Mmiller2001

Here's what Pearl Weed looks like as a carpet. This can definitely be done without CO2.

Honestly, the MC and Baby Tears are CO2 required plants. And truth be told, to get that low tight carpet effect, you're going to need CO2. However, dwarf Sag and few others should do okay. If they are melting away, something is off. Either your fertilization balance is off or light is too low. If the S. Repens is dropping leaves, that's probably a light issue. So I'd imagine it's a combination of both. I would also look at the substrate. Will it allow plants to spread roots and runners? I have 2 recommendations to try, actually 3. 1. Pearl Weed, will do very well with no CO2 and can be mowed into a carpet. Every time you mow it, replant until you have a dense patch. Keep it trimmed often. 2. Marselia Hirsuta, this does well and grows like a vine under the substrate. Simpley cut a portion and turn it and it will zig zag across the tank to form a carpet. 3. Hygrophila Serphyllum, now this can be hard to find and sketchy sellers, but will do well with no CO2. It grow like a vine over the substrate and sends roots down. This can over come less than I deal substrates. It has a larger, more oval leaf shape and may be what you are looking for. If you can't find it and want it, PM me. When my wife gets home, I'll have her take a picture for me. All in all, I would double check your light and nutrients. The answer is there. Here's the Hygrophila Serphyllum, foreground right. I think it breaks that traditional small leaf carpet and adds a unique contrast. And apparently, it's rare.

Hopefully he doesn't get too mad at me, but @gjcarewhas won the AGA competition in the Dutch style category. https://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2021/index3.html

Make sure you are dosing P, K and micros. They are just as important as N.

Looks nice and clean!

If you use the media sleeve thing, reverse the flow. So out is water in and in is water out. And lastly, if you just want a good reactor pre built, https://greenleafaquariums.com/products/aquarium-co2-reactor-16-22mm.html

Okay, that's 5/8ths American. That will work. For a tank that size, I would recommend a reactor. It's more efficient and no Sprite water. I hate Sprite water. Very easy to build too. For inline, CO2ART has a nice one. https://www.co2art.us/collections/co2-accessories/products/new-co2art-inline-co2-aquarium-atomizer-diffuser-system?variant=22314607444050

Is that inside or outside diameter? You will often see 12/16mm or 16/22mm.

Those plants you mention will grow fine in either choice. I'm using Eco Complete and hate it. I will be trying BDBS when I redo my 40 here shortly. I hear it's easy to plant in. That sells me!

That's the million dollar question! If you figure it out, let me know 😜!

I also increase PO4 to fight back GSA.

What are you dosing nutrients wise and how much? I suspect this could be a possible light issue, buce likes a bit more light than Anubias.

What size tubing is on the 407?

This weeks problems: Barclaya still won't grow and algae. GSA and several spots of BBA and very unhappy Pogo Kimberly. Wait and see about the Kimberly? And probably just manually remove the BBA. I just increased PO4 so I will watch the GSA.

Those are per dose totals or weekly totals? If I remember correctly, those are per dose. Going forward, it's easier to interpret per week totals so try to calculate those numbers if you have questions. All of my suggestions are per week, and can be divided by the days you want to dose for per dose totals But let's address the elephant in the room. PPS Pro, honestly, I would highly recommend moving away from PPS Pro. I, like you tried it, along with root tabs, and my tank looked like yours. It's when I moved away from it and started EI dosing that great things started to happen. Am I an advocate for EI, no, but the system works and would encourage everyone to at least try it for several months. If I remember, even PPS Pro recommends 50% water changes weekly, and honestly you should be doing them. The reason to do them is to remove organics from the tank as not all is consumed by plants and to reset our nutrients each week. 50% water changes also allows us to target accumulation numbers that are easily calculated via 50% water change. Not to get too long winded, but if you have 10 gallons of water, dose 10ppm NO3 weekly, along with 50% water changes weekly, you can never have more than 20ppm NO3. So if we dosed 10ppm weekly, and tested before our water change, and had 5ppm NO3; then we know the tank consumes 5ppm per week. We could then increase our dosing to 15 ppm and over time we will maintain 20ppm at all times. Do some reading and give it a try! Right now, I would do 50% water changes over the next several days, you are way high on nitrates and incredible high on Fe. Fe is probably well into over dosing zone. I imagine you are using CSM+B for micros? Manually remove as much algae as possible, once the plants get healthy and start growing, top them and replant and toss out all the algae covered parts. I would drop both lights to 50% and watch for a minimum of 3 weeks. You mention the 1pH drop, that's good but you may still be too low on CO2. I would look for a 1 to 1.5pH drop. I myself am at a 1.5pH drop. Just keep an eye on your fish and go slowly. My recommendation after the water changes is to dose: 20ppm KNO3 3-8ppm PO4 25ppm K .5ppm Fe(Proxy) from CSM+B again, those are per week totals. So if you auto dose, mix your solution to per dose. Example, I want to dose 3 times a week: 20ppm/3days=6.66ppm per dose or 6.7ppm rounded up. And so on! All of this is dependent on a 50% water change. And STOP****root tabs, they are more problems than they are worth when working with CO2. Sorry this is TL/DR, hope this helps. Look here for some great information, helped me tons. https://www.2hraquarist.com/blogs/choosing-co2-why If you look at the last few pages of my journal, you will see how water column dosing is all that's needed. I use no root tabs. I forgot to mention, I would try moving to 5dGH and 3dKH to 0dKH. Maintaining a 4:1 to 2:1 Ca:Mg ratio are the recommended ratios.

What kind of substrate and how old is it? What does your water change schedule look like? What PPM of nutrients are you dosing per week. What model Finnex are they?

Looks like Staghorn.

I should probably document them more. I will do this going forward.

Thank you, but I wish I was a master. Trust me, I have problems all the time. And without others help, I would not be here 😃

I would keep them as is until new growth establishes.

I think your GH is too low. I would start there.

Not much to report. I reversed the flow in my Cerges reactor. I was blowing through 10lbs in about 32 days. Hopefully, this will stretch it a bit further. Thought this was a cool looking phone shot.

Algae spreads by spores in the air as well as from contaminated items you may put in your tank. If the conditions are right for any type of algae, you will develop it. You can not stop your tank from being exposed.

I use potassium carbonate as it's cheap and readily available on Amazon. I use the food grade options. CellarScience - AD640LB Potassium Carbonate (lb) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D9BXRT/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_FY319H70WYG7XACTQHCF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 I use https://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php to make the calculation. Example, I want to set my 75 gallon tank to 3dKH. I've calculated my 75 gallon to have around 66 gallons of actual water. So I plug it in like this. So 18.46 grams will give me 3dKH. Try not to alter water with live stock more than 1.5 degree in 24 hours. It's important to understand that the potassium needs to be accounted for when fertilizing. Before I moved my tanks to 0dKH, I used almost no potassium as the K2CO3 added all I needed.

The problem with crushed coral or wonder shell is that they both raise GH and KH. If you want to raise just KH, look to potassium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate or even baking soda. Baking soda will add salt to the tank and the potassium options add potassium. I choose the potassium options as I keep planted tanks.