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Crystal Valley

Tom Ryan said:
Great photos! Do you guys think that the Twinstar 600SP will therefore have enough power for the ADA 90f tank as there may be too much light with the 900SP?
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Hi Tom,

I would go with the 900SP and suspend it 30-40cm from the tank top in this way you will have better coverage on your tank !!!

I will try to do some par measuremens in the S model soon then you can djuge it better with the numbers backing this tank development, for now i can say that by plants response in this first week this light is very good, wondetfull color, and I already trimmed the tank twice

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Hi there guys !!!

Here goes an update on this tank, almost completing 2 weeks, it had a wonderful start, plants are now really kicking in strong !!!

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IMG_4399 by Nuno Matos, on Flickr
 
Here are some plant close-ups,

Wonderfull colors delivered by this Twinstar 600S

Just for keeping you in the tank routine it's lid 10H a day and I've started fertilizing with Brighty K and STEP 1 this past week !!!!

37117749106_14cc2f874c_k.jpg
IMG_4393 by Nuno Matos, on Flickr

36910788890_cdc3178531_k.jpg
IMG_4391 by Nuno Matos, on Flickr

37309005155_b629124d31_k.jpg
IMG_4390 by Nuno Matos, on Flickr
 
Looking great, 10 hours is a long photoperiod for a new tank, But yours seems to be handling it well with this amount of light, What's your co2 levels? Do you think the Twinstar inhibitors help in the start up period?
Are you using ADA ferts or are they DIY mixes?
 
Growth is amazing and plants are looking stunning! Wish I had your talent.

May I ask if you've only just started using ferts? And have you used anything to support the substrate at the slopes?
 
Good night Nuno,

Regard that at certain point those 10 hours will be way to much.
As soon you notice that in the extend of the photoperiod plants are CLOSED is when you have to reduce photoperiod time or you'll start to have issues. Cause they no longer are doing photosinthesys.

For now in the beggining no harm at all but as plants mature you may have to reduce.
Big hug

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Daveslaney said:
Looking great, 10 hours is a long photoperiod for a new tank, But yours seems to be handling it well with this amount of light, What's your co2 levels? Do you think the Twinstar inhibitors help in the start up period?
Are you using ADA ferts or are they DIY mixes?
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Hi Davelaney,

CO2 level should be around 30ppm or a little bit more !!!!
I`m more than sure that electrolysis devices such as TS or CHIHIROS play a great role in the tank start up, and also on the tank life spam !!!!
As for ferts I'm using my DIY ADA ferts but giving exactly the same amount as the originals and with NH4NO3 !!! They work like a charm when using Aquasoil along Power Sand !!!

Shinobi said:
Growth is amazing and plants are looking stunning! Wish I had your talent.

May I ask if you've only just started using ferts? And have you used anything to support the substrate at the slopes?
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Hi there Shinobi,

Thank you for your kind words :)

I always start fertilizing on the second week on all my tanks and setups !!!
As for the slopes the only things keeping them is the hardscape and plants !!!

Paulo Soares said:
Good night Nuno,

Regard that at certain point those 10 hours will be way to much.
As soon you notice that in the extend of the photoperiod plants are CLOSED is when you have to reduce photoperiod time or you'll start to have issues. Cause they no longer are doing photosinthesys.

For now in the beggining no harm at all but as plants mature you may have to reduce.
Big hug

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Hi there Paulo,

In my opinion it all depends on the way you treat your tank, if you have it lid at night, if you lid it in the morning, how much natural light does it get, this are all variables, this is my personal tank, but I have it mounted at the store were I work, I open doors at 10am and close at 20pm, so all my tanks in the store are lid in this period, when my costumers come in I have to have the show tanks on and pristine, this is all about maintenance, but if you ask me is it needed ??? NO How do you handle it ??? Good maintenance and low ferts seems to do the trick quite well !!!

We have a show tank with one and a half year lid for the same time period, and it's marvelous how it grows and stays algae free !!!

Other one same time lid 2 TWINSTAR 600E same 10H from the first day going strong for 5-6 months now, wonderful growth and colors !!!

I'm forced to keep them lid for 10h because of the store time table, if I had them at home probably I would keep them lid for 8h tops, but even in my last big journal, Crystal Mountain, it was my home tank and hunting the beautiful compact red stems I've kept it running for 10h 1-2 months before taking the final shoots for IAPLC

I've been keeping planted tanks for quite some time now, and it flows very naturally now, I've more patience a analytic eye I up and down my ferts almost every week depending on certain plants response, color, leaf shape etc ....

But I have to put it down always on good maintenance, now I enjoy my self pruning them frequently seeing trimmed plans response, applying dome trimmings keeping stems bushier or loser, color chasing on colored stem plants has been a goal for quite some time that now comes naturally, but really there are no secrets here !!! And I must really say I love really well lid tanks lot's of light coming in !!! They are quite manageable having a good plant mass !!! But has I always say every tank it's unique what works for me might not work for you for hundreds reasons !!!

You can always come by the store and check this tanks by your one eye and be my judge !!!
 
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Thanks Nuno.
Used your EI plus urea mix on my previous tank. The results where great. Really improved my plants. Im only learning at the min. But once we move house and i get a bigger tank again. I will give the ADA mix a try.
 
Evening Nuno,

All that you said is true and it´s part of our own maturation in this hobby. And i also knew it before cause i´m a costumer of "Casa dos Discos" ;) And cause of knowing it all that´s why i kind of mention the light parameter.

You know i also have may tank receiving daylight (not sunny). So my tank goes from from dawn to dusk just like yours

I used to also have ten hours (as you also knew) and as i said at a certain point i realize that plants no longer took profit of it with the consequences that come along to "force them to work".

But as you mentioned you work there and need to have the tank presentable. I believe for those who in the future reads us now will understand why a 10 hour.

Each tank is unique of course but mother nature has it´s own way and sometimes a tricky one!

"You can always come by the store and check this tanks by your one eye and be my judge !!!"
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For these friends that are reading us and doesn´t know or realise.. Nuno Matos was my mentor and my fountain of inspiration in this aquatics adventure when i started a few years ago!!
He was the guy and the presence who pull me up times enough in those days so that i´m still here.

So.. the student (me) respects his teacher! Never ever in a single seconde i could be such thing as judge my friend. Not to you or any collegue in arms.
Always learning from you and most of all.. keep our debates very alive and kicking as we always had ;)

Big hug Nuno.
P.S. I´ll be at the store for some shoping such as a one more TS light unit for my new scape!

In portuguese: "GRANDE ABRAÇÃO"
 
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