# Water Chemistry issues - 43G Planted setup



## sam22sam (Jul 9, 2010)

Hi,

I have been facing a lot of problems with the water chemistry in my tank and this is a taking a heavy toll on the plants. Its set me back by a couple of weeks minimum in getting this setup complete

To provide a background; I have a 43 gallon setup with CO2 at 2bps and Aquaclay for substrate. Currently I use seachem flourish and dose about 1 ml every 2 days. The suggested dosing is 5ml for 250l once or twice a week. I am spreading it out over the week as I have been having a lot of problems with diatoms, spot algaes and basically algaes of all types.

I started off with fert tabs at the end of July which were sold to me as boyu tablets. I cant find reference to any boyu tablets or ferts on their official website. So basically I donot know what is in those tablets. I have about 20 of those tablets burried in the substrata.

A lot of the problems that I am having like algae issues; brown leaves which eventually die off. The latest disaster happened while I was away for a week. I did a water change and dosed using ocean fert. I usually dose just below the recommended levels because I have those tablets in the substrata. Well after a week I come back and find the tank with diatoms all over the gravel; the glass. The leaves of the Rotalla Rotundifolia had all been fried. I have a before and after picture and other pictures below which shows the burn. I suspect this due to phosphate issue though I have not been able to test. The test kit that I ordered came broken and now I am trying to get a new one shipped to me.

I have Echinodorus Grandiflora and Echinodorus Bhleri (amazon sword) whith problems showing up on the leaves.

Below is the link for the Brown an Dying leaf of Banana Plant

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/san22san/First%20Planted%20Aquarium/BrownandDyingLeavesinBananaPlant.jpg

Balck spots on the amzon leaf

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/san22san/First%20Planted%20Aquarium/AmazonSwordBlackSpots.jpg

Rotalla Leaf Burn

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/san22san/First%20Planted%20Aquarium/RotallaBurn.jpg

Problem with Rotalla Leaf

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/san22san/First%20Planted%20Aquarium/Problem2withRotalla.jpg

Light Green Patches on Banana Leaf

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac121/san22san/First%20Planted%20Aquarium/LightGreenPatchesinBananaPlant.jpg

Please suggest, advise or recommend fert regimen that would help me fix and avoid these issues.

Thanks,
Sam


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Sam,

You didn't mention any information about your light, bulbs, and photoperiod. I didn't see a mention of CO2, what are you using for a source of carbon for your plants? Are you doing water changes; how much and how often?

As for what to do, I will wait until there is more information. I can tell you that it looks like your plants are starving either for carbon, ferts, or both.

I have not found Diatoms to be caused by or affected by fertilizer. They are actually an organism with a silica skeleton. It has not been proven, but substrates with a lot of silica in them may be partly to blame. I use a clay based substrate and I just add 1 - 2 Otocinclus per 10 gallons and they do a great job controlling the Diatoms.


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## sam22sam (Jul 9, 2010)

Hi Seattle Aquarist,

Thank you for the quick reply

For lights - I have 4x36 OSRAM dulux L FPL 36ex-d bulbs
Photo-period - 7 hours a day
co2 - Pressurised 2bps

Water change once a week 30%.

Thanks,
Sam


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Sam,

Sorry, I missed the CO2 information in your original post. That is a lot of light over a 43 gallon (at about 3.3 WPG) especially without dosing macro fertilizers. I run about 2 WPG over my aquariums with a 6 hour photoperiod. I used pressurized CO2, don't use a bubble counter, and maintain about 30 ppm CO2 (drop checker; 4.0 dKH indicator solution). I dose using the EI method using dry macros, CSM+B and Flourish Comprehensive for micros, and Excel for additional CO2 and for it's algacide properties. I dose more Flourish Comprehensive weekly in my 30 gallon for just a fraction of my micros than you do in your 43; I think your plants are starving.

If it were me, I would immediately drop back the photoperiod to 5.5 hours. I pick up some macro/micro ferts and a drop checker. Once they arrived, and I had my CO2 set up for about 30 ppm, then I would order enough plants so I could re-plant my tank so I had an average quantity of healthy plants. Then start dosing using the EI method with 50% weekly water changes and let us know how things progress.

Don't forget, Otos are your friend when it comes to controlling Diatoms and soft flat algae but they do nothing for Green Spot Algae or Green Dust Algae.

Here is my 30 gallon, you can do this too!


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## sam22sam (Jul 9, 2010)

Hi Roy,

I have ordered for PMDD kit and should have it this week. For EI what do you use for your dashboard. I found this as a part of an article 

EI target ranges
CO2 range 25-30 ppm
NO3 range 5-30 ppm
K+ range 10-30 ppm
PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm
Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher
GH range 3-5 degrees ~ 50ppm or higher
KH range 3-5

Would this be sufficient. I really have no way of measuring K+. I know there are some tests that use trubidity to measure K+ but I am not sure that I can get those test kits.

Secondly if I use a drop checker; I read that I will not have to check for KH.

Drop checker and Iron test kit also on the way. 

As for the Scape I was planning to put in more plants but was just waiting as I was having too many problems with the present scape.

The lights were put in as I have HM and had Glosso which was was growing upward indicating a deficiency of light. I am reducing the photoperiod to 5 hours till I get everything in place. 

Will keep you updated

Thanks,
Sam


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Sam,

Those are good target levels. I used to test a lot, but I learned that just watching the plants and how they grew gave me great clues as to what was needed.



> EI target ranges
> CO2 range 25-30 ppm
> NO3 range 5-30 ppm
> K+ range 10-30 ppm
> ...


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