I want to shake those stems so bad…
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Journal Ben's Plant Pharm 2.0
- Thread starter BenB
- Start date
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- #22
In some ways I love it, but in others it annoys me. The diatom algae is putting a lot of bubbles on my substrate and a few plants. I'm ready for it to be gone.
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- #23
Everyone seemed to like the fizzy wallichi, so I tried to get a little bit better pic.
techman81
Well-known Member
It's like a winter wonderland.
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- #25
Not my normal water change day, but I'm changing gears with my maintenance a bit.
It seems every time I read a post by @Naturescapes_Rocco, I either learn something that reinforces what I'm already trying to do, or I learn something new. I've been having this diatom problem and a couple times now it seems to be getting better, but when I test my water, my NO3 is 0. That's not going to work. Rocco's most recent posts, pushed the importance of getting this squared away and being consistent. So I'm trying to increase my efforts. The diatoms are annoying, but I've decided to try not to worry over it too much until after I get the dosing sorted.
I've been trying to do this about 2 weeks now. I want to be able to dose about 3 times a week. Right now my mix has 6.5ppm NO3, 2ppm PO4, 1ppm MG, and 5ppm K per 15ml. I do a double dose after water change and then a regular dose every 48 hours. This is an increase of my previous dosing regimen that had 5ppm NO3 with the rest being the same. After 2, 48hr dosing cycles, on this formula my NO3 was 0. But something today made me think I was maybe absentmindedly putting in 7.5ml instead of 15ml. So I'm sticking with this a little longer. Ugh...
for brains.Also, while I'm dealing with this algae, I think I'm not doing enough water changes. I'm going to start trying to do at least 2 a week.
In the end, the tank is doing pretty good. This might be the most successful build I've ever had. I just want to be rid of the diatoms.
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- #26
Plants were getting way overgrown and shading other plants. I just pulled everything up, lightly vacuumed the substrate, re-raked it (badly), and replanted everything. It wasn't the best time for this, but I'm going on a long vacation in 2 weeks and had to get this done. I wanted the tank back on it's feet before I left.
Questions
1. All this has probably released all sorts of nitrogen and other from my substrate. When you all do this, do you do additional water changes? I feel like I should at least do another tomorrow.
2. I had visions of a beautiful replanted tank, but I put everything back, and it looks like ass. How do you replant your tanks and get them organized in neat rows? How much do you plant back? I wanted to leave room for stuff to grow and to be able to trim a few times before I have to do this again, but I'm not sure I put enough back. In reality though, I think I could have done better, but the light was reflecting off the top of the water, and I struggled to see beyond the glare to see what I was doing.
3. I reduced my bio mass by maybe 80%+ Do you reduce your fertilizer? I'm going to say, no because everyone would have to reset their dosing schedule every few weeks.
Questions
1. All this has probably released all sorts of nitrogen and other
from my substrate. When you all do this, do you do additional water changes? I feel like I should at least do another tomorrow.2. I had visions of a beautiful replanted tank, but I put everything back, and it looks like ass. How do you replant your tanks and get them organized in neat rows? How much do you plant back? I wanted to leave room for stuff to grow and to be able to trim a few times before I have to do this again, but I'm not sure I put enough back. In reality though, I think I could have done better, but the light was reflecting off the top of the water, and I struggled to see beyond the glare to see what I was doing.
3. I reduced my bio mass by maybe 80%+ Do you reduce your fertilizer? I'm going to say, no because everyone would have to reset their dosing schedule every few weeks.
Curious on why you pulled everything up rather than just trimming ?Plants were getting way overgrown and shading other plants. I just pulled everything up, lightly vacuumed the substrate, re-raked it (badly), and replanted everything. It wasn't the best time for this, but I'm going on a long vacation in 2 weeks and had to get this done. I wanted the tank back on it's feet before I left.
