First high tech planted tank corner

[Ryan Peh]

I doubt it's your fert regime. Could be your light intensity and light duration. I think your tank will grow well if you plant hair grass which require lesser light and but CO2 is essential for faster growth.

is your MC creeping well or is it growing upwards? If it is growing upwards, it indicates a lack of light peneration.

i usually blast my light 12-15hrs with high dosage of CO2 during the initial stage, fishes behaviors are my indicator on CO2 dosage. As long as they are not at the surface grasping for air, I leave the CO2 level alone.

even if the fish grasp for air, you can lift up the lily pipe to create turbulence to water surface and that usually helps to dissolve more oxygen and fish will recover and behave normally.

I have to say the way you track your CO2 is pretty... YOLO. HAHA I dare not use my fishes as a method to indicate CO2 levels.
My CO2 drop checker actually shows a light green / green-ish yellow (according to my brother, because I actually have colour deficiency). My Monte Carlo is creeping quite well but there's one particular spot that doesn't look pretty good and it's at the center of the tank actually.

My Monte Carlo are mostly creeping and not growing upwards, just that I feel they are not creeping fast enough..?

[Urban Aquaria]

Yeah, the bottle recommended fertilizer dosing amounts are just default values, they don't take into account the actual plant types/density nor photoperiod or Co2 in a tank. There isn't a "fixed" formula for fertilizer dosing since every tank setup is different.

In such cases, you'll just have to adjust the photoperiod and Co2 injection and observe. If the plants are still not growing fast enough, dose more nutrients. If algae starts growing too much then reduce nutrients and lights. Its all about adjusting the factors and observing plant growth, they will be the best indicators of whether light, CO2 and nutrients are sufficient... eventually after some time you will find a good balance.

Alternatively you could switch to EI dosing instead, which is based on the concept of adding alot more ferts to avoid limitations (along with regular massive weekly water changes to flush out excess nutrients and reset the system). It works best with DIY dry ferts though, since this sort of dosing method will rapidly deplete your bottled ferts and jack up your costs like crazy. But note that even Tom Barr also mentioned that EI Dosing is not a fixed formula and you still need to observe the plant growth and adjust the dosing amounts accordingly. So its still back to observation and adjustments.

[Ryan Peh]

Yeah, the bottle recommended fertilizer dosing amounts are just default values, they don't take into account the actual plant types/density nor photoperiod or Co2 in a tank. There isn't a "fixed" formula for fertilizer dosing since every tank setup is different.

In such cases, you'll just have to adjust the photoperiod and Co2 injection and observe. If the plants are still not growing fast enough, dose more nutrients. If algae starts growing too much then reduce nutrients and lights. Its all about adjusting the factors and observing plant growth, they will be the best indicators of whether light, CO2 and nutrients are sufficient... eventually after some time you will find a good balance.

Hmm maybe I'll take close up photos of my plants tonight and see if you can tell the deficiency?
Because some of my Monte Carlo is still melting while others are creeping well and it's been a few weeks since flooding the tank... They shouldn't be melting for so long right?

[Realcaster]

I have to say the way you track your CO2 is pretty... YOLO. HAHA I dare not use my fishes as a method to indicate CO2 levels.
My CO2 drop checker actually shows a light green / green-ish yellow (according to my brother, because I actually have colour deficiency). My Monte Carlo is creeping quite well but there's one particular spot that doesn't look pretty good and it's at the center of the tank actually.

My Monte Carlo are mostly creeping and not growing upwards, just that I feel they are not creeping fast enough..?

Haha.. I know it's a bit extreme.

[Urban Aquaria]

Hmm maybe I'll take close up photos of my plants tonight and see if you can tell the deficiency?
Because some of my Monte Carlo is still melting while others are creeping well and it's been a few weeks since flooding the tank... They shouldn't be melting for so long right?

I guess it could also just be a longer transition period, weaker plants usually need more time to recover and start establishing roots, especially those sold in emersed form from most LFS. The MC in your tank still looks like its in patches, usually thats the effect when they are planted in spread out bunches rather than individual stalks closer together, so just have to wait for them to establish and grow creeping runners to fill in the gaps between the bunches.

For the ferts, when using all-in-one ferts, you'll just have to dose more of everything, let the plants sort out what nutrients it needs to fill in the deficiency gaps. I find that trying to pin point exact nutrient deficiencies is usually like a wild goose chase, one deficiency link to another, end up have to just dose more of everything.

[Ryan Peh]

I guess it could also just be a longer transition period, weaker plants usually need more time to recover and start establishing roots, especially those from LFS. The MC in your tank still looks like its in patches, usually thats the effect when they are planted in spread out bunches rather than individual stalks closer together, so just have to wait for them to establish and grow creeping runners to fill in the gaps between the bunches.

