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Will APFUK starter kit suit my needs?? 4 Month update with pics

One more thing @X3NiTH -
I have another 5L container filled with RO, I know I’m following the stock mixing solution and dosing from APFUK for the trace elements but will it be ok to mix up 5L of it?
I’ll be dosing 60ml of trace so that’s gonna last quite a bit longer than the predicted 4 months of 100ml macro dose so would that be too long for it sitting in the bottle?
I can mix up 1L at a time it doesn’t bother me but thought as the 5L is sitting there should I use it all?!
Cheers
 
You can do, make sure you acidify (Ascorbic Acid) and add preservative (Potassium Sorbate) to help prevent mould formation, store in cool conditions, from experience refrigerating the mixture will keep it indefinitely from going off, I do this with my trace and decant into the dosing container when needed (which does grow mould after a couple of months, I ignore it unless it’s blocking the dosing lines).

:)
 
@X3NiTH ok that’s great, glad I asked as I didn’t think about adding the E300 and E202 either.
The 5L container will be stored in a kitchen cupboard that’s always a bit on the cold side so that’ll be fine.
Thanks again Darren, you’ve made me a happy man 😊
 
One more thing (again!)......
Is there any advantage to dose macro or micro tomorrow or doesn’t it matter? For some reason I’m guessing micro first?
And I used to dose when the lights just come on (16:00) but now with doing school runs that’ll probably be difficult, can I dose before lights on or is it better after?
Sorry about all the questions!
 
EA James said:
Is there any advantage to dose macro or micro tomorrow or doesn’t it matter? For some reason I’m guessing micro first?
Click to expand...
Macro is more important so that should be first. ;)
 
Seeing as this is the start of new dosing just dose in whatever alternating order you like, personally I’d add the Micro first before lights on to give the plants a better chance to uptake some Iron before light starts breaking down the chelate (it’s photosensitive). Any Nitrate in the Macro won’t be uptaken until photosynthesis starts anyway so dose that just before lights on or just after. As long as there’s enough of both sets of nutrients remaining in the water column day to day then which order you dose shouldn’t matter, they both just need separated by time to prevent reactions with phosphate and iron when dosed close together.

:)
 
Hi all,
I’d like some help again (surprise surprise!)
Today is WC day but I’m not sure on the figures for the remineralisation.
Initially it was 34g of mg and 20g of KCI but then on WC day it’s 10% weight for every 10% of 300L in water changes. This confuses me!
Does that mean it’s 10% of KCI 20g is 2g to 10% of 150L (50% WC)
Does that make sense as it still doesn’t to me 🤦🏻‍♂️😂
Can I just half the original dose as that was for tank volume now this is for 50% of it?!
I have messaged the boss aka @X3NiTH but it was late last night so if anyone could help that’d be great!
Thanks again in advance
 
Hi all,
EA James said:
but I’m not sure on the figures for the remineralisation.
Click to expand...
EA James said:
I hate maths and cant do it haha
Click to expand...
There is a way of avoiding the maths. I'd just use a conductivity meter, find a range of approx. +/- 25 microS, where your fish and plants are happy, and then use that rather than adding a set amount of salts. I aim for 80 - 120 microS in the tanks using rain-water and a dash of tap, very occasionally I add some DI water in the summer when the conductivity of the rain-water is higher.

There is nothing magic about that range, it is just a level that I can maintain using ~95% rain-water for water changes.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks @dw1305 but I don’t know anything about conductivity meters and wouldn’t know where to begin with catching/storing/using rain water to make it safe for my tank.
 
H all,
EA James said:
Thanks @dw1305 but I don’t know anything about conductivity meters
Click to expand...
It doesn't have to be rain-water, you can use the same approach for RO or tap, you just have a <"different initial datum range">.

Conductivity meters are really useful, because conductivity <"is a linear scale"> from pure H2O at 0 microS up to seawater at ~53000 microS (53 milliS). It isn't a direct conversion, but if you buffer RO water to about 4 dGH/4dKH the conductivity raises to ~ 100 microS.

Our tap supply is from a <"deep limestone aquifer"> and low in nutrients, so I know that nearly all the ions that contribute to the conductivity are bicarbonate (HCO3-) and calcium ions (Ca++)
EA James said:
....... and wouldn’t know where to begin with catching/storing/using rain water to make it safe for my tank.
Click to expand...
Connect a <"water diverter to the gutter down pipe"> connected to a water butt, <"add some Daphnia"> to the water butt to act as an Canary, and you have a free source of soft water that doesn't contain chlorine etc.

I'm <"pretty risk adverse and I've used rainwater since the 1970's">, so I think the risks of using it are over-stated. It is particularly <"useful in the winter">. A lot of serious <"aquarists use rainwater">.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,

I'm about 3 weeks into the new regime and so far so good. The only thing I've noticed is now i seem to be getting a bit of green spot algae on the front of the glass and a slight green tinge over some of the rocks. Also the very bottom of the glass under the sand seems to be getting a dirty look to it, this gets scraped off weekly on WC day so it's not an issue it's just a difference since adding the new ferts.
All the plants appear to be doing well though apart from my H.Pinnatifida which seems to have quite a bit of melt and its lost a lot of leaves but this has only been in the tank a couple of months so perhaps its something else.

Is there anything i should be altering or is it a bit too soon?

Cheers
 
3423E644-C590-470E-83F0-2D454EBD5DD6.jpeg

Here’s a full tank shot taken yesterday, for reference and because I think it looks awesome!
Thinking about ditching the ring and letting the floaters loose as it looks like I have a UFO in the tank!
This is my first ‘proper’ tank and scape so I’m feeling quite proud of it 😁
 
EA James said:
View attachment 159304
Here’s a full tank shot taken yesterday, for reference and because I think it looks awesome!
Thinking about ditching the ring and letting the floaters loose as it looks like I have a UFO in the tank!
This is my first ‘proper’ tank and scape so I’m feeling quite proud of it 😁
Click to expand...
That's very similar to what I want eventually, even down to the cherry barbs. Looks great!
 
EA James said:
Is there anything i should be altering or is it a bit too soon?
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t alter anything yet, patience, get used to what you’re doing now and keep observing. I would only change things if a nutrition problem becomes observably widespread, if isolated to one plant only having an issue then I would give it more time to adjust.

Looking good!

:)
 
@Ady34 Thanks for the comments on Instagram, Here's the thread in all it's glorious detail if you're interested?!

It was seeing your tank on Facebook a while ago and the Geordie scapers Juwel 240's first scape that gave me inspiration to do mine like this. Your EA 1500 is still one of my favourite scapes, i love it! I remember first seeing it on facebook probably over a year ago now and thinking that's exactly what i want. Beautiful work mate 😍

Cheers, James
 
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