Bout time for an update!
New lighting! I've no got a pair of Giesemann Pulzar HO LED bars and Tezla BT controller. I've reviewed them here http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/giesemann-pulzar-ho-and-bt-interface-review.36800/#post-396287
It's been a long wait for them but I'm very happy with the result and the control the BT interface gives is brilliant. The plants are happy with everything growing strongly.
Below is the light cycle I'm using now which has the tank at least partially illuminated for much more of the day than before but hopefully without nuking the plants or creating an algae farm...
Algae wise my only issue is green slime cyanobacteria which has been in decline for sometime but still not fully eradicated but a 2-3 times weekly air hose vacuum session is slowly removing it along with upping the KNO3 a bit. Over the years this has been my most frequent issue due largely to slack filter maintenance and under fertilisation I reckon. I thought I was really on top of this tank though maintenance and fert wise but it has certainly given me a schooling these last 6 months..
Anyway filter wise I have gradually replaced the Eheim and ADA porous media with KI micro media meaning the filter now has just coarse foam and KI micro which is easy to clean and to my mind less prone to clogging or dead areas leeching pollutants back into the tank. There's also an occasional tuft of BBA on the rocks but nothing rampant. Oh and the add more FE suggestion from BBogdan was good advice because I did and things definitely perked up in spite of the EI macro dose supposedly having that covered..
Now that spring is in the air the tank gets a ½ hour or so spell of dawn sunshine on a good day but this does't seem to be causing a problem.
So in short I feel I've made it well through my earlier struggles and now just have to craft what's here into something presentable for the 2015 IAPLC...
I have further mods underway mind you, including a overflow and sump filter that I've built and a special fixture for the new lights...busy times in the workshop!
Now if anyone reading here wants to buy my Aquasky 602 unit (and dimmers if wanted) then send me a message quick otherwise I'll be putting then in the For Sale section sometime soon..
Cheers
Chris
New lighting! I've no got a pair of Giesemann Pulzar HO LED bars and Tezla BT controller. I've reviewed them here http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/giesemann-pulzar-ho-and-bt-interface-review.36800/#post-396287
It's been a long wait for them but I'm very happy with the result and the control the BT interface gives is brilliant. The plants are happy with everything growing strongly.
Below is the light cycle I'm using now which has the tank at least partially illuminated for much more of the day than before but hopefully without nuking the plants or creating an algae farm...
Algae wise my only issue is green slime cyanobacteria which has been in decline for sometime but still not fully eradicated but a 2-3 times weekly air hose vacuum session is slowly removing it along with upping the KNO3 a bit. Over the years this has been my most frequent issue due largely to slack filter maintenance and under fertilisation I reckon. I thought I was really on top of this tank though maintenance and fert wise but it has certainly given me a schooling these last 6 months..
Anyway filter wise I have gradually replaced the Eheim and ADA porous media with KI micro media meaning the filter now has just coarse foam and KI micro which is easy to clean and to my mind less prone to clogging or dead areas leeching pollutants back into the tank. There's also an occasional tuft of BBA on the rocks but nothing rampant. Oh and the add more FE suggestion from BBogdan was good advice because I did and things definitely perked up in spite of the EI macro dose supposedly having that covered..
Now that spring is in the air the tank gets a ½ hour or so spell of dawn sunshine on a good day but this does't seem to be causing a problem.
So in short I feel I've made it well through my earlier struggles and now just have to craft what's here into something presentable for the 2015 IAPLC...
I have further mods underway mind you, including a overflow and sump filter that I've built and a special fixture for the new lights...busy times in the workshop!
Now if anyone reading here wants to buy my Aquasky 602 unit (and dimmers if wanted) then send me a message quick otherwise I'll be putting then in the For Sale section sometime soon..
Cheers
Chris
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