2009年3月23日 星期一
Seven steps to a successful planted tank by JBL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBbaECv0W3o&feature=related
Aqua Journal Notes 7 -- Problems of the Initial Setup Period
Problems of the Initial Setup Period
Some people call the initial setup period of a planted aquarium as the terrible first week, or the terrible first month. The initial setup period is the most time-consuming and also the critical time for establishing and maintaining Nature Aquarium aquascape. Let us examine the conditions of an aquarium in this period and how to maintain the aquarium.
The dirt in the water is nutrients
Let us assume that we have set up a new planted aquarium and will maintain it for a long time. While brand new water is used at the beginning, the water right after the setup is the “dirtiest” in most cases. The "dirty" water here means that the water contains excessive nutrients, but not that any harmful substances are dissolved in the water that will affect tank organisms. Let’s think about where such nutrients are generated. In Nature Aquarium, the substrate is built at the bottom of an aquarium first. It is not simply the place where aquatic plants spread their roots, but it is a place where the nutrients that are taken up by the roots are stored ahead of time. It will become the habitat for the microorganisms that decompose the nutrients and make them available to aquatic plants. Power Sand contains such nutrients, which tend to dissolve in the water when the water is added to an aquarium during the initial set-up. Since Aqua Soil is laid on top of the Power Sand, a large amount of nutrients does not continue to leach out. The dissolved nutrients in the initial setup period must be removed through water changes. Another large source of nutrients is the dead leaves of aquatic plants. Newly planted aquatic plants often have emersed grown leaves which soon die under water. When dead leaves melt, a considerable amount of nutrients are released. For example, in a fish only aquarium, new water is circulated with a filter and fish are placed in the aquarium after microorganisms have multiplied in the filter sufficiently. However, the microorganisms need nutrients to reproduce. To encourage them to reproduce, sturdy plants, such as Amazon Sword, that are sold with emersed grown leaves are sometimes thrown into the aquarium. The microorganisms start multiplying with adequate nutrients that are leached out from the leaves and this matures the water quickly. The amount of nutrients that are released as leaves die is high enough for that to take place. Similarly, when aquatic plants are planted, they are cut to certain lengths or their roots are trimmed, resulting in a large amount of damaged cells. Nutrients leach out from such damaged areas as well. Due to these reasons, the amount of nutrients that leach out of aquatic plants in the initial setup period is unexpectedly high, thus creating the need for water changes. Nutrients leach into the water in the initial setup period the most abundantly. Frequent water changes would be the easiest method to get over the so-called terrible first week or first month.
The decomposition and absorption of the excessive nutrients
Let us consider what happens to the nutrients when some time passes after the initial setup of the aquarium. First, organic substances are decomposed in the filter. The nutrients in uneaten food and dead leaves turn into ammonia, which is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate by the microorganisms in the filter. When this mechanism is working well, the water quality stabilizes and fish can be kept without a problem. However, during the initial setup period when the filter is not functioning adequately, the filter cannot keep up with the large amount of nutrients generated in the aquarium. The nutrients exist in the form of toxic ammonia and nitrite in the water. Therefore, it is dangerous to put fish in the aquarium at this point. Due to this reason, fish are placed in the aquarium one month after the initial setup. It is advisable to test for ammonia and nitrite with reagents before adding fish to the aquarium. I call them nutrients because they are nutritional substances to aquatic plants. In fact, they are taken up and used by aquatic plants. When aquatic plants photosynthesize, they produce materials to build their bodies using nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and various other elements. Since aquatic plants can absorb these nutrients in the water from their leaves as well, well-growing aquatic plants absorb more. Actually, in an aquarium with high light and a sufficient CO2 injection, the nutrients in the water are absorbed by aquatic plants and the water becomes cleaner. This process is the purification of water by aquatic plants. However, the volume of aquatic plants is small in the initial setup period. The purification capacity is low until new shoots develop and the amount of photosynthesis increases. Therefore, a large amount of nutrients exist in the water. The excess nutrients that are not used by aquatic plants are used by algae, and algae proliferate in the aquarium. Since the water purifying abilities of the filter and aquatic plants are still weak in the initial setup period, it is necessary to remove excess nutrients through frequent water changes. The excess can be adsorbed by using activated carbon, such as NA Carbon, as the filter media.
