Josh Beeston
Seedling
- Joined
- 5 Jan 2014
- Messages
- 9
Hi guys,
My current aquascape is approx a year old. It has ADA aquasoil, a whole host of plants and drift wood, 2x T5HO, and is 96litres. I also use pressurised CO2. I have a colony of Crystal Red Shrimp, aswell as liquorice and chocolate gourami, mosquito rasbora, ottos and green neons.
The liquorice gourami are a recent addition from the weekend, and I tested the water from the store I bought them from to check the pH in comparison to my own as they can be a bit sensitive, and then just out of interest, decided to test other parameters as I admit I don't frequently test them. The stores water that the gourami were in was over 80ppm which i was taken aback by and my own are under 10ppm, the test hardly changed much in colour at all (API liquid tests, shook well etc to avoid the settling issue). The tank is heavily planted, although it's just had a bit of a harsh cut-back before the new gourami went in, and I also use purigen as I've found it really helps the Shrimp. However I imagine between these two factors they account for the low nitrates - particularly the purigen.
So to my question: Over the last month or two I've started to note a few patches of BBA starting, I can do the excell method but I'm wondering if the low nitrates are the cause rather than the CO2 as my drop checker's fine.. I usually use Profito as a fert simply because I was given 2litres of it from my old work and it's done OK so far, it lacks nitrates however, and I'm wondering whether to swap to something else that does contain nitrates. Any advice on if this is the right route to go down? And if you guys would do the same, which ferts would you suggest? I'm slightly reserved on the dry ferts, I've not had chance to research them properly but it seems like you need a daily dosing? I sometimes have to be away for the week and don't want to add any extra burden to my other half in dosing ferts aswell, so if there is another option that'd be great but equally I would prefer to do things properly!
Thank you in advance for any advice!
Josh
My current aquascape is approx a year old. It has ADA aquasoil, a whole host of plants and drift wood, 2x T5HO, and is 96litres. I also use pressurised CO2. I have a colony of Crystal Red Shrimp, aswell as liquorice and chocolate gourami, mosquito rasbora, ottos and green neons.
The liquorice gourami are a recent addition from the weekend, and I tested the water from the store I bought them from to check the pH in comparison to my own as they can be a bit sensitive, and then just out of interest, decided to test other parameters as I admit I don't frequently test them. The stores water that the gourami were in was over 80ppm which i was taken aback by and my own are under 10ppm, the test hardly changed much in colour at all (API liquid tests, shook well etc to avoid the settling issue). The tank is heavily planted, although it's just had a bit of a harsh cut-back before the new gourami went in, and I also use purigen as I've found it really helps the Shrimp. However I imagine between these two factors they account for the low nitrates - particularly the purigen.
So to my question: Over the last month or two I've started to note a few patches of BBA starting, I can do the excell method but I'm wondering if the low nitrates are the cause rather than the CO2 as my drop checker's fine.. I usually use Profito as a fert simply because I was given 2litres of it from my old work and it's done OK so far, it lacks nitrates however, and I'm wondering whether to swap to something else that does contain nitrates. Any advice on if this is the right route to go down? And if you guys would do the same, which ferts would you suggest? I'm slightly reserved on the dry ferts, I've not had chance to research them properly but it seems like you need a daily dosing? I sometimes have to be away for the week and don't want to add any extra burden to my other half in dosing ferts aswell, so if there is another option that'd be great but equally I would prefer to do things properly!
Thank you in advance for any advice!
Josh
