# hair grass advice



## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

I got 3 wpg in 180 gal tank with a co2 system I use Iron and comprehensive supplements by Flourish. I feel that they are barely staying alive. How do you maintian hairgrass. Do you have to prune them etc. etc. I remove the brown crappy looking grass. Also I feel the supplements are cause my tank to get alge groth I am following the doesing instructions. Does anyone else have this issue. And if so how to solve it.


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## pirayaman (Nov 3, 2007)

if some one awnsers this it would be great i just got some dwarf hair grass looks like under water lawn i can tell you i just put florite in and am in the process of clearing the water i think if you put some of this stuff around your plants they would do much better


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

ryanimpreza said:


> I got 3 wpg in 180 gal tank with a co2 system I use Iron and comprehensive supplements by Flourish. I feel that they are barely staying alive. How do you maintian hairgrass. Do you have to prune them etc. etc. I remove the brown crappy looking grass. Also I feel the supplements are cause my tank to get alge groth I am following the doesing instructions. Does anyone else have this issue. And if so how to solve it.


Hairgrass isn't a very difficult plant to grow, so that is strange that you have the problem with it.. it loves a nutrient rich substrate, direct light, and CO2, which you have. 
How are your nitrate and phosphate levels? 
Keeping up with your water changes? 
What type of algea is growing? Can you manually clean some of it? I used to 'comb' my hairgrass sometimes, to get junk out of it... keep it tidy


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

I complete 40% water changes a week. I cannot test for phosphate because I dont have that test kit. Any suggestions on a test kit. As of right now my nitrates are at 5 ppm but I just had a water change. (What is the best ppm for nitrates) any good ferts to get. The Alge is green and coats everything. It can be hard to get off. I can get it off the glass with the magnet, although I have to scrub my rocks down with a wire brush. Then the python and net take care of the rest. I got that under control for know. I feel i over fertilized and also had my lighting on to long. I dropped the dose and reduced my light time to around 8 hours a day with 3 wpg, and .44 wpg 1.5 hours early morning and 1.5 hours at night. Then my moonlights kick on which has nothing to do with anything (it just looks sweet)


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

I think nitrates are best between 10-25ppm in a planted tank. Without nitrates, plants straight up die.
If they are lacking other nutrients, they can struggle, and become algea infested.

If you have 3wpg and CO2, try keeping nitrates @ 10-25ppm, get a phosphate test kit from most any aquarium shop and keep phosphates between .5-2ppm, use iron and a micro nutrient suppliment.
'Green spot' algea is a result of no phosphates in the water. Is your algea like green spots, or a green film?
The algea means something is off balance. Do you have enough plants in your tank? They seem to do better when there are lots of them in the tank.


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> I think nitrates are best between 10-25ppm in a planted tank. Without nitrates, plants straight up die.
> If they are lacking other nutrients, they can struggle, and become algea infested.
> 
> If you have 3wpg and CO2, try keeping nitrates @ 10-25ppm, get a phosphate test kit from most any aquarium shop and keep phosphates between .5-2ppm, use iron and a micro nutrient suppliment.
> ...


I ordered more pants for the tank. It is alittle on the light side right now. MORE ON THE WAY. It is more of a film. I also ordered Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Phosphorus, and Flourish Potassium. I am also using the flourish tabs.. Do you have a link to the micro nutrient I cannot seem to find it. how do you adust the phosphates in the tank, do you buy a chemicial or maybe filter media? Thanks for the help.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

ryanimpreza said:


> I ordered more pants for the tank. It is alittle on the light side right now. MORE ON THE WAY. It is more of a film. I also ordered Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish Phosphorus, and Flourish Potassium. I am also using the flourish tabs.. Do you have a link to the micro nutrient I cannot seem to find it. how do you adust the phosphates in the tank, do you buy a chemicial or maybe filter media? Thanks for the help.


Hmm.. that film is hard for me to put my finger on, except maybe that having a smaller amount of plants in the tank, maybe you were overdosing.. defantely not sure though.
As long as the water parameters are ok, you should be fine? 
Planted tanks are sometimes trial and error until you find your tanks particular balance.

Sorry, the micro nutrient suppliment in the line you mentioned that you ordered is Flourish comprehensive. Good stuff. The Flourish tabs should be great for the hairgrass..


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## pirayaman (Nov 3, 2007)

im guessing every one should watch out some of these fertilizers have copper in them


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> I think nitrates are best between 10-25ppm in a planted tank. Without nitrates, plants straight up die.
> If they are lacking other nutrients, they can struggle, and become algea infested.
> 
> If you have 3wpg and CO2, try keeping nitrates @ 10-25ppm, get a phosphate test kit from most any aquarium shop and keep phosphates between .5-2ppm, use iron and a micro nutrient suppliment.
> ...


my phosphates are at no more then 1.0ppm would it help to reduce them more by adding a reactor. Or just add more plants to the tank.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

1ppm of phosphates is almost perfect. I personally like them @ 2ppm.
Phosphate is very necissary for healthy plant growth.
I usually start out a tank by trying to elevate params to their max..

I don't starve my fish, so why would I want to starve the plants? I only adjust params if something is going quite wrong.
Large weekly waterchanges (50% or more) really help to keep the water from getting too nutrient rich, and helps reduce chemical bonding


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> 1ppm of phosphates is almost perfect. I personally like them @ 2ppm.
> Phosphate is very necissary for healthy plant growth.
> I usually start out a tank by trying to elevate params to their max..
> 
> ...


got it. thx


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

should I spread out the hair grass of leave it in clumps.


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