The cloudiness of the water – Aqua Soil
The clarity of the water is often low and the water seems somewhat cloudy in the initial setup period. There are many reasons for this and the countermeasure depends on the reason. When the water appears whitish, very fine particles are often floating in the water. These particles may be the fine particles of Aqua Soil. Aqua Soil is made by heat treating natural soil and processing it into granules. Although they are not easily crumbled in water, the fine particles on the granules become suspended in the water when the water is added to the aquarium initially. The fine particles will not continue to come out for long. If the water becomes cloudy, the water should be replaced with new water. The cloudiness will disappear after a few water changes. The use of Clear Dash is also effective for eliminating cloudiness. Aqua Soil Amazonia is very popular among the Aqua Soil Series substrate materials due to its ability to grow aquatic plants. However, it can stain the water yellow in the initial setup period. This color seems to be caused by humic acid, which is the active ingredient of the raw material of Aqua Soil, black dirt. Since humic acid encourages the growth of aquatic plants, growing plants is easier with Aqua Soil. Still, a lot of it can leach into the water depending on the water condition. Staining seems to occur more often when the water is alkaline. However, it is a natural ingredient and does not affect aquatic plants and fish adversely. The yellow color usually disappears gradually through normal water changes. If it is annoying, it can be removed by frequent, larger-than-usual water changes or through the use of activated carbon.
The cloudiness of the water – Other causes
Regardless of the age of the aquarium, the cloudiness can become much worse in a short period of time despite repeated water changes. The water becomes cloudy as if milk were poured into it, and left untreated, it gradually turns green. This occurs when the microorganisms in the filter are not functioning sufficiently. If organic materials are not broken down by the filter and a large amount of them exist in the water, the microorganisms that feed on them multiply and cloud up the water. They become so prolific that water changes cannot keep up with them, and the cloudiness persists. The aquarium sometimes recovers if it is aerated with light, the CO2 is turned off, and if a few water changes are made over three days or so. If the condition is severe, an UV sterilizer can eradicate the microorganisms. This method removes the cloudiness in a short time.
Starting plants
If aquatic plants are growing densely and photosynthesizing actively, the water condition improves due to the water purifying ability of the aquatic plants. However, some aquatic plants grow slowly and absorb nutrients slowly as well. If the water purifying ability of the aquatic plants is highly desirable, stem plants should be used for a layout. Since stem plants establish themselves quickly and their volume increases in a short time, they absorb the excess nutrients in the initial setup period. We call this type of plants starting plants. Although stem plants are sometimes difficult to maintain in a good condition for a long time, they are great starting plants. Floating plants can also be used as long as they don’t interfere with a layout since they absorb nutrients well.
Other problems
We often hear about driftwood floating up once water was added to the aquarium after driftwood had been arranged and aquatic plants were planted. Some driftwood can float if dry. If the driftwood gets soaked in water ahead of time, it will not float easily. If it still floats, a rock should be placed on top of it to weigh it down. The rock can be removed in a week or so since the driftwood will be waterlogged and sink. The leaves of Cryptocoryne may melt right after planting. However, their rhizomes are usually intact and develop new leaves. This is a biological mechanism that allows them to cope with a change in a condition such as water quality and light source. In this respect, Cryptocoryne is a tough plant. Although it would be a problem if its leaves melted right before taking photographs for a contest, it should not be a problem if this occurs in the initial setup period since healthy leaves will develop eventually. However, melting leaves should be siphoned out with a hose since they dirty up the water.
There are other setup-time specific problems such as shrimp getting sluggish or even dying due to the insecticide that had been applied on Cryptocoryne and Anubias. However, if you are resolved to care for an aquarium meticulously during its initial setup period, it would be a lot easier to maintain it afterward.
