Jay's Planted 180g Tank.

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JAY973

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Well my C. blassii (so called, lol) never looked like that!, leaf front or back!! But I didn't have co2 or much in the way of ferts... maybe a different variety?

Go Jay! We all love your tank & plants! & learn from you, keep it up!
Well this plant didn't do well for me in over a year of being in my tank. I've had descent luck keeping my crypts in container just to manage them from creeping all over the tank and they are a lot more forgiving when I move them around if I'm changing the scape. (this avoids crypt melt in the same tank for me.) In my containers I add mineralized soil capped with the same substrate in the tank and this crypt exploded in 3 months. You sill have to go through the trouble of transplanting if you see issues like the roots choking themselves out which is I use containers as translucent as possible. The container also keeps the crypts in a more attractive bunch and easier to identify but that's just my opinion. I also use containers that are easily hidden in scape.

Oh and I keep forgetting I think the TAG article imply the correct name is C. cordata var. siamensis
 

JAY973

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Well this is far from perfect, frustrating and slow to recover but there are small signs of hope with new growth. The foreground will take a while to grow but it is already showing signs of spreading.

FTS - difficult to see the mess that is.


This scape is my attempt to include the driftwood as a focal point in the tank. There are a lot of paths and caves made through and under the driftwood.


Buces adding new healthy leaves.


This is some of the mess you see the black leaves on the nana petite but you can see new healthy leaves as well. The problem is there's no quick fix about the older algae leaves unless I pull up the nana petite to cut those leaves off.
 
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Greggz

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Jay I've often wondered if you were able keep that massive amount of anubias algae free. I have a little in my tank, but am about ready to toss it. I also get new leaves but the old ones much like yours. It's the only plant I have with any significant algae.

It seems in order to have high enough light for my other plants to thrive, it's just too much for the slow growing anubias. They did much better when I was low tech. I have some nice large rhizomes with only two or three leaves on them, as I cut off any algae infected ones. Maybe someone has figured out how to avoid this in a higher light tank, but I sure haven't.
 
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JAY973

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The picture of the nana petite is actual signs of significant improvement where the plant was predominantly covered in algae it is only now 50/50 but the hedge as a if probably 80/20. 80% being green but that last 20% is driving me crazy...LOL

Most of my problems were self inflected dosing fertz to high, attempting to forgo water changes longer than 2 weeks and making changes too quickly without monitoring changes. Oh having the tank out of balance because of removing too many plants or clean out too much of the filter causing another cycle.

I've done it all and then complain when algae show's up...LOL
 
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myswtsins

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That's a beautiful tank/scape! I've always admired this tank. SO much anubias!!! Sorry you're having algae problems, goes hand in hand with those slow growers. A lot of the older leaves look a bit too far gone but have you considered treating with hydrogen peroxide or excel?
 
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myswtsins

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Most of my problems were self inflected dosing fertz to high, attempting to forgo water changes longer than 2 weeks and making changes too quickly without monitoring changes. Oh having the tank out of balance because of removing too many plants or clean out too much of the filter causing another cycle.

I've done it all and then complain when algae show's up...LOL
Sounds just like me! lol My plants do best when I go on vacation for while...but then when I see how well they are doing I leave them along too long. :rolleyes:
 
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JAY973

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That's a beautiful tank/scape! I've always admired this tank. SO much anubias!!! Sorry you're having algae problems, goes hand in hand with those slow growers. A lot of the older leaves look a bit too far gone but have you considered treating with hydrogen peroxide or excel?
Thank you!!! I've been focusing on the buces and getting them cleaned up first using 14 day metricide and treating some parts of the hedge as well. I was considering doubling up and hitting them with peroxide but I usually do the exposed plants and driftwood at water changes. The problem I think I had was that the peroxide was sitting on the plant too long before the water would cover them again and I think that's what was burning the plants. Since I've stop the peroxide the new growth looks great but hair algae is going away.
 

myswtsins

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You got this, ;)
 
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Greggz

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Most of my problems were self inflected dosing fertz to high, attempting to forgo water changes longer than 2 weeks and making changes too quickly without monitoring changes. Oh having the tank out of balance because of removing too many plants or clean out too much of the filter causing another cycle.
Jay what is your dosing schedule like now? I'd love to hear what you are doing with ferts.

One thing I never skip are the water changes. It's Sat. morning after breakfast and coffee. I have found it helpful to streamline the process. I use a pump which really speeds up draining, and keeps the whole process to under an hour. I've got it down to a science now. Makes it less painful and something I can deal with.

I'm also trying to clean my filters more often. I've found since going more heavily planted debris accumulates faster in the filters. I used to be about every three months or so, and now I am down to every six weeks. I have three filters, and do one every two weeks now. I just do it when changing the water, and the pumped tank water is perfect for rinsing the media.

Of course, for you it seems no matter what you do, the tank is still spectacular!
 
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fishorama

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Even with problems, you tank looks great! I know you'll get it pretty again, everything's recovering nicely. I think I'd try snipping off several old BB leaves each WC but with all that anubias you'll be at for a LONG time. I think old leaves are the BB magnent, I have it only on old bolbitus & old "jungle" val affected. I "try" to remove them but it seems unending & I don't have nearly the "leaf count" you do.
 
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