Ok, this thread will tie in with this thread...
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...-interesting-thread-amano-tanks-very-low.html
I am finishing up some experimentation that should leave me with some more solid information in a few weeks. At that time, i will add some of my thoughts to the mentioned thread.
So far, this is some of the history of my quest and how PPS pro fits into it currently.
History
Over the last year, i have been approaching this hobby from a very controlled perspective. My first effort in doing this was to study PPS classic very closely. The basic premise behind PPS is to give your plants the nutrients they need, but do it in a way that was easily controlled and modified as the needs of your tank changed from week to week.
I sort of adopted this approach and mixed up precise solutions for each of my macro nutrients. Mind you, this was actually a more complicated approach then what PPS intends.
My goal was to maintain a level of nutrients with precise dosing. I targeted 30ppm of CO2, 10-20ppm of NO3, 20-30ppm of K, and 1-2ppm of PO4. I dosed daily and tested often to reach a fairly solid level of nutrients.
At that point in time, most of my aquariums were scaped. Maintaining higher levels of nutrients still produced fast growth. I had to slow the growth. I accomplished this by limiting the amount of light over the tank. I did this by not changing the intensity, but rather the duration of lighting. I was running some tanks as low as 7 hours of lighting a day. This worked for me for about 6 months, but I was still perplexed with how many people in the hobby were running their tanks with very low levels of everything…..light, co2, nutrients…..
I decided to try a more radical experiment with a freshly set up tank. I studied the parameters of many of amano's tanks and attempted to have success with similar parameters.
First was co2. I couldn't believe how low his co2 levels were, but I targeted similar levels for my experiment. I ended up at roughly 8-12ppm of co2.
Next were my nutrients. I targeted about 1-5ppm of N, .5ppm of P, and 5-10ppm of K.
Next, lighting. Well, I didn't see anything over powering about my lights, so I just set the timers to 10 hours a day.
Over the next 3 months I watched my levels closely…..
What I found
My plants grew just as healthy, and perhaps even more healthy. I know my fish were happy with the low levels of nutrients and co2. I achieve full growth at a much slower rate. This was great for aquascapes. And as a positive side effect, my fight with GSA was FINALLY long gone.
Along came PPS Pro
PPS Pro is almost exactly what I was targeting except I was dosing individually. In a dark lab somewhere Edward determined the ratios of each nutrient and put them all together in one solution. Perhaps the most powerful thing about the new method is the timing of dosing? That is yet to be determined.
I mixed up the PPS solution and started…..
I have been dosing PPS Pro for about a month and a half now. So far my results have been very positive.
Here are some tips:
Testing?
Everyone loves the phrase "No testing required", but lets be realistic here. Even if we were just keeping fish, we would need to test to some degree. Every hobby has its tools and steps. Testing is an important part of our hobby. Even if you never have a problem, understanding your water and your test kits will help you understand why you are NOT having a problem and help you address things when you DO have a problem.
CO2?
Edward recommends constant co2 (do not turn off at night).
Then of course there is the amano camp. Turn of co2 at night and aerate your water.
My take on this…. I turn my co2 off at night. I don't worry about ph swings because I really use very little co2. Will I change this…..most certainly. I very often change something to see the effects. I am like all of us….looking for the perfect growth. The hardest part is to have the patience to change one thing and wait weeks to see the effects.
I recommend that beginners target 15ppm of co2 and keep it steady night and day
Pressurized vs DIY?
There is no question for me. Pressurized!!! If you think you cant afford it, then buy less light, run your lights less for lower electricity bill, buy a smaller tank, save a dollar a day for three months.
How to deal with tap water issues - high N or P?
Do smaller water changes. Instead of 50%, do 30%. PPS - Pro allows this because of limited nutrient build up. Also, smaller water changes prevent your tap from making drastic changes in your aquarium. My first mistake was to adjust the formula of PPS- Pro to handle the nutrients in my tap. If your tap water is off quite a bit, do smaller water changes.
Nutrient deficiancies?
Yes, PPS-Pro is a lighter system of dosing. It was developed with the aquascaper in mind. It was designed for slower more controlled growth. I found that the initial recommended dosing of 1ml per 10 gallons to be a pretty good start, however, you will find that you may need to add some more depending on your light intensity and your plant mass. My one tank is growing fantastic with the recommended dosing, my other tank has some stronger light and higher plant mass. I had to cut my light a bit and up my dosing a few ml…..so far so good.
How to deal with needing more nutrients?
You could always increase your dosing. Or decrease your lighting. The solution is balanced and the idea of dosing in the morning really prevents you from getting into trouble quick, but you should always be mindful of your plants conditions and the parameters of your water.
Conclusion
I am always moving things around in my travels in this hobby. So far, PPS-Pro has been the closest thing to great I have found in a system for aquascapers. I would imagine it is very close to the ADA step method, but Edward gives us all the numbers and the explanation so we can learn and adapt.
