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Re: can you get in the book of world records for GW occurrences

> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 16:45:05 -0400
> From: "Daphne Freeman" <daphne.freeman at home_com>

I can't help with GW specifically but others have already posted good info.

But a few things in your tank parameters bothered me:

>substrate cable heating with laterite and 50/50 mix of plain
>gravel/Flourite

Why did you decide to mix Flourite with laterite? Either one is OK by
itself; the combo may be a problem (too much good stuff). If you went with
cables, you should have stuck with just gravel/laterite ("pick a system with
proven results and don't mix and match"). Well, obviously, it's too late to
do anything about that!

What wattage cables do you have? Do you have a temp controller?

> 250 watt MH about 8-10 inches from water (I use the glass cover).
> It burns 12 hours a day.

We have our dual 175w MH about 14" from the water on a 120g tank. We have a
combo hood with two 40w FL also. The FL are on for 12 hours (enough to light
the tank but not enough for strong photosynthesis), the MH are on 10. Sort
of morning & evening (FL) with strong miday light (FL+MH).

>canister CO2 with controller.  pH runs 6.8-6.9 during day, 6.4-6.5 at night

This really puzzles me. If you have a controller, your pH should be very
stable (+/- whatever the controller hysterisis is - 0.1?). It sounds like
you are not adding CO2 fast enough to the canister - it can't keep up with
loss to the atmosphere and plant needs during the day. The CO2 should cycle
on and off during the day.

>Heavily planted although there are some crypts, anubias, etc,
>stems only make up about 20-25% of plants.

If you can, you might want to get a lot more fast growing stem plants to get
your tank past its unstable start-up period (1st 6 months).

>The tank is moderately stocked and I feed moderately 6 days a week.  I use
>TMG at 10 mL and Seachem potassium at 2-4 mL dosages.  The last two
>additions were on 8-5 and again 8-25.  I was afraid to add it every week
>because I might get GW!! ha, ha, ha, ha...

Hmm, I don't know how much other people dose, but I was adding 50 ml of TMG
per week to a 100g tank.

Question for anyone and everyone - How much TMG do you dose? I have
forgotten what the label said (I haven't used it since I went back to
Dupla), but isn't it something like "5 ml per 10 gallons weekly to start and
adjust as needed"? Someone mentioned to me that the instructions are
conservative (on the assumption that people think "more is better and I
should add twice as much") and 10ml/10g is closer to the required level.

>From what I understand, I am nitrate and phosphate limited?

Yes, I would say so.

>I thought feeding would cover me for the nitrate.

It takes a while for it to build up. That is probably true for an
established tank with moderate fish load and feeding.

>I have some Flourish and Flourish Iron but haven't added them.
>Do I add more TMG and start Iron or something else? I thought
>the TMG and K would cover everything(except Iron), either I
>am just not adding enough or need more chemicals.

Sounds like "mixing and matching" again. AFAIK, TMG is complete except for
potassium. It has iron. Dose at the proper levels (maybe others can help out
with dosing levels). Add some KNO3. I wouldn't mix TMG with other products.
If you think you like Flourish, find out what is recommended and stick with
that regimen.

Remember, more is NOT better.

"Need more chemicals"? <shiver> Try to add the least amount of chemicals you
can!

George Booth in Ft. Collins, CO (booth at frii dot com)
 The website for aquatic Gardeners by Aquatic Gardeners
   http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts/