Hi all
Well, I have a doubt. After reading many forum pages, I have some concerns.
I had a DSM tank running for 8 weeks with Eleocharis sp mini. I just flooded it last monday (November 2nd 2015). The substrate is ADA Amazonia. My tap water pH is 7.65 (data from water company report and confirmed by myself with a pHmeter). When added to the tank the pH goes down to 6.1-6.2 (normal according to amazonia properties).
I have read everywhere that right after flooding, CO2 must be set to the maximum possible. I set mine using the pH meter (not controller, just manually adjusting the CO2 needle valve until reaching a certain value) to 4.9-5.00 complying with the 1-1.2 pH unit drop suggestion to achieve around 30 ppm CO2. I must also say that I use and inline atomizer and I do not count bps (no need with the pHmeter). Aeration at night makes pH go back to 6.0-6.1. So far everything looks OK appart from some eleocharis blades floating here and there in the morning (that I carefully remove). I did a WC yesterday (80% approx) and plan to do again every 2-3 days. By the way I am also dosing full EI (yesterday macros and Equilibrium and today micros). I have three LED downlight bulbs that I was using during DSM, but I just covered one of them to decrease light at the beggining of submersed state to maximize the effect CO2 injection. Flow is also good as super-tiny bubbles (almost like mist) of CO2 move all around the tank and I cannot see any dead spots without CO2 bubbles. Plant mass is not very high at the moment (see pic of the DSM tank here)
So my question is: everything seems fine for the plants, but what about nitrifiying bacteria?. The NH4 >> NO2 >> NO3 process must be inhibited at such low pH. What should I rank first?: CO2 high but bacteria struggling or the opposite... I guess most of the work bacteria do is done by plants now... but what about the organic waste compounds?. I am concerned about those as they normally trigger algae...Are they also processed by plants or water change "is my friend"
. When Amazonia stops decreasing the pH, bacteria will struggle during the day but will be fine at nigh (with pH going up to around 7-7.5), but my concern is what about right now?
Cheers and sorry for the long post.
Pedro
Well, I have a doubt. After reading many forum pages, I have some concerns.
I had a DSM tank running for 8 weeks with Eleocharis sp mini. I just flooded it last monday (November 2nd 2015). The substrate is ADA Amazonia. My tap water pH is 7.65 (data from water company report and confirmed by myself with a pHmeter). When added to the tank the pH goes down to 6.1-6.2 (normal according to amazonia properties).
I have read everywhere that right after flooding, CO2 must be set to the maximum possible. I set mine using the pH meter (not controller, just manually adjusting the CO2 needle valve until reaching a certain value) to 4.9-5.00 complying with the 1-1.2 pH unit drop suggestion to achieve around 30 ppm CO2. I must also say that I use and inline atomizer and I do not count bps (no need with the pHmeter). Aeration at night makes pH go back to 6.0-6.1. So far everything looks OK appart from some eleocharis blades floating here and there in the morning (that I carefully remove). I did a WC yesterday (80% approx) and plan to do again every 2-3 days. By the way I am also dosing full EI (yesterday macros and Equilibrium and today micros). I have three LED downlight bulbs that I was using during DSM, but I just covered one of them to decrease light at the beggining of submersed state to maximize the effect CO2 injection. Flow is also good as super-tiny bubbles (almost like mist) of CO2 move all around the tank and I cannot see any dead spots without CO2 bubbles. Plant mass is not very high at the moment (see pic of the DSM tank here)
So my question is: everything seems fine for the plants, but what about nitrifiying bacteria?. The NH4 >> NO2 >> NO3 process must be inhibited at such low pH. What should I rank first?: CO2 high but bacteria struggling or the opposite... I guess most of the work bacteria do is done by plants now... but what about the organic waste compounds?. I am concerned about those as they normally trigger algae...Are they also processed by plants or water change "is my friend"
. When Amazonia stops decreasing the pH, bacteria will struggle during the day but will be fine at nigh (with pH going up to around 7-7.5), but my concern is what about right now?Cheers and sorry for the long post.
Pedro
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