Cloudy Water Problem in a New Planted Tank

[puncak82]

Anybody?

[Mzungu]

Not sure about the glosso and rotala, but have you added any filter floss to your filter?

[puncak82]

Yes on both of my eheim 2215 adn 2217.

[Mzungu]

Okay, then that's really strange that it's still cloudy! What kind and how much did you add?

Did you get the glosso and rotala from someone who'd grown it in their aquarium, or did you buy it from a store?

[wesleydnunder]

Nitrate seems a little low at 10 ppm. On hi tech set ups I usually try to shoot for 20 ppm on potassium and nitrate. That's one reason I liked the PMDD pre-mix from AquariumFertilizer.com, because the mix is supposed to have nitrate and potassium balanced. How tall is the tank? What is your total WPG?

Mark

[puncak82]

I bought the filter media from fish land. Not sure what kind though.

I got the glosso from someone and the rotala from fish gallery.

[puncak82]

Yes I plan to use Seachem potassium and nitrogen for the macro. However, I heard that since I am using amazonia soil, I have to wait at least 3 months before dosing macro (NPK). Is this correct?

The tank is 21" tall with a total of 216 WPG.

Nitrate seems a little low at 10 ppm. On hi tech set ups I usually try to shoot for 20 ppm on potassium and nitrate. That's one reason I liked the PMDD pre-mix from AquariumFertilizer.com, because the mix is supposed to have nitrate and potassium balanced. How tall is the tank? What is your total WPG?

Mark

[wesleydnunder]

Yes I plan to use Seachem potassium and nitrogen for the macro. However, I heard that since I am using amazonia soil, I have to wait at least 3 months before dosing macro (NPK). Is this correct?

The tank is 21" tall with a total of 216 WPG.

You have a total of 216 watts of light. To find watts per gallon, divide the total wattage by the total gallons.

I've never used amazonia so I'll have to defer on that question to Luis, Kevin or someone else who has experience with it.

Seachem can be a very expensive way to dose macros. Cheaper to buy KNO3 at the pharmacy and Nosalt at the grocery store for your N and K.

Mark

[kwc1974]

Can you post an updated picture? Is the water "cloudy" or stained? Lets confirm this.

I looked back at you old pictures that you posted, and really did not see the super cloudy issues like some did with "bad" batches of Amazonia. What it does look like is a big release of tannins and the cloudy could be a coinicidental issue with cycle (at start up only) or a weak green water algea bloom. If it is just tannins I am afraid you will just have to wait it out with carbon, puregen or let it sit. If it is algea and tannins I would fix the algea first then the tannins.

An updated pic would really help.

Also, I read back though the post, and I did see where you are injecting CO2 but did not really see a reliable method of how much CO2. You are are injecting 3 bps but this is not reliable as it does not let you know how much is disolved in the water. Get a drop checker or do the chart method to determine if you have a enough CO2 in your tank. Shoot for about 25-30ppm of CO2. I have a feeling you may be moderatly low on the co2 injection. This page has the chart http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_co2chart.htm

As for ferts and waiting 3 months, no you should be dosing now. Your plants have got an huge boost from the Amazonia. Take advantage of this inital grow spurt and feed, not starve your plants. Yes the Amazonia does have a lot of nutrents but not all.

Did you use Powersoil? Did you use Amazonia or Amazonia II? Have you added more plants yet?

[puncak82]

@Mark: Are you sure you can use nosalt for dosing N&K? I googled it and looks like it just a substitute for salt with no sodium on it.

@Kevin: I will post the picture tonight. Yes I did use a drop checker and my co2 was between 15-20ppm. I will try to increase it slowly to 25-30ppm. I have to be careful not to kill my fish. I used amazonia I and power sand. I added more rotala indica and glosso last week.

I plan to do ferts schedule as follows:
Seachem iron - 3 times/week
Seachem flourish, nitrogen and potassium - 2 times/week
Seachem Phosphorus - once/week.

Is this sounds like a good plan?

[wesleydnunder]

@Mark: Are you sure you can use nosalt for dosing N&K? I googled it and looks like it just a substitute for salt with no sodium on it.

@Kevin: I will post the picture tonight. Yes I did use a drop checker and my co2 was between 15-20ppm. I will try to increase it slowly to 25-30ppm. I have to be careful not to kill my fish. I used amazonia I and power sand. I added more rotala indica and glosso last week.

I plan to do ferts schedule as follows:
Seachem iron - 3 times/week
Seachem flourish, nitrogen and potassium - 2 times/week
Seachem Phosphorus - once/week.

Is this sounds like a good plan?

Nosalt is potassium chloride, KCl, and is a decent potassium supplement. The chloride doesn't seem to bother the plants; I used it for years before I started buying Greg Watson's dry mix.

Iron may not be necessary in Houston as the water contains iron. My water has 2 ppm phosphate out of the tap so I never dosed it either.

Mark

[kwc1974]

The Seachem method you list is good to start. The dry mix is a good method as well.

+1 on Mark as Houston does have trace iron and trace phosphate, but I have found some plants need more than what is found out of Houston tap so I add it anyway and make sure to keep up with my water changes.

[emmanuelchavez]

Had I read your thread before picking up the discus, I would've brought you some trace, iron, and phosphate dry ferts, i still have a bunch of them.

[jennisof]

We had an issue with cloudy ADA tank too...took weeks to clear but finally did. Did a lot of 50% waterchanges ...almost daily for a few weeks. PM if you want more details.

[kwc1974]

Update?