I am a fan of the hagen/nutrafin CO2 bubble ladder for dissolving CO2 into the tank. It has worked well for me on my 72, although I wouldn't say it's as effective as some other options. Compared to an airstone it will be a huge improvement though.
What did I do wrong?
- Thread starter bzehr
- Start date
Don't use an air stone, especially with DIY/CO2. It will clog due to the slime that the DIY concoction emits. When this happens it can trigger an
explosion in your mix bottle at worst and at least a mess if the hoses pop off due to the back pressure the clogged stone causes.
Best to use your filter with a sponge cut to fit over the out flow lip to cut way down on surface disturbance as reiverix suggests. Run your CO2 line into the bottom of the siphon tube that carries the water into the filter.
Here is the way I've done blackouts in the past and they've always been successful.
After the second day of total blackout, fold back or remove the cover without turning on the lights. Do a 50% water change. RESIST THE URGE AT THIS TIME TO FEED THE FISH and recover the tank. CO2 off. You can run your air stone(s) during the blackout to move water. I like to give it 2 more days, but you can check again to see how it looks after the third day. When you remove the cover you should have clear water. Do another large water change and have your CO2 ready to go.
Hopefully you will have your extra plants ready to throw in and your nutrients ready at that time or soon after.
The blackout will clear the water, but the green water probably will return unless you get the plants growing well.
This information can seem overwhelming, but it will become second nature to you after a while. Hang in there.
Len
explosion in your mix bottle at worst and at least a mess if the hoses pop off due to the back pressure the clogged stone causes.
Best to use your filter with a sponge cut to fit over the out flow lip to cut way down on surface disturbance as reiverix suggests. Run your CO2 line into the bottom of the siphon tube that carries the water into the filter.
Here is the way I've done blackouts in the past and they've always been successful.
After the second day of total blackout, fold back or remove the cover without turning on the lights. Do a 50% water change. RESIST THE URGE AT THIS TIME TO FEED THE FISH and recover the tank. CO2 off. You can run your air stone(s) during the blackout to move water. I like to give it 2 more days, but you can check again to see how it looks after the third day. When you remove the cover you should have clear water. Do another large water change and have your CO2 ready to go.
Hopefully you will have your extra plants ready to throw in and your nutrients ready at that time or soon after.
The blackout will clear the water, but the green water probably will return unless you get the plants growing well.
This information can seem overwhelming, but it will become second nature to you after a while. Hang in there.
Len
has anyone considered that the plants may just be in shock and not growing or using much nutrients yet? i know just every new plant i get takes about 2 wks just to settle in and start growing w/ a few exceptions. with that in mind, the algea has had a 2wk headstart over the plants, being fed massive amounts of light compared to what it used to get.
id say lower your light level (if possible)and reduce light duration temporarily until the plants have rooted and begun to grow.
id say lower your light level (if possible)and reduce light duration temporarily until the plants have rooted and begun to grow.
30 watts over a 55 gallon tank is minuscule and will grow nothing. 120 over the same tank is hardly a massive amount of light at just a bit over 2.1 wpg.
I don't recall seeing what types of plants he has or the amounts of them, but if they are stems they will begin to photosynthesize as soon as planted or floated.
If he gets some of the nutrient hogs and introduces them right after the blackout I think he'll be all right.
Len
I don't recall seeing what types of plants he has or the amounts of them, but if they are stems they will begin to photosynthesize as soon as planted or floated.
If he gets some of the nutrient hogs and introduces them right after the blackout I think he'll be all right.
Len
changing lights
My experience was that whenever I changed lighting on a tank, I had a dieback of existing leaves. As those leaves declined, they were attacked by algae. My theory is that a leaf is adapted to respond to a certain range of lighting. If the lighting changes dramatically, that leaf is less effective. The plant will attempt to withdraw nutrients in order to put out new growth adapted to the new conditions. As nutrients are withdrawn from leaves, they decay, and as they decay, algae moves in to hasten the decomposition of the structure left behind. New growth was fine.
New growth, however, will depend on adaquate fertiliztion. The Holy Trinity of plants is Light- carbon- fertilizers. You've added the light. The carbon may or may not be adaquate, the Penguin 350 if it has biowheels is driving off a lot of the CO2 you add.
