Planted Tank help please!

Hi guys

I need some help. I started a planted tank a while ago not knowing much about keeping plants alive. My concerns is that the plants do not seem to be growing well at all and most of them have an 'algae' coat on their leaves, especially the ludwigia repens. No algae on the tank glass though. Supposed to be a low tech setup.


My setup is as follows:

• 3ft Standard tank
• Fish - 12 Tiger barbs, 8 Serpae Tetra's and an albino red tailed shark
• 2 x 10 000k Sylvania Aquastar T8's (on for 3 hours, then a 1 our break and on again for 4 hours)
• Pfs as substrate
• Plants - red ludwigia repens, vallis, amazon swords and a three others i cannot identify.
• Ferts - Seachem Comprehensive, Excel & Potassium. Dosing as per the instructions

Is my lighting correct? Too much light?
Do I need an enriched substrate?
Any other ferts?

Will post pics asap.


Please help guys

Regards
TB

 

Maybe try leaving the lights on for 12 hours

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Algae THRIVE on light.

Your photo-period is PERFECT!!!! Don't change it. Some may recommend you to change the tubes to a lower kelvin rating.. I personally prefer the 6,500k tubes and don't really like the 10,000k ones.

 

Hahaha lol sorry Ashley

 

ok, no personal experience here - but I've read that tiger barbs really like eating plants? have you noticed if they are munching at all? Those lights should be fine, I have great experience with the Aquastar & have never had much algae trouble with a similar photoperiod... @azurekoi also uses them... what kind of algae do you think?

 

How many Watts of light?

 

i also have a low tec setup. i have 13 hours light dont have much of an algae peoblem. what i have found is when i feed a little more the usual the algae pops up. so maybe feed a little less. hope that helps

 

The easy answer would be to pop 2 or 3 Siamese Algae Eaters in there - will do a much better job at algae control than the shark.... tracy is right - my tank has 2 x 10 000k bulbs over it,and produces algae like crazy(thankfully no more string algae....lol)... 6500k will give less algae,but try the SAE's....

 

Tiger Barb , I would swop the one 10 000K for a 6500K
PFS substrate? With Chemicult?

Your'e tank is off balance where the algae out-compete the plants. You need to turn this around.

 

The plants that you have in the tank are very fert hungry.
The swords like their ferts from the substrate. you will see by the massive roots they have.
If they were growing well, they would out compete the algae for the ferts in the water column.

I see you are in Cape town so you should have enough dissolved CO2 in the water to grow plants.

I would also cut off the badly affected leaves with sharp scissors to force new growth.

Hope this helps

If possible I would change to 6500k bulbs to have a more natural light spectrum.
Secondly you should add some form of root tabs to nourish those swords.
Seachem make a good one. just put one into the substrate close to the roots of each plant.

 

@tracyp Not at all, had them a few years and they dont much on any plants that I have added.

@Vis 18watt x 2 T8's = 36watts

@azurekoi If i can find them at my LPS I will give them a try. The algae is mostly on the leaves of the plants though.

I have done so tonight. Had a spare tube lying around, but I dont know how good it is. It is a Sunbright branded tube.
No Chemicult. Think I need something more nutritious for the roots?

@Algae Wizard I will get 6500k tubes as a last resort, have swopped one out tonight with a spare I had. Will also give the root tabs a try, I was meaning to get some and try if it would help.


The algae is mostly on the leaves of the ludwigia repens, light a dark green. My camera batteries is charging, so I should have pics by tomorrow.


Thanks for all the help thus far.

TB

 

That should be the 1st thing you do.

 

@Henk Hugo I will be going to get the Daylight tubes at Lamphouse next week. Logistics getting there is just a problem as they are not open on Weekends.

Do you think 2 x 18watt tubes are enough? Maybe 3?

Two tubes - My calculations says that it would be 36watts / 90litre tank(25.4gal) = 1.4watts per gallon.

Three tubes - My calculations says that it would be 54watts / 90litre tank(25.4gal) = 2.1 watts per gallon.

 

I have an account with them - want me to collect them for you? You can come grab it from my warehouse. PM with the details.

 

+1 for that offer!
Good sport @Henk Hugo

 

@Henk Hugo

Thank you for the offer Henk, I am on leave next week and will visit them to get the tubes. If for some reason I cant get it then I will definitley take you up on your offer. Thanks again, it is much appreciated. Its nice to know that there are still some genuine people out there.

 

@Tiger barb My office is around the corner from Lamphouse and I stay down the road from you. If you want I could get it for you.

 

See! There we have lots of option to get these tubes to you

 

Thanks for the offer guys. If I dont come right then I will definitely take you up on your offer.:bigsmile:

 

I was able to get to Lamphouse last week and purchased 2x Cool Daylight 18w T8's and 2x Sylvania Grolux 18w T8's. Thanks @Henk Hugo for the lighting advice.

Now im thinking of making a custom canopy to fit them all in. Have to go get more ballasts this weekend as well.