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Dutch but NOT...

So in short, my actions of lowering light intensity cutting some plants and adding even more CO2 were not bad (cutting plants was just because they were getting to big, I didn't think of their CO2 use)...
Anyway, I like this broken record and I can't hear it enough...LOL
I will do another day of pH checking tomorrow, let's see if it helped.
 
OK...here it is...my pH in short version (after I did some adjustments on the amount of CO2 and light)
KH=6

lights off pH 7.0
1.5 hr CO2 on before the lights come on pH dropped to 6.0 and stays during the whole lighting period unchanged.
1 hr CO2 off before the lights turn off, one hour after the lights turn off the pH is on the rise (6.1)

Lightning period is 6.5 hr

I can't seem to get the pH to drop more.
 
Wow that's stunning! Hey what's that carpet on the far left that just took off like magic! Has filled the whole corner and compared to the middle carpet wins hands down. Very impressive for one who introduced himself as a plant killer and algae grower when I first said hi ;) Love your pictures and your plants! You have a great variety where you live and have chosen a lovely display. Was that a SAE I saw swimming around in your video? And what are those big fish that look like marine chromis with red tails? Keep it up :)
 
Bhu said:
Wow that's stunning! Hey what's that carpet on the far left that just took off like magic! Has filled the whole corner and compared to the middle carpet wins hands down. Very impressive for one who introduced himself as a plant killer and algae grower when I first said hi ;) Love your pictures and your plants! You have a great variety where you live and have chosen a lovely display. Was that a SAE I saw swimming around in your video? And what are those big fish that look like marine chromis with red tails? Keep it up :)
Click to expand...

Thank Bhu. The carpet on the far left is Riccia tight to some stones, they always do well for me. It is indeed a SAE you saw swimming, there are 2 more hiding in the tank and the other fish are Colombian Red Fin (Hyphessobrycon columbianus), very nice fish, but sometimes like to nip on plants, I think mine stopped doing that for now.
 
Thanks for that! I've never heard or seen Colombian Red fin in over 30 years lol! They look lovely...
 
ceg4048 said:
Even if you turn the gas on earlier? Sorry mate, I'm too lazy to hunt for your tank specs but is this an external atomizer?

Cheers,
Click to expand...
I will try what it does if turn the gas on earlier...
I have 2 inline diffusers/atomizers, thinking of switching to reactors, I know they give me less output on the canister filters but with my powerhead connected to the spray bar I would still have more than enough current.
 
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I changed the 2 inline diffusers/atomizers for 2 reactors also started to gas earlier, plants are pearling like crazy (which, I think, also means they get enough light) pH drop to 5.8, but my fish are having some problems now...mostly the Otos and Pleckos.
I toned down the gas a little bit. Gas is off now and air pump on for the night. It seems I found the point of enough CO2 for plants and hopefully just OK for fish.

As I live in China most product here are cheap as chips, but always have to look out for bad quality, even so, it makes it easier to change things with prices like this.
 
I'm using the same M-sized model in pet shop tank now. It's quite effective in my observation, I was very close to kill livestock.

Sent via Tapatalk
 
Alexander Belchenko said:
I was very close to kill livestock.
Click to expand...
Yep..me too. I'm using 2 large models. The plastic feels a bit cheap, but carefully installed by using hot water for the hoses helped and went without any problems or leaks. I'm not even using clamps.
 
I came home from work yesterday and saw many melting leaves all over the tank...tested the Ph, which was 6.0 (KH is 6), CO2 was still running and both reactors were filed with bubbles.
The only change I've done 3 days ago is putting two more spray bars on the output of the filters (the water reaches the front glass) now I have spray bars over the whole length of the back. I see the current/flow all over the tank.
Enough CO2..? Enough flow..? Still problems
:dead:.....now here is the funny thing...in my LFS they have a tank with exactly the same size, canister filters....but a whole lot less CO2 bubbles pumped in and looooooooots more light.....no algea, plant grow super good and no spray bars or extra pumps what so ever....o_O weird, right?

Anyway, what to do now to get my tank nice and green, red, yellow.....??????
 
Wow that would imply a seriously high co2 level. Do you have fish and critters living in there? If so and they are alive and happy it might indicate that the co2 and KH readings are incorrect! Do you have any pictures?
 
Bhu said:
Wow that would imply a seriously high co2 level. Do you have fish and critters living in there? If so and they are alive and happy it might indicate that the co2 and KH readings are incorrect! Do you have any pictures?
Click to expand...
The CO2 is set so it just doesn't kill the fish (almost did before)...I tested the pH and KH several times with different methods (pH pen and testing sticks and KH with 2 different test sets API and Tetra)....
Bafeling to me...as it was starting to go so well just a few days ago (just before I gave it more current....I'm going to try to lower that current back again, lets see what will happen)
 
The tank is going really nice now, lowered the lights quit a bit to only 1.5 T5 for 7 hours per day, this also means that I don't have to give so much CO2 anymore and I am now using PPS pro instead of EI which also lowers the CO2 demand. Plants are growing, nice green (not so much red anymore) starting to look healthier (old leaves ofcourse not, but all new growth is)...all in all, I'm a happy camper.
I need to take new pictures and will post them later....
 
20150104_182223a_zps1bad9677.jpg

Pictures are not very clear, my android isn't great in taking pictures (could be my skills) . Left front corner I just cut the Riccia and try if HC would grow there.
It's maybe a bit to early to draw conclusions, but the lower light, PPS pro and new (extra) pump with spray bar seem to do the trick.
20150104_182416a_zps547bb09e.jpg

Some pics of the lights covered with tin foil. My ficture only allows me to run 2 or 4 T5's at one time (silly Chinese design, but that's what you get when you want it cheap...:p)
20150104_182505a_zps6b776e7e.jpg


Hope I can help someone with this info.
 
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