# [Wet Thumb Forum]-30 Gallon hex -what do I need to do?



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

First here's a little history of where I have been and where I want to go: 

I have a 30 gallon hexagon tank. I first went to other planted boards and figured I had to have high light, what a disaster, I got rid of the high light in a hurry. Then I went to 2x28w pc which seems like a nice level of light for this aquarium. Started fertilizer dosing and C02 but man that's a lot of work - and still my tank looked terrible, and I grew algae like there was no tomorrow and then fought greenwater woes.

I'm now here. I have UV sterlizer that is keeping my algae at bay. I've stopped dosing fertilizer and ditched C02. 

I need to know what I can do to get some low light plants to grow decently in such a tank. My substrate is schultz and aquarium gravel.

Right now I have wisteria growing fairly well but everything else looks pathetic. Anubias Nana's leaves have yellowed, so I picked most of them off. I have some crypts which though aren't dieing aren't doing much. I have some java fern -it's doing OK. My biggest problem is that I still seem to be getting algae growing on the plants.

What I'd like is to have a planted tank with low maintenance. I'd like to eventually have some nice tall vals, some java fern, crypts and maybe a red leaved plant. It seems when I turn off the UV the algae grows with a vengeance. OK, I must have an inbalance but what do I do to get rid of it? 

I'd appreciate all help in getting me sorted out!

Oh, and if water parameters help:

PH=7.8 
Nitrite, Ammonia = 0
Nitrate= <10

Thanks 

Carolyn


----------



## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

if you aren't fertilizing, then your nitrate should be much lower than 10. do you have a lot of fish in there?


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

I just put that there because neither of my test kits test nitrates below 10 very well. It's between nothing and 10. Not very high any how.

Carolyn


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

Ugghh...I just scraped off the green algae from the glass and am sad to report that all plants are now doing horrible. The wisteria has gone limp and mostly mushy. A week ago it was taking over the tank. I stopped dosing because I want to switch to low tech...and poof its gone to mush.

I'm probably going to have to remove all plants and start from scratch. I don't want to remove the substrate.

So with what I have, what can I grow (besides algae







)

Carolyn


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

Any suggestions? A week later and algae on the glass is back - I think it is hair algae. 

I just want some nice low light low tech plants in this tank - do I need to wait out the algae? Get rid of everything I have and start over? 

I'm getting really tired of any ugly tank and am almost ready to give up! Please help!

Carolyn


----------



## Miss Fishy (May 13, 2006)

Dear Carolyn,

Have you had a look around "El Natural" for ideas to help? From what I've seen, most of the people here have tanks with soil, set up following the guidelines set out in _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_ by Diana Walstad. These aquariums are easy to look after. If you look around you should be able to find enough information to get you started, although it would be better to read the book. You don't have to replace your substrate to try soil; you can use pots or put soil under the gravel wrapped in wax paper.

For many years, I tried growing plants similar to how you are and ended up with a horrible blue green algae problem that persisted for three years! After I read _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_ and added soil to my tanks my plants are thriving. I even set up two new tanks!

Hope this helps.

From Alex.


----------



## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

Carolyn,
I am about where you are. 29-gallon tank, 55w compact fluorescent, plain gravel, and lots of algae. I too want a modest, low-light tank that grows simple plants while keeping algae under control. Plants grow, but rooted plants get covered with hair/threat algae, and floating plants with green slimy algae. Is soil the missing ingredient, as the last post suggests? Or are there other alternatives? Let us know what you decide to do. Good luck.


----------



## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

> Originally posted by jaybird:
> Carolyn,
> I am about where you are. 29-gallon tank, 55w compact fluorescent, plain gravel, and lots of algae. I too want a modest, low-light tank that grows simple plants while keeping algae under control. Plants grow, but rooted plants get covered with hair/threat algae, and floating plants with green slimy algae. Is soil the missing ingredient, as the last post suggests? Or are there other alternatives? Let us know what you decide to do. Good luck.


Soil is, indeed, the missing ingredient. Soil contains nutrients that gravel will never provide. Without soil, your plants have to compete with algae for water nutrients. And when plants compete with algae for water nutriets, the algae usually wins.

With soil, rooted plants can get nutrients (e.g., iron, manganese, copper, etc) that algae can't. This gives plants a tremendous advantage.


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

Thank-you.

So Schultz won't cut it without soil?

I have lot's of vertical height in this tank, would you suggest putting plants in pots in this tank?



> You don't have to replace your substrate to try soil; you can use pots or put soil under the gravel wrapped in wax paper.


I'd like to know more about this method of getting the soil in the tank?

Carolyn


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

And Jaybird...your tank does seem to be having the same problems as mine...please keep me posted on any success you have growing plants and not algae!

Carolyn


----------



## Miss Fishy (May 13, 2006)

Dear Carolyn,

Sorry, I don't know what Schultz is. Is it a gravel additive of some kind? It ain't the same as using soil. You use much more soil than you would an additive, so it provides more nutrients for plants, and decomposing matter in the soil provides CO2 too.

