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No more red ?

3K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  popalfort 
#1 ·
Hi (excuse me for the orthograph but i'm french !)

I've got a 125L tank, heavily planted with glossostigma (50% of the floor), rotala, hemanthius micranthemoides, eleocharis, blyxa, proserpinaca, staurogyne...
It is hilighted (more than 1w/liter) and receives industrial co2.
One week ago, i changed from easylife profito+fer+K2SO4 to PPS Pro.
My Trace mix is the one from aquaessentials (i respected edward's dose to prepare the solution).
I respect the 1mL/G (40L) per day for each solution.
This is very recent, but i can see that even if the growing is correct, my red plants are not red anymore.

Edward, can you tell me if i can do something that can help ? I don't know if i should add iron, or both solutions. Perhaps it's because of the Trace elements mix from aquaesssentials. Or maybe i should make a big water change to make a real new start with pps pro...
 
#4 ·
sorry, if light remains the same, than PO4 may be deficient.
try to get your phosphate up to 2ppm and see if that helps.
normally I would advise against increasing macros, but since
you have compressed Co2, your plants are consuming all the
macros your tank can generate naturally.
 
#5 ·
I don't understand : before i start to use pss pro, i only added micros (profito and ferro), potassium excepted. Now, by using pps pro, i add macros so why the problem would be a lack of phosphates ?
Perhaps the trace element mix adds less micros than the profito and ferro i was using before ?
 
#6 ·
I tested my water yesterday : PO4=0.2ppm and NO3=5ppm. Do you think I should increase the phosphates (and how) or add more macros solution ?
I have a very light fish population in this tank (3 apistos and 5 Trigonostigma espei). Perhaps it will help when i'll get more espei (that are hard to find these days on Paris !).
 
#7 ·
I would try upping your micros a little. You mention that you changed your fert method and that you changed micros at the same time. Macro and micro ferts need to be in a certain ratio to have the best affect. My guess is that now that you have higher levels of macros you also need more micros. Also micro nutrients being in small amounts already means that it is easy to become slightly deficient quickly. I have had the best results getting my red plants to stay red when I keep nitrates lower and and 1.5 times the recommended amount of micros.
 
#8 ·
Ok thanks ! I did a massive water change yesterday, then I added the 1mL/40L dose for the macros, and twice the dose for micros.
Then I'll try to add 1.5mL/40L for the micros a few days (as you said, and the normal dose for macros) to see if that works.
If it doesn't work, I'll try to up the phosphates (I'll have to look for the good way to do that...).


For the lights, I already have 4x39W for a 125L tank (100 effective liters), so I don't think I can do more ;)
 
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