Some people call the initial setup period of a planted aquarium as the terrible first week, or the terrible first month. The initial setup period is the most time-consuming and also the critical time for establishing and maintaining Nature Aquarium aquascape. Let us examine the conditions of an aquarium in this period and how to maintain the aquarium.
The dirt in the water is nutrients
Let us assume that we have set up a new planted aquarium and will maintain it for a long time. While brand new water is used at the beginning, the water right after the setup is the “dirtiest” in most cases. The "dirty" water here means that the water contains excessive nutrients, but not that any harmful substances are dissolved in the water that will affect tank organisms. Let’s think about where such nutrients are generated. In Nature Aquarium, the substrate is built at the bottom of an aquarium first. It is not simply the place where aquatic plants spread their roots, but it is a place where the nutrients that are taken up by the roots are stored ahead of time. It will become the habitat for the microorganisms that decompose the nutrients and make them available to aquatic plants. Power Sand contains such nutrients, which tend to dissolve in the water when the water is added to an aquarium during the initial set-up. Since Aqua Soil is laid on top of the Power Sand, a large amount of nutrients does not continue to leach out. The dissolved nutrients in the initial setup period must be removed through water changes. Another large source of nutrients is the dead leaves of aquatic plants. Newly planted aquatic plants often have emersed grown leaves which soon die under water. When dead leaves melt, a considerable amount of nutrients are released. For example, in a fish only aquarium, new water is circulated with a filter and fish are placed in the aquarium after microorganisms have multiplied in the filter sufficiently. However, the microorganisms need nutrients to reproduce. To encourage them to reproduce, sturdy plants, such as Amazon Sword, that are sold with emersed grown leaves are sometimes thrown into the aquarium. The microorganisms start multiplying with adequate nutrients that are leached out from the leaves and this matures the water quickly. The amount of nutrients that are released as leaves die is high enough for that to take place. Similarly, when aquatic plants are planted, they are cut to certain lengths or their roots are trimmed, resulting in a large amount of damaged cells. Nutrients leach out from such damaged areas as well. Due to these reasons, the amount of nutrients that leach out of aquatic plants in the initial setup period is unexpectedly high, thus creating the need for water changes. Nutrients leach into the water in the initial setup period the most abundantly. Frequent water changes would be the easiest method to get over the so-called terrible first week or first month.
The decomposition and absorption of the excessive nutrients
Let us consider what happens to the nutrients when some time passes after the initial setup of the aquarium. First, organic substances are decomposed in the filter. The nutrients in uneaten food and dead leaves turn into ammonia, which is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate by the microorganisms in the filter. When this mechanism is working well, the water quality stabilizes and fish can be kept without a problem. However, during the initial setup period when the filter is not functioning adequately, the filter cannot keep up with the large amount of nutrients generated in the aquarium. The nutrients exist in the form of toxic ammonia and nitrite in the water. Therefore, it is dangerous to put fish in the aquarium at this point. Due to this reason, fish are placed in the aquarium one month after the initial setup. It is advisable to test for ammonia and nitrite with reagents before adding fish to the aquarium. I call them nutrients because they are nutritional substances to aquatic plants. In fact, they are taken up and used by aquatic plants. When aquatic plants photosynthesize, they produce materials to build their bodies using nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and various other elements. Since aquatic plants can absorb these nutrients in the water from their leaves as well, well-growing aquatic plants absorb more. Actually, in an aquarium with high light and a sufficient CO2 injection, the nutrients in the water are absorbed by aquatic plants and the water becomes cleaner. This process is the purification of water by aquatic plants. However, the volume of aquatic plants is small in the initial setup period. The purification capacity is low until new shoots develop and the amount of photosynthesis increases. Therefore, a large amount of nutrients exist in the water. The excess nutrients that are not used by aquatic plants are used by algae, and algae proliferate in the aquarium. Since the water purifying abilities of the filter and aquatic plants are still weak in the initial setup period, it is necessary to remove excess nutrients through frequent water changes. The excess can be adsorbed by using activated carbon, such as NA Carbon, as the filter media.