For pots, simply fill them with a layer of soil and gravel (1.5 inches of each?), plant them and put into your aquarium. Don't make the same mistake I did and pack gravel around them; instead take out some of your current gravel so you have a very thin layer. See the post from November 2004 titled "Potted Plant Techniques&#8230;", and the post from June 17 2005 called "Hydrogen Sulfide".

To put soil under the gravel, make a "soil parcel" by wrapping soil in wax paper and securing it with sticky tape. If you make them small enough maybe you could just push several into the gravel. I made a big flat parcel, so I had to move the gravel to one side first. After putting it back, I stuck my hand in and removed the sticky tape, and then stabbed the parcel all over with a knife. You should end up with a 1 - 1.5 inch layer of soil with the same ammount of gravel over the top.

Good luck, and don't give up! If you're interested in having an easy-to-maintain tank, I would try to get hold of _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_, or at least read through lots of posts in "El Natural". It's so much easier (and much more interesting) when you really know what's going on in your tank and why!

From Alex.


----------



## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

Miss Fishy, I think I might try that method of adding a soil layer to an existing tank. Maybe I will use wax paper sandwich bags. The glue in the bag won't be a problem, will it? I could put a half inch layer of soil in the bag, then prick it all over with a fork or knife. I assume the bag either slowly dissolves or is harmless. Would this method work?


----------



## Miss Fishy (May 13, 2006)

Dear jaybird,

I don't know whether the glue would be ok or not. We only get plastic sandwich bags here in Australia.

I got the idea about the wax paper from _Ecology of the Planted Aquarium_. I made a large parcel (30cm x 20cm, and 3cm thick), so I only needed to make one for an area that size. If you only put half an inch of soil in each bag, you'll need to pile them on top of each other to get a thick enough layer, so it might just be easier to make a big parcel.

Oh, and of course don't prick the bag/parcel until you have put gravel over it!

From Alex.


----------



## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Carolyn,

You don't say what your water hardness is (some plants will turn to mush if they don't enough calcium in the water). The fertilizer you were adding may have been providing your plants with enough calcium to keep them alive. Just a quick guess.

Low-maintenance tanks need a _balance_ of the following:

soil-containing substrate
enough light
enough water hardness (calcium, potassium especially)
several plant species
patience
luck

Don't panic. Try the soil packages and see if things improve.


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

Ok- I put in several soil packages today. I don't know how successful I was. This tank is 24" deep so it's tough to move gravel and bury the packages. I got it done but I really stirred up the water. I covered the packages and then poked them with a fork. I think some of the soil has spilled out - I assume that's OK.

I went through my plants and salvaged what I could but have not replanted yet because I can't see what I'm doing. There was a lot of detritus laying on the gravel. I siphoned some of it out but there's still lots more - I may take more out tomorrow.

Anyhow can anyone recommend some plant suggestions for a tall tank (30g hex is 24" tall). I put in a piece of driftwood and have tied some java moss to it as well as an anubias. I have lots of wisteria, a few crypt wendeis and a sword and that's about it. For now I have removed a bulb so that I only have one 28w over the tank -I don't have enough growing to use the light.

I was thinking of the following plants:

Pygmy chain sword (foreground)
Ludwigia rupens (centerpiece)
Crypt Spiralis and/or Walkeri
Anachris (a fast grower to keep algae at bay?)
Sunset Hygro

Should this selection grow OK?

Carolyn


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

My tap water parameters are:

PH - 8.0-8.2
KH-20+
GH-25


----------



## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

I think the pygmy chain sword won't work: Echinodorous usually need a decent amount of light, and 28W over a 30 gallon tall is a very low light tank indeed. Your original 2x28w pc seems much more appropriate, even for a low-tech tank!

Crypts usually work well for me; I haven't failed with any of them yet. Anacharis should work well if you let it get long and trail around the top of the tank, so it gets lots of light. The anacharis that I have always looks best where it's floating.

Sunset hygro probably won't work as it needs more light, being a colored plant (not plain green). But I haven't tried it, so I don't know for sure.

As for Schultz, as far as I can tell (never haivng seen the stuff) it's kind of a clay gravel. As I understand it this allows any ferts you add to be transferred to the plant roots, but doesn't provide any nutrients of its own, unlike soil. Adding soil will probably help, but you really do need more light than your current 28W.

I've had problems with hair algae in a couple of my low-tech tanks, but cutting back on the fish food and adding floating plants has helped.


----------



## equinecpa (Feb 13, 2005)

I should clarify I will put back the 2nd bulb when I get more plants. I'm going on vacation and want to order my plants when I come back. I'm worried the algae will bloom with so little in there -am I off base?

Carolyn


----------



## MyraVan (Feb 13, 2005)

> I'm worried the algae will bloom with so little in there -am I off base?


No, I'd guess that you're probably right. But it won't be so great for your existing plants. Let's just hope that they survive until you return and put in the second bulb.

I didn't notice your tap water parameters before. Since you have such hard water, I would definitely recommend vallis and hornwort. They grow very well in hard water and should really help you combat algae, especially if you let the anacharis and hornwort trail around the top of the water.


----------

