For this setup i want a new all glass tank, rimless and black silicon joins. Apart from that im happy with the setup except for the algae!
58 Gallon Planted/Breeder Australia Styles
- Thread starter fishnfreak
- Start date
you are going to want a drop checker... http://www.njagc.net/articles/co2dropchecker.htm ... with 4dkh solution
you are also going to want NPK and micros... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=337
root tabs/ferts for all your rooted plants... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=540
lots of water changes removing as much algae as possible without leaving any disturbed and in the tank as well as keeping your filters clean will be important. as cyano dies it's toxic. make sure your nitrate stays up... over 10ppm constant. dose accordingly to keep that and still allow for plenty of water changes.
know your gh. if it's necessary, amend your gh of your w/c water at each w/c... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=595 ... AND ... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=555
limit your light. not hours, but intensity. hours won't hurt down as far as 6, so that may be an option for you as well. limiting the light will simply make things easier to deal with. to go along with this, if you find your co2 to be inconsistent, you may also want to just rely on excel for your carbon source until you get things leveled out better. otherwise (and i'm not familiar with your co2 setup, but...) you should look up "left c". he (leftc) has posted a wealth of information on quality co2 equipment on the web and most notably on the barrreport. invaluable information if you ask me.
all those algaes just screams limited ferts and quite possibly inconsistent co2. when you get that worked out, you should start leveling out.
i know it's frustrating, but you've already invested a lot. hang in there.
you are also going to want NPK and micros... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=337
root tabs/ferts for all your rooted plants... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=540
lots of water changes removing as much algae as possible without leaving any disturbed and in the tank as well as keeping your filters clean will be important. as cyano dies it's toxic. make sure your nitrate stays up... over 10ppm constant. dose accordingly to keep that and still allow for plenty of water changes.
know your gh. if it's necessary, amend your gh of your w/c water at each w/c... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=595 ... AND ... http://www.bobstropicalplants.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=41&products_id=555
limit your light. not hours, but intensity. hours won't hurt down as far as 6, so that may be an option for you as well. limiting the light will simply make things easier to deal with. to go along with this, if you find your co2 to be inconsistent, you may also want to just rely on excel for your carbon source until you get things leveled out better. otherwise (and i'm not familiar with your co2 setup, but...) you should look up "left c". he (leftc) has posted a wealth of information on quality co2 equipment on the web and most notably on the barrreport. invaluable information if you ask me.
all those algaes just screams limited ferts and quite possibly inconsistent co2. when you get that worked out, you should start leveling out.
i know it's frustrating, but you've already invested a lot. hang in there.
Thanks mate, i am dosing no ferts, except for flourish and excel. The CO2 unit is the Alpha 400 model made by Dupla. I would have thought it would come with a checker but ill find out, thanks
I'd likely get rid of the swords, they will end up looking too large for that space.
You might consider a smaller leaf foreground type of plant.
Also, you likely need more CO2.
Those Dupla 400's do not allow a lot of water through them, so you will need to have some extra flow for the tank and to mix the outflow from the reactor.
They say they are good for larger tanks, they are not, they barely .....well........could not........would be more accurate handle the lower light 125 gal tank.
Even the largest model which is like the Aqua Medic 1000 is barely able to do the job.
Fish cost in OZ is killer.
With good CO2 and current, the plants will be much denser and not so leggy, and the green algae will be greatly reduced, the moss will grow lush and thick over the wood etc.
Check around for various foreground plants, maybe some darker Crypts against the wood, then a nice bright green foreground plant.
That would fill in the space good and make a nice easy to care for contrast.
Fish selection is good, if you have a denser foreground plant, RCS would make it and be able to breed faster than the Apistos can pick them off.
You might consider a smaller leaf foreground type of plant.
Also, you likely need more CO2.
Those Dupla 400's do not allow a lot of water through them, so you will need to have some extra flow for the tank and to mix the outflow from the reactor.
They say they are good for larger tanks, they are not, they barely .....well........could not........would be more accurate handle the lower light 125 gal tank.
Even the largest model which is like the Aqua Medic 1000 is barely able to do the job.
Fish cost in OZ is killer.
With good CO2 and current, the plants will be much denser and not so leggy, and the green algae will be greatly reduced, the moss will grow lush and thick over the wood etc.
Check around for various foreground plants, maybe some darker Crypts against the wood, then a nice bright green foreground plant.
That would fill in the space good and make a nice easy to care for contrast.
Fish selection is good, if you have a denser foreground plant, RCS would make it and be able to breed faster than the Apistos can pick them off.
As far as Zebra plecos, I have 9.......they do not do much, not interesting behaviorally, more for $ and to say you did it etc, they also take about 4-5 years to grow up to breeder sizes. Easy to keep etc........but not really much for your $$. They look nice, cute etc, but they just hide and stay in the cave mostly.
They also only have a few fry, maybe 5-8 at a time.
Schneball, Gold Nuggets, Leopard frog, Sturisoma species etc...these are nice and can be bred also.
Pitbiull plecos are also excellent algae cleaners.
They also only have a few fry, maybe 5-8 at a time.
Schneball, Gold Nuggets, Leopard frog, Sturisoma species etc...these are nice and can be bred also.
Pitbiull plecos are also excellent algae cleaners.
Contact Dave Wilson in Darwin, NT, he sells a generic form called Dino Pee and sells ferts for cheap.
Should save you a lot of $.
Thanks guys ill be getting some stuff from Dave i reckon.
My corydoras still havent arrived and my supplier has offered some other corys, but had my heart set on a school of dwarf corys.
My corydoras still havent arrived and my supplier has offered some other corys, but had my heart set on a school of dwarf corys.
Nice tanks mate. Also, greetings from Brisbane 
. Bloody hate some of the prices on aquatic stuff here aye.
. Bloody hate some of the prices on aquatic stuff here aye.Join your local clubs there, each state has a good sized regional group, they can always help pool resources and find better cost/deals for you.
