New Member - Need Advice/Expertise re: my CO2 Fed Planted Tank

I would say that you probably didn't have enough Co2 for you tank before you went pressurized. I would give it time to kick in. Are you seeing any pearling? Also, what are you using to diffuse the CO2 into the water? I don't use Kent Fertilizer so I don't know what the make up of that fertilizer is like. I use individual ferts in my tank which is much more cost efficient and something you might want to look into, especially with a bigger tank like yours.

Also, why are you buffering your tank?

Yep, pearling is when the plants let off O2 faster then it can be absorbed into the water. It is a good sign that your CO2 is working although your CO2 can still work without producing pearling.

Fish are very adaptable but prefer a stable environment. The tetras and raspboras will do fine with the higher pH but will actually be more stressed out if the pH swings back and forth, which can happen when we try to manually adjust it. Also, injecting CO2 into the water will naturally cause a drop in pH so be careful. Many people add buffers to their water, such as crushed coral, to keep the pH from crashing which will really distress their fish and may allow toxic levels of CO2 to absorb into the water.

By using individual dosing for your fertilizers you can create a formula that works better for your tank. Generic formulas are great in that they are a starting point but everyone's water is different and what works for a person with a lightly planted tank might not work for a person with a heavily planted tank. Plus every type of plant has its own needs. I would monitor your tank while the CO2 begins to kick in and continue using your fertilizers. Let it stabilize and then we can see what needs to be changed. If you make many changes at once it can be hard to determine what causes problems and what needs to be adjusted.

In the future I would look into treating ich with salt rather then the store bought medications. I have had wonderful results with salt and will use nothing else. Plus it is less stressful on the fish. I would also invest in a quarantine tank which doesn’t have to be very big. This way you can separate new fish and watch them for awhile to see if they develop any illnesses. In the q-tank they will be easier to treat and they will not threaten your current fish which you have probably grown attached to!

I hope all this hasn’t confused you!!! Let me know if you need clarification or want more information on any parts!

Here is an article on how much CO2 you should be injecting into your tank. It all depends on how hard your water is (kH) and the pH of your water. There is alot of trail and error when it comes to planted tanks!

Measuring CO2 levels in a planted tank

I would stop using any ph buffering chemicals and start testing kh along with your ph. This should help determine just how high your co2 level is in your aquarium. I believe with an initial ph of about 7.5 / 7.6 you should have a target ph of something like 6.8 / 6.9 with co2 injection, but knowing your kh will help determine this. I'd also second the idea to look into better fertilizer solutions such as from greg watson. It sounds to me with less than 5ppm in nitrates you are probably at least nitrogen deficient. Also if you have iron loving plants you should probably be using some sort of iron supplement in addition to the kent fertilizer you are using.

Also what sort of bulbs are in your coralife fixture and how long per day do you have them on? Making the assumption that your lighting is good and once you work out your co2 levels then it should be a simple (reasonably simple at least) process of working out your fertilization routine.

Porter10 said:

Hello everyone, this is my first post. It appears there are some very knowledgeable aquarists here and I'm looking for some tips regarding my new Plant tank. Here's the scenario:

ISSUE - Plant growth is not taking off at all
Tank Size: 75 gal
Filter: Eheim Pro II 2126 Canister filter w/ heating element
Water: PH = has been 7.5, but adding Acid Buffer to reduce it closer to 7.0
Lighting: new Coral Life Ultra Compact Fluorescent fixture (3.5 W per Gallon)
CO2 Injection: Hydor yeast system for 2 weeks (probably not enough CO2
though), now pressurized CO2 with Red Sea Reactor (1 bubble
per second) - only been setup for 3 days
Gravel: Eco Complete w/ Fluorite mixed in
Plant Food: Kent Freshwater Plant Fertilizer (just started dosing - 3tblspoons
this week - will do 1x a week)

Over the past few weeks I would expect some of the newly added CO2 to make a difference, but not seeing any. Also was having algae blooms due to excessive plant waste in the tank - removed the waste, did major water changes and tank is clear (no more algae blooms) but plants still seem not to be taking off.

Am I being impatient? How long does it take for me to see a noticible difference? Am I dosing with enough CO2? Am I using the plant fertilizer correctly?

Thank you in advance for any insight you have!

- Jeff

Click to expand...

Hey Jeff...welcome~
So you know, my plants need pruning weekly because of growth, so lets dissect the info you have listed here.
First thing blaring in my face is....the addition of a pH alterer. There is no need to do this. Please stop...Your CO2 will bring down your pH where it needs to me. You need to test your KH/GH out of the tap to see where you need to be. Once you do this, please post it.
Secondly, there is NO WAY you have enough CO2 in a high tech 75gal tank with DIY CO2 running. Just put the money in the initial investment and get pressurized....ALL of your algae issues stem from this. <as will all of your future algae issues at this rate>
Lower your photoperiod until you get the CO2 in. Also your fert is far from optimal.

You need to focus on balance. Balance will be achieved with Pressurized CO2, a good macro and micro fert schedule and light. It is that simple. You have enough light, you have a decent substrate, but the rest is lacking. High light puts a high carbon demand on plants, and you are not provided that, so the only thing that will benefit from it is algae...your plants will stunt.

As has been stated you need to quit screwing with your water chemistry. I can't understand why people think they need some "magic" pH level. Most all common aquariums plants will grow just fine in most any tap water you can find. In pH ranges from 5.0° to 9.0° at a very minimum.

Start by doing a series of 50% daily water changes for a week. The goal is to get your water chemistry levels back to your tap water levels.

Then get serious about injecting CO2. You want a 1° drop in the pH. If you start at 7.6° then shoot for 6.6°. And it's going to take a lot more than 1 bps. I would start at about 3-4 bps and see how that works.

Also get really serious about your nutrient regime. That Kent product you are adding is not enough. Head over to www.gregwatson.com and get some real fertilizers. If you are not sure what you need take a peek at my Guide.