wkndracer

Tap is terrible so 100% R O is used, product reads 0.01TDS to the holding tank consistently for 3 months and 1254 gallons used on the current cartridges. GH, KH both read zero on a drop test.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...tml#post474848

wkndracer

Beginning my forth week yesterday.

It’s my intent to update this string as time allows with my experiences using the PPS dosing system. The two tanks being dosed are as follow;
2- 4’L x18” W 75g tanks in a bookend arrangement in the living room, 75L is a Flourite substrate. 75R is Eco-Complete later capped with Flourite. Both tanks were setup May 2008. With hard scaping tanks have 60g and 64g water columns. Substrate is 2-3” deep in both tanks.

Lights are Current T5 HO 4x54w (2- plant grow, 2 – 10000K). Bulbs are run split with both types on each bank. 3” legs are on the fixtures directly mounted on the tanks. 7 hour full burn and 8 hour total light period. Both tanks are controlled by the same timer. Neither tank receives direct sunlight.

CO2 is injected via SuMo dual feed regulator w/solenoids. American Marine controllers are installed on both tanks. Diffusion method is Rex style down flow reactors. 30-45ppm.

Each tank has a power head fitted with a Marineland sponge filter mounted in the same corner as the canister suction tube for added circulation. 75L has an Eheim 2078 Pro 3e. 75R is filtered by an Eheim Pro II 2028. Also both tanks have Aqua UV 15 watt sterilizers running at night with the lunar lights.

My well water is crazy on its Fe level (off all test kit scales). I’ve seen folks post higher GH numbers than what I have but untreated well water is over 10dGH and 11dKH coming out the ground and higher during drought periods. 100% R O is being used and Rex’s Grumpy mix setting GH. KH is currently set with soda but as my understanding improves Discus Mix, CaCO3, CaCl2.2H20, CaSO4 and MgSO4.7H20 will be replacing the premix.

Using Edwards dosing guidelines for the tank size and the downloaded calculator testing is done at weekly intervals. Four weeks held three large changes in dosing for both my tanks. The first week NO3 disappeared from the water columns of both tanks. Starting levels were tested at 10ppm and 20ppm. Ending levels were zero and 5ppm in a week.
Week two saw large recommended dosing volumes of PF (38mL) Mg and SS solutions remaining the same.
Week three saw large recommended dosing volumes of PF (36, 51mL)and Mg solutions (5, 22mL) eliminating SS solution. My intent is to hold Ca/Mg at 4:1. I’ve set my desired Mg level based on Ca2 tests each week to hold the ratio. Testing showed Nitrate levels gain 50 and 80ppm in 7 days. The nutrient swings can’t be good. Sunday afternoon I started to do large water changes on both tanks but my wife made a comment that stopped me. “If this is a tested system won’t results and dosing volumes bring it back down?” is what she asked. So,,, good point!
Starting the forth week the calculator now recommends only 4.1mL of NF solution for both tanks and Mg dosing for only one at 4mL daily along with the TE solution. At midweek (3 days) I plan on testing levels to see if yet another swing is occurring.
Sunday I pulled leaves with minor BBA from crypts, swords and bacopa from the 75R. The 75L is showing Blue Green Slime Algae along the edge of the substrate. None of this was an issue with EI and may be just an adjustment period, time will tell. The GH level is slowly climbing but in range on the 75L so I let it ride. The 75R on the other hand was out of range on GH so it received a 26g WC to drop it. Playing with the calculator it appears to compensate for different input values as to starting and period ending levels so maybe more patience is called for.
Cautiously optimism needs to be my attitude at present and going forward with PPS. More time involved setting it up may pay off down the road.

wkndracer

Well,,,
NO3 didn't drop so water change, water change, water change
Everything is reset and trying again. The calculator was again used with tested parameters entered for beginning and ending values (same numbers)
75L is starting out with NO3 reading 20ppm, PO4 .5ppm, 7dGH, 9dKH, Ca2 40ppm, Mg2 6ppm
75R is starting out with NO3 reading 10ppm, PO4 .5ppm, 8dGH, 9dKH, Ca2 40ppm, Mg2 1.7ppm

hooha

stick with it and keep us updated bud! If there are huge changes in your levels (i.e. drop to zero nitrates or rising nitrates) maybe you can look at making smaller changes to your dosing schedule, even if it's less than the calculator recommendations....

wkndracer

Hey there, and thanxs for the post hooha,
You can count on the update posts as I get time that's a promise!
One of my frustrations after reading all of Edwards posts and down loading all the excel sheets he spent time putting together was NOT finding any journal information on how it worked. The web is a wealth of information and at times a sea of BS (or a septic tank) as you try and find information.
When I listed the tank info I neglected to mention cutting window pane 1/8" glass mirrors for the backs. I really like it in person and while saltwater setups ruin them in months mine are a year plus and looking good. They make picture taking tougher though capturing the flash. If I use shutter settings the fish and circulation movement of the plants blur so its pick one and punt.

