TomK's Microbe Lift Plant Experiment

I plan to use this thread to document my experience with the Bloom & Grow range from Microbe Lift. I am first going to show pictures of the current state of my plants. I know, it is in bad shape and I would otherwise not show it. But for the sake of this exercise I do, as I have big expectations. So this is the 'before' range of photo's. Please feel free to point out to me whatever catches your eye, be it BL, non aquatic or whatever. You can also help out with ID's, as I have no clue and those I knew, I forgot.

Tank size is 240lt.
I will place a photo of lighting later and try and explain. All I can say at this stage, I have three sets of lighting, each on their own switch and I mostly run only the one set, otherwise my fish goes into hiding. I run the lights about 12 to 14 hours a day. (The one set)

I have not fed the plants anything, so it is not strange that they are in this state. I build my water up from RO with Seachem Replenish and Discuss Trace. So it is about time I start looking after my plants as well.

I will also try and document here the dosages I am giving of each product.

I am going to start later tonight with the following dosages:

Bloom & Grow 5ml (Twice a week)
Bio-Carbon 30ml initial, then 6ml every second day. It is a small bottle, so will not be able to keep up.
Phosphorus 8ml initial
Nitrogen 4ml initial
Potassium 11ml twice a week.

@Henk Hugo and everyone, please tell me urgently if I am making a fundamental error.

 

The complete tank, left to right.

 

Individual plants.

 

@TomK I have definitely subscribed to this thread and look forward to following it and seeing what the outcome is. Thank for documenting it all for us.

 

Tom, you most definitely will not be disappointed with the b&g range. Of this I am very very very certain.

Just one thing I did notice, you seem to be running your lights for very long periods of time. Is there any reason for this? The evidence (besides you admitting to 12 - 14 hour photoperiods) is in the algae on your plant leaves and rocks. Can I suggest dropping this to a 4hr morning photoperiod, a 2 to 3 hour midday siesta, followed by another 4 hour afternoon/evening photoperiod.

 

OK Zoom, will do. I have been running it this long because that is the hours I spend next to the tank, working. (That is what I tell my wife!)

 

I'm going to throw my 2c into here, and others are welcome to correct me if I am wrong...

@TomK - Now you are going to be starting to Dose the NPK to a tank that has not had any fertilization of any kind before. You should first do a 50% water change on your tank. This will remove any excess waste build up from your water column. I notice the plants don't look very healthy at all, so the extra ferts will do them good.

Now, you are not going to be using pressurized Co2 in this tank, but rather the Microbe-Lift liquid equivalent. You should start adding the ferts a little bit at a time. Perhaps dose half the recommended doses of the NPK formula? You could send your tank into algae mode with adding so much stuff all at once. Maybe halve the dosages for the first week or so and see how your tank reacts. Then at the end of each week, do a 50% water change. This effectively "resets" your tank. Removes excess nutrients.

The plants you have don't look like really high light loving plants, excepting the one stem plant which looks like it could be a hygro species of some kind. You have Swords, anubias, Java Ferns (which needs to be placed with roots exposed, by the way. Easiest way is to tie it on to a rock or piece of wood) and a couple of others. They will all benefit fro the added ferts, but I do not think you need to add the FULL dose from the word go. Except for the Bio-Carbon. Add the Bio-carbon at the recommended dosage, and halve the rest of them. Watch your plants for signs of deficiencies... Although, to be honest, most of your plants are showing these anyway. Start slowly, or you might run the risk of having a gren pea soup in your tank. Take it slow, watch your plants and increase doses as you need to, and as your plants grow.

I hope this makes some form of sense?

Regards

Sean

PS: Just a small example in plant deficiencies:

The dark green spots of algae are Green Spot Algae. They are Usually a sign of Low Po4 levels or of lighting on for too long. The pinholes in the leaves are a sign of too little potassium. The pale colour of new leaf growth is a lack of iron, and possible nitates too...

So ja, I think dosing some form of fertilizer in your tank will definitely show some improvements.

 

@TomK,I agree with Zoom on the lighting period being to long but will suggest another strategy.I do this with all my setups when I start them up.
Reduce the lighting to 4 hours total per day.
That is the minimum amount of light plants need to function,and algae need allot more.
After the first week you can increase the period with 1 hour and you continue like this until you reach 8-10 hours.That should be the maximum photo period for your tank,any longer and you could be in algae trouble town.

You should trim all the algae infected leaves of the plants before you start dosing.These algae infected leaves are not growing any more and are in fact leaching out nutrients.Cut them off.You will want to see new growth anyway and not algae leaves.
Remove the Java fern from the substrate and tie it to some hardscape.

 

Thanks Rudi, will do.

Sean, I understand what you say and also worried about a possible algae breakout. What is NPK? So, what you say is half all the dosages I mentioned above. Except Bio-Carbon?

 

NPK

N - nitrogen
P - phosphorous
K - Potasium

I noticed you dont have the Fe (iron). You may need this in the future.

 

Right, here is the lighting.

All off.



Top two on, that is what I used to run most of the time.



Bottom two. @Vis will be able to tell what they are! Bought from him.



Single globe, third from top.

 

Damn. Missed it. Is it in the range?

 

Hi @TomK

The advice given so far is spot on and yes we do have an iron supplement.

I'll be watching this thread with interest.

 

The Salifert test NO3 between 10 and 25 on water from my Angel fry tank, where I do daily water changes.

Sean, I have done the 50% water change. Do it again, or carry on, as the Salifert test looks skewed?

Rudi, there will be nothing left!

Which one is that?

 

Hi Tom those are 24W T5 5600K HO lamps.

 

The plant in photo#5.The broad,green leaved one.

This is a sacrifice you may have to consider.Those leaves are not growing and the plants are spending much needed nutrients and energy to keep them healthy,energy the plants should be spending on growing healthy,new growth.
You may have to replace some plants that is beyond saving,but that is your choice.

The last photo shows a fern-like plant,it is in fact not an aquatic fern and should be grown emersed (out of water)in a paludarium..It won't grow and if left in place,it will rot and foul the tank water.

 

Thanks @JungleAquatics ! :amazed: Suppose you did not know either.

 

I've never had that plant,I'm a "obsessive compulsive researcher" when it comes to aquarium plants.I'd rather leave the plant in the shop if I can't i.d. it right there.
I've never kept "non aquatics".

 

I wondered why you left out the iron. I should have asked, but it sounded like you knew exactly what you wanted, so I let it be. Sorry Tom.

 

hehe, looks is deceiving! Not your fault!