50gal Ugly Tank

zer0zax where did you get the black PCV? Nifty idea!!! Looks like a modified diy box filter.

I don't know about Miraclegrow organic soil. The N P K values are 3-2-3.
1 part phosphorus to 10 parts nitrates to 20 parts potassium is best to keep algae at bay.

According to Rex Griggs ratios should be near:
Iron----------.1----- .3 ppm
Phosphates--0.5----1.0 ppm
Nitrates-----5.0---10---ppm
Potassium--10-----20---ppm
CO2------- 15-----25---ppm

I find that red plants need more iron, though.

It was Organic Choice Garden Fertilizer that I saw. It was also the only 1 I saw at Home Depot.
Garden soil is 0.10 - 0.05 - 0.10.
Potting mix is 0.10 - 0.05 - 0.05
All purpose is 7-----1------2
Bone meal is 6-----9------0
If it says it is good for 3 months, as the 1 I saw I wouldn't use. For that means they have added ferts and I want only my ferts in the dirt.

I am using Organic Valley top soil. I got an email from the company saying, " Our topsoil is not tested for N-P-K. If it were the analysis would be very low. We recommend the addition of fertilizer if wish to grow grass or plants in the
topsoil. "

Once the plants are grown the mesh won't be seen. I have found that tanks that look sparsely in the beginning become beautiful. Starting out with a full load, as I have, is not always the best.

Commander is funny!! Is he related to the ninja on the Charmed TV show.

The biggest problem I am running into is I want to try everything all at once!

I did that and some conversions. Now I have to start over.

I mixed the vege firts, root starter and kitty litter into my dirt. Then topped with sand and Fluorite. Moving plants caused some fish deaths. Thus I put HOB filter on afterwards. Now, even though color is good, Hygro is melting. Also brush algae appearing. I am impulsive by nature.

Many say using kitty litter is bad but according to the krib it depends on the kitty litter. I am going to use it again. I am using the red bag kitty litter. For 1st layer will put sphagnum moss down. Then will bake the dirt with the kitty litter, for can't leave it outside to heat. Afterwards add ferts I use to the dirt. Then will make a test run in a bucket with water from my bare bottom tank. It is a combination mineralized substrate and substrate at this link.

http://home.infinet.net/teban/how-to.html

Kitty litter is considered poor mans laterite
Fishsticks

Instead of buying fluorite why not just beat the lava rock? I think they are about the same. I just have fluorite because I got it free.

Glad to pass the info along. Feels good to help others not to make mistakes I have made.

I forgot did I mention you get bone meal, by KAL at a Health food store?

zer0zax Sorry about the repeat I am bit under the weather and forgetting where I post info, suntars 25 gallon or yours.

I wonder if adding potassium nitrate would offset the imbalance of the bone meal you have. Buying potassium nitrate on line is probably cheaper. Tell me what brand of bone meal you have and I will google it. Besides potassium nitrate and flourish excel are the main items I keep seeing that help with algae.

What is a soil bazookas?

Another experimenter is Homer_Simpson

I will try to get ninja on charmed to come cure bob.

Keep up the humor. I once heard someone cured his cancer with laughter. It seems humor and being positive strengthens the immune system to fight illness. I believe in the addition of eating good, supplements and medicine ( only when needed) helps.

The crushed coral is what is raising your ph. I read it raises gh, kh and ph.

I have used baking soda to raising my Kh. I found it also raised the ph. After adding flourish excel the ph went down to 7.2. My tap water ph is 9.

As for the potassium I think KNO3 would be better but you could use in conjuction with the potassium you have.

Epsom salt acts as a laxative on fish and used to increase magnesium.

Dosing info I found
55 gallons = 206.7065 liters. fertilizer that has 4.36 mg of NO3 per mL
4.36/206.7065 = 0.021 mg/L will be added to the tank.
mg/L equals ppm.

I think you would be safe to add 1 capful of Flourish excell and equal amounts of baking soda.
More info on dosing dry ferts at this site:
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/dosing.html

Here are some links about potassium
http://aquabotanic.blogspot.com/2008/06/potassium-in-planted-tank.html
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/k.html Aquarium Landscapes, ADA & Potassium

After trying the Walsted method in a 10 gallon and failed I am leaning towards mineralized soil.

Homer_Simpson did a comparison test of the Barr method and Wasted called the small planet.

Is your ph still 9, which is higher than your tap water? This is not safe for even people. Obviously you have added something that is enhancing what is in your water and increasing alkalinity.

Have you thought of asking your water company what they are adding to the water and if phosphates, copper, etc. are in the water?

Rex goes on to recommend using Calcium Chloride and Epsom Salts to boost GH and Baking Soda to boost KH. He notes that you need to add these separately or you will end up with Calcium Sulfate which is hard to dissolve. You contact him to find out how much to add.

At Rex Griggs site read.
If you need to raise the kH of your water then you can use plain old baking soda, not baking powder but baking soda. One teaspoon of baking soda will increase the kH of 50 liters of water (13 gallons) by 4 degrees (68 ppm