Angelsdad

I've been skimming through the posts and read some interesting threads about water parameters. I have a question regarding my water. pH 7.5 - gh below 20 - kh 100 How do these reading stack up?
My tank is 75 gallons with Eco-complete, 4x65 compact fl. lighting, no CO2 and a filstar x2. I dose daily with Excel Plus and once weekly with Plant Nutrition, formerly Tropica Mastergrow. Initally there was a brown algae problem on the leaves of the anubias but that subsided within 5 days. (I don't know if it was the Excel, the cories, the guppies, the nerite snails or a combo of some or all.) Ammonia tests 0, nitrate 5 ppm and nitrite 0.1 ppm. (I have red root floaters to provide subdued light, provide fish cover and soak up nutrients.)

Bert H

How long has your tank been set up? With the set up you describe, I believe you will soon be having some major algae issues. You have nearly 3.5wpg, no CO2, and no macro dosing. The only 2 plants you mention are Anubias, which are notoriously slow growers, and the 'red root floaters', which I have no experience with. If this is the extent of your planting, I would lose half of your lighting. If you want to keep that level of lighting going, you will need CO2 and appropriate fertilizer dosing, along with much heavier planting. HTH.

hoppycalif

For those of us who aren't sure what constitutes "heavy" planting, that is where the substrate is covered with plants spaced about 2 cm apart. Those can be stem plants, planted stem by stem, rosette plants, spaced a bit further apart, and foreground plants planted stem by stem. That is a lot of plants - really, a lot!! Big expanses of bare substrate don't constitute "heavy" planting.

I'm assuming the GH and KH readings given are in parts per million, not degrees. If so, I suspect that the GH reading is in error. You do need some calcium and magnesium for the plants, and 20 ppm total isn't enough. I suggest you add enough Seachem Equilibrium to increase that by 2-3 dGH. If the GH and KH readings are reversed, and are ppm readings, that is good enough as is.

Angelsdad

Bert, the tank has been going for 3 weeks now. I used BIO-Spira to get going along with seeded filter media. I have new light bulbs on order as these are old and in need of replacing. I agree current wpg is too high without CO2 injection so I plan on running only 2X65 which equals 1.7wpg. Currently I have it planted with the "red root floaters" (Phyllanthus fluitans), Sagittaria subulata,
Utricularia graminfolia, Blyxa japonica, Ludwigia repens x arculata, Limnophilia aromatic, 1 Nymphoides species, pygmy vallisneria v spiralis, 7 types of cryptocorynes and 2 types of anubias along with java moss, stringy moss and flame moss. The fish are guppies and cory catfish.

Bert, you mention macro dosing. How do I know what type of nutrients I need?

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hoppycalif, I rechecked my gh and kh and they are correct. (In ppm) I will definitely get some Seachem Equilibrium. I'll also be phoning the local water company for a water report.

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I appreciate you guys.

hoppycalif

I thought most tap water KH came from calcium carbonate, which also adds calcium to the GH. So, if you had 100 ppm of carbonate I would expect you to have around 100 or more ppm of calcium too. It isn't every day that someone reports that big a difference in the two hardnesses, with the KH being the highest.

Bert H

Check out these links which should be of help to you:
http://www.rexgrigg.com/
http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articl...ges/index.html
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...parts-1-a.html

Angelsdad

Bert, thank you! I'll be using these and doing major homework. Thank you again.

Zippin

Thank you Bert for them guides most helpfull indeed

I was wondering what do you think of this product out of intrest ?Click Me

Thanks

Bert H

I've never used it. But I would shy away from aquarium ferts containing ammonia due to possible algae issues. Personally, I am not a fan of the 'all in one' type products, preferring to dose macros individually.