Advice for my 20 gallon planted tank

[fox]

I set up my first tank four months ago, and nothings going wrong really, but it just isn't amazing. I think I'm mostly displeased with the algea growth. I have two drawf gourmis, 3 paradise fish, and I got two new clown loaches yesterday. I have laterite mixed into my gravel, and am running an emperor 400 bio wheel filter and a small powerhead. My tank gets 2.25 wpg but I just boosted to 3 wpg today and I leave them on for twelve hours a day. My nitrates and ammonia levels hover at zero. I'm not sure what type of algea I have, but it looks like a brown coating on most of my plants, and then green and brown on the rocks and glass.

 

[WyldFya]

Two major things to consider. 1 CO2, 2 good ferts. I prefer dry ferts as they are cheaper, and I use [url=http://www.gregwatson.com]greg watsons dry ferts[/URL], and they are fantastic. I would recommend the CSM+B, Potassium nitrate and mono potassium phosphate. This should only cost $25 shipped, and will last a tank that size over a year. For CO2, considering the plants you have just a 2 liter sugar yeast combo will work fine, just put some silicone tubing on it to the powerhead. Wpg are great for what you have. One thing to watch is how much that filter is churning the top. The more agitation the filter causes the more co2 you lose, and the slower you plants will grow.

 

[evercl92]

As usual, I totally agree with WyldFya.

The algae issues are probably caused by you having high lighting, without having ferts and CO2 to back it up. In order to not have algae, the plants pretty much have to outcompete the algae for nutrients. In a very high percentage of takes, carbon is the limiting facter. In your case, nitrogen is also a limiting factor. (I keep my nitrates between 20-40ppm)

That much light, and no ferts pretty much guarentees algae. Cut back your lighting and/or add ferts. You can also get fish that eat the algae. Any variety of pleco (other than common) should certainly help, ie clown, rubberlipped. Otocinclus catfish are also great algae eaters, and stay small (under 2inches).

I've heard paradise gouramis get nasty with other fish and each other. A friend of mine had one in a 7 gal tank and it killed everything else in there.

Many good articles to read here:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/science-of-fertilizing/

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

Those are great advice regarding the plants. Nothing to add. But maybe a break in the lighting for ~2h during the day. In many cases, that reduces algae growth. It does not affect your fish nor plants.

Sooner rather than later you need a bigger tank. Paradise fish want to roam, or they develop aggression. It's not the fish, it's how they are kept. I had a peaceful pair in an 80 gal. I second that you need algae eaters, my favorites are bristle nose plecos (Ancistrus dolichopterus). They are hardier than Otos. Clow loaches grow huge. Check out this thread with pics:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40944

You have young /\/\onsters, now you need a /\/\onster tank

HarleyK

 

[fox]

I'm lowering my lights to ten hours a day, am going to do the diy co2 by this sunday and hopefully get these plants growing nicer. as far as the loaches as they grow out they will be moved into a friends larger fish tanks, and my paradise and gouromis all get along realy well. also i have kents freshwater plant liquid ferts and tannin additives, are they any good?
thanks for the replies

 

[fox]

UPDATE:

My pH is at 8.4 (night time). My tap is 7.9. Usually my tank is at 8. So I'm kinda confused. If my tap had been the cause shouldn't the tap be at 8.4 too? Or could something else be causing the water to change after it gets added to my tank. Also I made an error, my ammonia levels and nitrite levels are zero, and my nitrate is 10ppm. Would I want to do something to raise it to 20? Also should I be concerned about that the CO2 yeast method lowering my pH too rapidly?

 

[ewurm]

I added a Rubbernose Pleco, he ate a ton of algae in a week.

 

[WyldFya]

I'm lowering my lights to ten hours a day, am going to do the diy co2 by this sunday and hopefully get these plants growing nicer. as far as the loaches as they grow out they will be moved into a friends larger fish tanks, and my paradise and gouromis all get along realy well. also i have kents freshwater plant liquid ferts and tannin additives, are they any good?
thanks for the replies

I have never used the kent brand ferts, but I would still recommend moving over to greg watsons ferts once you run out of what you have.

 

[WyldFya]

UPDATE:

My pH is at 8.4 (night time). My tap is 7.9. Usually my tank is at 8. So I'm kinda confused. If my tap had been the cause shouldn't the tap be at 8.4 too? Or could something else be causing the water to change after it gets added to my tank. Also I made an error, my ammonia levels and nitrite levels are zero, and my nitrate is 10ppm. Would I want to do something to raise it to 20? Also should I be concerned about that the CO2 yeast method lowering my pH too rapidly?

Does your substrate have a buffer in it? That would be my guess as to the higher pH. Don't worry about raising your nitrates to 20ppm, 10ppm is adequate, so long as you can keep it there.

 

[evercl92]

Most of the questions in your last post will be determined by finding out what your kh value is. Nitrate at 10ppm is probably good for your tank. I keep mine higher, but, I have about 30x as much plant material in my tank.

I've never used the kent's plant additive. I've only used seachem's products: flourish, flourish excel, iron, potassium. Since those days, I've moved onto cheaper methods from www.gregwatson.com