Algae?

[freemoney]

PH 7

ammonia 0

nitrite .25

nitrate 1

KH 5

Gh 13

auto heater keeps temperature in the green bar I think 72-78 but the lines are very small for my eyes. Started as small dots of green couple days ago and expanding.  50$ Amazon light on timer from 1300-2300

Growth on Anubis and Java were from previous build, trying to save the plants, a newly cycled tank some dwarf Anubis melted the stem plants are taking off. Generic aqua soil and ACO and API root tabs covered in aqua sand. 20 gallon high with HOB filter and small ACO air stone

[Mmiller2001]

What fertilizer are you using?

[Patrick_G]

Ten hours of light is probably to much. Try seven hours to start and adjust from there. 
I’m a big fan of a cleaner crew. I like Otocinclus, Amano shrimp and Nerite snails. 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 3/25/2022 at 11:05 AM, freemoney said:

PH 7

ammonia 0

nitrite .25

nitrate 1

KH 5

Gh 13

auto heater keeps temperature in the green bar I think 72-78 but the lines are very small for my eyes. Started as small dots of green couple days ago and expanding.  50$ Amazon light on timer from 1300-2300

Growth on Anubis and Java were from previous build, trying to save the plants, a newly cycled tank some dwarf Anubis melted the stem plants are taking off. Generic aqua soil and ACO and API root tabs covered in aqua sand. 20 gallon high with HOB filter and small ACO air stone

Hi @freemoney

First of all your water parameters are not bad, possibly a little high on the dGH but that is likely from your tap water.  I see mostly medium light plants in your tank such as java ferns, anubias, and Water Wisteria (Hygrophylia) so I am perplexed by the 10 hour photoperiod.  If it were me, I would cut the photoperiod back to six (6) hours.  If you want to see the tank in the morning and evening do a 'split period' of maybe 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.

I cannot find ACO root tabs anywhere on the internet so I have no idea what nutrients they contain.  API root tabs contain clay, carbon, and undefined 'additives' (likely potassium and maybe a little iron).  I am not familiar with a 'generic' aquasoil and I certainly do not see it in your substrate unless it is the few black specks  on the sand substrate in which case it is not nearly sufficient.  I see no sources for the macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) and an unknown amount of potassium in the root tabs.  I also see no sources for secondary and micro-nutrients (iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, etc.).

Basically it boils down to too much light and insufficient nutrients.  Cutting the back on the photoperiod as suggested above will help but you also need to be adding a more nutrients in a balanced manner.  If you are in the United States I would recommend nilocg.com "Thrive C" - just follow the instructions on the bottle.  If you follow the above instructions for a month you should see improvement on the new growth, existing leaves will not improve.  Hope this helps! -Roy

Edited March 25, 2022 by Seattle_Aquarist

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:16 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

What fertilizer are you using?

I used 3 ACO root tabs and 4 API root tabs have the all in one ACO liquid but have not added any yet. Tank is newly cycled, and have gone to water changes as needed from every day water changes on monday

[lefty o]

On 3/25/2022 at 1:30 PM, Patrick_G said:

Ten hours of light is probably to much. Try seven hours to start and adjust from there. 
I’m a big fan of a cleaner crew. I like Otocinclus, Amano shrimp and Nerite snails. 

good advice, and id lean more towards 6 hours of total light, of course depending on intensity.

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:37 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @freemoney

First of all your water parameters are not bad, possibly a little high on the dGH but that is likely from your tap water.  I see mostly medium light plants in your tank such as java ferns, anubias, and Water Wisteria (Hygrophylia) so I am perplexed by the 10 hour photoperiod.  If it were me, I would cut the photoperiod back to six (6) hours.  If you want to see the tank in the morning and evening do a 'split period' of maybe 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.

I cannot find ACO root tabs anywhere on the internet so I have no idea what nutrients they contain.  API root tabs contain clay, carbon, and undefined 'additives' (likely potassium and maybe a little iron).  I am not familiar with a 'generic' aquasoil and I certainly do not see it in your substrate unless it is the few black specks  on the sand substrate in which case it is not nearly sufficient.  I see no sources for the macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) and an unknown amount of potassium in the root tabs.  I also see no sources for secondary and micro-nutrients (iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, etc.).

Basically it boils down to too much light and insufficient nutrients.  Cutting the back on the photoperiod as suggested above will help but you also need to be adding a more nutrients in a balanced manner.  If you are in the United States I would recommend nilocg.com "Thrive C" - just follow the instructions on the bottle.  If you follow the above instructions for a month you should see improvement on the new growth, existing leaves will not improve.  Hope this helps! -Roy

my aqua soil is Landen it is layered under the sand, I also put old aqua soil I think fluval in bags under as well to help cycle the tank. The ACO root tabs are Aquarium Coop, I believe they were about a year old I used maybe half the bag of aqua soil the black specks are from where it worked its way up during filling the tank.

