[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #1423
>I am starting to get a bit of BBA attack. This has been pretty small so far,
>but the fact that it is starting to spread a little is getting me worried.
>My water had such readings as: Nitrites - 0; Nitrates - 0; Phosphates - 0;
>Ammonia - 0; Ph - 6.75; GH - 3.5; KH - 8.5; last time I measured the CO2 was
>at about 20 ppm and my Fe was at about .1 ppm. I will update the final two
>reading (CO2 and Fe) tomorrow morning. My intentions are not to have all
>those 0 readings (via Tetra, Dupla, Lamotte). How can I up those things?
>Will that help? Does the fact that they are 0, make my tank (125 gallon)
>phosphate and nitrate limited? I did just update my lighting system from 260
>watts to 392 watts a la PC upgrade. I'm not sure I'm fertilizing correctly.
>Any help would be thoroughly appreciated.
>
>TIA,
>
>David
A ph of 6.75 and a Kh of 8.5 would give you a CO2 level of 40ppm or
something close.(2 x as much CO2 as in the test) Is your ph moving around
since you added all that extra light? Tanks will become starved of nutrients
often when folks add more light to an existing system. More CO2 is used up
till the nutrients run out then they become the limiting factor. Before you
had a nice balance with 260watts now you have to strike a balance with the
392 watts. Make sure the ph doesn't move around much.... if at all. Say + or
- .2 or so. Many do great @ 2 to 2 1/2 watts/gallon then have trouble when
they up the lighting to 4 watts or so like yourself.
You can raise your NO3 up also. Check KNO3 in the archives(check algae
control also), should be plenty of info. I think your a certain canidate for
KNO3. Add SAE's too. Check Phosphate limited too. Plenty of blurbs on that
one also. Your doing the testing already so this is very good.
Regards,
Tom Barr