP!!!! this changes everything - suddenly Im at the low end of the light spectrum and vastly underdosing on everything - ok i cant believe i have done that for the last two weeks without thinking twice. 3ft x 1ft x 2ft = more than i thought
whoops
However, on the lighting thing
would metal halides help - i have found a fitting with a single 250W 20 000K UV Block Globe + 2 T5 39W High Output Floro Globes and 2 Blue LED Globes
the LEDs are just for [email protected]#ts and giggles so to speak
cheers

 

[Joetee]

Thats still 2.25 watts per gallon. That should grow many types of plants. Your dosing should have been ok if you are useing the EI method or if you are testing and then dosing to the levels required by the test.

 

[mistergreen]

I get 30+ppm of CO2 using 2 bottles of DIY CO2 btw in my 29G tank.

my drop checker is yellow.
I think it's how you dissolve the co2 that really matters. I have one attached to a glass diffuser & one attached to a powerhead.

 

[Joetee]

Thats good. Do you fill them both at the same time? Is your C02 pretty stable? I used three filling one every week in my 29 gal only to get a more stable reading.