# Pygmy Chain plateau



## qball914 (Sep 16, 2014)

I've had my 20 tall low tech style tank up and running for almost 8 months now. A learning experience to say the least. 90% of the life of this tank was spent battling algae and poor water conditions. However through the midst of this struggle my pygmy chainsword flourished. It was sprouting runners in every which direction, and it was growing beautifully. I finally have my whole algae problem figured out, and my chainswords have all but stopped growing outward. Individual plants continue to get bigger and more full, but I no longer have a new runner every week. I've been using the same lighting, have had nearly the same bioload, I've got a filter set up sans-media just for water flow, just recently set up a diy double bottle co2 reactor, water params are normal, and even my anubias is absolutely exploding. I can't however get my chainswords to procreate (yes I know that's the word, but its a fun way of describing it ;] ). I'm sure there's some nutrient I'm missing, but I'm still no expert... Any input? Help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

BTW soil is plain sifted MGOC. Don't hate me for being a newb when I started the tank.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

This may be a natural part of the maturation of the tank. Walstad tanks often have very fast growth when new, especially if a high-nutrient soil like Miracle Grow is used. As the tank matures, plant growth slows--and the algae problems subside! In my own tanks, I have noticed this pattern with chain swords and dwarf sagittaria even when other species were growing rapidly.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Hi,

It can be hard to provide proper light in tall tanks. Your lighting was OK to start with, but fluorescent tubes grow dimmer over time. The change is not noticeable to the eye, but the plants can react to it. Maybe a new tube would solve the problem?

FYI, My dwarf chain swords still need to be pruned every 3 months or so. Depending of whether they are allowed to grow freely or coralled, they range in height from an inch or so to 12 inches.

My tank specs: 2 wpg of T12, soil based, about 7 years old, no fertilization except from the fish.

Good luck!

Bill


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## qball914 (Sep 16, 2014)

I've been watching my plants quite carefully these past days... I have lowered my light a few chain links, and I had another huge growth spurt. Still no runners, but I'm beginning to think my soil may have gone anaerobic. I've been poking at it and there's certainly H2S bubbles coming up. Smells like death... Been doing weekly WC's to try to introduce fresh oxygenated water as well as disturbing the soil layer with a bamboo skewer. I should have known this may have been a problem b/c all of my swords were growing close to the glass and in the low depth soil layer in the front of the tank; obviously the most oxygenated places. Any suggestions as to keeping a good aerobic environment in the soil? Thanks for the previous help btw! I think I need to be patient and see if i get runners in the future, but i need to fix this anaerobic nightmare b/c the middle of my tank is bare.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Hello,

The fact that your plants had a growth spurt after you increased the light sort of confirms that insufficient light was one of the problems, maybe the only one.

As long as the plants are growing I wouldn't worry about the soil bubbles. Soil substrates are "active", with things being born, dying, and decaying, and in the process producing gasses and hence, bubbles.

Assuming that you aren't adding fertilizer to the tank, I suggest that you limit water changes. They remove scarce nutrients.

Good luck, 

Bill


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## aquariumlover10 (Oct 15, 2014)

It probaly grew better under unsrable.paremeters because it would eat the nitrtes and nitrites, and after it cycled their isn't as much.


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