For the ferts, when using all-in-one ferts, you'll just have to dose more of everything, let the plants sort out what nutrients it needs to fill in the deficiency gaps. i find that trying to pin point exact nutrient deficiencies is usually like a wild goose chase, one deficiency link to another, end up have to just dose more of everything.

Some of the MC in patches have creeped really well and some looks like they're growing new leaves among a patch of dying leaves... I've tried trimming as much of the melting once as I could.

I should have separated them in even smaller patches?

And I bought the Tropica Premium Fertiliser because of your 64 litre Forest Edge tank! It looked so successful I had to give it a try HAHAHA. I'm considering adding seachem iron to my tank since my Rotala Rotundifolia has been turning green..

[Urban Aquaria]

Yeah, the best method when planting carpet plants is to separate them into individual plantlets and plant them in a grid pattern, this way each plantlet gets full contact with the soil nutrients and has space to grow (rather than in bunches where only some parts contact the soil, while other parts are not). The only thing with separating and planting them in tiny plantlets is its truly back-breaking work, literally like working in a mini paddy field.

You can see how George Farmer did it in his "One-Pot Iwagumi Challenge", where he carpeted an entire tank with only one cup of Tropica Monte Carlo: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/g...allenge.29695/

[Ryan Peh]

Yeah, the best method when planting carpet plants is to separate them into individual plantlets and plant them in a grid pattern, this way each plantlet gets full contact with the soil nutrients and has space to grow (rather than in bunches where only some parts contact the soil, while other parts are not). The only thing with separating and planting them in tiny plantlets is its truly back-breaking work, literally like working in a mini paddy field.

You can see how George Farmer did it in his "One-Pot Iwagumi Challenge", where he carpeted an entire tank with only one cup of Tropica Monte Carlo: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/g...allenge.29695/

Damn is that why his surname is Farmer.... That's pretty insane and maybe I'll strip my next pot of MCs to as small as possible.
By the way, is it alright if I separate my current bunch of MCs into smaller separate plantlets? Or will that damage the plant again?

Also, is it alright if I bury the leaves of the MC when I plant them?

[Ryan Peh]

Hi guys! Can anyone lemme know if there's any deficiency in my plants? I really can't tell if I'm overdosing my fertiliser, not dosing enough or its just bad water circulation!

[jackychun]

Hi guys! Can anyone lemme know if there's any deficiency in my plants? I really can't tell if I'm overdosing my fertiliser, not dosing enough or its just bad water circulation!

I really have the feeling that your lighting intensity is not strong enough by looking at the 3rd picture. Plants grow long and not compact. It might wanna reach higher for better lighting. The ground plants could not get enough lighting to grow better and faster, too. It still look quite OK since good CO2 and fertilizer are there. Might try to have different lighting and see how bro.

[Ryan Peh]

I really have the feeling that your lighting intensity is not strong enough by looking at the 3rd picture. Plants grow long and not compact. It might wanna reach higher for better lighting. The ground plants could not get enough lighting to grow better and faster, too. It still look quite OK since good CO2 and fertilizer are there. Might try to have different lighting and see how bro.

I just realise... My lights are much dimmer compared to when they first arrive... Manage to get sort of a 60% refund on it... I'm gonna get new lights for the tanks. Should I go for UP Aqua Pro Z series? Or UP Aqua Pro U series? Or Beamswork LED 400?

If anyone selling their 2nd hand LED sets do lemme know too!

[Realcaster]

I just Decom my 2 feet, have Beamswork lumen 60 and green element EVO for sale.

pm me if you are interested.

[Ryan Peh]

Update!
I listened to Jacky's advice and bought the Green Element from Realcaster to change my light set and now my plants are pearling!! There's a constant pearling from all my Monte Carlo! Yayyyyyyy I'm so happy with my new light set now

[Realcaster]

Congratulation. It's nice to see plant pearling

[jackychun]

Woohoo! Good news! All things should be in order soon.


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[Ryan Peh]

Now I just need to dig into my pocket again to get another Beamswork LED for my 2nd tank! Hopefully my other tank would be as successful too! Can't wait to replant the other tank but then it means more money to spend...

[jackychun]

I think you can just find Up Aqua Z Series. It works perfectly too. I follow UA's hardware for most of the main equipment and really happy about it. Thanks sifu UA!


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[Ryan Peh]

I think you can just find Up Aqua Z Series. It works perfectly too. I follow UA's hardware for most of the main equipment and really happy about it. Thanks sifu UA!


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I wanted to! But I've been told by lots of people that UP Aqua isn't strong enough... But I don't know much about Beamswork models too.. Hoping someone would share what models are there and which is better for a planted tank

[R99]

Beautiful setup. Lovely piece of driftwood you have there.

[fireblade]

go for green element

not sure if I've shared in this thread but just share again..

check out my quite thread here you can also estimate the time for MC to grow...
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...escape-in-2015

my dosing of fertilizer is irregular and minimal...

don't rush, just be patient abit and they will reward you when they flourish..