Please feel free to ask any questions. I hope this has helped at least one person
jB
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...-interesting-thread-amano-tanks-very-low.html
I am finishing up some experimentation that should leave me with some more solid information in a few weeks. At that time, i will add some of my thoughts to the mentioned thread.
So far, this is some of the history of my quest and how PPS pro fits into it currently.
History
Over the last year, i have been approaching this hobby from a very controlled perspective. My first effort in doing this was to study PPS classic very closely. The basic premise behind PPS is to give your plants the nutrients they need, but do it in a way that was easily controlled and modified as the needs of your tank changed from week to week.
I sort of adopted this approach and mixed up precise solutions for each of my macro nutrients. Mind you, this was actually a more complicated approach then what PPS intends.
My goal was to maintain a level of nutrients with precise dosing. I targeted 30ppm of CO2, 10-20ppm of NO3, 20-30ppm of K, and 1-2ppm of PO4. I dosed daily and tested often to reach a fairly solid level of nutrients.
At that point in time, most of my aquariums were scaped. Maintaining higher levels of nutrients still produced fast growth. I had to slow the growth. I accomplished this by limiting the amount of light over the tank. I did this by not changing the intensity, but rather the duration of lighting. I was running some tanks as low as 7 hours of lighting a day. This worked for me for about 6 months, but I was still perplexed with how many people in the hobby were running their tanks with very low levels of everything…..light, co2, nutrients…..
I decided to try a more radical experiment with a freshly set up tank. I studied the parameters of many of amano's tanks and attempted to have success with similar parameters.
First was co2. I couldn't believe how low his co2 levels were, but I targeted similar levels for my experiment. I ended up at roughly 8-12ppm of co2.
Next were my nutrients. I targeted about 1-5ppm of N, .5ppm of P, and 5-10ppm of K.
Next, lighting. Well, I didn't see anything over powering about my lights, so I just set the timers to 10 hours a day.
Over the next 3 months I watched my levels closely…..
What I found
My plants grew just as healthy, and perhaps even more healthy. I know my fish were happy with the low levels of nutrients and co2. I achieve full growth at a much slower rate. This was great for aquascapes. And as a positive side effect, my fight with GSA was FINALLY long gone.
Along came PPS Pro
PPS Pro is almost exactly what I was targeting except I was dosing individually. In a dark lab somewhere Edward determined the ratios of each nutrient and put them all together in one solution. Perhaps the most powerful thing about the new method is the timing of dosing? That is yet to be determined.
I mixed up the PPS solution and started…..
I have been dosing PPS Pro for about a month and a half now. So far my results have been very positive.
Here are some tips:
Testing?
Everyone loves the phrase "No testing required", but lets be realistic here. Even if we were just keeping fish, we would need to test to some degree. Every hobby has its tools and steps. Testing is an important part of our hobby. Even if you never have a problem, understanding your water and your test kits will help you understand why you are NOT having a problem and help you address things when you DO have a problem.
CO2?
Edward recommends constant co2 (do not turn off at night).
Then of course there is the amano camp. Turn of co2 at night and aerate your water.
My take on this…. I turn my co2 off at night. I don't worry about ph swings because I really use very little co2. Will I change this…..most certainly. I very often change something to see the effects. I am like all of us….looking for the perfect growth. The hardest part is to have the patience to change one thing and wait weeks to see the effects.
I recommend that beginners target 15ppm of co2 and keep it steady night and day
Pressurized vs DIY?
There is no question for me. Pressurized!!! If you think you cant afford it, then buy less light, run your lights less for lower electricity bill, buy a smaller tank, save a dollar a day for three months.
How to deal with tap water issues - high N or P?
Do smaller water changes. Instead of 50%, do 30%. PPS - Pro allows this because of limited nutrient build up. Also, smaller water changes prevent your tap from making drastic changes in your aquarium. My first mistake was to adjust the formula of PPS- Pro to handle the nutrients in my tap. If your tap water is off quite a bit, do smaller water changes.
Nutrient deficiancies?
Yes, PPS-Pro is a lighter system of dosing. It was developed with the aquascaper in mind. It was designed for slower more controlled growth. I found that the initial recommended dosing of 1ml per 10 gallons to be a pretty good start, however, you will find that you may need to add some more depending on your light intensity and your plant mass. My one tank is growing fantastic with the recommended dosing, my other tank has some stronger light and higher plant mass. I had to cut my light a bit and up my dosing a few ml…..so far so good.
How to deal with needing more nutrients?
You could always increase your dosing. Or decrease your lighting. The solution is balanced and the idea of dosing in the morning really prevents you from getting into trouble quick, but you should always be mindful of your plants conditions and the parameters of your water.
Conclusion
I am always moving things around in my travels in this hobby. So far, PPS-Pro has been the closest thing to great I have found in a system for aquascapers. I would imagine it is very close to the ADA step method, but Edward gives us all the numbers and the explanation so we can learn and adapt.
Please feel free to ask any questions. I hope this has helped at least one person
jB