Questions
1. All this has probably released all sorts of nitrogen and other
2. I had visions of a beautiful replanted tank, but I put everything back, and it looks like ass. How do you replant your tanks and get them organized in neat rows? How much do you plant back? I wanted to leave room for stuff to grow and to be able to trim a few times before I have to do this again, but I'm not sure I put enough back. In reality though, I think I could have done better, but the light was reflecting off the top of the water, and I struggled to see beyond the glare to see what I was doing.
3. I reduced my bio mass by maybe 80%+ Do you reduce your fertilizer? I'm going to say, no because everyone would have to reset their dosing schedule every few weeks.
I did the uprooting and replanting recently for my bunch of rotalas since they had gone through many cycles of trimming. But I did one section at a time. I thought that would be a less shock to the system.
I think more water change never hurts so should go for it.
Using ambient lighting rather than the aquarium light helped me.
Can’t really comment on the fertilizer aspect, my current 29 gallon seems to do well with twice a week of APT zero, whenever I try to dose APT complete I get hair algae. For the past couple of times with vacation I have just turned down the intensity of light. Maybe my tank has enough fish and fish food that they have reached a balance in regards to the macros.
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- #28
They were originally planted as tissue culture. So there were a zillion plants. If I trimmed and let them grow back out, it would have been an even worse mass over shadowing the other stuff.
I think I'll do it then. Also, I might adjust some stems while I'm doing it.
Rocco mentioned he had done this as well with good success. I'm leaning on trying it. I'm just worried about a few difficult to replace plants I have.
You should be okay, depending on how long you will be gone. The only thing I am unsure about is the Xyris as I have never kept that.
1. Normally no, but I'm doing a soft reset on two of my farm tanks to clean up the substrate and I plan to do an additional water change as there is detritus sitting on top of the substrate.Plants were getting way overgrown and shading other plants. I just pulled everything up, lightly vacuumed the substrate, re-raked it (badly), and replanted everything. It wasn't the best time for this, but I'm going on a long vacation in 2 weeks and had to get this done. I wanted the tank back on it's feet before I left.
Questions
1. All this has probably released all sorts of nitrogen and other
2. I had visions of a beautiful replanted tank, but I put everything back, and it looks like ass. How do you replant your tanks and get them organized in neat rows? How much do you plant back? I wanted to leave room for stuff to grow and to be able to trim a few times before I have to do this again, but I'm not sure I put enough back. In reality though, I think I could have done better, but the light was reflecting off the top of the water, and I struggled to see beyond the glare to see what I was doing.
3. I reduced my bio mass by maybe 80%+ Do you reduce your fertilizer? I'm going to say, no because everyone would have to reset their dosing schedule every few weeks.
2. Time and practice. You also have to see the vision of where you want the tank to go. I like to keep my substrate at a minimum of 80% planted preferably up to 90%.
3. No do not reduce fertilizer. Always keep the ferts at the same level as previously. You are exactly right that we would be changing dosing every few weeks. If you do a larger then water change or an additional water change consider dosing an additional time.
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- #31
Today starts Week 5 of this build. I did a big trim and reset yesterday.
Here's how it looks now. I need to tweak the plant layout and touch-up the glass, but it's not too bad. As I mention above, I might not have put back enough plants, but it will be fine. Nothing I can do about that now.
Week 5
Here's how it looks now. I need to tweak the plant layout and touch-up the glass, but it's not too bad. As I mention above, I might not have put back enough plants, but it will be fine. Nothing I can do about that now.
Week 5
Just means you got room to order plants
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- #33
Just means you got room to order plants
This is the tank you want to add some livestock into?
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- #35
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- #37
Well, I think it's on hold.
We've been doing some remodeling and the bathroom where I get the water for my water changes and where I do my testing is next on the list.
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- #38
My water change and testing area...... ugh
Seems like the perfect place to put in a very large aquarium!!! Look that direct access to water and drainage!
Ill see myself out.
So many possibilities!
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