Algae and Vallis

[Jon_D]

I would be concerned about the nitrates number being 0 (zero) as it is good fertiliser for the plants. My nitrates are always above 5, and I don't worry of it rses to 9. A number of zero would suggest that the cycle is (or has) not worked itself through.

[plankton]

@Jon_D - Not if there's no nitrates in the tapwater.
Mine's usually at zero and has been for 23 years.

[Drifty]

so I thought I put my two cent in...
First vallisneria would do better with root tabs...
second they also do better with carbon liquid fertilizer...
Three having Nitrate will help your plants in the long run some where between 5 to 20ppm is good level...
seeing from the picture the ones that have gone brown a bit cut them at the nice fresh green bit they will regrow.

hope that helps

[jammedfool]

I have a fairly mixed experience with vallis so far,

At first in my 125L, they were shooting runners off everywhere and filling the tank. I have the standard Juwel duolux lighting, with tropica soil balls under gravel then coarse sand on top, which is (completely) wrong so will be changed soon. However, since then they have all but completely melted and I have next to none left! Possibly since I stopped dosing EI ferts to try to tackle the hair algae I was struggling with too.

In my 40L, I have no soil, no ferts and a cheap 8 LED submersible light. While they aren't going crazy and shooting runners, they arent melting and I get slow, steady growth

So I'm not sure what benefit there is in the smaller tank, perhaps lower flow, maybe they're sat just right in the substrate?

[Jon_D]

@plankton "......."Not if there's no nitrates in the tapwater." But are not the nitrates the result of the munchers actions with the nitrites during the cycle?

[Afterburned]

@plankton "......."Not if there's no nitrates in the tapwater." But are not the nitrates the result of the munchers actions with the nitrites during the cycle?

3 options then, as I have fish in:
1 - the plants are using all the ammonia and I have no cycle
2 - the cycle is working but the plants are using all the nitrates
3 - my stock are not excreting!

Worth mentioning I did have nitrites & nitrates during the cycle, although it was only about a month before ammonia & nitrite was 0, water changed the nitrates out & kept feeding Dr. Tims at half dose every couple of days for another month (lock down) before fish went in - no nitrates after this water change. Was using test strips during the cycle, so may not have been accurate, got NT Labs now. I'll do a test tonight, it's due one with all the baby guppies.

[Jon_D]

@Afterburned "..........baby guppies." Love that..... good luck with the little ones. Unfortunately the water from my area is too soft for the livebearers, otherwise I'd have my great-grandkids here all the time....

[plankton]

@Jon_D and @Afterburned
The nitrates would be used by the plants, but I've seldom seen any change in the colour (I use Nutrafin kit), whatever time of day I've done tests (before and after water changes).
I would note that all my tanks are overfiltered.

[Afterburned]

Tested tonight:
pH 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 3
KH 6
GH 20

Nitrates!!! Yay?