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Chemistry



Hello Folks:
    Well, I have recieved my MakPak containing CaMg, KHCO3,K2SO4,and KNO3. 
It makes a nice starter kit, which I purchased from Dave Gomberg.  I feel I
now have all the right ingredients and enough knowledge gleaned from this
list to do some real damage or miracles to my plants and fish.  So, I have a
question based on the information provided by Thomas Barr.  He laid out a
list of the elements used by plants in order of what they consume most of?? 
The list was Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), P (phosphorus), S (sulphur), Cl
(chlorine?) and then Fe (iron).  Is this correct.  Someone was saying that
Potassium was consumed more than iron and therefor was more important?  What
happened to C (carbon) in this list?  I need more clarification on this,
please.   I am armed with enough chemicals here only now to find that I am
quite confused by this information that I am trying to make sense of for my
self.
    My tank has been set up for a month now.  I am still battling algea
which makes haste to cover the new leaves on my plants as they grow.  I need
to do something to help my poor plants.
  
     Aside from water changes I have the following:
KH between 5-10
Gh between 5-10
pH is about 6.7
NO3 has been between 0-5
NO2 0-.5
Temp is 76 F
DIY yeast for CO2
Filter is a Fluval 304

Substrate Gold is about 3/4 inch mixed with some sand, covered with 2inch
gravel in deep areas, shallowing out to 1/2 inch sand on the substrate gold
in the front where it is shallow. 

My water is no longer green however it looks like there is alot of stuff in
it that makes it haze and look a bit cloudy.  I can't seem to get that
crystal clarity I want.  And I have only recently stablized the tank
parameters, especially where Kh and Gh were concerned.  The water here is
soft and until today I used Equalibrium and baking powder to make
adjustments.  I have not added any TMG but I have added Kent Chelated Iron. 
I don't quite have a handle on how to starve the algea and give the rooted
plants the edge.  

Plants to date:
E parvivoflorus
E tennellus
C blasii
C wendtii, "My Oya"
Hygro p. "Sunset"
Anubius nana
Anubius barteri
glosso
dwarf hair grass, eleocaris of some kind
Nesaea sp "red", which is turning green or is it rotala Macrandra, narrow
leaf??
Frogbit

Fish:
8 Rainbow fish
10 corys
7 ottos
2 sparkling gouramis

Some guidance would be appreciated because I need to do a water change and
filter cleaning tomorrow.  What should I do to help achieve a clear tank
with healthy plants a very little algea.  Please be aware that you are not
talking to a chemist, I am a lay person in that respect.
Thanks, Diana

 







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