# My pathetic 10 gallon



## Rich Conley (Jun 10, 2008)

You need more water movement. And CO2 always helps


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## fearless_magician (Dec 30, 2011)

Rich Conley said:


> You need more water movement. And CO2 always helps


Forgot to mention: Filter is a Tetra Whisper ex20. How will more water movement help? Also, you're saying I should add more co2 along with the flourish excel? What method should I use?


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

Honestly? I would start over. CO2 is helpful, but you can definitely manage a lush looking tank without it. Buy some nice manzanita from plantbrain and get yourself some different types of anubias, and some java ferns. I love stems and high light/co2 plants, but you can do some really nice low light scapes with those two alone. Each has some variety as well. Some low light crypts may do okay in there, especially if you do capped soil, but I am no crypt expert. Also, you need more water flow. You can do this a few ways. New canister, larger HOB and supplement with a powerhead. Few options. I'd probably get a canister, but just get that water moving. The goal of a planted tank is to have all the plants in the tank swaying gently like there is a light breeze. Personally I am not a huge moss fan. I am trying out Fissidens here soon, so maybe I will change my tune. But in my experience, albeit limited, moss gets nasty looking quick with detritus and biofilm. 

After the tank is established with flora,then plan out your stocking. You have 2 corys. That's a nice start but corys like friends. I'd get 6 more corys after you re-establish the tank and a number of nerites as a cleanup crew, and maybe a couple amanos. Then a small school of neons or tetras or whatever you want to keep the middle busy.

Keep in mind the only reason you need dirt is if you plan on a lot of stems/root feeders, Java ferns and anubias feed from the water column. The dirt may be more work than worth. Likewise with the CO2. CO2 does not get rid of algae magically. I wish it did. However, CO2 does enhance the growth of some plants. And healthy plants out compete algae.


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## fearless_magician (Dec 30, 2011)

Thank you for all of your comments.



TexasCichlid said:


> The goal of a planted tank is to have all the plants in the tank swaying gently like there is a light breeze.


Will this help at all with the algae?



> Personally I am not a huge moss fan.


Yeah, I won't be dealing with the moss anymore.



> Keep in mind the only reason you need dirt is if you plan on a lot of stems/root feeders, Java ferns and anubias feed from the water column. The dirt may be more work than worth.


Are you referring to the sand, here? I like the look of the sand; perhaps I could cover it with a thin layer of gravel if it would help in any way. 



> Likewise with the CO2. CO2 does not get rid of algae magically. I wish it did. However, CO2 does enhance the growth of some plants. And healthy plants out compete algae.


I will keep this in mind. That being said, I assume Flourish excel is not enough. Will I have to set up the diy co2 operation, again?


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## Coursair (Apr 16, 2011)

Sand is fine. I would get a test kit when you can. I plant heavily and my tank is morphing from mostly stems and Chain Swords to Crypts and Mosses. I'm limiting my stems to one back corner. 

Mine is 10g with 2 screw in CFLs. 
I added Osmocote Plus DIY gel caps for my root feeders and dose just Leaf Zone 1x weekly after PWCs. 

I don't do any CO2 as I have Shrimp and while most people have no issues I lost Shrimp. 

I've got a little hair and green spot algae, but not to excess.

I don't know enough to give you expert advice, but wanted to say, don't give up ! And I love my Crypts. 

I can't tell, but it looked like your Crypt might be planted too deep ? Make sure the sand doesn't cover the line between the roots and the stems. Sorry not sure what that part is called, the base?

from the web:
Rapid environmental changes are thought to trigger Crypt "melt".

Other reports
emphasise the need to change the aquarium water regularly to prevent the build up of nitrates which are thought to trigger this condition (often referred to as a disease)

You probably know all this. 

Lastly how old is your light bulb ? If it's over 6 months you may want to change it ?


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## fearless_magician (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks for the encouragement, *Coursair*.



Coursair said:


> Sand is fine. I would get a test kit when you can. I plant heavily and my tank is morphing from mostly stems and Chain Swords to Crypts and Mosses. I'm limiting my stems to one back corner.


Based on what you've said here, I think I will try and move the sunset hygro to one side in the back of the tank; that way, the sparse stems floating around will look fuller.



> Mine is 10g with 2 screw in CFLs.
> I added Osmocote Plus DIY gel caps for my root feeders and dose just Leaf Zone 1x weekly after PWCs.


