mos90

i do a 50% water change every week. i could turn up the lights to 8 hours and try that.

i am using ei also. i add kno3 1 tsp 3x a week. 1/2 tsp kh2po4 3x,1/2 tsp k2so4 3x and 1/2 csmb 3x. from what u are saying i should cut back csmb to 1/4 and maybe 1/4 tsp of kh2po4 and k2so4.

how did you know the 1/2 tsp csmb was too much?

also ive been adding 1 tsp kno3 3x a week and my nitrate levels still seem to low at the end of the week. less then 5ppm id say. maybe step it up to 1 1/2 tsp?

Bryeman

Everyone's conditions are completely different. Please remember that. What works for me may not work for you. Given all those disclaimers, I would say... that you are likely adding way too much KH2PO4. I add 1/8 or less of this and have sometimes wondered about cutting back even further. I still run tests on my tank with calibrated test kits. I know they're not always extremely accurate, but they will give you a general "feel" for what's happening, which can then be confirmed by watching the plants. If you think your Nitrates are low then you might want to step up the KNO3. I know my Fe was too high because of the tests I run. I could slowly see it build over time. It has leveled off since I do EI, but it's too high for my taste. I will try 1/4tsp 3x week for now and that should get my levels to where I want them. The CSM+B is good from my experience, but I have a lot of non-chelated Iron in my tank as well.

mos90

sounds good. thanks for input. ill check phosphate levels tonight and adjust accordingly.

as far as lights im going to try 8 hours at 200w. if if need more light ill do a 1 hour burst at 400w.

Bryeman

Sounds like a solid plan to me. I have found in this hobby that lighting drives everything, and has driven me bonkers at times! The lower the light intensity, the more wiggle room there seems to be for "user mistakes". I have found a good light level right now. I'm able to experiment a little more currently and hope to get a real solid dosing program in place soon. Once I have that and understand it better, I can then try other lighting schemes and plants if need be.

mos90

i think once you dose ferts correctly all thats left is the proper light schedule. but thats the tricky part. as long as co2 stays ok.

Bryeman

Just wanted to give everyone an update since I promised I would....

I absolutely love the 8x38w Aquaticlife T5 HO fixture, and no, I'm not affiliated with them. The built in timer is great, and the "moonlight" looks great when the T5's go out (only run the moonlight for two hours). Probably the best tank related buy I've ever made besides the 125g itself! The fixture came with 4 actinic and 4 700+nm bulbs (10,000K I guess). I have made some modifications to the bulbs and have another one planned. I currently run 2 actinic and 2 10,000k in the morning and 2 6,000k and 2 10,000k at night with all 8 overlapping in the middle for a 2 hour burst. Total T5 light period is 10 hours. Plants are growing what I would consider average for some to excellent for others. I have decided to order 4 of the Roseate bulbs to see what that does. The spectrum is supposed to be heavier to the red output plants use (650nm)although they have not published the spectral graph last time I looked. I will likely replace the 10,000K bulbs because they seem to be the poorest for plants in terms of spectral output. If you look at http://aquaticlife.com/lamps/index.html you can look at the two outputs. Someone tell me if you disagree, but the 10,000k bulb peaks below the "best" red nm and the green output is very high. The actinic has a broad peak in the useable blue range. My plan currently will be the 4 Roseate, 2 6,000k, and 2 actinic. We'll see how it goes. I'm guessing it will go exceptionally well, but we'll see.

I know this ran long, but also want to mention that my HC, Glosso, and 3 other ground covers are doing average (HC, but actually growing now) to excellent (Glosso is spreading like crazy).

Bryeman

.... Not impressed with the Roseate bulbs, but will let it ride for a few weeks to see results. They seem "dim" but that doesn't necessarily mean anything I guess.

A_Shea

the actinic bulbs you have will do your plants no good at all. it wont harm them just wont help them grow. They are strictly for salt water reef systems. you should go with a mix any where from 6500k to 10000k. you will get the best growth out of that

Bryeman

My 30+ species have grown good with all sorts of lighting, including actinics in my current 125g. I have been experimenting a lot with lighting as of late though. I think your statement is accurate in terms of acheiving excellent/optimal growth. The actinic would work great (at least the brand I had) if bulbs with only red spectal output were available so I could use them along with the actinic.

I would like to find a really great bulb/mix of bulbs. I will be getting another couple of 6000-6700K type bulbs once I find a good kind (spectral output). I see a lot of disagreement over the different T5HO's and what bulbs are considered good. I'm working towards 4 - 6000/6700k bulbs, 2 - 10,000k, and 2 Roseate bulb setup to see what that does. This is by far my best tank, but I like experimenting and want to try and acheive the best growth/look combo I can.