I suggest adding fertilizers in the form of Root Tabs the AP product that has nitrogen and so on. That will reduce the things available to the algae. Also, pinch off any leaves that are decaying and throw them out. No need to feed the algae. If you suppliment the fertilizers at the root, the lost leaves wont' be missed.
My experience was that whenever I changed lighting on a tank, I had a dieback of existing leaves. As those leaves declined, they were attacked by algae. My theory is that a leaf is adapted to respond to a certain range of lighting. If the lighting changes dramatically, that leaf is less effective. The plant will attempt to withdraw nutrients in order to put out new growth adapted to the new conditions. As nutrients are withdrawn from leaves, they decay, and as they decay, algae moves in to hasten the decomposition of the structure left behind. New growth was fine.
New growth, however, will depend on adaquate fertiliztion. The Holy Trinity of plants is Light- carbon- fertilizers. You've added the light. The carbon may or may not be adaquate, the Penguin 350 if it has biowheels is driving off a lot of the CO2 you add.
I suggest adding fertilizers in the form of Root Tabs the AP product that has nitrogen and so on. That will reduce the things available to the algae. Also, pinch off any leaves that are decaying and throw them out. No need to feed the algae. If you suppliment the fertilizers at the root, the lost leaves wont' be missed.
up-rooting a plant and dropping it into totally different water parameters,lighting, and temp will have no effect on a plant? they just grow w/ no regard to environment? i dont think so, stem or fast growing will still require a period to adjust from shock. of course the plants will photosynthesize to an exten, but all of the growth and energy will be devoted to restoring an adequate root system instead of foliage. 30w is enough light to grow anubias and val, ive done it, and while i never said 120 was a massive amount of light the algea is now getting 4 times what it was used to. so of course the algea is going to take advantage of it.
djlen said:
z71silverado98 said:
Fast growing, heavy water column feeding plants like water sprites and anacharis have a very short adjustment period. Give them an optimal growing condition and the plants will recover within a few days, not just photosynthesizing but growing new leaves. Reducing the amount of light or the photo period will slow down the algae growth, but it will also slow the recovery of the plants.
The way to lick algae problems is to have enough healthy plant growth. The easiest way to ensure this is to load up on hardy fast growers. Bzehr already noted that the anacharis already recovered quickly, perhaps getting alot more anacharis is the best choice.
Today is the last day of the blackout. I will remove the cover tomorrow. I did a 25% water change last night, and the water I pulled out was still pretty green, though it did appear to have improved a bit. I will also pick up a few more anarchis tomorrow. My LFS always has plenty of them.
I guess I need to come up with something else for my CO2. I don't know if I fully understand the sponge method. Do I just run the end of the airline tube into a sponge and stick the sponge on the filter output? What do I use to keep the sponge in place and keep the airline in the sponge? It might be difficult get a sponge onto the output of my filter. It is a penguin 350, and the water just kind of pours over the edge. What if I actually stuck the sponge inside the filter? Would that work?
I guess I need to come up with something else for my CO2. I don't know if I fully understand the sponge method. Do I just run the end of the airline tube into a sponge and stick the sponge on the filter output? What do I use to keep the sponge in place and keep the airline in the sponge? It might be difficult get a sponge onto the output of my filter. It is a penguin 350, and the water just kind of pours over the edge. What if I actually stuck the sponge inside the filter? Would that work?
The sponge suggestion is to reduce surface agitation. You cram a sponge into the outlet and it'll slow the water and reduce surface agitation. You don't actually put the airline tubing into the sponge.
As for the airline tubing, you need an efficient way to break up the CO2 bubble or prolong its contact with the water. The hagen ladder diffuser that Captain Hook suggested does an adequate job and is much better than an airstone. Another option is to run the tube into the intake of the filter and let the impeller chop up the bubbles. This works well but CO2 is acidic and may slowly eat away at the rubber components of your filter.
As for the airline tubing, you need an efficient way to break up the CO2 bubble or prolong its contact with the water. The hagen ladder diffuser that Captain Hook suggested does an adequate job and is much better than an airstone. Another option is to run the tube into the intake of the filter and let the impeller chop up the bubbles. This works well but CO2 is acidic and may slowly eat away at the rubber components of your filter.
