camtang Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Can someone please tell me if my dosing amounts are going to cause an issue to my fish or give me super strong algae or anything along those lines. Tank is 750L, 50% WC each Monday, 8 hours of lighting via MH, injected C02 at required level. Ferts daily of: Potassium phosphate: 1/4 tsp Magnesium sulphate: 3 tbl spoons Calcium chloride: 3 tbl spoon Iron chelate 1/2 tsp Aquatic mix 1 heaped tsp I havn't used potasium nitrate as my nitrate level is staying high (I guess I over feed). Is potassium nitrate just to raise nitrate or does it have other functions? Thoughts on dosing levels? Thanks all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Plants need potassium, too. There's a great chart here that explains the signs of various deficiencies. Seems a bit odd that you don't have to dose nitrate - are you sure your test kit is good?. Any green dust algae? How dense is the planting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Plants need potassium, too. There's a great chart here that explains the signs of various deficiencies. Seems a bit odd that you don't have to dose nitrate - are you sure your test kit is good?. Any green dust algae? How dense is the planting? Thanks for the chart, it was good reading. Nitrate from the tap never comes up with anything,but ALL of my tanks come up with high readings despit doing at least one 50% WC on all of them, and often more. Yes I have green dust. (Green spot?) Is that saying something is lacking or too strong? Planting wise it is begining to get relativly dense IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binu Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 hi were do u get it all?? i mean i use valrays mix and excel plus co2 i still av trouble grown plants should i buy these seperate ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 http://www.hydroponics.co.nz/ Is where I get mine from as do other people. I use to use the Seachem range but it got too pricey for my liking. I am very novice when it comes to plants so my ideas are fairly simple,but my thoughts are if you get the light,C02 and ferts balanced all should be well. There is PLENTY of plant geeks on here that I am sure could offer advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 Green dust can be not enough nitrates. Green spot can be not enough phosphate. Try keeping your nitrate at EI recommended levels, and cut back on the phosphate a bit, and stop water changes for a few weeks until the dust dies off. It shouldn't come back if you keep your nitrates up around EI levels - that's what works for me. Hamilton water is quite high in phosphate, so I don't dose PO4. If fact I always have algae problems until my plants get established enough to use the phosphate out of the tap. I have to remind myself to do water changes now as I've get no visible algae :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 so green dust and green spot are different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 Is this the dust algae? I know I currently have: Cyano- have reduced light and raised light. BBA- have stopped playing with the Co2. ( Should the drop checker take a couple hours to go from blue to green each day) Brown algae- riding it out as the start of the establishment Green spot on glass- will do what was mentioned. Pictured algae settling on leaves- Have a second and maybe a third water mover on the way.Hopfully that will stop all the dead spots. I have also got 5 otos on order to nibble away at the algae and will get another 5 or 10 after christmas. Any other thoughts? Is my daily EI theory too much or will it eventually make the plants super happy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 so green dust and green spot are different? Yup - green dust comes off glass easily and is, well, kinda dusty looking. Green spot is much harder to get off glass and basically impossible to get off plants. Green Dust Green spot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I have green spot then. I need to use my credit card for removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binu Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 could u tell me how much quantity u bought from hydroponics it seems like they sell big quantity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binu Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 :fshi: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I started at 1kg of each but then orderd another 5 kg of the calcium carbonate and magnesium sulphate. ( I think that was them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binu Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 could u pls explain what all t buy and how to dose it ?if u don mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 My dosage is listed above but I do not know if what I am doing is rite, time will tell. I bought 1kg of everything except for calcium carbonate @5kg and magnesium sulphate @10kg because they are used the most. There is a good thread on hear stikied in the plant section tittled how to grow plants and minimise algae orsomething like that give that a read. Green dust can be not enough nitrates. Green spot can be not enough phosphate. Try keeping your nitrate at EI recommended levels, and cut back on the phosphate a bit, and stop water changes for a few weeks until the dust dies off. It shouldn't come back if you keep your nitrates up around EI levels - that's what works for me. Hamilton water is quite high in phosphate, so I don't dose PO4. If fact I always have algae problems until my plants get established enough to use the phosphate out of the tap. I have to remind myself to do water changes now as I've get no visible algae :bounce: So just to clarify this, if I DO NOT do any water changes for a few weeks and continue to does at the rate I am with pot nitrate every other day the dust algae should disaper and there will be no adverse affects on the fish? If so I will do my weekly WC tomorrow and start a 2 or 3 week non WC period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Nope, that was for green dust. Since you think you have green spot, that wouldn't work. Green spot is usually caused by too little phosphate, but since you seem to be dosing that at EI rates, I can't really say what's causing it. I did a quick google, and shortening your photo period may help. You might want to sign up on The Barr Report's forum and start asking for help there. Sorry I can't be of more help, but I can only recommend what's worked for me, and I've only struggled with (and conquered!) green dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 I am doesing EI at double the rate, I am doesing all ferts daily. My thoery on that is it doing it every second day means there is more ferts to go round, doing it every day would give double the fert to go round for the plants. Not limiting one of the vital componants and all that. I have added some more star grass to help suck it all up and a few more swords,excel a day as well. adding 10ml of Will drop the light down another half hour, get the otos, add more water movement and tackle it all again once all of these things are doing there thing. I have dust algae so will start a three week no water change to fight that algae and then once the other stuff arrives start on the others. Will get on that forum now. Tanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Are you dosing half the two day amount each day? I wouldn't mess with the EI plan, apart from ratios to balance each particular tank, as some smart cookies have refined it over a few years and it's pretty well optimized. You're meant to keep your micros, specifically iron, separate to your phosphate day, as phosphate reduces the iron to a less usable state. Have you tested your nitrate and phosphate levels? Could need less macros rather than more. Does vary depending on how densely planted, and with what, your tank is. Make sure your CO2 is at good levels, and stable. And yeah, more flow could help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 I am dosing a rounded spoon level As an example 1.7g is 1/4 tsp a day or 14.6 is getting 3 tsp. Converting grams to millilitres and then rounding up or down dependent on the measurement. I am dosing daily at the rounded number per day. I am using spoons as opposed to grams as my scales I got for this were not accurate enough so went with measuring spoons. Nitrate is sitting just above where it should be (day before water change day), phosphate kit has been ordered for the new year. planting is becoming more dense as I am still adding more plants where I can fit them in, mainly just swords. Co2 is reading what it should and is stable. You're meant to keep your micros, specifically iron, separate to your phosphate day, as phosphate reduces the iron to a less usable state. I was not aware of this. I measure it all in a container, mix it with water and then add to the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Amitskaw, I was not either. Is this for the Tom Barr method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Not sure if it's just the TB method - I've seen it mentioned a few times: http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/blog/ http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=6067 http://www.aquascapingworld.com/magazin ... ethod.html "Can I dose Macro & Micro mixes on the same day? No, the Iron (Fe) in the Chelated Trace and the Phosphate in Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) have a tendency to react with each other, especially at higher pH rendering them un available to the plants as it forms Iron Phosphate." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 So I got a phosphate test kit, its at 10.0. What is the optimum level and does water changes lower the level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 1-3 ppm, so yours is way too high. A water change will reduce it, but it depends how much phosphate is in your tap water. Give some tap water a test. EI target ranges CO2 range 25-30 ppm NO3 range 5-30 ppm K+ range 10-30 ppm PO4 range 1.0-2.0 ppm Fe 0.2-0.5ppm or higher GH range 3-5 degrees ~ 50ppm or higher KH range 3-5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted December 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2013 Tap phosphate is between 0-0.25. Time to find a K+ kit I guess. Thank you for all your help and informative information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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