Started a new planted tank

[bhupi]

Hi guys,
After long wait I started setting up this new planted tank.
Starting from the base used ADA super 4, cocopeat about 1cm, topped with Sera Floredepot 4.8 kg about 1'' , and top layer of ista soil 18L which made around 3'' to 5'' height.
DIY co2 yeast one, and diffuser through cigarette filter bud.
Started with 10 Amazon sword and couple of Java ferns, used old inside filter and 24 watts of led down lights.
In the starting days have some issues with big gas bubbles coming out of the substrate.
After a week planted few more plants, in the foreground used dwarf sag. and styrogyem repens.
In the mid planted ludwigia repens and and in the background planted few rotala wallichhi, rotundafolio and HC.
And mini Christmas moss on the driftwood and a rock. Also added couple of anubias nana on driftwood and a small rock.
Upgraded the light to 3' sobo high light 30watts LED. And for nutrients added iron, micro and macro ordered from eBay.
RO water stabilized with equilibrium mixed with tap water (2:1).
In total it's been 20 days as of now.
Have to visit around 11 LFS, gathered rocks, sand, gravels from Noida and Ghaziabad. Sobo light and ista soil from Laxmi Nagar.
Plants in really good shape and conditions from AQUATICKART.IN, apart from beautiful anubias (from eBay), Swords and Java from LFS in vasundhara in really bad conditions, java leaves were black and Amazon leaves dying and thin and had to trim them after couple of days.
After almost 20 days new leaves has started coming out from almost all plants and roots have started forming. Half of the styro melted but the remaining are forming their roots, they are a bit hard to handle for me.
Moss on the driftwood has turned brown but on the rock it is still a bit green.
Kindly provide some input on the wrong and right things I have done.
Need to upgrade the filter also, so which one to go for. And when to put some fishes in their, already have 3 white transparent snails, which my 3.5 year old daughter found in the aquarium shouting papa papa kidda hai aquarium mein. Should I get rid of them or let them eat the algae.

Thanks a lot for the information on ur forum guys.
Bhupesh

[vikramdutta11]

Dear Bhupesh, anyhow you forgot to give the tank dimension. This is essential and a FTS would be great. This will help the experts to guide you easily. But one thing which I am finding wrong with this tank is that you have a high lighted (nearly HI Tech) tank and you are using DIY East & Sugar CO2 which will cause CO2 fluctuation coz u have no control of the diffusion, Due to high light the photosynthesis will be high, the nutrient uptake will be high and the CO2 sometimes will be high and sometimes it may be low, like you have all materials for cooking but the flame is not stable, this will create heavy algae bloom in your tank. Try for a CO2 set up, if not then u can go for a Citric Acid and Baking soda DIY co2 in which you can control the CO2. You can find this system in this forum. Filtration depends upon the water volume of your tank so need to know the tank specification.

All the best.

Cheers

[bhupi]

Sorry on my part, tank dimensions are 36'' X 12" X 15", which is a bit thin, I mean it lacks that width to play, hardly ve the space left after placing rocks and driftwood. And very well caught sir that co2 issue is there, algae has started blooming, but money constraint, already spent too much on this tank this month may consider it next month after a filter.
Uptill then I ve already bought soda and citric acid but will try after getting few check valve's.
At present I m getting around 1.3bps, is it OK.
What abt adding fishes to it, should I wait a bit more may be a week or two. And those java fern leaves last week turned bright green but this week it has not responded well and turned dark brown color.

Thanks for such quick response Vikram jee.

Bhupesh


Sent from my Micromax A310 using Tapatalk

[parthapratim22]

I would suggest to restrict with only two or three variety
Anubias, Fern and Marselia Hirsuta.

Try to increase the volume of plants each month.

