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?
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 !!!
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?
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 !!!
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
Enviado do meu SM-A510F através de Tapatalk
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 !!!