Plant not showing bubbles

[jackwolf]

Hi guys,

I have just started a low tech 2 ft tank.

ADA Aquasoil and plant includes Xmas moss on DW, java ferns & some jap HG (all bought from C328 under the recomm from the boss as "low-tech plant")..
lighting is 2x14w T5.. 2008 Eheim internal filter adjusted to min flow rate(i think around 150-200l/h).. dc fan.. Temperate is not more than 27C when fan & light operating. i also drop a CO2 tablet in the filter and fert tablet break into pieces & spread around into the soil..

But after 6-7 hours of photo, i still don't see any bubbles on the moss or other plant.. anyone can advise what would have went wrong..?

[lorba]

To see bubbles, the tank must be saturated with oxygen produced by photo photosynthesis of plants.

This can be easily achieve when you have high co2, good lighting and high plant mass.

The low tech plants and your co2 tablets is not going to generate enough oxygen to saturation level and mostly likely you will not see the bubbles.

[jackwolf]

does it mean for low-tech tank you usually will not get to see oxygen bubbles..? is it ok for the plant.. i mean... can it survive and glow.. given that mine is all low tech plant..

[illumnae]

bubbles are not an indication of a healthy plant. as lorba mentioned, bubbles appear when plants photosynthesize in an oxygen-saturated environment. hence, you can have a bubbling tank full of dying plants (photosynthesis is like us breathing...it will still happen when the plants are dying as long as they aren't actually dead) or you can have a tank that doesn't bubble but the plants are thriving

[Cpark188]

In the low-tech tank, you don't see bubbles, unless you plant it in the first day and it will grow very slowly and you can dose seachem excel according to the instruction given(provided you don't have shrimps inside the tank). You have to be patience, the slow growth of plants survived as long as it won't turn yellow or brown and it will grow very beautifully not must trimming to be done. Co2 tablets are not so effective, seachem excel activate as Co2 as well. Why not post us your tank picture to let us admire. Haha... Good luck.

[Aquaculture]

You won't be able to achieve pearling effect with your dosage...so long as your plants are healthy, pearling is an added bonus which can be stimulated by saturated o2, coupled by high co2 injection and high lighting.

[jackwolf]

thanks all guys

will post a picture later on tonight as now need to rush out... keke

By the way has anyone try using those electrical CO2 reactor before..? saw it in LFS.. i heard people saying that the electronic plate will not work so well after some time and need to be replaced(but don't know where can replace as they don't sell the plate itself)... anyone know how long it last and the maintainence required...?

[Cpark188]

If you intend to apply Co2 injection, why not use the DIY Co2 method which does not involved in high costs. And you have to supply higher lightings for your tank as well so that the plants gets photosynthesize thru the water. Certain plants will thrive faster thru this process.

[jackwolf]

hi guys,

please see picture of my tank... the behind one is normal HG, in front of DW is jap HG... i am not sure the one on the left is it nana petite(quite expensive @ $8 each pot from C32 can anyone advise..? also please provide your valuable advise if you see something which i might have done wrongly... thanks alot...

[Wackytpt]

Hi there,

Kindly watch your sms lingo & short form. We strong encourage our members to write in proper english.

Thanks.

[hebi]

you should plant your hairgrass in smaller bunches so they will propagate faster. and did you bury the rhizome of anubias under the soil? sorry i cant see clearly from the pic but dont do that, the rhizome will rot.i suggest you get some small pebbles or driftwood and tie the nana petite to it then you cant just bury the small pebble but the rhizome will still be above the substrate.

regarding the electronic CO2 generator, i think its not worth it as you cant really measure the amount of CO2 in your tank, not to mention the replacement cost of each plate is pretty high( around one blue note). last but not least, the huge plate is so ugly in the tank, any ceramic diffuser can easily beat that.

i myself have use nisso electronic CO2 generator and have been getting BBA problems, now using pressurized CO2 with internal reactor, no such problems, in fact i notice green algae on tank wall disappear too.

[jackwolf]

Hi Hebi,

Thanks alot for your advice... what about java fern? is it better to rooted it directly in the soil or tied on to a DW? Hair grass also...

[Cpark188]

Hi Hebi,

Thanks alot for your advice... what about java fern? is it better to rooted it directly in the soil or tied on to a DW? Hair grass also...

Is better to tie it on the DW or rock so that the roots will not easily rot. If you plant it in the soil in will rot and worms start to eat it. Hair grass must grow in the soil.

[Hoe]

Jackwolf,

Just to share my experience. My 3ft started without any co2 injection. Not only there were no bubbles, my plants didn't seem to grow well. Then I started my diy co2. Within the same day, i saw some of my plants bubbled!! I was very very happy of course. And my plants are growing very well now.
So why dont you give co2 injection a try? Diy co2 is cheap and effective. But you may need to have more plants and lighting, as advised by our forum brothers.
Anyway, thanks to bro cpark188 for the diy co2 method. It is one of the best thing I learned in aquarium fish keeping!

[dnsfpl]

pardon my ignorance

my java ferns leaves have a lot small bubbles
is this a sign of photosynthesis?


thanks

[torque6]

pardon my ignorance

my java ferns leaves have a lot small bubbles
is this a sign of photosynthesis?


thanks

yes. The bubbles should appear underneath the leaves.

[dnsfpl]

woohoo thanks...day 1 using DIY CO2
currently 4-5 sec a bubble

my hornwort is acting like a mini air pump now

btw i notice there are a lot of small bubble on the surface of the water
is it normal or ammonia spike?

thanks

[larlee]

woohoo thanks...day 1 using DIY CO2
currently 4-5 sec a bubble

my hornwort is acting like a mini air pump now

btw i notice there are a lot of small bubble on the surface of the water
is it normal or ammonia spike?

thanks

does your water surface have a layer of oil like film?
it is protein layer and bubbles tend to trap underneath

[dnsfpl]

ya very oily...removing it every 3-4 days

got myself a ammonia test kit, will do the test during week end

[torque6]

larlee, like i posted in the previous post, it could be due to food. I have both a OHF and sander wood airstone to provide surface agitation.