BK Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Hi I have some Vall in may tank, sorry couldn't spell hole name but plant is long flat leaved reedy plant. It is rotting due to what I think (after reading) is a lack of Iron. What can I do? This is a Discus tank with about $1k of fish in it so not to keen on adding chem's and killing fish. Other plants are hydofillea(sp), Java fern and about 4 different sword plants. Also the sword plants don't seem to be growing either.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalare Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 hello Try things like the seven balls frome jbl. You can just put these onther the roots of your valleseneria. This is natrual (klay) ore come in this wekend (I work zaterday and sunday) to animates in moorhouse ave where I work and I can show you more optoins. just ask for marcel the dutch guy you can't mis me scalare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Thanks for the help. Aren't u the one thats was going to hold the BBQ for the club? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 It was and he did - a good time was had by all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Bummer, I was planning of going but only remembered when u posted reply. Next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Vallisneria likes a lot of light by the way and so do a number of swords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 This and my tank is 1 meter tall so i have problems to start with. Have 4 tubes ligthing it but they and just the standard ones that come with the fittings etc in double houseing. Would like to replace them but holding off untill I set up fish room and only have one bill to be told off about. Two bills, two problems. Caryl you seem to get around a bit. Was in Nelson/Marlborough area last week and noticed that price of fish is about 30% higher than CHCH would love to get a chance to see the Auckland stores must be bigger than what we have. Still can't find any Blue Rams in Chch even the LFS that have tried ordering them for me have had no luck but have seen a couple of post from the North Island about them. Do you know of any one in CHCH that I can contact in CHCH about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Some of the ChCh shops have websites. Redwoods, www.redwoodaquatics.co.nz Petworld, www.petworld.co.nz Animates, www.animates.co.nz TM in here has Critter Kingdom in Stanmore Rd so you could send him a PM. I would also ask at Organism (cnr Ilam and Clyde Rd) 03 351 3001. No competition in the top of the south so prices will be higher. ChCh has the best selection in the country as I have heard a number of North Islanders (including Aucklanders) say they wished they could get the selection they have in ChCh. It is possible someone up north bred the blue rams and sold them to his/her lfs which is why one place has them but no one else seems to. If a tank is deeper than 45cm it stops the light from reaching the bottom of the tank adequately (due to refraction and stuff). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Yes have tried them all and every time they order Blue rams/ Butterfly Rams they get sent Bolivan Rams. Question? does the male Bol Ram have a dot haft way down its side and is a little more colourful than the female. They tried there best so purchased them. Have to say Aaron at CC Stanmore rd has been great. Very helpful and doesn't run the others down which some do. What else can I do to get better lighting? what kind of tube should I be using? the Hydro stores stock Growlux, are these better or is this a brand name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Oh forgot about the people at animates Scalare and the woman from town who keeps Discus. Just that CC is closer and not what your'ld call a chain store even if there are two shops. need to surpport the owner operator as they have better range. I see the list for Pet world has Blue/butterfly Rams on there it but from December 04 they haven't had any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Sorry but I can't help you further. I have never kept rams and have standard daylight tubes on my own tanks. I do know when I tried to use the Grolux, the algae took off! I had a long chat to Aaron last time I was there (since TM wasn't there :lol: ), a very nice and helpful guy. TM's parents own the other Critter Kingdom in Blenheim Rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 For a cheap starter you could try a few different kelvin rated bulbs. First I would look at would be 14000k or 20000k, they will look alot more blue. Water absorbs (if that is the right word) red wavelength light the most so blue light might work better. Try visiting a light blub specialist instead of your LFS, theres a guy in central Wellington called 'the light bulb man' who sells the same tubes as the LFS but at about 1/2 the price (round $25 each) you might get that past the wife? Next step is to upgrade the fittings to either T5 or metal halide, MH is getting a bit extream, but a lot of people run T5's (like normal fluro tube only thiner and give out heaps more light). Power compact lights is another option but the correct tubes seem to be difficult to get (in Wlg anyway). Lastly, do you know how old the tubes are? Their useful live is only 6-9 months so if you arnt certain of there age maybe you should just replace them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Yeh it all started with a 4-5ltr tank of Guppies this then moved on to a Com tank and then Discus and two more tanks, by this stage the S Figther was eating Guppies tails so another tank for this guy and a couple of girls. Total of five tanks now and going to pick up a large unwant Discus tonight so will have to set another one up tonight as well. Don't panic well do 50% changes daily untill UGF kicks in and I'm sure that it's not carrying anything bad. Next is the 10' saltwater tank which I'm not allow till we've paid the house off. Ha Ha if she knew what I'm building in the sleepout I'ld be dead. In the end it all comes down to cost and While a MH would be great will try upgarding to better tubes. GO THE REB & BLACKS.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalare Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 hello You might whone try light glow it is a stronge and bright light. This is not a purple light that help's your plant growht but it will (and might help your plant's a bit) brighten your tank a lot. This is the one that whe sell so dus any one els knowe of a different brand. What is the coller of your gravel if you have lighter gravel this helps reflecting the light as well. For your ram's you have tryd critter kingdom and animates but have you tryt redwood just like ck they inport theyr on fish. scalare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Redwood orderED some in there last shipment. these turned up abot 3-4 weeks ago but are the common brown/yellow type. Seems this happens often as same problem with CC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 I also had this problem with some large Val that I bought. Could have been cause I left it in the hot sun inside the car for a few hours though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan Posted April 9, 2005 Report Share Posted April 9, 2005 hey BK those blue rams your looking for are they the green ones with the blue dots all overhalf the body, with a few black oval like strips (http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/The_Su ... e_Ram.html) . I remember at one stage they were quite common in chch stores, not very colourful ones but they where butterflys. Anyways a little while ago I brought some off a local breeder, may I add they were alot better than the ones in the store. I'll e-mail you his number (if I still got it) if you want. You'll have to ask him if he still breeds them becasue it was a little while back. oh and your valls, your problem is that you probaby dont have enough light I found that was my problem after trying to grow plants after 5 years or so(added more tubes). I now have a 400mm deep 10 gallon with four 24" tubes running through it with one 18w philips 84,and three 20w bio-life fluorescent tubes (alot of red 6500K suposably, this was on a spetrograph on the pactaging) which I brought back from Hong Kong.Things seem to be going good as i've only had a plant setup going for 3 weeks. I read on a an article about NASA growing plants in space, it said that their plants were growing under mostly the red end of the spectrum(6000 to 7000 kelvin)and a little blue(4000 to 5000 kelvin).Water absorbs more of anything over 6000k just like Suphew mentioned . someone I brought plants off recently reconed that when you go about 10cm below the water the light intensity basicly halfs, he also thought that colour spectrum didn't matter that much: most of his tanks were about 300mm deep and had one fluorescent tube. woah you have a pretty deep tank im not too sure how much light intensity you'll need to reach the bottom. this site might be useful http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~aphalo/old_pages/lamps.html source http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~aphalo/old_pages/photobio.html I havn't used any of the lamps on that page myself but its an interesting page jordan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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