Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tank Plant Advice => Topic started by: Mervyn on March 26, 2013, 06:34:15 AM
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Hi,
My plants seem to have stopped growing with some going pale at the tops.
I feel I know what is wrong...CO2 is needed, but that is a big no,no with the wife!! When suggested she answers with; I am not having a fire extinguisher in the living room!!! Even though I tell her it will be hidden. I even suggested a method using Soda Stream Gas....still a no, no. I understand and respect her views and as she is in charge!! ???
I am using 2x T5 45w daylight tubes,8 1/2 hrs a day in a Rio 180. I am dosing the rec dose of 16ml "complete" fert once a week.
4ml of Liquid Carbon Daily. None of my plants are particularly difficult to grow, so has anyone got some suggestions apart from CO2 else I fear I will pull all the plants and have no plants at all.
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Hi Mervyn,do you have a nutrient rich substrate or have you got gravel if its the later try using some fertilizer tabs break them in half and bury them in the gravel under your plants it might give them a kick start.Been looking at your tank in the gallery and with the amount of plants you have in your tank you shouldn't need co2 but you do need to do at least 40%water changes to replenish nutrients in the water because the plants produce waste as do the fish. Hope this helps
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Many plants can cope with liquid carbon rather than co2. It's just that they do better on the latter. Try looking at Plant Deficiencies (http://www.aquariumplantsandsupplies.com/blog/aquarium-tips/identifying-aquarium-plant-deficiencies/) for an idea of what, if anything, they are lacking. If you can narrow down the problem, the solution may be more apparent.
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Hi Skull and Steve,
I only have gravel, but I am thinking of changing to eco complete in the summer. A build up of mulm is however getting there.
There are more plants in the tank now, and up to recently have grown very well. I may well try fert tabs. I do also do a 30% to 40% watet change weekly.
Steve, I have looked at the paler leaves and I forgot that those particular plants go pink at the top as they get closer to the light! :P
I think that is the stage they are going through now. :-[ It is probably me imagining things as I seriously would like CO2 but the wife she say no ::)
Thanks for your help.
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Hooray!! :D The wife has decided that me getting CO2 is better than me moping about sulking ::)
Probably will not get delivered for a week or two as it is Easter but for you peeps with CO2 is it better to have one lighting session? Or still have a siesta as I do now?
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I have seen both opinions expressed. It looks like a bit of trial error.
Personally, it seems weird to provide a dark period in the middle of the day.
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Personally, i run mine for 8 hours with no siesta the plants need the light, with co2 as it accelerates there growth.What co2system are you going for?
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I do not use it. I don't have fancy dan lights :)
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Sorry steve :-[ the question was for Mervyn ,sometimes I'm a right idiot and don't explain myself very good
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Hi Skull,
I was going to order from AE but they,at that time, had run out of stock of the regs that I wanted.
I have purchased most of my stuff from co2 supermarket and am going to use soda stream gas. The wife just would not allow me to use FE but when she gets used to it all I will just work on the FE route.
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Great stuff, what kind of diffuser you going for glass or high pressure?think if your running soda stream I would use the glass as they use less pressure so you should get more return for your bottle
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I have ordered two..... :D an ordnary glass one for just in case and a diffuser/reactor type which can be run inline via the external filter or it can be run from a submersible pump.....I purchase a very small submersible pump to run it inside the tank!!
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Great stuff,does the selanoid /regulator have a built in needle valve if not you need to purchase one so you can fine tune your co2 also a drop checker and the 4dkh soloution, get the ready mixed from ae it's very good stuff they also sell the 3ml pipettes which fill it just perfect
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got all on order...the reg includes the needle valve and got loads of pipettes here....just waiting for everything including soda stream gas bottles to be delivered.
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That's great news,once you get it set up you should see your plants really accelerate! Well the fast growing ones anyway the slow growing ones won't as they carnt be forced. Keep using your liquid carbon I do it can still bennifit the tank and can still be used as an algae remover