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My setup & water parameters(long)



Hi all
	I have been lurking awhile.  I have got my setup together execpt for
the plants.  My water parameters are abit confusing to me.  Any help
would be appreciated.
	I own a ninety gallon tank, my filteration is a magnum 350(350gph)
canister filter, I have Ehiem ceramic tiles in the charcol slieve.  I
also have a Emporer powerfilter (400GPH) by Penguin on the back of the
tank.  It has the pads that came with it , they have some charcol in
them.  In the cartriges I have Fluval peat granuals.  Right now I also
have an undergravel filter powered by 2 Penguin 550 powerheads (145GPH 
each) reverse flow.  The The gravel for this filter is 1-3mm, and about
5" thick  I plan on adding Duplarit k Pellets to the subsrtrate.  The
lighting will be provided 2 40W Flora-Glow by Hagen, and 2 40W Aqual-Glo
also by Hagen.  There will be one of each in both striplights, plus two
20W 24" cool white bulbs in the original striplight.  The two new
striplights have alunimium reflectors.  I have four halfgrown Leatacara
curviceps, five young Bleedinghearts, one Corydoras jullii, 3 C.swartzi,
and one Otocinclus sp.(I started with 3).
I plan on adding three more Bleedinghearts, and eight Cardinal tetras. 
I do have some algea, but not much.  Mainly just the bright green stuff
that sticks to the glass.  I plan on getting a small Pleco till the
plants come then replacing him with acouple SAEs.  I do 30% waterchanges
every week. I condition the new water with Tetra's Aquasafe. The temp is
around eightyfive.(  The heater only runs in the dead of winter, I have
been unsuccessful in lowering the temp.). 
	I did tests on both my tap water and the aquarium water with Red Sea
Pharm Ltd's Deluxe Fresh lab..  I did a waterchange about a week before
the test.  

            Tap          Tank
Ph          7.2          6.2
KH          1 Deg.       O Deg.
GH          7 Deg.       7 Deg.
Fe          0.1 ppm      O.1 ppm
Nitrite     0 ppm        0.05 ppm
Toxic NH    O            0.00075ppm
Co2         10 Triation  The color wouldn't change.?????


The tank has been up and running for five years without the Penguin
power filter and therefor no Peat.  It used to have a large Population
of Central american cichlids.  They did very well.
	My Question is are.  Before adding plants should I turn off the
undergravel filter and use the powerheads for watermovement. Is the
substrate two thick, If not how do I keep the substrate from turning
anoxic if the ugf filter isn't running.  Obviously the PH and the KH are
too low Does this have to do with the fact that I couldn't get a reading
on the Co2 in the tank water.  I thought that central Ohio's water was
high Ph and KH because all the limestone, which is calciumcarbonate. 
The GH seems to be just alittle high.  Should I remove the peat from the
powerfilter.  I plan on makeing some PMDD from recipes in the archives. 
Any thoughts on geting my water parameters in line for plants.  I know
this was very long.  Thanks for youre patience.


 
	
	

-- 
Aint nature grand

Thom