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Thread: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

  1. #46
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Great information here however I have a couple of questions? Now regarding lighting I have a power compact ultra orbit 4x130w but I am only using two of the bulbs currently along with a wet/dry filtration in a 55g. It's set on a timer of about 8hr cycle and I am using flourish seachem. I have roughly 15 corys, a dwarf pleco, 20 jumbo neons a couple red-clawed crabs, 4 tetras and two discus. While performing 30% w/cs every 3-4 days. A pH of 6.8 and a temperature of 82F. I have about 6 new plants I recently purchased. I was wondering what type of plant would be the best or anyone may recommoned for this type of environment. In addition, I do not have a CO2 system isn't having plenty of fish able to help produce this and or what would anyone recommend for a cheap easy and efficient solution for obtaining enough CO2?

  2. #47
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    you need about ten to 12 hours of light for plants. flourish seachem has phosphates, I don't use it for that reason because you'll build up plenty of phosphate without it and that will mean algae. You can rig a DIY CO2 system using pop bottles with sugar,warm water, and yeast, airline, and air bubble ladders you can buy. I have three on a 78 gallon tank and they work just fine. you just have to change the yeast mixture every couple weeks, staggering which bottle you change so you have a steady CO2 level.
    you can also use Flourish Excel as a carbon supplement that helps with CO2 levels.
    82 is a little cool if they're young discus.
    and two discus is not enough. six is the minimum recommended in a tank.
    there are lots of plants that do well in low to medium light... you could go browse the tropica website to see some you might like.
    most popular are amazon swords, anubia, cryptocorynes, watersprite, vallisneria, pennywort, hornwort, lots of different types of stem plants.

  3. #48
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Quote Originally Posted by diamonddiscus08 View Post
    Great information here however I have a couple of questions? Now regarding lighting I have a power compact ultra orbit 4x130w but I am only using two of the bulbs currently along with a wet/dry filtration in a 55g. It's set on a timer of about 8hr cycle and I am using flourish seachem. I have roughly 15 corys, a dwarf pleco, 20 jumbo neons a couple red-clawed crabs, 4 tetras and two discus. While performing 30% w/cs every 3-4 days. A pH of 6.8 and a temperature of 82F. I have about 6 new plants I recently purchased. I was wondering what type of plant would be the best or anyone may recommoned for this type of environment. In addition, I do not have a CO2 system isn't having plenty of fish able to help produce this and or what would anyone recommend for a cheap easy and efficient solution for obtaining enough CO2?
    2x130w in a 55gal is 4.7w/gal, you need CO2. DIY will probably not give you enough. 6 plants is also not enough to start with, you will need to have a lot more to out compete algae growth. Unless you meant 6new plants to an existing planted tank?
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  4. #49
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Dissent is right-- that's high wattage and DIY CO2 will not cut it. You'll have a tank full of algae.

  5. #50
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    I am bit confused on what to and who to listen too. I went to my local discus breeder who also does planted tanks take in consideration he has been doing planted tanks for about 9 years. He had told me that I should use around 6 hrs of lighting that with my light setup that would be perfect. Along with mentioning that the flourish seachem would be more than ample along with using flourish tabs for the more root driven plants like the amazon swords. In addition he had told me not to worry about doing CO2 due the amount of fish in my tank which totals around 40. So I really am not sure what to do. Thanks for all the adivce!

  6. #51
    Registered Member Dissident's Avatar
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    I dont want to disparage the advice you got from your local breeder but 9yrs of planted tank experience doesn't mean it is being done right. I am going off my 6yrs of high-tech planted tank experience and the collective knowledge of the 3 planted tank forums I visit on a regular basis tells me that:
    4.7w/gal + trace elements (unless you mean Flourish EXCEL in your previous post) + all the nitrates produced by 40 fish = algae (and tons of it depending on feeding routine)
    Anyone in the hobby for any amount of the time should be able to tell you that no amount of fish in a tank will be sufficient to supplement a high-light tank with CO2.

    If you want a 3rd opinion I would recommend stopping over at any of the forums like plantedtank.net and see what they think (APC and Tom Barr's site is nice too).
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  7. #52
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Thanks a ton for your input. Now based upon what you're telling me I need to get a CO2 canister or tank of some sort? Once again I am running two sets of 130w bulbs on a 6 hr cycle along with atinics before and after the 6 hr daylight cycle to mimic dusk and dawn. I have around 12-14 plants mainly broad leaves a few amazon swords and a few crypts. I am using seachem flourish the comprehensive nutrients not excel. Along with flourish tabs for the root based amazon swords and crypts. W/C 30% every 3 days using 85% RO and 15% tap.

