Help 90g, Dutch style, first try

[Art]

You will see immediate results if the plant is really damaged.

I’ll start a thread to see who has knowledge.

 

[riioKen]

You will see immediate results if the plant is really damaged.

I'll give update tomorrow on how react on a sample of plants.

 

[riioKen]

Say welcome to my new tank, this is day 0

I break the intake skimmer of the left filter...

There is some crazy growth on the myriophyllum Roraima (back left, behind rotala macrandra), I clearly saw it growing in the dark, this is the first day with the light on.

I placed the drop checker between outflow and intake of the filter with CO2 attached (left one).

Week Aqua P900 at 50% for 5h (30:30 sunrise/sunset)
RGBUV: 39-38-25-100%
Masterline golden: 10ml daily

I have to tune the CO2. DC liquid without CO2 was blue, now seems a bit dark green (I increased CO2 now) while it should be lime green. Take out water from the tank and let it sit for 24h (do you know a better method?), test with a calibrated pen (and liquid from api, just for double check), and write here the result (I expect around 8.2 pH).

Maybe from the photo aren't visible but the bubbles are all around tank.

I'm a bit afraid for the otos, some of them eat vegetables but idk if all of them eats them, I have something from the old tank with algae on it , should I put it inside this tank?

I have new life spectrum algae max powder, but I never see them eating it in 6 month that I have them.

 

[riioKen]

I definitely have trouble distinguishing the colors of the drop checkers... Is this yellow?
The CO2 will turn off in 30m

 

[Burr740]

I placed the drop checker between outflow and intake of the filter with CO2 attached (left one).

Move it down to the bottom an inch or two above the sub. It looks like you have plenty of circulation but that will give you a reading from the area with theoretically the lowest co2. This will become more significant when all the plants grow up. Also keep in mind that if any micro bubbles are getting in the drop checker it will drastically skew the color

Take out water from the tank and let it sit for 24h (do you know a better method?), test with a calibrated pen (and liquid from api, just for double check), and write here the result (I expect around 8.2 pH).

This is the best method. However, since the soil will be dropping the KH and PH, the degassed value will only apply to the day you collect it. It will get lower as the days go by. So take the comparison reading for the tank with co2 a the same time you collect the water to be degassed.

If you want to check it again say 3-4 days later, take another sample for degassing that day. Because these degassed values are gonna change from day to day as the soil does its thing

I definitely have trouble distinguishing the colors of the drop checkers... Is this yellow?

Yep thats yellow

Week Aqua P900 at 50% for 5h (30:30 sunrise/sunset)
RGBUV: 39-38-25-100%

What color is the aquasoil, brown or black? Notice how it looks a little abnormally red in the pics? The substrate color is the best reference for adjusting the light to be as true to life as possible. If the soil is brown then its not that far off. But if its black or dark gray then the red is currently too overpowering. You want the substrate to show the same color it has under natural light. I would rasie some of the others, not drop the red, and not worry about the par increase

 

[riioKen]

What color is the aquasoil, brown or black?

It's black, completely black (Tropica AS)

You want the substrate to show the same color it has under natural light. I would rasie some of the others, not drop the red, and not worry about the par increase

Ok, probably more blue needed? I considering that green is already on par with red, blue should drive the "natural color"

I turn on CO2 2h before light, I already decreased it a bit, maybe I should turn on only 1h before.

This is the best method. However, since the soil will be dropping the KH and PH, the degassed value will only apply to the day you collect it. It will get lower as the days go by. So take the comparison reading for the tank with co2 a the same time you collect the water to be degassed.

If you want to check it again say 3-4 days later, take another sample for degassing that day. Because these degassed values are gonna change from day to day as the soil does its thing

Ok thanks, I definitely need to do check values daily

 

[BigWave]

Maybe we should start a thread on how to properly dip plants?

I have an article or post about this in my group. Ill find it and upload it here. Its been a few yrs since I've seen it

 

[riioKen]

Yep thats yellow

At 9:30 (2h and half CO2 turned on) this is the drop checker.

Seems the correct, lime green.

As you suggested I lowered it 5-7 cm above the soil, this way I know that, at substrate level, the CO2 is present too. I have another DC should I put it on the other side of the tank?

 

[BigWave]

I have another DC should I put it on the other side of the tank?

Absolutely. Mind you drop checkers are only a visual representation of the pH drop. CO2 combines with water creating Carbonic Acid. This acid is what drops the kH. The difference between the 4dKH solution in the drop checker and the kH in the water is what changes the color. Think back to school when you had the pH experiments with limtus paper etc. This process takes time (hours) therefore it does not represent the true measurement at any single time.
The more drop checkers you have around the tank will show you exactly how that part of the tank is getting more or less CO2. This has to do mostly with water movement. If the right side is very yellow and the right is somewhat green then you know that the right side isnt getting the same amount of CO2.

