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[Delapool]

Tested nitrates for 40ppm and phosphates were 1ppm. Not quite sure on phosphate, colour looked a little weird.

Going to back off on nitrate dosing to every second day. Least the test kit reading seems to make sense.




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Edited by Delapool, 23 January 2017 - 06:29 AM.

[Westie]

What's the go with phosphates? Does that mean too many nutrients in the tank? And if so, how do you reduce the level of phosphates in an aquarium?

[Delapool]

I need to get back and find out what EI doses to.

I tend to go for 2ppm phosphate, 20 to 30ppm nitrate and say 50ppm potassium. I've read of keeping phosphate to nitrate at a certain ratio at 10 to 1 but as I understand it, under EI dosing they are in excess.

Phosphate at say 5ppm doesn't seem to have much impact. I have seen a few threads where increasing phosphate may help with GSA (link below). Not sure if that is the case or tank settles down or test kit was reading wrong. But been a few recent threads that have removed GSA off glass with extra phosphate dosing. I've tried it and haven't noticed much difference, perhaps as I always get a phosphate reading of several percent.

How this ties into phosphate and algal blooms in rivers I don't know. I have been told the systems are not comparable.

http://www.theplante...co.uk/algae.htm


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Extra link - I'm thinking that algal blooms or algae in tank is more of a complex issue rather than say one element in excess.

I've had high light and high phosphate (off test kit), with no algae (or plants either - was doing badly there).


http://www.water.nsw...es-algal-blooms


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[Delapool]

Looks like the stem plants have filled in a bit from last photo. The val has spread out more. Got a couple of flowers going as well. Still to find some time to try anything with seeds.

I think the nitrate dosing is making a difference. Hard to tell but I think plants seem to look a little better on colour maybe. It's all still growing anyways.

The hygro up the back I shall have to give up on I think. Not really doing much. Maybe the extra light is helping a little but not the best looking.

[Westie]

nice flower   I'm getting planted tank envy

[Delapool]

Thanks! Must say this plant is keen as it doesn't get any root tabs now with the substrate all grown over.

Tank is going ok with new bulbs still. GSA on glass seems to be mostly gone.

A third flower is up out of tank so I'm hopeful I might keep one of these alive past a water change

Only little bugbear is I think the red stem plants are growing better under the t5ho in centre and not the led light at back (which runs as 100% white light and 50% blue light). So getting a 'ridge' of red stem plants along centre of tank and slow growth it seems at back of tank. Planning to trim plants to same height and see if correct.


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Must .... resist .... temptation... to ... get ..., more .... bling lights


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[Delapool]

Fourth flower is up (gee, this plant is persistent). Did a water change today and hoping I arranged them ok to poke out of holes in tank covers. Fingers crossed.

Pretty quick water change and little bit of plant trimming. So nice when all the equipment is working and everything is mostly growing nicely without over-running the tank.


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[Delapool]

The congo tetras have been a great buy. Great colour to them.

 

Tested copper last night - nothing in tap or tank, maybe a touch in pool (had just added a block for algae prevention - will test again on weekend to see if test actually doing anything). Nitrates at 40 to 80ppm (more like 80) and phosphate maybe 5 to 10ppm (more like 10ppm but odd, dirty colour still). Going to skip dosing specifically for nitrate and phosphate this week and let them drop down.  

 

Still got bits to do in tank to clean up and prune plants but algae pretty much under control so super happy. I think the depth of the tank might have prevented some issues with replacing all bulbs at once. Will go back to replacing two at a time as I was told to do

[Delapool]

I found some ceramic BBQ briquettes at hardware store and attached buce from auction to that. It looked quite porous so hopefully good for roots but on the flip side it stands out as a cream colour. I'm hoping the plant will completely cover it.

I was thinking of lava rock but have found BBA likes dark, volcanic rocks so decided to try this.

Cleared some room and wish I had got the red lotus now but guess I'll see how the grasses go there.

Not dosing any glut to let it all settle.

The anubias on lava rock I found a spot on the wing behind the plane ornament which nicely hides the rock. Can just see it lol so fingers crossed.

Auction receipt destroyed so no chance of it being found...


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Edited by Delapool, 09 February 2017 - 07:10 AM.

[Delapool]

Ok so good news and bad news.

 

Another yoyo loach got out when the feeding cover was off and lost it. So jaded with this. About once every few weeks I leave a gap somewhere and every several months I have a new loach lost to this. Debating on getting more one more time or getting khuli loaches.

 

GSA back on the glass. It's always on the lower glass where the t5ho hits it so once a week I have to clean. Not a big pain but thought I was over it.

 

New plants are going fine except one that detached from gravel AFTER lights and covers back on. Might just see how it goes for a week floating around.

 

Did a water change and threw out some perfectly good plants Nice strings of val, super red stem plants, java fern plantlets - off to the bin to open up tank. Two java fern plants were quite big so I put in the small tank. Water tests tonight to see if phosphate and nitrates are coming down.

[Westie]

if you want to try stainless steel mesh squares for your rhizome plants (rather than ceramic) let me know. I'll bring it to the next PCS meeting. I too destroyed my auction receipt, although I only purchased a couple of things. Mrs has access to the paypal account though....... 

[Delapool]

Lol, I forgot that while different accounts, the emails all end up in one folder.

Will have to have a look on computer as soon as the nightly blackout goes.

Thanks for the offer on the mesh, I'll pm if the ceramic doesn't work. The glue failed today on the one I did (maybe I was not using enough) so I redid it with more glue this time. Also replanted the grass and pruned the Java Fern (geez, it's tough) in a few spots. Still to get any readings and clean small tank.


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[Delapool]

Java Fern shifted to in the small tank is not happy. Half the leaves (I think those getting most light) have gone to pale green to outright white. Not all of each leaf has changed colour but a fair bit. Very rapid change - probably took a day to start showing. I now have masking tape over half the white LEDs and all the blue LEDs (pfft- who needs a dimmer).


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[Westie]

Give it time mate. Java Fern can get "shocked", and sometimes that is when they start throwing out baby java fern plants.

[Delapool]

Thanks for the tip. Fingers crossed and I'll give it a bit longer.


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[Delapool]

Plastic plants in there are looking partly white as well on tips. Will check out tomorrow on water change. That will impress lfs - killed off plastic plants as well


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Edited by Delapool, 17 February 2017 - 09:09 PM.

[Delapool]

Whooo-hooo!!

Finally got a half decent photo of the bumble bee catfish (after 6 or 12 months!). Must be about 6 or 7 inches long. Absolutely dwarfs full grown yoyo loaches.






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[Delapool]

Been wondering why the plants look like someone has been using them for a bed...




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[Delapool]

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It's really hard not to have bright light reflecting off top plants to get a photo (even turning off a few lights lol). But thought to snap this before a water change.

Did water change, then started on left side to prune plants but got lost in the jungle so now I have an excellent view of the filter and have to tackle behind the plane next weekend still lol.

Anubias is doing well but the rock keeps getting knocked by fish so shifted that to right side and glued rock. Bit shady there so thinning right side of tank on job list next weekend.

Lost the grass plants I think. Traffic too high. Glued one buce and shifted other to wedge in above canister outlet pipes to see if it will pick up in higher light (and away hopefully from fish).


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[Delapool]

Tested the copper test kit in pool and finally got a reading of about 0.25ppm or slightly higher (tap water 0) from the algaecide blocks. The blurb on the algaecide blocks says it doses to about 2ppm so not sure if my test reading should be higher or the copper is getting absorbed somewhere. But happy to get a reading - yay!