Could you explain the DIY gel caps to me? 



> I can't tell, but it looked like your Crypt might be planted too deep ? Make sure the sand doesn't cover the line between the roots and the stems. Sorry not sure what that part is called, the base?


Thanks, I will try this 




> Lastly how old is your light bulb ? If it's over 6 months you may want to change it ?


I don't think it's even six months old, yet.


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

fearless_magician said:


> Will this help at all with the algae?


Stagnant water is one of the triggers for algae. If your water is moving about, it not only more efficiently transports nutrients to the plants but discourages some algae buildup.




> Are you referring to the sand, here? I like the look of the sand; perhaps I could cover it with a thin layer of gravel if it would help in any way.


I meant the dirt you put under the sand. Corys love sand, and sand looks great. By itself, it's not very good for root feeding plants. If you do not plan on keeping many stem plants that feed from the roots, no need to even have dirt. Sand alone would be fine.




> I will keep this in mind. That being said, I assume Flourish excel is not enough. Will I have to set up the diy co2 operation, again?


For what you are doing, dosing Excel on a semi-regular basis will be fine if you would like to do so. Anubias and java ferns do not see much benefit. But Excel is a terrific way of controlling algae. Buy a small plastic syringe for direct application in this case. Going low light, with low light plants -- there is no reason to have CO2.


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## TheJadeShrimp (Oct 13, 2011)

About the Cory Cats. I know someone posted about the numbers. But Skunk Cories will get to big for you tank. Dwarf Cories are great for ten gallons. 
The oto also likes to be in school numbers. You need 5 of those.


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## narhay (Feb 28, 2007)

Hello there FM,

Take it from an old hand at this. I have had a couple usernames on this site but they were abandoned for one reason or another (not nefarious, just personal shifts). This is 19 years of experience speaking. Your aquarium looks ok but it is in need of some knowledge.

Plants grow using nutrients and energy. The energy comes from the sun (or your light fixture) and and the nutrients come from the soil/water. If you are providing enough nutrients from the form of PWCs, fertilizers or the substrate itself, this will sufice. The main nutrients plants will use are nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and carbon. Magnesium and iron are essential, but they are noted as micronutrients.

What I would suggest is the following:

Continue partial water changes as nutrient replenishers.
Ensure your light supply is adequate and up to date. Old lightbulbs have ruined more than a couple aquariums for me.
Your substrate may be experiencing 'old soil syndrome'. Some people have issues after about a year of having soil as their source of nutrients and sustenance.
Are you feeding/fertilizing adequately? Plants need nutrients to grow.
Is your light sufficent? Your light will drive the energy needed to grow your pants.
Are your plants suited to your aquarium? Too much light, too little, etc?
Lack of CO2 is not a rookie mistake, most planted aquariums don't have injected CO2. You just need to choose your aquarium residents in mind of this.
Don't worry about testing. Your plants/fish will tell you all you need to know about your nutrient levels.
Stop dosing your aquarium and trying to treat the symptoms. Your issues lie in more general problems. Light, nutrients, stability.

Try to manage these and you'll do well.


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## fearless_magician (Dec 30, 2011)

narhay said:


> Ensure your light supply is adequate and up to date. Old lightbulbs have ruined more than a couple aquariums for me.


So, the 15 watt T8 may not be enough for this tank? Should I add a desklamp, in that case?



> Your substrate may be experiencing 'old soil syndrome'. Some people have issues after about a year of having soil as their source of nutrients and sustenance.


Would root tabs assist with this?



> Are your plants suited to your aquarium?


I know I took a chance with the sunset hygro... I know those are more than likely high-light. But, I would really like to try and keep them.

Thanks so much for all of the tips!


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## Coursair (Apr 16, 2011)

fearless_magician said:


> Thanks for the encouragement, *Coursair*.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If your Sunset Hygro likes light, you may need to plant it where it will get the most light ? You can trim and replant the tops to fill in your scape. 
Trim leaves off so there is about an inch of bare stem to replant. 

The O+ gel caps I got here via a generous RAOK. Check the sales threads, I believe they are sold here also. Cheaper than root tabs, but those work also. 

I'm new at this, so take any advice I give you as YMMV. 

My tank has been up for less than a year ? I've had fish for years, plants are a new adventure. 