The cloudiness of the water – Aqua Soil
The clarity of the water is often low and the water seems somewhat cloudy in the initial setup period. There are many reasons for this and the countermeasure depends on the reason. When the water appears whitish, very fine particles are often floating in the water. These particles may be the fine particles of Aqua Soil. Aqua Soil is made by heat treating natural soil and processing it into granules. Although they are not easily crumbled in water, the fine particles on the granules become suspended in the water when the water is added to the aquarium initially. The fine particles will not continue to come out for long. If the water becomes cloudy, the water should be replaced with new water. The cloudiness will disappear after a few water changes. The use of Clear Dash is also effective for eliminating cloudiness. Aqua Soil Amazonia is very popular among the Aqua Soil Series substrate materials due to its ability to grow aquatic plants. However, it can stain the water yellow in the initial setup period. This color seems to be caused by humic acid, which is the active ingredient of the raw material of Aqua Soil, black dirt. Since humic acid encourages the growth of aquatic plants, growing plants is easier with Aqua Soil. Still, a lot of it can leach into the water depending on the water condition. Staining seems to occur more often when the water is alkaline. However, it is a natural ingredient and does not affect aquatic plants and fish adversely. The yellow color usually disappears gradually through normal water changes. If it is annoying, it can be removed by frequent, larger-than-usual water changes or through the use of activated carbon.
The cloudiness of the water – Other causes
Regardless of the age of the aquarium, the cloudiness can become much worse in a short period of time despite repeated water changes. The water becomes cloudy as if milk were poured into it, and left untreated, it gradually turns green. This occurs when the microorganisms in the filter are not functioning sufficiently. If organic materials are not broken down by the filter and a large amount of them exist in the water, the microorganisms that feed on them multiply and cloud up the water. They become so prolific that water changes cannot keep up with them, and the cloudiness persists. The aquarium sometimes recovers if it is aerated with light, the CO2 is turned off, and if a few water changes are made over three days or so. If the condition is severe, an UV sterilizer can eradicate the microorganisms. This method removes the cloudiness in a short time.
Starting plants
If aquatic plants are growing densely and photosynthesizing actively, the water condition improves due to the water purifying ability of the aquatic plants. However, some aquatic plants grow slowly and absorb nutrients slowly as well. If the water purifying ability of the aquatic plants is highly desirable, stem plants should be used for a layout. Since stem plants establish themselves quickly and their volume increases in a short time, they absorb the excess nutrients in the initial setup period. We call this type of plants starting plants. Although stem plants are sometimes difficult to maintain in a good condition for a long time, they are great starting plants. Floating plants can also be used as long as they don’t interfere with a layout since they absorb nutrients well.
Other problems
We often hear about driftwood floating up once water was added to the aquarium after driftwood had been arranged and aquatic plants were planted. Some driftwood can float if dry. If the driftwood gets soaked in water ahead of time, it will not float easily. If it still floats, a rock should be placed on top of it to weigh it down. The rock can be removed in a week or so since the driftwood will be waterlogged and sink. The leaves of Cryptocoryne may melt right after planting. However, their rhizomes are usually intact and develop new leaves. This is a biological mechanism that allows them to cope with a change in a condition such as water quality and light source. In this respect, Cryptocoryne is a tough plant. Although it would be a problem if its leaves melted right before taking photographs for a contest, it should not be a problem if this occurs in the initial setup period since healthy leaves will develop eventually. However, melting leaves should be siphoned out with a hose since they dirty up the water.
There are other setup-time specific problems such as shrimp getting sluggish or even dying due to the insecticide that had been applied on Cryptocoryne and Anubias. However, if you are resolved to care for an aquarium meticulously during its initial setup period, it would be a lot easier to maintain it afterward.
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