*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.
"Jolly Fisherman" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 22:55:33 -0500, Köi-Lö ¤1¤ôx@ôÜ1Ô.ôôô wrote:
I can't possibly see how four 40w fluorescence can be too much light over
a
standard 55g tank. The old faithfuls improved with more light and
nutrients.
I have a 55 gal tank with 2x65 watt compact fluorescent. It is far
too much for some of my more delicate low to mid light plants. I know
that sounds weird, as it's not really considered "a lot" of light.
When I added the extra light and nutrients the low-light plants really
perked up and started to grow faster and they turned a darker green. Many
of the new plants were *not* low-light plants.
No calcification but the swords show signs of potassium deficiency. I add
extra potassium but it doesn't help, so something else must be missing.
to the gravel? Swords need to absorb a lot of their nutrients from
their roots.
That's not possible with granular Potash so I guess I'll have to let them
die. The small ones in the 10g are doing fine with it added to the water.
All the tanks have shallow gravel bottoms (around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2"). The
only difference is I don't vac the gravel in that 10 because of the baby
platys and Java moss on the bottom.
The
sags rotted away at their bases and the bases weren't covered in gravel.
The water wisteria, ludwigia, rotalia, and gygrophlia got paler and paler
until they all but faded away in the 55s.
I assume you mean they got yellow & glassy & disintegrated. This
symptom, usually called iron chlorosis, can come from over or under
fertilization, potassium deficiency, high carbonate or total hardness
or pH over 7. Also look at Iron levels & perhaps Magnesium in the
supplements.
The Swords started to look that way after some weeks passed, the sags even
sooner. The swords also have the Potash deficiency look, except the small
ones in the 10g platy tank. The high-light plants lost their color and all
are yellowing except my old favorites and the hair-grass being killed by
short black algae. Most high-light plants never rooted but rotted away at
the bottom and became water-borne. I have no test kits to measure all the
levels you mention. The cost here to take samples to a lab would be
prohibitive. And yes, the water is very alkaline. It varies with the
seasons from 7.5 to 8.+. The hardness goes off my test kit at 300
(calcium). I add a heaping tablespoon of Magnesium (Epsom Salts) with each
water change. I know our water is deficient in it.
Meanwhile sharing the same two
55s these are thriving; American vals, anubias, a few crypts, elodia,
hornwart is making a comeback after a major dieoff last winter.
very hearty, easily adaptable plants
They must be because I've had most of them for years. :-)
The giant
hairgrass is all but gone in one 55 and just hanging on in the other.
They're partly covered in an ugly black algae.
Giant hairgrass needs a very rich substrate & fertilization & probably
higher light.
A change now would be too late I'm sure as there is no way to get the black
crud algae off it. All that gravel vacuuming I did may have harmed the
plants by removing the mulm with elements they needed. That's only a guess.
It sure made little difference in the "black-red" algae problem in the long
run. All the vacuuming and added lights and nutrients did was slow it to a
near stop while the other plants temporarily took off. Now it's growing and
spreading slowly again, probably because so many of the new plants have
stopped competing as they fade away.
......... It is dangerous to aquatic life if overdosed. Frankly
I'm not excited about even handling water that has been treated with
Excel.
I'm not exceeding the recommended amount.
No no. I'm just voicing a little suspicion about a "carbon
fertilizer" derived from a disinfectant that is closely related to
formaldehyde.
For all I know it may be totally useless and it was the added light and
mirconutrients that slowed the black-red algae and gave all the plants a
temporary boost. It sure smells funny.
I have been having very strange
die-offs of healthy goldfish as I've mentioned here several times. I
wonder........ healthy fish one minute and hours later dead on the
bottom.
:-| I never made note of how many hours after adding these supplements
they died.
That IS suspicious. however I haven't heard of them being THAT toxic
before. I think normally you have to go above 5 or 6x the recommended
dosage to have problems.
I never did that, but these mysterious deaths have me bugged as none of the
outside fish are dying. All I add to the outside tanks (other than the
plant tanks) is Magnesium and Potash as there are plants in the fish tanks.
There are no symptoms except the goldfish starts to act lethargic, rests on
the bottom and dies - in hours!
Maybe I'll just start to add Miracle Grow or Peter's to the tanks as I do
the fishless pond plant tanks outside. Those plants are going crazy.
It's
a heck of a lot cheaper as well. :-) I got a huge 5lb container of MG
Bloom Booster with micronutroents at a close-out sale for $2.99 a few
weeks
ago.
Stick some in the grave around the plants. Planting chelated iron
supplements like osmacote, Lilipons brand pond lily tablets, Security
brand iron plus chelate may help. It depends on your own knowledge
and calculations about what is safe around GF.
It's funny how fast the price jumps up as soon as the word "Aquarium"
gets involved. It's like the word "wedding." But I digress.
I worked for a veterinarian at one time. The antibiotic capsule he sold the
farmers for 50¢ he sold the dog and cat owners for $2.50. Vaccines were
the same. It's a real rip-off as the pet owners are supplementing the
farmers. I'm sure the fertilizer industry is the same.
Take a look at:
http://www.plantguild.com/html/spot_fertilization.html
http://www.plantguild.com/html/subst...etrofiter.html
I'll definitely will check this out tonight. Thanks.
I think this type of thing is very important for swords esp. When
there's nothing for the plants in the gravel, they depend on
absorption for nutrient uptake which is less efficient. Swords don't
do that very well.
I think I still have some Lilipons tabs in the cabinet. I got them when a
shop was selling out all their pond stuff - for something like $1 a
container. ;-)
I was thinking more like 3 instead of 4 (if possible) or maybe some
slight shading- else some plants are craving a little extra real CO2.
I have 2
compact 40s over each 10g and the some plants are doing better in them
than
in the 55s.
That's very interesting. Not my (limited) expereince with 40x2 grow
lights over a 10g. 
I don't use "grow lights" as they're expensive and I don't like the bluish
color. They're those new compact fluorescent lights for lamps.
_how_ they are failing might give you useful information- if you still
care.
OK, they're edges have black algae that is not effected by Excel. Those
that had red tops or tips have lose their red color. Some rotted off at
the
gravel line and or never rooted in at all. The swords show signs of
potassium deficiency. The sags are either rotting off at the bottom
(crown)
and one is rotting away from the end of the leaves towards the center.
Now,
while the above are near dead or obviously dying, the vals, crypts,
anubias,
elodia, Java moss and hornwart are healthy and growing just fine. The
wisteria in the 10g with the platys is doing great. So I don't understand
what's going on here. It seems some of the plants are getting what they
need
while the others are not. ?!?!?!?!!? As I said, I may experiment and add
some Miracle Grow to the 55s and see what happens. I don't believe it's
toxic to fish in small amounts. I often find fry in the plant prop'
outdoor
tanks. Any suggestions are welcome.......
Of course algae is often related to plant health. I think I agree
this is more of a nutrient problem than an algae problem at this
point. If you just have ordinary plain, unfertilized gravel this may
be the problem. Some plants are better able to absorb the nutrients
in the water than others. Maybe that's why some are getting what they
need from your dosings while others are still suffering. Cutting back
on fish food right now and planting solid fertilizers might be another
avenue to try/add.
Thanks, I'm going to look for those old Lilipon tabs....... :-)
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the
pond and aquaria groups.
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