Update 55g "Nightmare tank" and what it looks today (Words of algae encouragement)

Angel079

When I actually spent time with the 55g last night, taken pictures & looking, it actually indeed encouraged me for the 45g, if I can overcome THIS nightmare tank...anything should be possible lol

Angel079

Hemianthus Callitrichoides if I googel or shop for new plants, looks just like mine did when I got it all small and tiny in a basket When I first got it and planted it it looked like this flat green mini carpet, didn't look cool to me, since I attached it to the DW it grew out & upwards I like that better...maybe that makes the diff to you, I donno? Lemme see if I find a pic from when I first got it, donno if I have one or not....brb

Angel079

Here's cut out of the picture what it first looked like when I got it - Hope its big enough for you to see

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mrdemin

The leaves just look nothing like the pictures I find on the net, and nothing like the one I had in my tank, thats all :)
How much light do you have? My 2nd attempt at keeping these was a failure as well.

Angel079

Here's a shot before planting and then replanting, that's what mine looked like when I got them and I'm very sure they're dwarf baby tears.

Like I said before after planting and then attaching to the DW later on, I was almost certain I was gonna loose this plant it looked SO BAD, like 5 to 12 dead bad....now its not all THAT great just yet, but its come a LONG way in the past 2 weeks and I'm loving the way its attaching itself to the screen that's on the DW.

I heard lots folks having troubles with them....maybe pulling them up on to something rather then bury them in the gravel is what made the difference...I donno...

On that very 55g I have 2x32 watts one is 5000K and the 2nd is 6500K; so just a lil more hen 1wpg

Had you used any fert's with yours? How had you planted yours?

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mrdemin

I had the first one attached to a rock, and the second as well. I even tried burrying the rock a little in the substrate so it could root, but it just gets worse and worse by the day (I got rid of it already). I used the Nutrafin that you use, but just the other day it finished so I figured I'd try something new and got the Seachem Flourish, see how that works out. I think I will try buying some NOT attached to anything, see if it grows, I really want some carpet.

Angel079

Totally strange....does your "dwarf baby tears" look like my pictures?

What's your water (ph & kh) cause I got real soft water here, that also affects SOME plants, some like harder waters better to thrive and vise versa....Do you have round about the same light then me?
Yea Nutrafin is what I started using on the 55g...totally odd, that buggs me now.....gimme more details of your tank lol

mrdemin

I have 35w of light for my 29g, 5000k and 8000k. pH is ~7.2-7.4, I had a hardness test in my old kit, but I think it was way outdate w/ false results and haven't been able to locate a new one here yet. I'm not looking that hard though, since I feel that I do not really need it. You should know my tank as good as me after reading all my posts!

Angel079

Your light equals almost exactly my wpg...so that ain't it.
Do you have any calcium built ups on showers? That would indicate hard water.
My pH is 7 so that ain't that far off neither....
I'm sorry hun I know I been reading and replying a bunch to you, but with I donno how many other posters I help every day, its hard to NOT mix up in my head who has what tank set up, sorry for that

You just said 'didn't work'...like how did it all turn yellow or did it turn brown?

The only other thing that comes to my mind is lack of CO2, cause I read numerous times they're CO2 hungry (which is why up until recently I never attempted these plants) - Means your stock vs plants...do you have enough fish in there? Or maybe use Excel?

One more thing that set's us apart and when the dwarf baby tears started taking off for me: Lights, when I set them to 5 on 4 off 4 on; I'm assuming your runs all the time ?

mrdemin

I completely hijacked your thread you know ;)

I will try them again sometime. If they start to die off I will try adding Excel.

I'm glad you didn't just bail on this 55g tank, with every post you made while in the process, I was hoping it wasnt one of resignation ;) . This is probably one of your best tanks IMO.