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Re: Suggestions and Reconstituted RO/DI water
>Subject: Suggestions please!!
...................<snipped>.....................
>I have a situation I would like some advice/suggestions on. I have a 100
>gal tank with 3 discus, 2 corys, 3 loaches, 1 african knife fish, 1 eel, 2
>platys, 1 butterfly fish, 1 hatchet fish, and one otocinlus. I also have 6
>live plants or so. My filtration includes UG with 4 airstone uplift tubes
>and 2 uplift tubes with powerheads and a whisper 5000 filter that hangs on
>the back of the tank. I have DIY CO2 injection into only one of the
>powerheads. My light is somewhat poor. (4) 2 foot flourescents which
>include 2 full spectrum lights and 2 regular flourescents totalling only 80
>watts. (I know this is not enough) My fish love me and all are very happy
>and healthy. However, my plants don't like me and I am really tired of
>seeing them barely hanging on to a thread of life. I would like to change
>some things without spending a fortune. According to your posts, I should
>increase my lighting. Can I get 30 or 40 watt bulbs in 2 foot lengths? I
>haven't been able to locate any. Also according to your posts, I should
>probably put in another CO2 bottle for the other power head...........
.................<snipped>........................
The four 40 watt tubes should put out enough light for better growth than
that! Before adding more light I would recommend you try adding chelated
iron (Dupla drops, or one of the many other versions discussed on this
mailing list). Since you have under gravel filtration, the roots of the
aquatic plants are in aerobic condtions and iron compounds will all be
quite insoluble. You mentioned you were adding Tetra Florapride, Tetra
Initial sticks and Tetra Crypto. I am not familiar with these products,
and one or more of them may contain iron, but before you spend a lot of
money on more lights or another CO2 injector, make sure that you have
enough soluble (chelated) iron in your water. From what I have seen on
this mailing list, successful growers who have UGF maintain levels in the
range of 0.1 to 0.5 PPM.
Good luck!
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>Subject: Reconstituted RO/DI water
>
>I recieved this "recipe" from the fine people at Spectrapure
>makers of ro/di equip. I have not tried it yet, but thought
>I would pass it on. It makes 100 gallons of water, adjust
>accordingly. 12 grms CaSo4, 4 grams CaCi2, 4 grms NaHCO3,
>12 grms MgSO4, and 8 grms Na2B4O7. The analysis: total
>hardness 52ppm, Magnesium hardness 16ppm, calcium 36ppm,
>Alkalinity 32-40 ppm, chloride 12-16 ppm,Co2 less than 5,
>and TDS less than 102. Adjust sodium Borate and sodium
>Bicarbonate to achieve desired PH. Any of the chemist out
>there care to make a evaluation???
If you are using sodium borate to adjust the pH, you might get boron
poisoning. Borate is a necessary trace element, but in higher
concentrations it becomes a good preservative, i.e. poisonous to living
things.
Paul Krombholz Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS 39174
In cool, pleasant, Mississippi where we finally got some rain! We thank
you, Stephen, Olga and Dave, for that shot of cool Canadian air!