bobo Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hi guys, Sorry, this is going to be a massive post with poor quality photos I would love your help! I have some minor issues with my two tanks. Since some changes in my life, I decided to change my tanks to low maintenance set ups. Currently I do one water change a month, and some weekly dosing. I want to try to maintain this workload while making the tanks look good. TANK ONE This tank is a 120L, long, thin tank that has undergone several changes. It was originally a glosso and stem tank, before becoming swords, crypts and ferns. Everything was going swimmingly until a BBA outbreak - to fix it, I started using DIY CO2 - this made the ferns boom, and I got sick of trimming them and so yanked them. Immediately following this my crypts melted and my swords starting developing brown areas on the leaves. Firstly, why did ripping the ferns have such an adverse effect on the other plants and why has my sword developed brown spots? I have also noticed that my swords are now growing rapidly compared to before. Maybe because they get more light now? Before ripping the ferns: After: Lights: 80W T8 7000k on for 4hours on, 2hours off, 4hours on Base: 1 year old Flourite. Dose: 5ml of Flourish Comprehensive weekly 10ml of Excel on remaining BBA weekly Maintenance: Monthly 50% WC, no vac - will vac during this period of light foliage. Fauna: 1 Platy, 1 Bristlenose, 9 Neons, 6 Guppies, 1 SAE, 5 Bronze Cories, a few Snails And I am left with the following algae/weed problems: 1) Notice the brown 'grass' that is growing up beneath the crypt. What is it and how do I rid myself of it? 2) The sword- it has brown markings, plus it has a threadlike weed growing from it? 3) I'm not sure if you can see this, but the java fern has a long fine like substance growing on it, that has small offshoots on it - if I pull this 'vine' more and more of it will sluice off into my hand. Do you know what it is and how I can get rid of it? TANK TWO!! This was an Oscar tank that I am in the process of converting to a planted tank (started two-three weeks ago). First the pics: Lights: 3x6500 T5HO (I think they are Hagen Life Glo) - about 6hours at the moment, gradually increasing to 8 over the next two weeks Base: Daltons, Sand, Pebbles Dosing: Nothing at the moment - will gradually go to 15ml of Flourish Comprehensive. No CO2 Maintenance: 50% WC per month, gentle monthly vacs until planted heavily. Fauna: 10 Tiger Barbs, 2-3 Bristlenose, 1 Redtail Shark - thinking of some Bosemani and/or Gourami in the future. Maybe kribs. Zebra loaches and maybe cories. Questions: 1) Why has my sword deteriorated so much - the other swords look either healthy, or not so bad? 2) Why have some of my java fern gone dark brown in the middle, but some are fine? 3) Is my ~1.3WPG of T5 enough to grow those swords, considering its a tall tank? Or should I look at some other options? Phew! Thank you very much for any assistance!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 We can take a step by step approach at this one. Your tank established an equilibrium with the levels of light, nutrient and CO2. The indian fern is a terribly fast grower, and sucks up a lot of nutrient. Taking that plant out caused an imbalance between the amount of nutrient that is available for the plants to absorb vs. the amount of light, and all of this is relative to the new CO2 levels. Add an excess of ferts (comprehensive or similar) and that should help some things. Can you take a closer up pic of the filamentous algae? I have a hunch at what it is, and I hope that's not it, but at this point the fibrous stuff could well be the roots. The brown stuff on the Java fern is how the plant reproduces underwater. Add JBL balls under the roots of the root feeders like sword plants, and some ferts in the water (too much is more expensive, but better than too little). The same rules apply to most tanks. Thank you for the informative and well thought out post. You can also test the water for Nitrogen and Phosphorous (Nitrate and Phosphate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I got a lovely piece of windelov that didn't like my tank and almost completely died - it looked like your browning off one. If it keeps browning off just leave the rooty rhisome bit where it is and if it isn't too unhappy it will slowly grow back. Mine has taken literally months but it is starting to speed up now. So if you bought this recently and put it in, that might be what it is - either that or making new growth as above, but if it's a new plant I think might be doing what mine did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 We can take a step by step approach at this one. Your tank established an equilibrium with the levels of light, nutrient and CO2. The indian fern is a terribly fast grower, and sucks up a lot of nutrient. Taking that plant out caused an imbalance between the amount of nutrient that is available for the plants to absorb vs. the amount of light, and all of this is relative to the new CO2 levels. Yeah - I suspected something like this - since there was so much fern - is this also why the swords have started growing faster -more nutrients available? Add an excess of ferts (comprehensive or similar) and that should help some things. How much is an excess- currently I do 5ml for the 120l weekly. Should I double/triple? Is it safe without regular water changes? Can you take a closer up pic of the filamentous algae? I have a hunch at what it is, and I hope that's not it, but at this point the fibrous stuff could well be the roots. Do you mean the stuff in the fourth photo, coming off the java fern, which is attached to the log? This 'vine' used to be everywhere in the tank, to the extent I'd peel handfuls out each week, then it disappeared, and has since reappeared in a very small quantity which I have photographed: What do you mean it could be roots? Do you know what the brown grassy stuff under the crypts is? Or the 'viney stuff' by the sword? The brown stuff on the Java fern is how the plant reproduces underwater. Cheers Add JBL balls under the roots of the root feeders like sword plants, and some ferts in the water (too much is more expensive, but better than too little). The same rules apply to most tanks. OK. I'll look at doing that - will that help with the low light issue of the big tank (is there a low light issue in the big tank? I'm happy with slow steady growth.)