# Went from a nice planted 5gl to an ugly tank.



## XP12 (Jan 4, 2016)

I started the 5gl to experiment and get some experience with planted tanks.
I'm using fluval stratum substrate with a diy co2 system .no fish and evrey 2 weeks I add some nutrafin plant grow. 

2 months in i got some brown algae. I know it was bc of to many nutrients in the water and some small bacterial worms. Week after all the leaves of my s repen came off.

Question what went wrong ?I posted some pictures to show the before and after .


----------



## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

what kind of lights are you running?


----------



## XP12 (Jan 4, 2016)

Two 9w tube bulbs that's all I know the came with the tank.No brand, nothing written on them just made in China.


----------



## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

What kind of DIY co2 are you running? Yeast?


----------



## default (May 28, 2011)

If you were following the suggested dosing regiment for that particular fertilizer without any fauna, you could have easily starved out your plants if they were growing.
Could be several other problems, without more detailed parameters/equipment listings we would just be guessing.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

default said:


> If you were following the suggested dosing regiment for that particular fertilizer without any fauna, you could have easily starved out your plants if they were growing.
> Could be several other problems, without more detailed parameters/equipment listings we would just be guessing.


Agreed.

@OP: check your nitrates. If it's < 5ppm, then you don't have enough nutrients in there.


----------