 

[riioKen]

Absolutely. Mind you drop checkers are only a visual representation of the pH drop. CO2 combines with water creating Carbonic Acid. This acid is what drops the kH. The difference between the 4dKH solution in the drop checker and the kH in the water is what changes the color. Think back to school when you had the pH experiments with limtus paper etc. This process takes time (hours) therefore it does not represent the true measurement at any single time.
The more drop checkers you have around the tank will show you exactly how that part of the tank is getting more or less CO2. This has to do mostly with water movement. If the right side is very yellow and the right is somewhat green then you know that the right side isnt getting the same amount of CO2.

Great explanation, ty

 

[GreggZ]

This is just my opinion and taken from observing experiments I have run in my own tank.

I think people put too much stock in "circulating" CO2. I've tested my tank with a good quality pH meter in spots all around the tank. It's always almost exactly the same. I mean between .01 or .02 difference. High, low, front, back....almost exactly the same.

My feeling is that when CO2 if fully dissolved you can't keep it from getting everywhere. It's like if you put a couple of drops of food coloring in a tank. Regardless of circulation in a short time it spreads everywhere and distributes evenly.

Just saying there are likely far more important things to worry about. One drop checker should be fine. If you really want to up your game then get a good quality pH probe.

 

[riioKen]

My feeling is that when CO2 if fully dissolved you can't keep it from getting everywhere. It's like if you put a couple of drops of food coloring in a tank. Regardless of circulation in a short time it spreads everywhere and distributes evenly.

Yes you're right, as you can see the bubbles are so tiny that you can't see with camera.
About surface agitation, is enough?


While the drop checker are bit dark green, CO2 turned on 3h ago

One drop checker should be fine. If you really want to up your game then get a good quality pH probe.

Yes, I need to buy it

 

[riioKen]

First WC since planting (5 days ago, I will maintain the WC on Sunday). I do a weekly 30% with gravel vacuum. I see some diatoms (very few hairs) on a single stem of rotala indica, hopefully amanos and otos will munch on them. It is expected, I'm not worried, should be normal having it in the first 2 months of a newly set up tank.

Seems that every plants is doing fine, yes some leaves are dropping but I can see new growth on almost every single stem.

 

[riioKen]

Hey guys, little update
7 days after planting.
New growths everywhere BUT, the light didn't turn on for the entire day yesterday, today I see half of Rotala indica and 2-3 stems of Ludwigia super red melting.

It's due light or lack of NPK, or just melting due vitro plants?

Should I remove the affected stems?

About CO2, just did a new test with a calibrated pen (0.1 error)
Degassed 8.1
At light on: 6.5
So considering the 0.1 error, around 1.6 ph drop.
Livestock aren't gasping, but drop checkers gives different results. 1 lime/yellowish, the other green a bit darker

 

[BigWave]

Looks to me like they are just transitioning to your water parameters. If they were emersed yes the old growth is dying back. You should be seing new growth. Leave as is and do not trim for a few weeks. Close up pictures of the plants would help.

 

[Burr740]

Its TC plants that are melting right? It wasnt the light incident. That just happens sometimes and a lot of tc plants arent going to like a brand new tank with brand new soil. As long as there is part of the stem still solid and not melting leave it. But if its all mush get it outta there. You want to avoid decaying plant matter laying around

 

[riioKen]

Its TC plants that are melting right? It wasnt the light incident. That just happens sometimes and a lot of tc plants arent going to like a brand new tank with brand new soil.

Yes, the only 2 plants that are melting are TC. But it's not generalized, half of Rotala indica and few stems of Ludwigia super red.

As long as there is part of the stem still solid and not melting leave it. But if its all mush get it outta there. You want to avoid decaying plant matter laying around

I already removed the stems that were about to dissolve but there are few in very bad state but with new growth at top, I'll keep them for 1 more day and see if they can keep the new growth, if not I removed then.

@BigWave as I explained, the only 2 potted plants are growing like crazy, the plants that are melting are 2 TC

 

[Burr740]

Yes, the only 2 plants that are melting are TC. But it's not generalized, half of Rotala indica and few stems of Ludwigia super red.

Thats how it usually happens, some of them wont make it, you wont necessarily lose them all

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

TC are finicky and Burr’s statement about new soil seems to be the norm. I’ve got TC of Java fern petite and hydro trip mini in my tank but they are both fed by water column (H.T. Is glued to small stones to keep from floating) and both took a while to get going but never melted. Seems to be a toss up which sucks because TC are not cheap options over emmersed grown

 

[riioKen]

Considering that almost all rotala indica melted, the few stems remaining are in very bad shape, after how many time i can replant it? Is suggested to go directly for potted plants instead of TC?