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[APD] Barr method -- tweaking



Hi, all. I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday. I am the guy with the 29 gallon tank with way too much light. :-) I posted a month or so ago with my algae problems. Tom suggested several steps, which I followed. I removed one of my 55 W CF lights, giving me two which I run for about 13 horus. CO2 via pressurized canister fed into external reactor. My pH is stable at 6.7.

The algae I was fighting (BBA, Green spot, a green alga that resembled BBA) have all but disappeared. I have also noticed much better growth out of my plants. All stem plants, as well as my crypts and dwarf hairgrass are growing much better. My ludwigia has recently started turning red at the tips again.

Now I am fighting a different kind of algae. I have a lot of green filamentous algae which is very soft and easy to remove. I can rub it off the plant leaves without damaging them. I've also started getting some BGA, which I have never had before. I have been keeping up with my dosing and water changes, filter cleanings, etc. I suspect that I need to slightly tweak one of my dosed nutrients. I am currently dosing as follows:

1/4 tsp KNO3 (3x week)
1/4 tsp K2SO4 (after water change only)
a couple rice grains worth of KH2PO4 (3x week)
7 liquid mL Plantex solution (made from 2 tbsp. dissolved in 200 mL)(3x week)


I see some pearling, but the algae has been growing back so fast (covering most plants in about 3 days) that it seems to smother the plants. Growth has definately improved, so I know I'm on the right track.

I have been changing about 5 gallons of water 3 days after I do the big water change. I do so because I get in the tank to remove algae, then have to siphon the removed algae out, necessitating replacement water. Does this affect/negate the "Barr method"? Am I somehow undoing what I have dosed by these small water changes?

I am encouraged to see the progress, but would like to know how I can improve this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

Reggie

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