crypts melting

[paul1478]

Ok good to know. 
I will keep checking levels using tds meter also and reduce water changes to 15 percent for a month and see were it is. 
thanks. 

[paul1478]

I was traveling Friday-Sunday, checked nitrates, 0. Did small water change and add 15 pumps of easy green. Nitrates 0. waited 2 hrs added 20 more, 0. waited 4 hrs and added 20 more, it was around 5. Checked this morning and added 20 more. I will check tonight. I plan on keep adding slowly until I get around 20 PPM. I will also watch the TDS and not allow them to get too high.

I have to assume the plants are taking it in as fast as I add it. This is also a large volume of water but still, that is a lot of easy green.

[Mmiller2001]

I would calibrate your test kit.

[paul1478]

I am using the co-op test strips and API. API is showing higher than test strips. test strips showing very very light pink. API shows a orange color.

I am thinking about bring in a sample to local shop and seeing what they say.

Edited September 19, 2022 by paul1478

[JoeQ]

Just a thought on the test strips, altho incredibly handy , IMO they are not as accurate as the API test kit (altho I never compared side by side). None the less, I feel it is incredibly important  to follow the same procedure every time you test to try to limit diffrent results. If you notice a 10 second delay in procedure/reading will a lot of times give diffrent results. 

Also aiming for a blanket goal of 20ppm nitrates is counter productive. Chasing water parameters will drive you mad! The #1 indicator of to feed or not to feed should be coming from what your plants and or algea is telling you. 

[paul1478]

Thanks. 
this is what my results are today when I arrived home. 
tds 240. 
API seems to be around 30 -35 but that is my guess. 
strips seem to be around 20. 
I follow the API direction exactly. Shake 1 add drops shake. 
shake 2 for 60 seconds. Add 

shake 60 seconds. Read at 5 min. 

test strips. Shake in water for 3 seconds lay flat without shaking water off. 
read in 60 seconds. 

[paul1478]

It has been 2 full weeks now that I think the issue was identified. Big water change last week and added easy green to around 30 PPM, big water change (40-50%) this past Friday and easy green to about 30-35 PPM. Checking mid week for PPM and TDS and keeping it at this point.

Plants are really taking off again. all plants. Algae is way better BUT, I seem to have some blue-green algae. This started about 2.5 weeks ago. I have been removing it by hand. Mostly on the gravel and I have removed top layer. Did a good gravel vac. keep coming back. Not bad but not good.  I added Maracyn Saturday and hope this resolves it. I also hope I addressed the issue, better water quality and I feel I was over feeding the little piggies.

I will attach some photos of the new growth.

[Patrick_G]

How old is your API test kit? I've been told that the Nitrate test can  becomes less accurate with age. 

[paul1478]

I got it 2-3 months ago. I do not see a date. It seems rather consistent with the co-op strips. API shows a bit higher but close.

[paul1478]

Thank you. Yea did 2 large ones only because I think it needed it to ‘reset’. 
it started out great but I was not keeping the total Fertilizer high enough. I will go back to 20 percent changed or so now. And keep a closer eye going forward. Again huge improvement from 3 weeks ago. 

[CornAndCrawlers]

Dumb question, but after a crypt melts, will it ever recover if I just leave it in there long enough 

 

[paul1478]

I am by far not expert but my assumption is, is the issue fixed? if not I assume they will not come back. My issue was way to low fertilizer and now that it is fixed they are coming back fast and looking great.

[Angelo V]

Hi Paul...I guess I might as well add my 2cents. In your last reply you mentioned that you did a good gravel vacuum. Have you been vacuuming your gravel with every water change? If you are, it is possible that you are disturbing the crypts root system too much....in my experience the less we disturb the gravel in our plant tanks, the better. If I do a vacuum it is just a light skim over the surface of the gravel to remove some of the accumulated mulm and such....I never push the vacuum tube into the gravel to agitate it as is always suggested by the manufacturers.  Also can I ask why you are doing so many, and such large water changes on a tank that you say is not overly stocked....is there another issue that I may have missed your mentioning. If it is just because you are chasing "ideal parameters" your fighting yourself...and keep in mind that as you add stock to your tank you will have to back off on those ferts you are dumping in there right now.....it's a balance, like Cory always says.