 

On 3/25/2022 at 2:39 PM, lefty o said:

good advice, and id lean more towards 6 hours of total light, of course depending on intensity.

The light is adjustable, it is currently at 100%. Is it better to keep at 100 for 6 hours, or 50% for ten hours?

[Patrick_G]

On 3/25/2022 at 11:39 AM, lefty o said:

good advice, and id lean more towards 6 hours of total light, of course depending on intensity.

I agree, but sometimes I feel bad telling someone they can only look at their fish for 6 hours 😆

[Mmiller2001]

On 3/25/2022 at 12:37 PM, freemoney said:

I used 3 ACO root tabs and 4 API root tabs have the all in one ACO liquid but have not added any yet. Tank is newly cycled, and have gone to water changes as needed from every day water changes on monday

As @Seattle_Aquaristmentions is the problem. Too much light with too little nutrients. Follow his advice.

I'm in camp "don't use root tabs" as they are often a mystery or leach unknown amounts of nutrients. Also, if you are using Landen Soil, there's no need to use root tabs, it has plenty of nutrients for your plants.

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:37 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @freemoney

First of all your water parameters are not bad, possibly a little high on the dGH but that is likely from your tap water.  I see mostly medium light plants in your tank such as java ferns, anubias, and Water Wisteria (Hygrophylia) so I am perplexed by the 10 hour photoperiod.  If it were me, I would cut the photoperiod back to six (6) hours.  If you want to see the tank in the morning and evening do a 'split period' of maybe 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.

I cannot find ACO root tabs anywhere on the internet so I have no idea what nutrients they contain.  API root tabs contain clay, carbon, and undefined 'additives' (likely potassium and maybe a little iron).  I am not familiar with a 'generic' aquasoil and I certainly do not see it in your substrate unless it is the few black specks  on the sand substrate in which case it is not nearly sufficient.  I see no sources for the macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) and an unknown amount of potassium in the root tabs.  I also see no sources for secondary and micro-nutrients (iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, etc.).

Basically it boils down to too much light and insufficient nutrients.  Cutting the back on the photoperiod as suggested above will help but you also need to be adding a more nutrients in a balanced manner.  If you are in the United States I would recommend nilocg.com "Thrive C" - just follow the instructions on the bottle.  If you follow the above instructions for a month you should see improvement on the new growth, existing leaves will not improve.  Hope this helps! -Roy

Should I add liquid fert, along with cutting lights, or cut lights and see what happens first. My GH is high, because I added crushed coral along with wonder shells. The tap water has high GH but 0 KH, I wanted to raise my KH to prevent PH swings.

[lefty o]

honestly, it is about finding the balance between light , and nutrients available in the tank, and type of plants.  i myself would give a try at 75% intensity for either 1 6hr period, or 2 3ish hour periods a day, and try that for a month and see how it goes. when dealing with lighting, and plants/algae you have to make an adjustment, then wait it out to see what happens, then make another adjustment, etc.

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:49 PM, Patrick_G said:

I agree, but sometimes I feel bad telling someone they can only look at their fish for 6 hours 😆

this is why I went with longer photo period

[lefty o]

On 3/25/2022 at 1:49 PM, Patrick_G said:

I agree, but sometimes I feel bad telling someone they can only look at their fish for 6 hours 😆

i hear that. id love to have the lights on in my big tank 12 hours a day, but it would be a big green mess. its all a compromise.

[Mmiller2001]

On 3/25/2022 at 12:50 PM, freemoney said:

The tap water has high GH but 0 KH, I wanted to raise my KH to prevent PH swings.

0dKH is not a problem especially if you keep appropriate fish (soft water fish).

PH swings are also not a problem when GH and KH are kept stable.

Crushed coral and Wonder Shell raise both GH and KH. Personally, I would stop using them.

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:30 PM, Patrick_G said:

Ten hours of light is probably to much. Try seven hours to start and adjust from there. 
I’m a big fan of a cleaner crew. I like Otocinclus, Amano shrimp and Nerite snails. 

It is a 20 gallon high tank currently stocked with 8 neons, 1 mystery, 1 nerite. Plan was to add 8 pygmy corys and one honey gorami. Recently the Betta earned himself his own 10 gallon after the neons turned on him. The algae started to bloom after I moved him, but not sure if its related. 