Also check your area for Fish or Plant clubs. I am lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay Area we have an awesome club !!! SFBAAPS


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## neilshieh (Sep 6, 2010)

honestly your tank is nothing to be ashamed of. i think most of us have been through that beginning step where our tank looks like.... and we just can't get it to work and seeing others beautiful tanks makes us jealous and feel that what we have is pitiful. 
a word of advice... just keep doing plant stuff and eventually you'll get the hang of it. most of us who've been keeping planted tanks for a while can easily whip together a tank with random plants and equipment and grow for fun with little to no effort. so just keep planting even if you get disappointments! (just thinking about how my tanks used to look like makes me shudder LOL) 
when your tank fails just restart! in the beginning it's much easier to just redo everything rather than fix the problems. you should really get a master test kit and measure your water parameters (although eventually you won't even need it because most people can gauge the health just by observing the plants) the algae needs to be fixed by move water movement and proper fert levels or enough competition from other plants. your filter should be fine for your tank... is it working correctly? there seems to be very little water movement. 
as for fertilization just get yourself a bottle of flourish comprehensive and dose every once in a while. to tell you the truth... in my low tech 6 gallon i rarely remember to dose and the plants are growing just fine. i dose about once every 1-2 months LOL. 
do water changes! if anything i've learned over the years is that water changes are a must for smaller tanks! don't be lazy!
btw.... your lighting seems a bit primitive? try using a cfl bulb (the swirly ones) most people don't use flourescent. i just use 6500k daylight bulbs. you should use a 18 or 23 watt bulb.
you should grow easy plants first. water sprite, anubias, java fern, java moss are some basic ones. they are very hard to kill and require low light and no co2. don't worry about co2 unless you plan to step it up in which case going pressurized is recommended rather than doing yeast. (i think most people don't want to spend the money, but trust me... you save yourself lots of sleep and headaches if you just drop the money and go pressurized.)


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

fearless_magician said:


> The plants began flourishing after attempting a DIY co2 setup. I maintained the mostly bga-free tank with daily half-doses of Flourish excel for a little over a month. This treatment worked, but I began to notice some "missing" fish.
> 
> My pristellas don't seem to be eating their food, lately. I feed Omega-one freshwater flakes every other day.


I like your tank. I would just like to see something tall on the left side.

Perhaps injected Co2 for a short while caused an imbalance that affect the fish. They need balance. I have read that if kh is low the ph can cause fluctuations. 

Perhaps the fish are tired of the flakes. Try frozen mosquito larvae. It is listed as ideal food for finicky eaters. They are omnivore, thus need varied diet.

What is your light period? The lights are the engine. Perhaps having them on for 6hrs will help.


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

Your biggest problem is your single 15 watt bulb for only eight hours a day. Its too weak for stem plants. 

Your susbtrate is fine. You realize you do not need sand over the Schultz aquatic plant soil...right? It not actually soil, but kiln fired clay gravel that is inert and can stand by itself without leeching or degrading. The only purpose your sand is serving is for asthetics if you like how it looks. Schultz contains no organic material, clay only, so you have no nitrogen in the substrate.

I would forget about "low tech" if you are not using actual soil and use the EI method.



> Perhaps having them on for 6hrs will help


I couldn't disagree more...

Increase light intensity. Get some screw ins CFLs or something. Increase water circulation, change water more often. Increase C02. Add the right ferts for the plants.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

fearless_magician said:


> Lighting is a 15 watt Zoo Med Flora Sun Flourescent Bulb on a timer
> (8 daylight hours).





Robert H said:


> Your biggest problem is your single 15 watt bulb for only eight hours a day. Its too weak for stem plants.


I had the Zoo Med Super daylight, which is 17 watts, over my 10 gallon tank. I had cabomba and hair grass growing with it. 

Since you are battling algae I think you should cut the light period down to 6hrs for a week. For ferts my favorite multi is Brightwell aquatic FlorinMulti To boost the growth of the plants and decrease growth of algae I would dose 2ml FlorinMulti daily for a week. Then you can dose weekly. Then 5 Also you need Excel. Thinking 5ml daily for a week. Then 3ml daily. An alternative to excel that is cheaper in the long run is Cidex 2% Glut dilluted 3:1 http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/l...-first-npt-10-gallon-journey.html#post1452199which is 75% metricide/ 25% water post 31. A quart is approx $25 on Ebay.


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