The tanks I'm tracking.

75L




75R

ray-the-pilot

Hey Wkndracer!

What kind of RO do you use. Mine is very slow and puts out only about a gallon per hour. The water is really great but that limits my water changes to about 20% per week on my 50gal tank.

What is your RO flow rate and what do you use?

wkndracer

Morning Ray,
I purchased the second unit (the one I'm using) on ebay. >$200.00 including shipping and no complaints.
6 stage R O with booster pump and UV sterilizer. Here is a current listing on the same system.
http://cgi.ebay.com/6-STAGE-REVERSE-...3A1%7C294%3A50



Since 5/5/09 1,717 gallons of product water have been made. Mine was purchased with the 50gpd membrane. I use the system straight out of the box the way it shipped but added couple of items to it. SpectraPure membrane flush valve bypass assembly, inlet / outlet TDS meter, 105g holding tank that I insulated, SpectraPure float valve for the reservoir. The tank fills to shut off level in 26hrs. Exceeding the rating listed for the unit. 3.8gph averaged output.

Set it up down stream of the whole house Kinetco system (salt regen) Insulated the tank (105g cap.) with black rubber leaving a 2 1/2" gauging gap marked at 5gal. intervals. I'm mixing sodium bicarbonate to 3dKH in the tank and aerate / mix the holding tank with an azoo air pump. Through a bulk head fitting on top is installed a 300 watt heater. Float switch in the tank and pressure switch in the supply line shuts off the booster pump and supply water. The discharge is boosted by a Surflo Demand Pump - 115v with 1/2 inch male threads, 45 p.s.i. and 3.3 gallons per minute discharge anchored to the floor under the laundry sink. 2:1 ratio taking 191 TDS input to 1 TDS discharge into the tank.

wkndracer

Continued frustration with PPS and the calculator

I truly wish Edward would contribute again to this. 6 days have yielded the following.
75L starting out with NO3 reading 20ppm, PO4 .5ppm Now NO3 30ppm, PO4 1ppm
75R starting out with NO3 reading 10ppm, PO4 .5ppm Now NO3 >15ppm, PO4 1.5ppm

Using the calculator I had set one tank to hold value and one to drop NO3 levels with the following resulting dose recommendations.
75L NF 5.8ml, Mg 4ml
75R SS 7ml, PF 8ml, Mg 8ml

The spread sheet Edward had set up was down loaded for tracking my tanks. It includes in the solution section a Discus Solution as follows.
0.00:0.00:1.00 (NO3:PO4:K)
KNO3 - 0.00 g
KH2PO4 - 0.00 g
K2SO4 - 37.12 g
in 500ml

The calculator and related postings contain no information to factor it in for use so I've not made it up. That said with tested results going the wrong way I suspended dosing today other than the trace mix and dry dosed 9 grams K2SO4 based on Chuck Gadd's calculator for 16.7ppm Potassium on the 75R and 17.8 ppm Potassium on 75R

Now that I'm walking or backing away from using the calculator I don't know where that leaves me with PPS classic.

Aquaticz

To me you have just sumed up the problem or challehge presented with any of the methods.
Many, actually most say you do not need to test. If you do not want to OD your tank or waste materials and want to take a moderate approach - test. it is simple , fast & educates you on what to dose when.

I must say... I have two P04 kits and like neither one. The results are always the same before & after dosing. So I no longer bother testing P04. If I am going to test, I always test nitrites ( N03) to see if my KN03 dosing is in line.

I have learned (couldn't tell you where) that the dose for P&K should be 20-30% of the of the KNO3 dose.

I also dose iron & flourish plant supplement. Every other day I use three times the recommended dose.

HTH

wkndracer

Thanks for the response Aquaticz but PO4 testing or not testing is only part of the process. I’m trying to supply what’s actually needed and not over dose the tank so I can reduce water changes and maintain balance. PPS is reportedly designed to do just that. Based on what is in the tank and what it uses to maintain levels in a tested period. Sorry you had issues testing PO4 as I have no problem testing different levels at all. My problem is an increasing level being tested beyond what I want to maintain. Generally its NO3 that’s fluctuated out of range so far with the PPS system.