  8. #53
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    If you are using the "Extreme" Bulbs at 130 W ea. - 48" ea.
    with 2 bulbs running you have 4.72 W per gallon
    If you run 4 bulbs you have 9.45 W per gallon
    Is that what you have ?
    If so, there is no way around pressurised Co2, or you will have an algae farm really quick !!!

    Do you have a 4 bulb fixture or a 2 bulb fixture ?
    2 - 130W lights ? 260 W total
    4 - 130W lights ? 520 W total
    Maybe I'm missing something here, or your house could look like an airport runway ?

    If you have 4, why so much light ?? Aren't you just growing Amazon Swords, Crypts and stuff ?
    B

  9. #54
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    I have a current usa orbit extreme 48" 2x130w dual daylight,
    2x130w dual actinic, and 4 lunar lights. Running the 2x130 daylight 6hrs daily and the 2x130w actinics for one hour for dawn and dusk. So yes a total of 520W. Check this link http://www.justphish.com/product_inf...e61caf8bee1241
    Thanks for all the help!

  10. #55
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Yes I realize excessive lighting however I am looking into getting a 90g

  11. #56
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Hi Diamonddiscus -
    Even on a 90 gal, you'd be looking at 5.7WPG, which is way up there on the very high end of high light.
    Lots of pressurized Co2 and Ferts !!!
    B

  12. #57
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Quote Originally Posted by diamonddiscus08 View Post
    I have a current usa orbit extreme 48" 2x130w dual daylight,
    2x130w dual actinic, and 4 lunar lights. Running the 2x130 daylight 6hrs daily and the 2x130w actinics for one hour for dawn and dusk. So yes a total of 520W. Check this link http://www.justphish.com/product_inf...e61caf8bee1241
    Thanks for all the help!
    The actinic light isn't the most ideal for keeping plants - its more for keeping corals. You should try to replace those with daylight or trichromatic lights; most people llike those of a color temp of around 5000-6000-10,000K (kelvin). Personally, I like those around 6000K (a nice white color).

    Don't be discouraged to try a pressurized CO2 tank - the initial cost might sound high, but if you get a 10 or 20 pound cylinder, you'll only need to have it refilled once every 1-2 years. It's definitely a 'set it and forget it' item - I do check the gauges about once a week, but that's about it (other than keeping the CO2 diffussor clean). Definitely beats mixing the sugar and yeast every 2 weeks.

    I'd also recommend keeping the lights on for 10-12 hours.

    You didn't mention what type of plants you bought. The best thing to fight algae are faster growing plants which will pull out the nutrients quickly and outcompete the algae. Ceratopteris (water sprite), several stem plants are also good (such as: Ludwigia repens, Ludwigia arcuata, Rotala indicia, various Hygrophila), Ceratophyllum (hornwort), and some Vallisneria (although vals typically like slightly harder water). Sword plants do suck out a lot of nutrients, but that only happens once they are established and thriving (typically swords are often grown emersed at the farms and they need to adjust to being submersed in an aquarium).

    You find a lot of info on Tropica's website:
    http://www.tropica.com/default.asp

    Here's a list of deficiency symptoms in plants:
    http://seachem.com/support/Flourish_..._deficency.pdf

    Hope that helps,


    Walter
    Walter

  13. #58
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    Question Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Hello all,

    My tanks have little to no algae, but they do have a diacom problem.
    My tap water is unusually soft (056 ppm), with a ph of 7.0-7.2 ,and I have started adding RO Right to bring it up. Phosphate tests were too low to appreciably measure. BTW, the ph in my tanks drops substantially in the tank, but the fish do not seem to mind at all.
    I recently purchased a RO unit and the water became so soft that it barely registered on my TDS meter. If I added the di unit to the mix the tds went to 002 ppm.
    The diacom decreased substantially, but I had added some Hypostumus Plecos which I have been told will eat the stuff.
    My ? is: Is the ro water changing this particular situation or are the Plecos doing the job, in your opinion? Also do I need ro water if I am not interested in breeding?
    Moving fish back and forth to determine what's going on is not possible.
    The tanks are a 180 bb with swords in pots and a 75 done the same way.
    I do 15% changes after the last feeding every day and I groom the tank as opposed to just changing water.
    As an aside, what is the best way/product to use as a fertilizer for my swords?
    The jobs spikes and all other "tabs" seem to have a high phosphate content.
    Thanks and all opinions are welcome.

    Bryon

  14. #59
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    How come I am not seeing the images several people are refering to in their posts? I have images enabled in my control panel. What am I missing?

  15. #60
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    Default Re: Tips on growing plants and avoiding algae

    Quote Originally Posted by DocB View Post
    How come I am not seeing the images several people are refering to in their posts? I have images enabled in my control panel. What am I missing?
    Is it any posts prior to 2004? When the forum changed over to an updated version, the old pictures were lost.

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