hey just wanted to share a pic of my planted tank, ite been up alittle over a week and i have some nice growth going on. enjoy
update on my planted tank
- Thread starter DRONE017E
- Start date
yes i have a lo tech co2 system , ti's the red sea one. so far great results indicator says i'm in the optimum range .
A few things I notice.
1) the HOB filter on the back is making your co2 unit do very little compared to what it would do without the surface agitation.
2) I believe I see bubbles in the back, which if these are from the co2, they need to run through a diffuser or a reactor. If they are from a bubbler, that needs to be turned off.
3) Several of the plants are still in their emersed form, and their leaves will die off. DO not throw the plants away, just pull the dead leaves, and the plant should come back.
4) You are using just a basic gravel. Are you using a layered substrate? I hope you are using some type of fertilizer. Greg Watson's ferts are the best for the money, and offer the most control over specific nutrients.
5) You have several echinodorus species, which are primarily root feeders. They will not take up many nutrients from their leaves, and as such need a good plant substrate, or root tabs.
6) As you tank has only been setup for a short time, you need to make a LOT more room for the plants. As they grow they will shade each other out, and can kill each other off. Allow more space for them to grow in. This will also give you a more natural looking tank as the plants grow in on their own.
1) the HOB filter on the back is making your co2 unit do very little compared to what it would do without the surface agitation.
2) I believe I see bubbles in the back, which if these are from the co2, they need to run through a diffuser or a reactor. If they are from a bubbler, that needs to be turned off.
3) Several of the plants are still in their emersed form, and their leaves will die off. DO not throw the plants away, just pull the dead leaves, and the plant should come back.
4) You are using just a basic gravel. Are you using a layered substrate? I hope you are using some type of fertilizer. Greg Watson's ferts are the best for the money, and offer the most control over specific nutrients.
5) You have several echinodorus species, which are primarily root feeders. They will not take up many nutrients from their leaves, and as such need a good plant substrate, or root tabs.
6) As you tank has only been setup for a short time, you need to make a LOT more room for the plants. As they grow they will shade each other out, and can kill each other off. Allow more space for them to grow in. This will also give you a more natural looking tank as the plants grow in on their own.
hey guys, thanks for the replies, to answer the questions
the tank is 55 gallon tank
1 the hob doesnt cause much aggitation at all but i will remove it and see what happens
2 the bubbler is there for at night when the light shut off it turns on. I was concerned with the co2 causing a ph drop at night so it's precautionary.
3 . i will do what you say about pulling the dead leaves off
4. it's not just regular gravel , it's red sea plant substrate . I do dose with liquid ferts but i will pick up some dry ones for the roots. I am gonna start another planted tank to make some space for this one . Ill relocate a few so both tanks will have some growing room . thanks for the advice ill keep you all posted .
the tank is 55 gallon tank
1 the hob doesnt cause much aggitation at all but i will remove it and see what happens
2 the bubbler is there for at night when the light shut off it turns on. I was concerned with the co2 causing a ph drop at night so it's precautionary.
3 . i will do what you say about pulling the dead leaves off
4. it's not just regular gravel , it's red sea plant substrate . I do dose with liquid ferts but i will pick up some dry ones for the roots. I am gonna start another planted tank to make some space for this one . Ill relocate a few so both tanks will have some growing room . thanks for the advice ill keep you all posted .
HOB filters cause a LOT of surface agitation. The air bubbler is a good idea, but not really necessary for a small number of fish. Your reaction co2 won't cause a large pH drop, really that is a worry that comes with pressurized co2 only. You should also consider looking at Greg Watson's dry ferts in place of the liquid. They are better for control over specific nutrients, and they are a lot cheaper.DRONE017E;768398;768398 said:
maybe if the out take of the hob was close to the water line it could work. in the pic it looks to be a inch or more down from the water line. your just gassing out all that co2.