[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #153

>Subject: What's missing?
>
>While doing this weekends water change, I once again observed MASSIVE
>pearling after the water change.  I get some bubbling normally, but not
>steady streams of bubbles.  Following the water change, the bubbles were
>being produced so fast they formed solid threads to the surface.  I really
>want to know what is missing in the tank normally that is present in the
>tap water?   BTW, I inject my CO2 in my sump, and when I do water changes,
>I remove the water from the sump.  So I know that the sump water isn't 
>getting very high levels of CO2.  In fact, following a water change, the
>CO2 levels are measurably lower in the main tank for quite a few hours.
>
>Also, this water change didn't involve any pruning of plants.  Just the
>water change.
>
>The tank runs about 15-20ppm nitrate (I was adding it daily at the time
>of this water change, but have since discontinued, as I think I was adding
>a little too much).    I haven't tested the phosphates, but I'm guessing 
>they are there.  I definitely over-feed the fish.
>
>I add TMG daily.  I'm positive I've got plenty of iron, as the Frogbit is
>quick to show the deficiency.   And it's nice and green right now.  And
>until today, I was adding KNO3 daily.  
>
>I'm going to get a phosphate test kit, to see if I could really be low
>enough in phosphate as to seriously slow down growth, but I doubt it.  As
>my rainbows have been growing, my feeding has been increasing, which is
>probably what caused the nitrates to slowly creep up. 
>
>Is there anything else that is commonly present in tap water that might
>be the missing ingredient?

Perhaps you too have "magic water"<G>. My NO3 levels are close to yours. My
PO4 levels are in the 1.0ppm range out of the tap. KH and GH are two other
levels to test the tap for. 3-7 KH and a GH of 3-9 or so are good(mine are 5
and 9). Keep the CO2 and light going and things will do very well for you.
If you run into a problem or slowed growth ....do a water change and raise
the nutrient levels back up and start over. Pretty simple eh?
Regards, 
Tom Barr