True, i've grown, actually grow, to the point it took over my tank, hornwort in less than 1 wpg.
Diagnose this Deficency
- Thread starter MidnightPyro
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Thanks for the help! I just bought the Sattelite a month ago, and at 2.24 wpg, I'm pretty happy. I'm not intending to grow any extremely high light plants, and while I understand more light is better, so far I've had pretty good results with 2.24 wpg.
I have not tested PO4 (I don't have a PO4 test kit), but I've been told it exists naturally due to the fish food/fish. I currently don't dose PO4 and not too sure what the levels of it are in the aquarium.
NO3 is currently at 0 PPM. I'm pretty sure this is NOT a good thing, but with only 3 zebra danios, there probably isn't much ammonia being released. When I add in some more fish, I'm hoping this might correct itself, but if not, buying some Flourish Nitrogen would not be a big deal.
My primary concern right now is that the green hair algae is taking over and is growing much faster than the plants. The plants don't look too bad, but I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to help the plants out-compete the algae.
I've been told that putting in a fast grower that soaks up the nutrients would help, but if I did that, I'm afraid there wouldn't be enough nutrients for the rest of the plants.
I have not tested PO4 (I don't have a PO4 test kit), but I've been told it exists naturally due to the fish food/fish. I currently don't dose PO4 and not too sure what the levels of it are in the aquarium.
NO3 is currently at 0 PPM. I'm pretty sure this is NOT a good thing, but with only 3 zebra danios, there probably isn't much ammonia being released. When I add in some more fish, I'm hoping this might correct itself, but if not, buying some Flourish Nitrogen would not be a big deal.
My primary concern right now is that the green hair algae is taking over and is growing much faster than the plants. The plants don't look too bad, but I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to help the plants out-compete the algae.
I've been told that putting in a fast grower that soaks up the nutrients would help, but if I did that, I'm afraid there wouldn't be enough nutrients for the rest of the plants.
You are getting algae because you don't have a balanced aquarium. Nitrates definitely should not bottom out like that. You need a good balance of nutrients and plant amount in the tank.
Here are the levels I suggest you try to add or get to on a regular basis (at least once a week).
CO2 - 15+ ppm constant
NO3 (nitrate) - 5+ ppm
K (potassium) - 5+ ppm
PO4 (phosphate - around 1 ppm
Macros - more flexible, add small amounts fairly frequently
Here are the levels I suggest you try to add or get to on a regular basis (at least once a week).
CO2 - 15+ ppm constant
NO3 (nitrate) - 5+ ppm
K (potassium) - 5+ ppm
PO4 (phosphate - around 1 ppm
Macros - more flexible, add small amounts fairly frequently
i have a theory on the ancharis.
you say you added the light a month ago? what was the wattage before? this is why i ask...
ok.. plants only grow at apical and terminal nodes... ok i'll back up...
from what i see, you have bright green, explosive growth at the tips and tops of the plant. thats a good thing. but the drawback is that the plant will commit all its reserve energy to that growth. when the reserves run out, and there is insufficient nutrients to sustain current growth, lower, less important areas (i.e. the middle) will die off with no real photosynthenic consequence to the plant as a whole. the middle leaves died off to conserve energy for the top (growing) section of the plant. every leaf on the plant needs glucose from photosynthesis to survive. bye bye middle leaves... they aren't pullin their weight. go darwin.
have you ever walked through an old pine forest? only the top ten feet of a eighty foot tree is green... same reason... no reason to grow in the middle if its just a waste of precious energy.
you say you added the light a month ago? what was the wattage before? this is why i ask...
ok.. plants only grow at apical and terminal nodes... ok i'll back up...
from what i see, you have bright green, explosive growth at the tips and tops of the plant. thats a good thing. but the drawback is that the plant will commit all its reserve energy to that growth. when the reserves run out, and there is insufficient nutrients to sustain current growth, lower, less important areas (i.e. the middle) will die off with no real photosynthenic consequence to the plant as a whole. the middle leaves died off to conserve energy for the top (growing) section of the plant. every leaf on the plant needs glucose from photosynthesis to survive. bye bye middle leaves... they aren't pullin their weight. go darwin.
have you ever walked through an old pine forest? only the top ten feet of a eighty foot tree is green... same reason... no reason to grow in the middle if its just a waste of precious energy.
that was weird, i wasn't done typing and the post posted itself...
anyway, there is no real way to regrow the thinning middle sections. the plant will not replace those leaves. i would add a couple more zebras, hack off the top four or five inches of the ancharis (where you can see a change) and stick it in the gravel. both hornwort and ancharis really don't need stable roots to survive. if you want to salvage the rest of the plant, just float it for a couple of weeks and you might get some shoots.
those other suggestions are fine, but i don't think thats the answer you are looking for. go for the fertilizer if you want, but watch out for an algae explosion. Bristlenose plecos are great for a ten gallon. two or three otos are even better. neat little fish.
i think your light levels are fine. i've also grown ancharis and hornwort with much less... incandecent, no less.
oh, apical is top, terminal are those cool little offshoots.
anyway, there is no real way to regrow the thinning middle sections. the plant will not replace those leaves. i would add a couple more zebras, hack off the top four or five inches of the ancharis (where you can see a change) and stick it in the gravel. both hornwort and ancharis really don't need stable roots to survive. if you want to salvage the rest of the plant, just float it for a couple of weeks and you might get some shoots.
those other suggestions are fine, but i don't think thats the answer you are looking for. go for the fertilizer if you want, but watch out for an algae explosion. Bristlenose plecos are great for a ten gallon. two or three otos are even better. neat little fish.
i think your light levels are fine. i've also grown ancharis and hornwort with much less... incandecent, no less.
oh, apical is top, terminal are those cool little offshoots.
