# GW by day, gone by night????



## Cichlid Junkie (Mar 25, 2005)

Does anybody have this problem? When I look at the tank before the lights come on, I can see the water is cloudy and has a greenish hue (the start of green water). By the end of the light cycle at the end of the night, the water is crystal clear and the plants are pearling like crazy. The next morning, it starts all over. I figured I would get a jump on it and let the lights stay on for about 19 hrs, but that didn't work either. I have tried bi-weekly water changes, 40% ea, also with no luck. I have no willow branches readily available so that option is out and I did a 3 day blackout with no luck as well.

Here are some of the parameters of the tank. The tank has been up and running for a little over a month. The plants and clippings came from another tank I transferred into this one. This tank was previously set up by someone for 6 months when it was given to me fish and all (not a planted tank). I left the mulm in the bottom and did not clean out the sponges before I put every thing in the tank.

12g Nanocube deluxe
48 watts CF lighting - 12 hr lighting cycle
Substrate - 1.5" of fluorite and 1.5" of PFS 
Temp - 74 degrees
DIY CO2 (set up for 2 days. I used excel previously)

PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm
Phosphate - 0 ppm
KH - 4
GH - 10

Plants
Amazon Sword - small (1 Plant)
Pigmy Chain Sword (1 Plant)
Java Moss - 1 Clump Baseball Size
Java Fern - 4 small plants on a piece of coconut shell
Star Grass - 4 clipping about 6" tall
Ludwigia Repens - 4 clippings tallest one is 7"
Taiwan Moss - 1 Clump golf ball size
Anachris - 6-7 stems 10" Tall

Is this something that will work itself out as the tank matures or is there something I can do now to fix it? Thanks.

I almost forgot the fertilization schedule. I got it off the seachem web site and adjusted the amounts for the size of the tank. Its on the bottom left.

http://www.seachem.com/products/planted.html


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## Krisybabe9 (Mar 21, 2006)

I don't know why it is (maybe someone else does)...but I have the same problem with my 12g JBJ Nano. If I don't squeeze the sponges out in a bucket of aquarium water (to clean them) on a regular basis the water gets very cloudy as you described. Also, I have found that carbon in the filter makes a big difference.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Hey CJ,

I can't address why your water is cloudy at lights on and clear at off, however... No nitrates, and no phosphates is not good. You need to add both - nitrates around 10 ppm, phosphates 1-2ppm. You will also need to add a source of micros to the tank.

Also, from your pH and kh readings, I would say your diy CO2 hasn't started to produce yet. You have basically ambient CO2 conditions. You need to drop your pH to around 6.6 to reach 30ppm.

HTH.


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## Cichlid Junkie (Mar 25, 2005)

I clean the sponges out weekly, but I don't run carbon in the filter. I thought that the carbon removes the ferts?

I dose nitrates and phosphates about 2 x per week and micros once per week. What would be the best way to get the ph down to 6.6?


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## fisherelli (Oct 22, 2005)

Either your test kits for Nitrates and Phosphates are wrong, or you're not dosing enough. Just looked at Seachem dosing chart - it looks like a lot of work for zero readings! 

CO2 - You do not have enough in your tank. Bert calculated your CO2 from your KH and your pH. Do not add pH altering chemicals. Get your CO2 running properly and the pH will drop (maybe ask in the general forum for help with your DIY CO2 set up). When your pH is roughly 6.6 you have have roughly 30ppm CO2! 

Good luck


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## Cichlid Junkie (Mar 25, 2005)

I just ran 2 seperate tests from 2 kits on the PH. Both of them resulted in a ph of 6.6 I started to increase the dosing on the nitrates and the phosphates to get them up to where they should be. I'm also thinking about reducing the duration of the lighting to 10 hrs to see if that helps.


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## fisherelli (Oct 22, 2005)

CO2 seems sorted then,.. although it almost seemed a little too easy to get your DIY CO2 to give you exactly 30ppm. 

Keep testing your KH too - just to make sure it isn't changing for some reason. Lights for 10 hours seems sensible.

Seeya


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## Cichlid Junkie (Mar 25, 2005)

I was thinking the first ph tests that I did might have been affected by something that was left in the test tube. The last ph test I did a few days prior was at 7.0. It was easy to get the PH just where I need it, but I think it was just luck!


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## fisherelli (Oct 22, 2005)

Never used DIY CO2 myself, but others seem to have trouble getting 30ppm. I guess you are highly skilled - or lucky, or both!


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