[vikramdutta11]

Sorry on my part, tank dimensions are 36'' X 12" X 15", which is a bit thin, I mean it lacks that width to play, hardly ve the space left after placing rocks and driftwood. And very well caught sir that co2 issue is there, algae has started blooming, but money constraint, already spent too much on this tank this month may consider it next month after a filter.
Uptill then I ve already bought soda and citric acid but will try after getting few check valve's.
At present I m getting around 1.3bps, is it OK.
What abt adding fishes to it, should I wait a bit more may be a week or two. And those java fern leaves last week turned bright green but this week it has not responded well and turned dark brown color.

Thanks for such quick response Vikram jee.

Bhupesh


Sent from my Micromax A310 using Tapatalk

Its a good sized tank, and the more big the tank is the less chance of change in water parameters. Are u monitoring the water temperature? try to keep it under control, may be around 26 degrees cel. Now about the CO2 part, in Kolkata we buy a 2kg cylinder for about 2.5k, which is iron casted cylinder, You can find the liquid CO2 with those who sales the Fire fighting equipment, or u can visit the local gas refilling center where you may find one, these will be much cheaper than the online products.

Your tank contains approx 90 ltr of water, I would suggest you to go for a 1000lph canister filter,

Moreover I will suggest you to see that your tank does not get direct sunlight, or may be reflected, this will also give a huge algae bloom, this is what I have faced personally.

Do not add fish immediately, let the tank mature first else u will be killing them, I think the temperature of your tank is too high which may be killing the java ferns or else they may be placed under direct light which also may be turning them brown. The anubious, ferns and mosses need shade and not direct light.

All the best.

Cheers.

[bhupi]

Thanks Partha & Vikram ji,
Partha I ve done this mistake of putting so many plants in the beginning itself. But I could not resist myself sir, all my plants are fine except fern, moss and styro, I think Vikram ji is correct temp. and direct lighting could be the culprit for that. As here in Delhi and nearby area temp. is really rising.
For filter, should I go for dophin 700 or sunsun, Will UV in filter make a difference in algae growth or not.
For co2 I will definitely look for these options and will update for the price.
Is there a way I could check my water parameters in the tank without those expensive test kits. One more thing I doubt is mixing tap water which is really hard in noida with tds around 1500. Should I go completely with RO water by adding equilibrium to it. And do I need to add nutrients when I m already adding equilibrium to it.

Thanks for your input guys,
Bhupesh

Sent from my Micromax A310 using Tapatalk

[vikramdutta11]

Thanks Partha & Vikram ji,
Partha I ve done this mistake of putting so many plants in the beginning itself. But I could not resist myself sir, all my plants are fine except fern, moss and styro, I think Vikram ji is correct temp. and direct lighting could be the culprit for that. As here in Delhi and nearby area temp. is really rising.
For filter, should I go for dophin 700 or sunsun, Will UV in filter make a difference in algae growth or not.
For co2 I will definitely look for these options and will update for the price.
Is there a way I could check my water parameters in the tank without those expensive test kits. One more thing I doubt is mixing tap water which is really hard in noida with tds around 1500. Should I go completely with RO water by adding equilibrium to it. And do I need to add nutrients when I m already adding equilibrium to it.

Thanks for your input guys,
Bhupesh

Sent from my Micromax A310 using Tapatalk

I have recently installed SUNSUN 302. Have no idea how UV is useful to control algae. So i will not comment on this. Regarding water parameters, please start reading journals, the plants themselves will guide you. If you want to buy kits then u r welcome. What i do is mix 40% tap water and 60% RO, this lowers the hardness.

U are using commercial nutrients, dose them as per schedule written on the bottle. Do a 50% water change every week. But first arrange to get the filter and CO2.

[bhupi]

Ordered Sunsun 303A from eBay today for 3450. Now I need to get the co2. & will then add the fishes.
Meanwhile I ve done h2o2 spray yesterday, for the sudden algae bloom, on the moss, driftwood and rock. And today done the weekly 50% WC. Algae just turned white and I had to pluck it with a brush. Is it OK or need to leave it for another day or two.
Meanwhile plants have improved a lot maybe due to the fall in temp.

Thanks

Bhupesh

Sent from my Micromax A310 using Tapatalk

[parthapratim22]

No need to buy UV

[aawnaik]

Can you post pictures please.