Should I do anything about this Profile?

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Probably have too much time on my hands so been doing a bit of messing about.
Quick background on the tank, 30 gall AR-850. Dosing EI, 50% WC Weekly with 70 watts of T8 above.

Lights are on for 8 hrs and I dose the following...
1/4 tspn kno3 3 Days
1/16 tspn po4 3 Days
1/16 Traces 3 Days
1.5 tspn Magnesium on water change day.
Liquid Carbon Daily
I've been looking at the tank lately and thinking it just seems to be lacking something. The lights I think can also give a bit of a washed out effect as seen in the pic, pic was took after a clip out and water change today hence looking a bit unsettled. I have also increased the kno3 to 1/2 tspn just on water change day to slightly increase nitrogen levels.

That brings me to co2 levels, I did some tests on the co2 for a few days using a freshly calibrated ph pen.


A lot of the info on there is just a guide rather than hard figures to compare btw. All tests were carried out at 4dkh. Should I be worried about those measures? It looks to me that my sweet spot seems to be about three hours after lights on. My DC does hit a good colour around 3 hrs after lights as well but wouldn't that be expected delay on a DC? IMO the DC is situated in a place of poor co2 or crypt corner as I call it

My gauge isn't the best as well, it can be a bit feast and famine, at the moment I have it set on feast. Even turning the needle valve down a hair really drops the co2. Currently it runs with too many bubbles to count but I would guess about 5 or 6. Just wondering whether I should be looking at timing or rate.

Anyway, I'd appreciate your opinions.

 

[kirk]

I like it the only thing I would do is shove the heater Down a bit so you can't see it. But that is if it was mine and it's not. I'm amazed that the korlina isn't flattening the lotus, I've had to move our lotus and cut it down as the best Spot for ours was not good for the lotus.

 

[Andy Thurston]

I'd turn co2 on a hour earlier, take another set of readings and if it starts gassing fish towards the end of photoperiod turn it off earlier(ady34 used his timer to maintain stable co2 levels to lights out)
That said, if it aint broke dont fix it

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

I like it the only thing I would do is shove the heater Down a bit so you can't see it. But that is if it was mine and it's not. I'm amazed that the korlina isn't flattening the lotus, I've had to move our lotus and cut it down as the best Spot for ours was not good for the lotus.

Thanks, the lotus is a bit of a gypsy, it actually started far more to the left hand side but decided where it wanted to grow. The circulation isn't optimum either because of my love of glass ware. I got some lily pipes but they can only come in from the rear at a slight angle. Ideally they would come in from the side but I didn't want to start cutting holes in the cabinet. Being a bow front tank and the the koralia assisting I can get a good circular motion apart from an area on the far left. I keep crypts there and they don't seem to mind.
Yeah, the heater is a bit in your face. I've just recently clipped it right out, before there was a mass of Vallis back there so the heater wasn't that noticeable. I'll lower it down. I'm hoping to have a bit of a rescape in general, everything was just growing wherever it wanted and the rocks were totally lost.
I have some blyxa japonica ordered for the front right replacing most of the twisted Vallis and I'm hoping to get some Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae for that rear left corner where the tall Vallis used to be. Also hoping to get some smaller stones to scatter round the front to give the look of an out crop.

I'd turn co2 on a hour earlier, take another set of readings and if it starts gassing fish towards the end of photoperiod turn it off earlier(ady34 used his timer to maintain stable co2 levels to lights out)
That said, if it aint broke dont fix it

Interesting, using the timer is something I was considering but was worried about getting involved in fluctuating co2. Did ady post about his experience? I'll have to check his posts. My timer is in 15min increments so may need something digital. I know those figures aren't cast in stone but basically what they seem to say consistently is my injection drives down pH while lights are off at a rate of .2 per hour then 0.1 per hour when lights kick in. This seems to level out 3 hours in, I would guess this is when the plants are really growing. My kh is probably higher than tested and the dc is in a bad area so I think I'm safe assuming there is enough co2.
Like you say I feel like I could start a bit earlier then maybe have a co2 siesta at some point to prevent gassing the fish. Maybe quarter of an hour at some point just before my peek 3 hour period.
Or I could just leave it like you say Just trying to get things right this time, I sort of lost track with being busy at work and ended up with a tank full of plants rather than a display.
Thanks for your comments.