? Or were you talking specifically about the brown leaves in the small tank? Thank you for the informative and well thought out post. Thank you for the informative response!! You can also test the water for Nitrogen and Phosphorous (Nitrate and Phosphate). Nitrates are fine. Maybe I'll need to get a phosphate kit - phosphate can also cause BBA right? How do you lower phosphates? Thanks for your help! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I got a lovely piece of windelov that didn't like my tank and almost completely died - it looked like your browning off one. If it keeps browning off just leave the rooty rhisome bit where it is and if it isn't too unhappy it will slowly grow back. Mine has taken literally months but it is starting to speed up now. So if you bought this recently and put it in, that might be what it is - either that or making new growth as above, but if it's a new plant I think might be doing what mine did. Yeah - hopefully it is fine either way. I'm hoping/assuming that some of the dodgy looking plants in the big tank are just suffering from having been moved. Thanks for your response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 What P44 was referring to ( correct me P44 if I am wrong) is the third pic? Some Crypts, especially wendtii varieties will grow roots that grow hairs above the gravel. It looks like this is what is in your pics. Are the stringy bits brown? If they are green or gray they more likely to be algae (P44 is thinking STAGHORN, LOL) If it is brown and attached to the crypt then it is a sign the crypt needs more root ferts. It is seeking nutrients from water column. If its staghorn then do not use Hydrogen peroxide. P44 will tell you why :roll: The crypts will have melted initially after removal of the Indian Fern as A) The fern was sucking up excess nutrients creating a balance B) The removal of Ferns meant a sudden increase of light, Crypts dont do changes very well. Resist touching them and they will grow back just as healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Yeah, I was :lol: It got me so paranoid that i went to make sure there was none in my tank :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I'm thinking this stuff looks like utricularia - what do you reckon supasi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Yeah, I was :lol: It got me so paranoid that i went to make sure there was none in my tank :lol: LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 This is the stuff around the crypts - it is quite prolific,c oming out of the ground around each crypt, and in the space between each crypt. It is a dark green, almost brown. It is also coming out of one crypt trunk (this crypt has no leaves). This is it coming out of the trunk/stem, rather than the substrate: And this is another algae, growth like thing that I found (aren't I lucky): I'm hoping that is java fern propagating - it look like new leaves with roots growing out of the original leaf - but the root is fuzzy with algae? I'm off to bed - so I'm not being rude if I don't respond until tomorrow. Thanks for your help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I'm thinking this stuff looks like utricularia - what do you reckon supasi? I agree Neon on this pic But this pic looks normal for wendtii (minus the bit of BBA on the right) This is the stuff around the crypts - it is quite prolific,c oming out of the ground around each crypt, and in the space between each crypt. It is a dark green, almost brown. It is also coming out of one crypt trunk (this crypt has no leaves). The next photo looks like different stuff, Prob the utricularia which I think is mixed in there. The pic of Java fern is just the root hairs. No need to worry there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I would say Utricularia exoleta, the only way to get rid of it is to carefully pick it all out, I used tweezers, but be careful, every little internode broken off can grow rather quickly. Requires patience to get most of it out over a period if time, because you always miss a bit! The little bladders have spring loaded trap doors that suck little critters in to digest them. In the States they grow Utricularia exoleta in little jars or tanks as a novelty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo Posted February 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I would say Utricularia exoleta, the only way to get rid of it is to carefully pick it all out, I used tweezers, but be careful, every little internode broken off can grow rather quickly. Requires patience to get most of it out over a period if time, because you always miss a bit! The little bladders have spring loaded trap doors that suck little critters in to digest them. In the States they grow Utricularia exoleta in little jars or tanks as a novelty. Yeah. That's definitely the stuff, but it is not the same growth that is growing on top of the crypt? Thanks for the responses guys. Just a couple more questions ;p 1) How will overdosing ferts help? And how much is 'overdosing' compared to my regular regime? Won't there be a chance of algae growth with extra ferts? 2) Is the 1.3 wpg enough for that tall tank to grow swords, albeit slowly? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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