new ultra micro Amano style planted tank, co2, just started

Watts per gallon breaks down in very small tanks. There is a minimum intensity below which plants don't grow and that is the same whether the tank is 3 gallons or 1/2 gallon. So small tanks will run a higher wpg just because of that.
 
Both temperature and amount of light play into this. With small amounts of water it is harder to keep temperature stable, and there is a optimum zone of temperature for each plant we keep that allows for maximum growth and thus maximum light usage. Raise the temperature some and some plants may be out of their optimum zone and thus not be able to use as much light. So is it really to much light or the interplay of light and temperature made more volatile by the small amount of water?

Plants also make leaves that are adapted to the amount of light they were getting (plus or minus a moderate percentage) when the leaf grew. If you, say double or triple the amount of light, the plant can adapt with new leaves, but those leaves that grew before could very well be getting more light than they can handle and thus burn. And this can happen when you move a plant like anubias in the aquarium from a shaded spot to more direct light.

So what is to much light? Depends on how much the plant was getting when it grew, and the temperature.

To be fair and practical the amount of light is the easiest variable to control in a small set up like that, but it isn't necessarily the only one.
 
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image.jpg Thats accurate about temp. If the desk fan malfunctions that stays on while the lighting runs it will kill the tank.

I'm sure power compact lighting twenty years outdated is a culprit, but this was about reusing old reef parts so I didn't have to spend again

certainly led upgrade would reduce heat but I've never had problems with desk fanning these for years... gotta stay with that until tank finances allow for led lighting rebuild.

The micro tank runs 79 to 80 and that excludes some plants and delicate shrimp, just not the stock of crystal reds grown in that condition in another bog tank which are adapted...shown above and below in vid

thats how the crs in this tank survives cycling (heavy water changes of course) and co2 experimentation,they are used to bog conditions

one of the key details I'm looking for in tuning is new growth, there is leaf dieoff but a challenge in new planted tanks is knowing if that's something you caused or not. miscalc there and we change up things and stasis is held off months

I look for new growth among some, but not all, leaf loss of the old leaves in my dwarf hair grass and marsilea minuta and maintain that condition

these plants set in my mailbox for hours at about 105 degree I'm lucky any lived, some loss is expected I just have to wait it out and watch my system replace the loss, the real test for this tank is 6 mos, by then I'll know exactly which plants will remain

I keep dry dosed ferts at great levels, co2 is strong, constant full water changes, and lighting that has known growth of plants, gotta trust in that formula and wait six months for proof.


This system here is nearing 13 yrs old based on the exact same bog design, no heat no circulation technique

http://www.fantasybowls.com/acrylic-fish-tanks-faq/

mine has five gallons of water with crs and rcs the rest is emersed Amazon space in the globe. I believe this system is the closest one can get to designing a self sustaining system. No system is fully ss, but there are degrees of reduced maintenance among tanks with lifespan to prove it and this is one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R237MB2jvb8

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Evidence to hold the course, don't let initial leaf loss alarm

Forgive pic quality cell phone..

the marislea is a slower growing plant in great conditions, I'm getting new white root growth among the browning older roots, they are expected to die off and give way to new mass...this is in one week
the new solid green shoot just in front of this rock is indicative of what will fill in the mini aquascape in a years time this is just the start. Loss of the leaves and stems damaged from one variable or another, and replacement of adapted biomass and fill in time. Thats what aging tanks comes down to

these larger leaves below, surrounding the new growth, were grown in someone elses conditions. Maintaining that condition in my tank is less important than maintaining a good growth rate of what my tank produces. Initial dieoff means nothing sometimes.

then we watch the new growths and make changes from their details, currently I'm holding course no change. New growth is chlorosis free, on par with large normal tanks etcimage.jpgimage.jpg

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Isn't there a happy dario in that little planted tank? I'm not against it. They don't move much, and that tank looks clean as all get out.
 
yes he's currently back in the 5 eating more pods lol

i put him in, then take him out every few water changes he got to picking on the shrimp...he wont be long term guy was resident lol

i was using 100% water out of that sphere old planted tank to jump cycle this one, I dont like the look of 20 copepods dancing around in something this small it takes the eye away from the scape

but this guy you can see is smaller than my thumbnail lol i think he's three weeks out of hatch lol, the lfs had trouble netting him he was so small

other than special cases of timing, planning, feeding etc I wouldnt put fish in pico tanks
 
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