I've entertained the idea of shrimp, but drip acclimation could be above my pay grade. Not opposed to Otocinclus, can you have one of them, or are the a schooling fish?

On 3/25/2022 at 2:57 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

0dKH is not a problem especially if you keep appropriate fish (soft water fish).

PH swings are also not a problem when GH and KH are kept stable.

Crushed coral and Wonder Shell raise both GH and KH. Personally, I would stop using them.

Thanks I was under the impression keeping ph stable was more important than KH

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 3/25/2022 at 11:43 AM, freemoney said:

my aqua soil is Landen it is layered under the sand, I also put old aqua soil I think fluval in bags under as well to help cycle the tank. The ACO root tabs are Aquarium Coop, I believe they were about a year old I used maybe half the bag of aqua soil the black specks are from where it worked its way up during filling the tank.

 

The light is adjustable, it is currently at 100%. Is it better to keep at 100 for 6 hours, or 50% for ten hours?

Hi @freemoney

OK, apparently the Aquarium Co-op root tabs does contain macro and micro nutrients, we just don't know how much or in what forms the nutrients are delivered.

As for the lighting 10 hours at 100% is too darn much.  Six hours at 100% or 10 hours at 50% deliver the same amount of light but with a difference.  I see some red stem plants in your tank.  To have those stems maintain their red color they need light intensity.  So, if you go to 10 hours at 50% the color will likely fade to green.  How are you going to determine if you are doing 50% and have you verified it is actually 50% of full output?  -Roy

 

[Mmiller2001]

On 3/25/2022 at 1:00 PM, freemoney said:

 

Thanks I was under the impression keeping ph stable was more important than KH

The opposite 😁.

Edited March 25, 2022 by Mmiller2001

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:03 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @freemoney

OK, apparently the Aquarium Co-op root tabs does contain macro and micro nutrients, we just don't know how much or in what forms the nutrients are delivered.

As for the lighting 10 hours at 100% is too darn much.  Six hours at 100% or 10 hours at 50% deliver the same amount of light but with a difference.  I see some red stem plants in your tank.  To have those stems maintain their red color they need light intensity.  So, if you go to 10 hours at 50% the color will likely fade to green.  How are you going to determine if you are doing 50% and have you verified it is actually 50% of full output?  -Roy

 

I think you do one click powers 75, 2 powers to 50, 3 powers to 25 and 4 to 10. and the reverse on the way up. I clicked it to the light was at full power. I do have red stem plants that I enjoy the look of, so I'm going to keep 100% and dial my hours back to 7 do daily water change and see what it looks like next week. 

[MickS77]

To my eyes I see some Cyanobacteria starting, I'd hit it with some erythromycin to knock it out early.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/blue-green-algae

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:44 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @freemoney

I don't know what idiot out there is recommending adding coral or "Wonder Shells" to a planted tank but I wish they would quit it! 

All that either of those 'supplements' add to the water is calcium carbonate......period!  They increase the dKH and dGH but without any way of controlling how much or to the recommended levels for planted tanks.  They also increase the pH typically to the alkaline side of neutral (pH>7.0) many times excessively so.  A pH greater than neutral at makes the most common form of iron, including the iron used in Easy Green, unavailable to plants.  It also adversely effects the the calcium : magnesium ratio (Ca:Mg) that is recommended for healthy plant growth.  The recommended Ca:Mg ratio is 3:1 - 4:1 calcium to magnesium.   Adding crushed coral or 'Wonder Shells' increases the calcium concentration in the tank resulting in reduced uptake of the macro nutrient phosphorus (P) and the secondary nutrient magnesium (Mg).  Phosphorus / phosphate insufficiency results in plants turning dark green with stunted new growth.  Magnesium insufficiency results in interveinal chlorosis in older leaves and premature loss of older leaves.

If you want to increase the amount of carbonates in a tank I would suggest using a small amount of baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate / NaHCO)₃ (NOT Baking Powder).  1/16th teaspoon of baking soda per 3 gallons will increase the dKH by about 1.0 degrees (1.0 dKH).  Maintaining a dKH of 2.0 - 3.0 is sufficient to avoid pH crashes, especially if using CO2.

I apologize folks for the rant, I just get frustrated when ill-informed individuals make recommendations to add stuff to to peoples tanks that actually does more harm than good. -Roy

thanks for clarification just glad I put the crushed coral in bags so it is easy to remove

[freemoney]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:47 PM, MickS77 said:

To my eyes I see some Cyanobacteria starting, I'd hit it with some erythromycin to knock it out early.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/blue-green-algae

Thanks for the link, very possible culprit.